English Vocab IV

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cock-a-hoop: adj.
1. Being in a state of boastful elation or exultation.
After their superbowl victory, the cock-a-hoop players declared themselves the best football team of all time.

2. Being askew (twisted to one side; awry).
erstwhile: adv. In the past; at a former time; formerly
fait accompli: n. An accomplished, presumably irreversible deed or fact.
embattled: adj.
1. Prepared or fortified for battle or engaged in battle:
embattled troops;
an embattled city.

2. Beset with attackers, criticism, or controversy:
an embattled legislative minority.
esoteric: adj.
1. Intended for or understood by only a small/particular group: an esoteric cult; esoteric interests.

2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential.
amble: v.
1. To walk slowly or leisurely; stroll

2. Of a horse: to move along at an easy gait by using both legs on one side alternately with both on the other.
prim: adj.
1. Precise or proper to the point of affectation; excessively decorous; strait-laced; stiffly neat; prudish()

2. Neat and trim: a prim hedgerow.
encomium: n.
Warm, glowing praise, esp. a formal expression of praise; a tribute.
countenance: n.
1.The face or facial features, especially the expression of the face:
The question left him with a puzzled countenance.

2. A look or expression indicative of encouragement or of moral support or approval.
winsome: adj. Charming, often in a childlike or naive way.
modish: adj. Being in or conforming to the prevailing or current fashion; stylish; fashionable.
voil: n. A light, sheer fabric

plain-weave; made of cotton, rayon, silk, or wool used especially for making dresses and curtains.
blousy blouzy: adj.
1. Having a coarse, ruddy () complexion.

2. Disheveled, untidy
frowzy ()
unkempt()
blowzy hair
ectoplasm: n.
1. Biology. The outer portion of the continuous phase of cytoplasm of a cell, sometimes distinguishable as a somewhat rigid, gelled layer beneath the cell membrane.

2. The visible substance believed to emanate from the body of a spiritualistic medium during communication with the dead.

3. An immaterial or ethereal substance, especially the transparent corporeal presence of a spirit or ghost.
ineffable: adj.
1. Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable; unspeakable.

2. Not to be uttered; taboo: the ineffable name of God.
risible: adj.
Capable of, inclined to, relating to or eliciting laughter; ludicrous().
inconoclast: n.
1. One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.

2. One who destroys sacred religious images.
sartorial: adj. Of or relating to a tailor, tailoring, or tailored clothing: sartorial elegance.
neigh (nay): v. The long, high-pitched sound made by a horse.
wit: n.
1. The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence.

2. "wits" Sound mental faculties; sanity: scared out of my wits; living by one's wits.

3. The ability to perceive and express in an ingeniously humorous manner the relationship between seemingly incongruous or disparate things.

4. A person of exceptional intelligence
plutocracy: n.
1. A government or state in which the wealthy rule.

2. A wealthy class that controls a government.
burlesque: n.
1. A literary or dramatic work that ridicules a subject either by presenting a solemn subject in an undignified style or an inconsequential subject in a dignified style. See Synonyms at caricature.

2.A ludicrous or mocking imitation; a travesty:
The antics of the defense attorneys turned the trial into a burlesque of justice.

3. A variety show characterized by broad ribald (vulgar, lewd humor) comedy, dancing, and striptease.
predilection: n.
A partiality or disposition in favor of something; a preference
predicament: n.
1. A situation, especially an unpleasant, troublesome, or trying one, from which extrication is difficult; a dilemma.

2. Logic. An Aristotealion category:
cipher cypher: n.
1. The mathematical symbol (0) denoting absence of quantity; zero.

2. An Arabic numeral or figure; a number.

3. One having no influence or value; a nonentity.

4. A cryptographic system in which units of plain text of regular length, usually letters, are arbitrarily transposed or substituted according to a predetermined code;

The key to such a system;

A message written or transmitted in such a system.

5. A design combining or interweaving letters or initials; a monogram.
rumple: v. To wrinkle, fold, or crease
tinkle: v. To make light metallic sounds, as those of a small bell.
obdurate: adj.
1. Hardened in wrongdoing or wickedness; stubbornly impenitent:
â€œobdurate conscience of the old sinnerâ€ (Sir Walter Scott).

2. Hardened against feeling; hardhearted:
an obdurate miser.

3. Hardened to persuasion; intractable(); inflexible.
granitic: adj
1: hard as granite;
"a granitic fist"
[syn: granitelike, rocklike, stony]

2: having austere inflexibility;
"a flinty manner";
"granitic morality";
"his unyielding mouth and glassy eyes"- Marchette Chute
[syn: flinty, unyielding]
peevish: adj.
1. querulous (), cross(), or fretful(), vexed or unhapppy:
a peevish youngster.

2. showing annoyance, irritation, or bad mood:
a peevish reply
a peevish frown.

3. Contrary/Perverse(); fractious(), obstinate()
chasten: v.
1. to inflict suffering upon for purposes of moral improvement; chastise; To correct by punishment or reproof; take to task.

2. To restrain; subdue:
chasten a proud spirit.

3. To rid of excess; refine or purify:
chasten a careless writing style.
stoney stony: adj.
1. Covered with or full of stones:
a stony beach.

2. Resembling stone, as in hardness; granitic
a stoney titantium alloy

3. Hardhearted; flinty; impassive(); unemotional; exhibiting no feeling or warmth
a stony miser

4. Emotionally numbing or paralyzing:
stony fear
chastise: verb.
1. To punish, as by beating (corporal punishment).

2. To criticize severely; rebuke.
askew: adj.
To one side; awry;
cockeyed; lopsided

rugs lying askew
ribald: adj.

scurrilous()

coarsely or disrespectfully humorous; vulgar or indecent in speech;
coarsely mocking, abusive, or irreverent;
lewd: adj.
1. Preoccupied with sex and sexual desire; lustful.

2. Obscene; indecent
querulous: adj : habitually complaining;
"a whining child"
[syn: fretful, whiney, whining(a), whiny]
ruddy: adj.
1. Having a healthy, reddish color.

2. Reddish; rosy.
beset: v.
1. To attack from all sides.

2. To hem in; surround:
â€œthe mountains which beset it roundâ€ (Nathaniel Hawthorne).

3.To trouble persistently; harass.

4. To stud, as with jewels
decorous: adj.
Characterized by or exhibiting decorum (); proper:

decorous behavior.
prude: n.
person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum [syn: puritan]
slovenly: adj.
1. untidy or unclean in appearance or habits.

2. Marked by negligence; slipshod(); sloppy.
slovenly work
unkempt: adj.
1. Not combed:
unkempt hair.

2. Not properly maintained; disorderly or untidy: sloppy
an unkempt garden

3. Unpolished; rude.
unkempt red-neck
musty: adj.
1. Stale or moldy in odor or taste.
musty pantry

2. Hackneyed or trite(); dull.
with so many people climbing Mount Everest, it's become musty

3. Out of date; antiquated.
the musty, ten year old computer

4. Out of use or practice; rusty.
after taking six months to heal an injury, the dancer was musty
impassive: adj.
1. Devoid of or not subject to emotion; emotionless; apathetic; unmoved, phlegmatic(), stoical(), indifferent

2. calm; serene.
tranquil, unruffled, composed, undisturbed, unperturbed

3. Revealing no emotion; expressionless.

4. Motionless; still.
fractious: adj.
1. Inclined to make trouble; unruly()

2. Having a peevish nature; cranky, irascible
intractable: adj.
1.Difficult to manage or govern; stubborn; obstinate(); unruly.
intractable populace

2. Difficult to mold or manipulate:
intractable metal

3. Difficult to alleviate, remedy, or cure:
intractable pain.
caricature: n.
1. A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque() effect.

2. The art of creating such representations.

3. A grotesque() imitation or misrepresentation:
The trial was a caricature of justice.
antic: n.
A ludicrous() or extravagant() act; a caper ()
caper: n.
1. A playful leap or hop.

2. A reckless adventure or wild prank (escapade)

3. Slang. An illegal plot or enterprise, especially one involving theft.
awry: adv.
1. In a position that is turned or twisted toward one side; askew.

2. Away from the correct course; amiss.
slipshod: adj.

Marked by carelessness; sloppy or slovenly in appearance;

shabby/seedy (run-down, dilapidated)
trite: adj.
Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed.
churl: noun
1. a rude, boorish, or surly person.

2. a peasant; rustic()

3. niggard; miser:
He was a churl in his affections.

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Number of cards 54