This site is 100% ad supported. Please add an exception to adblock for this site.

Wordly Wise 3000 Book 9

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
acolyte
n. a person who assists in some religious services by carrying out minor duties; one who attends or assists, a follower
bibulous
adj. given to the consumption of alcoholic drinks
coalesce
v. to grow togethe; to unite to form a whole
covert
adj. not openly acknowledged; secret
declaim
v. to recite something in the style of a public speech; to speak in a loud, theatrical way
delineate
v. 1. to describe vividly and in detail
2. to draw an outline of; to represent by drawing
demagogue
n. a leader who seeks power by appealing to people's emotions and prejudices and by making false claims and promises
encomium
n. an expression of warm and enthusiastic praise; a tribute
obdurate
adj. resistant to persuasion; inflexible
-persistent in wrongdoing
prescience
n. foresight; knowledge beforehand of events
protagonist
n. the chief character in a drama or story
sedulous
adj. completed with careful persverance; diligent
trenchant
adj. expressed with vigor and penetrating insight; keenly perceptive
utopia
n. a place or state of perfect social and political conditions
valedictory
n. a farewell address, especially one given at a graduation ceremony
adj. of or relating to such a farewell address
absolve
v. to clear guilt, or to free from a promise or a responsibility
adumbrate
v. 1. to forshadow in an indirect way 2. to outline in a sketchy way; to partially disclose
apothegem
n. a short instrictive saying
asperion
n. a defamatory expression; slander
coadjutor
n. one who works with another; usually in a subordinate position; an assistant
congenital
adj. exisisting at or dating from birth; being an essential characteristic
elan
n. a lively spirit with a distinctive style
germane
adj. pertinent and fitting
hiatus
n. an interruption or gap in space, continuity, or time
immure
v. to confine within or as if within walls; to imprision
ineluctable
adj. not to be avoided or changed; inevitable
internecine
adj. 1. marked by slaughter; mutually destructive 2. relating to conflict within a group
invoke
v.1. to appeal to earnestly 2. to cite in justification
prototype
n. a person or thing that serves as an example of its kind; an original
quadrennial
adj. 1. occurring every four years 2. lasting 4 years
amalgam
n.1. an alloy of mercury and other metals 2. a mixture of different elements
antediluvain
adj. very old or old-fashioned
apothecary
n. one who prepares and sells ointments, drugs, and similar items for medical purposes
ascetic
adj. refaining from self-indulgence
beneficent
adj, doing or producing good
charlatan
n. one who falsly claims knowledge or ability
denizen
n. an inhabitant, resident, or frequenter of a place
doyen
n. 1 a senior member of a group, especially one who is highly respected 2. the oldest example of a category
flora
n. plants considered as a froup in a particular area or era
imbibe
v. 1. to consume by drinking 2. to absorb or take in mentally
nostrum
n. a medicine or remedy whose effectiveness has not been proven
obviate
v. to prevent or make unnecessary; to get rid of
perennial
adj. lasting indefinitley or recurring
putative
adj. commonly accepted or supposed; assumbed to exist
savant
n. a person with detailed knowledge in a specialized field
approbation
n. an expression of approval; praise
benighted
adj. existing in a state of moral, cultural, or intellectual darkness; unenlightened
bourgeois
n. the middle class or member of
adj. 1 very converned with middle class walues such as respectability and material well being, with an inclination toward mediocrity 2. reflecting mediocrity
credo
n. a strongly held belief; a guide to one's actions
empirical
adj. based on experience or observation as opposed to theory; capable of being confirmed by observation
eschew
v. to stay away from; to shun, especially on practiacl or moral grounds
expatiate
v. to speak or write about in great detail; to elaborate, usually usually used with on or upon
inconclast
n. one who attacks established beliefs, customs, or institutions
indigence
n. an extreme level of poverty
laudable
adj. praiseworthy
mandate
n. a clear command or instruction
v. to require or order
ostensible
adj. only seemingly so; apparent
recalcitrant
adj. unwilling to accept another's authority, stubbornly defiant
regurgitate
v.1 to expel partialy digested food from the stomach 2. to repeat mindlessly what one has learned
risible
adj. provoking or causing laughter
archaic
adj. related or belonging to an earlier time
carouse
v.to take part in noisy, often drunken, merrymaking
chicanery
n.clever deception through the use of misleading or confusing words or acts
contentious
adj.causing or marked by argument or conflict
dissemble
v. to conceal with an intent to deceive
egregious
adj.conspicuously bad; flagrant
execrate
v.to utterly abhor; to denounce as detestable
fealty
n.faithfulness; allegiance
microcosm
n.a small system that operates or develops like a larger system; a miniature world
paroxysm
n. a sudden, violent, and uncontrollable action or occurrence
pecuniary
adj.having to do with money
rectitude
n.high moral character
stratagem
n.a clever scheme for gaining an end
stultify
v.to render useless or ineffectual; to weaken
vendetta
n.a blood feud; a prolonged and bitter feud
actuate
v.1. to cause to put into mechanical motion
2. to cause to take action
brackish
1. made up of a mixture of fresh water and seawater; adj.salty water
2. having an unpleasant taste
cognitive
adj. relating to mental processes such as awareness, remembering, and reasoning
dissertation
n.a lengthy, usually written discussion of a topic, often for a college or university degree
dolorous
adj. causing or marked by pain, misery, or sorrow
endemic
adj.widespread or peculiar to a certain place or among a certain people
fecund
adj.1. producing or capable of producing many offspring
2. intellectually or artistically productive; creative
genealogy
n.the history of a family and how its members are related to one another; also the study of such family histories
inebriated
adj.deprived of good sense and judgment; especially as the result of imbibing alcohol
insidious
adj.1. seemingly harmless while actually being dangerous; treacherous or deceptive
2. spreading harmfully in a subtle or gradual way
interloper
n.one who intrudes on or interferes in the affairs of others
precursor
n.a person or thing that comes before and indicates the approach of another; a forerunner
presentiment
n.a feeling that something is about to occur
ramification
n.an outgrowth of a simple idea or plan; a resulting development or consequence
torpor
n.a state of mental or physical sluggishness or inactivity
abjure
v.to renounce formally
amorphous
adj.without a definite shape, boundary, or character
animus
n.1. an attitude or spirit within a person that strongly influences him or her
2. deep-seated ill will
dichotomy
n.division into two distinct parts or groups
exemplar
n.an example or model, especially an ideal one
herculean
adj.of extraordinary size, power, or difficulty
inchoate
adj.not fully formed or realized
invidious
adj.likely to cause resentment or animosity
melange
n.a mixture of dissimilar materials
nefarious
adj.very wicked
nihilism
n.a viewpoint that denies any meaning of life
ratify
v.to approve, confirm, or verify
subsume
v.to encompass in a larger or more comprehensive group; to include
variegated
adj.varied as to form, type, or color
vitiate
v.to impair or weaken
aborigine
n.an original inhabitant, especially one displaced by later settlers
abrogate
v.to put an end to; to abolish or repeal
appurtenance
n.an item of equipment; an accessory
bivouac
n.1. a temporary camp or shelter
2. to stay in such a camp
cetacean
n.a member of the order of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises
decry
v.to criticize strongly; to denounce
desuetude
n.a state of disuse
leviathan
n.anything that is of enormous size
mawkish
adj.1. excessively sentimental
2. having an unpleasant, sikly sweet taste
misapprehend
v. to fail to understand correctly
parochial
adj.1. limited or narrow in scope or outlook
2. of or related to a church parish
purvey
v.to be in the business of supplying goods, especially good or provisions, for use
recourse
n.1. a turning to someone or something for aid
2. a source of help or support
replete
adj.well supplied; full
waive
v.to give up as a right; to forgo
acumen
n.keenness of the mind; shrewdness
apotheosis
n.1. the elevation of a person of thing to divine status
2. the highest point or best example
askew
adj,adv.turned or twisted to one side; out of line
chasten
v.to correct or improve by disciplining; to cause to be more careful or restrained
demarcation
n.1. the act or process of setting a boundary; the boundary itself
2. separation; distinction
dictum
n.a statement or pronouncement
erstwhile
adj.of an earlier time; former
forte
n.an activity at whicha person excels
habitue
n.a person who regularly goes to a particular place
nonplus
v.to cause to be at a loss as to what to say or do
peripatetic
adj.of or relating to going from place to place, especially on foot
prodigal
n.one who spends lavishly or wastefully
sycophant
n.one who uses flattery to win favor or to ingratiate him or herself
vacuous
adj.lacking intelligence or ideas; intellectual emptiness
wraith
n.a shadowy or ghostlike figure
apposite
adj.highly relevant; apt
calumny
n.a false accusation meant to hurt someone's reputation; slander
domain
n.1. an area or territory over which control is exercised
2. a field of activity, knowledge, or concern
dorsal
adj.of, on, or near the back
enervate
v.to lessen the vigor or strength of; to enfeeble
epicure
n.one with discriminating taste, especially but not exclusively relating to food and drink
exculpate
v.to clear from alleged guilt or fault
heterogeneous
adj.differing in kind or parts; varied
infinitesimal
adj.extremely small in size or quantity
lateral
adj.of, at, from, or towards the side
primeval
adj.of or relating to the earliest ages; primitive
quintessence
n.the best or most typical example
serrated
adj.having a saw-toothed or notched edge
veritable
adj.being, in fact, the thing named or described; literally so. Often used to emphasize the aptness of a metaphor
viviparous
adj.producing living young instead of eggs, in the manner of most mammals and some reptiles and fish

Deck Info

150

permalink