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1st Semester Exam Review
King High School, English-Dickerson
83
English
10th Grade
01/12/2010

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Cards

Term
acrimony
Definition
–noun
sharpness, harshness, or bitterness of nature, speech, disposition,
etc.: The speaker attacked him with great acrimony.
Term
alacrity
Definition
–noun
cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness: We accepted the invitation with alacrity.
Term
arbitrary
Definition
–adjective
subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision.
Term
alluvial
Definition
–adjective
Sand, silt, clay, gravel, or other matter deposited by flowing water, as in a riverbed, floodplain, delta, or alluvial fan.
Term
askance
Definition
–adverb
1. with suspicion, mistrust, or disapproval: He looked askance at my offer.
2. with a side glance; sidewise; obliquely.
Term
assiduous
Definition
–adjective
constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive: an assiduous student.
Term
auricular
Definition
–adjective
of or pertaining to the ear or to the sense of hearing; aural.
Term
bellicose
Definition
–adjective
inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious.
Term
bizarre
Definition
–adjective
markedly unusual in appearance, style, or general character and often involving incongruous or unexpected elements; outrageously or whimsically strange; odd: bizarre clothing; bizarre behavior.
Term
blandishments
Definition
–noun
Often, blandishments. something, as an action or speech, that tends to flatter, coax, entice, etc.: Our blandishments left him unmoved. We succumbed to the blandishments of tropical living.
Term
boreal
Definition
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to the north wind.
2. of or pertaining to the north.
Term
broach
Definition
–verb
to mention or suggest for the first time: to broach a subject.
to break the surface of water; rise from the sea, as a fish or a submarine.
Term
bucolic
Definition
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to shepherds; pastoral.
2. of, pertaining to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life.
Term
capricious
Definition
–adjective
subject to, led by, or indicative of caprice or whim; erratic: He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.
Term
castigate
Definition
–verb
1. to criticize or reprimand severely.
2. to punish in order to correct.
Term
circumspect
Definition
–adjective
1. watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent: circumspect behavior.
2. well-considered: circumspect ambition.
Term
chromatic
Definition
–adjective
pertaining to color or colors.
Term
cogitate
Definition
–verb (used without object)
1. to think hard; ponder; meditate: to cogitate about a problem.
–verb (used with object)
2. to think about; devise: to cogitate a scheme.
Term
composure
Definition
–noun
serene, self-controlled state of mind; calmness; tranquillity: Despite the hysteria and panic around him, he retained his composure.
Term
conjecture
Definition
–noun
1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof.
2. an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; guess; speculation.
Term
coquette
Definition
–noun
a woman who flirts lightheartedly with men to win their admiration and affection; flirt.
Term
convolvulus
Definition
–noun
any plant belonging to the genus Convolvulus, of the morning glory family, comprising twining or prostrate plants having trumpet-shaped flowers.
Term
culpable
Definition
–adjective
deserving blame or censure; blameworthy.
Term
denizens
Definition
–noun
an inhabitant; resident.
Term
desecrate
Definition
–verb (used with object)
1. to divest of sacred or hallowed character or office.
2. to divert from a sacred to a profane use or purpose.
3. to treat with sacrilege; profane.
Term
desultory
Definition
–adjective
lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
Term
diffident
Definition
–adjective
1. lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
2. restrained or reserved in manner, conduct, etc.
3. Archaic: distrustful.
Term
dilemma
Definition
–noun
1. a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
2. any difficult or perplexing situation or problem.
Term
disconsolate
Definition
–adjective
without consolation or solace; hopelessly unhappy; inconsolable: Loss of her pet dog made her disconsolate.
Term
dire
Definition
–adjective,
causing or involving great fear or suffering; dreadful; terrible: a dire calamity.
Term
dissolution
Definition
–noun
1. the act or process of resolving or dissolving into parts or elements.
2. the resulting state.
Term
ecclesiastical
Definition
–adjective
of or pertaining to the church or the clergy; churchly; clerical; not secular.
Term
effete
Definition
–adjective 1. lacking in wholesome vigor; degenerate; decadent: an effete, overrefined society.
2. exhausted of vigor or energy; worn out: an effete political force.
Term
emaciated
Definition
–adjective
marked by abnormally leanness or thinbess by a gradual wasting away of flesh.
Term
escalate
Definition
–verb
to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc.: to escalate a war; a time when prices escalate.
Term
expletive
Definition
–noun
an interjectory word or expression, frequently profane; an exclamatory oath.
Term
expostulate
Definition
–verb
to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate: His father expostulated with him about the evils of gambling.
Term
expunge
Definition
–verb
to strike or blot out; erase; obliterate.
2. to efface; wipe out or destroy.
Term
façade
Definition
–noun
An artificial or deceptive front: ideological slogans that were a façade for geopolitical power struggles.
Term
felicitous
Definition
–adjective
well-suited for the occasion, as an action, manner, or expression; apt; appropriate: The chairman's felicitous anecdote set everyone at ease.
Term
fibrils
Definition
–noun
a small or fine fiber or filament.
Term
flummery
Definition
–noun, plural
complete nonsense; foolish humbug.
Term
fortuitous
Definition
–adjective
1. happening or produced by chance; accidental: a fortuitous encounter.
2. lucky; fortunate: a series of fortuitous events that advanced her career.
Term
garish
Definition
–adjective
1. crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration.
2. excessively ornate or elaborate, as buildings or writings.
Term
genial
Definition
–adjective
warmly and pleasantly cheerful; cordial: a genial disposition; a genial host.
Term
gratuitous
Definition
–adjective
1. given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary.
2. being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult.
Term
haze
Definition
–noun
an aggregation in the atmosphere of very fine, widely dispersed, solid or liquid particles, or both, giving the air an opalescent appearance that subdues colors.
Term
indictment
Definition
–noun
any charge, accusation, serious criticism, or cause for blame.
Term
infraction
Definition
–noun
breach; violation; infringement: an infraction of the rules.
Term
insipid
Definition
–adjective
without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid: an insipid personality.
Term
lacerating
Definition
–verb
to tear roughly; mangle: The barbed wire lacerated his hands.
Term
latent
Definition
–adjective
present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential: latent ability.
Term
lucid
Definition
–adjective
clear; pellucid; transparent.
Term
obsequious
Definition
–adjective
characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning: an obsequious bow.
Term
obscure
Definition
–adjective
not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain: an obscure sentence in the contract.
Term
odious
Definition
–adjective
1. deserving or causing hatred; hateful; detestable.
2. highly offensive; repugnant; disgusting.
Term
opaque
Definition
–adjective
not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.
Term
optimistic
Definition
–adjective
disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.
Term
ostensible
Definition
–adjective
1. outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness.
2. apparent, evident, or conspicuous: the ostensible truth of their theories.
Term
pacifying
Definition
–verb
to bring or restore to a state of peace or tranquillity; quiet; calm: to pacify an angry man.
Term
palpable
Definition
–adjective
1. readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident: a palpable lie; palpable absurdity.
2. capable of being touched or felt; tangible.
Term
palatable
Definition
–adjective
1. acceptable or agreeable to the palate or taste; savory: palatable food.
2. acceptable or agreeable to the mind or feelings: palatable ideas.
Term
parable
Definition
–noun
a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
Term
penitential
Definition
–adjective
of, pertaining to, proceeding from, or expressive of penitence or repentance.
Term
periphery
Definition
–noun
1. the external boundary of any surface or area.
2. the external surface of a body.
3. the edge or outskirts, as of a city or urban area.
Term
perplex
Definition
–verb
to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally: Her strange response perplexed me.
Term
pessimistic
Definition
–adjective
pertaining to or characterized by pessimism; gloomy: a pessimistic outlook.
Term
phlegm
Definition
–noun
sluggishness, indifference, or apathy.
Term
phlegmatic
Definition
–adjective
not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish.
Term
prevail
Definition
–verb
to succeed; become dominant; win out: to wish that the right side might prevail.
Term
prosaic
Definition
–adjective
commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative: a prosaic mind.
Term
putative
Definition
–adjective
commonly regarded as such; reputed; supposed: the putative boss of the mob.
Term
quivered
Definition
–verb
to shake with a slight but rapid motion; vibrate tremulously; tremble.
Term
temerity
Definition
–noun
reckless boldness; rashness.
Term
reprehensible
Definition
–adjective
deserving of reproof, rebuke, or censure; blameworthy.
Term
resolve (n.)
Definition
–noun
a resolution or determination made, as to follow some course of action.
Term
resolve (v.)
Definition
–verb
to come to a determination; make up one's mind; determine (often fol. by on or upon): to resolve on a plan of action.
Term
sedulous
Definition
–adjective
diligent in application or attention; persevering; assiduous
Term
self-abnegation
Definition
–noun
self-denial or self-sacrifice.
Term
specious
Definition
–adjective
apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments.
Term
syntax
Definition
–noun
system or orderly arrangement.
Term
viands
Definition
–noun
an article of food.
Term
vacillate
Definition
–verb
1. to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute: His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader.
2. to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger.
3. to oscillate or fluctuate.
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