Silent Spring Vocabulary

Front 1

HORDE - A large group of people.

Back 1

"How can you deal with this?" she asked, staring at the horde of women.

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CRUDE

Back 2

In a raw or natural state.

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HIGH-MINDED

Back 3

Having or showing intelligence.

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Touch off

to ignite or excite someone or something; to excite anger or chaos

Back 4

She is very excitable. The slightest thing will touch her off.

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ALARM

Back 5

A warning of danger. ("I hammered on several doors to raise the alarm")

To frighten or scare. ("the government was alarmed by an outbreak of unrest")

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SET IN MOTION

Back 6

Start something moving or working; start or trigger a process or series of events.

"plunging oil prices set in motion an economic collapse"

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KERNEL

Back 7

The central or most important part of something. (core, essence, gist)

"this is the kernel of the argument"

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AFFLUENCE

Back 8

The state of having a great deal of money; wealth.

"a sign of our growing affluence"

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ZENITH

Back 9

The highest point reached by a celestial or other object.

The time at which something is most powerful or successful. (The Byzantine Empire reached its zenith of influence.)

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GILD

Back 10

Give a specious or false brilliance to.

Cover thinly with gold.

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PRISTINE

Back 11

In its original condition; unspoiled; clean and fresh as if new; spotless.

"pristine copies of an early magazine"

"a pristine white shirt"

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DWINDLE

Back 12

diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength.

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ARDUOUS

Back 13

Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.

"an arduous journey"

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OUTSET

Back 14

the start or beginning of something.

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FORMATIVE

Back 15

Serving to form something, especially having a profound and lasting influence on a person's development.

"his formative years"

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EFFLUENTS

Back 16

Effluent is an outflowing of water or gas from a natural body of water, or from a manmade structure.

Liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or the sea."the bay was contaminated with the effluent from an industrial plant"

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DREDGE

Back 17

Clean out the bed of (a harbor, river, or other area of water) by scooping out mud, weeds, and rubbish with a dredge.

Bring up or clear (something) from a river, harbor, or other area of water with a dredge."mud was dredged out of the harbor"

Bring to people's attention an unpleasant or embarrassing fact or incident that had been forgotten."I don't understand why you had to dredge up this story"

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OMINOUS

Back 18

Sinister

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PROFLIGATE

Back 19

Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

"profligate consumers of energy"

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COROLLARY

Back 20

A proposition that follows from (and is often appended to) one already proved.

A direct or natural consequence or result.

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SUBSEQUENT

Back 21

Occurring or coming later or after Subsequent to their arrival in Chicago, they bou ht a new car

Following in order or succession; succeeding:a subsequent section in a treaty.

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ACRIMONIOUS

Back 22

caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc.:an acrimonious answer; an acrimonious dispute.

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CATEGORICALLY

Back 23

In this question, categorical is an adjective that means not modified or restricted by reservations. If someone accuses you of stealing their lunch and you give a categorical denial, it means that you absolutely deny having anything to do with the theft. Categorical means absolute, unqualified, unconditional.

-a categorical denial

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HYSTERICAL

Back 24

deriving from or affected by uncontrolled extreme emotion.

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FALLOUT

Back 25

radioactive particles that are carried into the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion or accident and gradually fall back as dust or in precipitation.2.the adverse side effects or results of a situation."almost as dramatic as the financial scale of the mess is the growing political fallout"

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BUFFER

Back 26

a person or thing that prevents incompatible or antagonistic people or things from coming into contact with or harming each other."family and friends can provide a buffer against stress"

synonyms:cushion, bulwark, shield, barrier, guard, safeguard"a buffer against market fluctuations"

lessen or moderate the impact of (something).

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UNABATED

Back 27

without any reduction in intensity or strength."the storm was raging unabated"

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DESERTED

Back 28

(of a place) empty of people."deserted beaches of soft sand"

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STRICKEN

Back 29

seriously affected by an undesirable condition or unpleasant feeling."the pilot landed the stricken aircraft"

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IMPETUOUS

Back 30

acting or done quickly and without thought or care."her friend was headstrong and impetuous"

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STAGGERING

Back 31

astonish or deeply shock."I was staggered to find it was six o'clock"

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RESURGENCE

Back 32

an increase or revival after a period of little activity, popularity, or occurrence."a resurgence of interest in religion"

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ESCALATION

Back 33

a rapid increase; a rise."cost escalations"synonyms:increase, rise, hike, growth, leap, upsurge, upturn, climb More an increase in the intensity or seriousness of something; an intensification."an escalation of violence"

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VINDICATION

Back 34

Something that provides evidence or support for a claim or argument: "The swim was a vindication of women's capability as athletes"

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INADVERTENT

Back 35

not resulting from or achieved through deliberate planning."an inadvertent administrative error occurred that resulted in an overpayment"

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ENGENDER

Back 36

cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)."the issue engendered continuing controversy"

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FLAGRANT

Back 37

(of something considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously or obviously offensive."his flagrant bad taste"

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CONTENTION

Back 38

heated disagreement."the captured territory was one of the main areas of contention between the two countries"

an assertion, especially one maintained in argument."statistics bear out his contention that many runners are undertrained for this event"

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CRUSADE

Back 39

an organized campaign concerning a political, social, or religious issue, typically motivated by a fervent desire for change."a crusade against crime"

.lead or take part in an energetic and organized campaign concerning a social, political, or religious issue."he crusaded against gambling in the 1950s"

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CONTEND

Back 40

assert something as a position in an argument."he contends that the judge was wrong

struggle to surmount (a difficulty or danger)."she had to contend with his uncertain temper"

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CONSIDERABLE

Back 41

(of a person) having merit or distinction."he was a limited, but still considerable, novelist"

notably large in size, amount, or extent."a position of considerable influence"

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CONDONE

Back 42

accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue."the college cannot condone any behavior that involves illicit drugs"

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PRUDENT

Back 43

acting with or showing care and thought for the future."no prudent money manager would authorize a loan without first knowing its purpose"