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Vocabulary
Lessons 1-15
225
English
11th Grade
06/03/2007
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Term
aegis
 Definition
a shield; protection
Term
altruism
 Definition
a concern for others
Term
amorphous
 Definition
shapeless
Term
besiege
 Definition
to overwhelm; to surround and attack
Term
boor
 Definition
a rude or impolite person
Term
carrion
 Definition
decaying flesh
Term
enervate
 Definition
to weaken
Term
ephemeral
 Definition
lasting only a brief time; short-lived
Term
erotic
 Definition
pertaining to sexual love
Term
factious
 Definition
causing disagreement
Term
fervent
 Definition
eager, ernest
Term
ignoble
 Definition
dishonorable, shameful
Term
opulent
 Definition
wealthy
Term
perspicacity
 Definition
wisdom
Term
rectify
 Definition
to correct, to make right
Term
antithesis
 Definition
an exact opposite; and opposite extreme
Term
bauble
 Definition
a showy but useless thing
Term
bestial
 Definition
savage, brutal
Term
bland
 Definition
mild, tasteless, dull
Term
chagrin
 Definition
embarassment; a complete loss of courage
Term
diaphanous
 Definition
very sheer and light
Term
effete
 Definition
worn out, barren
Term
emendation
 Definition
a correction
Term
gloat
 Definition
to look at or think about with great satisfaction
Term
impediment
 Definition
a barrier, obstruction
Term
impotent
 Definition
powerless; lacking strength
Term
labyrinth
 Definition
a complicated network of winding passages; a maze
Term
maelstrom
 Definition
whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind
Term
nihilism
 Definition
a total objection of established laws
Term
shard
 Definition
a fragment
Term
adventitious
 Definition
accidental; nonessential
Term
ambiguous
 Definition
open to more than one interpretation
Term
bona fide
 Definition
in good faith
Term
cataclysm
 Definition
a violent change
Term
deviate
 Definition
to turn aside from a course, to stray
Term
edify
 Definition
to improve someone morally
Term
extenuate
 Definition
to lessen seriousness by providing partial excuses
Term
fecund
 Definition
fertile, productive
Term
glower
 Definition
to stare angrily
Term
impale
 Definition
to pierce with sharp stake through the body
Term
importune
 Definition
to ask persistantly; to beg
Term
obfuscate
 Definition
to confuse; to bewilder
Term
optimum
 Definition
best; ideal; most favorable
Term
parochial
 Definition
local; narrow; limited
Term
pedestrian
 Definition
ordinary or dull
Term
baroque
 Definition
overly decorated
Term
besmirch
 Definition
to make dirty; to stain
Term
celibate
 Definition
abstaining from intercourse; unmarried
Term
debacle
 Definition
a complete failure; a total collapse
Term
demeanor
 Definition
behavior; manner of conducting oneself
Term
facetious
 Definition
comical; jocular; flippant
Term
fortuitous
 Definition
happening by chance or accident
Term
hedonism
 Definition
persuit of pleasure, especially of the senses
Term
imperative
 Definition
extremely necessary; vitally important
Term
obloquy
 Definition
strong disapproval; a bad reputation resulting from public criticism
Term
perfunctory
 Definition
done without care; in a routine
Term
quasi-
 Definition
resembling; seeming; half
Term
recapitulate
 Definition
to summarize; to repeat briefly
Term
sacrosanct
 Definition
extremely holy
Term
sadistic
 Definition
deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on others
Term
bowdlerize
 Definition
to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc.
Term
carnal
 Definition
relating to physical appetite, especially sexual
Term
deference
 Definition
respect; consideration
Term
ebullient
 Definition
enthusiastic
Term
elegy
 Definition
a sad or mournful poem
Term
fop
 Definition
a excessively fashion-conscious man
Term
impair
 Definition
to weaken; to cause to become worse
Term
imprecation
 Definition
a curse
Term
nebulous
 Definition
hazy, vague, uncertain
Term
non sequitur
 Definition
something that does not logically follow
Term
panegyric
 Definition
an expression of praise
Term
pedantic
 Definition
tending to show off one's learning
Term
quandary
 Definition
a puzzling situation; a dilemma
Term
rakish
 Definition
carefree; dashing; jaunty
Term
sanguine
 Definition
cheerful; optomistic
Term
affluence
 Definition
wealth; richness
Term
amoral
 Definition
lacking a sense of right or wrong
Term
antipathy
 Definition
an intense dislike
Term
banal
 Definition
common, ordinary
Term
bedlam
 Definition
a noisy uproar; a scene of wild confusion
Term
denoument
 Definition
an outcome; a result
Term
elucidate
 Definition
to make clear
Term
eschew
 Definition
to keep away from; to avoid; to shun
Term
imminent
 Definition
to likely happen; threatening
Term
obdurate
 Definition
stubborn; hardhearted
Term
onerous
 Definition
burdensome; heavy; hard to endure
Term
parody
 Definition
a work which immitates another in a rediculous manner
Term
peruse
 Definition
to read carefully; scrutinize
Term
scurrilous
 Definition
coarsely abusive; vulgar
Term
sedulous
 Definition
hard working; diligent
Term
adroit
 Definition
skillful; clever
Term
affectation
 Definition
a phony attitude; pose
Term
bovine
 Definition
pertaining to cows or cattle
Term
callow
 Definition
young and inexperienced
Term
dichotomy
 Definition
a division of two parts
Term
fatuous
 Definition
foolish; inane
Term
ferret
 Definition
to search or drive out
Term
knell
 Definition
sound made by a bell, often rung slowly for a death or funeral
Term
laconic
 Definition
using few words; short; concise
Term
macroscopic
 Definition
visible to the naked eye
Term
patent
 Definition
evient or obvious
Term
peccadillo
 Definition
a minor offense; a misdeed
Term
quiddity
 Definition
an essential quality
Term
rationalize
 Definition
to make an excuse for
Term
sagacious
 Definition
wise; having keen perception and sound judgement
Term
agape
 Definition
open mouthed, surprise, agog
Term
carcinogen
 Definition
causing cancer
Term
censure
 Definition
to criticize sharply
Term
deride
 Definition
to ridicule; to mock
Term
gambol
 Definition
to frolic; to romp about playfully
Term
gibe
 Definition
to scoff, to ridicule
Term
grotesque
 Definition
absurd, distorted
Term
hackneyed
 Definition
commonplace, overused
Term
immolate
 Definition
to kill someone as a sacrificial victim, usually by fire
Term
imperious
 Definition
domineering, haunty
Term
martinet
 Definition
a strict disciplinarian, taskmaker
Term
neologism
 Definition
a new word or expression
Term
olfactory
 Definition
pertaining to smell
Term
quagmire
 Definition
a swamp, a difficult or inextricable situation
Term
recondite
 Definition
difficult to understand, profound
Term
blanch
 Definition
to whiten, to make pale
Term
chimerical
 Definition
imaginary, fantastic
Term
eclectic
 Definition
choosing from various sources
Term
finesse
 Definition
diplomacy, tact, artful management
Term
grandiose
 Definition
impressive, showy, magnificent
Term
harbinger
 Definition
an omen or sign
Term
heterogeneous
 Definition
different, dissimilar
Term
hybrid
 Definition
anything of mixed origin
Term
idiosyncracy
 Definition
a peculiar personality trait
Term
machination
 Definition
an evil design or plan
Term
masochist
 Definition
one who enjoys his or her own pain and suffering
Term
nubile
 Definition
suitable for marraige in age and physical development, referring to a female
Term
pejorative
 Definition
having a negative effect, insulting
Term
raiment
 Definition
clothing, garments
Term
sapient
 Definition
wise, full of knowledge
Term
adulterate
 Definition
to make impure; to contaminate
Term
bucolic
 Definition
pertaining to the countryside; rural; rustic
Term
caveat
 Definition
a warning
Term
defile
 Definition
to pollute; to corrupt
Term
diadem
 Definition
a crown
Term
emanate
 Definition
to come forth; to send forth
Term
garish
 Definition
tastelessly gaudy
Term
gratuitous
 Definition
unnecessary or uncalled for
Term
idolatry
 Definition
excessive or blind adoration; worship of an object
Term
immutable
 Definition
unchangeable; fixed
Term
impecunious
 Definition
without money, penniless
Term
impious
 Definition
disrespectful toward God
Term
onus
 Definition
a burden, responsibility, obligation
Term
redolent
 Definition
having a pleasant odor; suggestive or evocative
Term
sedition
 Definition
rebellion or resistance against the government
Term
cessation
 Definition
a stopping, a discontinuance
Term
delineate
 Definition
to describe, to depict
Term
desiccated
 Definition
dried up
Term
elixir
 Definition
a supposed remedy for all ailments
Term
epitome
 Definition
a typical example
Term
fetish
 Definition
an object that receives respect or devotion
Term
fissure
 Definition
an opening, a groove, a split
Term
garrulous
 Definition
talkative
Term
juxtapose
 Definition
to place side-by-side for comparison
Term
kinetic
 Definition
pertaining to motion
Term
lachrymose
 Definition
tearful, weepy
Term
languid
 Definition
sluggish, drooping from weakness
Term
legerdemain
 Definition
sleight of hand, deception
Term
libertine
 Definition
one who leads an immoral life
Term
scintillate
 Definition
to sparkle, to twinkle, to sparkle intellectually
Term
badinage
 Definition
playful, teasing talk
Term
bilious
 Definition
bad tempered, cross
Term
blandishment
 Definition
flattery
Term
debauchery
 Definition
corruption, self-indulgence
Term
fastidious
 Definition
hard to please, fussy
Term
garner
 Definition
to gather, to acquire
Term
gumption
 Definition
courage and initiative, common sense
Term
halcyon
 Definition
calm, pleasant
Term
hegira
 Definition
flight, escape
Term
kismet
 Definition
destiny, fate, fortune (one's lot in life)
Term
malapropism
 Definition
a word humorously misused
Term
milieu
 Definition
environment, setting
Term
necromancy
 Definition
magic, especially that practiced by a witch
Term
paradigm
 Definition
a model, an example
Term
regress
 Definition
to move backward
Term
animosity
 Definition
hatred
Term
brevity
 Definition
briefness; short duration
Term
cataract
 Definition
a large waterfall
Term
despicable
 Definition
hateful, contemptible
Term
empathy
 Definition
an understanding of another's feelings
Term
harlequin
 Definition
a clown
Term
hoi polloi
 Definition
the common people; the masses
Term
impinge
 Definition
to encroach, to trespass
Term
nirvana
 Definition
a place or condition of great bliss/peace/happiness
Term
obsequious
 Definition
servile or fawning, teacher's pet
Term
offal
 Definition
garbage, waste parts
Term
redundant
 Definition
repetitive
Term
salutary
 Definition
healthful
Term
savant
 Definition
a learned person
Term
sentient
 Definition
of or capable of perception; conciousness
Term
aggrandize
 Definition
1. to increase the range of
2. to make appear larger
Term
bombast
 Definition
impressive but meaningless language
Term
deign
 Definition
to lower oneself before an inferior
Term
elicit
 Definition
to draw forth; to call forth
Term
endemic
 Definition
confined to a particular country or area
Term
flaunt
 Definition
to show off
Term
mendacious
 Definition
lying, false, deceitful
Term
obviate
 Definition
to prevent, to get around
Term
orthography
 Definition
correct spelling
Term
paleontology
 Definition
a science dealing with the prehistoric life through the study of fossils
Term
panache
 Definition
self-confidence, a showy manner
Term
paroxysm
 Definition
a sudden outburst, a fit
Term
recoil
 Definition
to retreat, to draw back
Term
saturnine
 Definition
gloomy, sluggish
Term
shibboleth
 Definition
a word or pronounciation that distinguishes someone as of a particular group
Term
aesthetic
 Definition
pertaining to beauty
Term
chaff
 Definition
worthless matter
Term
egregious
 Definition
remarkably bad; outrageous
Term
empirical
 Definition
based on practical experience rather than theory
Term
flaccid
 Definition
flabby
Term
foment
 Definition
to stir up, to incite
Term
germane
 Definition
relevant, fitting
Term
hallow
 Definition
to make holy
Term
hermetic
 Definition
tightly sealed
Term
hospice
 Definition
a shelter for travelers, orphans, or the ill or destitute
Term
meretricious
 Definition
attractive in a cheap, flashy way
Term
orifice
 Definition
mouth, opening
Term
perdition
 Definition
damnation, ruin, hell
Term
querulous
 Definition
complaining, grumbling
Term
ratiocinate
 Definition
to reason, to think
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