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Chimera Vocab Final

Terms

undefined, object
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archetypal
an original model from which all others are patterened
protean
changeable
amoral
no admitting moral distinctions; neither moral nor immoral
dichotomy
a split, division
esoteric
understood by only a few
disparate
people or things so different they can't be compared
equilibrium
a mental state of calm and composure, a state in which opposing forces balance out, ability to mantain balance
translucent
allowing light to pass through but only diffusely so indistinct
demise
death, end of something
bereft
deprived of something, filled with a sense of loss
lambency
state of soft, glowing light, flickering light
plangent
expressing grief or sadness, resonating with a mournful sound, also a loud or resonant sound
adamantine
extremely hard and unyielding
nimbus
a halo, could of light often around a god or saint
coruscate
to give off flashes of bright light
credulity
tendency to believe too easily
incantation
ritual chanting
invidious
producing resentment or jealously
castigate
to criticize or punish
craven
cowardly
iniquitous
immoral, esp in sense of unjust or unfair
turbid
opaque and muddy, dense and cloudy, confused and muddled
panoply
an impressive display with all the accessories
coy
pretending to be reserved, actually shy, annoyingly reluctant to make a committment
magnanimous
very generous, kind or forgiving
spurious
being different than what it claims to be
unctuous
slippery, insincere
antedate
to come before
arboreal
having to do with trees
tremulous
quivering
inchoate
beginning, incipient
addled
muddled, confused
calumniated
slander, malign
droll
oddly amusing, whimsically comical
exonerate
to declare someone innocent, to relieve from responsibility
obsequious
excessively eager to please
viscid
thick and sticky
Pointillist
19C paintng style comprised of dots
prescience
foreknowledge
iridescent
marked by rainbow colors, any brilliant appearance
ambrosial
linked to ambrosia, delightful to taste or smell
patina
a thin layer formed by corrosion on the surface of some metals, a surface sheen, any thin layer of something
wan
unnaturally pale, expressive of melancholy
suffuse
to spread over
doleful
very sad or mournful
permeate
to spread through
propitious
favorable or likely to lead to success
sallow
pale or yellow
malleable
capable of being persuaded, of being modled
exodus
a departure
stacatto
short, rapid detached notes
diminution
a lessening, a making smaller
undulate
wave-like
mottled
spotted
incandescent
emitting light because of great heat, shining or glowing
pedagogic
the art of teaching
impeccable
without flaw
vortex
a whirling mass that draws everything to its center
alloy
something added that lowers value or purity (cheap metal)
succulent
full of juice or sap
deign
to do someting in a way that suggests that it is beneath your dignity
prevaricate
to avoid direct and honest answer, esp. by quibbing and misleading
arabesque
an intricate and often symmetical design, highly decorative
attenuation
long, slender, narrow, to make narrower (attenuate)
beatific
expressing great happiness and inner peace (as with a saint)
pander
to indulge someone else's weaknesses; to procure sexual favors for someone
expiate
to make ammends, show remorse for something done wrong
intimation
hint, suggestion
torpor
lethargy, apathy
obdurate
hardened in wrongdoing or wickedness, hardened to feeling, not given to persuasion
ossify
to turn into bone, to become set to a conventional pattern
pecuniary
having to do with money
incorrigible
impossible to correct or reform, difficult to keep in order
quibble
to argue over unimportant things and make petty objections
execrate
to put a curse on someone, to declare someone to be loathsome
dissemble
to put on a false appearance, to hide one's true beliefs or intentions
mitigate
to make something less severe or harsh
wanton
w/out restraint or inhibition, esp sexual
transfigure
revealing great beauty or spiritiualiy, to transform the app. of someone
promontory
a point of land that juts into the sea
circumspection
unwillingness to act without weighing the consequences
archipelago
a group of islands
comely
physically good-looking
paltry
insignificant, low and contemptible
supplication
a humble appeal to someone who can grant favors
commodious
pleasantly spacious
coalesce
to merge into one
marmoreal
made of marble, especially in being cold, aloof
lapidary
suitable for engraving in stone
lacunae
a small gap
feng shui
connection of a person to environment
sesquipedal
foot and a half
sinuous
gracefully winding, full of bend and curves, indirect or devious
anathema
something greatly disliked, cursed
desultory
aimlessly passing from one thing to another, happening in a random, disorganized way
bacchic
riotous drunkenness
perfidy
treachery or deceit
perspicacious
discerning, perceptive, astute
perspicuity
quality of being expressed clearly
impunity
exemption from punishment or h arm
paean
hymn of praise
reprobate
a disreputable or immoral person
glib
fluent in a superficial or insincere way, shallow, lacking in thought, easily, unconcerned and informal
odious
inspiring hatred, contempt or disgust
contrite
deeply sorry about something
ineluctable
unable to be escaped from or avoided
mephitic
noxious, poisonous smell
nemesis
bitter enemy, a source of harm, the god of punishment and revenge
allay
to calm anxiety or fear, to relieve severity of pain
hegemony
control or dominating influence, esp by political group or nation
lugubrious
extremely sad, gloomy, or mournful
palpitate
to beat in a rapid way
solace
comfrot in sadness
coquetry
flirtatious
premonition
a strong feeling w/out rational basis that something is going to happen
transient
lasting for only a short time (ephemeral, evanescent, transitory)
imbue
to saturate with something
muse
to think about something either deeply or in a dreamy state; noun – source of inspiration, a particular talent, one of the 9 daughters of zeus and memory
palatable
having a good enough taste to be eaten, acceptable to one's senses
heinous
shockingly evil or wicked
abate
to lessen, suppress a nuisance
salutary
of value or benefit, healthy
efface
to remove or obliterate
terse
brief, conceise
amphisband
snake with two heads
whorl
having shape of a spiral
herpentine
reptiles or amphibians
reliquary
a container for relics
pedophage
having sex with a child
baneful
causing ruin or destruction
equanimity
evenness of temper
emanate
to come from or come out of, to emit
perfidious
guilty of treachery or deceit
specter
a ghostly presence or appartition, a threat
pestilence
epidemic, serious disease, a malevolent belief
query
a question
pomposity
excessive sense of self-importance usually displaye through exaggerated seriousness
presumptuous
inconsiderate, disrespectful in doing something when not entitled
equivocal
open to more than one interpretation, difficult to interpret
sodden
saturated with moisture
induce
to persuade or influence, to cause to bring about
to augur
to indiciate what will happen next
to goad
to provoke or incite someone into action, to prod an animal
nape
back part of neck
ruse
a clever trick or plot to deceive
petrifacient
able to turn something into stone
gyre
spiral
peunultimate
next to last
avuncular
pertaining to an uncle
manumit
to free (send from hand)
uncial
a letter used in Greek and Latin manuscripts between 3rd and 9th C that resembles a modern capital but is more rounded
vituperate
to attack in abusive language
omphalos
delphi stone – center of world, the central or focal point
dhow
a sailboat used by Arab sailors
flaccid
soft, limp, lacking energy, enthusiasm or competence
pantheon
all the dieties of a particular Religion considered collectively, a group of people who are the most famous in a particular Field, a temple dedicated to the dieties
callow
young, immature
corporeal
relating to the body
subterfuge
a plan, action, device to hide the real objective, trickery
progenitor
a direct ancestor
ire
anger
obsequies
rites or ceremonies at a funeral
surrogate
a substitue
circumlocution
using more words than necessary in order not to be direct
ignominy
a total loss of dignity, a public disgrace
hubris
excessive pride or arrogance
epistolary
taking the form of letters, associated with letters
tryst
a secret meeting between lovers
cowl
the hood of a monk's cloak
aegis
the shielf of athena or zeus, protection, sponsorship
imprecation
an oath or curse
gaucherie
a lack of grace or tact in social situations
remonstrate
to reason or argue forcefully with someone
estellation
to turn into stars
surfeit
an excessive number, overindulgence
timber
the pitch
prototype
the model on which later versions are developed
reciprocity
something done mutally in return or in interchange
mollify
to calm or soothe
truncate
to make shorter
scylla and charybdis
in a spot where avoiding one danger puts you in danger of something else
penury
extreme poverty
elysian fields
the home of the blessed after death, any ideal or blissful place
medley
a mixture or an assortment of various things
cuckold
a husband with an unfaithful wife
quondam
of an earlier time
proclivity
a natural tendency to behave in a particular way
clairvoyance
to see things beyond the range of normal human vision
guffaw
a loud or raucous laugh
bullion
gold or silver in bars
to query
to ask a question
opalescent
showing shimmering milky colors
denouement
the final part wherein everything is made clear
procrustean bed
arbitrary standard to which conformity is demanded
sisyphean
an arduous task impssible to complete
shibboleth
a test word, slogan, catchword (hebrews asked enemies to say it, knowing they couldn't)
myrmidon
a faithful folower who carries out order without question (followers of Achilles from Thrace)
halcyon
a mythical bird who had the power to calm the waves, hence – calm, peaceful, also prosperous
laconic
using few words
piquant
pungent
alacrity
cheerful readiness, liveliness and eagerness
salubrious
promoting health
assiduous
hardworking, busy
vernal
spring-like
ebullient
overflowing with enthusiasm
epiphany
sudden revelation
feckless
ineffectual, ineffective over another
gilt
golden
plethora
a large amount or number
quiddity
the essential nature of something (the "whatness")
opprobrium
disgrace, shameful conduct
paradigm
model, pattern, example
sedulous
diligent, industrious
turpitude
disgraceful conduct
vertiginous
dizziness
disseminate
to scatter or spread widely
evanescent
vanishing or fading
impugn
to refute, criticize
deliquesce
to dissolve gradually by absorbing water, to form many brances without a main stream
voluptuary
hedonist
lucubration
hard study, study at night like a scholar
nugatory
of little importance
borborygmic
rumbling of gas in the stomach
bovine
like a clow, esp slowness, body type
sardonic
disdainfully mocking
enervate
to weaken, physical, mental, moral
languor
a pleasant feeling of weariness; listlessness, indifference
diaphanous
delicacy of form, so fine as to be transparent; vague or insubstantial
penchant
a tendency
palliative
something that makes less severe or intense
demagogue
a leader who gains power by emotional appeal, leader of common people
cant
hypocritical pious language, special language of a profession
touchstone
a criterion or standard (hard black stone used to test gold)
indigence
extreme poverty
felicity
happiness
clandestine
secretive or furtive
quiescent
inactive or at rest
pristine
so clean and neat as to look like new, in an original condition
augury
the interpretation of natural phenomenon as signs of favor or disfavor from the gods
persiflage
light bantering style
farrago
medley, conglomeration
consanguine
blood relationship, close relation
panegyric
lofty praise
parracide
killing of parents
garrulous
extremely talkative
munificient
very generous
neophyte
a beginner

Deck Info

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