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36 Cards in this Set
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nolo contendere (nō′lō kən-tĕndə-rē) |
A plea made by the defendant in a criminal action that is substantially but not technically an admission of guilt and subjects the defendant to punishment but permits denial of the alleged facts in other proceedings.[Latin nōlō contendere, I do not wish to contend : nōlō, first person sing. present tense of nōlle, to be unwilling + contendere, to contend.] |
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nostrum (nŏstrəm) |
1. A medicine whose effectiveness is unproved and whose ingredients are usually secret; a quack remedy.2. A favorite but usually ineffective remedy for problems or evils.[From Latin nostrum (remedium), our (remedy), neuter of noster; see nes-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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nudnik, nudnick (ndnĭk) |
An obtuse, boring, or bothersome person; a pest.[Yiddish, nudne, boring (from nudyen, to bore; see NUDGE2) + -nik, -nik.] |
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objet d'art (ôb′zhĕ där) |
n. pl. ob·jets d'art (ôb′zhĕ där)An object of artistic merit.[French : objet, object + de, of + art, art.] |
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obsequy (ŏbsĭ-kwē) |
n. pl. ob·se·quiesoften obsequies A funeral rite or ceremony.[Middle English obsequi, from Old French obseque, from Medieval Latin obsequiae, alteration(influenced by Latin exsequiae, funeral rites) of Latin obsequia, pl. of obsequium, compliance, dutiful service; see OBSEQUIOUS.] |
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Oceania (ō′shē-ănē-ə, -ānē-ə, -änē-ə) |
The islands of the southern, western, and central Pacific Ocean, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The term is sometimes extended to encompass Australia, New Zealand, and the Malay Archipelago. |
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ochlophobia (ŏk′lə-fōbē-ə) |
An abnormal fear of crowds.[Greek okhlos, crowd; see wegh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + -PHOBIA.] |
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ocotillo (ō′kə-tēyō) |
A shrub (Fouquieria splendens) of Mexico and the southwest United States, having long spiny stems and clusters of scarlet tubular flowers.[American Spanish, diminutive of ocote, a Mexican pine, from Nahuatl ocotl, pitch pine. |
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oleander (ōlē-ăn′dər, ō′lē-ăndər) |
A poisonous Eurasian evergreen shrub (Nerium oleander) with narrow leathery leaves, widely cultivated for its showy fragrant white, rose, or purple flowers. Also called rosebay.[Medieval Latin, probably alteration (influenced by Latin olea, olive) of Late Latin lorandrum, rhododendron, alteration (probably influenced by Latin laurea, lōrea, laurel, because of its similar-shaped leaves) of Late Latin rodandrum, from Latin rhododendron; see RHODODENDRON.] |
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oleograph (ōlē-ə-grăf′) |
A chromolithograph printed with oil paint on canvas in imitation of an oil painting. |
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oligopoly (ŏl′ĭ-gŏpə-lē, ō′lĭ-) |
A market condition in which sellers are so few that the actions of any one of them will materially affect price and have a measurable impact on competitors. |
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onomastics (ŏn′ə-măstĭks) |
1.a. The study of the origins and forms of proper names.b. The study of the origins and forms of terms used in specialized fields.2. The system that underlies the formation and use of proper names or terms used in specialized fields. |
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opuscule (ō-pŭskyl) |
A small, minor work.[Latin opusculum, diminutive of opus, work; see OPUS.] |
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orogeny (ô-rŏjə-nē) also or·o·gen·e·sis (ôr′ə-jĕnĭ-sĭs) |
The process of mountain formation, especially by a folding and faulting of the earth's crust |
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osculation (ŏs′kyə-lāshən) |
1.a. The act of kissing.b. A kiss.2. Mathematics A contact, as between two curves or surfaces, at three or more common points. |
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osmatic (ŏz-mătĭk) |
Having or characterized by a well-developed sense of smell.[From Greek osmē, smell.] |
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ossifrage (ŏsə-frĭj, -frāj′) |
1. See lammergeier.2. Archaic An osprey.[Latin ossifraga, from ossifragus, bone-breaking : os, oss-, bone; see ost- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + frangere, to break; see bhreg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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paddock (pădək) |
1. A fenced area, usually near a stable, used chiefly for grazing horses.2. Sportsa. An enclosure at a racetrack where the horses are assembled, saddled, and paraded before each race.b. An area of an automobile racetrack where cars are prepared before a race.3. Australian A piece of fenced-in land.tr.v. pad·docked, pad·dock·ing, pad·docksTo confine in a paddock.[Alteration of Middle English parrok, from Old English pearroc.] |
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paillasse, palliasse (păl-yăs, pălyăs′) |
A thin mattress filled with straw or sawdust.[French, from Old French, from paille, straw, from Late Latin palea, from Latin, chaff.] |
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panchromatic (păn′krō-mătĭk) |
Sensitive to all colors: panchromatic film. |
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parsimoniousness (pär′sə-mōnē-əs) |
1. Excessively sparing or frugal.2. Accounting for observed data with a relatively simple explanation: The physicist argued that her new theory was more parsimonious than the standard model. |
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pastrami (pə-strämē) |
A highly seasoned smoked cut of beef, usually taken from the shoulder.[Yiddish pastrame, from Romanian pastramă, from Ottoman Turkish baṣdirma, salted and seasoned air-dried beef, equivalent to Modern Turkish pastırma, bastırma, from verbal noun ofbastırmak, to press down, hold down, causative of basmak, to weigh upon, press (in reference to the pressing of the meat while curing it ), from Old Turkic basmaq. |
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pathognomonic (pə-thŏg′nə-mŏnĭk, păth′əg-nō-) |
Specific to a certain disease or condition, as a symptom or finding on physical examination.[Greek pathognōmonikos : patho-, patho- + gnōmonikos, able to judge (from gnōmōn, interpreter; see gnō- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] |
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peau de soie (pō′ də swä) |
A soft silk fabric of satin weave having a dull finish.[French : peau, skin + de, of + soie, silk.] |
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pedantry (pĕdn-trē) |
1. The ostentatious display of academic knowledge, or undue attention paid to minor details or formal rules: His detailed research was dismissed as pedantry.2. An instance of pedantic behavior: grew tired of his pedantries. |
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pekoe (pēkō) |
A grade of black tea consisting of the leaves around the buds.[Amoy pe'h hô (literally, white down, probably in reference to the whitish hairs on the young leaves ) : pe'h, white (akin to Mandarin bái, from Middle Chinese pɦaːjk) + hô, fine hair, down (akin to Mandarin háo, long fine hair, from Middle Chinese xɦaw).] |
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pentadactyl (pĕn′tə-dăktəl) also pen·ta·dac·ty·lous (-tə-ləs) |
Having five digits on each extremity.[Latin pentadactylus, from Greek pentadaktulos : penta-, penta- + daktulos, finger, toe.] |
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Percheron (pûrchə-rŏn′, -shə-) |
A draft horse of a breed developed in France, having a gray or black coat and noted for its strength.[French, from Perche, a historical region of northwest France. |
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perpetrator (pûrpĭ-trāt′) |
To be responsible for; commit: perpetrate a crime; perpetrate a practical joke.[Latin perpetrāre, perpetrāt-, to accomplish : per-, per- + patrāre, to bring about (from pater, father; see pəter- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] |
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petri dish (pētrē) |
A shallow circular dish with a loose-fitting cover, used to culture bacteria or other microorganisms.[After Julius Richard Petri (1852-1921), German bacteriologist.] |
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pharmacopoeia, pharmacopeia (fär′mə-kə-pēə) |
1. A book containing an official list of medicinal drugs together with articles on their preparation and use.2. A collection or stock of drugs.[New Latin, from Greek pharmakopoiiā, preparation of drugs, from pharmakopoios, preparing drugs : pharmako-, pharmaco- + poiein, to make; see kwei-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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phonology (fə-nŏlə-jē, fō-) |
1. The study of speech sounds in language or a language with reference to their distribution and patterning and to tacit rules governing pronunciation.2. The sound system of a language: the phonology of English. |
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phylum (fīləm) |
1. Biology A taxonomic category of organisms ranking below a kingdom and above a class. In the classification of plants, division often replaces phylum.2. Linguistics A large division of possibly genetically related families of languages or linguistic stocks. |
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platitudinous (plătĭ-td′, -tyd′) |
1. A trite or banal remark or statement, especially one expressed as if it were original or significant. See Synonyms at cliché.2. Lack of originality; triteness: "a passage of platitude which no critical prejudgment can force us to admire" (Edgar Allan Poe).[French, from plat, flat, from Old French; see PLATE.] |
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pleochroism (plē-ŏkrō-ĭz′əm) |
The property possessed by some crystals of exhibiting different colors, especially three different colors, when viewed along different axes.[PLEO- + Greek khrōs, color + -ISM.] |
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pneumatometer (n′mə-tŏmĭ-tər, ny′-) |
An instrument for measuring the force or volume of inspiration or expiration in the lungs. |
