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GRE General Set 30

Terms

undefined, object
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conception
beginning; forming of an idea; fertilization; V. conceive: form an idea in the mind; devise; become pregnant; CF. inception
rile
irritate; vex; muddy
animosity
active enmity; strong hostility; [late Latin animositas, from animosus 'spirited,' from Latin animus 'spirit, mind.' The current sense dates from the early 17th cent.]
connivance
willingness to secretly allow or be involved in wrongdoing, esp. an immoral or illegal act : this infringement of the law had taken place with the ~ of officials. [from French connivence or Latin conniventia, from connivere 'shut the eyes (to)' (see connive ).]
scrimmage
disorderly fight between two or more people [alteration of dialect scrimish, variant of the noun skirmish .]
cerebration
thought; working of the brain
hatch
deck opening; lid covering a deck opening; V: emerge from an egg; produce (young) from an egg
obstetrician
physician specializing in delivery(assisting in giving birth) of babies; N. -ics; CF. midwife; [from modern Latin obstetricus for Latin obstetricius (based on obstetrix 'midwife' ), from obstare 'be present.']
carillon
a set of bells (often in a tower) capable of being played [from Old French quarregnon 'peal of four bells,' based on Latin quattuor 'four.']
irreparable
not able to be corrected or repaired; impossible to repair
habitat
natural home of a plant or animal; CF. habitation
indissoluble
permanent; impossible to dissolve or disintegrate
herpetology
the branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibians. [ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from Greek herpeton 'reptile' (from herpein 'to creep' ) + -logy .]
relent
become less severe; give in(surrender); ADJ. relentless: unyielding; continuously severe
overbearing
bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. ~ manner/importance; V. -: dominate
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. [from Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare, from con- 'together' + glomus, glomer- 'ball.' The geological sense dates from the early 19th cent.; the other noun senses are later.]
egregious
notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking [from Latin egregius 'illustrious,' literally 'standing out from the flock,' from ex- 'out' + grex, greg- 'flock.' The derogatory sense (late 16th cent.) probably arose as an ironical use.]
improvident
not having or showing foresight; spendthrift or thoughtless : ~ and undisciplined behavior. {one consequence of a healthy economy may be a generation of improvident youth spendthrift, thriftless, wasteful, prodigal, profligate, extravagant, lavish, free-spending, immoderate, excessive; imprudent, irresponsible, careless, reckless, heedless. antonym thrifty, conservative.}
coterie
a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, esp. one that is exclusive of other people : a ~ of friends and advisers. ; [ from French, earlier denoting an association of tenants, based on Middle Low German kote 'cote.']
unconscionable
unscrupulous; not guided by conscience; excessive; beyond reason; Ex. ~ demand
quibble
minor objection or complaint; V: raise minor objections; carp; cavil
rave
1 talk wildly or incoherently, as if one were delirious or insane : Nancy's having hysterics and ~ing about a black ghost. ;overwhelmingly favorable review; V: talk wildly as if mad; Ex. raving lunatic
feint
trick; shift; sham blow; feigned attack to draw away defensive action; V.
penetrate
enter into; pierce; permeate; see through; grasp the inner significance of; *understand*
metrical
metric; written in the form of poetry; Ex. ~ translation of Homer
posture
assume an affected pose; act artificially; N: pose; attitude
acclivity
sharp upslope of a hill; OP. declivity
prolixity
tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse
synoptic
providing a general overview; summary; N. synopsis
opprobrium
infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. ~ hurled against him; ADJ. -ious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous
anomalous
abnormal; irregular
idolatry
worship of idols; excessive admiration or devotion; ADJ. -ous
igneous
produced by fire; of fire; volcanic; (of rocks) formed from lava; Ex. ~ meteorite [ from Latin igneus (from ignis 'fire' ) + -ous .]
vigilante
one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers; a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.
oracular
of an oracle; prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous; hard to understand; N. oracle: wiser person; prophecy made by an oracle
propitious
giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable : the timing for such a meeting seemed ~. See note at timely . ;• archaic favorably disposed toward someone : there were points on which they did not agree, moments in which she did not seem ~. [from Old French propicieus or Latin propitius 'favorable, gracious.']
dowry
money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage
exuberance
overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness; ADJ. exuberant: high-spirited and lively; growing abundantly and strongly
peddle
travel about selling (wares); CF. foot
ramble
wander aimlessly (physically or mentally); digress
flout
reject; mock; show contempt for; scorn; Ex. ~ the rules
attest
testify; bear witness
hubbub
confused uproar; loud noise; din
coeval
having the same age or date of origin; contemporary : these lavas were ~ with the volcanic activity. [from late Latin coaevus, from co- 'jointly, in common' + Latin aevum 'age.']
verdigris
green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather; a bright bluish-green encrustation or patina formed on copper or brass by atmospheric oxidation, consisting of basic copper carbonate. ; [from Old French verte-gres, earlier vert de Grece 'green of Greece.']
capsize
(of a boat) turn over [perhaps based on Spanish capuzar 'sink (a ship) by the head,' from cabo 'head' + chapuzar 'to dive or duck.']
exude
flow out slowly; discharge (gradually); give forth; N. -ation
adjure
urge or request (someone) solemnly or earnestly to do something : I ~ you to tell me the truth. ; -ation
jest
playful remark or act; V. act or speak playfully
clime
a region considered with reference to its climate : the Continent and its sunnier ~s. [from late Latin clima 'zone' (see climate ).]
quizzical
curious; suggesting puzzlement (without saying); questioning; teasing; mocking; bantering; Ex. ~ glance
derivative
(typically of an artist or work of art) imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason : an artist who is not in the slightest bit ~. ; • originating from, based on, or influenced by : Darwin's work is ~ of the moral philosophers. ; • [ attrib. ] (of a financial product) having a value deriving from an underlying variable asset : equity-based ~ products. ; n. something that is based on another source : a ~ of the system was chosen for the Marine Corps' V-22 tilt rotor aircraft. ; [from French dérivatif, -ive, from Latin derivativus, from derivare (see derive ).]
dabble
work at in a nonserious fashion; splash around; move noisily in a liquid
ponderous
having great weight; weighty; unwieldy; lacking lightness; dull; Ex. ponderous body/style of writing
felicitous
(of a word or remark) apt; suitably expressed; well chosen; • pleasing and fortunate : the view was the room's only ~ feature.
indecision
irresolution; inability to make up one's mind
scuffle
struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry; N. CF. ~ing twins ?
senile
(of a person) having or showing the weaknesses or diseases of old age, esp. a loss of mental faculties : she couldn't cope with her ~ husband. ; • (of a condition) characteristic of or caused by old age : ~ decay.
medley
a varied mixture of people or things; a miscellany : an interesting ~ of flavors. ; • a collection of songs or other musical items performed as a continuous piece : a ~ of Beatles songs. ; • a swimming race in which contestants swim sections in different strokes, either individually or in relay teams. ; [from Old French medlee, variant of meslee 'melee,' based on medieval Latin misculare 'to mix' ; compare with meddle .]
astral
relating to the stars
[dele]actuarial
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
finish
surface texture; completeness of execution
antiseptic
substance that prevents infection in a wound; ADJ.
tarantula
venomous spider; 1 a large hairy spider found chiefly in tropical and subtropical America, some kinds of which are able to catch small lizards, frogs, and birds. tarantula 1 • Family Theraphosidae, suborder Mygalomorphae: numerous species.
lustrous
shining; brilliant; Ex. ~ hair
cant
insincere speech or expression of piety; jargon of thieves; special words used by a particular group of people
nonentity
person of no importance; nonexistence
irreproachable
beyond reproach; blameless; impeccable; Ex. ~ conduct [from French irreprochable, from in- 'not' + reprochable (from reprocher 'to reproach' ).]
portly
stout; corpulent
testy
irritable; impatient and bad-tempered; short-tempered; N. -iness
jab
poke abruptly with something sharp; punch with short blows
sap
diminish; weaken; undermine the foundations of (a fortification); Ex. The element kryptonite ~ed his strength.
buoyant
able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. -cy; Ex. -cy of wood/water/American market
pomposity
self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt(pompous person); ADJ. pompous: self-important
moodiness
fits of depression or gloom; ADJ. moody: given to changeable moods; subject to periods of depression; gloomy CF. mood: state of mind or emotion
artless
without guile; open and honest
bewitch
cast a spell over; captivate completely
morose
ill-humored; sullen; sullenly melancholy
unceremonious
not done politely without due formalities
intervene
come between; interfere; Ex. ~ed to prevent a fight; N. intervention
libel
defamatory written statement; act of writing something that smears a person's character; V. ADJ. libelous [via Old French from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber 'book.']
sleight
n. dexterity; CF. ~ of hand: legerdemain; quickness of the hands in doing tricks; {~ of hand manual dexterity, typically in performing tricks : a nifty bit of ~ of hand got the ashtray into the correct position. • skillful deception : this is financial ~ of hand of the worst sort. }
smudge
dirty mark with unclear edges made by rubbing; V.
inherent
firmly established by nature or habit; intrinsic
humdrum
dull; monotonous
treatise
article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly
congruence
correspondence of parts; harmonious relationship; CF. congruity
wangle
achieve by cleverness or trick; wiggle out; fake; Ex. She tried to ~ an invitation to the party.
roseate
rosy; optimistic; Ex. ~ views
unexceptionable
entirely acceptable; not offering any basis for criticism
egotistical
egotistic; excessively self-centered(egocentric); self-important; conceited
exclaim
cry out suddenly; N. exclamation; ADJ. exclamatory
awl
pointed tool used for piercing; a small pointed tool used for piercing holes, esp. in leather.
exegesis
explanation, especially of biblical(of the bible) passages; critical explanation or interpretation of a text, esp. of scripture : the task of biblical ~ | an ~ of Marx. ; [from Greek exēgēsis, from exēgeisthai 'interpret,' from ex- 'out of' + hēgeisthai 'to guide, lead.']
solvent
substance that dissolves another; ADJ: capable of dissolving another substance
ordination
ceremony conferring holy orders; ceremony of ordaining a priest
retinue
a group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person. ; [from Old French retenue, feminine past participle (used as a noun) of retenir 'keep back, retain.']
halcyon
calm; peaceful; Ex. ~ days
creed
system of religious or ethical belief
swamp
wetland; marsh; V: flood; overwhelm; drench in with liquid
pedestal
support or base as for a pillar or statue
forthright
straightforward; direct; frank
retract
withdraw; take back; draw back; Ex. ~ a statement/an offer/claws; N. -tion; CF. -tile
molten
melted; (esp. of materials with a high melting point, such as metal and glass) liquefied by heat. ; Ex. ~ lava
mulct
defraud a person of something; swindle; Ex. ~ the boy of his legacy
fortitude
courage in pain or adversity : she endured her illness with great ~. See note at courage .
firebrand
piece of burning wood; hothead; troublemaker; person who stirs up trouble
cantata
story set to music to be sung by a chorus (shorter than an oratorio)
piscatorial
pertaining to fishing; CF. Pisces
antecede
precede
introvert
a shy, reticent, and typically self-centered person. ; • Psychology a person predominantly concerned with their own thoughts and feelings rather than with external things. Compare with extrovert . ; [ from modern Latin introvertere, from intro- 'to the inside' + vertere 'to turn.' Its use as a term in psychology dates from the early 20th cent.]
musty
stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; CF. moist
impregnable
invulnerable; impossible to capture or enter by force; Ex. impregnable fort/argument; CF. take
perjury
false testimony while under oath; V. perjure oneself: testify falsely under oath
annuity
yearly allowance; a fixed sum of money paid to someone each year, typically for the rest of their life : he left her an ~ of $1,000 in his will. ; • a form of insurance or investment entitling the investor to a series of annual sums : [as adj. ] an ~ plan.
contention
assertion; claim; thesis; struggling; competition [from Latin contentio(n-), from contendere 'strive with' (see contend ).]
stanch
stop or check flow of blood; Ex. ~ the gushing wound
expository
explanatory; serving to explain; N. -ion: explaining; exhibition; [from Latin expositio(n-), from the verb exponere 'put out, exhibit, explain.']
panache
flair; manner of doing things without any difficulty (causing admiration); flamboyance; bunch of feathers (on a helmet); Ex. with great ~
overblown
inflated; exaggerated
sidereal
relating to stars; Ex. ~ day; of or with respect to the distant stars (i.e., the constellations or fixed stars, not the sun or planets).
incipient
beginning; in an early stage
compliant
readily acting in accordance with a rule, order, or the wishes or others; yielding; comforming to requirements
controvert
oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; ADJ. controversial; N. controversy
embryonic
undeveloped; rudimentary; N. embryo: organism in the early stage of development
inquisitive
eager for knowledge; unduly curious
terminus
last stop of railroad; end
despondent
without hope and courage; -cy; gloomy; N. despondency: loss of hope with gloom; dejection
dote
be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline; 1 ( dote on/upon) be extremely and uncritically fond of : she ~ed on her two young children | [as adj. ] ( doting) she was spoiled outrageously by her ~ing father. ;2 archaic be silly or feebleminded, esp. as a result of old age : the parson is now old and ~s.
prostrate
stretch out full on ground; make prostrate; enervate; Ex. ~ing illness; ADJ: lying face down; having lost all strength
intimate
v. hint; suggest; imply; ADJ: marked by close relationship; familiar; private; personal; Ex. ~ knowledge/thoughts in the diary; N: close friend or confidant; CF. -cy
quicksilver
the liquid metal mercury. ; • used in similes and metaphors to describe something that moves or changes very quickly, or that is difficult to hold or contain : his mood changed like ~.
comeback
1 a return by a well-known person, esp. an entertainer or sports player, to the activity in which they have formerly been successful : the heavyweight champion is set to make his comeback | [as adj. ] his career died after a couple of ~ attempts. ; • a return to fashion of an item, activity, or style : stirrup pants have made a ~. ; 2 informal a quick reply to a critical remark. • the opportunity to seek redress : there's no ~ if he messes up your case.
catechism
• a series of fixed questions, answers, or precepts used for instruction in other situations. ; a summary of the principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for the instruction of Christians. ; book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. -chize
lout
clumsy person; ADJ. loutish; CF. from countrysides ?; an uncouth or aggressive man or boy : drunken ~s.
diorama
life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history; three-dimensional scene with modeled figures against a painted background; a model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit.
perspicacious
(of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute; having a ready insight into and understanding of things : it offers quite a few facts to the ~ reporter. See note at keen . ; [from Latin perspicax, perspicac- 'seeing clearly' + -acious .]
caprice
whim; sudden change of mind without any real cause

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