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GRE General Set 20

Terms

undefined, object
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freebooter
pirate or plunderer who makes war in order to grow rich
pucker
gather into wrinkles or folds; N: wrinkle or fold; the baby stirred, ~ing up its tiny face.
berserk
mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited
garrulous
loquacious; wordy; talkative; N. -lity
permissive
allowing much freedom; lenient; Ex. ~ society
dolt
slow-thinking stupid person; CF. dull
microcosm
small representative world; world in miniature; Ex. ~ of English society; a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger : Berlin is a ~ of Germany, in unity as in division.
geniality
cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy; ADJ. genial: cheerful and good-tempered
squeamish
easily shocked or sickened by unpleasant things; fastidious; Ex. A nurse should not be squeamish.
malefactor
evildoer; criminal
quaff
drink with zest; drink with relish(zest; hearty enjoyment); CF. sip
flair
talent
ennui
boredom; listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; CF. annoy
muddle
confuse; mix up confusedly; N: state of confusion
hothead
person who does things too quickly without thinking; ADJ. hotheaded
volley
simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; V.; (in sports, esp. tennis or soccer) a strike or kick of the ball made before it touches the ground.
anthropoid
manlike; resembling a human being; N.
epicure
a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink; connoisseur of food and drink; gourmet; ADJ. epicurean; CF. Epicurus
thrash
beat with a whip or flail; defeat utterly; talk about thoroughly in order to find the answer; move wildly or violently; Ex. The fishes ~ed about in the net.
somatic
pertaining to the body; bodily; physical
fluky
obtained or achieved more by chance than skill : a ~ goal.
stymie
thwart; present an obstacle; stump; prevent or hinder the progress of : the changes must not be allowed to ~ new medical treatments.
dilapidated
falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. ~ old car/castle; N. -tion
psychopathic
pertaining to mental dearrangement; N. ~path: person with an antisocial personality disorder
congruous
in agreement or harmony : this explanation is ~ with earlier observations.
dignitary
person of high rank or position
merit
good quality deserving praise; -s: aspect of character or behavior deserving approval or disapproval; Ex. judge each plan on its own ~s; V: deserve; earn
fallow
(of land) plowed but not sowed (to improve the quality); uncultivated
prosody
art of versification; study of the metrical structure of verse
chortle
chuckle with delight; N.
menace
threat; V: threaten
die
metal block used for shaping metal or plastic; device for stamping or impressing; mold; a device for cutting or molding metal into a particular shape.; singular form of dice .
carafe
glass water bottle; decanter
foppish
vain about dress and appearance; N. fop: man who takes too much interest in his clothes and appearance
disconcert
confuse; upset; embarrass; perturb
Occident
the West
animus
hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
consecrate
dedicate; sanctify; declare as sacred; Ex. consecrate one's life to helping the poor
economy
efficiency or conciseness in using something; thrifty management of resources
impute
attribute; ascribe; charge; epresent (something, esp. something undesirable) as being done, caused, or possessed by someone; attribute : the crimes ~ed to Richard.; • Finance assign (a value) to something by inference from the value of the products or processes to which it contributes : [as adj. ] ( ~ed) recovering the initial outlay plus ; N. -tation
marsupial
one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch(pocket of skin or leather); CF. kangaroo, opossum, wombat
self-righteous
sure of one's own righteousness; moralistic
glimmer
shine erratically; twinkle; N: dim or unsteady light; faint indication; Ex. ~ of hope
bank
heap; piled-up mass; embankment; lateral tilting (as of an aircraft in turning); V: pile up; protect with a ~; tilt in turning
sanguinary
bloody; with much bloodshed
lace
cord used to draw and tie together two opposite edges (as of a shoe); delicate fabric made of fine threads; V: draw together by tying a ~
multiform
having many forms
unruly
disobedient; lawless; difficult to control
orient
get one's bearings; adjust; make familiar with a situation; orientate
asinine
stupid; Ex. asinine remarks
entail
make necessary; require; necessitate; involve; limit the inheritance of (property) to a specified succession of heirs; Ex. ~ A on/upon B
groom
man employed to take care of horses; V: make neat and trim; clean and brush (an animal)
abut
border upon; adjoin; (of an area of land or a building) be next to or have a common boundary with : gardens abutting Great Prescott Street | [ intrans. ] a park ~ on an area of wasteland.; touch or lean upon : masonry may crumble where a roof ~s it.
prophylactic
used to prevent disease; N: something ~; condom; N. -laxis: prevention of disease
impudence
impertinence; insolence
embroider
decorate with needlework; ornament (a story) with fancy or fictitious details; embellish
hireling
one who serves for hire (usually used contemptuously); one who works solely for compensation; a person employed to undertake menial work, esp. on a casual basis. Ex. ~ politician
prude
excessively modest or proper person (who is easily shocked by improper things, esp. of a sexual nature); N. prudery; ADJ. prudish: excessively concerned with propriety
entreat
plead; ask earnestly
descry
catch sight of (something distant)
crossbreed
hybridize; N: hybrid; CF. interbreed; CF. inbreed
ingenuous
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated; candid
reprobate
morally disapproved person; person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency; CF. disapproved by God ?
curmudgeon
churlish, miserly individual; bad-tempered old person
writhe
twist in coils; contort in pain
pummel
pommel; beat or pound with fists; strike repeatedly, typically with the fists : Bob did not fight back for the fifteen minutes that the half-dozen men ~ed him.
shade
slight difference in degree; nuance; degree of color; Ex. ~s of meaning/grey
lilliputian
extremely small; CF. Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels
satirical
using satire; mocking
languish
lose animation or strength
transmute
transform; change; convert to something different
fluke
unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune; accidental stroke of good luck; ADJ. fluky
potion
dose (of liquids); liquid dose
canvass
determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.; go through (a region) to solicit votes or orders; conduct a survey; N.
repulsion
distaste; disgust; act of driving back; ADJ. repulsive: causing disgust; tending to drive away; V. repel (not `repulse')
geriatrics
medical treatment and care of old age
sacrilegious
desecrating; profane; N. sacrilege: desecration, misuse, or theft of something sacred
victuals
food; provisions; V. victual: provide with food
jaundiced
yellowed; prejudiced (envious, hostile, or resentful) from long and disappointing experience of human affairs; Ex. with a ~ eye
replete
fully filled; filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied; Ex. report ~ with errors
romp
play or frolic boisterously; gambol; N.
abrogate
abolish
grill
question severely; cook on a grill; broil; N: cooking surface of parallel metal bars
stasis
a period or state of inactivity or equilibrium.; • Medicine a stoppage of flow of a body fluid. adj static
confound
confuse; puzzle
pallid
pale; wan; Ex. ~ complexion
statute
law enacted by the legislature
debunk
expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.; ridicule
defect
shortcoming; V: desert (in order to join the opposite one)
tureen
deep dish for serving soup
prosaic
lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose
serpentine
winding; twisting; of or like a serpent; Ex. serpentine course of the river; N. serpent: snake
dictum
authoritative and weighty statement (made by a judge in court); saying; maxim; CF. obiter ~: incidental, nonbinding remark (something said in passing)
ignite
kindle; light; catch fire or set fire to
infinitesimal
very small
porridge
soft food made by boiling oatmeal
ornithologist
scientific student of birds; N. ornithology: scientific study of birds
conifer
pine tree (usu. evergreen); cone-bearing tree; ADJ. -ous; CF. deciduous; CF. evergreen
suture
stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision; material used in sewing; V: sew together a wound
acme
peak; pinnacle; highest point
stupefy
stun; make numb (as with a drug); amaze
well-bred
of good upbringing; well-mannered and refined
sectarian
of a sect; narrow-minded; parochial; N: member of a sect; narrow-minded person
gavel
hammerlike tool; mallet(wooden hammer) used by a presiding officer or an auctioneer; V.
paroxysm
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst
bludgeon
a thick stick with a heavy end, used as a weapon figurative : a rhetorical ~ in the war against liberalism.
derelict
negligent; (of someone) neglectful of duty; (of something) deserted by an owner; abandoned; N: abandoned property; homeless or vagrant person
bigot
one who is intolerant (in matters of religion or politics)
peerless
having no equal; incomparable
rakish
jaunty; stylish; sporty; morally corrupt; dissolute; Ex. He wore his hat at a ~ and jaunty angle.
coup
highly successful action or sudden attack; coup(s) d'\'etat; CF. ~ de grace: deathblow or shot which kills
maxim
proverb; truth pithily stated
suffuse
spread through or over (with a color or liquid); charge; Ex. A blush ~ed her cheeks.
stoop
bend forward and down; lower or debase oneself; fall to a lower standard of behavior by doing something; condescend; Ex. ~ to lying
banal
hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality; cliched
unction
the act of anointing with oil; Ex. extreme ~
matrimony
state of being married
aromatic
fragrant; having a sweet smell; N. aroma: strong pleasant smell
disheveled
untidy (of hair or clothing); V. dishevel
prehensile
capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around); Ex. ~ tails
submerge
place under water; dip; go under water; cover completely (as with water); Ex. ~ed in work
bilk
swindle; cheat
palatial
of or suitable for a palace; magnificent
litigation
lawsuit; N. litigant: one party in a lawsuit; V. litigate
sultry
(of weather) hot; sweltering; sensual; voluptuous; 2 (of a person, esp. a woman) attractive in a way that suggests a passionate nature.; 1 (of the air or weather) hot and humid.
raiment
clothing; garments; Ex. I have no ~ fit to wear.
monochrome
painting in only one color; ADJ.
nauseate
cause to become sick; fill with disgust; fill nausea
acerbity
bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. -bic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)
sleeper
one that achieves unexpected success; something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable
knack
special talent; art
conciliatory
reconciling; soothing; V. conciliate: reconcile; soothe; win the friendly feelings (by removing anger)
cataract
great waterfall; eye abnormality (causing a gradual loss of eyesight); a medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision : she had ~s in both eyes.
prelate
church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop)
inerrancy
infallibility
cauterize
burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
cursive
(of writing) flowing; running; having the successive letters joined
kleptomaniac
person who has a compulsive desire to steal
centripetal
tending toward the center
provisional
tentative; temporary
execrate
curse; express abhorrence for; detest
masquerade
wear a mask or disguise; pretend; N: costume party or ball at which masks are worn; pretense; disguise
varnish
paint used to coat a surface with a glossy film; glossy coating produced by using this substance; Ex. nail ~; V.; resin dissolved in a liquid for applying on wood, metal, or other materials to form a hard, clear, shiny surface when dry.
deliberate
consider; ponder; ADJ: done on purpose; slow
impediment
hindrance; stumbling-block; speech defect preventing clear articulation; Ex. speech ~
pauper
very poor person
dilate
expand; ~ on/upon: speak or write at length on (a subject)
silt
sediment deposited by running water (at the entrance to a harbor or by a bend in a river)
Bacchanalia
the ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus
sedition
conduct or language inciting rebellion; rebellion; resistance to authority; insubordination; ADJ. seditious
resignation
patiently submissiveness; statement that one is quitting a job; ADJ. resigned: acquiescent
layman
man who is not a cleric; man who is nonprofessional
usury
lending money at illegal high rates of interest
levee
earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding; CF. raise
synchronous
similarly timed; simultaneous with; occurring at the same time; V. synchronize
catcall
shout of disapproval or displeasure (made at the theater or a sports match); boo; V. a loud whistle or a comment of a sexual nature made by a man to a passing woman.

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