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abase-appendage
100
English
Undergraduate 1
04/06/2010

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Term
abase
Definition
belittle (someone)
Term
abate
Definition
(of something hostile) become less intense or widespread
Term
abdicate
Definition
(of a monarch) to relinquish ones thrown
Term
aberration
Definition
a departure from what is expected, usually for the worse
Term
abet
Definition
encourage or assist someone to commit (a crime)
Term
abeyance
Definition
a state of disuse or suspension
Term
abhor
Definition
regard with disgust or hatred
Term
abhorrent
Definition
inspires disgust or loathing, repungnant
Term
abjure
Definition
solemnly renounce (a belief, claim, or faith)
Term
abomination
Definition
a thing that causes disgust or hatred
Term
aboriginal
Definition
(of humans, plants, or animals) inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times
Term
abound
Definition
exist in large numbers or amounts
Term
abrade
Definition
to wear off or down by scraping or rubbing
Term
abridge
Definition
to shorten (a book, movie, or speech) without losing the sense
Term
abrogate
Definition
to do away with (a right or formal agreement)
Term
abscond
Definition
to leave secretly, typically after an unlawful act, such as theft
Term
absolve
Definition
to free from blame
Term
abstemious
Definition
not indulgent, esp. when eating or drinking
Term
abstinence
Definition
restraining oneself from indulgence, typically drinking
Term
abstruse
Definition
difficult to understand, obscure
Term
abysmal
Definition
informal or extremely bad, appalling
Term
accede
Definition
assent or agree to a request or treaty
Term
accentuate
Definition
make more noticeable or prominent
Term
accolade
Definition
an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit
Term
accrue
Definition
(of sums of money or benefits) be received by someone in regular or increasing amounts over time

make provision for (a charge) at the end of a financial period for work done but not yet invoiced
Term
acculturation
Definition
assimilate or cause to assimilate a different culture, typically the dominant one
Term
acerbic
Definition
(esp. of comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright
Term
acquiesce
Definition
accept reluctantly but without protest
Term
acquisitive
Definition
excessively interested in acquiring money or material wealth
Term
acquit
Definition
free (someone) from a criminal charge

conduct oneself or perform in a specific way
Term
acrimonious
Definition
(typically of speech or argument) angry and bitter
Term
acronym
Definition
a word from the first letters of other words
Term
acumen
Definition
the ability to make good decisions or judgments, typically in a particular field
Term
acute
Definition
(of bad, difficult, or unwelcome phenomenon or situation) experienced to a severe or intense degree

having or showing a perceptive understanding or insight, shrewd
Term
adage
Definition
a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth
Term
adherent
Definition
someone who prefers a particular person, party, or set of ideas
Term
adjunct
Definition
a thing added to something else as a supplementary rather than an essential part
Term
admonish
Definition
warn or reprimand someone firmly
Term
adulate
Definition
praise someone excessively or obsequiously
Term
adulterate
Definition
render (something) inferior by adding another substance, typically an inferior one
Term
adumbrate
Definition
report or represent in outline

foreshadow or symbolize

overshadow
Term
adventitious
Definition
happening or carried on by chance, rather than design or inherent nature
Term
advocate
Definition
a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy

publicly recommend or support
Term
aesthetic
Definition
concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement
Term
affable
Definition
friendly, good natured, or easy to talk to
Term
affectation
Definition
behavior, speech, or writing that is artificial and designed to impress

a studied display of real or pretended feeling
Term
affidavit
Definition
a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation, for use as evidence in court
Term
affinity
Definition
a spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something

similar characteristics that suggest a relationship, especially similarity in structure in plants, animals, or languages
Term
affliction
Definition
something that causes pain or suffering
Term
affront
Definition
an action or remark that causes outrage or offense

offend the modesty or values of
Term
aftermath
Definition
the consequences or aftereffects of an event, esp. when unpleasant
Term
aggrandize
Definition
increase the power, status, or wealth of
Term
aggrieve
Definition
to oppress or wrong grievously, injure by injustice
Term
aghast
Definition
filled with horror or shock
Term
alacrity
Definition
brisk and cheerful readiness
Term
alchemy
Definition
the medieval forerunner of chemistry. based on the supposed transformation of matter. concerned with turning base metals into gold or to find a universal elixir
Term
alienate
Definition
cause (someone) to feel isolated or estranged

cause (someone) to become unsympathetic or hostile
Term
allege
Definition
claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof that this is the case
Term
allegiance
Definition
loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause
Term
alleviate
Definition
make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe
Term
allocate
Definition
distribute (resources or duties) for a particular purpose
Term
allot
Definition
give or apportion (something) to someone as a share or task
Term
alloy
Definition
a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, esp. to give stronger greater strength or resistance to corrosion

to combine; mix

to debase by the addition of an inferior element
Term
allusion
Definition
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it
Term
altruism
Definition
the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well being of others
Term
amalgamate
Definition
combine or unite to form one organization or structure
Term
amass
Definition
gather together or accumulate (a large amount or number of valuable material or things) over a period of time
Term
ambiguous
Definition
(of language) open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning
Term
ambivalent
Definition
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
Term
ameliorate
Definition
make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better
Term
amenable
Definition
(of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled
Term
amiable
Definition
having or displaying a friendly or pleasant manner
Term
amid
Definition
surrounded by, in the middle of
Term
amnesty
Definition
an official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses
Term
amoral
Definition
lacking moral sense; unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something
Term
amorphous
Definition
without a clearly defined shape or form

vague, ill-organized; unclassifiable
Term
anachronism
Definition
a thing belonging to a period other than that in which it exists, esp. something that is conspicuously old-fashioned
Term
anagram
Definition
a word formed by rearranging the letters of another, such as cinema, formed from iceman
Term
analogy
Definition
a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification
Term
anarchy
Definition
a state of disorder due to the absence of or nonrecognition of authority
Term
anathema
Definition
someone or something that one vehemently dislikes
Term
ancillary
Definition
providing the necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an industry, organization, institution, or system
Term
anecdote
Definition
a short and amusing or interesting story about a real person or incident
Term
anhydrous
Definition
(of a substance esp. a crystalline compound) containing no water
Term
animosity
Definition
strong hostility
Term
anomaly
Definition
something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected
Term
antecedent(s)
Definition
a thing or event that existed before or logically

precedes another
a persons ancestors or family and social background
Term
antedate
Definition
precede in time; come before (something) in date

indicate that (a document or event) should be assigned to an earlier date
Term
anterior
Definition
near the front, esp situated near the front of the body, or nearer to the head or forepart

(formal) coming before in time
Term
antipathy
Definition
a deep-seated feeling of dislike, aversion
Term
antiquity
Definition
the ancient past, esp, before the middle ages

great age
Term
antithesis
Definition
a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else

a figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas are expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other, such as "hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins"
Term
apathy
Definition
lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern
Term
aperture
Definition
an opening, hole, or gap
Term
aphorism
Definition
a pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
Term
apocryphal
Definition
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, though widely circulated as being true
Term
apostasy
Definition
the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief
Term
apotheosis
Definition
the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax

the elevation of someone to divine status, deification
Term
appalling
Definition
awful; terrible
Term
appendage
Definition
(often with negative or pejorative connotations) a thing that is added or attached to something larger or more important
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