Vocab

Front 1

leafstalk

Back 1

the slender stem that supports the blade of a leaf

Front 2

rind

Back 2

the natural outer covering of food (usually removed before eating)

Front 3

awl

Back 3

a pointed tool for marking surfaces or for punching small holes

Front 4

lathe

Back 4

machine tool for shaping metal or wood

Front 5

hash

Back 5

chop up

Front 6

bluster

Back 6

vain and empty boasting

Front 7

spackle

Back 7

powder (containing gypsum plaster and glue) that when mixed with water forms a plastic paste used to fill cracks and holes in plaster

Front 8

caulk

Back 8

a waterproof filler and sealant that is used in building and repair to make watertight

Front 9

tackle

Back 9

gear consisting of ropes etc. supporting a ship's masts and sails

Front 10

sonata

Back 10

a musical composition of 3 or 4 movements of contrasting forms

Front 11

soliloquy

Back 11

a (usually long) dramatic speech intended to give the illusion of unspoken reflections

Front 12

libretto

Back 12

the words of an opera or musical play

Front 13

sonnet

Back 13

a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme

Front 14

doggerel

Back 14

a comic verse of irregular measure

Front 15

slate

Back 15

a list of candidates nominated by a political party to run for election to public offices

Front 16

roster

Back 16

a list of names

Front 17

manifest

Back 17

a customs document listing the contents put on a ship or plane

Front 18

brusque

Back 18

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

Front 19

spite

Back 19

feeling a need to see others suffer

Front 20

urbane

Back 20

showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience

Front 21

polish

Back 21

bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state

Front 22

coltish

Back 22

given to merry frolicking

Front 23

loutish

Back 23

ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance

Front 24

fiendish

Back 24

extremely evil or cruel

Front 25

comely

Back 25

very pleasing to the eye

Front 26

rancor

Back 26

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

Front 27

convulsion

Back 27

violent uncontrollable contractions of muscles

Front 28

school

Back 28

a large group of fish

Front 29

scabbard

Back 29

a sheath for a sword or dagger or bayonet

Front 30

holster

Back 30

a sheath (usually leather) for carrying a handgun

Front 31

occlude

Back 31

block passage through

Front 32

harangue

Back 32

a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion

Front 33

dingy

Back 33

thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot

Front 34

dirge

Back 34

a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

Front 35

fable

Back 35

a short moral story (often with animal characters), also a deliberately false or improbable account

Front 36

discombobulation

Back 36

a feeling of embarrassment that leaves you confused

Front 37

self-possessed

Back 37

in full control of your faculties

Front 38

rumple

Back 38

become wrinkled or crumpled or creased

Front 39

doldrums

Back 39

a state of inactivity (in business or art etc)

Front 40

depravity

Back 40

moral perversion

Front 41

elegiac

Back 41

resembling or characteristic of or appropriate to an elegy (from elegy)

Front 42

polemical

Back 42

of or involving dispute or controversy

Front 43

didactic

Back 43

instructive (especially excessively)

Front 44

emollient

Back 44

toiletry consisting of any of various substances in the form of a thick liquid that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin

Front 45

callow

Back 45

young and inexperienced

Front 46

adulate

Back 46

flatter in an obsequious manner

Front 47

galley

Back 47

the area for food preparation on a ship

Front 48

ledger

Back 48

a record in which commercial accounts are recorded

Front 49

stock

Back 49

the merchandise that a shop has on hand

Front 50

isthmus

Back 50

a relatively narrow strip of land (with water on both sides) connecting two larger land masses.

Front 51

incubation

Back 51

sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body

Front 52

reprobate

Back 52

a person without moral scruples

Front 53

staid

Back 53

characterized by dignity and propriety

Front 54

lull

Back 54

become quiet or less intensive

Front 55

ligneous plant

Back 55

a plant having hard lignified tissues or woody parts especially stems

Front 56

igneous

Back 56

like or suggestive of fire

Front 57

ellipsis

Back 57

omission or suppression of parts of words or sentences

Front 58

synthesis

Back 58

the process of producing a chemical compound (usually by the union of simpler chemical compounds)

Front 59

potpourri

Back 59

a jar of mixed flower petals and spices used as perfume

Front 60

medley

Back 60

a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources

Front 61

collage

Back 61

a paste-up made by sticking together pieces of paper or photographs to form an artistic image

Front 62

linoleum

Back 62

a floor covering

Front 63

rampart

Back 63

an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes

Front 64

tinder

Back 64

material for starting a fire

Front 65

roadway

Back 65

a road (especially that part of a road) over which vehicles travel

Front 66

shoulder

Back 66

a narrow edge of land (usually unpaved) along the side of a road

Front 67

stowaway

Back 67

a person who hides aboard a ship or plane in the hope of getting free passage

Front 68

duet

Back 68

a musical composition for two performers

Front 69

overture

Back 69

orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio

Front 70

concerto

Back 70

a composition for orchestra and a soloist

Front 71

aria

Back 71

an elaborate song for solo voice

Front 72

lint

Back 72

fine ravellings of cotton or linen fibers

Front 73

gristle

Back 73

tough elastic tissue

Front 74

anagram

Back 74

a word or phrase spelled by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase

Front 75

splice

Back 75

a junction where two things (as paper or film or magnetic tape) have been joined togetheranagram|a word or phrase spelled by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase

Front 76

expunge

Back 76

remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line

Front 77

palatable

Back 77

acceptable to the taste or mind

Front 78

gild

Back 78

a formal association of people with similar interests

Front 79

gild

Back 79

decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold

Front 80

ingest

Back 80

serve oneself to, or consume regularly

Front 81

immolate

Back 81

offer as a sacrifice by killing or by giving up to destruction

Front 82

pallid

Back 82

abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

Front 83

onerous

Back 83

not easily borne

Front 84

vicar

Back 84

a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman

Front 85

curate

Back 85

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

Front 86

dilettante

Back 86

an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge

Front 87

valediction

Back 87

a farewell oration (especially one delivered during graduation exercises by an outstanding member of a graduating class)

Front 88

chord

Back 88

a combination of three or more notes that blend harmoniously when sounded together

Front 89

ratiocinate

Back 89

reason methodologically and logically

Front 90

anvil

Back 90

a heavy block of iron or steel on which hot metals are shaped by hammering

Front 91

sprocket

Back 91

thin wheel with teeth that engage with a chain

Front 92

baste

Back 92

sew together loosely, with large stitches

Front 93

desiccate

Back 93

remove water from

Front 94

dross

Back 94

the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals

Front 95

ductility

Back 95

the malleability of something that can be drawn into threads or wires or hammered into thin sheets

Front 96

excoriate

Back 96

express strong disapproval of

Front 97

rankle

Back 97

gnaw into

Front 98

anathema

Back 98

a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication, also a detested person

Front 99

spendthrift

Back 99

someone who spends money prodigally

Front 100

carapace

Back 100

hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles

Front 101

hull

Back 101

dry outer covering of a fruit or seed or nut

Front 102

coda

Back 102

the closing section of a musical composition

Front 103

fawn

Back 103

try to gain favor by cringing or flattering

Front 104

foster

Back 104

help develop, help grow

Front 105

sanction

Back 105

official permission or approval

Front 106

solicitous

Back 106

full of anxiety and concern

Front 107

cadet

Back 107

a military trainee (as at a military academy)

Front 108

conservatory

Back 108

a schoolhouse with special facilities for fine arts

Front 109

ineluctable

Back 109

impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"

Front 110

abstemious

Back 110

sparing in consumption of especially food and drink

Front 111

contumacious

Back 111

wilfully obstinate

Front 112

bravado

Back 112

a swaggering show of courage

Front 113

fulsomeness

Back 113

excessive but superficial compliments given with affected charm

Front 114

recondite

Back 114

difficult to penetrate

Front 115

grove

Back 115

garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

Front 116

lark

Back 116

a songbird that lives mainly on the ground in open country, also any carefree episode

Front 117

idyll

Back 117

a musical composition that evokes rural life

Front 118

recidivism

Back 118

habitual relapse into crime

Front 119

convalesce

Back 119

get over an illness or shock

Front 120

winnow

Back 120

the act of separating grain from chaff, also select desirable parts from a group or list

Front 121

debauchery

Back 121

a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity

Front 122

drove

Back 122

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

Front 123

gaggle

Back 123

a flock of geese

Front 124

gerontology

Back 124

the branch of medical science that deals with diseases and problems specific to old people

Front 125

alacrity

Back 125

liveliness and eagerness

Front 126

taunt

Back 126

harass with persistent criticism or carping

Front 127

bungling

Back 127

lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands

Front 128

deft

Back 128

skillful in physical movements

Front 129

primp

Back 129

dress or groom with elaborate care

Front 130

quaff

Back 130

to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught

Front 131

slurp

Back 131

eat noisily

Front 132

shipshape

Back 132

of places

Front 133

stalk

Back 133

a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ

Front 134

stalk

Back 134

go through (an area) in search of prey, also walk stiffly

Front 135

coalesce

Back 135

fuse or cause to grow together

Front 136

doting

Back 136

extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent

Front 137

iridescent

Back 137

having a play of lustrous rainbow colors

Front 138

waddle

Back 138

walking with short steps and the weight tilting from one foot to the other such as a duck

Front 139

countenance

Back 139

consent to, give permission

Front 140

redolent

Back 140

having a strong pleasant odor

Front 141

torpid

Back 141

in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation

Front 142

note

Back 142

a promise to pay a specified amount on demand or at a certain time

Front 143

endowment

Back 143

the act of endowing with a permanent source of income

Front 144

fellowship

Back 144

money granted (by a university or foundation or other agency) for advanced study or research

Front 145

sampler

Back 145

an assortment of various samples

Front 146

totem

Back 146

emblem consisting of an object such as an animal or plant

Front 147

pedestal

Back 147

an architectural support or base (as for a column or statue), also a position of great esteem (and supposed superiority)

Front 148

tapestry

Back 148

a wall hanging of heavy handwoven fabric with pictorial designs

Front 149

posse

Back 149

a temporary police force

Front 150

redoubtable

Back 150

worthy of respect or honor

Front 151

carp

Back 151

raise trivial objections

Front 152

filigree

Back 152

delicate and intricate ornamentation (usually in gold or silver or other fine twisted wire)

Front 153

strand

Back 153

a very slender natural or synthetic fiber

Front 154

corral

Back 154

a pen for cattle

Front 155

bout

Back 155

an occasion for excessive eating or drinking, also a fight

Front 156

die

Back 156

a device used for shaping metal

Front 157

literati

Back 157

the literary intelligentsia

Front 158

strut

Back 158

brace consisting of a bar or rod used to resist longitudinal compression, also a proud gait when walking

Front 159

buttress

Back 159

a support usually of stone or brick

Front 160

boggle

Back 160

hesitate when confronted with a problem, or when in doubt or fear, also overcome with amazement

Front 161

hold

Back 161

a cell in a jail or prison

Front 162

fresco

Back 162

a mural done with watercolors on wet plaster

Front 163

panegyric

Back 163

a formal expression of praise

Front 164

ballad

Back 164

a narrative poem of popular origin

Front 165

ode

Back 165

a lyric poem with complex stanza forms

Front 166

refractory

Back 166

stubbornly resistant to authority or control, also not responding to treatment

Front 167

sordid

Back 167

meanly avaricious and mercenary, also morally degraded

Front 168

sinuous

Back 168

curved or curving in and out

Front 169

gong

Back 169

a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick

Front 170

phlegm

Back 170

apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions

Front 171

halting

Back 171

disabled in the feet or legs

Front 172

sow

Back 172

an adult female hog (domestic swine)

Front 173

mare

Back 173

female equine animal

Front 174

flange

Back 174

a projection used for strength or for attaching to another object

Front 175

cinder

Back 175

a fragment of incombustible matter left after a wood or coal or charcoal fire

Front 176

tare

Back 176

weedy annual grass often occurs in grainfields and other cultivated land

Front 177

graft

Back 177

the act of grafting something onto something else

Front 178

prune

Back 178

weed out unwanted or unnecessary things

Front 179

dwarf

Back 179

a person who is markedly small

Front 180

officious

Back 180

intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner

Front 181

equanimity

Back 181

steadiness of mind under stress

Front 182

macabre

Back 182

shockingly repellent

Front 183

perfidious

Back 183

tending to betray

Front 184

equanimity

Back 184

steadiness of mind under stress

Front 185

blandishment

Back 185

the act of urging by means of teasing or flattery

Front 186

macabre

Back 186

shockingly repellent

Front 187

drawl

Back 187

a slow speech pattern with prolonged vowels

Front 188

maul

Back 188

a heavy long-handled hammer used to drive stakes or wedges

Front 189

ballast

Back 189

any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship, also an attribute that tends to give stability in character and morals

Front 190

lope

Back 190

a slow pace of running

Front 191

gimmick

Back 191

any clever maneuver

Front 192

wheedle

Back 192

influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Front 193

discomfit

Back 193

cause to lose one's composure

Front 194

gloat

Back 194

gaze at or think about something with great self-satisfaction, gratification, or joy

Front 195

burlesque

Back 195

a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way, such as a parody

Front 196

operetta

Back 196

a short amusing opera

Front 197

limerick

Back 197

a humorous verse form of 5 anapestic lines with a rhyme scheme aabba

Front 198

droll

Back 198

comical in an odd or whimsical manner

Front 199

chase

Back 199

a rectangular metal frame used in letterpress printing to hold together the pages or columns of composed type that are printed at one time

Front 200

peroration

Back 200

a flowery and highly rhetorical oration

Front 201

rebus

Back 201

a puzzle where you decode a message consisting of pictures representing syllables and words

Front 202

tourniquet

Back 202

bandage that stops the flow of blood from an artery by applying pressure

Front 203

allude

Back 203

make a more or less disguised reference to

Front 204

elude

Back 204

avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)

Front 205

philatelist

Back 205

a collector and student of postage stamps

Front 206

rung

Back 206

one of the crosspieces that form the steps of a ladder

Front 207

mollycoddle

Back 207

a pampered darling

Front 208

trapeze

Back 208

a swing used by circus acrobats

Front 209

adumbrate

Back 209

describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

Front 210

tally

Back 210

keep score, as in games

Front 211

droplet

Back 211

a tiny drop

Front 212

cloudburst

Back 212

a heavy rain

Front 213

diffident

Back 213

lacking self-confidence

Front 214

husk

Back 214

outer membranous covering of some fruits or seeds

Front 215

woodpile

Back 215

a pile or stack of wood to be used for fuel

Front 216

instigation

Back 216

the verbal act of urging on

Front 217

trowel

Back 217

a small hand tool with a handle and flat metal blade

Front 218

simper

Back 218

a silly self-conscious smile

Front 219

ogle

Back 219

look at with amorous intentions

Front 220

roe

Back 220

eggs of female fish

Front 221

nostrum

Back 221

patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable

Front 222

pirouette

Back 222

(ballet) a rapid spin of the body (especially on the toes as in ballet)

Front 223

clay

Back 223

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

Front 224

porcelain

Back 224

ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic

Front 225

slag

Back 225

the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals

Front 226

flax

Back 226

fiber of the flax plant that is made into thread and woven into linen fabric

Front 227

homiletics

Back 227

the art of preaching

Front 228

philately

Back 228

the collection and study of postage stamps

Front 229

carve

Back 229

cut to pieces (e.g. a turkey), also carve|engrave or cut by chipping away at a surface

Front 230

cornucopia

Back 230

the property of being extremely abundant

Front 231

mace

Back 231

a ceremonial staff carried as a symbol of office or authority

Front 232

ensign

Back 232

colors flown by a ship to show its nationality

Front 233

loom

Back 233

a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile, also appear very large or occupy a commanding position

Front 234

astringent

Back 234

tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue

Front 235

pucker

Back 235

to gather something into small wrinkles or folds

Front 236

agog

Back 236

highly excited

Front 237

blithe

Back 237

lacking or showing a lack of due concern

Front 238

serrate

Back 238

notched like a saw with teeth pointing toward the apex

Front 239

notch

Back 239

a V-shaped or U-shaped indentation carved or scratched into a surface

Front 240

tamp

Back 240

press down tightly

Front 241

gouge

Back 241

and edge tool with a blade like a trough for cutting channels or grooves

Front 242

verve

Back 242

an energetic style

Front 243

flinch

Back 243

draw back, as with fear or pain

Front 244

gall

Back 244

become or make sore by or as if by rubbing

Front 245

skiff

Back 245

any of various small boats propelled by oars or by sails or by a motor

Front 246

stickler

Back 246

someone who insists on something

Front 247

foppish

Back 247

affecting extreme elegance in dress and manner

Front 248

eddy

Back 248

a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the current of a fluid doubles back on itself

Front 249

epidermis

Back 249

the outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates

Front 250

paradigmatic

Back 250

of or relating to a typical example

Front 251

colossus

Back 251

a person of exceptional importance and reputation

Front 252

juggernaut

Back 252

a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way

Front 253

quisling

Back 253

someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force

Front 254

sibyl

Back 254

a woman who tells fortunes

Front 255

sphinx

Back 255

an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret

Front 256

dingbat

Back 256

a silly empty-headed person

Front 257

co-opt

Back 257

take or assume for one's own use

Front 258

windbag

Back 258

a boring person who talks a great deal about uninteresting topics

Front 259

stooge

Back 259

a person of unquestioning obedience

Front 260

expansive

Back 260

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope, also friendly and open and willing to talk

Front 261

odious

Back 261

unequivocally detestable

Front 262

onerous

Back 262

not easily borne

Front 263

flatcar

Back 263

freight car without permanent sides or roof

Front 264

barge

Back 264

a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)

Front 265

sear

Back 265

become superficially burned

Front 266

epaulet

Back 266

adornment consisting of an ornamental cloth pad worn on the shoulder

Front 267

tussle

Back 267

fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters

Front 268

tassel

Back 268

adornment consisting of a bunch of cords fastened at one end

Front 269

cravat

Back 269

neckwear worn in a slipknot with long ends overlapping vertically in front

Front 270

sash

Back 270

a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers

Front 271

oncology

Back 271

the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of tumors

Front 272

understudy

Back 272

an actor able to replace a regular performer when required

Front 273

dune

Back 273

a ridge of sand created by the wind

Front 274

gorge

Back 274

a deep ravine (usually with a river running through it)

Front 275

stipple

Back 275

apply (paint) in small dots or strokes

Front 276

skinflint

Back 276

a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend

Front 277

hoof

Back 277

the foot of an ungulate mammal such as a horse

Front 278

quill

Back 278

the hollow spine of a feather

Front 279

royalty

Back 279

payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property

Front 280

writ

Back 280

(law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer

Front 281

drawbridge

Back 281

a bridge that can be raised to block passage or to allow boats or ships to pass beneath it

Front 282

splinter

Back 282

a small thin sharp bit or wood or glass or metal

Front 283

splinter

Back 283

break up into splinters or slivers

Front 284

gaucherie

Back 284

a socially awkward or tactless act

Front 285

qualm

Back 285

uneasiness about the fitness of an action

Front 286

pique

Back 286

cause to feel resentment or indignation

Front 287

miser

Back 287

a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)

Front 288

vinyl

Back 288

shiny and tough and flexible plastic

Front 289

coagulate

Back 289

change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state

Front 290

emollient

Back 290

having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin

Front 291

cogitate

Back 291

consider carefully and deeply

Front 292

extemporize

Back 292

perform without preparation

Front 293

cloister

Back 293

residence that is a place of religious seclusion (such as a monastery)

Front 294

prevaricate

Back 294

be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information

Front 295

seine

Back 295

a large fishnet that hangs vertically, with floats at the top and weights at the bottom

Front 296

snare

Back 296

a trap for birds or small mammals

Front 297

foolproof

Back 297

not liable to failure

Front 298

taut

Back 298

pulled or drawn tight

Front 299

tanner

Back 299

a craftsman who tans skins and hides

Front 300

vintner

Back 300

someone who makes wine

Front 301

sinkhole

Back 301

a depression in the ground communicating with a subterranean passage (especially in limestone) and formed by solution or by collapse of a cavern roof

Front 302

reed

Back 302

a vibrator consisting of a thin strip of stiff material that vibrates to produce a tone when air streams over it

Front 303

pigment

Back 303

dry coloring material (especially a powder to be mixed with a liquid to produce paint, etc.)

Front 304

prate

Back 304

idle or foolish and irrelevant talk

Front 305

wheedle

Back 305

influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Front 306

coax

Back 306

influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Front 307

saunter

Back 307

walk leisurely and with no apparent aim

Front 308

tender

Back 308

offer or present for acceptance

Front 309

flounder

Back 309

walk with great difficulty

Front 310

belabor

Back 310

to work at or to absurd length as in to belabor the obvious

Front 311

forager

Back 311

someone who hunts for food and provisions

Front 312

score

Back 312

a written form of a musical composition

Front 313

score

Back 313

a set of twenty members

Front 314

blowhard

Back 314

a very boastful and talkative person

Front 315

highbrow

Back 315

a person of intellectual or erudite tastes

Front 316

toady

Back 316

a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage

Front 317

carrion

Back 317

the dead and rotting body of an animal

Front 318

calf

Back 318

young of domestic cattle

Front 319

drone

Back 319

stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen

Front 320

drone

Back 320

talk in a monotonous voice

Front 321

stoic

Back 321

seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain

Front 322

preen

Back 322

dress or groom with elaborate care

Front 323

brood

Back 323

think moodily or anxiously about something

Front 324

footlights

Back 324

theater light at the front of a stage that illuminate the set and actors

Front 325

hemophilia

Back 325

congenital tendency to uncontrolled bleeding

Front 326

inveigle

Back 326

influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Front 327

inveigh

Back 327

speak against in an impassioned manner

Front 328

parry

Back 328

avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)

Front 329

circumlocution

Back 329

an indirect way of expressing something

Front 330

prattle

Back 330

idle or foolish and irrelevant talk

Front 331

caret

Back 331

a mark used by an author or editor to indicate where something is to be inserted into a text

Front 332

miscreant

Back 332

a person without moral scruples

Front 333

curmudgeon

Back 333

a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas

Front 334

rite

Back 334

any customary observance or practice

Front 335

liturgy

Back 335

a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship

Front 336

membrane

Back 336

a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants

Front 337

tissue

Back 337

part of an organism consisting of an aggregate of cells having a similar structure and function

Front 338

stockade

Back 338

fortification consisting of a fence made of a line of stout posts set firmly for defense

Front 339

geyser

Back 339

a spring that discharges hot water and steam

Front 340

epithet

Back 340

a defamatory or abusive word or phrase

Front 341

alias

Back 341

a name that has been assumed temporarily

Front 342

diminutive

Back 342

very small

Front 343

tiff

Back 343

a quarrel about petty points

Front 344

chary

Back 344

characterized by great caution and wariness

Front 345

caliper

Back 345

an instrument for measuring the distance between two points (often used in the plural)

Front 346

sextant

Back 346

a measuring instrument for measuring the angular distance between celestial objects, used to navigate in the past

Front 347

corona

Back 347

the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere

Front 348

corona

Back 348

(anatomy) any structure that resembles a crown in shape

Front 349

feint

Back 349

any distracting or deceptive maneuver (as a mock attack)

Front 350

feign

Back 350

make believe with the intent to deceive

Front 351

limn

Back 351

trace the shape of, such as a line

Front 352

muffler

Back 352

a scarf worn around the neck

Front 353

muffler

Back 353

a device that decreases the amplitude of electronic, mechanical, acoustical, or aerodynamic oscillations

Front 354

dereliction

Back 354

a tendency to be negligent and uncaring

Front 355

lumber

Back 355

the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material

Front 356

lumber

Back 356

move heavily or clumsily

Front 357

hack

Back 357

a tool (as a hoe or pick or mattock) used for breaking up the surface of the soil

Front 358

snip

Back 358

the act of clipping or snipping, cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of

Front 359

hew

Back 359

strike with an axe

Front 360

fell

Back 360

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow, as with trees

Front 361

wag

Back 361

a witty amusing person who makes jokes

Front 362

wag

Back 362

move from side to side

Front 363

dolt

Back 363

a person who is not very bright

Front 364

suede

Back 364

leather with a napped surface

Front 365

quaff

Back 365

to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught

Front 366

plod

Back 366

walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud

Front 367

blood fluke

Back 367

flatworms parasitic in the blood vessels of mammals

Front 368

prescience

Back 368

the power to foresee the future

Front 369

toupee

Back 369

a small hairpiece to cover partial baldness

Front 370

requiem

Back 370

a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

Front 371

cowhand

Back 371

a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

Front 372

paean

Back 372

a formal expression of praise

Front 373

encomium

Back 373

a formal expression of praise

Front 374

frieze

Back 374

an architectural ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band between the architrave and the cornice

Front 375

porter

Back 375

a person employed to carry luggage and supplies

Front 376

lien

Back 376

the right to take another's property if an obligation is not discharged

Front 377

churlish

Back 377

rude and boorish

Front 378

divest

Back 378

deprive of status or authority

Front 379

sidereal

Back 379

of or relating to the stars or constellations

Front 380

chatterbox

Back 380

an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker

Front 381

regale

Back 381

provide with choice or abundant food or drink

Front 382

finicky

Back 382

exacting especially about details

Front 383

prudish

Back 383

exaggeratedly proper

Front 384

insignia

Back 384

a badge worn to show official position

Front 385

floodgate

Back 385

regulator consisting of a valve or gate that controls the rate of water flow through a sluice

Front 386

taunt

Back 386

aggravation by deriding or mocking or criticizing

Front 387

glib

Back 387

marked by lack of intellectual depth

Front 388

shuck

Back 388

remove from the shell as in shuck oysters or corn

Front 389

dredge

Back 389

a power shovel to remove material from a channel or riverbed

Front 390

assay

Back 390

a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components

Front 391

quarry

Back 391

a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate

Front 392

stanch

Back 392

stop the flow of a liquid

Front 393

anodize

Back 393

coat a metal with an oxide coat

Front 394

bale

Back 394

a large bundle bound for storage or transport, as in hay

Front 395

virtuoso

Back 395

someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

Front 396

silt

Back 396

mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake

Front 397

amble

Back 397

a leisurely walk (usually in some public place)

Front 398

unctuous

Back 398

unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech

Front 399

accompaniment

Back 399

a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts

Front 400

salve

Back 400

semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation

Front 401

symphony

Back 401

a large orchestra

Front 402

barrage

Back 402

the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area rather than hit a specific target

Front 403

gull

Back 403

a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of

Front 404

crockery

Back 404

tableware (eating and serving dishes) collectively

Front 405

skit

Back 405

a short theatrical episode

Front 406

lancet

Back 406

a surgical knife with a pointed double-edged blade

Front 407

antihistamine

Back 407

a medicine used to treat allergies and hypersensitive reactions and colds

Front 408

cocoon

Back 408

silky envelope spun by the larvae of many insects to protect pupas and by spiders to protect eggs

Front 409

pyre

Back 409

wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite

Front 410

pugnacious

Back 410

tough and callous by virtue of experience

Front 411

wanderlust

Back 411

very strong or irresistible impulse to travel

Front 412

foolhardy

Back 412

marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences

Front 413

dote

Back 413

shower with love

Front 414

recast

Back 414

cast again, in a different roleslough|cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers

Front 415

slough

Back 415

cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers, as in snakes

Front 416

molt

Back 416

periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles, as in birds

Front 417

curt

Back 417

brief and to the point

Front 418

syncopate

Back 418

modify the rhythm by stressing or accenting a weak beat

Front 419

pylon

Back 419

a large vertical steel tower supporting high-tension power lines

Front 420

filing

Back 420

a fragment rubbed off by the use of a file

Front 421

lair

Back 421

the habitation of wild animals

Front 422

minutia

Back 422

a small or minor detail

Front 423

venom

Back 423

toxin secreted by animals

Front 424

toxin

Back 424

a poisonous substance produced during the metabolism and growth of certain microorganisms and some higher plant and animal species

Front 425

swill

Back 425

drink large quantities of (liquid, especially alcoholic drink)

Front 426

shale

Back 426

a sedimentary rock formed by the deposition of successive layers of clay

Front 427

epithet

Back 427

a defamatory or abusive word or phrase

Front 428

declamation

Back 428

recitation of a speech from memory with studied gestures and intonation as an exercise in elocution or rhetoric

Front 429

compendium

Back 429

a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work

Front 430

compendium

Back 430

a publication containing a variety of works

Front 431

glade

Back 431

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

Front 432

furrow

Back 432

a long shallow trench in the ground (especially one made by a plow)

Front 433

strident

Back 433

unpleasantly loud and harsh

Front 434

garish

Back 434

tastelessly showy

Front 435

churlish

Back 435

rude and boorish

Front 436

fetter

Back 436

a shackle for the ankles or feet

Front 437

dally

Back 437

waste time, as in "Don't dally."

Front 438

plait

Back 438

make by braiding or interlacing

Front 439

plait

Back 439

any of various types of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and then pressing or stitching into shape

Front 440

soliloquize

Back 440

talk to oneself

Front 441

melodrama

Back 441

an extravagant comedy in which action is more salient than characterization

Front 442

chimera

Back 442

a grotesque product of the imagination

Front 443

rarefaction

Back 443

a decrease in the density of something

Front 444

daguerreotype

Back 444

a photograph made by an early photographic process

Front 445

pastiche

Back 445

a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work

Front 446

goad

Back 446

a pointed instrument that is used to prod into a state of motion, also stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick

Front 447

slake

Back 447

satisfy (thirst)

Front 448

preponderance

Back 448

exceeding in heaviness, also superiority in power or influence

Front 449

madrigal

Back 449

an unaccompanied partsong for 2 or 3 voices

Front 450

frond

Back 450

compound leaf of a fern or palm or cycad

Front 451

ditty

Back 451

a short simple song (or the words of a poem intended to be sung)

Front 452

oratorio

Back 452

a musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a religious text

Front 453

impresario

Back 453

a sponsor who books and stages public entertainments

Front 454

stenography

Back 454

a method of writing rapidly

Front 455

sod

Back 455

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

Front 456

prude

Back 456

a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum

Front 457

coquette

Back 457

talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions, also a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men

Front 458

cad

Back 458

someone who is morally reprehensible

Front 459

chevron

Back 459

V-shaped sleeve badge indicating military rank and service

Front 460

germinate

Back 460

produce buds, branches, or germinate

Front 461

cyclone

Back 461

a violent rotating windstorm

Front 462

larder

Back 462

a small storeroom for storing foods or wines

Front 463

affected

Back 463

speaking or behaving in an artificial way to make an impression

Front 464

yokel

Back 464

a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture

Front 465

huckster

Back 465

a seller of shoddy goods, also sell or offer for sale from place to place

Front 466

countermand

Back 466

a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command

Front 467

fulcrum

Back 467

the pivot about which a lever turns

Front 468

injunction

Back 468

(law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity

Front 469

reprieve

Back 469

postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution

Front 470

friable

Back 470

easily broken into small fragments or reduced to powder

Front 471

browbeat

Back 471

discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner

Front 472

oration

Back 472

an instance of oratory

Front 473

refectory

Back 473

a communal dining-hall (usually in a monastery)

Front 474

remuneration

Back 474

the act of paying for goods or services or to recompense for losses

Front 475

bereft

Back 475

sorrowful through loss or deprivation

Front 476

deacon

Back 476

a cleric ranking just below a priest in Christian churches

Front 477

ode

Back 477

a lyric poem with complex stanza forms

Front 478

beacon

Back 478

a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships

Front 479

gadfly

Back 479

any of various large flies that annoy livestock, also a persistently annoying person

Front 480

killjoy

Back 480

someone who spoils the pleasure of others

Front 481

doldrums

Back 481

a state of inactivity (in business or art etc)

Front 482

venal

Back 482

capable of being corrupted

Front 483

hack

Back 483

a mediocre and disdained writer

Front 484

hack

Back 484

a tool (as a hoe or pick or mattock) used for breaking up the surface of the soil

Front 485

perambulate

Back 485

walk with no particular goal

Front 486

discography

Back 486

a descriptive catalog of musical recordings

Front 487

hoe

Back 487

a tool with a flat blade attached at right angles to a long handle

Front 488

grating

Back 488

a frame of iron bars to hold a fire, also unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound

Front 489

tambourine

Back 489

a shallow drum with a single drumhead and with metallic disks in the sides

Front 490

bicker

Back 490

a quarrel about petty points

Front 491

nondescript

Back 491

lacking distinct or individual characteristics, also a person is not easily classified and not very interesting

Front 492

pauper

Back 492

a person who is very poor

Front 493

cumulus

Back 493

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

Front 494

retardant

Back 494

any agent that retards or delays or hinders

Front 495

doodle

Back 495

an aimless drawing

Front 496

rabid

Back 496

marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea

Front 497

aesthete

Back 497

one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature

Front 498

paean

Back 498

(ancient Greece) a hymn of praise (especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity)

Front 499

insidious

Back 499

intended to entrap

Front 500

hub

Back 500

the central part of a car wheel (or fan or propeller etc) through which the shaft or axle passes, also a center of activity or interest or commerce or transportation

Front 501

vendetta

Back 501

a feud in which members of the opposing parties murder each other

Front 502

rostrum

Back 502

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

Front 503

bravura

Back 503

brilliant and showy technical skill

Front 504

belabor

Back 504

to work at or to absurd length, as in belabor the obvious

Front 505

coeval

Back 505

a person of nearly the same age as another

Front 506

stunt

Back 506

check the growth or development of, also a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat

Front 507

scoundrel

Back 507

a wicked or evil person

Front 508

brat

Back 508

a very troublesome child

Front 509

stint

Back 509

an individual's prescribed share of work, subsist on a meager allowance

Front 510

pylon

Back 510

a large vertical steel tower supporting high-tension power lines

Front 511

misty-eyed

Back 511

having eyes blurred as with tears

Front 512

vignette

Back 512

a small illustrative sketch (as sometimes placed at the beginning of chapters in books)

Front 513

disjunctive

Back 513

serving or tending to divide or separate

Front 514

rustling

Back 514

the stealing of cattle

Front 515

rustle

Back 515

a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

Front 516

doleful

Back 516

filled with or evoking sadness

Front 517

forge

Back 517

create by hammering

Front 518

blatant

Back 518

without any attempt at concealment

Front 519

doleful

Back 519

filled with or evoking sadness

Front 520

jaundice

Back 520

distort adversely

Front 521

disaffect

Back 521

arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness

Front 522

filly

Back 522

a young female horse under the age of four

Front 523

pullet

Back 523

young hen usually less than a year old

Front 524

facetious

Back 524

cleverly amusing in tone

Front 525

vagary

Back 525

an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.)

Front 526

hermit

Back 526

one who lives in solitude

Front 527

mawkish

Back 527

effusively or insincerely emotional

Front 528

peevish

Back 528

easily irritated or annoyed

Front 529

fulsome

Back 529

unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech

Front 530

bromide

Back 530

a trite or obvious remark

Front 531

hackneyed

Back 531

repeated too often

Front 532

horticulture

Back 532

the cultivation of plants

Front 533

inequity

Back 533

injustice by virtue of not conforming with rules or standards

Front 534

inclemency

Back 534

excessive sternness

Front 535

epigram

Back 535

a witty saying

Front 536

gustation

Back 536

the faculty of distinguishing sweet, sour, bitter, and salty properties in the mouth

Front 537

digit

Back 537

a finger or toe in human beings or corresponding body part in other vertebrates

Front 538

adroit

Back 538

quick or skillful or adept in action or thought

Front 539

ungainly

Back 539

lacking grace in movement or posture

Front 540

wither

Back 540

wither, as with a loss of moisture

Front 541

dither

Back 541

act nervously and inconclusively

Front 542

jest

Back 542

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

Front 543

jeer

Back 543

laugh at with contempt and derision

Front 544

jibe

Back 544

an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect, also be compatible, similar or consistent, as in the idea didn't jibe with him

Front 545

jolt

Back 545

move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion

Front 546

grimace

Back 546

contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state

Front 547

gesticulate

Back 547

show, express or direct through movement

Front 548

manifest

Back 548

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

Front 549

promulgate

Back 549

put a law into effect by formal declaration

Front 550

salacious

Back 550

suggestive of or tending to moral looseness

Front 551

gratuity

Back 551

a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter)

Front 552

flout

Back 552

treat with contemptuous disregard

Front 553

irrigate

Back 553

supply with water, as with channels or ditches or streams

Front 554

spoke

Back 554

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

Front 555

cavil

Back 555

raise trivial objections

Front 556

scrum

Back 556

(rugby) the method of beginning play in which the forwards of each team crouch side by side with locked arms

Front 557

denigrate

Back 557

charge falsely or with malicious intent

Front 558

mania

Back 558

an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action

Front 559

imp

Back 559

one who is playfully mischievous

Front 560

jejune

Back 560

displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity

Front 561

diffuse

Back 561

lacking conciseness

Front 562

amenity

Back 562

pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions

Front 563

honorarium

Back 563

a fee paid for a nominally free service

Front 564

palliative

Back 564

remedy that alleviates pain without curing

Front 565

eve

Back 565

the day before

Front 566

denouement

Back 566

the outcome of a complex sequence of events

Front 567

conceit

Back 567

feelings of excessive pride

Front 568

molar

Back 568

of or pertaining to the grinding teeth in the back of a mammal's mouth

Front 569

ruffian

Back 569

a cruel and brutal fellow

Front 570

grouse

Back 570

popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs and feet, also to complain

Front 571

plodder

Back 571

someone who works slowly and monotonously for long hours, also someone who walks in a laborious heavy-footed manner

Front 572

forbearance

Back 572

good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence

Front 573

aspersion

Back 573

an abusive attack on a person's character or good name

Front 574

defuse

Back 574

remove the triggering device from

Front 575

baroque

Back 575

having elaborate symmetrical ornamentation

Front 576

kiln

Back 576

a furnace for firing or burning or drying such things as porcelain or bricks

Front 577

incinerator

Back 577

a furnace for incinerating (especially to dispose of refuse)

Front 578

adjure

Back 578

ask for or request earnestly

Front 579

adjudicate

Back 579

put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of

Front 580

choleric

Back 580

easily moved to anger

Front 581

adjudication

Back 581

the final judgment in a legal proceeding

Front 582

porous

Back 582

allowing passage in and out

Front 583

posture

Back 583

behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others

Front 584

brine

Back 584

a strong solution of salt and water used for pickling

Front 585

skedaddle

Back 585

run away, as if in a panic

Front 586

rhapsody

Back 586

an epic poem adapted for recitation

Front 587

rhapsodize

Back 587

say (something) with great enthusiasm

Front 588

tossup

Back 588

an unpredictable phenomenon

Front 589

paltry

Back 589

contemptibly small in amount

Front 590

taper off

Back 590

to slow down

Front 591

anemic

Back 591

lacking vitality

Front 592

pescitarians

Back 592

vegetarians who eat fish/seafood

Front 593

geo-arbitrage

Back 593

working virtual and choosing a cheaper place to live so you can save money

Front 594

satchel

Back 594

luggage consisting of a small case with a flat bottom and (usually) a shoulder strap

Front 595

smoulder

Back 595

burn slowly and without a flame

Front 596

goiter

Back 596

abnormally enlarged thyroid gland

Front 597

subtend

Back 597

be opposite to

Front 598

smelt

Back 598

extract (metals) by heating

Front 599

bower

Back 599

a framework that supports climbing plants

Front 600

peephole

Back 600

a hole (in a door or an oven etc) through which you can peep

Front 601

sprocket wheel

Back 601

thin wheel with teeth that engage with a chain

Front 602

copout

Back 602

a failure to face some difficulty squarely

Front 603

cathartic

Back 603

emotionally purging

Front 604

hygienic upkeep and personal grooming

Back 604

clean and nice-looking

Front 605

Union Jack

Back 605

UK's flag

Front 606

tactile

Back 606

of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch

Front 607

conga line

Back 607

a line of people in single file performing the conga dance

Front 608

corrugated

Back 608

shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges, e.g. the surface of the brain

Front 609

confabulate

Back 609

unconsciously replace fact with fantasy in one's memory

Front 610

bard

Back 610

a lyric poet, or someone reciting poetry of a certain tradition

Front 611

sundry

Back 611

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

Front 612

tattle on someone

Back 612

divulge confidential information or secrets

Front 613

psychosomatic

Back 613

used of illness or symptoms resulting from neurosis

Front 614

neurosis

Back 614

a mental or personality disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction

Front 615

skedaddle

Back 615

run away, as if in a panic

Front 616

sombrero

Back 616

a straw hat with a tall crown and broad brim

Front 617

fop

Back 617

a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

Front 618

give someone a bye

Back 618

you advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent (e.g. due to absence)

Front 619

dillydally

Back 619

postpone doing what one should be doing

Front 620

upwind

Back 620

against the direction the wind blows, as in stand upwind of the fire to avoid letting the wind blow it out

Front 621

sentinel

Back 621

a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

Front 622

palisade

Back 622

fortification consisting of a strong fence made of stakes driven into the ground

Front 623

cuckold

Back 623

be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage

Front 624

straightlaced

Back 624

exaggeratedly proper

Front 625

slug

Back 625

strike heavily, especially with the fist or a bat

Front 626

helter-skelter

Back 626

haphazardly

Front 627

tactile

Back 627

producing a sensation of touch

Front 628

polyandry

Back 628

having more than one husband at a time

Front 629

philanderer

Back 629

a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them

Front 630

uppity

Back 630

presumptuously arrogant

Front 631

parlay

Back 631

stake winnings from one bet on a subsequent wager

Front 632

douse

Back 632

dip into a liquid

Front 633

run-of-the-mill

Back 633

a common, everyday, ordinary item that does not stand out from all the rest

Front 634

careen

Back 634

move sideways or in an unsteady way

Front 635

troll through something

Back 635

search for something

Front 636

troll

Back 636

an email or message online that is intended to trigger outrage among its readership

Front 637

troll

Back 637

an extortionist, someone who hides underneath a bridge and tries to collect money from people trying to pass.

Front 638

inane

Back 638

devoid of intelligence

Front 639

impinge on

Back 639

advance beyond the usual limit

Front 640

philology

Back 640

the humanistic study of language and literature

Front 641

stagger

Back 641

walk unsteadily, also arrange in a way so things don't overlap, as in staggered bricks on a wall or staggered meeting throughout the day

Front 642

feckless

Back 642

generally incompetent and ineffectual

Front 643

quixotic

Back 643

not sensible about practical matters

Front 644

protean

Back 644

taking on different forms

Front 645

excoriate

Back 645

express strong disapproval of

Front 646

alacrity

Back 646

liveliness and eagerness

Front 647

dyspeptic

Back 647

irritable as if suffering from indigestion

Front 648

panegyric

Back 648

formally expressing praise

Front 649

panhandler

Back 649

a beggar who approaches strangers asking for money

Front 650

seminal

Back 650

containing seeds of later development, influential to later work such as a seminal work

Front 651

square (v)

Back 651

be aligned with, as in make sure your statement squares with what was said

Front 652

fender bender

Back 652

a collision involving motor vehicles that results in minor damage

Front 653

fast-rope

Back 653

to quickly slide down from a rope, as from a helicopter

Front 654

silo

Back 654

a tall cylindrical structure, usually beside a barn, in which fodder is stored

Front 655

silo

Back 655

an underground shelter for a missile, usually equipped to launch the missile or to raise it into a launching position

Front 656

flak jacket

Back 656

a sleeveless jacket with lots of pockets worn by mainly hunters

Front 657

tarmac

Back 657

a place where helicopters land and officials are greeted

Front 658

hangar

Back 658

a big closed space, almost like a closed stadium, where airplanes are built

Front 659

haft

Back 659

the handle of a knife or an axe

Front 660

hack and hew

Back 660

beat something as with an axe

Front 661

mock-up

Back 661

full-scale working model of something built for study or testing or display

Front 662

cuff (v)

Back 662

slap on the back of the head

Front 663

cuff (v)

Back 663

slap on the back of the head

Front 664

grok (v)

Back 664

understand something

Front 665

abut (v)

Back 665

lie adjacent to each other, as in we know the two DNA strands abut but not in which order

Front 666

iridescent

Back 666

shiny, as in the iridescent peacock tails

Front 667

retrofit

Back 667

the addition of new technology or features to older systems

Front 668

taut

Back 668

as in keeping a string taut

Front 669

groove

Back 669

a small valley-like opening, as in cutting a groove in a piece of wood

Front 670

flora and fauna

Back 670

plants and wildlife, respectively, used to refer to all living things, usually pertaining to a certain region

Front 671

bough

Back 671

a tree has a trunk, boughs, branches, twigs, and twiglets

Front 672

bark

Back 672

the thick skin of a tree trunk

Front 673

heuristics

Back 673

just a fancy word for "informed guesswork" used by specialists

Front 674

feline

Back 674

relating to cats and members of the cat family (tigers, cheetahs, etc.)

Front 675

to plump for something

Back 675

to definitely decide for something when choosing b/w alternatives

Front 676

triage

Back 676

the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to help the most urgent victims first

Front 677

altercation

Back 677

a noisy argument or disagreement, esp. in public.

Front 678

tarp

Back 678

a waterproof and sturdy cloth used for tents or storage

Front 679

fire beacons

Back 679

fire, used as a means of communication

Front 680

relay race

Back 680

a race in which you must run some distance and hand down a stick to your partner before he can do the same

Front 681

hand-waving

Back 681

attempting to get past a moment when a difficult explanation is required, a hand-waving explanation is a flimsy explanationis a flimsy explanation

Front 682

incontenence

Back 682

involuntary urination or defecation

Front 683

feral child

Back 683

a child brought up in the wild by animals

Front 684

hydroponics

Back 684

gardening using techniques related to aquiculture

Front 685

tundra

Back 685

a vast treeless plain in the Arctic region where the subsoil is frozen

Front 686

peat

Back 686

partially carbonized vegetable matter saturated with water

Front 687

entomology

Back 687

study of insects

Front 688

ornithology

Back 688

study of birds

Front 689

pedant

Back 689

a person who pays more attention to formal rules and book-learning than they merit

Front 690

anthropophagy

Back 690

cannibalism

Front 691

sexual tryst

Back 691

a sexual fling, a dalliance

Front 692

gumption

Back 692

shrewdness or resourcefulness, e.g. with sufficient curiosity and gumption you can get the job

Front 693

alter ego

Back 693

a person's secondary or alternative personality, e.g. a writer's character

Front 694

schmooze

Back 694

talk idly or casually and in a friendly way, especially in order to make connections

Front 695

bohemian

Back 695

a nonconformist (e.g. writer or artist) who lives an unconventional life

Front 696

serendipity

Back 696

the development of events in a beneficial way by sheer chance

Front 697

tempered by

Back 697

made stronger and more elastic, e.g. his charisma was tempered by his good looks

Front 698

dainty

Back 698

delicately beautiful

Front 699

cloistered

Back 699

separated from everyone, as in a cloistered monk

Front 700

hapless

Back 700

deserving or inciting pity

Front 701

chump change

Back 701

not worth a lot

Front 702

horrid

Back 702

exceedingly bad

Front 703

mongrel

Back 703

an inferior dog or one of mixed breed

Front 704

glean

Back 704

extract from various sources, as in "he gleaned the password and location of the server from numerous published media sources"

Front 705

bonanza

Back 705

a situation or event that creates a sudden increase in wealth, good fortune, or profits

Front 706

bollard

Back 706

a short, thick post on the deck of a ship or on a wharf, to which a ship's rope may be secured

Front 707

spay

Back 707

remove a female's ovaries (so they can't get pregnant)

Front 708

neuter

Back 708

remove the male'a testies so they can't make sperm

Front 709

jester

Back 709

a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages

Front 710

salvo

Back 710

rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms

Front 711

fall through

Back 711

to fail, as in the deal fell through

Front 712

rabid

Back 712

marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea, as in rabid consumerism

Front 713

dithyramb

Back 713

a wildly enthusiastic speech or piece of writing

Front 714

perineum

Back 714

the general region between the anus and the genital organs

Front 715

cathartic

Back 715

providing psychological relief through the expression of strong emotions; causing catharsis

Front 716

hermetic

Back 716

completely sealed

Front 717

botulism

Back 717

food poisoning from ingesting botulin

Front 718

segue

Back 718

the act of changing smoothly from one state or situation to another

Front 719

crapshoot

Back 719

a risky and uncertain venture

Front 720

monomania

Back 720

a mania restricted to one thing or idea

Front 721

bankroll

Back 721

provide with sufficient funds

Front 722

cachet

Back 722

an indication of approved or superior status

Front 723

shibboleth

Back 723

a manner of speaking that is distinctive of a particular group of people

Front 724

recondite

Back 724

difficult to penetrate or understand

Front 725

wisecrack

Back 725

witty remark

Front 726

visceral

Back 726

obtained through intuition rather than from reasoning or observation

Front 727

subliminal

Back 727

below the threshold of conscious perception

Front 728

flagellate

Back 728

whip

Front 729

apoplexy

Back 729

a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain

Front 730

epigraph

Back 730

a quotation at the beginning of some piece of writing; an engraved inscription

Front 731

ungulate

Back 731

any of a number of mammals with hooves that are superficially similar but not necessarily closely related taxonomically

Front 732

dud

Back 732

an explosion that fails to occur

Front 733

underwrite

Back 733

guarantee financial support of

Front 734

putative

Back 734

the result of supposition rather than proof, purported

Front 735

cliffhanger

Back 735

a contest whose outcome is uncertain up to the very end

Front 736

loafing

Back 736

having no employment, free-riding

Front 737

Ivory tower

Back 737

a place or attitude of retreat, especially preoccupation with lofty, remote, or intellectual considerations rather than practical everyday life

Front 738

pyromaniac

Back 738

someone who loves fires and setting things on fire

Front 739

lowball

Back 739

make a deliberately low estimate, as in "they wanted the contract so badly that they lowballed to get it"

Front 740

breakneck

Back 740

moving at very high speed, as in breakneck economic growth

Front 741

hogwash

Back 741

unacceptable behavior (especially ludicrously false statements)

Front 742

whet

Back 742

sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone

Front 743

tract

Back 743

piece of land, as in how much oil lies buried in a tract

Front 744

fjord

Back 744

a long narrow inlet of the sea between steep cliffs

Front 745

boilerplate

Back 745

standard formulations uniformly found in certain types of legal documents or news stories

Front 746

cohort

Back 746

a group of people having approximately the same age

Front 747

cathartic

Back 747

providing psychological relief through the expression of strong emotions; causing catharsis

Front 748

psychedelic

Back 748

relating to or denoting drugs (esp. LSD) that produce hallucinations and apparent expansion of consciousness

Front 749

turbid

Back 749

(of liquids) clouded as with sediment

Front 750

megalomania

Back 750

a psychological state characterized by delusions of grandeur

Front 751

perspicuous

Back 751

(of language) transparently clear

Front 752

perspicacious

Back 752

acutely insightful and wise

Front 753

dud

Back 753

an event such as a new product such as a new product that fails badly or is totally ineffectual

Front 754

logrolling

Back 754

act of exchanging favors for mutual gain

Front 755

cottage industry

Back 755

small-scale industry that can be carried on at home by family members using their own equipment

Front 756

pulchritude

Back 756

physical beauty (especially of a woman)

Front 757

rectilinear

Back 757

characterized by a straight line or lines, as in rectilinear waveforms

Front 758

psychosomatic

Back 758

physical illness or symptoms resulting from or aggravated by neurosis (i.e. stress)