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GRE 800 Essential words
GRE words
191
Language - English
Graduate
06/03/2009

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Term
¨ÞȆ$hN+€€ (¶000 ¨%Þ8  ¨†^ ˆ
Definition
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Term
¨ÞȆ$hN+€€ (¶000 ¨%Þ8  ¨†^ ˆ
Definition
.o h¶x(0`ÿÿÿ€€€€€€€ €€ ÀÀÀ€€€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ ÿÿ ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿôOÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøwÿô/ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿHˆhBO4ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿˆ÷pw†BVÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿˆgppw††…$ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøpppw‡hˆ„/ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿö„wpppwwgˆ†ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷hpwppwwxÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿgwpppwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿugppwwwppwppwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿør€wwwwwpÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿø„pwwwwwpwpwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷ˆppwwwwwwppÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿˆgwwwwwwwpÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ‡ðppwwwwpwwwpÿÿÿÿÿÿÿñt‡wwwwpppÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿövpppwwwwwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷ˆwwwpwwpÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿGˆpwwwpwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿwðpppwwwwwpOÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ‡pwwwwwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøxppppwwwpwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøtpwwwwwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿðˆpppwwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ€÷pppppppppÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿw`vˆwpÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿôxp†lfgwppÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøŒfÆfÇhwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷ˆflflflfhwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ€gÆfìvlnGlhˆpÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿp‡ffÆlndìfnNgÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿx€vÆfnfÆænÎfìprÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿõp†fÎÆÎnÎÆfÎf€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷…lnffävfæìfèpOÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿðgflnlnÎnÆnNhÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ‡‡lvlæfåæævì`ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøpvNdææÎnNnÎn€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿap†äæÇnfæìææè€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿpŽÎNfæìnngnfÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷ffììnÎlæìæèÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷pxffæænnnngÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿwpwhfÎìæì€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿwwˆfææpÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷w††ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷xwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ‡pÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿþÿþÿÿþÿþÿÿþÿüÿþÿüÿüÿøÿüÿøÿøÿøÿøÿøÿøÿðÿøÿàÿðÿàÿàÿàÿàÿàÿàÿÀÿàÿ€?ÿÀÿ€?ÿ€ÿ€?ÿ€ÿ€ÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿüÿþüÿüüÿüüÿüøÿüøÿøðÿøðÿððÿðàÿðà?ÿàð?ÿàðÿððÿððÿÿðøÿÿðøÿÿøÿÿÿøÿøÿÿÿÿÿ€ÿÿÿøÿÿüÿÿÿÿ( @ÿÿÿÿ€€€€€€€€€€€€ÀÀÀÀ€€€€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøt$ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿøgˆdoÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ&‡pˆ†Oÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ…ppww‡ˆeÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ†wwxÿÿÿÿÿøWppwpwtÿÿÿÿÿ÷gwwwpÿÿÿÿÿˆ€pwwwwpÿÿÿÿÿˆ€wwwwwppÿÿÿÿÿtwwwÿÿÿÿÿøgppwpwppÿÿÿÿÿ÷‡wpwÿÿÿÿÿHwwwwÿÿÿÿÿˆpppwwwppÿÿÿÿÿxppppwwwpÿÿÿÿÿöxÿÿÿÿÿø‡vwpppÿÿÿÿÿ÷€fÆewpÿÿÿÿÿgwldnlfwÿÿÿÿÿˆwfnÆvlffÿÿÿÿÿÿxÆlfÎÎNÈÿÿÿÿÿø€vlænhfäçÿÿÿÿÿ÷‡ŒnÆfnnÎ`ÿÿÿÿÿøpNfænÆææpÿÿÿÿÿÿôæÆfìîÎæÿÿÿÿÿÿønfìnfæÇÿÿÿÿÿÿÿpwxfænfçÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ‡xfæ`ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿpppxwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷wÿÿÿÿÿÿÿàÿÿÿàÿÿÀÿÿÀ?ÿÀÿ€ÿ€ÿÿÿþþüüüøøø?ð?ððààÿàÿÀÿÀÿÀÿàÿàÿðÿÿÿÿøÿ(0ÿÿÿÿ€€€€€€€€€€€€ÀÀÀÀ€€€€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿVÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿhxROÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ‡pwxhOÿÿÿÿÿø‡pwxˆÿÿÿÿ€pwpwÿÿÿÿhwwpÿÿÿˆpwwwwpÿÿÿöˆwwwÿÿÿø€wwpwpÿÿÿøwwwÿÿÿˆppwpwwÿÿÿÿ‡pwwÿÿÿôwwpppÿÿÿøwffwpÿÿÿøwFÆlv‡ÿÿÿgxlæfdæ€ÿÿÿÿ‡|æfnÎÎxÿÿÿÿwvfÆìæfÿÿÿô‡fÎnfîgÿÿÿÿ€fææÎÆàÿÿÿÿÿ‡wvnnæwÿÿÿÿÿ÷pwfuÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿwÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿþþþþüþüüüüøüøøðøððððàðààààÀàÀÀ€?À€?€€€€€Àÿ€àÿÀÿÿà( ÿÿÿÿ€€€€€€€€€€€€ÀÀÀÀ€€€€ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿñ†Oÿÿÿÿÿöpwˆoÿÿÿøppoÿÿgwwÿÿ‡wppÿÿô€wwÿÿøpwwÿÿ÷pppÿÿWŒwÿÿ‡flgpÿÿÿ~Æælèÿÿóxnlæÿÿôvlænÿÿÿw~vçÿÿÿÿpwwÿÿÿø
Term
Abate
Definition

to decrease; reduce

Nasa announced that it would delay the launch of the manned spacecraft until the radiation from the solar flares abated

Term
abdicate
Definition

to give up a position, right or power

 

Romulus Augustus, the last Western Roman emperor, was forced to abdicate the throne in 476 A.D., and the Germanic chieftain Odovacar became the de facto ruler of Italy

Term
aberrant
Definition

deviating from what is normal

 

When a person's behavior becomes aberrant, his or her peers may become concerned that the individual is becoming a deviant

Term
abeyance
Definition

temporary suppression or suspension

 

A good judge must hold his or her judgement in abeyance until all the facts in a case have been presented

Term
abject
Definition

miserable; pitiful

 

John Steinbeck's novel the Grapes of Wrath portrays the abject poverty of many people during the Great Depression

Term
abjure
Definition

to reject; abandon formally

 

Most members of the Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as the Quakers or Friends) abjure the use of violence to settle disputes between nations

Term
abscission
Definition

the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant

 

Two scientists, Alan G. Williams and Thomas G. Whitham, have hypothesized that premature leaf abscission is an adaptive plant response to herbivorous attack

Term

abscond

Definition

to depart secretly

 

A warrant is out for the arrest of a person believed to have absconded with three million dollars

Term

abstemious

 

Definition

moderate in appetite

 

Some research suggests that people with an abstemious lifestyle tend to live longer than people who indulge in their appetites

Term
abstinence
Definition

the giving up of certain pleasures

 

The monk's vow of abstinence includes all intoxicating substances

Term
abysmal
Definition

very bad

 

The abysmal failure of the free market system in Russia has led some people to argue that the planned economy of the Soviet Union, while not perfect, was better suited to Russia's history and culture than Western-style capitalism

Term
accretion
Definition

growth in size or increase in amount

 

In the 1960s, the American geophysicist Harry Hess conceived the idea of sea-floor spreading, a process in which the new crust in the ociean is continually generated by igneous processes at the crests of the mid-oceanic ridges, causing a steady accretion of the crust

Term
Accrue
Definition

to accumulate; grow by additions

 

If a person continues to accrue debt, it will be harder for him to get approved for a home loan.

Term
adamant
Definition

uncompromising; unyielding

 

Despite widespread opposition to his plan, the party's leader is adamant that it must move to the center to appeal to moderate voters.

Term
adjunct
Definition

something added, attached, or joined

 

Speed walking, cross-country running, and marathons are normally regarded as adjuncts of track and field athletics since races in these sports are not normally held on a track.

Term
admonish
Definition

to caution or reprimand

 

The judge admonished the jury to discount testimony that had been ruled inadmissible

Term
adulterate
Definition

to corrupt or make impure

 

The unscrupulous company sells an adulterated version of the drug, and doesn't inform consumers that they are getting a less efficacious drug than they think they are getting

Term
aesthetic
Definition

relating to beauty or art

 

Members of the English aesthetic movement, such as Oscar Wilde, were proponents of the doctrine of art for art's sake, which is the belief that art cannot and should not be useful for any purpose other than that of creating beauty.

Term
affected
Definition

pretentious, phony

 

It has been argued that the emphasis on so-called "proper English" leads to unnatural and affected speech

Term
affinity
Definition

fondness; liking; similarity

 

The female students in the class felt an affinity for the ancient Greek playwrite Euripides because he sympathized with women, slaves, and other despised members of his society

Term
aggrandize
Definition

to make larger or greater

 

One of the concerns of the framers of the U.S. Constitution was that one branch of government would try to aggrandize itself at the expense of the others.

Term
aggregate
Definition

amounting to a whole; total

 

the aggregate wealth of a country includes private as well as public resources and possesions.

Term
alacrity
Definition

cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed

 

The football coach was pleased to see the team get to work on the task of improving its tackling skills with alacrity

Term
Alchemy
Definition
medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation
Term
allay
Definition

to lessen; ease; soothe

 

Improvements in antivirus software have allayed many people's fears of having their computers "infected" with malicious software.

 

 

Term
alleviate
Definition

to relieve; improve partially

 

 

Term
alloy
Definition

a combination; a mixture of two or more metals

 

Scientists formulate alloys to create properties that are not possessed by natural metals or other substances.

Term
allure
Definition

the power to entice by charm

 

Political groups in the US often lobby Congress to use the allure of America's vast market as an incentive for countries to pursue policies in accordance with America policies

Term
amalgamate
Definition

to combine into a unified whole

 

In early 1999, six municipalities were amalgamated into an enlarged city of Toronto, Canada

Term
ambiguous
Definition

unclear or doubtful in meaning

 

The gender of the Mahayana Buddhist deity Avalokitesuara, the god of infinite mercy, is ambiguous in both China and Japan, where the god is sometimes called a goddess

Term
ambivalence
Definition

the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes

 

John felt some ambivalence about getting married before finishing college

Term
ambrosia
Definition

something delicious; the food of the gods

 

the combination of flavors in the Moroccan baked eggplant was pure ambrosia

Term
ameliorate
Definition

to improve

 

Knowing they could not stop the spread of a contagion in a few days, health authorities worked to inhibit its spread and to ameliorate its effects by issuing warnings to the public and initiating immunization programs.

Term
amenable
Definition

agreeable; cooperative; suited

 

The young writer is anenable to suggestions for improving her prose style to make it more interesting

Term
amenity
Definition

something that increases comfort

 

Many amenities considered normal and necessary by people in developed countries, such as indoor plumbing, were luxuries only a few generations ago

Term
amulet
Definition
ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
Term
anachronism
Definition

something out of the proper time

 

Some experts regard the retirement age of 65 as an anachronism at a time when people in the developed world have much longer life expectancies than previously

Term
analgesic
Definition

medication that reduces or eliminates pain

 

Aspirin is a powerful analgesic

Term
analogous
Definition

comparable

 

the psychology researcher's experiment postulates that the brain is analogous to a digital computer

Term
anarchy
Definition

absence of government; state of disorder

 

The American philospher Robert Nozick does not advocate anarchy; rather, he argues for the merits of a minimal state that would not violate the natural rights of individuals

Term
anodyne
Definition

something that calms or soothes pain

 

Some people use alcohol as an anodyne to numb their emotional pain

Term
anomalous
Definition

irregular; deviating from the norm

 

The psychologist discounted the anomalous behavior of the soldier, saying it was merely a short-term effect of the stress of battle

Term
antecedent
Definition

something that comes before

 

Historical factors, such as increased emphasis on the individual, the invention of printing, and the rise of the bourgeoisie, contributed to make the Reformation, which had its antecedents in the reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church, into a much broader phenomenon that created powerful churches that grew to rival the original church.

Term
antediluvian
Definition

prehistoric

 

Most of our knowledge of antediluvian times has been built up as a result of one of humanity's grandest collaborative endeavors-the gathering, identification, dating, and categorization of fossils as they are discovered

Term
antipathy
Definition

dislike; hostility

 

Heathcliff, the protaganist of Emily Bronte's novel Wurthering Heights, feels great antipathy for Edgar Linton, the man who marries the woman he loves

Term
apathy
Definition

indifference

 

Apathy was high in the election because there was not major controversy or issue to arouse voter interest

Term
apex
Definition

the highest point

 

In English literature, classicism reached its apex in the poetry of Alexander Pope and the other Augustans

Term
apogee
Definition

the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point

 

The Ottoman Empire reached its apogee in the seventeenth century, when it controlled a territory running from Budapest to North Africa

Term
apothegm (apopthegm)
Definition

a terse, witty saying

 

One of the best-known political apothegms was written by the British historian, Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Term
appease
Definition

to calm; pacify; placate

 

Many historians have criticized British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for trying to appease Adolf Hitler in the 1930s

 

Term
appellation
Definition

name

 

The discovery of the bones of a person with the appellation Kennewick Man in the state of Washington in 1996 has raised important questions about who the earliest people to populate America were.

Term
apposite
Definition

strikingly appropriate and relevant

 

The writer searched two dictionaries and a thesaurus before finding the perfectly apposite word he was looking for

Term
apprise
Definition

to inform

 

Nadine Cohoda's biography of the blues singer Dinah Washington keeps the reader apprised of the racism black Americans had to endure

Term
approbation
Definition

praise; approval

 

The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest approbation an American Soldier can receive

Term
appropriate
Definition

to take possession for one's own use; confiscate

 

The invading army appropriated supplies from the houses of the local people

Term
apropos
Definition

relevant

 

Apropos of nothing, the speaker declared that the purpose of life is love

Term
arabesque
Definition

ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body

 

The ballerina stunned the audience with her perfectly executed arabesque

Term
archeology
Definition

the study of material evidence of past human life

 

Carbon-14 dating is of great use in archeology because it can determine the age of specimens as old as 35,000 years, but it is of less use in geology because most of the processes studied in this field occurred millions of years ago.

Term
ardor
Definition

great emotion or passion

 

The twentieth-century American Poet Wallace Stevens said, "It is the unknown that excites the ardor of scholars, who, in the known alone, would shrivel up with boredom."

Term
arduous
Definition

extremely difficult; laborious

 

The task of writing a research paper is arduous, but if it is broken down into logical steps it becomes less daunting.

Term
argot
Definition

specialized vocabulary used by a group

 

Writers of crime fiction often use the argot of criminals and detectives to create a realistic atmosphere

Term
arrest
Definition
to stop; seize
Term
artifact
Definition

item made by human craft

 

Marxists contend that appreciation of art has declined because capitalism has trained people to perceive human artifacts as commodities, and has alienated people from nature, their true humanity, and their creations

Term
artless
Definition

guiless; natural

 

The source of the meaning of artless as guiless is the poet John Dryden, who wrote of William Shakespeare in 1692: "Such artles beauty lies in Shakespeare's wit...".

Term
ascetic
Definition

one who practices self-denial

 

Muslim ascetics consider the internal battle against human passions a greater jihad than the struggle against infidels

Term
asperity
Definition

severity; harshness; irritability

 

In his autobiography Gerald Trywhitt, the British writer, composer, artist, and aesthete, recounts a humorous incident: "Many years later when I was sketching Rome, a grim-looking Englishwoman came up to me and said with some asperity, 'I see  you are painting MY view.'"

Term
aspersion
Definition

slander; false rumor

 

The Republic of Singapore is a young democracy, and its leaders often respond strongly to journalists and other who cast aspersions on their integrity.

Term
assiduous
Definition

diligent; hard-working

 

The assiduous people of Hong Kong live in a territory with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

Term
assuage
Definition

to make less severe

 

 

Term
astringent
Definition

harsh; severe

 

Bob tends to nick himself when he shaves, so he uses an astringent aftershave to stop the bleeding

Term
asylum
Definition

place of refuge or shelter

 

The Stoic, accused of seeking asylum in the consolations of philosophy, rebutted this charge, saying that Stoicism is simply the most prudent and realistic philosophy to follow.

Term
atavism
Definition

in biology, the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence

 

Some modern political theorists reject nationalism as a tribal atavism

Term
attentuate
Definition

to weaken

 

Modern digital radio equipment allows even signals tha have been greatly attentuated to be transmitted by one station and received by another station

Term
audacious
Definition

bold; daring

 

The German army commander Erwin Rommel was known as the "Desert Fox" as a result of his audacious surprise attacks on Allied forces in WWII

Term
austere-adj.
Definition

Stern; unadorned

 

deism is an austere belief that reflects the predominant philosphy of the Age of Enlightenment: a universe symmetrical and governed by rationality.

Term
autonomous-adj.
Definition

self-governing; independent

 

Some biologists have theorized that our belief in our ability to act as autonomous agents is in conformity with the theory of evolution because it gives us a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives that helps us to survive.

Term

avarice- n.

 

Definition

greed

 

Successful investment bankers are sometimes accused of avarice; their defenders, however, say that they are simply very good at what they do and should be rewarded accordingly.

Term
aver (v.)
Definition

to affirm; declare to be true

 

Yogis aver that everyone has a guru, whether it be a person, God, or the experiences of the world, that helps him or her practice the yoga that is in accordance with his or her nature, and assists on the path toward enlightenment.

Term
avocation (adj.)
Definition

secondary occupation

 

Dan became so proficient at his avocation-computer programming-that he is thinking of giving up his job as a teacher to do it full time.

Term
avuncular (adj)
Definition

like an uncle; benevolent and tolerant

 

Walter Cronkite, who was the anchorman of CBS News during much of the 1970s and 1980s, had an avuncular manner that made him one of America's most trusted personalities.

Term
axiomatic (adj)
Definition

taken for granted

 

In 19th century geology, uniformitarianism was the antithesis of catastrophism, asserting that it was axiomatic that natural law and processes do not fundamentally change, and that what we observe now is essentially the same as what occured in the past.

Term
bacchanalian (adj)
Definition

pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry

 

For some people New Year's Eve is an occasion for bacchanalian revelry.

Term
banal (adj)
Definition

commonplace; trite

 

The writer has a gift for making even the most banal observation seem important and original.

Term
banter (n)
Definition

playful conversation

 

The governer engaged in some banter with reporters before getting to the serious business of the news conference.

Term
bard (n)
Definition

poet

 

The great bards of English literature have all been masters of the techniques of verse.

Term
bawdy (adj)
Definition

obscene

 

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is the story of a group of Christian pilgrims who entertain one another with stories, ranging from the holy to the bawdy, on their journey to Canterbury Cathedral.

Term
beatify (v)
Definition

to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virture to

 

in the year 2000 Pope John Paul II traveled to Fatima in Portugal to beatify two of the three children who said they saw the appearance of the Virgin Mary there in 1917.

Term
bedizen (v)
Definition

to dress in a vulgar, showy manner

 

Paul went to the costume party bedizened as a seventeenth century French aristocrat.

Term
behemoth (n)
Definition

huge creature; anything very large and powerful

 

In the 1980s, the trend in American business was toward increased privitization of government industries (such as power generation), partly because it was believed that private industry is more efficient and partly because foreign private companies were becoming commercial behemoths, outstripping government owned companies in competitiveness.

Term
belie (v)
Definition

to contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression

 

 The boxer's childlike face belies the ferocity with which he can attack opponents in the ring.

Term
beneficent (adj)
Definition

kindly; doing good

 

The theologian discussed the question of why a beneficent and omnipotent God allows bad things to happen to good people.

Term
bifurcate (v)
Definition

to divide into two parts

 

Contemporary physicists generally bifucate their discipline into two parts-classical physics and modern physics; the former are the fields of study that were already well developed before the momentous breakthroughs of the early twentieth century by scientists such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Werner Heisenber, which inaugurated the age of modern physics.

Term
blandishment (n)
Definition

flattery

 

Despite the salesperson's blandishments,  Donna did not buy the car.

Term
blasé (adj)
Definition

bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned

 

We were amazed by John's blasé attitude toward schools; he seemed to have made it a rule never to open a book.

Term
bolster (v)
Definition

to give a boost to; prop up; support

 

The president has visited the state several times to bolster his sagging popularity there.

Term
bombastic (adj)
Definition

pompous; using inflated language

 

Nearly lost in the senator's long, bombastic speech were several sensible ideas.

Term
boorish (adj)
Definition

rude; insensitive

 

Bob apologized for his boorish behavior at the party, saying he hadn't realized that it was such a formal occasion.

Term
bovine (adj)
Definition

cowlike

 

Following the slow-moving group of students up the long path to the school's entrance, the "bovine" popped into the English teacher's mind.

Term
brazen (adj)
Definition

bold; shameless

 

The brazen student irritated his teacher by saying that he could learn more from a day spent "surfing" the web than a day spent in school.

Term

broach (v)

 

Definition

to mention for the first time

 

Steve's boss knew that she couldn't put off warning him about his poor performance and decided to broach the subject the next time she saw him.

Term
bucolic (adj)
Definition

characteristic of the countryside; rustic; pastoral

 

The south end of Toronto's beautiful High Park is a bucolic expanse of land that is perfect for anyone wanting a quiet walk.

Term
burgeon (v)
Definition

to flourish

 

After WWI, the increased speed of industrialization and the burgeoning world population resulted in such an increase in pollution that it began to be recognized by some people as a threat to the human habitat, Earth.

Term
burnish (v)
Definition

to polish

 

The poet T.S. Eliot burnished his reputation as one of the master poets of the 20th century with Four Quartets, four long poems published between 1936 and 1942.

Term
buttress (v)
Definition

to reinforce; support

 

Some critics of the American legal system argue that the requirement of proving guilt "beyond reasonable doubt" is too difficult a criterion to use, and buttress their case by citing the fact that objective studies suggest that only a very small number of criminals are successfully prosecuted.

Term
cadge (v)
Definition

to beg; sponge

 

An enduring image of the Great Depressing in America is the out-of-work man cadging money with the line, "Hey, mister, can you spare a dime for a cup of coffee?"

Term
callous (adj)
Definition

thick-skinned; insensitive

 

Jim's terrible experiences in the war have made him callous about the suffering of others.

 

Term
calumny (n)
Definition

false and malicious accusation; slander

 

"Be though chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny."

 

Term
canard (n)
Definition

false, deliberately misleading story

 

Most politicians do not want to be associated with the old canard that big government in Washington can solve all of America's problems.

Term
canon (n)
Definition

an established principle; a basis or standard for judgement; a group of literary works

 

Canons of aesthetic taste vary over the years; the Rococo period, for example, valued ornate art.

Term
cant (n)
Definition

insincere talk; language of a particular group

 

Many of the beat artists of the 1950s reacted against what they regarded as the cant of bourgeois society.

Term
cantankerous (adj)
Definition

irritable; ill-humored

 

Many of us have in our minds the stereotype of the cantankerous old man who is constantly complaining about something or other.

Term
capricious (adj)
Definition

fickle

 

The rule of las is regarded by many historians as one of humanity's great achievements because since its inception citizens are no longer subject to capricious decisions and penalites of rulers.

Term
captious (adj)
Definition

faultfinding; intended to entrap, as in an argument

 

The pedantic and captious critic seems incapable of appreciating the merits of even the most highly regarded books.

 

Term
cardinal (adj)
Definition

of foremost importance

 

The cardinal rule of any weight-loss diet must be limiting the intake of calories.

Term
carnal (adj)
Definition

of the flesh or body; related to physical appetites

 

The yogi's goal is to achieve nirvana through, among other things, the overcoming of carnal desires.

Term
carping (v)
Definition

to find fault; complain

 

Cost-benefit analysis owes much of its origin to utilitarian thought; despite the carping of critics that such analysis is based on faulty premises, the technique has proved useful in many areas.

Term
cartography (n)
Definition

science of making maps

 

Satellites in Earth orbit take pictures of topography that have greatly aided cartography

Term
caste (n)
Definition

any of the hereditary social classes of Hindu society; social stratification

 

The dalits, formerly know as untouchables, are at the bottom of the thousands of castes that make up Indian society.

Term
castigation (n)
Definition

punishment; chastisement; criticism

 

Many British writers recall with loathing the castigation they received at school.

Term
cataclysm (n)
Definition

a violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change

 

The French Revolution of 1789 was a cataclysm whose effects are still felt today.

Term
catalyst (n)
Definition

something that causes change

 

Among the catalysts of the Romantic movement were the libertarian ideals of the French revolution.

Term
categorical (adj)
Definition

absolute; without exception

Although incest is categorically forbidden by every state, recent evidence that marriage between cousins is no more likely to produce abnormal offspring than "normal" marriages may allow the constitutionality of bans on marriage between cousins to be challenged.

Term
caucus (n)
Definition

smaller group within an organization

 

The workers formed an informal caucus to discuss their difficulties

Term
causal (adj)
Definition

involving a cause

 

The philospher Plato believed there is a causal relationship between income inequality, on the one hand, and political discontent and crime, on the other hand; in his Laws he quantified his argument, contending that the income of the rich should be no more than five times that of the poor, and he proposed policies to limit extremes of wealth and poverty.

Term
caustic (adj)
Definition

sarcastically biting; burning

 

The columnist's caustic comments on government policy did not win her any friends among government officials.

Term
celestial (adj)
Definition

concerning the sky or heavens; sublime

 

Astronomers make use of the Doppler effect to measure the velocities and distance from Earth of stars and other celestial objects.

Term
centrifugal (adj)
Definition

moving away from a center

 

As the empire expanded, there was an ever-increasing centrifugal objects.

Term
centripetal (adj)
Definition

movign or directed toward a center

 

Astronomers calculate that the centripetal force exerted by the Earth's gravity on the Moon will keep in orbit around the Earth for billions of years.

Term
champion (v)
Definition

to defend or support

 

Robin Hood is famous for championing the underdogs of England.

Term
chasten (v)
Definition

to correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue

 

The child's behavior improved after she had been chastened by punishment.

Term
chicanery (n)
Definition

trickery; fraud

 

The governor ordered an audit to investigate alleged financial chicanery.

Term
chivalry (n)
Definition

the qualities in idealized by knighthood such as bravery and gallantry toward women

 

Chivalry was rooted in Christian values, and the knight was bound to be loyal to Christian ideals; the Crusades enhanced this idea, as knights vowed to uphold Christianity against heathens.

Term
churlish (adj)
Definition

rude; boorish

 

According to the chivalric code, a knight was never supposed to be churlish, especially toward noble ladies, to whom he was supposed to be unfailingly gentle and courteous.

Term
circuitous (adj)
Definition

roundabout

 

According to Hindu philosphy, some souls take a circuitous path through many births to reach God.

Term
clairvoyant (n)
Definition

one who can predict the future; psychic

 

Edgar Cayce was a famous clairvoyant who some people believed was able to go into a trance during which he was in touch with a spiritual realm.

Term
clamor (n)
Definition

noisy outcry

 

Over the past 12 years or so the voices clamoring  for better protection over the Earth's rain forests have increased dramatically.

Term
clique (n)
Definition

a small, exclusive group

 

The principal of the high school is concerned that one clique of students is dominating the student council.

Term
cloister (v)
Definition

to confine; seclude

 

The writer cloistered herself in a country house to finish her novel.

cloistered (adj): shut away from the world

 

The journalist described the large American philanthropic foundations as arrogant, elitist, and cloistered

Cloister (n): monastery or convent

Term
coagulate (v)
Definition

thicken; congeal

 

In normal individual, blood begins to coagulate about 20 seconds after a wound is sustained, thus preventing further bleeding.

Term
coalesce (v)
Definition

to cause to become one

 

President John F. Kennedy said that Americans must be vigilant so that the interests of business and the military do not coalesce and thus undermine those of society as a whole.

Term
coda (n)
Definition

concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes

 

The coda of the Danish composer Per Norgard's Sixth Symphony seems to return to the serene sounds of the opening.

Term
codify (v)
Definition

to systematize

 

The state legislature voted to codify regulations governing banking fraud.

Term
cognizant (adj)
Definition

informed; conscious; aware

 

O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is a simple evocation of a young couple's love for one another; a story in which a husband and wife in straitened circumstances each sacrifices to buy a Christmas present for the other, not cognizant of what the other is doing.

Term
collage (n)
Definition

artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage of diverse elements

 

The couple's wedding reception was decorated with pictures collages of the two of them.

Term
commensurate (adj)
Definition

proporational

 

In the US, malpractice suits have raised the cost of medicine because doctors must pay more for insurance, and thus increase their fees commensurately.

Term
compendium (n)
Definition

brief, comprehensive summary

 

The Mozart Compendium: A guide to Mozart's Life and Music by H.C. Robbins Landon is a convenient reference for finding information about the life and music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Term
complacent (adj)
Definition

self-satisfied

 

Although Tom received an "A" on his midterm exam, Professor Donovan warned him not to become complacent since the work in the second term would be harder.

Term
complaisant (adj)
Definition

overly polite; willing to please; obliging

 

Although France and Germany have a close relationship, neither would consider the a complaisant ally.

Term
complement (n)
Definition

something that completes or makes up a whole

 

Some people envision chess developing into a game played at the highest levels between teams of humans and computers, each complementing the other and providing investigators with insight into the cognitive processes of each.

Term
ablution
Definition

act of cleansing, esp. as a religious ritual

 

The Prophet went with him for the prayer without performing a new ablution.

 

 

Term
abnegate (v.)
Definition

to deny, renounce, give up (claims, rights, etc)

 

The minister abnegated the luxuries of life.

Term
abrogate (v)
Definition

to abolish or invalidate by authority

 

to abrogate a law

Term
abstruse (adj)
Definition

hard to understand/comprehend

obsolete, secret, hidden

 

The professor's long, abstruse theory confused the entire class

 

Term
abut (v)
Definition

to touch, be in contact with

to lie adjacent to one another or share a boundary

 

This piece of land abuts on a street. Canada abuts upon the US

Term
acerbic (adj)
Definition

bitter, sharp in taste or temper

 

Lemon juice is acerbic. The editor delivered acerbic criticism to the unskilled writer.

Term
acme (n)
Definition

highest point, summit

 

The young business man was at the acme of his career.

Term
acquiesce (v)
Definition

to agree or comply in silence

 


accede, concur; capitulate.

 

The board acquiesced halfheartedly in the new business plan.

Term
adumbrate (v)
Definition

to sketch, outline in a shadowy way

foreshadow, prefigure

to darken or conceal partially, obscure

 

Synonyms: foretell, indicate, obfuscate, obscure, blur, outline, insinuate

 

On the first day of class, Professor Smiley decided to adumbrate the course expectations and assignments, while also making a mental tally of which girls were “hot” and which were “not.”

Term
aerie (n)
Definition

nook or nest buit high in the air

a house, fortress, or the like, located high on a hill or mountain

 

Synonyms: Brood, penthouse

 

Joe lives in a sleek, 20th-floor aerie with a spectacular view of the city.

Term
altruism (n)
Definition

unselfish concern for others' welfare

 

Synonyms: benevolence, charity, humanitarianism, kindness,magnanimity, philanthropy, public spirit, selflessness, social conscience

 

Julian’s altruism is evident in the way he spends his time, including the ten hours per week that he spends volunteering at the homeless shelter.

Term
ambulatory (adj)
Definition

itinerant; walking around

not stationary

 

Synonyms: ambulant, itinerant, nomadic, perambulant, perambulatory, peripatetic, roving, vagabond, vagrant

 

The couple went on an abulatory exploration of the French countryside

 

Term
amortize (v)
Definition

to diminish by installment payments

liquidate gradually

 

He obtained a mortgage with the interest payments amortized over the life of the loan.

Term
ancillary (adj)
Definition

accessory; subordinate; helping; secondary

 

Synonyms:  additional, adjuvant, appurtenant, attending, coincident, collateral, concomitant, contributory, incident,  subservient, subsidary

 

Your arguments are ancillary to the central theme of this discussion.

Term
anthropomorphic (adj)
Definition

attributing human qualities to non-humans; having human qualities

 

Synonyms: anthropoid, anthropomorphous, humanlike, humanoid; characteristic of people

 

the Holy Bible, as well as the Quran, often uses anthropomorphic language to describe God's relations with man. 

Term
aplomb (n)
Definition

poise; confidence

 


1.
composure, equanimity, imperturbability.


1.
confusion, discomposure; doubt, uncertainty.
The prom queen spoke with great aplomb when accepting her award.
Term
apostate (n)
Definition

one who forsakes a religious faith

 

Paul's speeches show him to be a pious Israelite and no apostate from the Law

 

Term
apothegm (n)
Definition

a short, instructive saying

 

Nothing hits harder, or sticks longer in the memory, than an apothegm.

 

Synonyms: aphorism, apophthegm

Term
apotheosis (n)
Definition

deification; glorified ideal

 

Their leader was the apotheosis of courage

 

Synonyms:  deification (n), exaltation (n), ideal (n), nonesuch (n), nonpareil (n), nonsuch (n), paragon (n), saint (n).

Term
arboreal (adj)
Definition

pertaining to trees; living in trees

 

Koalas are arboreal; they spend most of their time in trees

 

Synonyms: arborary, arborical, arborous, arboreous, tree-living

Term
balk (v)
Definition

to refuse, shirk; prevent

 

He balked at making the speech.

Synonyms: check, retard, obstruct, impede, prevent

Term
beatific (adj)
Definition

saintly, angelic

 

the baby had a beatific smile.

Synonyms:  serene, exalted, angelic, rapturous.

Term
bilious (adj)
Definition

easily irritated, relating to bile; extremely distateful or unpleasant

 

Molly's bilious demeanor made her ill-suited for a job in customer service, and she was let go from the position after two weeks.

 

Synonyms: grumpy, crabby, cross, grouchy, dyspeptic.

Term
benison (n)
Definition

blessing

 

The travelers stopped at the tiny country church and sought the benison of the priest before continuing their arduous journey.

 

Synonyms: blessing, benediction, consecration, grace, approval

Term
bulwark (n)
Definition

defense wall; anything serving as a defense

 

The new dam was a bulwark against future floods.

synonyms: support, buttress, mainstay, barrier.

Term
bonhomie (adj)
Definition

good-natured manner; atmosphere of good cheer; friendliness; geniality

 

We look forward every year to champagne and eggs benedict, served up with
plenty of bonhomie, at our friend's annual New Year's Day brunch.

 

Synonyms: affability, affableness, amiability, amiableness, geniality

 

Term
cajole (v)
Definition

to flatter, coax, persuade

 

The athlete cajoled a signing bonus out of the team's owner.

synonyms: blarney, coax, inveigle, palaver, sweet-talk

Term
calamitous (adj)
Definition

disastrous; catasrophic

 

The Romans faced a calamitous defeat

synonyms: catastrophic, ruinous, devastating.

Term
carom (v)
Definition

to strike and rebound

 

The car caromed off the guardrail into the ditch.

synonyms: glance, ricochet

Term
cavalcade (n)
Definition

a procession; a succession or series

 

The Macy's Thanksgiving day parade is a cavalcade of floats, marching bands, and performance artists.

synonyms: parade, retinue

Term
chagrin (n)
Definition

shame, embarrassment, humiliation

 

To her chagrin, the party ended just as she arrived.

Term
charlatan (n)
Definition

quack, fake

 

The charlatan was able to trick all but the most wise people of the town

 

Synonyms: impostor, mountebank, fraud, fake, phony

Term
chattel (n)
Definition

piece of personal property

 

People do not like to be treated like chattel.

Synonyms: belongings, capital, effects, gear, goods, slave, wares


Term
chimerical (adj)
Definition

fanciful, imaginary, visionary, impossible

 

The young man made chimerical plans to becoming wildly successful.

Term
choleric (adj)
Definition

easily angered, short-tempered

 

The choleric old man yelled at the children who walked on his lawn.

Synonyms: wrathful, testy, impatient, touchy, bilious

Term
cistern (n)
Definition

tank for rainwater, reservoir

 

In the corner of the room there is an iron cistern filled with water.

 

 

 

Term
coffer (n)
Definition

strongbox, large chest for money

 

 

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