BARRON SET#3
Terms
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- blues
- state of depression or melancholy; style of slow, mournful music (evolved from southern Black American songs)
- bluff
- pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff; ADJ: rough but good-natured
- blunder
- error; stupid mistake
- blunt
- having a dull edge; abrupt and frank in speech or manner; brusque; V: make or become blunt
- blurt
- utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement
- blush
- become red in the face (from embarrassment or shame); become red or rosy; N.
- bluster
- blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze, gust, gale
- bode
- foreshadow; portend
- bog
- soft wet land; V: hinder or be hindered; Ex. bogged down in the mud
- bogus
- counterfeit; not authentic; intentionally false; Ex. bogus interview
- bohemian
- unconventional (in an artistic way)
- boisterous
- violent; rough; noisy
- bolster
- support; reinforce
- bolt
- door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten (adoor); gobble down
- bombardment
- attack (as with missiles or bombs); V. bombard
- bombast
- grandiloquent, pompous speech
- bombastic
- pompous; using inflated language
- bookish
- fond of books and reading
- boon
- blessing; benefit; something very helpful
- boor
- rude, insensitive person
- boorish
- rude; insensitive
- boost
- lift by pushing up from below; increase; raise; N: push upward; increase
- botch
- mismanage; blow
- bouillon
- clear beef (or meat) soup
- bountiful
- generous; graciously generous; showing bounty
- bourgeois
- middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions
- bout
- match; short period of great activity; Ex. wrestling bout; bout of drinking/flu
- bovine
- cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm
- bowdlerize
- expurgate; CF. Thomas Bowdler
- brackish
- somewhat saline
- brag
- boast
- braggadocio
- boasting
- braggart
- boaster; bragger
- braid
- plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair)
- brand
- trademark; mark burned on the hide of an animal; mark burned into the flesh of criminals; mark of disgrace; V: mark with a brand; give a lasting bad name; stigmatize; Ex. The press branded him a liar.
- brandish
- wave around (a weapon); flourish
- bravado
- swagger; assumed air of defiance; false show of bravery
- brave
- face courageously; Ex. brave the storm
- brawl
- noisy quarrel
- brawn
- human muscle; muscular strength; sturdiness
- brawny
- muscular; having well-developed muscles
- brazen
- insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence
- breach
- breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap; opening; V.
- breadth
- width; extent
- breed
- produce young; rear; bring up; produce (an undesirable condition); N: kind or sort of animal or plant
- brevity
- conciseness; shortness of duration
- bridle
- harness fitted about a horse's head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger
- brim
- uppermost edge of a cup; projecting rim (as on a hat); Ex. The glass was full to the brim; V: be full to the brim
- brindled
- tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (of animals)
- brink
- edge (at the top of a cliff); Ex. on the brink of the Grand Canyon
- brisk
- quick and active; marked by liveliness and vigor
- bristle
- short stiff hair; V: (hair or fur) stand up stiffly
- bristling
- rising like bristles; showing irritation
- brittle
- hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. brittle situation
- broach
- introduce as a subject; moot; open up
- brocade
- rich, figured(patterned) fabric
- brochure
- pamphlet
- broil
- cook by direct heat; N.
- bromide
- platitude; chemical compound used to calm excitement
- brooch
- ornamental clasp; pin
- brood
- sit on in order to hatch; think deeply or worry anxiously; N: the young of certain animals; group of young birds hatched at one time
- brook
- tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream
- browbeat
- bully; intimidate
- browse
- graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually
- bruise
- injure without breaking the skin; N.
- brunt
- main impact or shock (of an attack or blow); Ex. brunt of the argument
- brusque
- blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice
- buccaneer
- pirate
- bucolic
- rustic; pastoral
- buffet
- strike forcefully; slap; batter; knock out; N: table with food set out for people to server themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set
- buffoon
- stupid person; clown
- buffoonery
- clowning
- bugaboo
- bugbear; object of baseless terror
- bulge
- protruding part; swelling of a surface; Ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; V: swell outward; protrude
- bulk
- size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size
- bullion
- gold and silver in the form of bars
- bully
- one who is habitually cruel to weaker people; V.
- bulwark
- strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
- bump
- hit or knock against with force; N.
- bungle
- mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior
- buoyant
- able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market
- bureaucracy
- overregulated administrative system marked by red tape; ADJ. bureaucratic
- burgeon
- grow rapidly; grow forth; send out buds; Ex. burgeoning computer industry; CF. bludgeon
- burlesque
- give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly
- burnish
- make shiny by rubbing; polish
- bust
- piece of sculpture showing a person's head, shoulders, and upper chest; V: break up; arrest; Ex. crimebuster
- buttress
- support; prop up; N. stationary structure to support wall; Ex. flying buttress
- buxom
- full-bosomed; plump; jolly
- cabal
- small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
- cache
- hiding place; V.
- cacophonous
- discordant; inharmonious; N. cacophony: unpleasant mixture of loud sounds
- cadaver
- corpse; dead human body
- cadaverous
- like a corpse; pale
- cadence
- rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat; regular beat of sound; rhythm
- cadet
- student at a military school
- cajole
- persuade by praise or false promise; coax; wheedle
- calamity
- disaster; misery
- calculated
- deliberately planned; likely
- caldron(cauldron)
- large kettle
- caliber
- ability; quality; diameter of the inside of a round cylinder; Ex. work of very high caliber
- calligraphy
- beautiful writing; excellent penmanship
- callous
- hardened; unfeeling; without sympathy for the sufferings of others; unkind
- callow
- youthful; immature; inexperienced
- callus
- area of thick hard skin
- calorific
- heat-producing; N. calorie
- calumny
- malicious misrepresentation; slander
- camaraderie
- good-fellowship; CF. comrade
- cameo
- shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minor role in a film
- camp
- group sharing a common cause or opinion
- canard
- unfounded false rumor; exaggerated false report
- candor
- frankness; open honesty; ADJ. candid
- canine
- related to dogs; doglike
- canker
- any ulcerous sore; ulcer; any evil; CF. cancer
- canny
- shrewd in money matters; thrifty
- cant
-
Hypocritically pious language
jargon of thieves
special words used by a particular group of people - cantankerous
- ill-humored; irritable
- cantata
- story set to music to be sung by a chorus (shorter than an oratorio)
- canter
- slow gallop; V. CF. trot
- canto
- division of a long poem
- canvass
- determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.; go through (a region) to solicit votes or orders; conduct a survey; N.
- capacious
- spacious
- capacity
- mental or physical ability; role; position or duty; ability to accommodate; Ex. in my capacity as president
- capillary
-
Relating to or resembling a hair; fine and slender.
Having a very small internal diameter: a capillary tube. - capitulate
- surrender; give up all resistance
- caprice
- whim; sudden change of mind without any real cause
- capricious
- unpredictable; fickle
- capsize
- (of a boat) turn over
- caption
- title; chapter heading; text under illustration
- captious
- faultfinding; too critical
- carafe
- glass water bottle; decanter
- carapace
- shell covering the back (of a turtle, tortoise, crab, etc.)
- carat(karat)
- unit of weight for precious stones; measure of the purity of gold
- carcinogenic
- causing cancer; N. carcinogen
- cardinal
- chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather thatn order
- cardiologist
- doctor specializing in ailments of the heart
- careen
- lurch; sway from side to side; move with irregular swinging movement; stagger
- career
- rush wildly; go at full speed
- carefree
- free from worries; having no problems
- caricature
- distortion; burlesque
- carillon
- a set of bells (often in a tower) capable of being played
- carnage
- destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals
- carnal
- fleshly; sensual; concerning the desires of the body
- carnivorous
- meat-eating; N. carnivore; CF. herbivore
- carousal
- drunken revel; V. carouse
- carping
- petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
- carrion
- rotting flesh of a dead body; CF. vulture
- cartographer
- map-maker
- cascade
- small waterfall
- caste
- one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society; social stratification; prestige
- castigation
- punishment; severe criticism or disapproval
- castrate
- remove the sex organs (of a male animal or person)
- casual
- happening by chance; irregular; occasional; informal; showing or feeling little interest; Ex. casual reader/labor/remark
- casualty
- serious or fatal accident; person killed or wounded in an accident or battle
- cataclysm
- deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change
- catalyst
- agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged; CF. catalysis
- catapult
- slingshot; hurling machine; V: fire from catapult
- cataract (also secondary)
- great waterfall; eye abnormality (causing a gradual loss of eyesight)
- catastrophe
- calamity ; disaster
- catcall
- shout of disapproval or displeasure (made at the theater or a sports match); boo; V.
- catechism
- book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize
- categorical
- without exceptions; made without any doubt in mind; unqualified; absolute
- cater
- provide food and drink (for); cater to: try to satisfy (desires of a bad kind)
- catharsis
- purging or cleansing of any passage of the body; purging and weakening of strong emotions as a result of experiencing a dramatic work of art
- cathartic
- purgative; medicine that causes the bowels to empty; ADJ.
- catholic
- (of likings and interests) universal; general; broad; including many different parts; wide-ranging liberal; Ex. catholic opinions/tastes
- caucus
- private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; CF. the Caucus club of Boston
- caulk(calk)
- make watertight (by blocking up cracks as in a ship)
- causal
- implying a cause-and-effect relationship; N. causality
- caustic
- burning; corrosive; able to burn by chemical action; sarcastically biting; (of remarks) intended to hurt; bitter; harmful; OP. harmless
- cauterize
- burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
- cavalcade
- procession of riders or horse-drawn carriages; parade; CF. cavalry
- cavalier
- casual and offhand; arrogant; N: knight
- cavil
- quibble; make frivolous objections; find fault unnecessarily
- cede
- yield (title or territory) to (esp. after losing a war); surrender formally; N. cession
- celerity
- speed; rapidity
- celestial
- heavenly
- celibate
- abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy
- cemetery
- place for burying the dead
- censor
- (in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.
- censorious
- severely critical
- censure
- blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval
- centaur
- mythical figure, half man and half horse
- centigrade
- denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius)
- centrifugal
- radiating; departing from the center
- centrifuge
- machine that separates substances by whirling them
- centripetal
- tending toward the center
- centurion
- Roman army officer (commanding a company of about 100 soldiers)
- cerebral
- pertaining to the brain or intellect; intellectual rather than emotional; CF. cerebrum
- cerebration
- thought; working of the brain
- ceremonious
- marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; CF. ceremony: conventional social courtesy
- certitude
- certainty
- cessation
- stoppage
- cession
- yielding to another; ceding
- chafe
- warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing; N.
- chaff(n)
- worthless products of an endeavor; husk(outer seed cover) separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff
- chaffing
- bantering; joking
- chagrin
- annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)
- chalice
- goblet; consecrated cup
- chameleon
- lizard that changes color in different situations
- champion
- support militantly; fight for; N: person who fights for or supports strongly (a principle, movement, person, etc.)
- championship
- position of champion; defense or support; competition held to determine a champion
- chancellor
- legal official of high rank; CF. chancellery(chancellory): position of a chancellor
- chant
- tune(melody) in which a number of words are sung on the same note; V: sing (a chant); utter (a slogan) in the manner of a chant
- chaotic
- in utter disorder
- chapel
- small church (in a prison, college, or hospital)
- chaperon
- older person who accompanies and supervises a young unmarried woman
- chaplain
- clergyman attached to a chapel
- char
- make or become black by burning; reduce or be reduced to carbon or charcoal(black substance made by burning wood) by incomplete combustion
- charisma
- divine gift; great popular charm or appeal; magnetism
- charlatan
- quack; pretender to knowledge (esp. in medicine)
- charm
- quality of pleasing; amulet; action or formula thought to have magical power; spell; V: attract; cast a spell on; bewitch
- chary
- cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; OP. bold
- chase
- (v) to emboss on metal
- chasm
- abyss; very deep crack
- chassis
- framework and working parts of an automobile; framework to which components are attached
- chaste
- morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere
- chasten
- discipline; punish in order to correct; CF. castigate
- chastise
- punish as by beating; criticize severely
- chauvinist
- blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group, cause, or sex; ADJ. chauvinistic; CF. chauvinism; Nicolas Chauvin
- check
- stop motion; curb or restrain
- checkered(chequered)
- marked by great changes in fortune; with many changes of fortuene; CF. checked: having a pattern of squares
- cherubic
- angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; CF. seraph: winged angel of the highest order
- chicanery
- trickery; deception
- chide
- scold; rebuke (someone who has done wrong)
- chimerical
- fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; N. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature
- chip
- lose a small piece from the surface or edge; N: small piece broken off something; CF. French fry; Potato chip/crisp
- chisel
- swindle or cheat; N: wedgelike tool for cutting
- chivalrous
- courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry
- choice
- delicate; of very fine quality
- choir
- group of people who sing together (esp. during religious services); place for choir
- choleric
- hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; CF. cholera
- chore
- daily domestic task (such as cleaning, cooking, and shopping); unpleasant task
- choreography
- art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances
- chortle
- huckle with delight; N.
- chorus
- phrase repeated throughout a song or poem
- chronic
- long established as a disease
- chronicle
- report; record (in chronological order)
- chuckle
- laugh quietly
- churlish
- boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo
- ciliated
- having minute hairs; CF. cilium; CF. cilia: eyelash
- cipher
- nonentity; worthless person or thing; zero; secret code; V.
- circlet
- small ring; band of gold, silver, jewel, etc. (worn on the head, arms, or neck as decoration)
- circuit
- closed circular line around an area; circumference; regularly repeated journey from place to place
- circuitous
- roundabout
- circumlocution
- indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
- circumscribe
- limit; confine; draw a line around
- circumspect
- prudent; cautious; acting after careful thought
- circumvent
- outwit; defeat by behaving more cleverly; outsmart; baffle; avoid; get around
- cistern
- reservoir or water tank
- citadel
- fortress