Vocab Units 1-9
Terms
undefined, object
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- assert'
- to declare or state as the truth, maintain or defend, put forward forcefully
- forth'right
- frank, dircet, straightforward
- finesse'
- delicate skill; tact and cleverness; to accomplish something by cleverness, good judgement. or skillful evasion
- endow'
- to furnish, equip, provide with funds or someother desirable thing or quality
- elite'
- the choice part of a group of people or things; superior
- rehabil'itate
- to make over in good form; to restore to good condition or to a former position
- scape'goat
- a person or thing carrying the blame for others
- rav'age
- to destroy, lay waste, ruin; ruinous damage, destruction
- prom'ontory
- a high point of land extending into water
- res'olute
- bold, determined; firm
- doc'trine
- a belief, priciple, or teaching; a system of such beliefs or principles; a formulation os such beliefs or principles
- re'course
- a person or thing turned to for help or advice; the act of seeking help or protection
- u'nison
- a sounding together; agreement or accord
- aloof'
- withdrawn, standing apart from others (usually as a matter of choice)
- hov'er
- to float or hang suspended over; to move back and forth uncertainly over or around
- auda'cious
- bold, adventurous, recklessly daring
- abashed'
- embarassed, ashamed, or nonplussed
- chur'lish
- laking politeness or good manners; lacking sensivitiy; difficult to work woth or deal with; rude
- incogni'to
- in a disguised state, under an assumed name or identity; the state of being disguised; a person in disguise
- prod'igy
- something wonderful or marvelous; something monstrous or abnormal; an unusual feat; a child or young person with extraordinary ability or talent
- ornate'
- elaborately decorated; showily splendid
- pe'nal
- having to do with punishment
- longev'ity
- long life, long duration, length of life
- ban'ter
- to exchange playful remarks, tease; talk that is playful and teasing
- grapp'le
- an iron hook used to grab and hold; to come to grips with, wrestle or fight with
- fend
- to ward off, resist; to get along, manage
- ran'kle
- to cause anger, irritation, or bitterness (with the suggestion that the pain grows worse with time)
- amass'
- to bring together, collect, gather, especially for oneself; to come together, assemble
- ac'me
- the highest point
- discor'dant
- disagreeable in sound, jarring; lacking in harmony, conflicting
- stance
- a way of holding the body; an attitude or position on an issue
- avail'
- to be use or benefit to; to make use of; to take advantage of; to profit or benefit; use, benefit, or value
- prod'igal
- wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant; one who is wasteful and self-indulgent
- proclaim'
- to declare publicly or officially
- convey'
- to transport; to transmit; to communicate, make known; to transfer ownershipor title to
- am'ple
- more than enough, large, spacious
- bol'ster
- to support, give a boost to; a long pillow or cushion; a supporting post
- will'ful
- stubbornly self-willed, done on purpose, deliberate
- exot'ic
- foreign; charmingly unfamiliar or strikingly unusual
- wa'ver
- to move to and fro, become unsteady; to show lack of firmness or decision
- instill'
- to add gradually; to introdce or cause to be taken in
- renown'
- fame, glory
- bask
- to be in, or expose oneself to, pleasant warmth; to take pleasure in or derive enjoyment from
- ad'age
- a proverb, wise saying
- obsess'
- to trouble, haunt, or fill the mind
- os'tracize
- to exclude from a group, banish, send away
- oblique'
- slanting or sloping; not straightforward or direct
- belitt'le
- to make something appear smaller than it is; to refer to in a way that suggests lack of importance or value
- rel'evant
- connected with or related to the matter at hand
- cow'er
- to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame
- glut
- to provide more than is needed or wanted; to feed or fill to the point of overstuffing; an oversupply
- theth'er
- a rope or chain used to fasten something to a fixed object; the outer limit of strength or resources; to fasten with a rope or chain
- encroach'
- to advance beyond the usual or proper limits, trespass
- apt
- suitable, fitting, likely; quick to learn
- cryp'tic
- puzzling, mystifying, enigmatic
- dire
- dreadful. causing fear or suffering; warning of trouble to come; demanding immediate action to avoid disaster
- retent'ive
- able to hold, keep, or recall; retaining knowledge easily
- artic'ulate
- to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to fit together into a system; able to use the language effectively; expressed clearly and forcefully
- disdain'
- to look upon with scorn; to refuse scornfully; a feeling of contempt
- decree'
- an order having the force of the law; to issue such an order; to command firmly or forcefully
- plumm'et
- to plunge straight down; a weight fastened to a line
- leg'endary
- described in well-known stories; existing in old stories (legends) rather than in real life
- min'imize
- to make as small as possible, make the least of; to make smaller than before
- veer
- to change direction or course suddenly, turn aside, shift, swerve
- per'tinent
- related to the matter at hand, to the point
- pred'atory
- preying, on plundering, or piratical
- nonen'tity
- a person or thing of no importance
- intrigue'
- craft dealings, underhanded plotting; to form and carry out plots; to puzzle or excite the curiosity
- in'stigate
- to urge on; to stir up, provoke, start, incite
- rubb'le
- broken stone or bricks; ruins
- in'filitrate
- to pass through or gain entrance ot gradually or stealthily
- percep'tible
- capable of being grasped by the senses or mind
- an'tics
- ridiculous and unpredictable behavior or actions
- jos'tle
- to make or force one's way by pushing or elbowing; to bump, shove, brush against; compete for
- apparit'ion
- a ghost or ghostly figure; an unexplained or unusual appearance
- allot'
- to assign or distribute in shares or portions
- annul'
- to reduce to nothing; to make ineffective or inoperative; to declare legally invalid or void
- preclude'
- to make impossible, prevent, shut out
- pul'verize
- to grind or pound to a powder or dust; to destroy or overcome (as though by smashing into fragments)
- att'ribute
- a quality or characteristic belonging to or associated with someone or something; to assign to, credit with; to regard as caused by or resulting from
- ep'itaph
- a brief statement written on a tomb or gravstone
- evolve'
- to develop gradually; to rise to a higher level
- an'guish
- great mental suffering, distress, or pain; to be deeply tormented by pain or sorrow
- junc'ture
- a joining together; the point at which two things are joined; any important point in time
- ex'cerpt
- a passage taken from a book, article, etc.; to take such a passage; to quote
- perspec'tive
- a point of view or general standpoint from which different things are viewed, physically or mentally; the appearance to the eye of various objects at a given time, place or distance
- want'on
- reckless; heartless, unjustifiable; loose in morals; a spoiled, pampered person; one with low morals
- perturb'
- to trouble, make uneasy; to disturb gently; to throw into confusion
- ser'vile
- of or relating to a slave; behaving like or suitable for a slave or a servant, menial; lacking spirit or independence, abjectly submissive
- gin'gerly
- with extreme care or caution
- gaunt
- thin and bony, starved looking; bare, barren
- pseu'donym
- a pen name, name assumed by a writer
- bount'iful
- giving freely, generous; plentiful, given abundantly
- indiscrim'inate
- without restraint or control; unselective
- ven'erate
- to regard with reverance, look up to with great respect
- vol'atile
- highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive; changing readily from the liquid to the gaseous state
- diver'gent
- going in different directions; different from each other; departing from convention, deviant
- blase'
- indifferent, bored as a result of having enjoyed many pleasures; apathetic
- mus'ter
- to bring together for service or battle; to gather or summon; to amount to, comprise, include; a list of men for military service; a gathering, accumulation
- jurisdic'tion
- an area of authority or control; the right to administer justice
- de'fect
- an imperfection, flaw, or blemish of some kind; to desert a cause or organization
- devoid'
- not having or using, lacking
- comply'
- to yield to a request or command
- abut'
- to join at one end or be next to; to support, prop up
- scav'enger
- a person who collects or removes usuable items from waste materials; an animal that feeds on refuse or dead bodies
- prone
- lying face down; inclined, likely
- proxim'ity
- nearness, closeness
- purge
- to wash away impurities, clean up; the process of getting rid of something or someone decisively
- sto'ical
- self-controlled, not showing feeling on response to pleasure or pain
- ent'erprising
- energetic, willing and able to start something new; showing boldness and imagination
- null'ify
- to make of no value or consequence, cancel, wipe out
- cit'adel
- a forttress that overlooks and protects a city; any strong or commanding place
- friv'olous
- a little importance, not worthy of serious attention; not meant seriously
- staid
- serious and dignified; quiet or subduded in character or conduct
- deplore'
- to feel or express regret or disapproval
- unassu'ming
- not putting on airs, unpretentious; modest
- disarm'ing
- charming, tending to get rid of unfriendliness or suspicion
- prodig'ious
- immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree
- plau'sible
- appearing true, reasonable, or fair
- qualm
- a pang of conscience, uneasiness, misgiving, or doubt; a feeling of faintness or nausea
- chafe
- to warm by rubbing; to wear sore by rubbing; to feel annoyance or dissatisfaction, annoy, irk; to strain or press against; a sore or injury caused by rubbing
- me'nial
- lowly, humble, lacking importance or dignity; a person who does the humble and unpleasant tasks
- plau'dits
- applause; enthusiastic praise or approval
- skitt'ish
- extremely nervous and easily frightened; shy or timid; extremely cautious; unstable, undependable
- vie
- to compete; to strive for victory or superiority
- parr'y
- to ward off, fend off, deflect, evade, avoid;a defensive movement in fencing and other sports
- plebei'an
- common, vulgar; belonging to the lower class; a common person, member of the lower class
- congest'ed
- overcrowded, filled or occupied to excess
- vig'il
- a watch, especially at night; any period of watchful attention
- wran'gle
- to quarrel or argue in a noisy, angry way; to obtain by argument; to herd; a noisy quarrel
- dur'able
- sturdy, not easily worn out or destroyed; lasting for a long time; consumer goods used over a series of years
- ta'wdry
- showy and flashy but lacking in good taste
- wall'ow
- to roll aboutin a lazy, clumsy, or helpless way; to overindulge in; to have in abundance; a wet, muddy, or dusty area used by animals as a sort of bath; a state of moral or physical collapse
- inval'idate
- to make valueless, take away all force or effect
- defile'
- to make unclean or dirty, destroy the purity of; to march in single line or in columns; a narrow passage; gorge, canyon
- bonan'za
- a rich mass of ore in a mine; something very valuable, profitable, or rewarding; a source of wealth or prosperly; a very large amount; sidden profitor gain
- awry'
- in a turned or twisted position or direction; wrong, out of the right or hoped-for course
- hagg'ard
- thin, pale, and careworn as a result of worry or suffering; wild-looking
- cro'ny
- a very close friend, pal, chum, buddy
- det'riment
- harm or loss; injury, damage; a disadvantage; a cause of harm, injury, loss, or damage
- repercuss'ion
- an affect or consequence of some action or event, result; an echo or reverberation
- en'mity
- hatrd, ill-will
- peruse'
- to read thoroughly and carefully
- maim
- to cripple, disable, injure, mar, disfigure, mutilate
- avowed'
- declared openly and without shame, acknowledged
- attire'
- clothes, apparel, garb; to dress, adorn, or bedeck
- excise'
- to remove by cutting; an indirect tax on the manufacture, sale, or distribution of a commodity or service
- disgrunt'led
- in bad humor, discontented, annoyed
- gen'ial
- cordial, pleasantly cheerful or warm
- myr'iad
- in very great numbers; a very great number
- mien
- air, manner; appearance; expression
- capit'ulate
- to end resistance, give up, surrender, throw in the towel
- flaunt
- to wave or flutter showily; to display in a conceited, offensive way
- revert'
- to return, go back
- oust
- to remove, drive out of a position or place
- res'idue
- a remainder, that which remains when a part has been used up or removed
- predom'inant
- the greatest in strength or power; most common
- lagg'ard
- a person who moves slowly or falls behind; falling behind; slow to move, act, or respond
- unflagg'ing
- tireless, continuing with vigor
- sustain'
- to support, nourish, keep up; to suffer, undergo; to bear up under, withstand; to affirm the validity of
- jaun'ty
- lively, easy, and carefree in manner; smart or trim in appearance
- solic'itous
- showing concern or care; fearful or anxious about someone or something
- eth'ical
- having to do with morals, values, right and wrong; in accordance with standards of right conduct; requiring a prescription for purchase
- impu'nity
- freedom from punishment
- face'tious
- humorous, not meant seriously
- stint
- to limit, be sparing or frugal; a limit or restriction; a fixed share of work or duty; a period of activity
- grope
- to feel about hesitantly with the hands; to search blindly an uncertainly
- collab'orate
- to work with, work together
- bludg'eon
- a short club used as a weapon; to strike with a heavyclub; to use force or strong arguments to gain some point
- se'quel
- that which follows, as a result; a literary work or film contuning the story of one written or made earlier
- por'ous
- full lof tiny holes; able to be penetrated by air or water
- turn'coat
- a person who switches to an opposing side or party
- prox'y
- an agent, substitute; a written permission allowing one person to act in another's place
- fru'gal
- economical, avoiding waste and luxury; scanty, poor, meager
- premonit'ion
- forewarning or foreboding of a future event
- re'cluse
- a person who leads a life shut up or withdrawn from the world
- incapac'itate
- to deprive of strength or ability; to make legally ineligible
- aghast'
- filled with amazement, disgust, fear, or terror
- inau'dible
- not able to be heard
- fer'vent
- very earnest, emotional, passionate; extremely hot