Vocab Spring 2010

Front 1

aqueduct

Back 1

a pipe or channel for moving water to a lower level

Front 2

ratify

Back 2

to give formal approval to something

Front 3

barbecue

Back 3

an outdoor party where people eat food cooked on a grill

Front 4

variable

Back 4

able or liable to change

Front 5

ecology

Back 5

the study of the relationships between living organisms

Front 6

refract

Back 6

to alter the course of a wave of energy that passes into something from another medium

Front 7

sabbatical

Back 7

a period of leave from work for research

Front 8

plague

Back 8

a sudden appearance or outbreak of something unpleasant in very large numbers

Front 9

serene

Back 9

without worry, stress, or disturbance

Front 10

mandible

Back 10

the lower jaw of a person or animal

Front 11

despicable

Back 11

fully deserving of contempt

Front 12

condone

Back 12

to regard something that is considered immoral or wrong in a tolerant way

Front 13

simulate

Back 13

to reproduce the essential features of something

Front 14

archaic

Back 14

no longer useful or efficient due to old age

Front 15

corona

Back 15

the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere; the top part of the body

Front 16

reluctant

Back 16

feeling or showing no willingness or enthusiasm to do something

Front 17

renounce

Back 17

to give up formally a claim, title, position, or right

Front 18

sincerity

Back 18

honesty in the expression of true or deep feelings

Front 19

pandemonium

Back 19

a place or situation that is noisy and chaotic

Front 20

nemesis

Back 20

a bitter enemy, especially one who seems unbeatable

Front 21

grotesque

Back 21

misshapen, especially in a strange or disturbing way

Front 22

commemorate

Back 22

to honor the memory of somebody or something in a ceremony

Front 23

condense

Back 23

to make shorter or denser from an originally larger item

Front 24

magenta

Back 24

a brilliant purplish pink color

Front 25

reminisce

Back 25

to talk or write about events remembered from the past

Front 26

rendezvous

Back 26

a meeting arranged for an agreed time and place

Front 27

silo

Back 27

a tall cylindrical tower used for storing grain, animal feed, or other material

Front 28

haggard

Back 28

showing signs of tiredness, anxiety, or hunger on the face

Front 29

observation

Back 29

the attentive watching of somebody or something

Front 30

sporadic

Back 30

occurring at intervals that have no apparent pattern

Front 31

opine

Back 31

to express an opinion

Front 32

solace

Back 32

comfort at a time of sadness

Front 33

solicitor

Back 33

somebody who requests something, especially financial contributions

Front 34

summon

Back 34

to send or be a signal for somebody to come

Front 35

superstition

Back 35

an irrational, but usually deep-seated belief in the magical effects of certain actions

Front 36

synopsis

Back 36

a condensed version of a text

Front 37

commiserate

Back 37

to express sympathy or sorrow

Front 38

propriety

Back 38

the quality of displaying behaviors thought to be correct or appropriate

Front 39

quarantine

Back 39

a place in which people or animals spend a period of isolation

Front 40

scrutinize

Back 40

to examine somebody or something closely and carefully

Front 41

solidarity

Back 41

harmony of interests and responsibilities among individuals in a group

Front 42

surmount

Back 42

to deal with a difficulty successfully

Front 43

facade

Back 43

the face of a building or the way something or somebody appears on the surface, especially when that appearance is false or meant to deceive

Front 44

solarium

Back 44

a room built for the purpose of enjoying sunlight

Front 45

commiserate

Back 45

to express sympathy or sorrow

Front 46

colloquial

Back 46

appropriate to, used in, or characteristic of spoken language to create the effect of conversation

Front 47

propriety

Back 47

the quality of displaying behaviors thought to be correct or appropriate

Front 48

aquatic

Back 48

connected with, consisting of, or dependent on water

Front 49

bacterium

Back 49

a single-celled, often parasitic microorganism

Front 50

salutation

Back 50

a gesture or phrase that is used to greet, welcome, or recognize somebody

Front 51

absorption

Back 51

a state in which the whole attention is occupied; the uptake of liquid into the fibers of a substance

Front 52

sedimentary

Back 52

describes rocks formed from material deposited as sediment by water

Front 53

permeate

Back 53

to enter something and spread throughout it, so that every part or aspect of it is affected

Front 54

redundant

Back 54

no longer needed or wanted

Front 55

disheveled

Back 55

with messed-up hair or clothes

Front 56

bazaar

Back 56

a street market in North Africa or southwestern Asia

Front 57

ludicrous

Back 57

utterly rediculous because of being absurd, incongruous, impractical, or unsuitable

Front 58

interim

Back 58

serving as a temporary measure until something more complete and permanent can be established

Front 59

celestial

Back 59

relating to, suitable for, in, or typical of heaven

Front 60

aristocracy

Back 60

people of noble families or the highest social class

Front 61

recitation

Back 61

material read aloud or recited from memory in public, especially poetry

Front 62

salamander

Back 62

an amphibian that resembles a lizard but has porous moist skin instead of scales

Front 63

resource

Back 63

somebody or something that is a source of help or information

Front 64

significant

Back 64

having a major or important effect

Front 65

synthesis

Back 65

a new unified whole resulting from the combination of different ideas, influences, or objects

Front 66

differentiate

Back 66

to see or show the differences between two or more things

Front 67

analyze

Back 67

to examine something in great detail in order to understand it better or discover more about it

Front 68

formulate

Back 68

to express or communicate something carefully or in specific words

Front 69

applicable

Back 69

affecting, connected with, or relevant to a person, group of people, or situation

Front 70

verify

Back 70

to prove that something is true

Front 71

justify

Back 71

to serve as an acceptable reason or excuse for something

Front 72

denote

Back 72

to designate or refer to somebody or something

Front 73

symbol

Back 73

something that stands for or represents something else

Front 74

equivalent

Back 74

being the same

Front 75

evaluate

Back 75

to consider or examine something in order to judge

Front 76

variable

Back 76

able or liable to change, especially suddenly or unpredictably

Front 77

probable

Back 77

likely to exist, occur, or be true

Front 78

sanctum

Back 78

a quiet, private place where somebody is free from interference or interruption

Front 79

sinister

Back 79

threatening or suggesting malevolence, menace, or harm

Front 80

diminutive

Back 80

very small or much smaller than is usual

Front 81

accentuate

Back 81

to make a feature of something more noticeable

Front 82

allotment

Back 82

a thing or amount given to someone or something

Front 83

banister

Back 83

a handrail supported by posts running up the outside edge of a staircase

Front 84

recoup

Back 84

to regain something lost or its equivalent

Front 85

satchel

Back 85

a small bag

Front 86

selectivity

Back 86

the choosing of only some, not all, and the exercising of judgment in making the choice

Front 87

discordant

Back 87

in disagreement, or incompatible

Front 88

anomaly

Back 88

something the deviates from the norm or from expectations

Front 89

anthology

Back 89

a book that consists of essays, stories, or poems by different writers

Front 90

barometer

Back 90

an instrument measuring changes in atmospheric pressure

Front 91

reconnaissance

Back 91

a preliminary inspection of an area to obtain geographic, hydrographic, or similar data

Front 92

chronic

Back 92

always present or recurring

Front 93

divulge

Back 93

to reveal information, especially information that was previously secret

Front 94

specious

Back 94

appearing to be true but really false

Front 95

doleful

Back 95

sad and mournful

Front 96

carousel

Back 96

merry-go round

Front 97

carcinogen

Back 97

a substance or agent that can cause cancer

Front 98

hemorrhage

Back 98

a large, uncontrolled loss of something valuable

Front 99

quorum

Back 99

a fixed minimum percentage or number that must be present before members can conduct valid business

Front 100

refurbish

Back 100

to bring something back to a cleaner, brighter, or more functional state

Front 101

ruminant

Back 101

any cud-chewing hoofed mammal, e.g. cattle, camels, and giraffes

Front 102

septum

Back 102

a thin partition that separates components in a machine or organism

Front 103

flout

Back 103

to show contempt for a law or convention by openly disobeying or defying it

Front 104

writhe

Back 104

to make violent twisting and rolling movements with the body, especially as a result of severe pain

Front 105

zenith

Back 105

the high point or climax of something

Front 106

cayenne

Back 106

a very hot-tasting red powder made from chilies

Front 107

preamble

Back 107

a section at the beginning of a speech, report, or formal document that document that introduces what follows

Front 108

a-

Back 108

without

Front 109

bene-

Back 109

well, good

Front 110

bi-

Back 110

two

Front 111

com-

Back 111

with, together

Front 112

counter-

Back 112

against

Front 113

de-

Back 113

down

Front 114

hexa-

Back 114

six

Front 115

hyper-

Back 115

over, excessive

Front 116

hypo-

Back 116

under

Front 117

ir-

Back 117

not

Front 118

mille-

Back 118

one thousandth

Front 119

mis-

Back 119

hate, wrong

Front 120

nov-

Back 120

new, nine

Front 121

omni-

Back 121

all

Front 122

para-

Back 122

beside

Front 123

post-

Back 123

after

Front 124

pseudo-

Back 124

false

Front 125

quinque-

Back 125

(5) mutli

Front 126

re-

Back 126

back, again

Front 127

semi-

Back 127

half

Front 128

super-

Back 128

over, extra

Front 129

tetra-

Back 129

four

Front 130

therm-

Back 130

heat

Front 131

ambi-

Back 131

both

Front 132

auto-

Back 132

self