Word list 08-10
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- canto
- division of a long poem
- captious
- faultfinding; too critical
- carafe
- glass water bottle; decanter
- carapace
- shell covering the back (of a turtle, tortoise, crab, etc.)
- careen
- lurch; sway from side to side; move with irregular swinging movement; stagger
- carillon
- a set of bells (often in a tower) capable of being played
- carping
- petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
- carrion
- rotting flesh of a dead body; CF. vulture
- cartographer
- map-maker
- cataclysm
- deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change
- catcall
- shout of disapproval or displeasure (made at the theater or a sports match); boo; V.
- catechism
- book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize
- 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
- caucus
- private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; CF. the Caucus club of Boston
- caulk(calk)
- make watertight (by blocking up cracks as in a ship)
- cauterize
- burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
- cavalier
- casual and offhand; arrogant; N: knight
- cavil
- quibble; make frivolous objections; find fault unnecessarily
- censure
- blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval
- centaur
- mythical figure, half man and half horse
- cession
- yielding to another; ceding
- chafe
- warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing; N.
- chaffing
- bantering; joking
- chagrin
- annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)
- chary
- cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; OP. bold
- chasten
- discipline; punish in order to correct; CF. castigate
- chastise
- punish as by beating; criticize severely
- chide
- scold; rebuke (someone who has done wrong)
- chisel
- swindle or cheat; N: wedgelike tool for cutting
- chivalrous
- courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry
- choleric
- hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; CF. cholera
- chortle
- chuckle with delight; N.
- churlish
- boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo
- circumscribe
- limit; confine; draw a line around
- circumspect
- prudent; cautious; acting after careful thought
- circumvent
- outwit; defeat by behaving more cleverly; outsmart; baffle; avoid; get around
- cistern
- reservoir or water tank
- clamber
- climb by crawling with difficulties; scramble
- clandestine
- secret
- clangor
- loud resounding noise; sound of repeated clanging
- cleave
- split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to; N. cleavage; ADJ. cloven
- clemency
- disposition to be lenient in deciding punishments; mildness as of the weather; ADJ. clement
- clique
- small exclusive group of people
- cloister
- monastery or convent
- clout
- great influence (especially political or social); hard blow with fist
- coddle
- treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs
- codicil
- supplement to the body of a will; later addition to a will
- 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
- cogent
- convincing
- cogitate
- think over; ponder
- 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
- 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)
- coiffure
- hairstyle
- colander
- utensil with perforated bottom used for straining
- collate
- examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order (the sheets of a book before they are bound)
- collation
- a light meal; collating
- collusion
- conspiring in a fraudulent scheme to cheat or deceive others; V. collude
- comatose
- in a coma; extremely sleepy
- comestible
- something fit to be eaten
- comeuppance
- deserts; well-deserved punishment or misfortune; rebuke
- comity
- courtesy; civility; Ex. comity of nations
- commandeer
- take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes
- commiserate
- feel or express pity or sympathy for
- commodious
- spacious and comfortable
- compact
- agreement; contract; ADJ: tightly packed; firm; brief; concise; Ex. compact statement
- compendium
- brief, comprehensive summary; ADJ. compendious
- complaisant
- trying to please; obliging; willing to please others
- comport
- bear one's self; behave; Ex. comport oneself; N. comportment
- composure
- mental calmness
- compunction
- remorse; strong uneasiness caused by guilt
- concerted
- mutually agreed on; done together by agreement; Ex. concerted effort; CF. in concert: working together
- 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
- concomitant
- that which accompanies; Ex. Deafnes is a frequent concommitant of old age; ADJ: existing or happening together with something else
- condescend
- (derog.) bestow courtesies with a superior air; descend to the level of one considered inferior
- condign
- adequate; (of punishment) severe and well deserved
- condone
- overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
- conducive
- helpful; contributive; V. conduce; Ex. conduce to/towards
- conduit
- aqueduct; passageway for fluids
- conflagration
- great fire
- conflate
- meld or fuse; confuse; combine into one
- confluence
- flowing together; the place where two rivers flow together; crowd; gathering together
- 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
- congeal
- freeze; coagulate