SAT Vocab Spring Semester 9th Ordona
Terms
undefined, object
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- quiescent
- inactive or at rest; dormant
- turbid
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1. muddy: opaque and muddy as when particles and sediment are stirred up
2. foggy: dense and cloudy or dark
3. confused:confused and muddled turbid thought processes - taciturn
- silent by nature: habitually uncommunicative or reserved in speech or manner
- malaise
- medicine feeling of illness: a general feeling of illness or sickeness without any specific diagnostic significance
- nullify
- law make something invalid: to make something legally invalid or ineffective
- asperity
- harshness or severity of manner or tone; ill temper
- subjugate
- force into submission: to bring somebody, especially a people or nation, under the control ofanother, for example, by military conquest
- carnage
- widespread slaughter of people: widespread and indiscriminate slaughter or massacre, especially of human beings
- intransigent
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adj. refusing to compromise: firmly or unreasonably refusing even to consider changing a decision or attitude
n. unyielding person: somebody who firmly or unreasonably refuses to compromise or change an attitude or decision, especially in politics - perspicacious
- perceptive: penetratingly discerning, perceptive, or astute
- holocaust
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1. complete destruction by fire: complete consumption by fire, especially of a large number of human beings or animals
2. total destruction: wholesale or mass destruction of any kind - foible
- 1. weakness or quirk: an idiosyncrasy or small weakness
- emulate
- try to equal somebody or something: to try to equal or surpass somebody or something, especially by imitation
- empirical
- 1. based on observation and experiment: based on or characterized by observation and experiment rather than theory
- defray
- pay some or all of cost: to provide money to pay for part or all of the cost of something; "The company will defray the cost of your training."
- artifice
- 1. an artful or crafty expedient; a stratagem; clever device
- cocophony
- 1. jarring, discordant sound; dissonance: "heard a cocophony of horns during the trafic jam"
- dastardly
- cowardly and malicious; base; characterized as meanspirited, sneaky, and/or shameful
- effete
- 1. depleted of vitality, force, or effectiveness; exhausted: "the final, effete period of the baroque style
- fetter
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n. 1. a chain or shackle for the ankles or feet
2. something that serves to restrict; a restraint
v. 1. to put fetters on; shackle
2. to restrict the freedom of - harpy
- one of several loathsome, voracious monsters with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail, wings, and talons of a bird; a predatory person; a shrewish woman
- inordinate
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1. exceeding reasonable limits; immoderate
2. not regulated; disorderly - loath
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unwilling or reluctant; disinclined: "I am loath to make these flashcards."; unwilling to do something
[Almost always followed with "to"] - nondescript
- lacking distinctive qualities; having no individual character or form; generic
- penurious
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1. unwilling to spend money; stingy
2. yielding little; barren: "a penurious land"
3. poverty-stricken - purport
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1. To have or present the often false appearance of being or intending; profess: "selfish behavior that purports to be altruistic"
2. the have the intention of doing; purpose - rudimentary
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1. of or relating to basic facts or principles; elementary
2. being in the earliest stages of development; incipient
3. imperfectly or incompletely developed; embryonic; a rudimentary beak - sporadic
- 1. occuring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time
- transitory
- existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary
- wizned
- withered; wizen; shriveled, dried
- articulate
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adj 1. endowed with the power of speech
2. composed of distinct, meaningful syllables or words, as human speech
3. experssing oneself easily in clear and effective language: an articulate speaker
v. 1. to pronounce distinctly and carefully; enunciate
2. to utter by making the necessary movements of the speech organs - burnish
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v. 1. to make smooth or glossy by or as if by rubbing; polish
2. to rub with a tool that serves especialy to smooth or polish
n. a smooth glossy finish or appearance; luster - cursory
- performed with haste and scant attention to detail: "a cursory glance at the headlines"
- edifice
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1. a building, especially one of imposing appearance or size; storefront
2. an elaborate conceptual structure: "observation that provides the foundation for the edifice of evolutionary theory" - fetish or fetich
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1. an object that is believed to have magical or spiritual powers, especially such an object associated with animistic or shamanistic religious practices; ex. a rabbit's foot
2. an object of unreasonably excessive attentnion or reverence: "made a fetish of punctuality"
3. something, such as a material or a nonsexual part of the body, that arouses sexual desire and may become necessary for sexual gratification - harbinger
- one that indicates or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner: "birds returning from the south are harbingers or winter"
- innocuous
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1. having no adverse effect; harmless; not poisonous
2. not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid - litany
- 1. a liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation
- nomenclature
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1. a system of names used in an art or sciene: "a nomenclature of mineralogy"
2. the procedure of assigning names to the kinds and groups of organisms listed in a taxonomic classification - pensive
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1. deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful; worried
2. suggestive or expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness - punctilious
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1. strictly attentive to minute details of form in actino or conduct
2. precise; scrupulous - insouciance
- blithe lack of concern; nonchalance
- specious
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1. having the ring of truth of plausibility but actually fallacious: a specious argument
2. deceptively attractive - transgression
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1. a violation of a law, command, or duty
2. the exceeding of due bounds or limits - whet
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1. to sharpen; hone
2. to make more keen; stimulate: "The frying bacon whetted my appetite." - arduous
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demanding great effort or labor; difficult: "the arduous work of preparing a Dictionary fo the English language"
2. testing severely the powers of endurance; stenuous; a long, arduous, and exhausting war - bumptious
- crudely or loudly assertive; pushy; arrogant
- cupidity
- excessive desire, especially for wealth; covetousness or avarice
- ebullient
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1. zestfully enthusiastic; happy, filled with delight
2. boiling or seeming to boil; bubbling - ferret
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1. to hunt with ferrets; to drive out, as from a hiding place; expel
2. to uncover and bring to light by searching. Often used with out
3. to hound or harry persistently; worry - harangue
- 1. a long pompous speech, especially one delivered before a gathering; annonying speech
- iniquity
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1. gross immorality or injustice; wickedness
2. a grossly immortal act; a sin - limpid
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1. characterized by tarnsparent clearness; pellucid
2. easily intelligible; clear: "writes in a limpid style" - nomad
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1. a member of a group of people who have no fixed home and move according to the seasons from place to place in search of food, water, and grazing land
2. a person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer - penchant
- a definite liking; a strong inclination; tendancy
- puerile
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1. belonging to childhood; juvenile
2. immature; childish - ribald
- characterized by or indulging in vulgar, lewd humor
- soporific
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1. inducing or tending to induce sleep
2. drowsy or causing drowsiness - trajectory
- 1. the path of a projectile or other moving body through space; a chosen or taken course
- waive
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1. to give up a claim or right voluntarily; relinquish
2. to refrain from insisting on or enforcing
3. to put aside or off temporarily; defer - ardent
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1. passionate: feeling passion, or felt passionately
2. enthusiastic: feeling or showing great enthusiasm or eagerness: "one of his most ardent supporters" - bucolic
- 1. of the countryside: relating to or characteristic of the countryside, country people, or country life
- culinary
- relating to food or cooking: "culinary arts" "culinary experts"
- duress
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1. the use of force or threats to make somebody do something
2. law illegal coercion: illegal force used, for example, against a criminal suspect or prisoner in lawful custody before trial - feline
- 1. belonging to or typical of animals of the cat family, including lions, tigers, and domestic cats
- hapless
- unlucky or unfortunate
- ingenuous
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1. innocent and unwordly; showing innocence and a lack of worldly experience
2. seeming honest: appearing honest and direct; openly straight forward - licentious
- sexually immoral; pursuing desires aggressively and selfishly, unchecked by morality, especially sexual matters; having no regard for accepted rules
- noisome
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1. foul: so offensive to the senses, as to arouse feelings of disgust or repulsion
2. dangerous: extremely harmful - purdence
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1. practicality: good sense in managing practical matters
2. tendency to avoid risk: a tendency to evaluate situations carefully so as to avoid risk
2. careful management of resources
prudent- 1. having good senses in dealing with practical matters
2. carefully considering consequences - revere
- treat somebody with admiring respect: to regard somebody with admiration and deep respect; treat with awe sense of devotion
- sophistry
- 1. flawed method of argumentation: a method of argumentation that seems clever but is actually flawed or dishonest; desceptive arguement (as by politicians)
- traduce
- disparage somebody; to say very critcial or disparaging things about somebody
- veracious
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1. honest or truthful; eager to consume great amounts of something, usually food
3. true or accurate - pedantic
- too concerned with what are thought to be correct rules and details; ex. in language; going by book learning as opposed to experience, showing a strong concern for rules (usually used negatively)
- archetype
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1. an original model or type after which other similar things are patterened; a prototype; ex. Frankensein, Dracula
2. an ideal example of a type; quintessence: an archetype of the successful entrepreneur - braggadocio
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1. a braggart; someone who brags
2. empty or pretentious bragging; a swaggering, cocky manner - cryptic
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1. having hidden meaning; mystifying
2. secret or occult
3. using code or cipher
4. tending to conceal or camouflage - dupe
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n. 1. an easily deceived person
2. a person who funcions as the tool of another person or power
v. to deceive (an unwary person) - fecundity
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n. 1. the quality or power of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertililty
2. productive or creative power: fecundity of the mind
adj. 1. capable of producing offspring or vegetation; fruitful
2. marked by intellectual productivity - halcyon
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1. calm and peaceful; tranquil
2. prosperous; golden; halcyon years - infectious
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1. capable of causing infection
2. caused by or capable of being transmitted by infection - levity
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1. lightness of manner or speech, especially when inappropriate; frivolity
2. inconstancy; changeableness
[collective noun, may not be plural] - nocturnal
- 1. of, relating to, or occuring in the night: "nocturnal stillness"
- pecuniary
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1. of or relating to money: "a pecuniary loss; pecuniary motives"
2. requiring payment of money: "a pecuniary offense" - prowess
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1. superior skill or ability
2. superior strength, courage, or daring, especially in battle - reticent
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1. inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself
2. restrained or reserved in style
3. reluctant; unwilling - sonorous
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1. having or producing sound
2. having or producing a full, deep, or rich sound
3. impressive in style of speech - tractable
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1. easily managed or controlled; governable
2. easily handled or worked; malleable - vociferous
- making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry
- archaic
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1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a much earlier, often more primitive period, especially one that develops into a classical stage of civilization: "an archaic bronze statuette" "Archaic Greece"
2. no longer current or applicable; antiquated: "archaic laws" - brackish
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1. having a somewhat salty taste, especially from containing a mixture of seawater and freshwater
2. distasteful; unpalatable: "a thin, brackish gruel" - crass
- so crude and unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility
- duenna
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1. the chief lady in waiting on the queen of Spain
2. an elderly lady holding a station between a governess and companion, and appointed to have charge over the younger ladies in a Spanish or a Portuguese family
3. any old woman who is employed to guard a younger one; a governess - fatuous
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1. vacuously, smugly, and unconsciously foolish
2. delusive; unreal; "fatuous hopes" - haggle
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1. to bargain, as over the price of something; dicker; wrangle: "He preferred to be overcharged than to haggle."
2. To argue in an attempt to come to terms - inexorable
- not capable of being persuaded by entreaty; relentless: "an inexorable opponent; a feeling of inexorable doom"
- lethargy
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1. a state of sluggishness, inactivity, and apathy
2. a state of unconsciousness resembling deep sleep
lethargic- of, causing, or characterized by lethargy - nepotism
- favoritism shown or patronage granted by persons in high office to relatives or close friends, as in business
- paucity
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1. smallness of number; fewness; insufficiency
2. scarcity; dearth; lack: "a paucity of natural resources" - proviso
- a clause in a document making a qualification, condition, or restriction; statement of specific conditions or limitation
- restive
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1. uneasily impatient under restriction, opposition, criticism, or delay
2. resisting control; difficult to control
3. refusing to move. Used of a horse or other animal - somnolent
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1. drowsy; sleepy
2. inducing or tending to induce sleep; sporific - toxic
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1. of, relating to, or caused by a toxin or other poison: "a toxic condition; toxic hepatitis"
2. capable of causing injury or death; especially by chemical means, poisonous: "food preservatives that are toxic in concentrated amounts; a dump for toxic industrial wastes" - vitriolic
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1. of, similar to, or derived from a vitriol
2. bitterly scathing; caustic: "vitriolic criticism" - arbiter
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1. one chosen or appointed to judge or decide a disputed issue; an arbitrator; ex. the UN acts as an arbiter
2. one who has the power to judge or ordain at will: " an arbiter of fashion" - bovine
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1. of, relating to, or resembing a ruminant mammal of the genus bos, such as an ox, cow, or buffalo
2. sluggish, dull, and stolid - coterie
- a small often select group of persons who associate with one another frequently and share interests; a club;
- dour
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1. marked by sternness or harshness; forbidding: "a dour, self-sacrificing life"
2. silently ill-humored; gloomy: "the proverbially dour New England Puritan"
3. sternly obstinate; unyielding: "a dour determination" - farrago
- an assortment or a medley; a conglomeration; random mixture: "their special farrago of resentments" "trail mix"
- hackneyed
- overfamiliar through overuse; trite; cheapened by overuse; ex. cowboy walking into sunset
- indolent
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1. disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy; conducive to inactivity or laziness; lethargic: "humid, indolent weather"
2. causing little or no pain: "an indolent humor"; slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive: "an indolent ulcer" - lethal
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1. capable of causing death
2. of, relating to, or causing death
3. extremely harmful; devastating: "accusations lethal to the candidate's image" - nemesis
- one that inflicts retribution or vengeance
- patrician
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1. a person of refined upbringing, manners, and tastes: "a patrician background"
2. a member of an aristocracy, an aristocrat - protagonist
- 1. the main character in a drama or other literary work
- respite
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n. 1. a usually short interval of rest or relief; a pause
2. temporary suspension of a death sentece; a reprieve
v. to delay; postpone; to grant reprieve from a punishment - solace
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1. comforct in sorrow, misfortune, or distress; consolation: "take solace in the bible"
2. a source of comfort or consolation - tortuous
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1. having or marked by repeated turns or bends; winding or twisting. May be used to describe story plots: "a tortuous road through the mountains"
2. not straightforward; circuitous; devious: "a tortuous plot; tortuous reasoning
3. highly involved; complex: "tortuous legal procedures" - vindicate
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1. to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof
2. to provide justification or support for: "vindicate one's claim"
3. to justify or prove the worth of, especially in light of later developments
4. to defend, maintain, or insist on the recognition of (one's rights for example)
5. to exact revenge for; avenge