Vocab 1 Final

Front 1

abdicate

Back 1

to give up power or responsibility; to relinquish power or responsibility formally

Front 2

aberration

Back 2

a deviation from the proper or expected course; unsoundness or disorder of the mind

Front 3

abjure

Back 3

[jur = to swear] to reject solemnly; to renounce upon oath; to abstain from; avoid (such as extravagance)

Front 4

abrade

Back 4

[rad = to scrape] to rub off or wear away by friction; erode

Front 5

abrogate

Back 5

to abolish by authoritative action; annul; to treat as nonexistent; repeal

Front 6

abyss

Back 6

[byss = bottom] anything that is so deep that it is has practically no bottom; a bottomless pit; hell; an unfathomable chasm; a yawning gulf; moral depravity

Front 7

ad hominem

Back 7

[hominem = man] appealing to personal interests, prejudices, or emotions rather than to reason

Front 8

adamant

Back 8

[damant = subdue] firm in purpose of opinion; unyielding

Front 9

admonish

Back 9

[mon = to warn] to earnestly advise or warn

Front 10

alternative

Back 10

the choice between two or more possibilites; one of a number of things from which one must be chosen

Front 11

altruistic

Back 11

being concerned for the welfare of others, as opposed to egotistic; selfless

Front 12

amorphous

Back 12

without definite form; shapeless

Front 13

anachronism

Back 13

something out of its proper time; anything historically out of place, but especially a throwback to a previous era

Front 14

anarchy

Back 14

absence of goverment; absence of any form of political authority

Front 15

antipathy

Back 15

a strong feeling of aversion, repugnance, or opposition

Front 16

archetype

Back 16

the first version or model of its type; an original model or type after which other similar things are patterned; prototype

Front 17

armory

Back 17

a place (as a storehouse) in which arms are stored; an arsenal

Front 18

autonomy

Back 18

the condition or quality of being self-governing; self-government; self-determination; independence

Front 19

bono fide

Back 19

made in good faith without fraud or deceit; made with earnest intent; sincere; neither specious nor counterfeit

Front 20

carnassials

Back 20

adapted for tearing apart flesh, usually referring to teeth

Front 21

cataclysm

Back 21

a violent upheaval or disaster; a violent and sudden change in the earth's crust; a violent occurrence such as flood, earthquake, etc.

Front 22

centipede

Back 22

any of various wormlike arthropods of the class Chilopoda, having numerous body segments, each with a pair of legs, the front pair modified into venomous biting organs

Front 23

colloquial

Back 23

conversational

Front 24

colloquy

Back 24

a conversation, especially formal one; a written dialogue

Front 25

commodious

Back 25

[mod = extent] spacious, roomy

Front 26

complacent

Back 26

contented to a fault; self-satisfied

Front 27

confluence

Back 27

a flowing together of two or more streams; the point of juncture of such streams; a gathering or meeting together; crowd

Front 28

convivial

Back 28

relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company; sociable; festive

Front 29

corporal

Back 29

1) of, relating to, or affecting the body
2) a noncommissioned officer

Front 30

credo

Back 30

creed; basic beliefs

Front 31

credulous

Back 31

gullible; too quick to believe things; disposed to believe too readily

Front 32

cursory

Back 32

hasty; superficial; not thorough

Front 33

diadem

Back 33

a crown or headband worn as a sign of royalty

Front 34

diaphanous

Back 34

of such a fine texture as to be transparent or translucent; characterized by delicacy of form; vague or insubstantial

Front 35

diction

Back 35

pronunciation and enunciation of words; choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness; vocal expression

Front 36

diffident

Back 36

hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence; shy; timid

Front 37

disparage

Back 37

to speak of as unimportant or small; to belittle; to reduce in esteem or rank

Front 38

disparity

Back 38

the condition or fact of being unequal in age, rank, or degree; difference; unlikeness or incongruity; inequality

Front 39

disseminate

Back 39

[semin = to sow] to spread abroad as though sowing seed; to disperse throughtout; to scatter widely

Front 40

dissonance

Back 40

harsh or inharmonious sound

Front 41

duet

Back 41

a musical composition for two two voices or instruments; a pair

Front 42

duplicity

Back 42

contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action, especially the belying of one's true intentions by deceptive words or action; the quality or state of being double or twofold; deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech

Front 43

elocution

Back 43

the art of public speaking, emphasizing gesture, vocal production, and delivery

Front 44

endemic

Back 44

belonging or native to a particular people or country; restricted or peculiar to a locality or region

Front 45

enervate

Back 45

to deprive of strength or vitality; weaken

Front 46

epitaph

Back 46

[taph = tomb] an inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there; a brief literary piece commemorating a dead person

Front 47

epithet

Back 47

[thet = to put] abusive names or phrases; a term used to characterize a person or thing; an abusive or contemptuous word or phrase

Front 48

equanimity

Back 48

evenness or mind especially under stress; the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure

Front 49

equinox

Back 49

the vernal equinox (March 21) and autumnal equinox (Sept. 21) those times when the night is equal in length to the day everywhere on earth [nox = night]

Front 50

equivocal

Back 50

subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse; uncertain as an indication or sign; of uncertain nature or classification; of uncertain dispostition toward a person or thing; undecided; of doubtful advantage, guenuineess, or moral rectitude

Front 51

eradicate

Back 51

[radic = root] to remove all traces of; erase; wipe out; root out

Front 52

euphoria

Back 52

a feeling of well-being or elation

Front 53

exculpate

Back 53

[culp = fault] to clear of a charge; prove guiltless or blameless; exonerate; acquit

Front 54

expatriate

Back 54

1) one who left one's native land, whether the departure was forced or voluntary
2) to remove (oneself) from residence in one's native land; to send into exile

Front 55

exposition

Back 55

a public exhibition or show, as of artistic or industrial developments; a setting forth of meaning or intent; a precise statement intended to give information about difficult material

Front 56

factotum

Back 56

a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities; a general servant; an employee or assistant who serves in a wide range of capacitites and who performs many different tasks [totum = everything]

Front 57

habitat

Back 57

the place where a person, thing or animal is most likely to be found

Front 58

habitue'

Back 58

a frequenter of a particular place or kind of place, especially a place of entertainment; a devotee

Front 59

inarticulate

Back 59

[articul = to speak clearly] uttered without use of normal words or syllables; unable to speak; speechless

Front 60

inclement

Back 60

[clement = merciful] stormy; severe or unmerciful; harsh; severe

Front 61

incredulity

Back 61

the state or quality of being incredulous; disbelief

Front 62

incredulous

Back 62

skeptical; disbelieving; expressing disbelief

Front 63

intermediary

Back 63

an individual who acts as a go-between or peacemaker for parties in dispute

Front 64

interment

Back 64

the act or ritual of interring

Front 65

interregnum

Back 65

[regn = to rule] period between two rulers; a gap in continuity; time when a country is without its ruler

Front 66

localism

Back 66

a local idiom (expression), mannerism, or custom; devotion to local interests and customs

Front 67

loquacious

Back 67

very talktive, especially so; garrulous; habitually talkative

Front 68

magnate

Back 68

a powerful or influential person, especially in business or industry

Front 69

magnum opus

Back 69

a great work, especially a literary or artistic masterpiece; the greatest single work of an artist, writer, or composer

Front 70

malady

Back 70

a disease or disorder of the animal body; an unwholesome or disordered condition

Front 71

malaise

Back 71

an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness; a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being; a vague feeling of illness or depression

Front 72

malfeasance

Back 72

misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official

Front 73

mellifluous

Back 73

having a smooth, rich flow; filled with something (as honey) that sweetens

Front 74

miscreant

Back 74

an evildoer; a villian; an infidel; a heretic

Front 75

neologism

Back 75

a newly coined word, phrase, or expression

Front 76

nonpareil

Back 76

1) having no equal; peerless
2) an individual of unequaled excellence; paragon
3) a small flat disk of chocolate covered with white sugar

Front 77

octet

Back 77

a group of eight

Front 78

olfactory

Back 78

pertaining to sense of smell

Front 79

ordain

Back 79

to invest officially (as by the laying on of hands) with ministerial or priestly authority; to establish or order by appointment, decree, or law; enact; to issue an order to invest with ministerial or priestly authority

Front 80

panacea

Back 80

a cure-all; remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties

Front 81

pantheon

Back 81

all the gods of a people; a temple dedicated to all gods; a public building commemorating and dedicated to the great persons of a nation; a group of famous persons

Front 82

pendant

Back 82

an object suspended from something else, especially an ornament or piece of jewlery attached to a necklace or bracelet

Front 83

perspicacious

Back 83

[spic = to see] of acute mental vision or discernment; mentally perceptive; able to perceive or understand keenly

Front 84

philanderer

Back 84

a man who habitually engages in brief love affairs

Front 85

placate

Back 85

to soothe or mollify, especially by concessions; appease; pacify; to allay the anger of; especially by yielding concessions; to reduce the intensity of

Front 86

plenipotentiary

Back 86

1) invested with full power
2) a person and especially a diplomatic agent invested with full power to transact business

Front 87

precocious

Back 87

[coc = to cook] exceptionally early in development or occurrence; exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age; unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude

Front 88

precursor

Back 88

forerunner; one that precedes and announces someone or something to come; predecessor

Front 89

presentiment

Back 89

a feeling that something is going to happen; a premonition; a forewarning

Front 90

prima facie

Back 90

at first view; on the first appearence; true; valid or sufficient at first impression

Front 91

pro forma

Back 91

made or carried out in a perfunctory manner or as a formality; provided in advance to prescribe form or describe items; carried out in a routine way

Front 92

pro tempore or pro tem

Back 92

for the time being; temporarily

Front 93

prolific

Back 93

producing offspring or fruit in great abundance; fertile; marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity

Front 94

prolix

Back 94

[lix = to flow] unduly prolonged or drawn out; marked by or using an excess of words; wordy

Front 95

proponent

Back 95

one who argues in support of something; advocate

Front 96

protagonist

Back 96

hero; leading figure

Front 97

protocol

Back 97

etiquette or precedence, especially in diplomatic and military circles

Front 98

resilience

Back 98

[sil = to jump] characterized or marked by resilience; capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture; tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

Front 99

secede

Back 99

[cedere = to go] to withdraw formally from membership in an organization, association, or alliance

Front 100

sensual

Back 100

relating to or consisting in the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of appetite

Front 101

sentient

Back 101

responsive to or conscious of sense impressions; aware; finely sensitive in perception or feeling; experiencing sensation or feeling

Front 102

simulate

Back 102

to give or assume the appearance or effect of; often with the intent to deceive; imitate; assume; pretend; feign; fake

Front 103

sonorous

Back 103

producing sound (as when struck); full or loud in sound

Front 104

specimen

Back 104

an individual, item, or part taken as representative of an entire set or whole; sample; a sample, as if tissue, blood or urine, used for analysis and diagnosis; an item inspected as an example or its class or type

Front 105

specious

Back 105

having deceptive attraction or allure; having a false look of truth or genuineness; deceptively attractive; having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious

Front 106

specter

Back 106

a visible disembodied spirit; ghost; something that haunts or perturbs the mind; a phantom; apparition; a threatening or haunting possibility

Front 107

subjugate

Back 107

[jug = a yoke] to bring under dominion; subdue; to make subservient; to enslave

Front 108

subpoena

Back 108

1) a legal writ requiring appearance in court to give testimony
2) to serve or summon with such a writ

Front 109

supercilious

Back 109

[cilium = eyebrow] haughty, patronizing
2) having perfect eyebrows like Michelle Mary Mocha!

Front 110

superfluous

Back 110

exceeding what is sufficient or necessary; not needed; unnecessary beyond what is required or sufficient

Front 111

symposium

Back 111

a meeting or conference for discussion of some topic; convention; seminar; a collection of writings on a particular topic, as in a magazine

Front 112

synopsis

Back 112

a brief statement or outline of a subject

Front 113

tenable

Back 113

capable of being held, maintained, or defended; defensible; reasonable

Front 114

tenacious

Back 114

holding or tending to hold firmly; persistent; not easily pulled apart; cohesive; tough; bending to adhere or to cling especially to another substance; persistent in maintaining or adhering to something valued or habitual; retentive

Front 115

tenet

Back 115

a principle, belief or doctrine generally held to be true, especially one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession; belief creed; view doctrine

Front 116

vagary

Back 116

an erratic, unpredictable, or extravagant manifestation, action, or notice; caprice; whim

Front 117

venue

Back 117

the place or country in which talke place the alleged events from which a legal action arises; locale; locality; the place from which a jury is drawn and in which trial is held; a statement showing that a case is brought to the proper court or authority

Front 118

veracity

Back 118

truthfulness

Front 119

vertigo

Back 119

dizziness; the sensation of dizziness and the feeling that oneself or one's environment is whirling about; a confused, disoriented state of mind

Front 120

vorciferous

Back 120

[voc = voice] making an outcry; clamorous; characterized by loudness and vehemence

Front 121

verbose

Back 121

using or containing an excessive number of words; wordy