Term
|
Definition
candor, openness, honesty, frankness. In his memoir about the
Vietnam War, former defense secretary McNamara describes his mistakes
with remarkable candor. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
capitulate, to surrender or cease resisting. After many proposals
over a number of years, the young woman finally decided to capitulate
and marry her suitor. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
carnivorous, meat-eating. The long, dagger-like teeth of
the Tyrannosaurus make it obvious that this was a carnivorous dinosaur. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cataloguing, creating a list or register. The man was so busy
cataloguing his library that he had no time to read. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
censure, blame, condemnation. The news that Senator Packwood
had harassed several women brought censure from many feminists. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
characterize, to describe the qualities of. Although I am reluctant
to characterize the man, I must say that he seems to me dishonest
and untrustworthy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
chauvinism, a prejudiced belief in the superiority of one’s own
group. The company president’s refusal to hire any women for upper
management was indicative of his male chauvinism. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
circuitous, winding or indirect. We drove to the cottage by
a circuitous route, so we could see as much of the surrounding countryside
as possible. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
circumlocution, speaking in a roundabout way; wordiness. Legal
documents often contain circumlocutions which make them difficult to
understand. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
circumscribe, to define by a limit or boundary. Originally, the
role of the executive branch of government was clearly circumscribed,
but that role has greatly expanded over time. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
circumvent, to get around. When Jerry was caught speeding, he
tried to circumvent the law by offering the police officer a bribe. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cogent, forceful and convincing. The committee members
were won over to the project by the cogent arguments of the chairman. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cognizant, aware, mindful. Cognizant of the fact that it was
getting late, the master of ceremonies cut short the last speech. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cohesive, sticking together, unified. An effective military
unit must be a cohesive team, all its members working together toward a
common goal. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
colloquial, informal in language; conversational. Some expressions
from Shakespeare, such as the use of thou and thee, sound
formal today but were colloquial English in Shakespeare’s time. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
communal, of or pertaining to a group. Rather than have
dinner separately, the members of the team chose to have a communal
meal. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
conciliatory, seeking agreement, compromise, or reconciliation.
As a conciliatory gesture, the union leaders agreed to postpone
a strike and to continue negotiations with management. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
expressed briefly and simply; succinct. Less than
a page long, the Bill of Rights is a concise statement of the freedoms
enjoyed by all Americans. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
conditioned, trained or prepared for a specific action or process.
In Pavlov’s famous experiments, by ringing a bell when he was about
to feed them, he conditioned his dogs to salivate at the sound of the bell. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
condolence, pity for someone else’s sorrow or loss; sympathy.
After the sudden death of Princess Diana, thousands of messages of
condolence were sent to her family. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
configuration, the arrangement of the parts or elements of something.
The configuration of players on a baseball field is governed both
by tradition and by the rules of the game. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
conjure, to call to mind or evoke. The scent of magnolia always
conjures up images of the old South. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
connoisseur, an expert capable of acting as a critical judge.
There was no question that the woman’s discriminating palate made her
a connoisseur of vintage wines. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
constructive, serving to advance a good purpose. Although
simply complaining about someone’s behavior generally does no good,
constructive criticism can sometimes bring about positive change. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
consummate, to complete, finish, or perfect. The deal was consummated
with a handshake and the payment of the agreed-upon fee. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
contaminate, to make impure. Chemicals dumped in a nearby
forest had seeped into the soil and contaminated the local water supply. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
contemporary, modern, current; from the same time. I prefer
old fashioned furniture rather than contemporary styles. The composer
Vivaldi was roughly contemporary with Bach. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
contraband, goods or merchandise whose exportation, importation,
or possession is illegal. Illegal drugs smuggled across the border
are considered contraband by U.S. legal authorities. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
convergence, the act of coming together in unity or similarity.
A remarkable example of evolutionary convergence can be seen in the
shark and the dolphin, two sea creatures that developed from different
origins to become very similar in form. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
converse, something which is contrary or opposite. While women
often wear clothes similar to those of men, the converse is generally not
true. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
convoluted, twisting, complicated, intricate. Tax law has
become so convoluted that it’s easy for people to accidentally violate it. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
coveted, to desire something belonging to another. Although the
law firm associate congratulated his co-worker on becoming a partner,
in his heart he had coveted the position. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
credulity, willingness to believe, even with little evidence. Con
artists fool people by taking advantage of their credulity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
criterion, a standard of measurement or judgment. (The plural
is criteria.) In choosing a design for the new taxicabs, reliability will be
our main criterion. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
culpable, deserving blame, guilty. Although he committed
the crime because he was mentally ill, he should not be considered culpable
for his actions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cultivate,to foster the growth of. She was so impressed on first
hearing Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos that she decided to return to
school to cultivate her knowledge of Baroque music. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cumulative, made up of successive additions. Smallpox was
eliminated only through the cumulative efforts of several generations of
doctors and scientists. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
customary, commonly practiced or used. It is considered
customary for a groom to give his best man a gift either immediately
before or after the wedding. |
|
|
