OSSM Junior Vocab N-Z
Terms
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- Sortie
- a rapid movement of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers. a body of troops involved in such a movement. the flying of an airplane on a combat mission.
- Propensity
- a natural inclination or tendency. Obsolete. favorable disposition or partiality.
- Staid
- of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious. fixed, settled, or permanent.
- Nettle
- any plant of the genus Urtica, covered with stinging hairs. to irritate, annoy, or provoke
- Sanctum
- a sacred or holy place. an inviolably private place or retreat.
- Quell
- to suppress; put an end to; extinguish. to vanquish; subdue. to quiet or allay (emotions, anxieties, etc.)
- Trite
- lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition; hackneyed; stale. characterized by hackneyed expressions, ideas, etc.
- Usurp
- to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right. to use without authority or right; employ wrongfully. to commit forcible or illegal seizure of an office, power, etc.; encroach.
- Reticent
- disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved. reluctant or restrained.
- Obsequious
- characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning. servilely compliant or deferential. obedient; dutiful.
- Pogrom
- an organized, state sanctioned rounding-up and massacre of a people, esp. of Jews.
- Ordnance
- cannon or artillery. military weapons with their equipment, ammunition, etc. Branch of the army that produces and issues such weapons and munition.
- Pseudonym
- a fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name.
- Reverence
- a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. the outward manifestation of this feeling. a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, bow, or curtsy. the state of being revered. (initial capital letter) a title used in addressing or mentioning a member of the clergy (usually prec. by your or his).to regard or treat with reverence; venerate
- Terse
- neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language. abruptly concise; curt; brusque.
- Obese
- very fat or overweight; corpulent.
- Romp
- to play or frolic in a lively or boisterous manner. to run or go rapidly and without effort, as in racing. to win easily.
- Olympian
- pertaining to Mount Olympus or dwelling thereon, as the gods of classical Greece. of, resembling, characteristic of, or suitable to the gods of Olympus; majestic or aloof
- Temper
- a particular state of mind or feelings. habit of mind, esp. with respect to irritability or patience, outbursts of anger, or the like; disposition. heat of mind or passion, shown in outbursts of anger, resentment, etc. calm disposition or state of mind. a substance added to something to modify its properties or qualities. the degree of hardness and strength imparted to a metal, as by quenching, heat treatment, or cold working. to moderate or mitigate. to moisten, mix, and work up into proper consistency, as clay or mortar.
- Repudiate
- to reject as having no authority or binding force. to cast off or disown. to reject with disapproval or condemnation. to reject with denial. to refuse to acknowledge and pay (a debt), as a state, municipality, etc.
- Unobtrusive
- not obtrusive; inconspicuous, unassertive, or reticent.
- Pacify
- to bring or restore to a state of peace or tranquillity; quiet; calm. to reduce to a state of submission, esp. by military force; subdue.
- Relinquish
- to renounce or surrender (a possession, right, etc.) to give up; put aside or desist from. to let go; release
- Repeal
- to revoke or withdraw formally or officially. to revoke or annul (a law, tax, duty, etc.) by express legislative enactment; abrogate. (noun) the act of repealing; revocation; abrogation.
- Pedigree
- an ancestral line; line of descent; lineage; ancestry. a genealogical table, chart, list, or record, esp. of a purebred animal. distinguished, excellent, or pure ancestry. derivation, origin, or history
- Patent
- the exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years. an invention or process protected by this right. an official document conferring such a right; letters patent. the instrument by which the government of the United States conveys the legal fee-simple title to public land. patent leather.
- Redundant
- characterized by verbosity or unnecessary repetition in expressing ideas; prolix. being in excess; exceeding what is usual or natural. having some unusual or extra part or feature. characterized by superabundance or superfluity. (Engineering) (of a structural member) not necessary for resisting statically determined stresses. Linguistics. characterized by redundancy; predictable. Computers. containing more bits or characters than are required, as a parity bit inserted for checking purposes.
- Oscillate
- to swing or move to and fro, as a pendulum does. to vary or vacillate between differing beliefs, opinions, conditions, etc.
- Perfidy
- deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery. an act or instance of faithlessness or treachery.
- Recede
- to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw. to become more distant. (of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move away or be perceived as moving away from an observer, esp. as giving the illusion of space. to slope backward. to draw back or withdraw from a conclusion, viewpoint, undertaking, promise, etc.
- Sanguine
- cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident. reddish; ruddy. (in old physiology) having blood as the predominating humor and consequently being ruddy-faced, cheerful, etc. bloody; sanguinary. a red iron-oxide crayon used in making drawings.
- Scion
- a descendant. Also, cion. a shoot or twig, esp. one cut for grafting or planting; a cutting.
- Suffice
- to be enough or adequate, as for needs, purposes, etc. to be enough or adequate for; satisfy.
- Spurn
- to reject with disdain; scorn. to treat with contempt; despise. to kick or trample with the foot. to show disdain or contempt; scorn something. disdainful rejection. contemptuous treatment. a kick.
- Pending
- while awaiting; until. in the period before the decision or conclusion of; during. remaining undecided; awaiting decision or settlement; unfinished. about to take place; impending.
- Nomadic
- of, pertaining to, or characteristic of nomads.
- Resound
- to sound again. to echo or ring with sound, as a place. to make an echoing sound, or sound loudly, as a metallic object. to be celebrated or notably important.
- Reparation
- the making of amends for wrong or injury done. Usually, reparations. compensation in money, material, labor, etc., payable by a defeated country to another country or to an individual for loss suffered during or as a result of war. restoration to good condition.
- Swagger
- to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air. to boast or brag noisily. to bring, drive, force, etc., by blustering. swaggering manner, conduct, or walk; ostentatious display of arrogance and conceit.
- Squander
- to spend or use (money, time, etc.) extravagantly or wastefully (often fol. by away). to scatter. extravagant or wasteful expenditure.
- Rapacious
- given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate. (of animals) subsisting by the capture of living prey; predacious.
- Soporific
- causing or tending to cause sleep. pertaining to or characterized by sleep or sleepiness; sleepy; drowsy.
- Quiescent
- being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless: a quiescent mind.
- Sedate
- calm, quiet, or composed; undisturbed by passion or excitement. to put (a person) under sedation., cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to
- Recant
- to withdraw or disavow (a statement, opinion, etc.), esp. formally; retract. to withdraw or disavow a statement, opinion, etc., esp. formally.
- Preclude
- to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of; make impossible. to exclude or debar from something.
- Ossicle
- a small bone.
- Stint
- to be frugal; get along on a scanty allowance. to limit to a certain amount, number, share, or allowance, often unduly; set limits to; restrict. a period of time spent doing something. an allotted amount or piece of work. limitation or restriction, esp. as to amount. a limited, prescribed, or expected quantity, share, rate, etc.
- Salve
- a medicinal ointment for healing or relieving wounds and sores. anything that soothes, mollifies, or relieves.
- Writhe
- to twist the body about, or squirm, as in pain, violent effort, etc. to shrink mentally, as in acute discomfort.
- Wrest
- to twist or turn; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist. to take away by force. to get by effort. to twist or turn from the proper course, application, use, meaning, or the like; wrench.
- Taut
- tightly drawn; tense; not slack. emotionally or mentally strained or tense. in good order or condition; tidy; neat.
- Xenophile
- a person who is attracted to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.
- Severance
- the act of severing or the state of being severed. a breaking off, as of a friendship. Law. a division into parts, as of liabilities or provisions; removal of a part from the whole.
- Quip
- a clever or witty remark or comment. a sharp, sarcastic remark; a cutting jest. a quibble. an odd or fantastic action or thing.
- Recrimination
- to bring a countercharge against an accuser. to accuse in return.
- Opaque
- not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through. not transmitting radiation, sound, heat, etc. hard to understand; not clear or lucid; obscure. dull, stupid, or unintelligent.
- Talisman
- a stone, ring, or other object, engraved with figures or characters supposed to possess occult powers and worn as an amulet or charm. any amulet or charm. anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions.
- Superficial
- being at, on, or near the surface. of or pertaining to the surface. external or outward. concerned with or comprehending only what is on the surface or obvious. shallow; not profound or thorough. apparent rather than real. insubstantial or insignificant.
- Sage
- a profoundly wise person; a person famed for wisdom. someone venerated for the possession of wisdom, judgment, and experience. wise, judicious, or prudent
- Pompous
- characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance. ostentatiously lofty or high-flown. characterized by pomp, stately splendor, or magnificence.
- Sedentary
- requiring sitting; done while sitting; not moving from one place to another; settled.
- Theoretical
- of, pertaining to, or consisting in theory; not practical. existing only in theory; hypothetical. given to, forming, or dealing with theories; speculative.
- Officious
- objectionably aggressive in offering one's unrequested and unwanted services, help, or advice; meddlesome. marked by or proceeding from such forwardness
- Taunt
- to reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner; mock. to provoke by taunts; twit.
- Rally
- to bring into order again; gather and organize or inspire anew. to draw or call (persons) together for a common action or effort. to concentrate or revive, as one's strength, spirits, etc. to come together for common action or effort. to come together or into order again. to come to the assistance of a person, party, or cause (often fol. by to or around). to recover partially from illness. to find renewed strength or vigor. to participate in a long-distance automobile race. a drawing or coming together of persons, as for common action, as in a mass meeting.
- Raze
- to tear down; demolish; level to the ground. to shave or scrape off.
- Sporadic
- (of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional. appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease. isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others. occurring singly or widely apart in locality.
- Slag
- Also called cinder. the more or less completely fused and vitrified matter separated during the reduction of a metal from its ore. the scoria from a volcano. waste left over after the re-sorting of coal. to convert into slag.
- Negligible
- so small, trifling, or unimportant that it may safely be neglected or disregarded
- Secular
- of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal. not pertaining to or connected with religion. (of education, a school, etc.) concerned with nonreligious subjects. (of members of the clergy) not belonging to a religious order; not bound by monastic vows. occurring or celebrated once in an age or century. going on from age to age; continuing through long ages. one of the secular clergy.
- Pugnacious
- inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative.
- Refute
- to prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or charge. to prove (a person) to be in error.
- Nascent
- beginning to exist or develop
- Raffle
- a form of lottery in which a number of persons buy one or more chances to win a prize. to dispose of by a raffle (often fol. by off). to take part in a raffle.
- Palpable
- readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident. capable of being touched or felt; tangible. Medical. perceptible by palpation.
- Relegate
- to send or consign to an inferior position, place, or condition. to consign or commit (a matter, task, etc.), as to a person. to assign or refer (something) to a particular class or kind. to send into exile; banish.
- Quittance
- recompense or requital. discharge from a debt or obligation. a document certifying discharge from debt or obligation, as a receipt.
- Nonage
- the period of legal minority, or of an age below 21. any period of immaturity.
- Uncivil
- without good manners; unmannerly; rude; impolite; discourteous.
- Rabble
- a disorderly crowd; mob. the rabble, the lower classes; the common people. (Verb) to beset as a rabble does; mob.
- Plastic
- any of a group of synthetic or natural organic materials that may be shaped when soft and then hardened, including many types of resins, resinoids, polymers, cellulose derivatives, casein materials, and proteins: used in place of other materials, as glass, wood, and metals, in construction and decoration, for making many articles, as coatings, and, drawn into filaments, for weaving. They are often known by trademark names, as Bakelite, Vinylite, or Lucite. a credit card, or credit cards collectively, usually made of plastic. lacking in depth, individuality, or permanence; superficial, dehumanized, or mass-produced.
- Suppress
- to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.) to do away with by or as by authority; abolish; stop (a practice, custom, etc.). to keep in or repress (a feeling, smile, groan, etc.). to withhold from disclosure or publication (truth, evidence, a book, names, etc.). to stop or arrest (a flow, hemorrhage, cough, etc.). to vanquish or subdue (a revolt, rebellion, etc.); quell; crush. Electricity. to reduce or eliminate (an irregular or undesired oscillation or frequency) in a circuit.
- Reprehensible
- deserving of reproof, rebuke, or censure; blameworthy.
- Vocation
- a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling. a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career. a divine call to God's service or to the Christian life. a function or station in life to which one is called by God.
- Quail
- a small, migratory, gallinaceous game bird, Cany of various New World gallinaceous game birds of the genus Colinus and allied genera, esp. the bobwhite. oturnix coturnix, of the Old World. any of several other birds of the genus Coturnix and allied genera.
- Rudimentary
- pertaining to rudiments or first principles; elementary. of the nature of a rudiment; undeveloped or vestigial.
- Sullied
- to be stained or discredited. to soil, stain, or tarnish.
- Unctuous
- characterized by excessive piousness or moralistic fervor, esp. in an affected manner; excessively smooth, suave, or smug. of the nature of or characteristic of an unguent or ointment; oily; greasy. having an oily or soapy feel, as certain minerals.
- Stinted
- restricted or limited
- Prelude
- a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance. any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else. a relatively short, independent instrumental composition, free in form and resembling an improvisation. to serve as a prelude or introduction to.
- Ponder
- to consider something deeply and thoroughly; meditate (often fol. by over or upon). to weigh carefully in the mind; consider thoughtfully.
- Unearth
- to dig or get out of the earth; dig up. to uncover or bring to light by search, inquiry, etc.
- Pertinent
- pertaining or relating directly and significantly to the matter at hand; relevant.
- Perennial
- lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring. (of plants) having a life cycle lasting more than two years. lasting or continuing throughout the entire year, as a stream. perpetual; everlasting; continuing; recurrent.
- Repel
- to drive or force back (an assailant, invader, etc.). to thrust back or away. to resist effectively (an attack, onslaught, etc.). to keep off or out; fail to mix with. to resist the absorption or passage of (water or other liquid). to refuse to have to do with; resist involvement in. to refuse to accept or admit; reject. to discourage the advances of (a person). to cause distaste or aversion in. to push back or away by a force, as one body acting upon another (opposed to attract). to act with a force that drives or keeps away something. to cause distaste or aversion.
- Transient
- not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory. lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary. staying only a short time. (noun) a person or thing that is transient, esp. a temporary guest, boarder, laborer, or the like.
- Parch
- to make extremely, excessively, or completely dry, as heat, sun, and wind do. to make dry, hot, or thirsty. to dry (peas, beans, grain, etc.) by exposure to heat without burning; to toast or roast slightly. to dry or shrivel with cold.
- Rill
- a small rivulet or brook.
- Ostentatious
- characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others. (of actions, manner, qualities exhibited, etc.) intended to attract notice
- Odium
- intense hatred or dislike, esp. toward a person or thing regarded as contemptible, despicable, or repugnant. the state or quality of being hated.
- Vigil
- wakefulness maintained for any reason during the normal hours for sleeping. a watch or a period of watchful attention maintained at night or at other times. a period of wakefulness from inability to sleep. a devotional watching, or keeping awake, during the customary hours of sleep.
- Shank
- Anatomy. the part of the lower limb in humans between the knee and the ankle; leg. a narrow part of various devices, as a tool or bolt, connecting the end by which the object is held or moved with the end that acts upon another object. a straight, usually narrow, shaftlike part of various objects connecting two more important or complex parts, as the stem of a pipe.
- Querulous
- full of complaints; complaining. characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish.
- Succint
- expressed in few words; concise; terse. characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity. compressed into a small area, scope, or compass.
- Utter
- to give audible expression to; speak or pronounce. to give forth (cries, notes, etc.) with the voice. (Phonetics) to produce (speech sounds, speechlike sounds, syllables, words, etc.) audibly, with or without reference to formal language. to express (oneself or itself), esp. in words. to give forth (a sound) otherwise than with the voice. to express by written or printed words. to expel; emit. to employ the faculty of speech; use the voice to talk, make sounds, etc.
- Slothful
- sluggardly; indolent; lazy.
- Transgress
- to violate a law, command, moral code, etc.; offend; sin. to pass over or go beyond (a limit, boundary, etc.). to go beyond the limits imposed by (a law, command, etc.); violate; infringe.
- Rectify
- to make, put, or set right; remedy; correct. to put right by adjustment or calculation, as an instrument or a course at sea. Chemistry. to purify (esp. a spirit or liquor) by repeated distillation. Electricity. to change (an alternating current) into a direct current. to determine the length of (a curve). Astronomy, Geography. to adjust (a globe) for the solution of any proposed problem.
- Precocious
- pertaining to uncharacteristically early development, esp. in maturity.
- Pliable
- easily bent; flexible; supple. easily influenced or persuaded; yielding. adjusting readily to change; adaptable.
- Nebulous
- hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused. cloudy or cloudlike. of or resembling a nebula
- Penitent
- feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing and disposed to atonement and amendment; repentant; contrite. a penitent person.
- Phlegmatic
- not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish. self-possessed, calm, or composed. of the nature of or abounding in the humor phlegm.
- Obligated
- to bind or oblige morally or legally.
- Roster
- a list of persons or groups, as of military personnel or units with their turns or periods of duty. any list, roll, or register.
- Prior
- preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous. preceding in importance or privilege.
- Weld
- to unite or fuse (as pieces of metal) by hammering, compressing, or the like, esp. after rendering soft or pasty by heat, and sometimes with the addition of fusible material like or unlike the pieces to be united. to bring into complete union, harmony, agreement, etc.
- Thwart
- to oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose. to frustrate or baffle (a plan, purpose, etc.). (noun) a seat across a boat, esp. one used by a rower. a transverse member spreading the gunwales of a canoe or the like. (adjective) perverse; obstinate.
- Prevaricate
- to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
- Spontaneous
- coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned. (of a person) given to acting upon sudden impulses. (of natural phenomena) arising from internal forces or causes; independent of external agencies; self-acting. growing naturally or without cultivation, as plants and fruits; indigenous. produced by natural process.
- Vogue
- something in fashion, as at a particular time. popular currency, acceptance, or favor; popularity.
- Virulent
- actively poisonous; intensely noxious. (Medicine/Medical). highly infective; malignant or deadly. violently or spitefully hostile. intensely bitter, spiteful, or malicious.
- Puny
- of less than normal size and strength; weak. unimportant; insignificant; petty or minor.
- Protract
- to draw out or lengthen, esp. in time; extend the duration of; prolong. Anatomy: to extend or protrude. (in surveying, mathematics, etc.) to plot and draw (lines) with a scale and a protractor.
- Overcast
- overspread or covered with clouds; cloudy
- Surreptitios
- obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine. acting in a stealthy way. obtained by subreption; subreptitious.
- Parity
- equality, as in amount, status, or character. equivalence; correspondence; similarity; analogy.
- Tractable
- easily managed or controlled; docile; yielding. easily worked, shaped, or otherwise handled; malleable.
- Synod
- an assembly of ecclesiastics or other church delegates, convoked pursuant to the law of the church, for the discussion and decision of ecclesiastical affairs; ecclesiastical council. any council.
- Valid
- sound; just; well-founded. producing the desired result; effective. having force, weight, or cogency; authoritative. legally sound, effective, or binding; having legal force. Logic. (of an argument) so constructed that if the premises are jointly asserted, the conclusion cannot be denied without contradiction.
- Taboo
- proscribed by society as improper or unacceptable. (among the Polynesians and other peoples of the South Pacific) separated or set apart as sacred; forbidden for general use; placed under a prohibition or ban. a prohibition or interdiction of anything; exclusion from use or practice. exclusion from social relations; ostracism. to put under a taboo; prohibit or forbid. to ostracize (a person, group, etc.).
- Swerve
- to turn aside abruptly in movement or direction; deviate suddenly from the straight or direct course. to cause to turn aside. an act of swerving; turning aside.
- Recalcitrant
- resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory. hard to deal with, manage, or operate. a recalcitrant person.
- Serene
- calm, peaceful, or tranquil; unruffled. clear; fair. (usually initial capital letter) most high or august (used as a royal epithet, usually prec. by his, your, etc.)
- Uncanny
- having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary. mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange.
- Recompense
- to repay; remunerate; reward, as for service, aid, etc. to pay or give compensation for; make restitution or requital for (damage, injury, or the like). to make compensation for something; repay someone. compensation, as for an injury, wrong, etc. a repayment or requital, as for favors, gifts, etc. a remuneration or reward, as for services, aid, or the like.
- Tamper
- to meddle, esp. for the purpose of altering, damaging, or misusing. o make changes in something, esp. in order to falsify (usually fol. by with). to engage secretly or improperly in something. to engage in underhand or corrupt dealings, esp. in order to influence improperly (usually fol. by with).
- Replenish
- to make full or complete again, as by supplying what is lacking, used up, etc. to supply (a fire, stove, etc.) with fresh fuel. to fill again or anew.
- Placard
- a paperboard sign or notice, as one posted in a public place or carried by a demonstrator or picketer. to display placards on or in.
- Requisite
- required or necessary for a particular purpose, position, etc.; indispensable. something requisite; a necessary quality, thing, etc.
- Peal
- a loud, prolonged ringing of bells. a set of bells tuned to one another. any loud, sustained sound or series of sounds, as of cannon, thunder, applause, or laughter.
- Sparse
- thinly scattered or distributed. not thick or dense; thin. scanty; meager.
- Ultimate
- last; furthest or farthest; ending a process or series. maximum; decisive; conclusive. highest; not subsidiary. basic; fundamental; representing a limit beyond which further progress, as in investigation or analysis, is impossible. final; total. not to be improved upon or surpassed; greatest; unsurpassed.
- Tenable
- capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute. capable of being occupied, possessed, held, or enjoyed, as under certain conditions.
- Ostensible
- outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended. apparent, evident, or conspicuous
- Vacuous
- without contents; empty. lacking in ideas or intelligence. expressing or characterized by a lack of ideas or intelligence; inane; stupid. purposeless; idle.
- Timidity
- lacking in self-assurance, courage, or bravery; easily alarmed; timorous; shy. characterized by or indicating fear.
- Nymph
- one of a numerous class of lesser deities of mythology, conceived of as beautiful maidens inhabiting the sea, rivers, woods etc. a beautiful or graceful young woman. the young of an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis.
- Nippy
- chilly or cold; sharp or biting; tangy
- Thong
- used to fasten or secure something. a strip of leather or hide used for whipping; whiplash. a shoe or slipper fastened to the foot chiefly by a strip of leather or other material passing between the first and second toes and often attaching to another strip of material, as a strap across the instep or around the ankle. a brief garment for the lower body that exposes the buttocks, consisting of a strip of fabric passing between the thighs and attached to a band around the waist. , leather strip that forms the flexible part of a whip
- Quaff
- to drink a beverage, esp. an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment.
- Padre
- father (used esp. in addressing or referring to a priest or member of the clergy).
- Pandemonium
- wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos. a place or scene of riotous uproar or utter chaos. the abode of all the demons.
- Paramount
- chief in importance or impact; supreme; preeminent. above others in rank or authority; superior in power or jurisdiction. a supreme ruler; overlord.
- Nihilism
- total rejection of established laws and institutions. anarchy, terrorism, or other revolutionary activity. total and absolute destructiveness, esp. toward the world at large and including oneself
- Ruse
- a trick, stratagem, or artifice.
- Perpetual
- continuing or enduring forever; everlasting. continuing or continued without intermission or interruption; ceaseless. blooming almost continuously throughout the season or the year.
- Reap
- to cut (wheat, rye, etc.) with a sickle or other implement or a machine, as in harvest. to gather or take (a crop, harvest, etc.). to get as a return, recompense, or result. to reap a crop, harvest, etc.
- Remunerate
- to pay, recompense, or reward for work, trouble, etc. to yield a recompense for (work, services, etc.).
- Pacific
- tending to make or preserve peace; conciliatory. not warlike; peaceable; mild. calm; tranquil
- Tension
- the act of stretching or straining. the state of being stretched or strained. mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement. a strained relationship between individuals, groups, nations, etc. the longitudinal deformation of an elastic body that results in its elongation. a device to hold the proper tension on the material being woven in a loom.
- Trivial
- of very little importance or value; insignificant. commonplace; ordinary. Biology. (of names of organisms) specific, as distinguished from generic. (Mathematics) noting a solution of an equation in which the value of every variable of the equation is equal to zero.
- Vagary
- an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance. a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action.
- Supplicate
- to pray humbly; make humble and earnest entreaty or petition. to pray humbly to; entreat or petition humbly. to seek or ask for by humble entreaty.
- Resolute
- firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion. characterized by firmness and determination, as the temper, spirit, actions, etc.
- Repose
- to pose again. peace; tranquillity; calm. dignified calmness, as of manner; composure. absence of movement, animation, etc. to lie or be at rest, as from work, activity, etc. to lie dead. to be peacefully calm and quiet.
- Sapient
- having or showing great wisdom or sound judgment.
- Zealot
- a person who shows zeal. an excessively zealous person; fanatic.
- Vindictive
- disposed or inclined to revenge; vengeful. proceeding from or showing a revengeful spirit.
- Preeminent
- eminent above or before others; superior; surpassing.
- Reclusive
- a person who lives in seclusion or apart from society, often for religious meditation. shut off or apart from the world; living in seclusion, often for religious reasons. characterized by seclusion; solitary.
- Zenith
- the point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer. a highest point or state; culmination.
- Novice
- a person who is new to the circumstances, work, etc., in which he or she is placed; beginner; tyro. a recent convert to Christianity.
- Portly
- rather heavy or fat; stout; corpulent. Archaic. stately, dignified, or imposing.
- Solvent
- able to pay all just debts. having the power of dissolving; causing solution. a substance that dissolves another to form a solution. something that solves or explains.
- Regressive
- regressing or tending to regress; retrogressive. Biology. of, pertaining to, or effecting regression. (of tax) decreasing proportionately with an increase in the tax base. Logic. obtained from or characterized by backward reasoning.
- Plausible
- having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable. well-spoken and apparently, but often deceptively, worthy of confidence or trust.
- Petty
- of little or no importance or consequence. of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor. having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc. mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things. showing or caused by meanness of spirit. of secondary rank, esp. in relation to others of the same class or kind.
- Vapid
- lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat. lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat.
- Surly
- churlishly rude or bad-tempered. unfriendly or hostile; menacingly irritable. dark or dismal; menacing; threatening.
- Parole
- the conditional release of a person from prison prior to the end of the maximum sentence imposed. an official document authorizing such a release. the promise, usually written, of a prisoner of war, that if released he or she either will return to custody at a specified time or will not again take up arms against his or her captors. to admit (an alien) into the U.S. under the parole provision.
- Unscrupulous
- not scrupulous; unrestrained by scruples; conscienceless; unprincipled.
- Snub
- to treat with disdain or contempt, esp. by ignoring. to check or reject with a sharp rebuke or remark. to check or stop suddenly (a rope or cable that is running out). to check (a boat, an unbroken horse, etc.) by means of a rope or line made fast to a fixed object. to pull up or stop abruptly in such a manner. an act or instance of snubbing. an affront, slight, or rebuff. a sudden check given to a rope or cable running out, a moving boat, or the like. (of the nose) short and turned up at the tip.
- Picayune
- of little value or account; small; trifling. petty, carping, or prejudiced. any small coin, as a five-cent piece. Informal. an insignificant person or thing.
- Precipitous
- of the nature of or characterized by precipices. extremely or impassably steep.
- Offhand
- cavalierly, curtly, or brusquely. without previous thought or preparation; extempore
- Prone
- having a natural inclination or tendency to something; disposed; liable. having the front or ventral part downward; lying face downward. lying flat; prostrate. having a downward direction or slope. having the palm downward, as the hand.
- Provocative
- tending or serving to provoke; inciting, stimulating, irritating, or vexing. (noun) something provocative.
- Sylvan
- of, pertaining to, or inhabiting the woods. consisting of or abounding in woods or trees; wooded; woody. made of trees, branches, boughs, etc. a person dwelling in a woodland region. a mythical deity or spirit of the woods.
- Refrain
- to abstain from an impulse to say or do something (often fol. by from).
- Queue
- a braid of hair worn hanging down behind. a file or line, esp. of people waiting their turn. a FIFO-organized sequence of items, as data, messages, jobs, or the like, waiting for action.
- Rebuff
- a blunt or abrupt rejection, as of a person making advances. a peremptory refusal of a request, offer, etc.; snub. a check to action or progress.
- Scruple
- a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force or inhibits certain actions. a very small portion or amount. a unit of weight equal to 20 grains (1.295 grams) or 1/3 of a dram, apothecaries' weight. an ancient Roman unit of weight equivalent to 1/24 of an ounce or 1/288 of an as or pound. Compare as2 (def. 2).
- Redolent
- having a pleasant odor; fragrant. odorous or smelling (usually fol. by of). suggestive; reminiscent (usually fol. by of).
- Pithy
- brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible. of, like, or abounding in pith.
- Scrutinize
- to examine in detail with careful or critical attention. to conduct a scrutiny.
- Thickset
- set thickly or in close arrangement; dense. studded, or furnished thickly; closely packed. heavily or solidly built; stocky.
- Phase
- any of the major appearances or aspects in which a thing of varying modes or conditions manifests itself to the eye or mind. a stage in a process of change or development. a side, aspect, or point of view. a state of synchronous operation. the particular appearance presented by the moon or a planet at a given time. a mechanically separate, homogeneous part of a heterogeneous system. a particular stage or point of advancement in a cycle; the fractional part of the period through which the time has advanced, measured from some arbitrary origin often expressed as an angle.
- Wince
- to draw back or tense the body, as from pain or from a blow; start; flinch.
- Tedium
- the quality or state of being wearisome; irksomeness; tediousness.
- Piety
- reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations: a prayer full of piety. the quality or state of being pious. dutiful respect or regard for parents, homeland, etc. a pious act, remark, belief, or the like.
- Peppery
- full of or tasting like pepper; hot; pungent. of, pertaining to, or resembling pepper. sharp or stinging. easily angered; bad-tempered; irritable; irascible
- Null
- without value, effect, consequence, or significance. of measure zero. to cancel
- Tableau
- a picture, as of a scene. a picturesque grouping of persons or objects; a striking scene. a representation of a picture, statue, scene, etc., by one or more persons suitably costumed and posed. Solitaire. the portion of a layout to which one may add cards according to suit or denomination.
- Revel
- to take great pleasure or delight (usually fol. by in). to make merry; indulge in boisterous festivities. boisterous merrymaking or festivity; revelry.
- Obscure
- not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain. of little or no prominence, note, fame, or distinction. lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky. not bright or lustrous; dull or darkish, as color or appearance
- Remonstrate
- to say or plead in protest, objection, or disapproval. to present reasons in complaint; plead in protest.
- Servitude
- slavery or bondage of any kind. compulsory service or labor as a punishment for criminals. Law. a right possessed by one person to use another's property.
- Taint
- a trace of something bad, offensive, or harmful. a trace of infection, contamination, or the like. a trace of dishonor or discredit.
- Prerogative
- an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank, office, or the like. a right, privilege, etc., limited to a specific person or to persons of a particular category. a power, immunity, or the like restricted to a sovereign government or its representative.
- Pudgy
- short and fat or thick.
- Oblivion
- the state of being completely forgotten or unknown. official disregard or overlooking of offenses; pardon; amnesty.
- Thresh
- to separate the grain or seeds from (a cereal plant or the like) by some mechanical means, as by beating with a flail or by the action of a threshing machine. to beat as if with a flail. to thresh wheat, grain, etc. to deliver blows as if with a flail. the act of threshing.
- Stringent
- rigorously binding or exacting; strict; severe. compelling, constraining, or urgent. convincing or forcible. (of the money market) characterized by a shortage in money for loan or investment purposes; tight.
- Qualm
- an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction. a sudden feeling of apprehensive uneasiness; misgiving. a sudden sensation or onset of faintness or illness, esp. of nausea.
- Trophy
- anything taken in war, hunting, competition, etc., esp. when preserved as a memento; spoil, prize, or award. anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, skill, etc. a carving, painting, or other representation of objects associated with or symbolic of victory or achievement. any memento or memorial. a memorial erected by certain ancient peoples, esp. the Greeks and Romans, in commemoration of a victory in war and consisting of arms or other spoils taken from the enemy and hung upon a tree, pillar, or the like.
- Ruddy
- of or having a fresh, healthy red color. red or reddish. (British Slang) damned: a ruddy fool.
- Vassal
- lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat. a person holding some similar relation to a superior; a subject, subordinate, follower, or retainer. a servant or slave.
- Verbose
- characterized by the use of many or too many words; wordy.
- Profess
- to lay claim to, often insincerely; pretend to. to declare openly; announce or affirm; avow or acknowledge. to affirm faith in or allegiance to. to declare oneself skilled or expert in; claim to have knowledge of; make (a thing) one's profession or business. to teach as a professor. to receive or admit into a religious order.
- Palatable
- acceptable or agreeable to the palate or taste; savory. acceptable or agreeable to the mind or feelings
- Rustic
- of, pertaining to, or living in the country, as distinguished from towns or cities; rural. simple, artless, or unsophisticated. uncouth, rude, or boorish. made of roughly dressed limbs or roots of trees, as garden seats. (of stonework) having the surfaces rough or irregular and the joints sunken or beveled. a country person. an unsophisticated country person.
- Truncate
- to shorten by cutting off a part; cut short. (Mathematics, Computers). to shorten (a number) by dropping a digit or digits.
- Pagan
- one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
- Ovate
- having a shape like the longitudinal section of an egg.
- Tally
- an account or reckoning; a record of debit and credit, of the score of a game, or the like. Also called tally stick. a stick of wood with notches cut to indicate the amount of a debt or payment, often split lengthwise across the notches, the debtor retaining one piece and the creditor the other. anything on which a score or account is kept. a notch or mark made on or in a tally. anything corresponding to another thing as a counterpart or duplicate.
- Oblique
- neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given line or surface; slanting; sloping. morally, ethically, or mentally wrong; underhand; perverse.
- Pallid
- pale; faint or deficient in color; wan. lacking in vitality or interest
- Waylay
- to intercept or attack from ambush, as in order to rob, seize, or slay. to await and accost unexpectedly.
- Wane
- to decrease in strength, intensity. to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc. to draw to a close; approach an end. (of the moon) to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon. a gradual decrease or decline in strength, intensity, power, etc.
- Paradigm
- a set of forms all of which contain a particular element, esp. the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme. an example serving as a model; pattern.
- Obstinate
- firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty.
- Ubiquitous
- existing or being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresent.
- Ramification
- the act or process of ramifying. a branch. a related or derived subject, problem, etc.; outgrowth; consequence; implication.
- Oust
- to expel or remove from a place or position occupied.
- Pell-mell
- in disorderly, headlong haste; in a recklessly hurried manner. n a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, manner, etc. indiscriminate; disorderly; confused. overhasty or precipitate; rash. a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, etc. disorderly, headlong haste.
- Passé
- no longer fashionable, in wide use, etc.; out-of-date; outmoded. past the prime of one's life.
- Spigot
- a small peg or plug for stopping the vent of a cask. a peg or plug for stopping the passage of liquid in a faucet or cock. a faucet or cock for controlling the flow of liquid from a pipe or the like. the end of a pipe that enters the enlarged end of another pipe to form a joint.
- Placid
- pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed.
- Rigorous
- characterized by rigor; rigidly severe or harsh, as people, rules, or discipline. severely exact or accurate; precise. (of weather or climate) uncomfortably severe or harsh; extremely inclement. logically valid.
- Upshot
- the final issue, the conclusion, or the result. the gist, as of an argument or thesis.
- Rack
- a framework of bars, wires, or pegs on which articles are arranged or deposited. a fixture containing several tiered shelves, often affixed to a wall. a spreading framework set on a wagon for carrying hay, straw, or the like, in large loads. a wooden frame of triangular shape within which the balls are arranged before play. a bar, with teeth on one of its sides, adapted to engage with the teeth of a pinion (rack and pinion) or the like, as for converting circular into rectilinear motion or vice versa. a former instrument of torture consisting of a framework on which a victim was tied, often spread-eagled, by the wrists and ankles, to be slowly stretched by spreading the parts of the framework. a cause or state of intense suffering of body or mind. torment; anguish. a pair of antlers.
- Resilient
- springing back; rebounding. returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched. recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.