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

B and C

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
n bludgeon
club; heavy-headed weapon; V.
collateral
security given for loan; ADJ: secondary; descended from the same person but through different sons or daughters
s constituency
voters represented by an elected official; district so represented; group of supporters (or constituents)
n cession
yielding to another; ceding
chameleon
lizard that changes color in different situations
s casual
happening by chance; irregular; occasional; informal; showing or feeling little interest; Ex. casual reader/labor/remark
carnivorous
meat-eating; N. carnivore; CF. herbivore
n brocade
rich, figured(patterned) fabric
n barefaced
shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie
concave
hollow; curved inwards; OP. convex
connoisseur
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc. (whose judgments are respected); a lover of an art
n boorish
rude; insensitive
s deserts
what someone deserves
clich\'e
phrase dulled in meaning by repetition; platitude; ADJ. clich\'ed
n countermand
cancel; revoke (an order)
calligraphy
beautiful writing; excellent penmanship
catastrophe
calamity ; disaster
n bombastic
pompous; using inflated language
n coy
shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; CF. job offer¸¦ ¹Þ¾ÒÀ» ¶§
n camaraderie
good-fellowship; CF. comrade
banal
hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality; clich\'ed
n courier
messenger
s contrive
invent or fabricate in a clever way (by improvisation); manage; Ex. contrive to attract his attention
n bait
harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger baiting; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals
n bullion
gold and silver in the form of bars
n comity
courtesy; civility; Ex. comity of nations
n benefit
advantage; anything that brings helpl, advantage, or profit; money provided by the government to the people; fund-raising public entertainment; Ex. unemployment benefit; V: receive benefits; be beneficial to; give benefits
s clasp
hold firmly within arms
cryptic
mysterious; hidden; secret
n contraband
illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods; ADJ.
conclusive
decisive; ending all debate
n chagrin
annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)
n covetous
avaricious; desirous of (someone else's possessions); V. covet: desire eagerly (someone else's possessions)
n braggadocio
boasting
s concordat
formal agreement
consort
associate with; keep company; N: husband or wife (or a ruler)
s qualify
reach a necessary standard; limit the meaning of something stated
n clime
climate
s bristle
short stiff hair; V: (hair or fur) stand up stiffly
n canny
shrewd in money matters; thrifty
connubial
pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state
concord
harmony; accord
n blithe(blithesome)
gay; joyous
censor
(in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.
n conifer
pine tree (usu. evergreen); cone-bearing tree; ADJ. coniferous; CF. deciduous; CF. evergreen
n chaffing
bantering; joking
baffle
frustrate; perplex
conjugal
pertaining to marriage
cipher
nonentity; worthless person or thing; zero; secret code; V.
s swell
long wave of water that moves continuously without breaking; V.
n carapace
shell covering the back (of a turtle, tortoise, crab, etc.)
s boor
rude, insensitive person
s hereafter
life after death
n belabor
harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically
centigrade
denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius)
n catcall
shout of disapproval or displeasure (made at the theater or a sports match); boo; V.
bestow
confer
n caste
one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society; social stratification; prestige
n canine
related to dogs; doglike
n cataclysm
deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change
n bolt
door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down
s graze
(of an animal) feed on growing grass; cause (an animal) to feed on grass; scrape (esp. the skin) or touch lightly in passing; brush; Ex. We can't graze the cattle till summer; N: surface wound
n chortle
chuckle with delight; N.
conscript
draftee; person forced into military service; V.
n clique
small exclusive group of people
n coterie
group that meets socially; select circle; close group of people with shared interests
circumvent
outwit; defeat by behaving more cleverly; outsmart; baffle; avoid; get around
beneficiary
person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will
n bigotry
stubborn intolerance
n coquette
flirt; flirtatious woman; woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without sincere feelings; V.
n beguile
deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile
n cleft
N: split
cathartic
purgative; medicine that causes the bowels to empty; ADJ.
s ulcer
sore place appearing on the skin inside or outside the body; Ex. stomach ulcer; ADJ. ulcerous; V. ulcerate
charisma
divine gift; great popular charm or appeal; magnetism
n cherubic
angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; CF. seraph: winged angel of the highest order
n cower
shrink quivering as from fear; cringe
s vain
full of self-admiration; conceited; without result; unsuccessful; N. vanity
contaminate
pollute
composure
mental calmness
n cynosure
object of general attention; person or thing that is a center of attention; CF. Ursa Minor
n catholic
(of likings and interests) universal; general; broad; including many different parts; wide-ranging liberal; Ex. catholic opinions/tastes
n browse
graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually
n bard
poet
n crass
very unrefined; grossly insensible; crude and undiscriminating; Ex. crass behavior
n continence
self-restraint; sexual chastity; sexual abstinence; voluntary control over bladder and bowel functions; ADJ. continent
centrifugal
radiating; departing from the center
collate
examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order (the sheets of a book before they are bound)
s crest
top (as of a hill or wave); showy feathers on the head of a bird
complaisant
trying to please; obliging; willing to please others
bicker
quarrel
cacophonous
discordant; inharmonious; N. cacophony: unpleasant mixture of loud sounds
n certitude
certainty
n crotchety
(of someone old) eccentric; odd; whimsical; bad-tempered; N. crotchet: odd or whimsical notion
n cantata
story set to music to be sung by a chorus (shorter than an oratorio)
s callus
area of thick hard skin
curtail
shorten; reduce
chaste
morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere
credence
belief
n bawdy
indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; CF. bawd
concur
agree; coincide; happen at the same time
convivial
pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial
n comeuppance
deserts; well-deserved punishment or misfortune; rebuke
n baroque
highly ornate
covert
secret; hidden; implied; OP. overt
conventional
ordinary; typical; not nuclear; Ex. conventional weapons
n brook
tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream
cite
quote; commend; Ex. cited for bravery in an official record
cache
hiding place; V.
n bucolic
rustic; pastoral
convex
curving outward
s bigot
one who is intolerant (in matters of religion or politics)
conformity
harmony; agreement with established rules or customs; similarity; Ex. behave in conformity with; V. conform: be similar; act in agreement; comply; Ex. conform to the rule; CF. conformance
s finery
beautiful clothes for a special occasion
n bemused
confused; lost in thought; preoccupied
compendium
brief, comprehensive summary; ADJ. compendious
s consonant
harmonious; in agreement; N.
consistency
absence of contradictions; uniformity; degree of thickness or firmness; Ex. consistency of thick cream; CF. viscous
n celibate
abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy
n bohemian
unconventional (in an artistic way)
s contrivance
something contrived; machine or apparatus; clever deceitful plan; scheme
n cistern
reservoir or water tank
n blurt
utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement
belittle
disparage; depreciate
convention
social or moral custom; established practice; formal meeting; international agreement
s gobble
eat very quickly
beseech
beg; plead with
contrite
penitent; repentant; N. contrition
crescendo
increase in the volume or intensity as in a musical passage; climax; CF. crescent
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
crypt
secret recess or vault usually used for burial; underground room (under a church)
s afterlife
life after death; later part of one's life
n betroth
become engaged to marry
n colander
utensil with perforated bottom used for straining
condign
adequate; (of punishment) severe and well deserved
n callow
youthful; immature; inexperienced
s peevish
bad-tempered; irritable; V. peeve: make angry
s prop
support placed under or against something; V.
clamor
loud continous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; V: make a clamor; express (a demand) continually and loudly; ADJ. clamorous
n clout
great influence (especially political or social); hard blow with fist
caricature
distortion; burlesque
condiments
seasonings; spices
n comport
bear one's self; behave; Ex. comport oneself; N. comportment
complementary
serving to complete something
champion
support militantly; fight for; N: person who fights for or supports strongly (a principle, movement, person, etc.)
cringe
shrink back as if in fear; cower
buoyant
able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market
n clientele
body of customers
n bereft
deprived of (something valuable); lacking
n chastise
punish as by beating; criticize severely
n carcinogenic
causing cancer; N. carcinogen
construe
explain; interpret; Ex. construe her silence as meaning that she agreed; CF. misconstrue
n chase
ornament a metal surface by indenting; follow rapidly to catch
connivance
pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend; V. connive: feign ignorance (of a wrong); cooperate secretly in an illegal action; conspire
n cardinal
chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather thatn order
n carafe
glass water bottle; decanter
consanguinity
kinship; relationship by birth
s botch
mismanage; blow
n bilk
swindle; cheat
n browbeat
bully; intimidate
n chassis
framework and working parts of an automobile; framework to which components are attached
s circuit
closed circular line around an area; circumference; regularly repeated journey from place to place
bourgeois
middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions
n behemoth
huge creature; something of monstrous size or power
n blowhard
talkative boaster; braggart
n buffoonery
clowning
s bargain
agreement between two groups or people; something for sale at a price advantageous to the buyer; V: negotiate; trade; Ex. bargaining power
n bilious
suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated
n cajole
persuade by praise or false promise; coax; wheedle
cascade
small waterfall
n culinary
relating to cooking or kitchen
n carrion
rotting flesh of a dead body; CF. vulture
bellicose
warlike
corollary
natural consequence (which naturally follows from something else)
coercion
use of force to get someone to object; compelling; V. coerce
s constitution
constituting; system of laws; composition of something; physical makeup or structure of a person; Ex. men with strong constitutions
n cog
tooth projecting from a wheel
n cuisine
style of cooking; Ex. French cuisine
n caulk(calk)
make watertight (by blocking up cracks as in a ship)
n bouillon
clear beef (or meat) soup
n coiffure
hairstyle
n caucus
private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; CF. the Caucus club of Boston
s conspire
take part in a conspiracy; (of events) work together; combine; Ex. Events conspired to produce great difficulties.
citadel
fortress
n baleful
evil; malignant in intent or effect; deadly; having a malign influence; portending evil; ominous; threatening; Ex. baleful look
n berserk
mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited
cleave
split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to; N. cleavage; ADJ. cloven
condone
overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
n babble
chatter idly or foolishly; make continuous sounds like water running gently over rounded stone; N.
chivalrous
courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry
corpulent
very fat; N. corpulence
n bleak
cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing
n copious
plentiful
n candor
frankness; open honesty; ADJ. candid
n brunt
main impact or shock (of an attack or blow); Ex. brunt of the argument
s correlate
either of the correlated things; V.
castigation
punishment; severe criticism or disapproval
contumacious
stubborn and disobedient; resisting authority (esp. disobedient to an order made by a court)
countenance
approve; support; tolerate; Ex. countenance his rude behavior; N: face; appearance
compatible
harmonious; in harmony with; able to exist together
cosmic
pertaining to the universe; vast
controvert
oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; ADJ. controversial; N. controversy
civil
having to do with citizens; not military or religious; courteous and polite; Ex. married in a civil ceremony; Ex. civil strife/disorder/law; N. civility; CF. civic
compile
assemble; gather; accumulate; make (a report or a book) from facts and information found in various places; Ex. compile a dictionary
craven
cowardly
n contravene
contradict; oppose; violate (a rule, law, or custom); N. contravention
benison
blessing
s surge
powerful movement of or like a wave; V.
contest
dispute; argue about the rightness of; compete for; try to win; Ex. contest the election results; Ex. contest a seat in Parliament; N.
n cornucopia
horn (or horn-shaped container) overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance; horn of plenty
calculated
deliberately planned; likely
contend
struggle; compete; assert earnestly; state strongly
n chimerical
fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; N. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature
n cubicle
small chamber used for sleeping or work
n bereavement
state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft
s plump
pleasantly fat; nicely rounded
s corpus
collection (of writings or information); Ex. the corpus of Shakespear's works; Cf. corpse
n bugaboo
bugbear; object of baseless terror
celerity
speed; rapidity
calumny
malicious misrepresentation; slander
n beatitude
blessedness; state of great happiness
s unregenerate
making no attempt to change one's bad practices
s draft
first rough form; conscription; draught; V: make a draft of; conscript
codify
arrange (laws or rules) as a code; classify; N. code: system of words used instead of ordinary writing; collection of laws, rules, established social customs
conceit
vanity or self-love; too high opinion of one's own value; extravagant metaphor (in poetry)
comely
attractive; agreeable; having a pleasing appearance
centurion
Roman army officer (commanding a company of about 100 soldiers)
barrage
barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism
s scrap
small bit or fragment; discarded waste material; fight; Ex. a scrap of paper/cloth; V: break into parts for disposal; discard as worthless; fight; quarrel
corrode
destroy or wear away gradually by chemical action (over a long period)
s pang
sudden sharp feeling of pain
s compulsive
resulting from compulsion
bovine
cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm
n blandishment
flattery
s commemorate
honor the memory of; serve as a memorial to; Ex. commemorate the 100th anniversary/those who died in the war
coalesce
combine; fuse; N. coalescence
conjure
cause to appear by magic; summon (a devil or a spirit) by magical power; practice magic (esp. by very quick movement of the hands); evoke; conjure up: bring into the mind; Ex. The magician conjured a rabbit out of his hat.
concomitant
that which accompanies; Ex. Deafnes is a frequent concommitant of old age; ADJ: existing or happening together with something else
n befuddle
confuse thoroughly
capricious
unpredictable; fickle
cumulative
growing by addition; accumulative
n bask
luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth
n chide
scold; rebuke (someone who has done wrong)
calamity
disaster; misery
s scrappy
quarrelsome
compelling
overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one's attention; that compels one to do something; Ex. a compelling adventure story; V. compel
n capillary
having a very fine bore; resembling a hair; fine and slender; Ex. capillary attraction; N: very fine hairlike tube; CF. capillarity
n cohabit
live together
n beset
harass or trouble from all directions; hem in
constraint
restraint; compulsion; repression of feelings; reticence; V. constrain: hold back; restrain; compel; oblige; confine forcibly; imprison
bogus
counterfeit; not authentic; intentionally false; Ex. bogus interview
contempt
scorn; disdain; ADJ. contemptuous; CF. contemptible
n coagulate
congeal; thicken; clot; N. coagulant
n capacity
mental or physical ability; role; position or duty; ability to accommodate; Ex. in my capacity as president
censure
blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval
n cordon
extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress; (¾î±ú¿¡¼ °Üµå¶û ¹ØÀ¸·Î °ÉÄ¡´Â) Àå½Ä ¸®º»; V.
compound
combine; produce by combining; increase; make worse by adding to or increasing; exacerbate; Ex. compound an error; ADJ: consisting of two or more parts; N: combination of two or more parts; area enclosed by a wall containing a group of buildings; Ex. factory compound; CF. complex
conflagration
great fire
n behoove(behove)
be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do.
biennial
every two years
n bolster
support; reinforce
compact
agreement; contract; ADJ: tightly packed; firm; brief; concise; Ex. compact statement
cerebral
pertaining to the brain or intellect; intellectual rather than emotional; CF. cerebrum
collaborate
work together; cooperate treasonably with the enemy
capacious
spacious
cessation
stoppage
concentric
having a common center
n besmirch
soil; defile; make dirty
commandeer
take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes
n corporeal
bodily (rather than spiritual); of a bodily form; material; tangible
n compromise
adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of; put into danger, disrepute, or a dishonorable position; Ex. compromise one's principle; N.
s scrimmage
disorderly fight between two or more people
n canard
unfounded false rumor; exaggerated false report
n bountiful
generous; graciously generous; showing bounty
n betoken
signify; indicate; be a sign of
comprise
include; consist of
circumlocution
indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
n collation
a light meal; collating
cantankerous
ill-humored; irritable
n contrived
unnatural and forced; artificial; not spontaneous; Ex. The ending was rather contrived.
congeal
freeze; coagulate
n confidant(confidante)
trusted friend (to whom one tells one's secret)
n bland
soothing or mild (food); agreeable; causing no trouble or offence
s overture
musical introduction to a long musical piece; first offer or proposal (to begin talks in the hope of reaching an agreement); Ex. overtures for peace
s compartment
one of the parts into which an enclosed space is divided
s luxuriate
take pleasure in great comfort
consonance
harmony; agreement
s brawny
muscular; having well-developed muscles
s intolerant
not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one's own; CF. tolerant; CF. tolerate
compress
force into less space; squeeze; contract; put into fewer words; N: thick mass of cloth pressed to part of the body to stop bleeding or swelling, reduce fever, etc.
n chicanery
trickery; deception
cadaver
corpse; dead human body
cloister
monastery or convent
n bravado
swagger; assumed air of defiance; false show of bravery
n communal
held in common; public; of a group of people; of a commune
n blighted
suffering from a disease; destroyed
s hindsight
understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened
cardiologist
doctor specializing in ailments of the heart
n bereaved
deprived of (someone beloved through death)
s solicitor
lawyer in the lower court of law
s unceremonious
not done politely without due formalities
n chasten
discipline; punish in order to correct; CF. castigate
converse
opposite; ADJ.
climactic
relating to the highest point; N. climax; CF. climatic
n cull
pick out from others (to kill the weakest members); reject; select; collect (information); N.
s flirt
behave in a way that attracts (sexual) attention; deal triflingly with; N: one (or woman) given to flirting; ADJ. flirtatious
n choreography
art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances
chronic
long established as a disease
s confidence
self-assurance; calm unworried feeling based on a strong belief in one's abilities; strong belief in the ability of a person or plan; trust or faith in a person or thing; something confided; secret; Ex. confidence in your ability; Ex. I'm telling you this in confidence; Ex. exchange confidences about their boyfriends; ADJ. confident
benediction
blessing
beneficial
helpful; useful; advantageous
n contingent
dependent on something uncertain or in the future; conditional; happening by chance; accidental; N: a group of soldiers, ships to a larger force; CF. contingency: future event that may or may not occur; possibility; Ex. prepare for every contingency
n carping
petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
s gracious
kind in a generous way (to someone less important)
colloquial
pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal; N. colloquialism: colloquial expression
n bombardment
attack (as with missiles or bombs); V. bombard
n cozen
cheat; hoodwink; swindle
n crevice
crack; fissure
n bowdlerize
expurgate; CF. Thomas Bowdler
bantering
joking talk; good-naturedly ridiculing; N.V. banter
s mystic
of hidden meaning and spiritual power; Ex. mystic ceremonies; N. CF. mysticism
contagion
infection (by contact); ADJ. contagious; CF. infectious: that can be passed by infection in the air
clairvoyant
having foresight; fortuneteller; N. clairvoyance
cognate
having a common origin; related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature; Ex. cognate languages; N.
cognitive
having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes; N. cognition: the mental process of knowing
n bestial
beastlike; brutal; inhuman; very cruel
n beholden
obligated; indebted; owing thanks; obliged or indebted from gratitude
s reckon
count; calculate; regard as; think; suppose
counterpart
thing that completes another; things very much alike; thing that has the same purpose in a different system
creed
system of religious or ethical belief
s bombast
grandiloquent, pompous speech
n brackish
somewhat saline
blunder
error; stupid mistake
n cow
terrorize; intimidate
n chary
cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; OP. bold
n cauterize
burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
s bruise
injure without breaking the skin; N.
compliant
readily acting in accordance with a rule, order, or the wishes or others; yielding; comforming to requirements
n commemorative
remembering; honoring the memory of; Ex. commemorative stamp
s fuddle
make stupid or confused as with alcholic drink; N. in a fuddle: confused
n crestfallen
dejected; dispirited
confine
shut in an enclosed space; restrict; keep within limits; N. confinement
n blas\'e
bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored
n cornice
projecting molding on building (usually above columns or pillars); ó¸¶ Àå½Ä
n buxom
full-bosomed; plump; jolly
s corpuscle
red or white cell in the blood
n blare
loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
constituent
supporter; voter; member of a constituency; component
n caliber
ability; quality; diameter of the inside of a round cylinder; Ex. work of very high caliber
contusion
bruise
concurrent
happening at the same time; in agreement
convoke
call together; Ex. convoke Parliament; N. convocation
n badger
pester; annoy continually with demands; persuade by asking again and again; Ex. The children badgered me into taking them into the cinema; N: a kind of mountain animal
s clown
act stupidly; play the fool; N.
n boon
blessing; benefit; something very helpful
n collage
work of art put together from fragments
n brindled
tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (of animals)
culpable
deserving blame; blameworthy
consign
send to a person or place for sale; deliver officially; entrust; put into the care of another; set apart (for a special purpose); N. consignment; CF. consignor, consignee
cogitate
think over; ponder
n bemoan
lament; moan for; express sorrow or disapproval of
s deport
send out of the country; behave; N. deportation, deportment
s brawl
noisy quarrel
n curmudgeon
churlish, miserly individual; bad-tempered old person
carnage
destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals
n burgeon
grow rapidly; grow forth; send out buds; Ex. burgeoning computer industry; CF. bludgeon
n bristling
rising like bristles; showing irritation
s confidential
spoken or written in secret; trusted with private matters; Ex. confidential secretary
colloquy
informal discussion; conversation
n cohorts
group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander (in the ancient Rome)
n bandy
discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange (words) heatedly; quarrel; Ex. bandy words with
contortions
twistings; distortions; V. contort: twist violently out of shape; CF. contortionist
circuitous
roundabout
n clapper
striker (tongue) of a bell
barrister
counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law; CF. bar
n comatose
in a coma; extremely sleepy
s thesis
opinion put forward and supported by reasoned arguments
commensurate
equal in extent; of the same size
couple
join; unite; OP. uncouple
n cavil
quibble; make frivolous objections; find fault unnecessarily
n careen
lurch; sway from side to side; move with irregular swinging movement; stagger
console
lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort; allay the sorrow of; N. consolation
n burnish
make shiny by rubbing; polish
n bloated
(unpleasantly) swollen or puffed as with water or air
conducive
helpful; contributive; V. conduce; Ex. conduce to/towards
converge
approach; tend to meet; come together
n bastion
stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism
s token
outward sign; Ex. a token of our gratitude
caprice
whim; sudden change of mind without any real cause
conscientious
scrupulous; through and careful; Ex. conscientious worker
check
stop motion; curb or restrain
s coax
persuade by flattery
n clavicle
collarbone
n cartographer
map-maker
n cadence
rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat; regular beat of sound; rhythm
s scraps
leftover food
compute
reckon; calculate
s tawny
brownish yellow
beneficent
kindly; doing good
n bluff
pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff; ADJ: rough but good-natured
colossal
huge
confluence
flowing together; the place where two rivers flow together; crowd; gathering together
n chisel
swindle or cheat; N: wedgelike tool for cutting
centripetal
tending toward the center
curator
superintendent; manager (in charge of a museum or a library)
n bedraggle
wet thoroughly; ADJ. bedraggled: draggled
corrosive
eating away by chemicals or disease; (of language) fierce
congenial
pleasant; friendly; in agreement with one's tastes and nature; Ex. congenial weather
n canker
any ulcerous sore; ulcer; any evil; CF. cancer
breadth
width; extent
s homely
not good-looking; unattractive
n catechism
book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize
s chaperon
older person who accompanies and supervises a young unmarried woman
cordial
warmly friendly; gracious; heartfelt; Ex. cordial welcome
chauvinist
blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group, cause, or sex; ADJ. chauvinistic; CF. chauvinism; Nicolas Chauvin
s compulsory
obligatory; that must be done
besiege
surround with armed forces; harass (with requests); annoy continually
n cant
insincere speech or expression of piety; jargon of thieves; special words used by a particular group of people
n carat(karat)
unit of weight for precious stones; measure of the purity of gold
s skim
read or glance through quickly; touch lightly in passing; brush; remove from the surface of a liquid
bicameral
two-chambered as a legislative body
s smug
self-satisfied; complacent
convene
come together; assemble; call to meet; Ex. convene the council
n blatant
extremely (offensively) obvious; loudly offensive; Ex. blatant lie; N. blatancy
s dazzle
make blind with a sudden intense light; amaze; fill with wonder
centrifuge
machine that separates substances by whirling them
n codicil
supplement to the body of a will; later addition to a will
n circumspect
prudent; cautious; acting after careful thought
n credo
creed
s crinkle
wrinkle
n bedizen
dress with vulgar finery
convert
one who has adopted a different religion or opinion; V: change into another form; (persuade to) adopt a particular religion or belief
n censorious
severely critical
conservatory(conservatoire)
school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; CF. conservancy
concoct
prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise (something false) so as to deceive; Ex. concoct an elaborate excuse for being late; N. concoction
commiserate
feel or express pity or sympathy for
s patrimony
property inherited from a father
s consternation
great shock; dismay
congruence
correspondence of parts; harmonious relationship; CF. congruity
cursory
casual; hastily done with little attention to detail
benefactor
gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose
n 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
s billow
large wave of water; a great swell or surge (of smoke); V: surge, swell, roll in billows
s chip
lose a small piece from the surface or edge; N: small piece broken off something; CF. French fry; Potato chip/crisp
n clangor
loud resounding noise; sound of repeated clanging
context
writings preceding and following the passage quoted; circumstance in which an event occurs
n ceremonious
marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; CF. ceremony: conventional social courtesy
bizarre
fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional
s swagger
walk or behave with an over-confident manner
n balmy
soft and mild (of air); fragrant
coin
make coins; invent or fabricate (a word or phrase); N. coinage: word or phrase recently invented
n canto
division of a long poem
n crone
hag; ugly old woman
comprehensive
broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive
n confound
confuse; puzzle
complicity
participation; involvement (in a questionable act or a crime)
n cameo
shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minor role in a film
s confide
tell in confidence (to a person one trusts); be confident about
n churlish
boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo
correlation
mutual relationship
n billowing
swelling out in waves; surging
celestial
heavenly
conveyance
vehicle; transfer; act of conveying; Ex. public conveyance
n covenant
binding agreement between two groups or people; compact; V: enter into a covenant; promise
s championship
position of champion; defense or support; competition held to determine a champion
congenital
existing at birth
n conundrum
riddle; difficult problem
criteria
standards used in judging; CF. criterion
n chalice
goblet; consecrated cup
cognizance
knowledge; ADJ. cognizant; having knowledge; aware
coincidence
the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events; V. coincide: happen at the same time; be in agreement; CF. coincident; CF. coincidental
coalition
partnership; league; union of separate political parties
n crabbed
sour; bad-tempered; peevish; difficult to read as handwriting
n catalyst
agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged; CF. catalysis
n coda
concluding section of a musical or literary composition
n belated
delayed
colossus
gigantic statue; person or thing of great size or importance
n caldron(cauldron)
large kettle
s clap
strike the palms of the hands together with a sudden explosive sound; come together suddenly with a sharp sound; put or send promptly; Ex. clap the thief in jail; N: clapping; loud or explosive sound; CF. applause
n berate
scold strongly
caustic
burning; corrosive; able to burn by chemical action; sarcastically biting; (of remarks) intended to hurt; bitter; harmful; OP. harmless
s sturdy
strong and firm (in the body)
s hem
surround tightly so that movement is impossible; Ex. hem in; N.
concatenate
link as in a chain
bane
posion; cause of ruin; ADJ. baneful: harmful; poisonous
causal
implying a cause-and-effect relationship; N. causality
chasm
abyss; very deep crack
s bully
one who is habitually cruel to weaker people; V.
s grudge
deep feeling of dislike; Ex. grudge fight; V.
n bungle
mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior
s dart
move or throw suddenly and quickly
n cabal
small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
cupidity
greed (for wealth); CF. cupid; CF. Cupid
beget
father; become the father of; produce; give rise to
consolidation
unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger; V. consolidate: merge; strengthen
n ciliated
having minute hairs; CF. cilium; CF. cilia: eyelash
n checkered(chequered)
marked by great changes in fortune; with many changes of fortuene; CF. checked: having a pattern of squares
n betray
be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety.
brevity
conciseness; shortness of duration
conspiracy
treacherous plot; secret plan against the law (by two or more people)
s compulsion
compelling; strong desire that is difficult to control; irresistible impulse
s drastic
strong; violent and severe; Ex. drastic changes/measures
n bevy
large group; Ex. a bevy of starlets
n cursive
(of writing) flowing; running; having the successive letters joined
s pudding
hot sweet dish
n bivouac
temporary encampment; camp without tents; V.
n culvert
artificial channel for water; drain crossing under a road
conglomeration
mass of material sticking together
carnal
fleshly; sensual; concerning the desires of the body
credulity
belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivet\'e; ADJ. credulous
conversant
familiar with; having knowledge of
cerebration
thought; working of the brain
consummate
complete; V.
n cede
yield (title or territory) to (esp. after losing a war); surrender formally; N. cession
conjecture
surmise; guess; V.
n burlesque
give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly
n breach
breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap; opening; V.
circlet
small ring; band of gold, silver, jewel, etc. (worn on the head, arms, or neck as decoration)
n bluster
blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze, gust, gale
s bromide
platitude; chemical compound used to calm excitement
s buffoon
stupid person; clown
n badinage
teasing conversation; banter; joking talk
n bulwark
strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
n coddle
treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs
s screech
unpleasant high sharp sound; shriek; V.
commodious
spacious and comfortable
n chaff
worthless products of an endeavor; husk(outer seed cover) separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff
barb
sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark
cadaverous
like a corpse; pale
barterer
trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money
concession
an act of yielding; conceding; something conceded; point, right, etc. given unwillingly; privilege of maintaining a business in a certain place; Ex. oil concessions in the North sea; CF. concessionaire
n brazen
insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence
convoluted
coiled around; twisted; involved; complicated; intricate; complex; N. convolution: twist; one of the convex folds of the surface of the brain
conception
beginning; forming of an idea; fertilization; V. conceive: form an idea in the mind; devise; become pregnant; CF. inception
bent
determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination
carillon
a set of bells (often in a tower) capable of being played
s convulsion
violent uncontrollable shaking movement (caused by illness); V. convulse; ADJ. convulsive
condole
express condolences; N. condolence: sympathy for someone who has experienced great sorrow
conciliatory
reconciling; soothing; V. conciliate: reconcile; soothe; win the friendly feelings (by removing anger)
concede
admit; acknowledge as being true (often reluctantly); yield; grant; Ex. concede a goal
s coma
deep prolonged unconsciousness caused by disease, poison, or a severe blow
consensus
general agreement; opinion reached by a group
n cataract
great waterfall; eye abnormality (causing a gradual loss of eyesight)
component
element; ingredient
conviction
judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief
consecrate
dedicate; sanctify; declare as sacred; Ex. consecrate one's life to helping the poor
consequential
self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; Ex. consequential air; CF. subsequent
catapult
slingshot; hurling machine; V: fire from catapult
s slap
hit quickly with the flat part of the hand; N. CF. smack
boisterous
violent; rough; noisy
concise
brief and compact
n brawn
human muscle; muscular strength; sturdiness
n captious
faultfinding; too critical
n beatific
giving or showing bliss; blissful
s bacchanal
noisy party with a lot of drinking
cloying
distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess
s conglomerate
corporation made up of several different companies in diversified fields; mass of various material gathered together; rock consisting of small stones held together by clay; V.
belligerent
quarrelsome
bureaucracy
overregulated administrative system marked by red tape; ADJ. bureaucratic
confiscate
seize; take possession of (private property) by official order (usu. as a punishment); commandeer
n clamber
climb by crawling with difficulties; scramble
combustible
easily burned; N. CF. combustion
n begrudge
envy; give or allow unwillingly; grudge; Ex. We shouldn't begrudge him his success.
s wrinkle
small ridge on a smooth surface (face or cloth); V.
clandestine
secret
n beeline
direct quick route
s clot
half-solid lump formed from a liquid (or blood); V.
n clarion
shrill, trumpetlike sound; kind of trumpet used in former times
n calorific
heat-producing; N. calorie
compensatory
making up for; repaying
collusion
conspiring in a fraudulent scheme to cheat or deceive others; V. collude
n belie
contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure.
centaur
mythical figure, half man and half horse
brochure
pamphlet
cohesion
tendency to keep together
contention
assertion; claim; thesis; struggling; competition
compliance
conformity in fulfilling requirements; readiness to yield; disposition to yield to others; V. comply
caption
title; chapter heading; text under illustration
n brooch
ornamental clasp; pin
n bauble
trinket; cheap jewel; trifle
n corrugated
wrinkled; ridged
s commune
small (often rural) community whose members share work and income; V: exchange thoughts or feelings; Ex. commune with nature
n clemency
disposition to be lenient in deciding punishments; mildness as of the weather; ADJ. clement
n bate
let down; lessen the force of; moderate; restrain; Ex. with bated breath; CF. abate
n cavalcade
procession of riders or horse-drawn carriages; parade; CF. cavalry
n ballast
heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast
s blight
plant disease; V: infect with blight; ruin; destroy
n balk
stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate
n buttress
support; prop up; N. stationary structure to support wall; Ex. flying buttress
s draught
current of air (through a room or to a fire); act of pulling roads; act of swallowing liquid or amount of liquid swallowed at a time
benign
kindly; favorable; not malignant (disease); Ex. benign tumor
n charlatan
quack; pretender to knowledge (esp. in medicine)
n canter
slow gallop; V. CF. trot
complacency
self-satisfaction; smugness; ADJ. complacent
n bacchanalian
drunken
n capitulate
surrender; give up all resistance
casualty
serious or fatal accident; person killed or wounded in an accident or battle
corroborate
confirm; support; strengthen
n coup
highly successful action or sudden attack; coup(s) d'\'etat; CF. coup de gr\^ace: deathblow or shot which kills
chronicle
report; record (in chronological order)
n blanch
bleach; whiten; make white or pale
n brittle
hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. brittle situation
s culprit
one guilty of a crime
benevolent
generous; charitable; having a wish to do good
contentious
quarrelsome; controversial; likely to cause arguments
chaotic
in utter disorder
n bifurcated
divided into two branches; forked
n carousal
drunken revel; V. carouse
cumbersome
heavy and awkward to carry or wear; burdensome; Ex. cumbersome parcel/uniform
s hurl
throw forcefully; shout out violently
s matrimony
state of being married
condescend
(derog.) bestow courtesies with a superior air; descend to the level of one considered inferior
comestible
something fit to be eaten
s bearing
deportment; connection
cogent
convincing
contiguous
adjacent to; touching upon
s chore
daily domestic task (such as cleaning, cooking, and shopping); unpleasant task
s career
rush wildly; go at full speed
circumscribe
limit; confine; draw a line around
cohere
stick together
s boost
lift by pushing up from below; increase; raise; N: push upward; increase
n choleric
hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; CF. cholera
bequeath
leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; N. bequest
s consanguineous(consanguine)
having a common ancestor
n blasphemy
irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blasphem; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege
congruent
in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; CF. congruous
n brusque
blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice
conduit
aqueduct; passageway for fluids
n canvass
determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.; go through (a region) to solicit votes or orders; conduct a survey; N.
connotation
suggested or implied meaning of an expression; V. connote
s Bacchanalia
the ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus
n crux
essential or main point; Ex. the crux of the problem; ADJ. crucial: of deciding importance
s sway
swing from side to side; influence (someone) to change one's opinion; N.
claustrophobia
fear of being locked in
culmination
highest point; climax; V. culminate in: reach the highest point in; end in; Ex. a series of minor clashes culminating in war
categorical
without exceptions; made without any doubt in mind; unqualified; absolute
n buccaneer
pirate
n chafe
warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing; N.
s brag
boast
n balm
something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees
s chuckle
laugh quietly
bode
foreshadow; portend
compilation
listing of information in tabular or book form; compiling
s bliss
complete happiness; ADJ. blissful
n cavalier
casual and offhand; arrogant; N: knight
n callous
hardened; unfeeling; without sympathy for the sufferings of others; unkind
n coeval
living at the same time as; existing during the same period of time; contemporary; of the same age
n conclave
private secret meeting
n concerted
mutually agreed on; done together by agreement; Ex. concerted effort; CF. in concert: working together
n broach
introduce as a subject; moot; open up
compunction
remorse; strong uneasiness caused by guilt
cynical
skeptical or distrustful of human motives; N. cynicism; CF. cynic: person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness
s far-fetched
too improbable to be believed; implausible; Ex. far-fetched story
complement
complete; consummate; make perfect; N.
n brandish
wave around (a weapon); flourish
n beleaguer
besiege or attack (with an army); harass; beset
n braggart
boaster; bragger

Deck Info

657

permalink