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Glossary of PSAT

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abrogate
to abolish, repeal, or nullify
abstruse
difficult to understand
abysmal
extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless
accolade
award or honor
acerbic
bitter, sour, severe
acumen
keeness or judgment, mental sharpness
affable
easy to talk to; friendly
afford
to permit, allow; to enable
aggregate
collection of things mixed together, the sum total
allocate
to distribute, assign, or allot
aloof
standoffish, uninvoloved, keeping one's distance
ameliorate
to make better or more tolerable
anachronistic
out of place in time or history
anathema
something or someone loathed or detested
ancillary
subordinate, providing assistance
annul
to make void, usually refers to marriage
anomaly
an aberration, deviation, or irregularity
anthropology
the study of human culture
antithetical
in opposition, contrary to
apostate
one who deserts his or her professed principles or faith
apotheosis
elevation to divine status, the perfect example of something
appropriate
to take without permission; to set aside for particular use
archetype
an original model or pattern
ardent
passsionate
arsenal
a storehouse of weapons
ascertain
to determine with certainty; to find out definately
ascetic
hermitlike; practicing self-denial
assiduous
hardworking, diligent, busy
assuage
to soothe, pacify, or relieve
attrition
gradual wearing away, a natural or expected decrease in size or number
augury
an omen, especially good omen
auspices
protection, support, sponsorship
avarice
greed
avuncular
kind, helpful, generous; like a nice uncle
barometer
an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
beguile
to delude by guile or craft, to mislead or divert
behest
a command or order
beleaguer
to surround, besiege, or harass
belie
to give false impression, to contradict
bellicose
warlike, belligerent
bequest
something left to someone in a will
blithe
carefree, cheerful
broach
to open up a subject, often a delicate one, for discussion
brusque
rough and short in manner, blunt, abrupt
burgeon
to expand; to flourish
buttress
a support for a building or structure; to support
cabal
a group of conspriators; the acts of such a group; a clique
cajole
to persuade with flattery or gentle urging
calipers
a pinching instrument used for determining the thickness of objects or the distance between surfaces
candor
sincerity, honesty
canon
a rule or law, expecially a religious one; a body of rules or laws; an authoritative list; the set of works by an author that are accepted as authentic
cantankerous
ill natured, contentious
canvass
to campaign; to seek or solicit orders, votes
capacitor
a device that stores energy
capitulate
to surrender, give up, or give in
capricious
unpredictable, like to change at any moment
captious
ill-natured, quarrelsome
carp
to complain or find fault in someone
cartography
the study and creation of maps
castigate
to criticize severly; to chastise
catalyst
anyone or anything that makes something happen without being directly involved
catharsis
purification that brings emotional relief or renewal
cavil
to quibble; to raise trivial objections
censure
to condemn severly for doing something bad
chagrin
humiliation; embarrassed disappointment
chicancery
trickery, deceitfulness, artifice; especially legal or political
chimerical
imaginary, give to fantasy
choleric
hot-tempered, quick to temper
circumvent
to go around
closefisted
stingy
coalesce
to come together as one, to fuse, to unite
cogitate
to ponder, to meditate, to think carefully about
colloquial
ordinary, informal in relationship to speech
conscript
enlisted, drafted, or enrolled; usually refers to mandatory military service
corroborate
to confirm; to bakc up with evidence
coterie
a group of close associates; a circle of friends
coy
shy, reluctant to make a commitment
craven
cowardly, afraid
curmudgeon
a greedy, irascible, crotchty old person
dearth
a shortage or scarcity of something
debacle
a big disaster
deft
very skillfull
dehydrate
to remove water
deleterious
harmful
demagogue
a leader of the people, but more a rabble-rouser
demography
the statistical study of the characteristics of populations
desalinate
to remove salt from something
desiccate
to dry out
diplomatic
tactful; good at negotiating
discomfit
to frustrate, to confuse
dither
to vacillate between choices; to tremble with excitement
diurnal
occuring every day; occuring during the daytime
divisive
creating conflict and disagreement
draconian
severe, harsh, cruel
ebullient
bubbling with excitement
eclectic
drawn from many sources
effigy
a likeness of a person, usually one used to express hatred for that person
egregious
extremely bad, flagrant
elliptical
oval; missing a word or words; obscure
endemic
native, restricted to a particular region
ephemeral
lasting a very short time
equine
relating to horses, horselike
equivocal
ambiguous, intentionally confusing, capable of being interpreted in different ways
ersatz
serving as a substitute; synthetic, artificial
etheral
heavenly, light, insubstantial
etymology
the study of words and their meaning
euphonious
pleasant sounding, opposite of cacophonous; melodious
evanescent
fleeting, vanashing, happening only for the breifest period
evince
to demonstrate convincingly; to prove
execrate
to curse, denounce
exhume
to unbury, to dig out of ground
exonerate
to free completely from blame
expeditious
prompt, speedy; to expedite
expiate
to make amends, to atone
expunge
to erase, obliterate, to blot out
facile
fluent, skillful in a superficial way
fecund
fertile, productive
fervent
having intense feeling, enthusiastic, fervid
feign
to pretend; to make a false representation of something
flaccid
soft and limp
florid
very fancy, usuallly refers to intangible objects
flout
to disregard something or someone out of disrespect
ford
the shallow part of a river; to cross a river at the shallow part
forensics
the art or study of argumentations and formal debate
fortuitous
accidental, occuring by chance
fracas
a big fight
furrow
a narrow groove made in the ground; to make wrinkles in the face
gaffe
a social blunder, and embarrasing mistake, a faux pas
galvanize
to startle into sudden activity; to revitalize
gastronomy
the art of eating well
germane
relevant, applicable, pertinent
glower
to look or stare with sullen dislike or anger
goldbrick
to swindle or sell something worthless as if it were valuable; a swindle
grandiloquent
using a lot of big, fancy words to sound impressive
gratutious
given freely; uncalled for; unjustified; unprovoked
glut
surplus, overabundance
hackneyed
overused, trite, stale
halcyon
peaceful, serene; carefree
harbringer
a forerunner, a signal of
hedonism
the pursuit of pleasure as a way of life
hegemony
leadership, especially of one nation over another
hermetic
airtight, impervious to outside influence
homily
a sermon
hubris
excessive pride
humanist
one who has great concern for human welfare, values, and dignity; a student of the classics
hybrid
formed, bred, or composed from different elements
hypodermic
beneath the skin
idiosyncratic
quirky, pecuilar, eccentric
ignominy
shame, disrepute, disgrace
importune
to beg, urge, or insist persistently
inane
silly, senseless
incantation
a chant
incarnate
in the flest
incensed
very angry
inchoate
incomplete; only partically formed
indignant
angry or insulted,especialy as a refult of something unjust or unworthy
indolent
averse to activity; habitually lazy
ineffable
incapable of being expressed or described
inexorable
relentless, inevitable, unavoidable
inoculate
to protect against disease
insouciant
nonchalant, lighthearted, carefree
irascible
easily angered or provoked; irratable
jaunt
a short pleasure trip
jejune
lacking maturity or significance; irrelevant
jettison
to throw or cast off
jingoist
an excessively vigilant patriot; a bellicose chauvinist; a war-mongering nationalist
jurispurdence
the study of law
karma
consequences of one's actions; fate, destiny
kudos
honor, glory, acclaim, compliment
lambaste
to assaunt violently with words
lament
to mourn
laudatory
praising
lax
not strict; careless or negligent
lexicon
a glossary or dictionary
limpid
transparent, clear, lucid
liniment
a medicinal liquid or salve for rubbing on the skin
liquidate
to get rid of; to settle a debt
lugubrious
exaggeratedly mournful
luminary
a person who has attained eminence in his/her field
maudlin
silly and overly sentimental
maverick
a nonconformist; a rebel
mellifluous
flowing sweetly, usually refers to sounds or voices
mendacious
lying, dishonest
meritorious
derserving award or praise
mirth
amusement or laughter
misanthrope
one who hates people
mollify
to soften, sooth, pacify
moribund
dying

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