M-L WordList

malodorous

adj. foul-smelling. The compost heap was most malodorous in summer.

mandatory

adj. obligatory. These instructions are mandatory; any violation will be severely punished.

mediocre

adj. ordinary; commonplace. We were disappointed because he gave a rather mediocre performance in this role.

mauve

adj. pale purple. The mauve tint in the lilac bush was another indication that spring had finally arrived.

meager

adj. scanty; inadequate. Still hungry after his meager serving of porridge, Oliver Twist asked for a second helping.

masticate

v. chew. We must masticate our food carefully and slowly in order to avoid digestive disorders.

mannered

adj. affected; not natural. Attempting to copy the style of his wealthy neighbors, Gatsby adopted a mannered, artificial way of speech.

magniloquent

adj. boastful, pompous. In their stories of the trial, the reporters ridiculed the magniloquent speeches of the defense attorney.

mercurial

adj. capricious; changing; fickle. Quick as quicksilver to change, he was mercurial in nature and therefore unreliable.

maudlin

adj. effusively sentimental. Whenever a particularly maudlin tearjerker was playing at the movies, Marvin would embarrass himself by weeping copiously.

macabre

adj. gruesome; grisly. The city morgue is a macabre spot for the uninitiated.

merger

n. combination (of two business corporations). When the firm's president married the director of financial planning, the office joke was that it wasn't a marriage, it was a merger.

marsupial

n. one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch. The most common marsupial in North America is the opossum.

memento

n. token; reminder. Take this book as a memento of your visit.

malaise

n. uneasiness; vague feeling of ill health. Feeling slightly queasy before going onstage, Carol realized that this touch of malaise was merely stage fright.

mammal

n. vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young. Many people regard the whale as a fish and do not realize that it is a mammal.

manumit

v. emancipate; free from bondage. Enlightened slave owners were willing to manumit their slaves and thus put an end to the evil of slavery in the country.

matriculate

v. enroll (in college or graduate school). Incoming students formally matriculate at our college in a special ceremony during which they sign the official register of students.

magisterial

adj. authoritative; imperious. The learned doctor laid down the law to his patient in a magisterial tone of voice.

manifest

adj. evident; visible; obvious. Digby's embarrassment when he met Madonna was manifest: his ears turned bright pink, he kept scuffing one shoe in the dirt, and he couldn't look her in the eye.

malicious

adj. hateful; spiteful. Jealous of Cinderella's beauty, her malicious stepsisters expressed their spite by forcing her to do menial tasks. malice, N.

marked

adj. noticeable; targeted for vengeance. He walked with a marked limp, a souvenir of an old IRA attack. As British ambassador, he knew he was a marked man.

manifold

adj. numerous; varied. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your manifold kindnesses.

marital

adj. pertaining to marriage. After the publication of his book on marital affairs, he was often consulted by married people on the verge of divorce.

metaphysical

adj. pertaining to speculative philosophy. The modern poets have gone back to the fanciful poems of the metaphysical poets of the seventeenth century for many of their images. metaphysics, N.

metallurgical

adj. pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores. During the course of his metallurgical research, the scientist developed a steel alloy of tremendous strength.

maniacal

adj. raging mad; insane. Though Mr. Rochester had locked his mad wife in the attic, he could still hear her maniacal laughter echoing throughout the house. maniac, N.

maculated

adj. spotted; stained. Instead of writing that Gorbachev had a birthmark on his forehead, the pompous young poet sang of the former premier's maculated brow.

menial

adj. suitable for servants; lowly; mean. Her wicked stepmother forced Cinderella to do menial tasks around the house while her ugly stepsisters lolled around painting their toenails. also N.

martial

adj. warlike. The sound of martial music inspired the young cadet with dreams of military glory.

malevolent

adj. wishing evil. lago is a malevolent villain who takes pleasure in ruining Othello. malevolence, N.

mendicant

n. beggar. "0 noble sir, give alms to the poor," cried Aladdin, playing the mendicant. mendicancy, N.

malapropism

n. comic misuse of a word. When Mrs. Malaprop criticizes Lydia for being "as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile," she confuses "allegory" and "alligator" in a typical malapropism.

mentor

n. counselor; teacher. During this very trying period, she could not have had a better mentor, for the teacher was sympathetic and understanding.

malediction

n. curse. When the magic mirror revealed that Snow White was still alive, the wicked queen cried out in rage and uttered dreadful maledictions.

manifesto

n. declaration; statement of policy. The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels proclaimed the principles of modern communism.

machinations

n. evil schemes or plots. Fortunately, Batman saw through the wily machinations of the Riddler and saved Gotham City from destruction by the forces of evil.

malefactor

n. evildoer; criminal. Mighty Mouse will save the day, hunting down malefactors and rescuing innocent mice from peril.

■malingerer

n. one who feigns illness to escape duty. The captain ordered the sergeant to punish all malingerers and force them to work. malinger, v.

martyr

n. one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer. By burning her at the stake, the English made Joan of Arc a martyr for her faith. Mother played the martyr by staying home to clean the house while the rest of the family went off to the beach.

mandate

n. order; charge. In his inaugural address, the president stated that he had a mandate from the people to seek an end to social evils such as poverty and poor housing. also v.

manifestation

n. outward demonstration; indication. Mozart's early attraction to the harpsichord was the first manifestation of his pronounced musical bent.

madrigal

n. pastoral song. Her program of folk songs included several madrigals that she sang to the accompaniment of a lute.

masochist

n. person who enjoys his own pain. The masochist begs, "Hit me." The sadist smiles and says, "I won't."

materialism

n. preoccupation with physical comforts and things. By its nature, materialism is opposed to idealism, for where the materialist emphasizes the needs of the body, the idealist emphasizes the needs of the soul.

maxim

n. proverb; a truth pithily stated. Aesop's fables illustrate moral maxims.

■maverick

n. rebel; nonconformist. To the masculine literary establishment, George Sand with her insistence on wearing trousers and smoking cigars was clearly a maverick who fought her proper womanly role.

meditation

n. reflection; thought. She reached her decision only after much meditation.

matriarch

n. woman who rules a family or larger social group. The matriarch ruled her gypsy tribe with a firm hand.

malfeasance

n. wrongdoing. The authorities did not discover the campaign manager's malfeasance until after he had spent most of the money he had embezzled.

memorialize

v. commemorate. Let us memorialize his great contribution by dedicating this library in his honor.

mediate

v. settle a dispute through the services of an outsider. King Solomon was asked to mediate a dispute between two women, each of whom claimed to be the mother of the same child.

meander

v. wind or turn in its course. Needing to stay close to a source of water, he followed every twist and turn of the stream as it meandered through the countryside.

renounce

v. abandon; disown; repudiate. Even though she knew she would be burned at the stake as a witch, Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that her voices came from God. renunciation, N.

refrain

v. abstain from; resist.

wean

v. accustom a baby not to nurse; give up a cherished activity. He decided he would wean himself away from eating junk food and stick to fruits and vegetables.

temporize

v. act evasively to gain time; avoid committing oneself. Ordered by King John to drive Robin Hood out of Sherwood Forest, the sheriff temporized, hoping to put off any confrontation with the outlaw band.

succor

v. aid; assist; comfort. If you believe that con man has come here to succor you in your hour of need, you're even a bigger sucker than I thought. also N.

waylay

v. ambush; lie in wait. They agreed to waylay their victim as he passed through the dark alley going home.

nettle

v. annoy; vex. Do not let her nettle you with her sarcastic remarks.

■propitiate

v. appease. The natives offered sacrifices to propitiate the gods.

■mitigate

v. appease; moderate. Nothing Jason did could mitigate Medea's anger; she refused to forgive him for betraying her.

ratify

v. approve formally; confirm; verify. Party leaders doubted that they had enough votes in both houses of Congress to ratify the constitutional amendment.

■sanction

v. approve; ratify. Nothing will convince me to sanction the engagement of my daughter to such a worthless young man.

stem from

v. arise from. Milton's problems in school stemmed from his poor study habits.

posture

v. assume an affected pose; act artificially. No matter how much Arnold boasted or postured, I could not believe he was as important as he pretended to be.

revile

v. attack with abusive language; vilify. Though most of his contemporaries reviled Captain Kidd as a notorious, bloody-handed pirate, some of his fellow merchant-captains believed him innocent of his alleged crimes.

shirk

v. avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger. Brian has a strong sense of duty; he would never shirk any responsibility.

prattle

v. babble. Baby John prattled on and on about the cats and his ball and the Cookie Monster. also N.

thwart

v. baffle; frustrate. He felt that everyone was trying to thwart his plans and prevent his success.

■relegate

v. banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign. After Ralph dropped his second tray of drinks that week, the manager swiftly relegated him to a minor post cleaning up behind the bar.

rusticate

v. banish to the country; dwell in the country. I like city life so much that I can never understand how people can rusticate in the suburbs.

seethe

v. be disturbed; boil. The nation was seething with discontent as the noblemen continued their arrogant ways.

swelter

v. be oppressed by heat. I am going to buy an air conditioning unit for my apartment as I do not intend to swelter through another hot and humid summer.

transpire

v. be revealed; happen. When Austen writes the sentence "It had just transpired that he had left gaming debts behind him," her meaning is not that the debts had just been incurred, but that the shocking news had just leaked out.

■stint

v. be thrifty; set limits. "Spare no expense," the bride's father said, refusing to stint on the wedding arrangements.

pummel

v. beat or pound with fists. Swinging wildly, Pammy pummeled her brother around the head and shoulders.

plait

v. braid; intertwine. The maypole dancers plaited bright green ribbons in their hair. also N.

nonplus

v. bring to a halt by confusion; perplex. Jack's uncharacteristic rudeness nonplussed Jill, leaving her uncertain how to react.

smolder

v. burn without flame; be liable to break out at any moment. The rags smoldered for hours before they burst into flame.

wheedle

v. cajole; coax; deceive by flattery. She knows she can wheedle almost anything she wants from her father.

rally

v. call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate. Washington quickly rallied his troops to fight off the British attack. The patient had been sinking throughout the night, but at dawn she rallied and made a complete recovery. also N.

■negate

v. cancel out; nullify; deny. A sudden surge of adrenalin can negate the effects of fatigue: there's nothing like a good shock to wake you up. negation, N.

■rescind

v. cancel. Because of the public outcry against the new taxes, the senator proposed a bill to rescind the unpopular financial measure.

revoke

v. cancel; retract. Repeat offenders who continue to drive under the influence of alcohol face having their driver's licenses permanently revoked. revocation, N.

slough

v. cast off. Each spring, the snake sloughs off its skin. also N.

pander

v. cater to the low desires of others. The reviewer accused the makers of Lethal Weapon of pandering to the masses' taste for violence.

stultify

v. cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; frustrate or hinder. His long hours in the blacking factory left young Dickens numb and incurious, as if the menial labor had stultified his mind.

■supersede

v. cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete. Bulk mailing postal regulation 326D supersedes bulk mailing postal regulation 326C. If, in bundling your bulk mailing, you follow regulation 326C, your bulk mailing will be returned. supersession, N.

nauseate

v. cause to become sick; fill with disgust. The foul smells began to nauseate her.

prompt

v. cause; provoke; provide a cue for an actor. Whatever prompted you to ask for such a big piece of cake when you're on a diet?

reprove

v. censure; rebuke. Though Aunt Bea at times would reprove Opie for inattention in church, she believed he was at heart a God-fearing lad. reproof, N.

shackle

v. chain; fetter. The criminal's ankles were shackled to prevent his escape. also N.

veer

v. change in direction. After what seemed an eternity, the wind veered to the east and the storm abated.

ossify

v. change or harden into bone. When he called his opponent a "bonehead," he implied that his adversary's brain had ossified and that he was not capable of clear thinking.

transmute

v. change; convert to something different. He was unable to transmute his dreams into actualities.

sear

v. char or burn; brand. Accidentally brushing against the hot grill, she seared her hand badly.

stanch

v. check flow of blood. It is imperative that we stanch the gushing wound before we attend to the other injuries.

stem

v. check the flow. The paramedic used a tourniquet to stem the bleeding from the slashed artery.

ruminate

v. chew over and over (mentally or, like cows, physically); mull over; ponder. Unable to digest quickly the baffling events of the day, Reuben ruminated about them till four in the morning.

vindicate

v. clear from blame; exonerate; justify or support. The lawyer's goal was to vindicate her client and prove him innocent on all charges. The critics' extremely favorable reviews vindicate my opinion that The Madness of King George is a brilliant movie.

scale

v. climb up; ascend. To locate a book on the top shelf of the stacks, Lee had to scale an exceptionally rickety ladder.

perpetrate

v. commit an offense. Oniy an insane person could perpetrate such a horrible crime.

validate

v. confirm; ratify. I will not publish my findings until I validate my results.

muddle

v. confuse; mix up. Her thoughts were muddled and chaotic. also N.

obfuscate

v. confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex. Was the president's spokesman trying to clarify the Whitewater mystery, or was he trying to obfuscate the issue so the voters would never figure out what went on?

subjugate

v. conquer; bring under control. It is not our aim to subjugate our foe; we are interested only in establishing peaceful relations.

taint

v. contaminate; cause to lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad. One speck of dirt on your utensils may contain enough germs to taint an entire batch of preserves. also N.

vie

v. contend; compete. Politicians vie with one another, competing for donations and votes.

transcribe

v. copy. When you transcribe your notes, please send a copy to Mr. Smith and keep the original for our files. transcription, N.

reconcile

v. correct inconsistencies; become friendly after a quarrel. Every time we try to reconcile our checkbook with the bank statement, we quarrel. However, despite these monthly lovers' quarrels, we always manage to reconcile.

quail

v. cower; lose heart. He was afraid that he would quail in the face of danger.

pan

v. criticize harshly. Hoping for a rave review of his new show, the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it unanimously.

pulverize

v. crush or grind into very small particles. Before sprinkling the dried herbs into the stew, Michael first pulverized them into a fine powder.

prune

v. cut away; trim. With the help of her editor, she was able to prune her manuscript into publishable form.

retrench

v. cut down; economize. If they were to be able to send their children to college, they would have to retrench.

truncate

v. cut the top off. The top of the cone that has been truncated in a plane parallel to its base is a circle.

sever

v. cut; separate. Dr. Guillotin invented a machine that could neatly sever an aristocratic head from its equally aristocratic body. Unfortunately, he couldn't collect any severance pay.

obscure

v. darken; make unclear. At times he seemed purposely to obscure his meaning, preferring mystery to clarity.

resolve

v. decide; settle; solve. Holmes resolved to travel to Bohemia to resolve the dispute between Irene Adler and the King.

wane

v. decrease in size or strength; draw gradually to an end. To wane is the opposite of to wax or increase in size. When lit, does a wax candle wane?

ordain

v. decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine. The king ordained that no foreigner should be allowed to enter the city.' The Bishop of Michigan ordained David a deacon in the Episcopal Church. The young lovers felt that fate had ordained their meeting.

mulct

v. defraud a person of something. The lawyer was accused of trying to mulct the boy of his legacy.

tarry

v. delay; dawdle. We can't tarry if we want to get to the airport on time.

render

v. deliver; provide; represent. He rendered aid to the needy and indigent.

renege

v. deny; go back on. He reneged on paying off his debt.

raze

v. destroy completely. Spelling matters: to raise a building is to put it up; to raze a building is to tear it down.

obliterate

v. destroy completely. The tidal wave obliterated several island villages.

swerve

v. deviate; turn aside sharply. The car swerved wildly as the driver struggled to regain control of the wheel.

quarry

v. dig into. They quarried blocks of marble out of the hillside.

unearth

v. dig up. When they unearthed the city, the archeologists found many relics of an ancient civilization.

sap

v. diminish; undermine. The element kryptonite had an unhealthy effect on Superman: it sapped his strength.

■recant

v. disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error. Hoping to make Joan of Arc recant her sworn testimony, her English captors tried to convince her that her visions had been sent to her by the Devil.

unravel

v. disentangle; solve. With equal ease Miss Marple unraveled tangled balls of yarn and baffling murder mysteries.

■repudiate

v. disown; disavow. On separating from Tony, Tina announced that she would repudiate all debts incurred by her soon-to-be ex-husband.

■refute

v. disprove. The defense called several respectable witnesses who were able to refute the false testimony of the prosecution's only witness. refutation, N.

perturb

v. disturb greatly. The thought that electricity might be leaking out of the empty light-bulb sockets perturbed my aunt so much that at night she crept about the house screwing fresh bulbs in the vacant spots. perturbation, N.

ramify

v. divide into branches or subdivisions. When the plant begins to ramify, it is advisable to nip off most of the new branches.

partition

v. divide into parts. Before their second daughter was born, Jason and Lizzie decided each child needed a room of her own, and so they partitioned a large bedroom into two small but separate rooms. also N.

quench

v. douse or extinguish; assuage or satisfy. What's the favorite song of the Fire Department? "Baby, Quench My Fire!" After Bob ate the heavily salted popcorn, he had to drink a pitcherful of water to quench his thirst.

tipple

v. drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently. He found that his most enjoyable evenings occurred when he tippled with his friends at the local pub. N.

swill

v. drink greedily. Singing "Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum," Long John Silver and his fellow pirates swilled their grog.

quaff

v. drink with relish. As we quaffed our ale, we listened to the gay songs of the students in the tavern.

repel

v. drive away; disgust. At first, the Beast's ferocious appearance repelled Beauty, but she came to love the tender heart hidden behind that beastly exterior.

palliate

v. ease pain; make less severe or offensive. If we cannot cure this disease at present, we can, at least, try to palliate the symptoms. palliation, N.

reverberate

v. echo; resound. The entire valley reverberated with the sound of the church bells.

reek

v. emit (odor). The room reeked with stale tobacco smoke. also N.

underscore

v. emphasize. Addressing the jogging class, Kim underscored the importance to runners of good nutrition.

weather

v. endure the effects of weather or other forces. He weathered the changes in his personal life with difficulty, as he had no one in whom to confide.

■savor

v. enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality. Relishing his triumph, Costner especially savored the chagrin of the critics who had predicted his failure.

mire

v. entangle; stick in swampy ground. Their rear wheels became mired in mud. also N.

regale

v. entertain. John regaled us with tales of his adventures in Africa.

■substantiate

v. establish by evidence; verify; support. These endorsements from satisfied customers substantiate our claim that Barron's How to Prepare for the GRE is the best GRE-prep book on the market.

scrutinize

v. examine closely and critically. Searching for flaws, the sergeant scrutinized every detail of the private's uniform.

plumb

v. examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding). Try as he would, Watson could never fully plumb the depths of Holmes's thought processes.

surpass

v. exceed. Her SAT scores surpassed our expectations.

ostracize

v. exclude from public favor; ban. As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals, his friends began to ostracize him. ostracism, N.

oust

v. expel; drive out. The world wondered if Aquino would be able to oust Marcos from office.

sustain

v. experience; support; nourish. He sustained such a severe injury that the doctors feared he would be unable to work to sustain his growing family.

probe

v. explore with tools. The surgeon probed the wound for foreign matter before suturing it. also N.

traduce

v. expose to slander. His opponents tried to traduce the candidate's reputation by spreading rumors about his past.

■reproach

v. express disapproval or disappointment. He never could do anything wrong without imagining how the look on his mother's face would reproach him afterwards. also

vent

v. express; utter. He vented his wrath on his class.

prolong

v. extend; draw out; lengthen. In their determination to discover ways to prolong human life, doctors fail to take into account that longer lives are not always happier ones.

quell

v. extinguish; put down; quiet. Miss Minchin's demeanor was so stern and forbidding that she could quell any unrest among her students with one intimidating glance.

ravel

v. fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle. A single thread pulled loose, and the entire scarf started to ravel.

■plummet

v. fall sharply. Stock prices plummeted as Wall Street reacted to the rise in interest rates.

splice

v. fasten together; unite. Before you splice two strips of tape together, be sure to line them up evenly. also N.

simulate

v. feign. She simulated insanity in order to avoid punishment for her crime.

replenish

v. fill up again. Before she could take another backpacking trip, Carla had to replenish her stock of freeze-dried foods.

rig

v. fix or manipulate. The ward boss was able to rig the election by bribing people to stuff the ballot boxes with ballots marked in his candidate's favor.

presage

v. foretell. The vultures flying overhead presaged the discovery of the corpse in the desert.

portend

v. foretell; presage. The king did not know what these omens might portend and asked his soothsayers to interpret them.

scruple

v. fret about; hesitate, for ethical reasons. Fearing that her husband had become involved in an affair, she did not scruple to read his diary. also N.

repine

v. fret; complain. There is no sense repining over the work you have left undone.

muster

v. gather; assemble. Washington mustered his forces at Trenton.

orient

v. get one's bearings; adjust. Philip spent his first day in Denver orienting himself to the city.

rationalize

v. give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable one; offer an excuse. When David refused gabby Gabrielle a ride to the dance because, he said, he had no room in the car, he was rationalizing; actually, he couldn't stand being cooped up in a car with anyone who talked as much as she did. rationalization, N.

predispose

v. give an inclination toward; make susceptible to. Oleg's love of dressing up his big sister's Barbie doll may have predisposed him to become a fashion designer. Genetic influences apparently predispose people to certain forms of cancer. predisposition, N.

relent

v. give in. When her stern father would not relent and allow her to marry Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett eloped with her suitor. relentless, ADJ.

yield

v. give in; surrender. The wounded knight refused to yield to his foe.

relinquish

v. give up something with reluctance; yield. Once you get used to fringe benefits like expense-account meals and a company car, it's very hard to relinquish them.

waive

v. give up temporarily; yield. I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision.

shimmer

v. glimmer intermittently. The moonlight shimmered on the water as the moon broke through the clouds for a moment. also N.

retrograde

v. go backwards; degenerate. Instead of advancing, our civilization seems to have retrograded in ethics and culture. also ADJ.

traverse

v. go through or across. When you traverse this field, be careful of the bull.

vouchsafe

v. grant condescendingly; guarantee. I can safely vouchsafe you fair return on your investment.

primp

v. groom oneself with care; adorn oneself. The groom stood by idly while his nervous bride-to-be primped one last time before the mirror.

■proliferate

v. grow rapidly; spread; multiply. Times of economic hardship inevitably encourage countless get-rich-quick schemes to proliferate. proliferation, N.

pall

v. grow tiresome. The study of word lists can eventually pall and put one to sleep.

surmise

v. guess. I surmise that he will be late for this meeting. also N.

maul

v. handle roughly. The rock star was mauled by his overexcited fans.

preempt

v. head off; forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself; supplant. Hoping to preempt any attempts by the opposition to make educational reform a hot political issue, the candidate set out her own plan to revitalize the public schools. preemptive, ADJ.

promote

v. help to flourish; advance in rank; publicize. Founder of the Children's Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman ceaselessly promotes the welfare of young people everywhere.

■secrete

v. hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism. The pack rat secretes odds and ends in its nest; the pancreas secretes insulin in the islets of Langerhans.

mortify

v. humiliate; punish the flesh. She was so mortified by her blunder that she ran to her room in tears.

scavenge

v. hunt through discarded materials for usable items; search, especially for food. If you need car parts that the dealers no longer stock, try scavenging for odd bits and pieces at the auto wreckers' yards. scavenger, N.

mesmerize

v. hypnotize. The incessant drone seemed to mesmerize him and place him in a trance.

subsume

v. include; encompass. Does the general theory of relativity contradict Newtonian physics, or is Newton's law of gravity subsumed into Einstein's larger scheme?

wax

v. increase; grow. With proper handling, her fortunes waxed and she became rich.

proselytize

v. induce someone to convert to a religion or belief. In these interfaith meetings, there must be no attempt to proselytize; we must respect all points of view.

prevail

v. induce; triumph over. He tried to prevail on her to type his essay for him.

wreak

v. inflict. I am afraid he will wreak his vengeance on the innocent as well as the guilty.

pry

v. inquire impertinently; use leverage to raise or open something. Though Nora claimed she didn't mean to pry, everyone knew she was just plain nosy. With a crowbar Long John Silver pried up the lid of the treasure chest.

misconstrue

v. interpret incorrectly; misjudge. She took the passage seriously rather than humorously because she misconstrued the author's ironic tone.

rankle

v. irritate; fester. The memory of having been jilted rankled him for years.

sequester

v. isolate; retire from public life; segregate; seclude. To prevent the jurors from hearing news broadcasts about the case, the judge decided to sequester the jury.

yoke

v. join together, unite. I don't wish to be yoked to him in marriage, as if we were cattle pulling a plow. also N.

shun

v. keep away from. Cherishing his solitude, the recluse shunned the company of other human beings.

retain

v. keep; employ. Fighting to retain his seat in Congress, Senator Foghorn retained a new manager to head his reelection campaign.

pine

v. languish, decline; long for; yearn. Though she tried to be happy living with Clara in the city, Heidi pined for the mountains and for her gruff but loving grandfather.

spawn

v. lay eggs. Fish ladders had to be built in the dams to assist the salmon returning to spawn in their native streams. also N.

■prevaricate

v. lie. Some people believe that to prevaricate in a good cause is justifiable and regard the statement as a "white lie."

vegetate

v. live in a monotonous way. I do not understand how you can vegetate in this quiet village after the adventurous life you have led.

ogle

v. look at amorously; make eyes at. At the coffee house, Walter was too shy to ogle the pretty girls openly; instead, he peeked out at them from behind a rubber plant.

mutilate

v. maim. The torturer threatened to mutilate his victim.

■stipulate

v. make express conditions, specify. Before agreeing to reduce American military forces in Europe, the president stipulated that NATO teams be allowed to inspect Russian bases.

preclude

v. make impossible; eliminate. The fact that the band was already booked to play in Hollywood on New Year's Eve precluded their accepting the offer of a New Year's Eve gig in London.

stupefy

v. make numb; stun; amaze. Disapproving of drugs in general, Laura refused to take sleeping pills or any other medicine that might stupefy her.

preen

v. make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction. As Kitty preened before the mirror, carefully smoothing her shining hair, she couldn't help preening herself on her good looks.

perpetuate

v. make something last; preserve from extinction. Some critics attack The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because they believe Twain's book perpetuates a false image of blacks in this country. perpetuity, N.

■obviate

v. make unnecessary; get rid of. I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds.

rejuvenate

v. make young again. The charlatan claimed that his elixir would rejuvenate the aged and weary.

mete

v. measure; distribute. He tried to be impartial in his efforts to mete out justice.

smelt

v. melt or blend ores, changing their chemical composition. The furnaceman smelts tin with copper to create a special alloy used in making bells.

scoff

v. mock; ridicule. He scoffed at dentists until he had his first toothache.

temper

v. moderate; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel). Not even her supervisor's grumpiness could temper Nancy's enthusiasm for her new job.

scurry

v. move briskly. The White Rabbit had to scurry to get to his appointment on time.

skulk

v. move furtively and secretly. He skulked through the less fashionable sections of the city in order to avoid meeting any of his former friends.

totter

v. move unsteadily; sway, as if about to fall. On unsteady feet, the drunk tottered down the hill to the nearest bar.

waft

v. moved gently by wind or waves. Daydreaming, he gazed at the leaves that wafted past his window.

propagate

v. multiply; spread. Since bacteria propagate more quickly in unsanitary environments, it is important to keep hospital rooms clean.

maim

v. mutilate; injure. The hospital could not take care of all who had been mangled or maimed in the railroad accident.

recount

v. narrate or tell; count over again. About to recount the latest adventure of Sherlock Holmes, Watson lost track of exactly how many cases Holmes had solved and refused to begin his tale until he'd recounted them one by one.

whinny

v. neigh like a horse. When he laughed through his nose, it sounded as if he whinnied.

nurture

v. nourish; educate; foster. The Head Start program attempts to nurture prekindergarten children so that they will do well when they enter public school. also N.

tender

v. offer; extend. Although no formal charges had been made against him, in the wake of the recent scandal the mayor felt he should tender his resignation.

seep

v. ooze; trickle. During the rainstorm, water seeped through the crack in the basement wall and damaged the floor boards. seepage, N.

manipulate

v. operate with one's hands; control or play upon (people, forces, etc.) artfully. Jim Henson understood how to manipulate the Muppets. Madonna understands how to manipulate publicity (and men).

■proscribe

v. ostracize; banish; outlaw. Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus proscribed all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar.

outwit

v. outsmart; trick. By disguising himself as an old woman, Holmes was able to outwit his pursuers and escape capture.

surmount

v. overcome. I know you can surmount any difficulties that may stand in the way of your getting an education.

■placate

v. pacify; conciliate. The store manager tried to placate the angry customer, offering to replace the damaged merchandise or to give back her money.

stipple

v. paint or draw with dots. Seurat carefully stippled dabs of pure color on the canvas, juxtaposing dots of blue and yellow that the viewer's eye would interpret as green.

mollycoddle

v. pamper; indulge excessively. Don't mollycoddle the boy, Maud! You'll spoil him.

whittle

v. pare; cut off bits. As a present for Aunt Polly, Tom whittled some clothespins out of a chunk of wood.

suborn

v. persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury). In The Godfather, the mobsters used bribery and threats to suborn the witnesses against Don Michael Corleone.

supplicate

v. petition humbly; pray to grant a favor. We supplicate Your Majesty to grant him amnesty.

riddle

v. pierce with holes; permeate or spread throughout. With his machine gun, Tracy riddled the car with bullets till it looked like a slice of Swiss cheese. During the proofreaders' strike, the newspaper was riddled with typos.

perforate

v. pierce; put a hole through. Before you can open the aspirin bottle, you must first perforate the plastic safety seal that covers the cap.

sheathe

v. place into a case. As soon as he recognized the approaching men, he sheathed his dagger and hailed them as friends.

superimpose

v. place over something else. Your attempt to superimpose another agency in this field will merely increase the bureaucratic nature of our government.

premeditate

v. plan in advance. She had premeditated the murder for months, reading about common poisons and buying weed killer that contained arsenic.

pillage

v. plunder. The enemy pillaged the quiet village and left it in ruins. also N.

ravage

v. plunder; despoil. The marauding army ravaged the countryside.

prod

v. poke; stir up; urge. If you prod him hard enough, he'll eventually clean his room.

muse

v. ponder. For a moment he mused about the beauty of the scene, but his thoughts soon changed as he recalled his own personal problems. also N.

procrastinate

v. postpone; delay or put off. Looking at four years of receipts and checks he still had to sort through, Bob was truly sorry he had procrastinated for so long and had not finished filing his taxes long ago.

predetermine

v. predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly. Romeo and Juliet believed that Fate had predetermined their meeting. Bea gathered estimates from caterers, florists, and stationers so that she could predetermine the costs of holding a catered buffet. Philip's love of athletics predetermined his choice of a career in sports marketing.

prognosticate

v. predict. I prognosticate disaster unless we change our wasteful ways.

stymie

v. present an obstacle; stump. The detective was stymied by the contradictory evidence in the robbery investigation.

sham

v. pretend. She shammed sickness to get out of going to school. also N.

promulgate

v. proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication. When Moses came down from the mountaintop prepared to promulgate God's commandments, he was appalled to discover his followers worshipping a golden calf.

protract

v. prolong. Seeking to delay the union members' vote, the management team tried to protract the negotiations endlessly, but the union representatives saw through their strategy.

thrive

v. prosper; flourish. Despite the impact of the recession on the restaurant trade, Philip's cafe thrived.

skimp

v. provide scantily; live very economically. They were forced to skimp on necessities in order to make their limited supplies last the winter.

pique

v. provoke or arouse; annoy. "I know something you don't know," said Lucy, trying to pique Ethel's interest.

tout

v. publicize; praise excessively. I lost confidence in my broker after he touted some junk bonds that turned out to be a bad investment.

purse

v. pucker; contract into wrinkles. Miss Watson pursed her lips to show her disapproval of Huck's bedraggled appearance.

wrest

v. pull away; take by violence. With only ten seconds left to play, our team wrested victory from their grasp.

wrench

v. pull; strain; twist. She wrenched free of her attacker and landed a powerful kick to his kneecap.

pillory

v. punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule. Even though he was mocked and pilloried, he maintained that he was correct in his beliefs. also N.

obtrude

v. push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in; stick out or extrude. Because Fanny was reluctant to obtrude her opinions about child-raising upon her daughter-in-law, she kept a close watch on her tongue. obtrusive,

propound

v. put forth for analysis. In your discussion, you have propounded several questions; let us consider each one separately.

marshal

v. put in order. At a debate tournament, extemporaneous speakers have only a minute or two to marshal their thoughts before addressing their audience.

verbalize

v. put into words. I know you don't like to talk about these things, but please try to verbalize your feelings.

wrangle

v. quarrel; obtain through arguing; herd cattle. They wrangled over their inheritance.

slake

v. quench; sate. When we reached the oasis, we were able to slake our thirst.

rummage

v. ransack; thoroughly search. When we rummaged through the trunks in the attic, we found many souvenirs of our childhood days. also N.

rant

v. rave; talk excitedly; scold; make a grandiloquent speech. When he heard that I'd totaled the family car, Dad began to rant at me like a complete madman.

peruse

v. read with care. After the conflagration that burned down her house, Joan closely perused her home insurance policy to discover exactly what benefits her coverage provided. perusal, N.

recast

v. reconstruct (a sentence, story, etc.); fashion again. Let me recast this sentence in terms your feeble brain can grasp: in words of one syllable, you are a fool.

recuperate

v. recover. The doctors were worried because the patient did not recuperate as rapidly as they had expected.

retrieve

v. recover; find and bring in. The dog was intelligent and quickly learned to retrieve the game killed by the hunter. retrieval, N.

sublimate

v. refine; purify. We must strive to sublimate these desires and emotions into worthwhile activities.

withhold

v. refuse to give; hold back. The tenants decided to withhold a portion of the rent until the landlord kept his promise to renovate the building.

rue

v. regret; lament; mourn. Tina rued the night she met Tony and wondered how she ever fell for such a jerk. also

spurn

v. reject; scorn. The heroine spurned the villain's advances.

revert

v. relapse; backslide; turn back to. Most of the time Andy seemed sensitive and mature, but occasionally he would revert to his smart-alecky, macho, adolescent self. reversion, N.

purge

v. remove or get rid of something unwanted; free from blame or guilt; cleanse or purify. The Communist government purged the party to get rid of members suspected of capitalist sympathies, sending those believed to be disloyal to labor camps in Siberia. also N.

refurbish

v. renovate; make bright by polishing. The flood left a deposit of mud on everything; it was necessary to refurbish our belongings.

solder

v. repair or make whole by using a metal alloy. The plumber fixed the leak in the pipes by soldering a couple of joints from which water had been oozing.

reciprocate

v. repay in kind. If they attack us, we shall be compelled to reciprocate and bomb their territory. reciprocity, N.

reimburse

v. repay. Let me know what you have spent and I will reimburse you.

requite

v. repay; revenge. The wretch requited his benefactors by betraying them.

retaliation

v. repayment in kind (usually for bad treatment). Because everyone knew the Princeton band had stolen Brown's mascot, the whole Princeton student body expected some sort of retaliation from Brown. retaliate, v.

reiterate

v. repeat. She reiterated the warning to make sure everyone understood it.

supplant

v. replace; usurp. Did the other woman actually supplant Princess Diana in Prince Charles's affections, or did Charles never love Diana at all? Bolingbroke, later to be known as King Henry IV, fought to supplant his cousin, Richard III, as King of England.

replicate

v. reproduce; duplicate. Because he had always wanted a palace, Donald decided to replicate the Taj Mahal in miniature on his estate.

reprimand

v. reprove severely; rebuke. Every time Ermengarde made a mistake in class, she was afraid that Miss Minchin would reprimand her and tell her father how badly, she was doing in school, also N.

solicit

v. request earnestly; seek. Knowing she needed to have a solid majority for the budget to pass, the mayor telephoned all the members of the city council to solicit their votes.

salvage

v. rescue from loss. All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed. also N.

paraphrase

v. restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author. In 250 words or less, paraphrase this article. also N.

renovate

v. restore to good condition; renew. They claim that they can renovate worn shoes so that they look like new ones.

rehabilitate

v. restore to proper condition. We must rehabilitate those whom we send to prison.

pinion

v. restrain. They pinioned his arms against his body but left his legs free so that he could move about. also N.

repress

v. restrain; crush; oppress. Anne's parents tried to curb her impetuosity without repressing her boundless high spirits.

manacle

v. restrain; handcuff. The police immediately manacled the prisoner so he could not escape. also N.

■venerate

v. revere. In Tibet today, the common people still venerate their traditional spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

resuscitate

v. revive. The lifeguard tried to resuscitate the drowned child by applying artificial respiration.

repeal

v. revoke; annul. What would the effect on our society be if we decriminalized drug use by repealing the laws against the possession and sale of narcotics?

mock

v. ridicule; imitate, often in derision. It is unkind to mock anyone; it is stupid to mock anyone significantly bigger than you. mockery, N.

resurge

v. rise again; flow to and fro. It was startling to see the spirit of nationalism resurge as the Soviet Union disintegrated into a loose federation of ethnic and national groups. resurgence,

venture

v. risk; dare; undertake a risk. Fearing to distress the actors, the timorous reviewer never ventured to criticize a performance in harsh terms. also N.

wallow

v. roll in; indulge in; become helpless. The hippopotamus loves to wallow in the mud.

snivel

v. run at the nose; snuffle; whine. Don't you come sniveling to me complaining about your big brother.

surfeit

v. satiate; stuff; indulge to excess in anything. Every Thanksgiving we are surfeited with an overabundance of holiday treats. also N.

■satiate

v. satisfy fully. Having stuffed themselves with goodies until they were satiated, the guests were so full they were ready for a nap. satiety, N.

sate

v. satisfy to the full; cloy. Its hunger sated, the lion dozed.

relish

v. savor; enjoy. Watching Peter enthusiastically chow down, I thought, "Now there's a man who relishes a good dinner!" also N.

rebuke

v. scold harshly; criticize severely. No matter how sharply Miss Watson rebuked Huck for his misconduct, he never talked back but just stood there like a stump. also N.

rail

v. scold; rant. You may rail at him all you want; you will never change him.

usurp

v. seize another's power or rank. The revolution ended when the victorious rebel general succeeded in his attempt to usurp the throne. usurpation, N. None

sunder

v. separate; part. Northern and southern Ireland are politically and religiously sundered.

trigger

v. set off. John is touchy today; say one word wrong and you'll trigger an explosion.

rectify

v. set right; correct. You had better send a check to rectify your account before American Express cancels your credit card.

■subside

v. settle down; descend; grow quiet. The doctor assured us that the fever would eventually subside.

upbraid

v. severely scold; reprimand. Not only did Miss Minchin upbraid Ermengarde for her disobedience, but also she hung her up by her braids from a coatrack in the classroom.

whet

v. sharpen; stimulate. The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite; I will be ravenous by the time the meal is served.

molt

v. shed or cast off hair or feathers. When Molly's canary molted, he shed feathers all over the house.

wince

v. shrink back; flinch. The screech of the chalk on the blackboard made her wince.

wither

v. shrivel; decay. Cut flowers are beautiful for a day, but al! too soon they wither.

■occlude

v. shut; close. A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart. occlusion, N.

winnow

v. sift; separate good parts from bad. This test will winnow out the students who study from those who don't bother.

warble

v. sing; babble. Every morning the birds warbled outside her window. also N.

scuttle

v. sink. The sailors decided to scuttle their vessel rather than surrender it to the enemy.

vilify

v. slander. Waging a highly negative campaign, the candidate attempted to vilify his opponent's reputation. vilification, N.

slither

v. slip or slide. During the recent ice storm, many people slithered down this hill as they walked to the station.

slacken

v. slow up; loosen. As they passed the finish line, the runners slackened their pace.

simper

v. smirk; smile affectedly. Complimented on her appearance, Stella self-consciously simpered.

rebuff

v. snub; beat back. She rebuffed his invitation so smoothly that he did not realize he had been snubbed. also N.

■saturate

v. soak thoroughly. Thorough watering is the key to lawn care: you must saturate your new lawn well to encourage its growth.

steep

v. soak; saturate. Be sure to steep the fabric in the dye bath for the full time prescribed.

macerate

v. soften by soaking in liquid; waste away. The strawberries had been soaking in the champagne for so long that they had begun to macerate: they literally fell apart at the touch of a spoon.

■mollify

v. soothe. The airline customer service representative tried to mollify the angry passenger by offering her a seat in first class.

pacify

v. soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue. Dentists criticize the practice of giving fussy children sweets to pacify them.

scintillate

v. sparkle; flash. I enjoy her dinner parties because the food is excellent and the conversation scintillates.

waffle

v. speak equivocally about an issue. When asked directly about the governor's involvement in the savings and loan scandal, the press secretary waffled, talking all around the issue.

malign

v. speak evil of; bad-mouth; defame. Putting her hands over her ears, Rose refused to listen to Betty malign her friend Susan.

prate

v. speak foolishly; boast idly. Let us not prate about our qualities; rather, let our virtues speak for themselves.

slur

v. speak indistinctly; mumble. When Sol has too much to drink, he starts to slur his words: "Washamatter? Cansh you undershtand what I shay?"

niggle

v. spend too much time on minor points; carp. Let's not niggle over details. niggling, ADJ.

polarize

v. split into opposite extremes or camps. The abortion issue has polarized the country into pro-choice and anti-abortion camps.

rend

v. split; tear apart. In his grief, he tried to rend his garments. rent, N.

vitiate

v. spoil the effect of; make inoperative. Fraud will vitiate the contract.

suffuse

v. spread over. A blush suffused her cheeks when we teased her about her love affair.

strew

v. spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter. Preceding the bride to the altar, the flower girl will strew rose petals along the aisle.

scotch

v. stamp out; thwart; hinder. Heather tried to scotch the rumor that she had stolen her best friend's fiancé.

rout

v. stampede; drive out. The reinforcements were able to rout the enemy. also N.

withstand

v. stand up against; successfully resist. If you can withstand all the peer pressure in high school to cut classes and goof off, you should survive college in fine shape.

plagiarize

v. steal another's ideas and pass them off as one's own. The teacher could tell that the student had plagiarized parts of his essay; she recognized whole paragraphs straight from Barron's Book Notes. plagiarism, N.

protrude

v. stick out. His fingers protruded from the holes in his gloves.

suppress

v. stifle; overwhelm; subdue; inhibit. Too polite to laugh in anyone's face, Roy did his best to suppress his amusement at Ed's inane remark.

stoke

v. stir up a fire; feed plentifully. As a Scout, Marisa learned how to light a fire, how to stoke it if it started to die down, and how to extinguish it completely.

nip

v. stop something's growth or development; snip off; bite; make numb with cold. The twins were plotting mischief, but Mother intervened and nipped their plan in the bud, The gardener nipped off a lovely rose and gave it to me. Last week a guard dog nipped the postman in the leg; this week the extreme chill nipped his fingers till he could barely hold the mail.

throttle

v. strangle. The criminal tried to throttle the old man with his bare hands.

prostrate

v. stretch out full on ground. He prostrated himself before the idol. also ADJ.

saunter

v. stroll slowly. As we sauntered through the park, we stopped frequently to admire the spring flowers.

scuffle

v. struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry. The twins briefly scuffled, wrestling to see which of them would get the toy. When their big brother yelled, "Let go of my Gameboy!" they scuffled off down the hall.

pore

v. study industriously; ponder; scrutinize. Determined to become a physician, Beth spends hours poring over her anatomy text.

quash

v. subdue; crush; squash. The authorities acted quickly to quash the student rebellion, sending in tanks to cow the demonstrators.

recapitulate

v. summarize. Let us recapitulate what has been said thus far before going ahead.

patronize

v. support; act superior toward; be a customer of. Penniless artists hope to find some wealthy art lover who will patronize them. If some condescending wine steward patronized me because he saw I knew nothing about fine wine, I'd refuse to patronize his restaurant.

stifle

v. suppress; extinguish; inhibit. Halfway through the boring lecture, Laura gave up trying to stifle her yawns.

outstrip

v. surpass; outdo. Jesse Owens easily outstripped his competitors to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games.

sully

v. tarnish; soil. He felt that it was beneath his dignity to sully his hands in such menial labor.

tantalize

v. tease; torture with disappointment. Tom loved to tantalize his younger brother with candy; he knew the boy was forbidden to have it.

pulsate

v. throb. We could see the blood vessels in his temple pulsate as he became more angry.

palpitate

v. throb; flutter. As she became excited, her heart began to palpitate more and more erratically.

precipitate

v. throw headlong; hasten. The removal of American political support appeared to have precipitated the downfall of the Marcos regime.

titillate

v. tickle. I am here not to titillate my audience but to enlighten it.

tether

v. tie with a rope. Before we went to sleep, we tethered the horses to prevent their wandering off during the night.

nullify

v. to make invalid. Once the contract was nullified, it no longer had any legal force.

roil

v. to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; to disturb. Be careful when you pour not to roil the wine; if you stir up the sediment you'll destroy the flavor.

rhapsodize

v. to speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner. She greatly enjoyed her Hawaiian vacation and rhapsodized about it for weeks.

unfrock

v. to strip a priest or minister of church authority. To disbar a lawyer, to unfrock a priest, to suspend a doctor's license to practic6---these are extreme steps that the authorities should take only after careful consideration.

modulate

v. tone down in intensity; regulate; change from one key to another. Always singing at the top of her lungs, the budding Brunhilde never learned to modulate her voice. modulation, N.

transfigure

v. transform outwardly, usually for the better; change in form or aspect. Elizabeth Barrett's love for Robert Browning transfigured her poetry as well as transforming her life. Bely's poetic novel, Peterburg, is a travel fantasy set within a city that is both real and transfigured into a myth.

quiver

v. tremble; shake. The bird dog's nose twitched and his whiskers quivered as he strained eagerly against the leash. also N.

shunt

v. turn aside; divert; sidetrack. If the switchman failed to shunt the Silver Streak onto a side track, the train would plow right into Union Station.

vaporize

v. turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.). "Zap!" went Super Mario's atomic ray gun as he vaporized another deadly foe.

petrify

v. turn to stone. His sudden and unexpected appearance seemed to petrify her.

writhe

v. twist in coils; contort in pain. In Dances with Snakes, the snake dancer wriggled sinuously as her boa constrictor writhed around her torso.

rile

v. vex; irritate; muddy. Red had a hair-trigger temper: he was an easy man to rile.

■oscillate

v. vibrate pendulumlike; waver. It is interesting to note how public opinion oscillates between the extremes of optimism and pessimism.

profane

v. violate; desecrate; treat unworthily. The members of the mysterious Far Eastern cult sought to kill the British explorer because he had profaned the sanctity of their holy goblet by using it as an ashtray. also ADJ.

welter

v. wallow. At the height of the battle, the casualties were so numerous that the victims weltered in their blood while waiting for medical attention.

ramble

v. wander aimlessly (physically or mentally). Listening to the teacher ramble, Judy wondered whether he'd ever get to his point, also N.

parry

v. ward off a blow; deflect. Unwilling to injure his opponent in such a pointless clash, Dartagnan simply tried to parry his rival's thrusts. What fun it was to watch Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy parry each other's verbal thrusts in their classic screwball comedies! also N.

squander

v. waste. If you squander your allowance on candy and comic books, you won't have any money left to buy the new box of crayons you want.

■vacillate

v. waver; fluctuate. Uncertain which suitor she ought to marry, the princess vacillated, saying now one, now the other. vacillation, N.

undermine

v. weaken; sap. The recent corruption scandals have undermined many people's faith in the city government.

wangle

v. wiggle out; fake. She tried to wangle an invitation to the party.

retract

v. withdraw; take back. When I saw how Fred and his fraternity brothers had' trashed the frat house, I decided to retract my offer to let them use our summer cottage for the weekend. retraction, N.

militate

v. work against. Your record of lateness and absence will militate against your chances of promotion.

swathe

v. wrap around; bandage. When I visited him in the hospital, I found him swathed in bandages.

succumb

v. yield; give in; die. I succumb to temptation whenever it comes my way.

ventral

adj. abdominal. We shall now examine the ventral plates of this serpent, not the dorsal side.

soluble

adj. able to be dissolved; able to be worked out. Sugar is soluble in water; put a sugar cube in water and it will quickly dissolve. Because the test-maker had left out some necessary data, the problem was not soluble.

tangible

adj. able to be touched; real; palpable. Although Tom did not own a house, he had several tangible assets—a car, a television, a PC—that he could sell if he needed cash.

solvent

adj. able to pay all debts. By dint of very frugal living, he was finally able to become solvent and avoid bankruptcy proceedings. solvency, N.

rapt

adj. absorbed; enchanted. Caught up in the wonder of the storyteller's tale, the rapt listeners sat motionless, hanging on his every word.

riveting

adj. absorbing; engrossing. The reviewer described Byatt's novel Possession as a riveting tale: absorbed in the story, she had finished it in a single evening.

■recondite

adj. abstruse; profound; secret. He read many recondite books in order to obtain the material for his scholarly thesis.

preposterous

adj. absurd; ridiculous. When the candidate tried to downplay his youthful experiments with marijuana by saying he hadn't inhaled, we all thought, "What a preposterous excuse!"

rife

adj. abundant; current. In the face of the many rumors of scandal, which are rife at the moment, it is best to remain silent.

prolific

adj. abundantly fruitful. She was a prolific writer who produced as many as three books a year.

■vituperative

adj. abusive; scolding. He became more vituperative as he realized that we were not going to grant him his wish.

vicarious

adj. acting as a substitute; done by a deputy. Many people get a vicarious thrill at the movies by imagining they are the characters on the screen.

veritable

adj. actual; being truly so; not false or imaginary. At his computer, Pavel is a veritable wizard, creating graphic effects that seem magical to programmers less skilled than he.

viscid

adj. adhesive; gluey. The trunk of the maple tree was viscid with sap.

precocious

adj. advanced in development. Listening to the grown-up way the child discussed serious topics, we couldn't help remarking how precocious she was. precocity, N.

mincing

adj. affectedly dainty. Yum-Yum walked across the stage with mincing steps.

posthumous

adj. after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death). The critics ignored his works during his lifetime; it was only after the posthumous publication of his last novel that they recognized his great talent.

polemical

adj. aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious. Lexy was a master of polemical rhetoric; she should have worn a T-shirt with the slogan "Born to Debate."

winsome

adj. agreeable; gracious; engaging. By her winsome manner, she made herself liked by everyone who met her.

palatable

adj. agreeable; pleasing to the taste. Neither Jack's underbaked opinions nor his overcooked casseroles were palatable to me.

omniscient

adj. all-knowing. I do not pretend to be omniscient, but I am positive about this fact.

omnipotent

adj. all-powerful. The monarch regarded himself as omnipotent and responsible to no one for his acts.

purported

adj. alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored. The purported Satanists sacrificing live roosters in the park turned out to be a party of Shriners holding a chicken barbecue.

substantial

adj. ample; solid; essential or fundamental. The generous scholarship represented a substantial sum of money. If you don't eat a more substantial dinner, you'll be hungry later on.

ostensible

adj. apparent; professed; pretended. Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in finding new markets for our products.

provocative

adj. arousing anger or interest; annoying. In a typically provocative act, the bully kicked sand into the weaker man's face. provoke,

supercilious

adj. arrogant; condescending; patronizing. The supercilious headwaiter sneered at customers who he thought did not fit the image of a restaurant catering to an ultrafashionable crowd.

■presumptuous

adj. arrogant; taking liberties. It seems presumptuous for one so relatively new to the field to challenge the conclusions of its leading experts. presumption, N.

synthetic

adj. artificial; resulting from synthesis. During the twentieth century, many synthetic products have replaced their natural counterparts. also N.

supposititious

adj. assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical. I find no similarity between your supposititious illustration and the problem we are facing.

■quiescent

adj. at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive. After the devastating eruption, fear of Mount Etna was great; people did not return to cultivate its rich hillside lands until the volcano had been quiescent for a full two years. quiescence, N.

offensive

adj. attacking; insulting; distasteful. Getting into street brawls is no minor offense for professional boxers, who are required by law to restrict their offensive impulses to the ring.

personable

adj. attractive. The individual I am seeking to fill this position must be personable since he or she will be representing us before the public.

ungainly

adj. awkward; clumsy; unwieldy. "If you want to know whether Nick's an ungainly dancer, check out my bruised feet," said Nora. Anyone who has ever tried to carry a bass fiddle knows it's an ungainly instrument.

unwieldy

adj. awkward; cumbersome; unmanageable. The large carton was so unwieldy that the movers had trouble getting it up the stairs.

practical

adj. based on experience; useful. He was a practical man, opposed to theory.

ursine

adj. bearlike; pertaining to a bear. Because of its ursine appearance, the great panda has been identified with the bears; actually, it is closely related to the raccoon.

subservient

adj. behaving like a slave; servile; obsequious. She was proud and dignified; she refused to be subservient to anyone. subservience, N.

ubiquitous

adj. being everywhere; omnipresent. That Christmas "The Little Drummer Boy" seemed ubiquitous: Justin heard the tune everywhere he went. ubiquity, N.

subliminal

adj. below the threshold. We may not be aware of the subliminal influences that affect our thinking.

preternatural

adj. beyond that which is normal in nature. John's mother's total ability to tell when he was lying struck him as almost preternatural.

obligatory

adj. binding; required. It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks.

stringent

adj. binding; rigid. I think these regulations are too stringent.

mordant

adj. biting; sarcastic; stinging. Actors feared the critic's mordant pen.

outlandish

adj. bizarre; peculiar; unconventional. The eccentric professor who engages in markedly outlandish behavior is a stock figure in novels with an academic setting.

unimpeachable

adj. blameless and exemplary. Her conduct in office was unimpeachable and her record is spotless.

sanguinary

adj. bloody. The battle of Iwo Jima was unexpectedly sanguinary, with many casualties.

mottled

adj. blotched in coloring; spotted. When old Falstaff blushed, his face became mottled, all pink and purple and red.

obtuse

adj. blunt; stupid. What can you do with somebody who's so obtuse that he can't even tell that you're insulting him?

vaunted

adj. boasted; bragged; highly publicized. This much vaunted project proved a disappointment when it collapsed.

vainglorious

adj. boastful; excessively conceited. She was a vainglorious and arrogant individual.

obstreperous

adj. boisterous; noisy. What do you do when an obstreperous horde of drunken policemen carouses through your hotel, crashing into potted plants and singing vulgar songs?

venturesome

adj. bold. A group of venturesome women were the first to scale Mt. Annapurna.

stilted

adj. bombastic; stiffly pompous. His stilted rhetoric did not impress the college audience; they were immune to bombastic utterances.

maritime

adj. bordering on the sea; nautical. The Maritime Provinces depend on the sea for their wealth.

overbearing

adj. bossy; arrogant; decisively important. Certain of her own importance and of the unimportance of everyone else, Lady Bracknell was intolerably overbearing in manner. "In choosing a husband," she said, "good birth is of overbearing importance; compared to that, neither wealth nor talent signifies."

succinct

adj. brief; terse; compact. Don't bore your audience with excess verbiage: be succinct.

refulgent

adj. brightly shining; gleaming. The squire polished the knight's armor until it gleamed in the light like the refulgent moon.

voluminous

adj. bulky; large. A caftan is a voluminous garment; the average person wearing one looks as if he or she is draped in a small tent.

■onerous

adj. burdensome. She asked for an assistant because her work load was too onerous.

■phlegmatic

adj. calm; not easily disturbed. The nurse was a cheerful but phlegmatic person, unexcited in the face of sudden emergencies.

outspoken

adj. candid; blunt. The candidate was too outspoken to be a successful politician; he had not yet learned to weigh his words carefully.

venal

adj. capable of being bribed. The venal policeman accepted the bribe offered him by the speeding motorist whom he had stopped.

reparable

adj. capable of being repaired. Fortunately, the damages we suffered in the accident were reparable and our car looks brand new.

■malleable

adj. capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable. Gold is a malleable metal, easily shaped into bracelets and rings. Fagin hoped Oliver was a malleable lad, easily shaped into a thief.

tensile

adj. capable of being stretched. Mountain climbers must know the tensile strength of their ropes.

prehensile

adj. capable of grasping or holding. Monkeys use not only their arms and legs but also their prehensile tails in traveling through the trees.

sentient

adj. capable of sensation; aware; sensitive. In the science fiction story, the hero had to discover a way to prove that the rocklike extraterrestrial creature was actually a sentient, intelligent creature. sentience, N.

thrifty

adj. careful about money; economical. A thrifty shopper compares prices before making major purchases.

offhand

adj. casual; done without prior thought. Expecting to be treated with due propriety by her hosts, Great-Aunt Maud was offended by their offhand manner.

pestilential

adj. causing plague; baneful. People were afraid to explore the pestilential swamp. pestilence, N.

pathetic

adj. causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching. Everyone in the auditorium was weeping by the time she finished her pathetic tale about the orphaned boy.

prudent

adj. cautious; careful. A miser hoards money not because he is prudent but because he is greedy. prudence, N.

pivotal

adj. central; critical. De Klerk's decision to set Nelson Mandela free was pivotal; without Mandela's release, there was no possibility that the African National Congress would entertain talks with the South African government.

■volatile

adj. changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly. The political climate today is extremely volatile: no one can predict what the electorate will do next. Maria Callas's temper was extremely volatile: the only thing you could predict was that she would blow up. Acetone is an extremely volatile liquid: it evaporates instantly. volatility, N.

migrant

adj. changing its habitat; wandering. These migrant birds return every spring. also N.

■pristine

adj. characteristic of earlier times; primitive, unspoiled. This area has been preserved in all its pristine wildness.

universal

adj. characterizing or affecting all; present everywhere. At first, no one shared Christopher's opinions; his theory that the world was round was met with universal disdain.

tawdry

adj. cheap and gaudy. He won a few tawdry trinkets at Coney Island.

sanguine

adj. cheerful; hopeful. Let us not be too sanguine about the outcome; something could go wrong.

puerile

adj. childish. His puerile pranks sometimes offended his more mature friends.

vociferous

adj. clamorous; noisy. The crowd grew vociferous in its anger and threatened to take the law into its own hands.

saccharine

adj. cloyingly sweet. She tried to ingratiate herself, speaking sweetly and smiling a saccharine smile.

maladroit

adj. clumsy; bungling. "Oh! My stupid tongue!" exclaimed Jane, embarrassed at having said anything so maladroit.

militant

adj. combative; bellicose. Although at this time he was advocating a policy of neutrality, one could usually find him adopting a more militant attitude. also N.

plebeian

adj. common; pertaining to the common people. His speeches were aimed at the plebeian minds and emotions; they disgusted the more refined.

remunerative

adj. compensating; rewarding. I find my new work so remunerative that I may not return to my previous employment. remuneration, N.

plenary

adj. complete; full. The union leader was given plenary power to negotiate a new contract with the employers.

sedate

adj. composed; grave. The parents were worried because they felt their son was too quiet and sedate.

olfactory

adj. concerning the sense of smell. A wine taster must have a discriminating palate and a keen olfactory sense, for a good wine appeals both to the taste buds and to the nose.

mercantile

adj. concerning trade. I am more interested in the opportunities available in the mercantile field than I am in those in the legal profession.

terse

adj. concise; abrupt; pithy. There is a fine line between speech that is terse and to the point and speech that is too abrupt.

pithy

adj. concise; meaningful; substantial; meaty. While other girls might have gone on and on about how uncool Elton was, Cher summed it up in one pithy remark: "He's bogus!"

scrupulous

adj. conscientious; extremely thorough. Though Alfred is scrupulous in fulfilling his duties at work, he is less conscientious about his obligations to his family and friends.

notable

adj. conspicuous; important; distinguished. Normally notable for his calm in the kitchen, today the head cook was shaking, for the notable chef Julia Child was coming to dinner. also N.

prominent

adj. conspicuous; notable; protruding. Have you ever noticed that Prince Charles's prominent ears make him resemble the big-eared character in Mad comics?

vitriolic

adj. corrosive; sarcastic. Such vitriolic criticism is uncalled for.

pusillanimous

adj. cowardly; fainthearted. You should be ashamed of your pusillanimous conduct during this dispute. pusillanimity, N.

Machiavellian

adj. crafty; double-dealing. I do not think he will be a good ambassador because he is not accustomed to the Machiavellian maneuverings of foreign diplomats.

zany

adj. crazy; comic. I can watch the Marx brothers' zany antics for hours.

statutory

adj. created by statute or legislative action. The judicial courts review and try statutory crimes.

wily

adj. cunning; artful. She is as wily as a fox in avoiding trouble.

therapeutic

adj. curative. Now better known for its racetrack, Saratoga Springs first gained attention for the therapeutic qualities of its famous "healing waters."

quotidian

adj. daily; commonplace; customary. To Philip, each new day of his internship was filled with excitement; he could not dismiss his rounds as merely quotidian routine.

marred

adj. damaged; disfigured. She had to refinish the marred surface of the table. mar, v.

murky

adj. dark and gloomy; thick with fog; vague. The murky depths of the swamp were so dark that you couldn't tell the vines and branches from the snakes. murkiness, N.

swarthy

adj. dark; dusky. Despite the stereotype, not all Italians are swarthy; many are fair and blond.

opaque

adj. dark; not transparent. The opaque window shade kept the sunlight out of the room. opacity, N.

obscure

adj. dark; vague; unclear. Even after I read the poem a fourth time, its meaning was still obscure. obscurity, N.

resplendent

adj. dazzling; glorious; brilliant. While all the adults were commenting how glorious the emperor looked in his resplendent new clothes, one little boy was heard to say, "But he's naked!"

■profound

adj. deep; not superficial; complete. Freud's remarkable insights into human behavior caused his fellow scientists to honor him as a profound thinker. profundity, N.

peremptory

adj. demanding and leaving no choice. From Jack's peremptory knock on the door, Jill could tell he would not give up until she let him in.

panoramic

adj. denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view. On a clear day, from the top of the Empire State Building you can get a panoramic view of New York City and neighboring stretches of New Jersey and Long Island. panorama, N.

sacrilegious

adj. desecrating; profane. His stealing of the altar cloth was a very sacrilegious act.

reprehensible

adj. deserving blame, Shocked by the viciousness of the bombing, politicians of every party uniformly condemned the terrorists' reprehensible deed.

venerable

adj. deserving high respect. We do not mean to be disrespectful when we refuse to follow the advice of our venerable leader.

scurvy

adj. despicable; contemptible. Peter Pan sneered at Captain Hook and his scurvy crew.

sensual

adj. devoted to the pleasures of the senses; carnal; voluptuous. I cannot understand what caused him to drop his sensual way of life and become so ascetic.

pious

adj. devout; religious. The challenge for church people today is how to be pious in the best sense, that is, to be devout without becoming hypocritical or sanctimonious. piety, N.

sedulous

adj. diligent. The young woman was so sedulous that she received a commendation for her hard work. sedulity, N.

sardonic

adj. disdainful; sarcastic; cynical. The sardonic humor of nightclub comedians who satirize or ridicule patrons in the audience strikes some people as amusing and others as rude.

unkempt

adj. disheveled; uncared for in appearance. Jeremy hated his neighbor's unkempt lawn: he thought its neglected appearance had a detrimental effect on neighborhood property values.

unruly

adj. disobedient; lawless. The only way to curb this unruly mob is to use tear gas.

provident

adj. displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies. In his usual provident manner, he had insured himself against this type of loss.

sanctimonious

adj. displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness. You do not have to be so sanctimonious to prove that you are devout.

profligate

adj. dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral. Although surrounded by wild and profligate companions, she managed to retain some sense of decency. also

unpalatable

adj. distasteful; disagreeable. "I refuse to swallow your conclusion," she said, finding his logic unpalatable.

unsavory

adj. distasteful; morally offensive. People with unsavory reputations should not be allowed to work with young children.

stratified

adj. divided into classes; arranged into strata. As the economic gap between the rich and the poor increased, Roman society grew increasingly stratified. stratify, v.

■tractable

adj. docile; easily managed. Although Susan seemed a tractable young woman, she had a stubborn streak of independence that occasionally led her to defy the powers-that-be when she felt they were in the wrong. tractability, N.

nocturnal

adj. done at night. Mr. Jones obtained a watchdog to prevent the nocturnal raids on his chicken coops.

■problematic

adj. doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing. Given the way building costs have exceeded estimates for the job, whether the arena will ever be completed is problematic.

pensive

adj. dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative. The pensive lover gazed at the portrait of his beloved and sighed deeply.

repellent

adj. driving away; unattractive. Mosquitoes find the odor so repellent that they leave any spot where this liquid has been sprayed. also N.

propulsive

adj. driving forward. The jet plane has a greater propulsive power than the engine-driven plane.

vapid

adj. dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless. "Bor-ing!" said Cher, as she suffered through yet another vapid lecture about Dead White Male Poets.

prosaic

adj. dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual. Though the ad writers had come up with a highly creative campaign to publicize the company's newest product, the head office rejected it for a more prosaic, down-to-earth approach.

■stolid

adj. dull; impassive. The earthquake shattered Stuart's usual stolid demeanor; trembling, he crouched on the no longer stable ground. stolidity, N.

moribund

adj. dying. Hearst took a moribund, failing weekly newspaper and transformed it into one of the liveliest, most profitable daily papers around.

transparent

adj. easily detected; permitting light to pass through freely. John's pride in his son is transparent; no one who sees the two of them together can miss it. transparency, N.

queasy

adj. easily nauseated; squeamish. Remember that great chase movie, the one with the carsick passenger? That's right: Queasy Rider!

omnivorous

adj. eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything. Some animals, including humans, are omnivorous and eat both meat and vegetables; others are either carnivorous or herbivorous.

resonant

adj. echoing; resounding; deep and full in sound. The deep, resonant voice of the actor James Earl Jones makes him particularly effective when he appears on stage.

ovoid

adj. egg-shaped. At Easter she had to cut out hundreds of brightly colored ovoid shapes.

resilient

adj. elastic; having the power of springing back. Highly resilient, steel makes excellent bedsprings. resilience, N.

vacuous

adj. empty; lacking in ideas; stupid. The candidate's vacuous remarks annoyed the audience, who had hoped to hear more than empty platitudes. vacuity, N.

worldly

adj. engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual. You must leave your worldly goods behind you when you go to meet your Maker.

sphinx-like

adj. enigmatic; mysterious. The Mona Lisa's sphinx-like expression has puzzled art lovers for centuries.

suppliant

adj. entreating; beseeching. Unable to resist the dog's suppliant whimpering, he gave it some food. also N.

tantamount

adj. equivalent in effect or value. Because so few Southern blacks could afford to pay the poll tax, the imposition of this tax on prospective voters was tantamount to disenfranchisement for black voters.

substantive

adj. essential; pertaining to the substance. Although the delegates were aware of the importance of the problem, they could not agree on the substantive issues.

perpetual

adj. everlasting. Ponce de Leon hoped to find the legendary fountain of perpetual youth.

sinister

adj. evil. We must defeat the sinister forces that seek our downfall.

precise

adj. exact. If you don't give me precise directions and a map, I'll never find your place.

sublime

adj. exalted; noble and uplifting; utter. Lucy was in awe of Desi's sublime musicianship, while he was in awe of her sublime naiveté.

superfluous

adj. excessive; overabundant, unnecessary. Please try not to include so many superfluous details in your report; just give me the bare facts. superfluity, N.

■meticulous

adj. excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous. Martha Stewart was a meticulous housekeeper, fussing about each and every detail that went into making up her perfect home.

uxorious

adj. excessively devoted to one's wife. His friends laughed at him because he was so uxorious and submissive to his wife's desires.

obese

adj. excessively fat. It is advisable that obese people try to lose weight. obesity, N.

rapacious

adj. excessively grasping; plundering. Hawks and other rapacious birds prey on a variety of small animals.

ornate

adj. excessively or elaborately decorated. With its elaborately carved, convoluted lines, furniture of the Baroque period was highly ornate.

primordial

adj. existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary. The Neanderthal Man is one of our primordial ancestors.

politic

adj. expedient; prudent; well devised. Even though he was disappointed, he did not think it politic to refuse this offer.

seasoned

adj. experienced. Though pleased with her new batch of rookies, the basketball coach wished she had a few more seasoned players on the team.

potential

adj. expressing possibility; latent. This juvenile delinquent is a potential murderer. also N.

overwrought

adj. extremely agitated; hysterical. When Kate heard the news of the sudden tragedy, she became too overwrought to work and had to leave the office early.

parched

adj. extremely dry; very thirsty. The parched desert landscape seemed hostile to life.

ravenous

adj. extremely hungry. The ravenous dog upset several garbage pails in its search for food.

stentorian

adj. extremely loud. The town crier had a stentorian voice.

virulent

adj. extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter. Laid up with a virulent case of measles, Vera blamed her doctors because her recovery took so long. In fact, she became quite virulent on the subject of the quality of modern medical care, virulence, N.

minute

adj. extremely small. The twins resembled one another closely; only minute differences set them apart.

minuscule

adj. extremely small. Why should I involve myself with a project with so minuscule a chance for success?

spurious

adj. false; counterfeit; forged; illogical. The hero of Jonathan Gash's mystery novels is an antique dealer who gives the reader advice on how to tell spurious antiques from the real thing.

modish

adj. fashionable. She always discarded all garments that were no longer modish.

propitious

adj. favorable; fortunate; advantageous. Chloe consulted her horoscope to see whether Tuesday would be a propitious day to dump her boyfriend.

timorous

adj. fearful; demonstrating fear. Her timorous manner betrayed the anxiety she felt at the moment.

practicable

adj. feasible. The board of directors decided that the plan was practicable and agreed to undertake the project.

visceral

adj. felt in one's inner organs. She disliked the visceral sensations she had whenever she rode the roller coaster.

replete

adj. filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied. The movie star's memoir was replete with juicy details about the love life of half of Hollywood.

sordid

adj. filthy; base; vile. The social worker was angered by the sordid housing provided for the homeless.

ultimate

adj. final; not susceptible to further analysis. Scientists are searching for the ultimate truths.

spasmodic

adj. fitful; periodic. The spasmodic coughing in the auditorium annoyed the performers.

meretricious

adj. flashy; tawdry. Her jewels were inexpensive but not meretricious.

pliant

adj. flexible; easily influenced. Pinocchio's disposition was pliant; he was like putty in his tempters' hands.

supple

adj. flexible; pliant. Years of yoga exercises made Grace's body supple.

pliable

adj. flexible; yielding; adaptable. In remodeling the bathroom, we replaced all the old, rigid lead pipes with new, pliable copper tubing.

sleazy

adj. flimsy; unsubstantial. This is a sleazy fabric; it will not wear well.

voluble

adj. fluent; glib; talkative. An excessively voluble speaker suffers from logorrhea: he continually runs off at the mouth! volubility, N.

subsequent

adj. following; later. In subsequent lessons, we shall take up more difficult problems.

witless

adj. foolish; idiotic. If Beavis is a half-wit, then Butthead is totally witless.

trenchant

adj. forceful and vigorous; cutting. With his trenchant wit, reviewer Frank Rich cut straight to the heart of the matter, panning a truly dreadful play.

vehement

adj. forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor. Alfred became so vehement in describing what was wrong with the Internal Revenue Service that he began jumping up and down and gesticulating wildly. vehemence, N.

paramount

adj. foremost in importance; supreme. Proper nutrition and hygiene are of paramount importance in adolescent development and growth.

venial

adj. forgivable; trivial. When Jean Valjean stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving sister, he committed a venial offense.

redoubtable

adj. formidable; causing fear. During the Cold War period, neighboring countries tried not to offend the Russians because they could be redoubtable foes.

noisome

adj. foul-smelling; unwholesome. The noisome atmosphere downwind of the oil refinery not only stank but also damaged the lungs of everyone living in the area.

putrid

adj. foul; rotten; decayed. When the doctor removed the bandages, the putrid smell indicated that the wound had turned gangrenous. putrescence, putrefaction, N.

redolent

adj. fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor. Even though it is February, the air is redolent of spring.

querulous

adj. fretful; whining. Even the most agreeable toddlers can begin to act querulous if they miss their nap.

■porous

adj. full of pores; like a sieve. Dancers like to wear porous clothing because it allows the ready passage of water and air.

underlying

adj. fundamental; lying below. The underlying cause of the student riot was not the strict curfew rule but the moldy cafeteria food. Miss Marple seems a sweet little old lady at first, but an iron will underlies that soft and fluffy facade.

nugatory

adj. futile; worthless. This agreement is nugatory for no court will enforce it.

unfeigned

adj. genuine; real. She turned so pale that I am sure her surprise was unfeigned.

seminal

adj. germinal; influencing future developments; related to seed or semen. Although Freud has generally been regarded as a seminal thinker who shaped the course of psychology, his psychoanalytic methods have come under attack recently.

spectral

adj. ghostly. We were frightened by the spectral glow that filled the room.

titanic

adj. gigantic. Titanic waves beat against the majestic S.S. Titanic, driving it against the concealed iceberg. titan, N.

mammoth

adj. gigantic; enormous. To try to memorize every word on this vocabulary list would be a mammoth undertaking; take on projects that are more manageable in size.

morbid

adj. given to unwholesome thought; moody; characteristic of disease. People who come to disaster sites just to peer at the grisly wreckage are indulging their morbid curiosity. morbidity, N.

odoriferous

adj. giving off an odor. The odoriferous spices stimulated her jaded appetite.

saturnine

adj. gloomy. Do not be misled by his saturnine countenance; he is not as gloomy as he looks.

somber

adj. gloomy; depressing. From the doctor's grim expression, I could tell he had somber news.

stygian

adj. gloomy; hellish; deathly. Shielding the flickering candle from any threatening draft, Tom and Becky descended into the stygian darkness of the underground cavern. Stygian derives from Styx, the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead.

melancholy

adj. gloomy; morose; blue. To Eugene, stuck in his small town, a train whistle was a melancholy sound, for it made him think of all the places he would never get to see.

raspy

adj. grating; harsh. The sergeant's raspy voice grated on the recruits' ears.

verdant

adj. green; lush in vegetation. Monet's paintings of the verdant meadows were symphonies in green.

rampant

adj. growing in profusion; unrestrained. The rampant weeds in the garden choked the asters and marigolds until the flowers died. rampancy, N.

taciturn

adj. habitually silent; talking little. The stereotypical cowboy is a taciturn soul, answering lengthy questions with a "Yep" or "Nope."

trite

adj. hackneyed; commonplace. The trite and predictable situations in many television programs turn off many viewers, who, in turn, turn off their sets.

somnolent

adj. half asleep. The heavy meal and the overheated room made us all somnolent and indifferent to the speaker. somnolence, N.

pendant

adj. hanging down from something. Her pendant earrings glistened in the light.

pendulous

adj. hanging, suspended. The pendulous chandeliers swayed in the breeze as if they were about to fall from the ceiling.

slapdash

adj. haphazard; careless; sloppy. From the number of typos and misspellings I've found in it, it's clear that Mario proofread the report in a remarkably slapdash fashion.

noxious

adj. harmful. We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us.

raucous

adj. harsh and shrill; disorderly and boisterous. The raucous crowd of New Year's Eve revelers grew progressively noisier as midnight drew near.

odious

adj. hateful; vile. Cinderella's ugly stepsisters had the odious habit of popping their zits in public.

wan

adj. having a pale or sickly color; pallid. Suckling asked, "Why so pale and wan, fond lover?"

serrated

adj. having a sawtoothed edge. The beech tree is one of many plants that have serrated leaves.

plausible

adj. having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious. Your mother made you stay home from school because she needed you to program the VCR? I'm sorry, you'll have to come up with a more plausible excuse than that.

tendentious

adj. having an aim; biased; designed to further a cause. The editorials in this periodical are tendentious rather than truth-seeking.

odorous

adj. having an odor. This variety of hybrid tea rose is more odorous than the one you have in your garden.

perspicacious

adj. having insight; penetrating; astute. The brilliant lawyer was known for his perspicacious deductions.

multiform

adj. having many forms. Snowflakes are multiform but always hexagonal.

multilingual

adj. having many languages. Because they are bordered by so many countries, the Swiss people are multilingual.

versatile

adj. having many talents; capable of working in many fields. She was a versatile athlete, earning varsity letters in basketball, hockey, and track. versatility, N.

peerless

adj. having no equal; incomparable. The reigning operatic tenor of his generation, to his admirers Luciano Pavarotti was peerless: no one could compare with him.

monochromatic

adj. having only one color. Most people who are color blind actually can distinguish several colors; some, however, have a truly monochromatic view of a world all in shades of gray.

prurient

adj. having or causing lustful thoughts and desires. Aroused by his prurient impulses, the dirty old man leered at the sweet young thing and offered to give her a sample of his "prowess"; his prurience appalled her.

musky

adj. having the odor of musk. She left a trace of musky perfume behind her.

rancid

adj. having the odor of stale fat. A rancid odor filled the ship's galley and nauseated the crew.

titular

adj. having the title of an office without the obligations. Although he was the titular head of the company, the real decisions were made by his general manager.

prophetic

adj. having to do with predicting the future. In interpreting Pharaoh's prophetic dream, Joseph said that the seven fat cows eaten by the seven lean cows represented seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. prophecy, N.

■salubrious

adj. healthful. Many people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of August and September.

tentative

adj. hesitant; not fully worked out or developed; experimental; not definite or positive. Unsure of his welcome at the Christmas party, Scrooge took a tentative step into his nephew's drawing room.

tenacious

adj. holding fast. I had to struggle to break his tenacious hold on my arm.

retentive

adj. holding; having a good memory. The pupil did not need to spend much time in study as he had a retentive mind.

quixotic

adj. idealistic but impractical. Constantly coming up with quixotic, unworkable schemes to save the world, Simon has his heart in the right place, but his head is somewhere off in the clouds.

■morose

adj. ill-humored; sullen; melancholy. Forced to take early retirement, Bill acted morose for months; then, all of a sudden, he shook off his gloom and was his usual cheerful self.

unfledged

adj. immature. It is hard for an unfledged writer to find a sympathetic publisher.

sophomoric

adj. immature; half-baked, like a sophomore. Even if you're only a freshman, it's no compliment to be told your humor is sophomoric. The humor in Dumb and Dumber is sophomoric at best.

stoic

adj. impassive; unmoved by joy or grief. I wasn't particularly stoic when I had my flu shot; I squealed like a stuck pig. also

transitory

adj. impermanent; fleeting. Fame is transitory: today's rising star is all too soon tomorrow's washed-up has-been. transitoriness, N.

pert

adj. impertinent; forward. I think your pert and impudent remarks call for an apology.

susceptible

adj. impressionable: easily influenced: having little resistance, as to a disease; receptive to. Said the patent medicine man to his very susceptible customer: "Buy this new miracle drug, and you will no longer be susceptible to the common cold." susceptibility, N.

virtual

adj. in essence; for practical purposes. She is a virtual financial wizard when it comes to money matters.

nominal

adj. in name only; trifling. He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee.

oblivious

adj. inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed. Deep in her book, Nancy was oblivious to the noisy squabbles of her brother and his friends.

nascent

adj. incipient; coming into being. If we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state, we would be able to eliminate serious trouble in later years.

sadistic

adj. inclined to cruelty. If we are to improve conditions in this prison, we must first get rid of the sadistic warden. sadism, N.

prone

adj. inclined to; prostrate. She was prone to sudden fits of anger during which she would lie prone on the floor, screaming and kicking her heels.

partial

adj. incomplete; having a liking for something. In this issue we have published only a partial list of contributors because we lack space to acknowledge everyone. I am extremely partial to chocolate eclairs. partiality, N.

unobtrusive

adj. inconspicuous; not blatant. Reluctant to attract notice, the governess took a chair in a far corner of the room and tried to be as unobtrusive as possible.

untenable

adj. indefensible; not able to be maintained. Wayne is so contrary that, the more untenable a position is, the harder he'll try to defend it.

mealymouthed

adj. indirect in speech; hypocritical; evasive. Rather than tell Jill directly what he disliked, Jack made a few mealymouthed comments and tried to change the subject.

oblique

adj. indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line). Casting a quick, oblique glance at the reviewing stand, the sergeant ordered the company to march "Oblique Right."

unaccountable

adj. inexplicable; unreasonable or mysterious. I have taken an unaccountable dislike to my doctor: "I do not love thee, Doctor Fell. The reason why, I cannot tell."

malignant

adj. injurious; tending to cause death; aggressively malevolent. Though many tumors are benign, some are malignant, growing out of control and endangering the life of the patient. malignancy, N.

tesselated

adj. inlaid; mosaic. I recall seeing a table with a tesselated top of bits of stone and glass in a very interesting pattern.

perceptive

adj. insightful; aware; wise. Although Maud was a generally perceptive critic, she had her blind spots: she could never see flaws in the work of her friends.

paltry

adj. insignificant; petty; trifling. "One hundred dollars for a genuine imitation Rolex watch! Lady, this is a paltry sum to pay for such a high-class piece of jewelry."

puny

adj. insignificant; tiny; weak. Our puny efforts to stop the flood were futile.

willful

adj. intentional; headstrong. Donald had planned to kill his wife for months; clearly, her death was a case of deliberate, willful murder, not a crime of passion committed by a hasty, willful youth unable to foresee the consequences of his deeds.

meddlesome

adj. interfering. He felt his marriage was suffering because of his meddlesome mother-in-law.

prefatory

adj. introductory. The chairman made a few prefatory remarks before he called on the first speaker.

withdrawn

adj. introverted; remote. Rebuffed by his colleagues, the initially outgoing young researcher became increasingly withdrawn.

opalescent

adj. iridescent; lustrous. The oil slick on the water had an opalescent, rainbowlike sheen. opalescence, N.

testy

adj. irritable; short-tempered. My advice is to avoid discussing this problem with her today as she is rather testy and may shout at you. testiness, N.

succulent

adj. juicy; full of richness. To some people, Florida citrus fruits are more succulent than those from California. also N.

■warranted

adj. justified; authorized. Before the judge issues the injunction, you must convince her this action is warranted.

spartan

adj. lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined. Looking over the bare, unheated room with its hard cot, he wondered what he was doing in such spar-tan quarters. Only his spartan sense of duty kept him at his post.

salacious

adj. lascivious; lustful. Chaucer's monk is not pious but salacious, a teller of lewd tales and ribald jests.

sumptuous

adj. lavish; rich. I cannot recall when I have had such a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast.

slothful

adj. lazy. The British word "layabout" is a splendid descriptive term for someone slothful: What did the lazy bum do? He lay about the house all day. sloth, N.

subdued

adj. less intense; quieter. Bob liked the subdued lighting at the restaurant because he thought it was romantic. I just thought the place was dimly lit.

unfettered

adj. liberated; freed from chains. Chained to the wall for months on end, the hostage despaired that he would ever be unfettered. unfetter, v.

rabid

adj. like a fanatic; furious. He was a rabid follower of the Dodgers and watched them play whenever he could go to the ballpark.

vulpine

adj. like a fox; crafty. She disliked his sly ways, but granted him a certain vulpine intelligence.

■qualified

adj. limited; restricted. Unable to give the candidate full support, the mayor gave him only a qualified endorsement. (secondary meaning)

vivacious

adj. lively or animated; sprightly. She had always been vivacious and sparkling.

skittish

adj. lively; frisky. She is as skittish as a kitten playing with a piece of string.

rousing

adj. lively; stirring. "And now, let's have a rousing welcome for TV's own Rosie O'Donnell, who'll lead us in a rousing rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'"

valid

adj. logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable. You're going to have to come up with a better argument if you want to convince me that your reasoning is valid.

retrospective

adj. looking back on the past. The Museum of Graphic Arts is holding a retrospective showing of the paintings of Michael Whelan over the past two decades. also

strident

adj. loud and harsh; insistent. We could barely hear the speaker over the strident cries of the hecklers. stridency, N.

nether

adj. lower. Tradition locates hell in the nether regions.

steadfast

adj. loyal; unswerving. Penelope was steadfast in her affections, faithfully waiting for Ulysses to return from his wanderings.

tepid

adj. lukewarm. To avoid scalding the baby, make sure the bath water is tepid, not hot.

supine

adj. lying on back. The defeated pugilist lay supine on the canvas.

■mendacious

adj. lying; habitually dishonest. Distrusting Huck from the start, Miss Watson assumed he was mendacious and refused to believe a word he said. mendacity, N.

■rarefied

adj. made less dense [of a gas]. The mountain climbers had difficulty breathing in the rarefied atmosphere. rarefy,

osseous

adj. made of bone; bony. The hollow "soft spot" found at the top of the infant's skull gradually closes as new osseous tissue fills in the gap.

palatial

adj. magnificent. He proudly showed us through his palatial home.

virile

adj. manly. I do not accept the premise that a man is virile only when he is belligerent.

variegated

adj. many-colored. Without her glasses, Gretchen saw the fields of tulips as a variegated blur.

peripheral

adj. marginal; outer. We lived, not in central London, but in one of those peripheral suburbs that spring up on the outskirts of a great city.

uproarious

adj. marked by commotion; extremely funny; very noisy. The uproarious comedy hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective starred Jim Carrey, whose comic mugging provoked gales of uproarious laughter from audiences coast to coast.

■striated

adj. marked with parallel bands; grooved. The glacier left many striated rocks. striate, v.

nubile

adj. marriageable. Mrs. Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, was worried about finding suitable husbands for her five nubile daughters.

prodigious

adj. marvelous; enormous. Watching the champion weight lifter heave the weighty barbell to shoulder height and then boost it overhead, we marveled at his prodigious strength.

monumental

adj. massive. Writing a dictionary is a monumental task.

scanty

adj. meager; insufficient. Thinking his helping of food was scanty, Oliver Twist asked for more.

niggardly

adj. meanly stingy; parsimonious. The niggardly pittance the widow receives from the government cannot keep her from poverty.

■officious

adj. meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services. After her long flight, Jill just wanted to nap, but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the special features of the deluxe suite.

molten

adj. melted. The city of Pompeii was destroyed by volcanic ash rather than by molten lava flowing from Mount Vesuvius.

minatory

adj. menacing; threatening. Jabbing a minatory forefinger at Dorothy, the Wicked Witch cried, "I'll get you, and your little dog, too!"

waggish

adj. mischievous; humorous; tricky. He was a prankster who, unfortunately, often overlooked the damage he could cause with his waggish tricks. wag, N.

promiscuous

adj. mixed indiscriminately; haphazard; irregular, particularly sexually. In the opera La Boheme, we get a picture of the promiscuous life led by the young artists of Paris. promiscuity, N.

satirical

adj. mocking. The humor of cartoonist Gary Trudeau often is satirical; through the comments of the Doonesbury characters, Trudeau ridicules political corruption and folly.

unassuming

adj. modest. He is so unassuming that some people fail to realize how great a man he really is.

retiring

adj. modest; shy. Given Susan's retiring personality, no one expected her to take up public speaking; surprisingly enough, she became a star of the school debate team.

transient

adj. momentary; temporary; staying for a short time. Lexy's joy at finding the perfect Christmas gift for Phil was transient; she still had to find presents for the cousins and Uncle Bob. Located near the airport, this hotel caters to the largely transient trade. also N.

simian

adj. monkeylike. Lemurs are nocturnal mammals and have many simian characteristics, although they are less intelligent than monkeys.

optimum

adj. most favorable. If you wait for the optimum moment to act, you may never begin your project. also N.

sacrosanct

adj. most sacred; inviolable. The brash insurance salesman invaded the sacrosanct privacy of the office of the president of the company.

maternal

adj. motherly. Many animals display maternal instincts only while their offspring are young and helpless. maternity, N.

stagnant

adj. motionless; stale; dull. Mosquitoes commonly breed in ponds of stagnant water. Mike's career was stagnant; it wasn't going anywhere, and neither was he! stagnate, v.

mercenary

adj. motivated solely by money or gain. "I'm not in this war because I get my kicks waving flags," said the mercenary soldier. "I'm in it for the dough." also N.

plaintive

adj. mournful. The dove has a plaintive and melancholy call.

mobile

adj. movable; not fixed. The mobile blood bank operated by the Red Cross visited our neighborhood today. mobility, N.

undulating

adj. moving with a wavelike motion. The Hilo Hula Festival featured an undulating sea of grass skirts.

turbid

adj. muddy; having the sediment disturbed. The water was turbid after the children had waded through it.

motley

adj. multicolored; mixed. The jester wore a motley tunic, red and green and blue and gold all patched together haphazardly. Captain Ahab had gathered a motley crew to sail the vessel: old sea dogs and runaway boys, pillars of the church and drunkards, even a tattooed islander who terrified the rest of the crew.

mawkish

adj. mushy and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; maudlin. Whenever Gigi and her boyfriend would sigh and get all lovey-dovey, her little brother would shout, "Yuck!" protesting their mawkish behavior.

reciprocal

adj. mutual; exchangeable; interacting. The two nations signed a reciprocal trade agreement.

Occult

adj. mysterious; secret; supernatural. The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members. also N.

runic

adj. mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet. Tolkien's use of Old English words and inscriptions in the runic alphabet give The Lord of the Rings its atmosphere of antiquity.

parochial

adj. narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes. Although Jane Austen writes novels set in small rural communities, her concerns are universal, not parochial.

myopic

adj. nearsighted; lacking foresight. Stumbling into doors despite the coke-bottle lenses on his glasses, the nearsighted Mr. Magoo is markedly myopic. In playing all summer long and failing to store up food for winter, the grasshopper in Aesop's fable was myopic as well. myopia, N.

spruce

adj. neat and trim. Every button buttoned, tie firmly in place, young Alex Keaton looked spruce and tidy for his job interview at the bank. also v.

natty

adj. neatly or smartly dressed. Priding himself on being a natty dresser, the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits and ties.

tautological

adj. needlessly repetitious. In the sentence "It was visible to the eye," the phrase "to the eye" is tautological. tautology, N.

pejorative

adj. negative in connotation; having a belittling effect. Instead of criticizing Clinton's policies, the Republicans made pejorative remarks about his character.

remiss

adj. negligent. When the prisoner escaped, the guard was accused of being remiss in his duty.

noncommittal

adj. neutral; unpledged; undecided. We were annoyed by his noncommittal reply for we had been led to expect definite assurances of his approval.

outmoded

adj. no longer stylish; old-fashioned. Unconcerned about keeping in style, Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they were clean and unfrayed.

patrician

adj. noble; aristocratic. We greatly admired her well-bred, patrician elegance. also N.

passive

adj. not active; acted upon. Mahatma Gandhi urged his followers to pursue a program of passive resistance as he felt that it was more effective than violence and acts of terrorism.

optional

adj. not compulsory; left to one's choice. I was impressed by the range of optional accessories for my microcomputer that were available. option, N.

rudimentary

adj. not developed; elementary; crude. Although my grandmother's English vocabulary was limited to a few rudimentary phrases, she always could make herself understood.

unearthly

adj. not earthly; weird. There is an unearthly atmosphere in her work that amazes the casual observer.

objective

adj. not influenced by emotions; fair. Even though he was her son, she tried to be objective about his behavior.

temporal

adj. not lasting forever; limited by time; secular. At one time in our history, temporal rulers assumed that they had been given their thrones by divine right.

unexceptionable

adj. not offering any basis for criticism; entirely acceptable. Objecting to Jack's lack of a respectable family background, Lady Bracknell declared that Cecily could marry only a man of unexceptionable lineage and character.

theoretical

adj. not practical or applied; hypothetical. Bob was better at applied engineering and computer programming than he was at theoretical physics and math. While I can still think of some theoretical objections to your plan, you've convinced me of its basic soundness.

unrequited

adj. not reciprocated. Suffering the pangs of unrequited love, Olivia rebukes Cesario for his hardheartedness.

unassailable

adj. not subject to question; not open to attack. Penelope's virtue was unassailable; while she waited for her husband to come back from the war, no other guy had a chance.

sparse

adj. not thick; thinly scattered; scanty. No matter how carefully Albert combed his hair to make it appear as full as possible, it still looked sparse.

unprecedented

adj. novel; unparalleled. For a first novel, Margaret Mitchell's book Gone with the Wind was an unprecedented success.

scurrilous

adj. obscene; indecent. Your scurrilous remarks are especially offensive because they are untrue.

■recalcitrant

adj. obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly. Which animal do you think is more recalcitrant, a pig or a mule?

subordinate

adj. occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive. Bishop Proudie's wife expected the subordinate clergy to behave with great deference to the wife of their superior. also N.

recurrent

adj. occurring again and again. These recurrent attacks disturbed us and we consulted a physician.

■sporadic

adj. occurring irregularly. Although you can still hear sporadic outbursts of laughter and singing outside, the big Halloween parade has passed; the party's over till next year.

subjective

adj. occurring or taking place within the mind; unreal. Your analysis is highly subjective; you have permitted your emotions and your opinions to color your thinking.

quaint

adj. odd; old-fashioned; picturesque. Her quaint clothes and old-fashioned language marked her as an eccentric.

piebald

adj. of different colors; mottled; spotted. You should be able to identify Polka Dot in this race; he is the only piebald horse running.

obnoxious

adj. offensive. I find your behavior obnoxious; please mend your ways.

unctuous

adj. oily; bland; insincerely suave. Uriah Heep disguised his nefarious actions by unctuous protestations of his "humility."

passé

adj. old-fashioned; past the prime. Her style is passé and reminiscent of the Victorian era.

terrestrial

adj. on or relating to the earth. We have been able to explore the terrestrial regions much more thoroughly than the aquatic or celestial regions.

unilateral

adj. one-sided. This legislation is unilateral since it binds only one party in the controversy.

■partisan

adj. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party. Rather than joining forces to solve our nation's problems, the Democrats and Republicans spend their time on partisan struggles. also N.

patent

adj. open for the public to read; obvious. It was patent to everyone that the witness spoke the truth.

overt

adj. open to view. According to the United States Constitution, a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for treason.

reactionary

adj. opposing progress; politically ultraconservative. Opposing the use of English in worship services, reactionary forces in the church fought to reinstate the mass in Latin. also N.

pedestrian

adj. ordinary; unimaginative. Unintentionally boring, he wrote page after page of pedestrian prose.

rococo

adj. ornate; highly decorated. The rococo style in furniture and architecture, marked by scrollwork and excessive decoration, flourished during the middle of the eighteenth century.

pretentious

adj. ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious. The other prize winner isn't wearing her medal; isn't it a bit pretentious of you to wear yours?

vindictive

adj. out for revenge; malicious. Divorce sometimes brings out a vindictive streak in people; when Tony told Tina he was getting a divorce, she poured green Jell-O into his aquarium and turned his tropical fish into dessert.

uncouth

adj. outlandish; clumsy; boorish. Most biographers portray Lincoln as an uncouth and ungainly young man.

obsolete

adj. outmoded. "Hip" is an obsolete expression; it went out with love beads and tie-dye shirts.

preeminent

adj. outstanding; superior. The king traveled to Boston because he wanted the preeminent surgeon in the field to perform the operation.

simplistic

adj. oversimplified. Though Jack's solution dealt adequately with one aspect of the problem, it was simplistic in failing to consider various complicating factors that might arise.

pallid

adj. pale; wan. Because his occupation required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally pallid complexion.

sere

adj. parched; dry. After the unseasonably dry winter the Berkeley hills looked dusty and sere.

translucent

adj. partly transparent. We could not recognize the people in the next room because of the translucent curtains that separated us.

torrid

adj. passionate; hot or scorching. The novels published by Harlequin Romances feature torrid love affairs, some set in torrid climates.

placid

adj. peaceful; calm. After his vacation in this placid section, he felt soothed and rested.

■permeable

adj. penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through. If your jogging clothes weren't made out of permeable fabric, you'd drown in your own sweat (figuratively speaking). permeate, v.

sagacious

adj. perceptive; shrewd; having insight. My father was a sagacious judge of character: he could spot a phony a mile away. sagacity, N.

■tangential

adj. peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing. Despite Clark's attempts to distract her with tangential remarks, Lois kept on coming back to her main question: Why couldn't he come out to dinner with Superman and her?

pontifical

adj. pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious. From the very beginning of his ministry it was clear from his pontifical pronouncements that John was destined for a high pontifical office.

provincial

adj. pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; unsophisticated. As provincial governor, Sir Henry administered the Queen's law in his remote corner of Canada. Caught up in local problems, out of touch with London news, he became sadly provincial.

traumatic

adj. pertaining to an injury caused by violence. In his nightmares, he kept on recalling the traumatic experience of being wounded in battle. trauma, N.

rustic

adj. pertaining to country people; uncouth. The backwoodsman looked out of place in his rustic attire.

■pathological

adj. pertaining to disease. As we study the pathological aspects of this disease, we must not overlook the psychological elements.

thespian

adj. pertaining to drama. Her success in the school play convinced her she was destined for a thespian career. also N.

seismic

adj. pertaining to earthquakes. The Richter scale is a measurement of seismic disturbances.

valedictory

adj. pertaining to farewell. I found the valedictory address too long; leave-taking should be brief. also N.

piscatorial

adj. pertaining to fishing. He spent many happy hours at the lake in his piscatorial activities.

thermal

adj. pertaining to heat. The natives discovered that the hot springs gave excellent thermal baths and began to develop their community as a health resort. also N.

mnemonic

adj. pertaining to memory. She used mnemonic tricks to master new words.

psychopathic

adj. pertaining to mental derangement. The psychopathic patient suffers more frequently from a disorder of the nervous system than from a diseased brain. None

monetary

adj. pertaining to money. Jane held the family purse strings: she made all monetary decisions affecting the household.

pecuniary

adj. pertaining to money. Seldom earning enough to cover their expenses, folk-dance teachers work because they love dancing, not because they expect any pecuniary reward.

vitreous

adj. pertaining to or resembling glass. Although this plastic has many vitreous qualities such as transparency, it is unbreakable.

nautical

adj. pertaining to ships or navigation. The Maritime Museum contains models of clipper ships, logbooks, anchors, and many other items of a nautical nature.

vernal

adj. pertaining to spring. We may expect vernal showers all during the month of April.

sartorial

adj. pertaining to tailors. He was as famous for the sartorial splendor of his attire as he was for his acting.

pharisaical

adj. pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical. Walter Lippmann has pointed out that moralists who do not attempt to explain the moral code they advocate are often regarded as pharisaical and ignored.

somatic

adj. pertaining to the body; physical. Why do you ignore the spiritual aspects and emphasize only the corporeal and the somatic ones?

pulmonary

adj. pertaining to the lungs. In his researches on pulmonary diseases, he discovered many facts about the lungs of animals and human beings.

tactile

adj. pertaining to the organs or sense of touch. His callused hands had lost their tactile sensitivity.

sensuous

adj. pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses. She was stimulated by the sights, sounds, and smells about her; she was enjoying her sensuous experience.

physiological

adj. pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms. To understand this disease fully, we must examine not only its physiological aspects but also its psychological elements.

stellar

adj. pertaining to the stars. He was the stellar attraction of the entire performance.

sylvan

adj. pertaining to the woods; rustic. His paintings of nymphs in sylvan backgrounds were criticized as oversentimental.

relevant

adj. pertinent; referring to the case in hand. Teri was impressed by how relevant Virginia Woolf's remarks were to her as a woman writer; it was as if Woolf had been writing with Teri's situation in mind. relevance,

ruthless

adj. pitiless; cruel. Captain Hook was a dangerous, ruthless villain who would stop at nothing to destroy Peter Pan.

unequivocal

adj. plain; obvious. My answer to your proposal is an unequivocal and absolute "No."

perspicuous

adj. plainly expressed. Her perspicuous comments eliminated all possibility of misinterpretation.

staccato

adj. played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt, sharp sound. His staccato speech reminded one of the sound of a machine gun.

sportive

adj. playful. Such a sportive attitude is surprising in a person as serious as you usually are.

piquant

adj. pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating. The piquant sauce added to our enjoyment of the meal. piquancy, N.

toxic

adj. poisonous. We must seek an antidote for whatever toxic substance he has eaten. toxicity, N.

potent

adj. powerful; persuasive; greatly influential. Looking at the expiration date on the cough syrup bottle, we wondered whether the medication would still be potent. potency, N.

puissant

adj. powerful; strong; potent. We must keep his friendship for he will make a puissant ally.

■pragmatic

adj. practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something. This coming trip to France should provide me with a pragmatic test of the value of my conversational French class.

■viable

adj. practical or workable; capable of maintaining life. The plan to build a new baseball stadium, though missing a few details, is viable and stands a good chance of winning popular support.

precedent

adj. preceding in time, rank, etc. Our discussions, precedent to this event, certainly did not give you any reason to believe that we would adopt your proposal.

overweening

adj. presumptuous; arrogant. His overweening pride in his accomplishments was not justified.

verisimilar

adj. probable or likely; having the appearance of truth. Something verisimilar is very similar to the truth, or at least seems to be.

visionary

adj. produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical. She was given to visionary schemes that never materialized. also N.

salient

adj. prominent. One of the salient features of that newspaper is its excellent editorial page.

seemly

adj. proper; appropriate. Lady Bracknell did not think it was seemly for Ernest to lack a proper family: no baby abandoned on a doorstep could grow up to marry her daughter.

sibylline

adj. prophetic; oracular. Until their destruction by fire in 83 B.C., the sibylline books were often consulted by the Romans.

oracular

adj. prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous. Like many others who sought divine guidance from the oracle at Delphi, Oedipus could not understand the enigmatic oracular warning he received. oracle, N.

tutelary

adj. protective; pertaining to a guardianship. I am acting in my tutelary capacity when I refuse to grant you permission to leave the campus.

synoptic

adj. providing a general overview; summary. The professor turned to the latest issue of Dissertation Abstracts for a synoptic account of what was new in the field. synopsis, N.

punitive

adj. punishing. He asked for punitive measures against the offender.

platonic

adj. purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire. Accused of impropriety in his dealings with female students, the professor maintained he had only a platonic interest in the women involved.

septic

adj. putrid; producing putrefaction. The hospital was in such a filthy state that we were afraid that many of the patients would suffer from septic poisoning. sepsis, N.

receptive

adj. quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions, etc. Adventure-loving Huck Finn proved a receptive audience for Tom's tales of buried treasure and piracy.

■precipitate

adj. rash; premature; hasty; sudden. Though I was angry enough to resign on the spot, I had enough sense to keep myself from quitting a job in such a precipitate fashion.

voracious

adj. ravenous. The wolf is a voracious animal, its hunger never satisfied.

recumbent

adj. reclining; lying down completely or in part. The command "AT EASE" does not permit you to take a recumbent position.

ruddy

adj. reddish; healthy-looking. Santa Claus's ruddy cheeks nicely complement Rudolph the Reindeer's bright red nose.

nuptial

adj. related to marriage. Reluctant to be married in a traditional setting, they decided to hold their nuptial ceremony at the carousel in Golden Gate Park. nuptials,

narrative

adj. related to telling a story. A born teller of tales, Olsen used her impressive narrative skills to advantage in her story "I Stand Here Ironing." also

obsessive

adj. related to thinking about something constantly; preoccupying. Ballet, which had been a hobby, began to dominate his life: his love of dancing became obsessive. obsession, N.

monastic

adj. related to, monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns. Withdrawing from the world, Thomas Merton joined a contemplative religious order and adopted the monastic life.

thematic

adj. relating to a unifying motif or idea. Those who think of Moby Dick as a simple adventure story about whaling miss its underlying thematic import.

schematic

adj. relating to an outline or diagram; using a system of symbols. In working out the solution to an analytical logic question, you may find it helpful to construct a simple schematic diagram illustrating the relationships between the items of information given in the question. schema, N.

spatial

adj. relating to space. Certain exercises test your sense of spatial relations by asking you to identify two views of an object seen from different points in space.

sidereal

adj. relating to the stars. Although hampered by optical and mechanical flaws, the orbiting Hubble space telescope has relayed extraordinary images of distant sidereal bodies.

remediable

adj. reparable. Let us be grateful that the damage is remediable,

penitent

adj. repentant. When he realized the enormity of his crime, he became remorseful and penitent. also N.

sedentary

adj. requiring sitting. Sitting all day at the computer, Sharon grew to resent the sedentary nature of her job.

■reticent

adj. reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence. Fearing his competitors might get advance word about his plans from talkative staff members, Hughes preferred reticent employees to loquacious ones. reticence, N.

sonorous

adj. resonant. His sonorous voice resounded through the hall.

reputable

adj. respectable. If you want to buy antiques, look for a reputable dealer; far too many dealers today pass off fakes as genuine antiques.

■reverent

adj. respectful; worshipful. Though I bow my head in church and recite the prayers, sometimes I don't feel properly reverent. revere,

restive

adj. restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control. Waiting impatiently in line to see Santa Claus, even the best-behaved children grow restive and start to fidget.

temperate

adj. restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature. Try to be temperate in your eating this holiday season; if you control your appetite, you won't gain too much weight. Goldilocks found San Francisco's temperate climate neither too hot nor too cold but just right. None

superannuated

adj. retired or disqualified because of age. Don't call me superannuated; I can still perform a good day's work!

ramshackle

adj. rickety; falling apart. The boys propped up the ramshackle clubhouse with a couple of boards.

roseate

adj. rosy; optimistic. I am afraid you will have to alter your roseate views in the light of the distressing news that has just arrived.

regal

adj. royal. Prince Albert had a regal manner.

surly

adj. rude; cross. Because of his surly attitude, many people avoided his company.

seedy

adj. run-down; decrepit; disreputable. I would rather stay in dormitory lodgings in a decent youth hostel than have a room of my own in a seedy downtown hotel.

pastoral

adj. rural. In these stories of pastoral life, we find an understanding of the daily tasks of country folk.

saline

adj. salty. The slightly saline taste of this mineral water is pleasant.

surreptitious

adj. secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden. Hoping to discover where his mom had hidden the Christmas presents, Timmy took a surreptitious peek into the master bedroom closet.

privy

adj. secret; hidden; not public. We do not care for privy chamber government.

■specious

adj. seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally). To claim that, because houses and birds both have wings, both can fly is extremely specious reasoning.

touchy

adj. sensitive; irascible. Do not discuss his acne with Archy; he is very touchy about it.

premonitory

adj. serving to warn. You should have visited a doctor as soon as you felt these premonitory chest pains.

mangy

adj. shabby; wretched. We finally threw out the mangy rug that the dog had destroyed.

shoddy

adj. sham; not genuine; inferior. You will never get the public to buy such shoddy material.

painstaking

adj. showing hard work; taking great care. The new high-frequency word list is the result of painstaking efforts on the part of our research staff.

■pedantic

adj. showing off learning; bookish. Leavening her decisions with humorous, down-to-earth anecdotes, Judge Judy was not at all the pedantic legal scholar. pedantry, N.

■ostentatious

adj. showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention. Trump's latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling palace in the East: it easily out-glitters its competitors. ostentation, N.

muted

adj. silent; muffled; toned down. Thanks to the thick, sound-absorbing walls of the cathedral, only muted traffic noise reached the worshippers within. mute, v., N.

synchronous

adj. similarly timed; simultaneous with. We have many examples of scientists in different parts of the world who have made synchronous discoveries.

ulterior

adj. situated beyond; unstated and often questionable. You must have an ulterior motive for your behavior, since there is no obvious reason for it.

servile

adj. slavish; cringing. Constantly fawning on his employer, humble Uriah Heep was a servile creature. servility, N.

■obsequious

adj. slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic. Helen valued people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an excessively obsequious waiter or a fawning salesclerk.

■soporific

adj. sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness. Professor Pringle's lectures were so soporific that even he fell asleep in class. also N.

sluggish

adj. slow; lazy; lethargic. After two nights without sleep, she felt sluggish and incapable of exertion.

negligible

adj. so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded. Because the damage to his car had been negligible, Michael decided he wouldn't bother to report the matter to his insurance company.

sodden

adj. soaked; dull, as if from drink. He set his sodden overcoat near the radiator to dry.

staid

adj. sober; sedate. Her conduct during the funeral ceremony was staid and solemn.

monolithic

adj. solidly uniform; unyielding. Knowing the importance of appearing resolute, the patriots sought to present a monolithic front.

seamy

adj. sordid; unwholesome. In The Godfather, Michael Corleone is unwilling to expose his wife and children to the seamy side of his life as the son of a Mafia don.

polyglot

adj. speaking several languages. New York City is a polyglot community because of the thousands of immigrants who settle there.

■pervasive

adj. spread throughout. Despite airing them for several hours, she could not rid her clothes of the pervasive odor of mothballs that clung to them. pervade, v.

musty

adj. stale; spoiled by age. The attic was dark and musty.

unfaltering

adj. steadfast. She approached the guillotine with unfaltering steps.

precipitous

adj. steep; overhasty. This hill is difficult to climb because it is so precipitous; one slip, and our descent will be precipitous as well.

■viscous

adj. sticky, gluey. Melted tar is a viscous substance. viscosity, N.

rigid

adj. stiff and unyielding; strict; hard and unbending. By living with a man to whom she was not married, George Eliot broke Victorian society's most rigid rule of respectable behavior.

■pungent

adj. stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic. The pungent odor of ripe Limburger cheese appealed to Simone but made Stanley gag. pungency, N.

miserly

adj. stingy; mean. Transformed by his vision on Christmas Eve, mean old Scrooge ceased being miserly and became a generous, kind old man. miser, N.

squat

adj. stocky; short and thick. Tolkien's hobbits are somewhat squat, sturdy little creatures, fond of good ale, good music, and good food.

tempestuous

adj. stormy; impassioned; violent. Racket-throwing tennis star John McEnroe was famed for his displays of tempestuous temperament.

portly

adj. stout; corpulent. The salesclerk tactfully referred to the overweight customer as portly rather than fat.

uncanny

adj. strange; mysterious. You have the uncanny knack of reading my innermost thoughts.

vagrant

adj. stray; random. He tried to study, but could not collect his vagrant thoughts.

punctilious

adj. stressing niceties of conduct or form; minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points. Percy is punctilious about observing the rules of etiquette whenever Miss Manners invites him to stay. punctiliousness, N.

percussion

adj. striking one object against another sharply. The drum is a percussion instrument. also N.

stalwart

adj. strong, brawny; steadfast. His consistent support of the party has proved that he is a stalwart and loyal member. also N.

■obdurate

adj. stubborn. He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints.

obstinate

adj. stubborn; hard to control or treat. We tried to persuade him to give up smoking, but he was obstinate and refused to change. Blackberry stickers are the most obstinate weeds I know: once established in a yard, they're extremely hard to root out. obstinacy, N.

pertinacious

adj. stubborn; persistent. She is bound to succeed because her pertinacious nature will not permit her to quit.

■refractory

adj. stubborn; unmanageable. The refractory horse was eliminated from the race when he refused to obey the jockey.

perverse

adj. stubbornly wrongheaded; wicked and unacceptable. When Jack was in a perverse mood, he would do the opposite of whatever Jill asked him. When Hannibal Lecter was in a perverse mood, he ate the flesh of his victims. perversity, N.

stodgy

adj. stuffy; boringly conservative. For a young person, Winston seems remarkably stodgy: you'd expect someone his age to have a little more life.

rakish

adj. stylish; sporty. He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle.

urbane

adj. suave; refined; elegant. The courtier was urbane and sophisticated. urbanity, N.

meek

adj. submissive; patient and long-suffering. Mr. Barrett never expected his meek daughter would dare to defy him by eloping with her suitor.

subsidiary

adj. subordinate; secondary. This information may be used as subsidiary evidence but is not sufficient by itself to prove your argument. also N.

potable

adj. suitable for drinking. The recent drought in the Middle Atlantic States has emphasized the need for extensive research in ways of making sea water potable. also N.

pertinent

adj. suitable; to the point. The lawyer wanted to know all the pertinent details.

■perfunctory

adj. superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm. The auditor's perfunctory inspection of the books overlooked many errors.

supererogatory

adj. superfluous; more than needed or demanded. We have more than enough witnesses to corroborate your statement; to present any more would be supererogatory.

redundant

adj. superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy. The bottle of wine I brought to Bob's party was certainly redundant. how was Ito know Bob owned a winery? In your essay, you repeat several points unnecessarily; try to avoid redundancy in the future.

reputed

adj. supposed. He is the reputed father of the child. repute,

putative

adj. supposed; reputed. Although there are some doubts, the putative author of this work is Massinger.

transcendent

adj. surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior. Standing on the hillside watching the sunset through the Golden Gate was a transcendent experience for Lise: the sight was so beautiful it surpassed her wildest dreams. transcend,

vulnerable

adj. susceptible to wounds. His opponents could not harm Achilles, who was vulnerable only in his heel. vulnerability, N.

mellifluous

adj. sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious. Italian is a mellifluous language, especially suited to being sung.

sultry

adj. sweltering. He could not adjust himself to the sultry climate of the tropics.

meteoric

adj. swift; momentarily brilliant. We all wondered at his meteoric rise to fame.

turgid

adj. swollen; distended. The turgid river threatened to overflow the levees and flood the countryside.

tumid

adj. swollen; pompous; bombastic. I especially dislike his tumid style; I prefer writing that is less swollen and bombastic.

methodical

adj. systematic. An accountant must be methodical and maintain order among his financial records.

retroactive

adj. taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax). Because the new pension law was retroactive to the first of the year, even though Martha had retired in February she was eligible for the pension.

palpable

adj. tangible; easily, perceptible. I cannot understand how you could overlook such a palpable blunder.

savory

adj. tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable. Julia Child's recipes enable amateur chefs to create savory delicacies for their guests.

quizzical

adj. teasing; bantering; mocking; curious. When the skinny teenager tripped over his own feet stepping into the bullpen, Coach raised one quizzical eyebrow, shook his head, and said, "Okay, kid. You're here; let's see what you've got."

salutary

adj. tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome. The punishment had a salutary effect on the boy, as he became a model student.

subversive

adj. tending to overthrow; destructive. At first glance, the notion that Styrofoam cups may actually be more ecologically sound than paper cups strikes most environmentalists as subversive.

■prohibitive

adj. tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; inclined to prevent or forbid. Susie wanted to buy a new Volvo but had to settle for a used Dodge because the new car's price was prohibitive. prohibition, N.

provisional

adj. tentative. Kim's acceptance as an American Express cardholder was provisional: before issuing her a card, American Express wanted to check her employment record and credit history.

sententious

adj. terse; concise; aphoristic. After reading so many redundant speeches, I find his sententious style particularly pleasing.

■tenuous

adj. thin; rare; slim. The allegiance of our allies is held by such tenuous ties that we have little hope they will remain loyal.

wispy

adj. thin; slight; barely discernible. Worried about preserving his few wispy tufts of hair, Walter carefully massaged his scalp and applied hair restorer every night.

tertiary

adj. third. He is so thorough that he analyzes tertiary causes where other writers are content with primary and secondary reasons.

ominous

adj. threatening. Those clouds are ominous; they suggest that a severe storm is on the way.

taut

adj. tight; ready. The captain maintained that he ran a taut ship.

opportune

adj. timely; well-chosen. Cher looked at her father struggling to balance his checkbook; clearly this would not be an opportune moment to ask him for an increase in her allowance.

petulant

adj. touchy; peevish. If you'd had hardly any sleep for three nights and people kept on phoning and waking you up, you'd sound petulant, too. petulance, N.

sinewy

adj. tough; strong and firm. The steak was too sinewy to chew.

orthodox

adj. traditional; conservative in belief. Faced with a problem, she preferred to take an orthodox approach rather than shock anyone. orthodoxy, N.

pellucid

adj. transparent; limpid; easy to understand. After reading these stogy philosophers, I find his pellucid style very enjoyable.

■perfidious

adj. treacherous; disloyal. When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend. perfidy, N.

tremulous

adj. trembling; wavering. She was tremulous more from excitement than from fear.

superficial

adj. trivial; shallow. Since your report gave only a superficial analysis of the problem, I cannot give you more than a passing grade.

trifling

adj. trivial; unimportant. Why bother going to see a doctor for such a trifling, everyday cold? trifle, N.

petty

adj. trivial; unimportant; very small. She had no major complaints to make about his work, only a few petty quibbles that were almost too minor to state.

■veracious

adj. truthful. I can recommend him for this position because I have always found him veracious and reliable. veracity, N.

wry

adj. twisted; with a humorous twist. We enjoy Dorothy Parker's verse for its wry wit.

stock

adj. typical; standard; kept regularly in supply. Victorian melodramas portrayed stock characters—the rich but wicked villain, the sweet young ingenue, the poor but honest young man—in exaggerated situations. Although the stationery store kept only stock sizes of paper on hand, the staff would special-order any items not regularly in stock.

unsightly

adj. ugly. Although James was an experienced emergency room nurse, he occasionally became queasy when faced with a particularly unsightly injury.

unwonted

adj. unaccustomed. He hesitated to assume the unwonted role of master of ceremonies at the dinner.

unprepossessing

adj. unattractive. During adolescence many attractive young people somehow acquire the false notion that their appearance is unprepossessing.

unseemly

adj. unbecoming; indecent; in poor taste. When Seymour put whoopee cushions on all the seats in the funeral parlor, his conduct was most unseemly.

■precarious

adj. uncertain; risky. Saying the stock was currently overpriced and would be a precarious investment, the broker advised her client against purchasing it.

static

adj. unchanging; lacking development. Why do you watch chess on TV? I like watching a game with action, not something static where nothing seems to be going on. stasis, N.

■tacit

adj. understood; not put into words. We have a tacit agreement based on only a handshake.

nondescript

adj. undistinctive; ordinary. The private detective was a short, nondescript fellow with no outstanding features, the sort of person one would never notice in a crowd.

untoward

adj. unfortunate or unlucky; adverse; unexpected. Trying to sneak out of the house, Huck had a most untoward encounter with Miss Watson, who thwarted his escape.

unintimidating

adj. unfrightening. Though Phil had expected to feel overawed when he met Joe Montana, he found the world-famous quarterback friendly and unintimidating.

unscathed

adj. unharmed. They prayed he would come back from the war unscathed.

unwitting

adj. unintentional; not knowing. She was the unwitting tool of the swindlers.

singular

adj. unique; extraordinary; odd. Though the young man tried to understand Father William's singular behavior, he still found it odd that the old man incessantly stood on his head.

omnipresent

adj. universally present; ubiquitous. On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is omnipresent.

unwarranted

adj. unjustified; groundless; undeserved. Your assumption that I would accept your proposal is unwarranted, sir; I do not want to marry you at all. We could not understand Martin's unwarranted rudeness to his mother's guests.

unmitigated

adj. unrelieved or immoderate; absolute. After four days of unmitigated heat, I was ready to collapse from heat prostration. The congresswoman's husband was an unmitigated jerk: not only did he abandon her, but also he took her campaign funds!

uninhibited

adj. unrepressed. The congregation was shocked by her uninhibited laughter during the sermon.

wanton

adj. unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste. Pointing to the stack of bills, Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton expenditures. In response, Sara accused Sheldon of making an unfounded, wanton attack.

mutinous

adj. unruly; rebellious. The captain had to use force to quiet his mutinous crew. mutiny, N.

unassuaged

adj. unsatisfied; not soothed. Her anger is unassuaged by your apology.

unconscionable

adj. unscrupulous; excessive. She found the loan shark's demands unconscionable and impossible to meet.

studied

adj. unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful. Given Jill's previous slights, Jack felt that the omission of his name from the guest list was a studied insult.

unsullied

adj. untarnished. I am happy that my reputation is unsullied.

slipshod

adj. untidy or slovenly; shabby. As a master craftsman, the carpenter prided himself on never doing slipshod work.

slovenly

adj. untidy; careless in work habits. Unshaven, sitting around in his bathrobe all afternoon, Gus didn't care about the slovenly appearance he presented. sloven, N.

prophylactic

adj. used to prevent disease. Despite all prophylactic measures introduced by the authorities, the epidemic raged until cool weather set in. prophylaxis, N.

nebulous

adj. vague; hazy; cloudy. Phil and Dave tried to come up with a clear, intelligible business plan, not some hazy, nebulous proposal.

wistful

adj. vaguely longing; sadly pensive. With a last wistful glance at the happy couples dancing in the hall, Sue headed back to her room to study for her exam.

multifarious

adj. varied; greatly diversified. A career woman and mother, she was constantly busy with the multifarious activities of her daily life.

pied

adj. variegated; multicolored. The Pied Piper of Hamelin got his name from the multicolored clothing he wore.

sundry

adj. various; several. My suspicions were aroused when I read sundry items in the newspapers about your behavior.

protean

adj. versatile; able to take on many forms. A remarkably protean actor, Alec Guinness could take on any role.

plumb

adj. vertical. Before hanging wallpaper it is advisable to drop a plumb line from the ceiling as a guide. also N.

■wary

adj. very cautious. The spies grew wary as they approached the sentry.

pernicious

adj. very destructive. The Athenians argued that Socrates's teachings had a pernicious effect on young and susceptible minds; therefore, they condemned him to death.

munificent

adj. very generous. Shamelessly fawning over a particularly generous donor, the dean kept referring to her as "our munificent benefactor." munificence, N.

momentous

adj. very important. When Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium, they had no idea of the momentous impact their discovery would have upon society.

prim

adj. very precise and formal; exceedingly proper. Many people commented on the contrast between the prim attire of the young lady and the inappropriate clothing worn by her escort.

nefarious

adj. very wicked. The villain's crimes, though various, were one and all nefarious.

vital

adj. vibrant and lively; critical; living; breathing. The vital, highly energetic first aid instructor stressed that it was vital in examining accident victims to note their vital signs.

robust

adj. vigorous; strong. After pumping iron and taking karate for six months, the little old lady was far more robust in health and could break a plank with her fist.

spry

adj. vigorously active; nimble. She was eighty years old, yet still spry and alert.

unbridled

adj. violent. She had a sudden fit of unbridled rage.

peripatetic

adj. walking about; moving. The peripatetic school of philosophy derives its name from the fact that Aristotle walked with his pupils while discussing philosophy with them.

nomadic

adj. wandering. Several nomadic tribes of Indians would hunt in this area each year. nomad, N.

migratory

adj. wandering. The return of the migratory birds to the northern sections of this country is a harbinger of spring.

ribald

adj. wanton; profane. He sang a ribald song that offended many of the more prudish listeners. ribaldry, N.

muggy

adj. warm and damp. August in New York City is often muggy.

■prodigal

adj. wasteful; reckless with money. Don't be so prodigal spending my money; when you've earned some money, you can waste as much of it as you want! also N.

vigilant

adj. watchfully awake; alert to spot danger. From the battlement, the vigilant sentry kept his eyes open for any sign of enemy troops approaching. vigilance, N.

ponderous

adj. weighty; unwieldy. His humor lacked the light touch; his jokes were always ponderous.

navigable

adj. wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; able to be steered. So much sand had built up at the bottom of the canal that the waterway was barely navigable.

pandemic

adj. widespread; affecting the majority of people. They feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions.

prevalent

adj. widespread; generally accepted. A radical committed to social change, Reed had no patience with the conservative views prevalent in the America of his day.

sinuous

adj. winding; bending in and out; not morally honest. The snake moved in a sinuous manner.

■tortuous

adj. winding; full of curves. Because this road is so tortuous, it is unwise to go faster than twenty miles an hour on it.

serpentine

adj. winding; twisting. The car swerved at every curve in the serpentine road.

wizened

adj. withered; shriveled. The wizened old man in the home for the aged was still active and energetic.

unique

adj. without an equal: single in kind. You have the unique distinction of being the first student whom I have had to fail in this course.

random

adj. without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard. Although the sponsor of the raffle claimed all winners were chosen at random, people had their suspicions when the grand prize went to the sponsor's brother-in-law.

untrammeled

adj. without limits or restrictions; unrestrained. The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum. The free-spirited young radical led an unconventional life, untrammeled by rigid norms of ideological orthodoxy.

■verbose

adj. wordy. We had to make some major cuts in Senator Foghorn's speech because it was far too verbose. verbosity, N.

■mundane

adj. worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday. Uninterested in philosophical or spiritual discussions, Tom talked only of mundane matters such as the daily weather forecast or the latest basketball results.

sophisticated

adj. worldly wise and urbane; complex. When Sophy makes wisecracks, she thinks she sounds sophisticated, but instead she sounds sophomoric. The IBM laptop with the butterfly keyboard and the built-in FAX modem is a pretty sophisticated machine. sophistication, N.

secular

adj. worldly; not pertaining to church matters; temporal. The church leaders decided not to interfere in secular matters.

tatty

adj. worn and shabby; bedraggled. Cinderella's stepsisters sneered at her in her frayed apron and tatty old gown.

threadbare

adj. worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor. The poorly paid adjunct professor hid the threadbare spots on his jacket by sewing leather patches on his sleeves.

■solicitous

adj. worried, concerned. The employer was very solicitous about the health of her employees as replacements were difficult to get. solicitude, N.

sallow

adj. yellowish; sickly in color. We were disturbed by her sallow complexion, which was due to jaundice.

submissive

adj. yielding; timid. When he refused to permit Elizabeth to marry her poet, Mr. Barrett expected her to be properly submissive; instead, she eloped with the guy!

pell-mell

adv. in confusion; disorderly. The excited students dashed pell-mell into the stadium to celebrate the victory.

unerringly

adv. infallibly. My teacher unerringly pounced on the one typographical error in my essay.

piecemeal

adv. one part at a time; gradually. Tolstoy's War and Peace is too huge to finish in one sitting; I'll have to read it piecemeal.

verbatim

adv. word for word. He repeated the message verbatim. also ADJ.

martinet

n. No talking at meals! No mingling with the servants! Miss Minchin was a martinet who insisted that the schoolgirls in her charge observe each regulation to the letter.

voyeur

n. Peeping Tom. Jill called Jack a voyeur when she caught him aiming his binoculars at a bedroom window of the house next door.

toga

n. Roman outer robe. Marc Antony pointed to the slashes in Caesar's toga.

saga

n. Scandinavian myth; any legend. This is a saga of the sea and the men who risk their lives on it.

psychiatrist

n. a doctor who treats mental diseases. A psychiatrist often needs long conferences with his patient before a diagnosis can be made.

scad

n. a great quantity. Refusing Dave's offer to lend him a shirt, Phil replied, "No, thanks; I've got scads of clothes."

minion

n. a servile dependent. He was always accompanied by several of his minions because he enjoyed their subservience and flattery.

pittance

n. a small allowance or wage. He could not live on the pittance he received as a pension and had to look for an additional source of revenue.

■plasticity

n. ability to be molded. When clay dries out, it loses its plasticity and becomes less malleable.

mutability

n. ability to change in form; fickleness. Going from rags to riches, and then back to rags again, the bankrupt financier was a victim of the mutability of fortune. mutable, ADJ.

prescience

n. ability to foretell the future. Given the current wave of Japan-bashing, it does not take prescience for me to foresee problems in our future trade relations with Japan.

motility

n. ability to move spontaneously. Certain organisms exhibit remarkable motility; motile spores, for example, may travel for miles before coming to rest. motile, ADJ.

plenitude

n. abundance; completeness. Looking in the pantry, we admired the plenitude of fruits and pickles we had preserved during the summer.

mishap

n. accident. With a little care you could have avoided this mishap.

spoonerism

n. accidental transposition of sounds in successive words. When the radio announcer introduced the President as Hoobert Herver, he was guilty of a spoonerism.

vivisection

n. act of dissecting living animals. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals opposed vivisection and deplored the practice of using animals in scientific experiments.

orientation

n. act of finding oneself in society. Freshman orientation provides the incoming students with an opportunity to learn about their new environment and their place in it.

summation

n. act of finding the total; summary. In his summation, the lawyer emphasized the testimony given by the two witnesses.

volition

n. act of making a conscious choice. She selected this dress of her own volition.

pantomime

n. acting without dialogue. Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared. also v.

vigor

n. active strength. Although he was over seventy years old, Jack had the vigor of a man in his prime. vigorous, ADJ.

suffragist

n. advocate of voting rights (for women). In recognition of her efforts to win the vote for women, Congress authorized coining a silver dollar honoring the suffragist Susan B. Anthony.

■truculence

n. aggressiveness; ferocity. Tynan's reviews were noted for their caustic attacks and general tone of truculence. truculent, ADJ.

rider

n. amendment or clause added to a legislative bill. Senator Foghorn said he would support Senator Filibuster's tax reform bill only if Filibuster agreed to add an antipollution rider to the bill.

reparation

n. amends; compensation. At the peace conference, the defeated country promised to pay reparations to the victors.

yield

n. amount produced; crop; income on investment. An experienced farmer can estimate the annual yield of his acres with surprising accuracy. also v.

progenitor

n. ancestor. The Roth family, whose progenitors emigrated from Germany early in the nineteenth century, settled in Peru, Illinois.

papyrus

n. ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant. The ancient Egyptians were among the first to write on papyrus.

wrath

n. anger; fury. She turned to him, full of wrath, and said, "What makes you think I'll accept lower pay for this job than you get?"

parasite

n. animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant. The tapeworm is an example of the kind of parasite that may infest the human body.

vex

n. annoy; distress. Please try not to vex your mother; she is doing the best she can.

perquisite

n. any gain above stipulated salary. The perquisites attached to this job make it even more attractive than the salary indicates.

verisimilitude

n. appearance of truth; likelihood. Critics praised her for the verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth. She was completely believable.

medium

n. appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise. Film was Anna's medium: she expressed herself through her cinematography. However, she never watched television, claiming she despised the medium. For Anna, it was all or nothing: she could never strike a happy medium.

symmetry

n. arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity. By definition, something lopsided lacks symmetry. symmetrical, ADJ.

rhetoric

n. art of effective communication; insincere or grandiloquent language. All writers, by necessity, must be skilled in rhetoric. rhetorical, ADJ.

treatise

n. article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly. He is preparing a treatise on the Elizabethan playwrights for his graduate degree.

sluice

n. artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water. In times of drought, this sluice enables farmers to obtain water for irrigation.

premise

n. assumption; postulate. On the premise that there's no fool like an old fool, P. T. Barnum hired a 90year-old clown for his circus.

pundit

n. authority on a subject; learned person; expert. Some authors who write about the GRE as if they are pundits actually know very little about the test.

proxy

n. authorized agent. Please act as my proxy and vote for this slate of candidates in my absence.

nib

n. beak; pen point. The nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded.

pulchritude

n. beauty; comeliness. I do not envy the judges who have to select this year's Miss America from this collection of female pulchritude.

novice

n. beginner. Even a novice at working with computers can install Barron's Computer Study Program for the GRE by following the easy steps outlined in the user's manual.

tyro

n. beginner; novice. For a mere tyro, you have produced some marvelous results.

monotheism

n. belief in one God. Abraham was the first to proclaim his belief in monotheism.

pessimism

n. belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess. Considering how well you have done in the course so far, you have no real reason for such pessimism about your final grade. pessimistic, ADJ.

refraction

n. bending of a ray of light. When you look at a stick inserted in water, it looks bent because of the refraction of the light by the water.

rancor

n. bitterness; hatred. Thirty years after the war, she could not let go of the past but was still consumed with rancor against the foe. rancorous, ADJ.

necromancy

n. black magic; dealings with the dead. The evil sorcerer performed feats of necromancy, calling on the spirits of the dead to tell the future. necromancer, N.

obsidian

n. black volcanic rock. The deposits of obsidian on the mountain slopes were an indication that the volcano had erupted in ancient times.

vendetta

n. blood feud. The rival mobs engaged in a bitter vendetta.

palette

n. board on which a painter mixes pigments. At the present time, art supply stores are selling a paper palette that may be discarded after use.

regatta

n. boat or yacht race. Many boating enthusiasts followed the regatta in their own yachts.

revelry

n. boisterous merrymaking. New Year's Eve is a night of revelry.,

temerity

n. boldness; rashness. Do you have the temerity to argue with me?

verge

n. border; edge. Madame Curie knew she was on the verge of discovering the secrets of radioactive elements. also v.

tedium

n. boredom; weariness. We hope this new Game Boy will help you overcome the tedium of your stay in the hospital. tedious, ADJ.

obeisance

n. bow. She made an obeisance as the king and queen entered the room.

pugilist

n. boxer. The famous pugilist Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali.

ramification

n. branching out; subdivision. We must examine all the ramifications of this problem.

valor

n. bravery. He received the Medal of Honor for his valor in battle.

respiration

n. breathing; exhalation. The doctor found that the patient's years of smoking had adversely affected both his lung capacity and his rate of respiration.

spatula

n. broad-bladed instrument used for spreading or mixing. The manufacturers of this frying pan recommend the use of a rubber spatula to avoid scratching the specially treated surface.

sibling

n. brother or sister. We may not enjoy being siblings, but we cannot forget that we still belong to the same family.

ruffian

n. bully; scoundrel. The ruffians threw stones at the police.

sheaf

n. bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together. The lawyer picked up a sheaf of papers as she rose to question the witness.

onus

n. burden; responsibility. The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead, he relegated the assignment to his generals.

serenity

n. calmness, placidity. The serenity of the sleepy town was shattered by a tremendous explosion.

tranquillity

n. calmness; peace. After the commotion and excitement of the city, I appreciate the tranquillity of these fields and forests.

taper

n. candle. She lit the taper on the windowsill.

vagary

n. caprice; whim. She followed every vagary of fashion.

■whimsical

n. capricious; fanciful. In Mrs. Doubtfire, the hero is a playful, whimsical man who takes a notion to dress up as a woman so that he can look after his children, who are in the custody of his ex-wife. whimsy, N.

scabbard

n. case for a sword blade; sheath. The drill master told the recruit to wipe the blood from his sword before slipping it back into the scabbard.

quiver

n. case for arrows. Robin Hood reached back and plucked one last arrow from his quiver. (secondary meaning)

mace

n. ceremonial staff; clublike medieval weapon. The Grand Marshal of the parade raised his mace to signal that it was time for the procession to begin.

ordination

n. ceremony conferring holy orders. The candidate for ordination had to meet with the bishop and the diocesan officers before being judged ready to be ordained a deacon. ordain, v.

■metamorphosis

n. change of form. The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life. metamorphose, v.

vicissitude

n. change of fortune. Humbled by life's vicissitudes, the last emperor of China worked as a lowly gardener in the palace over which he had once ruled.

temperament

n. characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess. Although the twins look alike, they differ markedly in temperament: Tod is calm, but Rod is excitable.

mountebank

n. charlatan; boastful pretender. The patent medicine man was a mountebank.

quack

n. charlatan; impostor. Do not be misled by the exorbitant claims of this quack; he cannot cure you.

talisman

n. charm. She wore the talisman to ward off evil.

swindler

n. cheat. She was gullible and trusting, an easy victim for the first swindler who came along.

progeny

n. children; offspring. He was proud of his progeny but regarded George as the most promising of all his children.

prelate

n. church dignitary. The archbishop of Moscow and other high-ranking prelates visited the Russian Orthodox seminary.

rotunda

n. circular building or hall covered with a dome. His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Capitol.

talon

n. claw of bird. The falconer wore a leather gauntlet to avoid being clawed by the hawk's talons.

perspicuity

n. clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity. One of the outstanding features of this book is the perspicuity of its author; her meaning is always clear.

repartee

n. clever reply. He was famous for his witty repartee and his sarcasm.

stratagem

n. clever trick; deceptive scheme. What a gem of a stratagem! Watson, I have the perfect plan to trick Moriarty into revealing himself.

precipice

n. cliff; dangerous position. Suddenly Indiana Jones found himself dangling from the edge of a precipice.

raiment

n. clothing. "How can I go to the ball?" asked Cinderella. "I have no raiment fit to wear."

menagerie

n. collection of wild animals. Whenever the children run wild around the house, Mom shouts, "Calm down! I'm not running a menagerie!"

■spectrum

n. colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism. The visible portion of the spectrum includes red at one end and violet at the other.

pigment

n. coloring matter. Van Gogh mixed various pigments with linseed oil to create his paints.

pugnacity

n. combativeness; disposition to fight. "Put up your dukes!" he cried, making a fist to show his pugnacity. pugnacious, ADJ.

synthesis

n. combining parts into a whole. Now that we have succeeded in isolating this drug, our next problem is to plan its synthesis in the laboratory. syntheses, PL., synthesize, v.

solace

n. comfort in trouble. I hope you will find solace in the thought that all of us share your loss.

tumult

n. commotion; riot; noise. She could not make herself heard over the tumult of the mob.

simile

n. comparison of one thing with another, using the word like or as. "My love is like a red, red rose" is a simile.

unanimity

n. complete agreement. We were surprised by the unanimity with which our proposals were accepted by the different groups. unanimous, ADJ.

narcissist

n. conceited person. A narcissist is his own best friend.

smirk

n. conceited smile. Wipe that smirk off your face! also v.

précis

n. concise summing up of main points. Before making her presentation at the conference, Ellen wrote a neat précis of the major elements she would cover.

peroration

n. conclusion of an oration. The peroration was largely hortatory and brought the audience to its feet clamoring for action at its close.

plight

n. condition, state (especially a bad state or condition); predicament. Loggers, unmoved by the plight of the spotted owl, plan to keep on felling trees whether or not they ruin the bird's habitat.

parley

n. conference. The peace parley has not produced the anticipated truce. also v.

nexus

n. connection. I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events.

solecism

n. construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically. I must give this paper a failing mark because it contains many solecisms.

trough

n. container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc.). The hungry pigs struggled to get at the fresh swill in the trough. The surfer rode her board, coasting along in the trough between two waves.

polemic

n. controversy; argument in support of point of view. Her essays were, for the main part, polemics for the party's policy.

mores

n. conventions; moral standards; customs. In America, Benazir Bhutto dressed as Western women did; in Pakistan, however, she followed the mores of her people, dressing in traditional veil and robes.

replica

n. copy. Are you going to hang this replica of the Declaration of Independence in the classroom or in the auditorium?

pith

n. core or marrow; essence; substance. In preparing a pineapple for the table, first slice it in half and remove the woody central pith.

orthography

n. correct spelling. Many of us find English orthography difficult to master because so many of our words are not written phonetically.

perversion

n. corruption; turning from right to wrong. Inasmuch as he had no motive for his crimes, we could not understand his perversion.

recrimination

n. countercharges. Loud and angry recriminations were her answer to his accusations.

yokel

n. country bumpkin. At school, his classmates regarded him as a yokel and laughed at his rustic mannerisms.

pluck

n. courage. Even the adversaries of young Indiana Jones were impressed by the boy's pluck in trying to rescue the archeological treasure they had stolen.

mettle

n. courage; spirit. When challenged by the other horses in the race, the thoroughbred proved its mettle by its determination to hold the lead. mettlesome, ADJ.

tribunal

n. court of justice. The decision of the tribunal was final and the prisoner was sentenced to death.

predator

n. creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs or exploits others. Not just cats, but a wide variety of predators—owls, hawks, weasels, foxes—catch mice for dinner. A carnivore is by definition predatory, for he preys on weaker creatures. predation, N.

stricture

n. critical comments; severe and adverse criticism. His strictures on the author's style are prejudiced and unwarranted.

throng

n. crowd. Throngs of shoppers jammed the aisles. also v.

panacea

n. cure-all; remedy for all diseases. There is no easy panacea that will solve our complicated international situation.

wont

n. custom; habitual procedure. As was her wont, she jogged two miles every morning before going to work.

perdition

n. damnation; complete ruin. Praying for salvation, young Daedalus feared he was damned to eternal perdition.

reverie

n. daydream; musing. She was awakened from her reverie by the teacher's question.

stalemate

n. deadlock. Negotiations between the union and the employers have reached a stalemate; neither side is willing to budge from previously stated positions.

obituary

n. death notice. I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper. also ADJ.

ordinance

n. decree. Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance.

tureen

n. deep dish for serving soup. The waiters brought the soup to the tables in silver tureens.

woe

n. deep, inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering. Pale and wan with grief, Wanda was bowed down beneath the burden of her woes.

slander

n. defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements. Considering the negative comments politicians make about each other, it's a wonder that more of them aren't sued for slander. also

rampart

n. defensive mound of earth. "From the ramparts we watched" as the fighting continued.

turpitude

n. depravity. A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude.

posterity

n. descendants; future generations. We hope to leave a better world to posterity.

renegade

n. deserter; traitor. Because he had abandoned his post and joined forces with the Indians, his fellow officers considered the hero of Dances with Wolves a renegade. also ADJ.

■resolution

n. determination. Nothing could shake his resolution to succeed despite all difficulties. resolute, ADJ.

■resolve

n. determination; firmness of purpose. How dare you question my resolve to take up sky-diving! Of course I haven't changed my mind! also v.

odium

n. detestation; hatefulness; disrepute. Prince Charming could not express the odium he felt toward Cinderella's stepsisters because of their mistreatment of poor Cinderella.

■piety

n. devoutness; reverence for God. Living her life in prayer and good works, Mother Teresa exemplified the true spirit of piety. pious, ADJ.

sleight

n. dexterity. The magician amazed the audience with his sleight of hand.

quandary

n. dilemma. When both Harvard and Stanford accepted Laura, she was in a quandary as to which school she should attend.

refectory

n. dining hall. In this huge refectory, we can feed the entire student body at one sitting.

protocol

n. diplomatic etiquette. We must run this state dinner according to protocol if we are to avoid offending any of our guests.

subsidy

n. direct financial aid by government, etc. Without this subsidy, American ship operators would not be able to compete in world markets.

rebate

n. discount, We offer a rebate of ten percent to those who pay cash.

virus

n. disease communicator, The doctors are looking for a specific medicine to control this virus.

skulduggery

n. dishonest behavior. The investigation into municipal corruption turned up new instances of skulduggery daily.

notoriety

n. disrepute; ill fame. To the starlet, any publicity was good publicity: if she couldn't have a good reputation, she'd settle for notoriety. notorious, ADJ.

repulsion

n. distaste; act of driving back. Hating bloodshed, she viewed war with repulsion. Even defensive battles distressed her, for the repulsion of enemy forces is never accomplished bloodlessly. repulse, v.

tribulation

n. distress; suffering. After all the trials and tribulations we have gone through, we need this rest.

stanza

n. division of a poem. Do you know the last stanza of "The Star-Spangled Banner"?

schism

n. division; split. Let us not widen the schism by further bickering.

quay

n. dock; landing place. Because of the captain's carelessness, the ship crashed into the quay.

podiatrist

n. doctor who treats ailments of the feet. He consulted a podiatrist about his fallen arches.

tenet

n. doctrine; dogma. The agnostic did not accept the tenets of their faith.

potion

n. dose (of liquid). Tristan and Isolde drink a love potion in the first act of the opera.

■skeptic

n. doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view. I am a skeptic about the new health plan; I want some proof that it can work. skeptical,

misgivings

n. doubts. Hamlet described his misgivings to Horatio but decided to fence with Laertes despite his foreboding of evil.

oratorio

n. dramatic poem set to music. The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital.

provender

n. dry food; fodder. I am not afraid of a severe winter because I have stored a large quantity of provender for the cattle.

zeal

n. eager enthusiasm. Wang's zeal was contagious; soon all his fellow students were busily making posters, inspired by his ardent enthusiasm for the cause. zealous, ADJ.

periphery

n. edge, especially of a round surface. He sensed that there was something just beyond the periphery of his vision.

medium

n. element that is a creature's natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are cultivated. We watched the dolphins sporting in the sea and marveled at their grace in their proper medium. The bacteriologist carefully observed the microorganisms' rapid growth in the culture medium.

rapport

n. emotional closeness; harmony. In team teaching, it is important that all teachers in the group have good rapport with one another.

termination

n. end. Though the time for termination of the project was near, we still had a lot of work to finish before we shut up shop. terminate, v.

verve

n. enthusiasm; liveliness. She approached her studies with such verve that it was impossible for her to do poorly.

ovation

n. enthusiastic applause. When Placido Domingo came on stage in the first act of La Bohéme, he was greeted by a tremendous ovation.

plaudit

n. enthusiastic approval; round of applause. The theatrical company reprinted the plaudits of the critics in its advertisements. plauditory, ADJ.

milieu

n. environment; means of expression. Surrounded by smooth preppies and arty bohemians, the country boy from Smalltown, USA, felt out of his milieu. Although he has produced excellent oil paintings and lithographs, his proper milieu is watercolor.

parity

n. equality; close resemblance. I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations.

paraphernalia

n. equipment; odds and ends. Her desk was cluttered with paper, pen, ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft.

misapprehension

n. error; misunderstanding. To avoid misapprehension, I am going to ask all of you to repeat the instructions I have given.

■plethora

n. excess; overabundance. She offered a plethora of excuses for her shortcomings.

tightwad

n. excessively frugal person; miser. Jill called Jack a tightwad because he never picked up the check.

prude

n. excessively modest or proper person. The X-rated film was definitely not for prudes.

pretext

n. excuse. She looked for a good pretext to get out of paying a visit to her aunt.

subsistence

n. existence; means of support; livelihood. In those days of inflated prices, my salary provided a mere subsistence.

■tirade

n. extended scolding; denunciation; harangue. Every time the boss holds a meeting, he goes into a lengthy tirade, scolding us for everything from tardiness to padding our expenses.

pterodactyl

n. extinct flying reptile. The remains of pterodactyls indicate that these flying reptiles had a wingspan of as much as twenty feet.

prowess

n. extraordinary ability; military bravery. Performing triple axels and double lutzes at the age of six, the young figure skater was world famous for her prowess on the ice.

opulence

n. extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance. The glitter and opulence of the ballroom took Cinderella's breath away. opulent, ADJ.

physiognomy

n. face. He prided himself on his ability to analyze a person's character by studying his physiognomy.

visage

n. face; appearance. The stern visage of the judge indicated that she had decided to impose a severe penalty.

philanderer

n. faithless lover; flirt. Swearing he had never so much as looked at another woman, Jack assured Jill he was no philanderer.

windfall

n. fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event. This huge tax refund is quite a windfall.

perjury

n. false testimony while under oath. Rather than lie under oath and perhaps be indicted for perjury, the witness chose to take the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer any questions on the grounds that he might incriminate himself.

renown

n. fame. For many years an unheralded researcher, Barbara McClintock gained international renown when she won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. renowned, ADJ.

■zealot

n. fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal. Though Glenn was devout, he was no zealot; he never tried to force his religious beliefs on his friends.

patriarch

n. father and ruler of a family or tribe. In many primitive tribes, the leader and lawmaker was the patriarch.

nepotism

n. favoritism (to a relative). John left his position with the company because he felt that advancement was based on nepotism rather than ability.

xenophobia

n. fear or hatred of foreigners. When the refugee arrived in America, he was unprepared for the xenophobia he found there.

trepidation

n. fear; nervous apprehension. As she entered the office of the dean of admissions, Sharon felt some trepidation about how she would do in her interview.

plumage

n. feathers of a bird. Bird watchers identify different species of birds by their characteristic songs and distinctive plumage.

presentiment

n. feeling something will happen; anticipatory fear; premonition. Saying goodbye at the airport, Jack had a sudden presentiment that this was the last time he would see Jill.

vixen

n. female fox; ill-tempered woman. Aware that she was right once again, he lost his temper and called her a shrew and a vixen.

melee

n. fight. The captain tried to ascertain the cause of the melee that had broken out among the crew members.

squalor

n. filth; degradation; dirty, neglected state. Rusted, broken-down cars in the yard, trash piled on the porch, tar paper peeling from the roof—the shack was the picture of squalor. squalid, ADJ.

purchase

n. firm grasp or footing. The mountaineer struggled to get a proper purchase on the slippery rock.

tenacity

n. firmness; persistence. Jean Valjean could not believe the tenacity of Inspector Javert. Here all Valjean had done was to steal a loaf of bread, and the inspector had pursued him doggedly for 20 years!

tantrum

n. fit of petulance; caprice. The child learned that he could have almost anything if he went into tantrums.

paroxysm

n. fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage. When he heard of his son's misdeeds, he was seized by a paroxysm of rage.

■propriety

n. fitness; correct conduct. Miss Manners counsels her readers so that they may behave with propriety in any social situation and not embarrass themselves.

moodiness

n. fits of depression or gloom. We could not discover the cause of her recurrent moodiness.

stereotype

n. fixed and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture, often reflecting prejudice. Critics object to the character of Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because he seems to reflect the stereotype of the happy, ignorant slave. also v.

panache

n. flair; flamboyance. Many performers imitate Noel Coward, but few have his panache and sense of style.

sherbet

n. flavored dessert ice. I prefer raspberry sherbet to ice cream since it is less fattening.

parquet

n. floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic-like pattern. In laying the floor, the carpenters combined redwood and oak in an elegant parquet.

retinue

n. following; attendants. The queen's retinue followed her down the aisle.

victuals

n. food. I am very happy to be able to provide you with these victuals; I know you are hungry.

viand

n. food. There was a variety of viands at the feast.

prognosis

n. forecasted course of a disease; prediction. If the doctor's prognosis is correct, the patient will be in a coma for at least twenty-four hours.

■precursor

n. forerunner. Though Gray and Burns share many traits with the Romantic poets who followed them, most critics consider them precursors of the Romantic Movement, not true Romantics.

vanguard

n. forerunners; advance forces. We are the vanguard of a tremendous army that is following us.

premonition

n. forewarning. We ignored these premonitions of disaster because they appeared to be based on childish fears.

polity

n. form of government of nation or state. Our polity should be devoted to the concept that the government should strive for the good of all citizens.

satire

n. form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack vice and folly. Gulliver's Travels, which is regarded by many as a tale for children, is actually a bitter satire attacking human folly.

panegyric

n. formal praise. Blushing at all the praise heaped upon him by the speakers, the modest hero said, "I don't deserve such panegyrics."

predecessor

n. former occupant of a post. I hope I can live up to the fine example set by my late predecessor in this office.

quadruped

n. four-footed animal. Most mammals are quadrupeds.

■shard

n. fragment, generally of pottery. The archaeologist assigned several students the task of reassembling earthenware vessels from the shards he had brought back from the expedition.

rubble

n. fragments. Ten years after World War II, some of the rubble left by enemy bombings could still be seen.

outskirts

n. fringes; outer borders. Living on the outskirts of Boston, Sarah sometimes felt as if she were cut off from the cultural heart of the city.

rationale

n. fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action. Her need for a vehicle large enough to accommodate five children and a Saint Bernard was Judy's rationale for buying a minivan.

obsequy

n. funeral ceremony. Hundreds paid their last respects at his obsequies.

purveyor

n. furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer. As purveyor of rare wines and viands, he traveled through France and Italy every year in search of new products to sell.

■magnanimity

n. generosity. Noted for his magnanimity, philanthropist Eugene Lang donated millions to charity. magnanimous, ADJ.

zephyr

n. gentle breeze; west wind. When these zephyrs blow, it is good to be in an open boat under a full sail.

vampire

n. ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living. Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampires.

serendipity

n. gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck. Many scientific discoveries are a matter of serendipity: Newton was not sitting there thinking about gravity when the apple dropped on his head.

objective

n. goal; aim. A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective.

transition

n. going from one state of action to another. During the period of transition from oil heat to gas heat, the furnace will have to be shut off.

prosperity

n. good fortune; financial success; physical well-being. Promising to stay together "for richer, for poorer," the newlyweds vowed to be true to one another in prosperity and hardship alike.

virtue

n. goodness; moral excellence; good quality. A virtue carried to extremes can turn into something resembling vice; humility, for example, can degenerate into servility and spinelessness.

oligarchy

n. government by a privileged few. One small clique ran the student council: what had been intended as a democratic governing body had turned into an oligarchy.

theocracy

n. government run by religious leaders. Though some Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower favored the establishment of a theocracy in New England, many of their fellow voyagers preferred a nonreligious form of government.

monarchy

n. government under a single ruler. Though England today is a monarchy, there is some question whether it will be one in 20 years, given the present discontent at the prospect of Prince Charles as king.

turmoil

n. great commotion and confusion. Lydia running off with a soldier! Mother fainting at the news! The Bennet household was in turmoil.

magnitude

n. greatness; extent. It is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of his crime.

verdigris

n. green coating on copper that has been exposed to the weather. Despite all attempts to protect the statue from the elements, it became coated with verdigris.

patina

n. green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting. Judging by the patina on this bronze statue, we can conclude that this is the work of a medieval artist.

trilogy

n. group of three works. Having read the first two volumes of Philip Pullman's trilogy, Alison could hardly wait to read volume three.

warranty

n. guarantee; assurance by seller. The purchaser of this automobile is protected by the manufacturer's warranty that he will replace any defective part for five years or 50,000 miles.

tutelage

n. guardianship; training. Under the tutelage of such masters of the instrument, she made rapid progress as a virtuoso.

remorse

n. guilt; self-reproach. The murderer felt no remorse for his crime.

recidivism

n. habitual return to crime. Prison reformers in the United States are disturbed by the high rate of recidivism; the number of persons serving second and third terms indicates the failure of the prisons to rehabilitate the inmates.

satyr

n. half-human, half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus, portrayed as wanton and cunning. He was like a satyr in his lustful conduct.

snicker

n. half-stifled laugh. The boy could not suppress a snicker when the teacher sat on the tack. also v.

tiller

n. handle used to move boat's rudder (to steer). Fearing the wind might shift suddenly and capsize the skiff, Tom kept one hand on the tiller at all times.

privation

n. hardship; want. In his youth, he knew hunger and privation.

placebo

n. harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill. In a controlled experiment, fifty volunteers were given erythromycin tablets; the control group received only placebos.

travesty

n. harshly distorted imitation; parody; debased likeness. Phillips's translation of Don Quixote is so inadequate and clumsy that it seems a travesty of the original.

severity

n. harshness; intensity; sternness; austerity. The severity of Jane's migraine attack was so great that she took to her bed for a week. severe, ADJ.

misogynist

n. hater of women. She accused him of being a misogynist because he had been a bachelor all his life.

misogamy

n. hatred of marriage. He remained a bachelor not because of misogamy but because of ill fate: his fiancée died before the wedding.

promontory

n. headland. They erected a lighthouse on the promontory to warn approaching ships of their nearness to the shore.

■recluse

n. hermit; loner. Disappointed in love, Miss Emily became a recluse; she shut herself away in her empty mansion and refused to see another living soul. reclusive, ADJ.

potpourri

n. heterogeneous mixture; medley. The folk singer offered a potpourri of songs from many lands.

pitfall

n. hidden danger; concealed trap. The preacher warned his flock to beware the pitfall of excessive pride, for pride brought on the angels' fall.

prodigy

n. highly gifted child; marvel. Menuhin was a prodigy, performing wonders on his violin when he was barely eight years old.

virtuoso

n. highly skilled artist. The child prodigy Yehudi Menuhin grew into a virtuoso whose virtuosity on the violin thrilled millions. virtuosity, N.

tenure

n. holding of an office; time during which such an office is held. A special recall election put an end to Gray Davis's tenure in office as governor of California.

waif

n. homeless child or animal. Although he already had eight cats, he could not resist adopting yet another feline waif.

vagrant

n. homeless wanderer. Because he was a stranger in town with no visible means of support, Martin feared he would be jailed as a vagrant. vagrancy, N.

nostalgia

n. homesickness; longing for the past. My grandfather seldom spoke of life in the old country; he had little patience with nostalgia. nostalgic, ADJ.

parody

n. humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty. The show Forbidden Broadway presents parodies spoofing the year's new productions playing on Broadway. also v.

■supposition

n. hypothesis; surmise. I based my decision to confide in him on the supposition that he would be discreet. suppose, v.

utopia

n. ideal place, state, or society. Fed up with this imperfect universe, Don would have liked to run off to Shangri-la or some other imaginary utopia. utopian, ADJ.

mischance

n. ill luck. By mischance, he lost his week's salary.

paramour

n. illicit lover. She sought a divorce on the grounds that her husband had a paramour in another town.

malady

n. illness. A mysterious malady swept the country, filling doctors' offices with feverish, purple-spotted patients.

pastiche

n. imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing. We cannot even say that her music is a pastiche of this or that composer; it is, rather, reminiscent of many musicians.

mimicry

n. imitation. Her gift for mimicry was so great that her friends said that she should be in the theater.

metaphor

n. implied comparison. "He soared like an eagle" is an example of a simile; "He is an eagle in flight," a metaphor.

prestige

n. impression produced by achievements or reputation. Many students want to go to Harvard University, not for the education offered, but for the prestige of Harvard's name. prestigious, ADJ.

nirvana

n. in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude. Despite his desire to achieve nirvana, the young Buddhist found that even the buzzing of a fly could distract him from his meditation.

vassal

n. in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord. The lord demanded that his vassals contribute more to his military campaign.

partiality

n. inclination; bias. As a judge, not only must I be unbiased, but I must also avoid any evidence of partiality when I award the prize.

proclivity

n. inclination; natural tendency. Watching the two-year-old voluntarily put away his toys, I was amazed by his proclivity for neatness.

nonchalance

n. indifference; lack of concern; composure. Cool, calm, and collected under fire, James Bond shows remarkable nonchalance in the face of danger. nonchalant, ADJ.

resentment

n. indignation; bitterness; displeasure. Not wanting to appear a sore loser, Bill tried to hide his resentment of Barry's success.

opportunist

n. individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances. Forget about ethics! He's such an opportunist that he'll vote in favor of any deal that will give him a break.

■opprobrium

n. infamy; vilification. He refused to defend himself against the slander and opprobrium hurled against him by the newspapers; he preferred to rely on his record.

mayhem

n. injury to body. The riot was marked not only by mayhem, with its attendant loss of life and limb, but also by arson and pillage.

query

n. inquiry; question. In her column "Ask Beth," the columnist invites young readers to send their queries about life and love to her. also v.

slur

n. insult to one's character or reputation; slander. Polls revealed that the front-runner's standing had been damaged by the slurs and innuendoes circulated by his opponent's staff. (secondary meaning) also v.

slight

n. insult to one's dignity; snub. Hypersensitive and ready to take offense at any discourtesy, Bertha was always on the lookout for real or imaginary slights. also v.

purport

n. intention; meaning. If the purport of your speech was to arouse the rabble, you succeeded admirably. also v.

symbiosis

n. interdependent relationship (between groups, species), often mutually beneficial. Both the crocodile bird and the crocodile derive benefit from their symbiosis; pecking away at food particles embedded in the crocodile's teeth, the bird derives nourishment; the crocodile, meanwhile, derives proper dental hygiene. symbiotic, ADJ.

respite

n. interval of relief; time for rest; delay in punishment. For David, the two weeks vacationing in New Zealand were a delightful respite from the pressures of his job.

prologue

n. introduction (to a poem or play). In the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare introduces the audience to the feud between the Montagues and the Capu lets.

prelude

n. introduction; forerunner. I am afraid that this border raid is the prelude to more serious attacks.

■preamble

n. introductory statement. In the Preamble to the Constitution, the purpose of the document is set forth.

pique

n. irritation; resentment. She showed her pique at her loss by refusing to appear with the other contestants at the end of the competition.

quarantine

n. isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection. We will have to place this house under quarantine until we determine the exact nature of the disease. also v.

seclusion

n. isolation; solitude. One moment she loved crowds; the next, she sought seclusion.

peregrination

n. journey. Auntie Mame was a world traveler whose peregrinations took her from Tijuana to Timbuktu.

realm

n. kingdom; field or sphere. In the animal realm, the lion is the king of beasts.

trinket

n. knickknack; bauble. Whenever she traveled abroad, Ethel would pick up costume jewelry and other trinkets as souvenirs.

spontaneity

n. lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint. The cast overrehearsed the play so much that the eventual performance lacked any spontaneity. spontaneous, ADJ.

timidity

n. lack of self-confidence or courage. If you are to succeed as a salesperson, you must first lose your timidity and fear of failure.

peon

n. landless agricultural worker; bond servant. The land reformers sought to liberate the peons and establish them as independent farmers. peonage, N.

parlance

n. language; idiom. All this legal parlance confuses me; I need an interpreter.

metropolis

n. large city. Every evening this terminal is filled with the thousands of commuters who are going from this metropolis to their homes in the suburbs.

slew

n. large quantity or number. Although Ellen had checked off a number of items on her "To Do" list, she still had a whole slew of errands left.

tome

n. large volume. She spent much time in the libraries poring over ancient tomes.

scourge

n. lash; whip; severe punishment. They feared the plague and regarded it as a deadly scourge. also v.

ultimatum

n. last demand; warning. Since they have ignored our ultimatum, our only recourse is to declare war.

terminus

n. last stop of railroad. After we reached the railroad terminus, we continued our journey into the wilderness on saddle horses.

statute

n. law enacted by the legislature. The statute of limitations sets limits on how long you have to take legal action in specific cases.

shyster

n. lawyer using questionable methods. On L.A. Law, respectable attorney Brackman was horrified to learn that his newly discovered half brother was a cheap shyster.

stratum

n. layer of earth's surface; layer of society. Unless we alleviate conditions in the lowest stratum of our society, we may expect grumbling and revolt. strata, PL.

sluggard

n. lazy person. "You are a sluggard, a drone, a parasite," the angry father shouted at his lazy son.

moratorium

n. legal delay of payment. If we declare a moratorium and delay collection of debts for six months, I am sure the farmers will be able to meet their bills.

usury

n. lending money at illegal rates of interest. The loan shark was found guilty of usury.

■torpor

n. lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy. Throughout the winter, nothing aroused the bear from his torpor. he would not emerge from hibernation until spring. torpid, ADJ.

missive

n. letter. The ambassador received a missive from the Secretary of State.

parameter

n. limit; independent variable. We need to define the parameters of the problem.

modicum

n. limited quantity. Although his story is based on a modicum of truth, most of the events he describes are fictitious.

queue

n. line. They stood patiently in the queue outside the movie theatre.

repertoire

n. list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present. The opera company decided to include Madame Butterfly in its repertoire for the following season.

roster

n. list. They print the roster of players in the season's program.

vernacular

n. living language; natural style. Cut out those old-fashioned "thee's" and "thou's" and write in the vernacular. also ADJ.

repugnance

n. loathing. She looked at the snake with repugnance.

patois

n. local or provincial dialect. His years of study of the language at the university did not enable him to understand the patois of the natives.

venue

n. location. The attorney asked for a change of venue; he thought his client would do better if the trial were held in a less conservative county.

syllogism

n. logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument. There must be a fallacy in this syllogism; I cannot accept its conclusion.

odyssey

n. long, eventful journey. The refugee's journey from Cambodia was a terrifying odyssey.

yen

n. longing; urge. She had a yen to get away and live Dn her own for a while.

sybarite

n. lover of luxury. Rich people are not always sybarites; some of them have little taste for a life of luxury.

philanthropist

n. lover of mankind; doer of good. In his role as philanthropist and public benefactor, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., donated millions to charity; as an individual, however, he was a tight-fisted old man.

nadir

n. lowest point. Although few people realized it, the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an upward surge.

phylum

n. major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; division. In sorting out her hundreds of packets of seeds, Katya decided to file them by phylum.

optician

n. maker and seller of eyeglasses. The patient took the prescription given him by his oculist to the optician.

testator

n. maker of a will. The attorney called in his secretary and his partner to witness the signature of the testator.

yeoman

n. man owning small estate; middle-class farmer. It was not the aristocrat but the yeoman who determined the nation's policies.

megalomania

n. mania for doing grandiose things. Developers who spend millions trying to build the world's tallest skyscraper suffer from megalomania.

welt

n. mark from a beating or whipping. The evidence of child abuse was very clear; Jennifer's small body was covered with welts and bruises.

pylon

n. marking post to guide aviators; steel tower supporting cables or telephone lines. Amelia Earhart carefully banked her airplane as she followed the line of pylons set up to mark the course of the Great Plane Race.

requiem

n. mass for the dead; dirge. They played Mozart's Requiem at the funeral.

repast

n. meal; feast; banquet. The caterers prepared a delicious repast for Fred and Judy's wedding day.

sustenance

n. means of support, food, nourishment. In the tropics, the natives find sustenance easy to obtain because of all the fruit trees.

opiate

n. medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction. To say that religion is the opiate of the people is to condemn religion as a drug that keeps the people quiet and submissive to those in power.

rendezvous

n. meeting place. The two fleets met at the rendezvous at the appointed time. also v.

tryst

n. meeting. The lovers kept their tryst even though they realized their danger. also v.

proletarian

n. member of the working class; blue collar guy. "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains" is addressed to proletarians, not preppies. also

psychosis

n. mental disorder. We must endeavor to find an outlet for the patient's repressed desires if we hope to combat this psychosis. psychotic, ADJ.

mirth

n. merriment; laughter. Sober Malvolio found Sir Toby's mirth improper.

regime

n. method or system of government. When a Frenchman mentions the Old Regime, he refers to the government existing before the revolution.

misdemeanor

n. minor crime. The culprit pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor rather than face trial for a felony.

skirmish

n. minor fight. Custer's troops expected they might run into a skirmish or two on maneuvers; they did not expect to face a major battle. also v.

■quibble

n. minor objection or complaint. Aside from a few hundred teensy-weensy quibbles about the set, the script, the actors, the director, the costumes, the lighting, and the props, the hypercritical critic loved the play. also v.

squabble

n. minor quarrel; bickering. Children invariably get involved in petty squabbles; wise parents know when to interfere and when to let the children work things out on their own.

misadventure

n. mischance; ill luck. The young explorer met death by misadventure.

urchin

n. mischievous child (usually a boy). Get out! This store is no place for grubby urchins!

qualms

n. misgivings; uneasy fears, especially about matters of conscience. I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen; I know she will handle it admirably.

projectile

n. missile. Man has always hurled projectiles at his enemy whether in the form of stones or of highly explosive shells.

miscellany

n. mixture of writings on various subjects. This is an interesting miscellany of nineteenth-century prose and poetry.

medley

n. mixture. To avoid boring dancers by playing any one tune for too long, bands may combine three or four tunes into a medley.

■paragon

n. model of perfection. Her fellow students disliked Lavinia because Miss Minchin always pointed her out as a paragon of virtue.

paradigm

n. model; example; pattern. Pavlov's experiment in which he trains a dog to salivate on hearing a bell is a paradigm of the conditioned-response experiment in behavioral psychology. paradigmatic, ADJ.

sobriety

n. moderation (especially regarding indulgence in alcohol); seriousness. Neither falling-down drunks nor stand-up comics are noted for sobriety. sober, ADJ.

restraint

n. moderation or self-control; controlling force; restriction. Show some restraint, young lady! Three desserts is quite enough!

potentate

n. monarch; sovereign. The potentate spent more time at Monte Carlo than he did at home on his throne.

mausoleum

n. monumental tomb. His body was placed in the family mausoleum.

phobia

n. morbid fear. Her fear of flying was more than mere nervousness; it was a real phobia.

orifice

n. mouthlike opening; small opening. The Howe Caverns were discovered when someone observed that a cold wind was issuing from an orifice in the hillside.

regicide

n. murder of a king or queen. The beheading of Mary Queen of Scots was an act of regicide.

reprise

n. musical repetition; repeat performance; recurrent action. We enjoyed the soprano's solo in Act I so much that we were delighted by its reprise in the finale. At Waterloo, it was not the effect of any one skirmish that exhausted Colonel Audley; rather, it was the cumulative effect of the constant reprises that left him spent.

ravine

n. narrow valley with steep sides. Steeper than a gully, less precipitous than a canyon, a ravine is, like them, the product of years of erosion.

philistine

n. narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain. We need more men and women of culture and enlightenment; we have too many philistines among us.

■propensity

n. natural inclination. Convinced of his own talent, Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others.

sextant

n. navigation tool used to determine a ship's latitude and longitude. Given a clear night, with the aid of his sextant and compass he could keep the ship safely on course.

proximity

n. nearness. Blind people sometimes develop a compensatory ability to sense the proximity of objects around them.

propinquity

n. nearness; kinship. Their relationship could not be explained as being based on mere propinquity. They were more than relatives; they were true friends.

requisite

n. necessary requirement. Many colleges state that a student must offer three years of a language as a requisite for admission.

negligence

n. neglect; failure to take reasonable care. Tommy failed to put back the cover on the well after he fetched his pail of water; because of his negligence, Kitty fell in. negligent, ADJ.

titter

n. nervous laugh. Her aunt's constant titter nearly drove her mad. also v.

seine

n. net for catching fish. When the shad run during the spring, you may see fishermen with seines along the banks of our coastal rivers.

neologism

n. new or newly coined word or phrase. As we invent new techniques and professions, we must also invent neologisms such as "microcomputer" and "astronaut" to describe them.

nutrient

n. nourishing substance. As a budding nutritionist, Kim has learned to design diets that contain foods rich in important basic nutrients. also ADJ.

quorum

n. number of members necessary to conduct a meeting. The senator asked for a roll call to determine whether a quorum was present.

missile

n. object to be thrown or projected. After carefully folding his book report into a paper airplane, Beavis threw the missile across the classroom at Butthead. Rocket scientists are building guided missiles; Beavis and Butthead can barely make unguided ones.

oblivion

n. obscurity; forgetfulness. After a decade of popularity, Hurston's works had fallen into oblivion; no one bothered to read them any more.

procurement

n. obtaining. The personnel department handles the procurement of new employees.

unguent

n. ointment. Apply this unguent to the sore muscles before retiring.

senility

n. old age; feeblemindedness of old age. Most of the decisions are being made by the junior members of the company because of the senility of the president. senile, ADJ.

pacifist

n. one opposed to force; antimilitarist. During the war, pacifists, though they refused to bear arms, served in the front lines as ambulance drivers and medical corpsmen. also

saboteur

n. one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property. Members of the Resistance acted as saboteurs, blowing up train lines to prevent supplies from reaching the Nazi army.

nihilist

n. one who considers traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless; absolute skeptic; revolutionary terrorist. In his final days, Hitler revealed himself a power-mad nihilist, ready to annihilate all of Western Europe, even to destroy Germany itself, in order that his will might prevail. The root of the word nihilist is nihil, Latin for "nothing." nihilism, N.

optometrist

n. one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects. Although an optometrist is qualified to treat many eye disorders, she may not use medicines or surgery in her examinations.

reaper

n. one who harvests grain. Death, the Grim Reaper, cuts down mortal men and women, just as a farmer cuts down the ripened grain.

polygamist

n. one who has more than one spouse at a time. He was arrested as a polygamist when his two wives filed complaints about him.

■misanthrope

n. one who hates mankind. In Gulliver's Travels, Swift portrays human beings as vile, degraded beasts; for this reason, various critics consider him a misanthrope. misanthropic, ADJ.

rift

n. opening; break. The plane was lost in the stormy sky until the pilot saw the city through a rift in the clouds.

tyranny

n. oppression; cruel government. Frederick Douglass fought against the tyranny of slavery throughout his entire life.

provenance

n. origin or source of something. I am not interested in its provenance; I am more concerned with its usefulness than with its source.

prototype

n. original work used as a model by others. The crude typewriter on display in this museum is the prototype of the elaborate machines in use today.

pendant

n. ornament (hanging from a necklace, etc.). The grateful team presented the coach with a silver chain and pendant engraved with the school's motto.

upshot

n. outcome. The upshot of the rematch was that the former champion proved that he still possessed all the skills of his youth.

perimeter

n. outer boundary. To find the perimeter of any quadrilateral, we add the lengths of the four sides.

semblance

n. outward appearance; guise. Although this book has a semblance of wisdom and scholarship, a careful examination will reveal many errors and omissions.

trappings

n. outward decorations; ornaments. He loved the trappings of success: the limousines, the stock options, the company jet.

profusion

n. overabundance; lavish expenditure; excess. Freddy was so overwhelmed by the profusion of choices on the menu that he knocked over his wine glass and soaked his host. He made profuse apologies to his host, the waiter, the busboy, the people at the next table, and the man in the men's room giving out paper towels.

rave

n. overwhelmingly favorable review. Though critic John Simon seldom has a good word to say about contemporary plays, his review of All in the Timing was a total rave.

travail

n. painful physical or mental labor; drudgery; torment. Like every other recent law school graduate she knew, Shelby hated the seemingly endless travail of cramming for the bar exam.

tract

n. pamphlet; a region of indefinite size. The King granted William Penn a tract of land in the New World.

palimpsest

n. parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased. Using chemical reagents, scientists have been able to restore the original writings on many palimpsests.

proscenium

n. part of stage in front of curtain. In the theater-in-the-round there can be no proscenium or proscenium arch. also ADJ.

penumbra

n. partial shadow (in an eclipse). During an eclipse, we can see an area of total darkness and a lighter area, which is the penumbra.

predilection

n. partiality; preference. Although the artist used various media from time to time, she had a predilection for watercolors.

trajectory

n. path taken by a projectile. The police tried to locate the spot from which the assassin had fired the fatal shot by tracing the trajectory of the bullet.

resignation

n. patient submissiveness; statement that one is quitting a job. If Bob Cratchit had not accepted Scrooge's bullying with timid resignation; he might have gotten up the nerve to hand in his resignation. resigned, ADJ.

stipend

n. pay for services. There is a nominal stipend for this position.

pinnacle

n. peak. We could see the morning sunlight illuminate the pinnacle while the rest of the mountain lay in shadow.

podium

n. pedestal; raised platform. The audience applauded as the conductor made her way to the podium.

pseudonym

n. pen name. Samuel Clemens' pseudonym was Mark Twain.

subtlety

n. perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy. Never obvious, she expressed herself with such subtlety that her remarks went right over the heads of most of her audience. subtle, ADJ.

stickler

n. perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly right. The Internal Revenue Service agent was a stickler for accuracy; no approximations or rough estimates would satisfy him.

■sage

n. person celebrated for wisdom. Hearing tales of a mysterious Master of All Knowledge who lived in the hills of Tibet, Sandy was possessed with a burning desire to consult the legendary sage. also ADJ.

malcontent

n. person dissatisfied with- existing state of affairs. He was one of the few malcontents in Congress; he constantly voiced his objections to the presidential program. also ADJ.

■reprobate

n. person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency. I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is.

nonentity

n. person of no importance; nonexistence. Because the two older princes dismissed their youngest brother as a nonentity, they did not realize that he was quietly plotting to seize the throne.

magnate

n. person of prominence or influence. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Annie Dillard was surrounded by the mansions of the great steel and coal magnates who set their mark on that city.

supernumerary

n. person or thing in excess of what is necessary; extra. His first appearance on the stage was as a supernumerary in a Shakespearean tragedy.

protégé

n. person receiving protection and support from a patron. Born with an independent spirit, Cyrano de Bergerac refused to be a protégé of Cardinal Richelieu.

ragamuffin

n. person wearing tattered clothes. He felt sorry for the ragamuffin who was begging for food and gave him money to buy a meal.

numismatist

n. person who collects coins. The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins.

optimist

n. person who looks on the bright side. The pessimist says the glass is half-empty; the optimist says it is half-full.

poseur

n. person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others. Some thought Dali was a brilliant painter; others dismissed him as a poseur.

tanner

n. person who turns animal hides into leather. Using a solution of tanbark, the tanner treated the cowhide, transforming it into supple leather.

pyromaniac

n. person with an insane desire to set things on fire. The detectives searched the area for the pyromaniac who had set these costly fires.

minutiae

n. petty details. She would have liked to ignore the minutiae of daily living.

topography

n. physical features of a region. Before the generals gave the order to attack, they ordered a complete study of the topography of the region.

pediatrician

n. physician specializing in children's diseases. The family doctor advised the parents to consult a pediatrician about their child's ailment.

obstetrician

n. physician specializing in delivery of babies. Unlike midwives, who care for women giving birth at home, obstetricians generally work in a hospital setting.

Oculist

n. physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes. In many states, an oculist is the only one who may apply medicinal drops to the eyes for the purpose of examining them.

mosaic

n. picture made of small, colorful inlaid tiles. The mayor compared the city to a beautiful mosaic made up of people of every race and religion on earth. also ADJ.

vignette

n. picture; short literary sketch. The New Yorker published her latest vignette.

purgatory

n. place of spiritual expiation. In this purgatory, he could expect no help from his comrades.

rostrum

n. platform for speech-making; pulpit. The crowd murmured angrily and indicated that they did not care to listen to the speaker who was approaching the rostrum.

troth

n. pledge of good faith especially in betrothal. He gave her his troth and vowed to cherish her always.

scenario

n. plot outline; screenplay; opera libretto. Scaramouche startled the other actors in the commedia troupe when he suddenly departed from their customary scenario and began to improvise. None

solstice

n. point at which the sun is farthest from the equator. The winter solstice usually occurs on December 21.

zenith

n. point directly overhead in the sky; summit. When the sun was at its zenith, the glare was not as strong as at sunrise and sunset.

perigee

n. point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth. The rocket which was designed to take photographs of the moon was launched as the moon approached its perigee.

matrix

n. point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die. Some historians claim the Nile Valley was the matrix of Western civilization.

venom

n. poison; hatred. Bitten on his ankle by a venomous snake, the cowboy contortionist curled up like a pretzel and sucked the venom out of the wound.

viper

n. poisonous snake. The habitat of the horned viper, a particularly venomous snake, is in sandy regions like the Sahara or the Sinai peninsula.

verbiage

n. pompous array of words. After we had waded through all the verbiage, we discovered that the writer had said very little.

■strut

n. pompous walk. His strut as he marched about the parade ground revealed him for what he was: a pompous buffoon. also v.

vogue

n. popular fashion. Jeans became the vogue on many college campuses.

vantage

n. position giving an advantage. They fired upon the enemy from behind trees, walls and any other point of vantage they could find.

mogul

n. powerful person. The oil moguls made great profits when the price of gasoline rose.

pragmatist

n. practical person. No pragmatist enjoys becoming involved in a game that he can never win.

precept

n. practical rule guiding conduct. "Love thy neighbor as thyself" is a worthwhile precept.

teetotalism

n. practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks. Though the doctor warned Bert to cut down his booze intake, she didn't insist that he practice teetotalism. teetotaler, N.

nicety

n. precision; minute distinction. I cannot distinguish between such niceties of reasoning. nice,

regimen

n. prescribed diet and habits. I doubt whether the results warrant our living under such a strict regimen.

subterfuge

n. pretense; evasion. As soon as we realized that you had won our support by a subterfuge, we withdrew our endorsement of your candidacy.

mode

n. prevailing style; manner; way of doing something. The rock star had to have her hair done in the latest mode: frizzed, with occasional moussed spikes for variety. Henry plans to adopt a simpler mode of life: he is going to become a mushroom hunter and live off the land.

prerogative

n. privilege; unquestionable right. The President cannot levy taxes; that is the prerogative of the legislative branch of government.

sensitization

n. process of being made sensitive or acutely responsive to an external agent or substance. The paint fumes triggered a bad allergic response in Vicky; even now, her extreme sensitization to these chemicals causes her to faint whenever she is around wet paint.

wastrel

n. profligate. He was denounced as a wastrel who had dissipated his inheritance.

remonstrance

n. protest; objection. The authorities were deaf to the pastor's remonstrances about the lack of police protection in the area. remonstrate, v.

protuberance

n. protrusion; bulge. A ganglionic cyst is a fluid-filled tumor (generally benign) that develops near a joint membrane or tendon sheath, and that bulges beneath the skin, forming a protuberance.

paranoia

n. psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution. Suffering from paranoia, he claimed everyone was out to get him. Ironically, his claim was accurate; even paranoids have enemies. paranoid, paranoiac,

orator

n. public speaker. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass was a brilliant orator whose speeches brought home to his audience the evils of slavery.

whiff

n. puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); hint. The slightest whiff of Old Spice cologne brought memories of George to her mind.

quintessence

n. purest and highest embodiment. Noel Coward displayed the quintessence of wit.

rebus

n. puzzle in which pictures stand for words. A coven of witches beside a tree is a possible rebus for the town Coventry.

timbre

n. quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument. We identify the instrument producing a musical sound by its timbre.

poignancy

n. quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion. Watching the tearful reunion of the long-separated mother and child, the social worker was touched by the poignancy of the scene. poignant, ADJ.

verity

n. quality of being true; lasting truth or principle. Do you question the verity of Kato Kaelin's testimony about what he heard the night Nicole Brown Simpson was slain? To the skeptic, everything was relative: there were no eternal verities in which one could believe.

naiveté

n. quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility. Touched by the naiveté of sweet, convent-trained Cosette, Marius pledges himself to protect her innocence. naive, ADJ.

momentum

n. quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus. The car lost momentum as it tried to ascend the steep hill.

nostrum

n. questionable medicine. No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me.

retort

n. quick, sharp reply. Even when it was advisable for her to keep her mouth shut, she was always ready with a retort. also v.

ratiocination

n. reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises. While Watson was a man of average intelligence, Holmes was a genius, whose gift for ratiocination made him a superb detective.

repercussion

n. rebound; reverberation; reaction. I am afraid that this event will have serious repercussions.

recipient

n. receiver. Although he had been the recipient of many favors, he was not grateful to his benefactor.

■neophyte

n. recent convert; beginner. This mountain slope contains slides that will challenge experts as well as neophytes.

reminiscence

n. recollection. Her reminiscences of her experiences are so fascinating that she ought to write a book.

sanctuary

n. refuge; shelter; shrine; holy place. The tiny attic was Helen's sanctuary to which she fled when she had to get away from her bickering parents and brothers.

rebuttal

n. refutation; response with contrary evidence. The defense lawyer confidently listened to the prosecutor sum up his case, sure that she could answer his arguments in her rebuttal.

remnant

n. remainder. I suggest that you wait until the store places the remnants of these goods on sale.

residue

n. remainder; balance. In his will, he requested that after payment of debts, taxes, and funeral expenses, the residue be given to his wife.

redress

n. remedy; compensation. Do you mean to tell me that I can get no redress for my injuries? also v.

restitution

n. reparation; indemnification. He offered to make restitution for the window broken by his son.

rote

n. repetition. He recited the passage by rote and gave no indication he understood what he was saying. also ADJ.

umbrage

n. resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult. She took umbrage at his remarks and stormed away in a huff.

slag

n. residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter. The blast furnace had a special opening at the bottom to allow the workers to remove the worthless slag.

sedition

n. resistance to authority; insubordination. Her words, though not treasonous in themselves, were calculated to arouse thoughts of sedition.

recourse

n. resorting to help when in trouble. The boy's only recourse was to appeal to his father for aid.

reprisal

n. retaliation. I am confident that we are ready for any reprisals the enemy may undertake.

rejoinder

n. retort; comeback; reply. When someone has been rude to me, I find it particularly satisfying to come up with a quick rejoinder.

title

n. right or claim to possession; mark of rank; name (of a book, film, etc.). Though the penniless Duke of Ragwort no longer held title to the family estate, he still retained his title as head of one of England's oldest families.

whorl

n. ring of leaves around stem; ring. Identification by fingerprints is based on the difference in shape and number of the whorls on the fingers.

rent

n. rip; split. Kit did an excellent job of mending the rent in the lining of her coat. rend, v.

tundra

n. rolling, treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America. Despite the cold, many geologists are trying to discover valuable mineral deposits in the tundra.

palate

n. roof of the mouth; sense of taste. When you sound out the letter "d," your tongue curves up to touch the edge of your palate. When Alice was sick, her mother made special meals to tempt her palate.

rotundity

n. roundness; sonorousness of speech. Washington Irving emphasized the rotundity of the governor by describing his height and circumference.

torrent

n. rushing stream; flood. Day after day of heavy rain saturated the hillside until the water ran downhill in torrents. torrential, ADJ.

monotony

n. sameness leading to boredom. What could be more deadly dull than the monotony of punching numbers into a computer hour after hour? monotonous, ADJ.

uniformity

n. sameness; monotony. At Persons magazine, we strive for uniformity of style; as a result, all our writers wind up sounding exactly alike. uniform, ADJ.

■paucity

n. scarcity. They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate.

pedant

n. scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities. Her insistence that the book be memorized marked the teacher as a pedant rather than a scholar.

savant

n. scholar. Our faculty includes many world-famous savants.

seminary

n. school for training future ministers; secondary school, especially for young women. Sure of his priestly vocation, Terrence planned to pursue his theological training at the local Roman Catholic seminary.

ornithologist

n. scientific student of birds. Audubon's drawings of American bird life have been of interest not only to ornithologists but also to the general public.

shrew

n. scolding woman. No one wanted to marry Shakespeare's Kate because she was a shrew.

sarcasm

n. scornful remark; stinging rebuke. Though Ralph pretended to ignore the mocking comments of his supposed friends, their sarcasm wounded him deeply. sarcastic, ADJ.

silt

n. sediment deposited by running water. The harbor channel must be dredged annually to remove the silt.

sophistry

n. seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning. Instead of advancing valid arguments, he tried to overwhelm his audience with a flood of sophistries.

reserve

n. self-control; formal but distant manner. Although some girls were attracted by Mark's reserve, Judy was put off by it, for she felt his aloofness indicated a lack of openness. reserved, ADJ.

truism

n. self-evident truth. Many a truism is summed up in a proverb; for example, "Marry in haste, repent at leisure."

postulate

n. self-evident truth. We must accept these statements as postulates before pursuing our discussions any further. also v.

pomposity

n. self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt. Although the commencement speaker had some good things to say, we had to laugh at his pomposity and general air of parading his own dignity. pompous, ADJ.

penance

n. self-imposed punishment for sin, The Ancient Mariner said, "I have penance done and penance more will do," to atone for the sin of killing the albatross.

vendor

n. seller. The fruit vendor sold her wares from a stall on the sidewalk.

primogeniture

n. seniority by birth. By virtue of primogeniture, in some cultures the first-born child has many privileges denied his brothers and sisters.

sentinel

n. sentry; lookout. Though camped in enemy territory, Bledsoe ignored the elementary precaution of posting sentinels around the encampment.

sect

n. separate religious body; faction. As university chaplain, she sought to address universal religious issues and not limit herself to the concerns of any one sect. sectarian, ADJ.

solemnity

n. seriousness; gravity. The minister was concerned that nothing should disturb the solemnity of the marriage service.

sycophant

n. servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man. Fed up with the toadies and brownnosers who made up his entourage, the star cried, "Get out, all of you! I'm sick of sycophants!" sycophantic, ADJ.

toady

n. servile flatterer; yes man. Never tell the boss anything he doesn't wish to hear: he doesn't want an independent adviser, he just wants a toady. also v.

reprobation

n. severe disapproval. The students showed their reprobation of his act by refusing to talk with him.

vertigo

n. severe dizziness. When you test potential plane pilots for susceptibility to spells of vertigo, be sure to hand out airsick bags.

■penury

n. severe poverty; stinginess. When his pension fund failed, George feared he would end his days in penury. He became such a penny-pincher that he turned into a closefisted, penurious miser.

ordeal

n. severe trial or affliction. June was so painfully shy that it was an ordeal for her to speak up when the teacher called on her in class.

rigor

n. severity. Many settlers could not stand the rigors of the New England winters.

nuance

n. shade of difference in meaning or color; subtle distinction. Jody gazed at the Monet landscape for an hour, appreciating every subtle nuance of color in the painting.

tonsure

n. shaving of the head, especially by person entering religious orders. His tonsure, even more than his monastic garb, indicated that he was a member of the religious order.

parable

n. short, simple story teaching a moral. Let us apply to our own conduct the lesson that this parable teaches.

scintilla

n. shred; least bit. You have not produced a scintilla of evidence to support your argument.

portent

n. sign; omen; forewarning. He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil.

obloquy

n. slander; disgrace; infamy. I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation.

thrall

n. slave; bondage. The captured soldier was held in thrall by the conquering army.

servitude

n. slavery; compulsory labor. Born a slave, Douglass resented his life of servitude and plotted to escape to the North.

somnambulist

n. sleepwalker. The most famous somnambulist in literature is Lady Macbeth; her monologue in the sleepwalking scene is one of the highlights of Shakespeare's play.

smattering

n. slight knowledge. I don't know whether it is better to be ignorant of a subject or to have a mere smattering of information about it.

peccadillo

n. slight offense. Whenever Huck swiped a cookie from the jar, Miss Watson reacted as if he were guilty of armed robbery, not of some mere peccadillo.

ramp

n. slope; inclined plane. The house was built with ramps instead of stairs in order to enable the man in the wheelchair to move easily from room to room and floor to floor.

sloth

n. slow-moving tree-dwelling mammal. Note how well the somewhat greenish coat of the sloth enables it to blend in with its arboreal surroundings. (secondary meaning)

stealth

n. slyness; sneakiness; secretiveness. Fearing detection by the sentries on duty, the scout inched his way toward the enemy camp with great stealth.

satellite

n. small body revolving around a larger one. During the first few years of the Space Age, hundreds of satellites were launched by Russia and the United States.

spangle

n. small metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation. The thousands of spangles on her dress sparkled in the glare of the stage lights.

vent

n. small opening; outlet. The wine did not flow because the air vent in the barrel was clogged.

mote

n. small speck. The tiniest mote in the eye is very painful.

rivulet

n. small stream. As the rains continued, the trickle of water running down the hillside grew into a rivulet that threatened to wash away a portion of the slope.

microcosm

n. small world; the world in miniature. The village community that Jane Austen depicts serves as a microcosm of English society in her time, for in this small world we see all the social classes meeting and mingling.

skiff

n. small, light sailboat or rowboat. Tom dreamed of owning an ocean-going yacht but had to settle for a skiff he could sail in the bay.

pallet

n. small, poor bed. The weary traveler went to sleep on his straw pallet.

whit

n. smallest speck. There is not a whit of intelligence or understanding in your observations.

pariah

n. social outcast. If everyone ostracized singer Mariah Carey, would she then be Mariah the pariah?

plutocracy

n. society ruled by the wealthy. From the way the government caters to the rich, you might think our society is a plutocracy rather than a democracy.

quagmire

n. soft, wet, boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself. Up to her knees in mud, Myra wondered how on earth she was going to extricate herself from this quagmire.

nemesis

n. someone seeking revenge. Abandoned at sea in a small boat, the vengeful Captain Bligh vowed to be the nemesis of Fletcher Christian and his fellow mutineers.

scapegoat

n. someone who bears the blame for others. After the Challenger disaster, NASA searched for scapegoats on whom they could cast the blame.

ventriloquist

n. someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing. This ventriloquist does an act in which she has a conversation with a wooden dummy.

spendthrift

n. someone who wastes money. Easy access to credit encourages people to turn into spendthrifts who shop till they drop.

paradox

n. something apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct. Richard presents a bit of a paradox, for he is a card-carrying member of both the National Rifle Association and the relatively pacifist American Civil Liberties Union. paradoxical, ADJ.

■perennial

n. something long-lasting. These plants are hardy perennials and will bloom for many years. also ADJ.

novelty

n. something new; newness. The computer is no longer a novelty around the office. novel, ADJ.

sleeper

n. something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable. Unnoticed by the critics at its publication, the eventual Pulitzer Prize winner was a classic sleeper.

precedent

n. something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action; an earlier occurrence. The law professor asked Jill to state which famous case served as a precedent for the court's decision in Brown II. precede, v.

precipitant

n. something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form. Solvents by definition dissolve; precipitants, however, cause solids to precipitate or form. precipitate, v.

paean

n. song of praise or joy. Paeans celebrating the victory filled the air.

poultice

n. soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body. She was advised to apply a flaxseed poultice to the inflammation.

wizardry

n. sorcery; magic. Merlin amazed the knights with his wizardry.

psyche

n. soul; mind. It is difficult to delve into the psyche of a human being.

taxonomist

n. specialist in classifying (animals, etc.). Dental patterns often enable the taxonomist to distinguish members of one rodent species from those of another.

tempo

n. speed of music. I find the band's tempo too slow for such a lively dance.

velocity

n. speed. The train went by at considerable velocity.

regeneration

n. spiritual rebirth. Modern penologists strive for the regeneration of the prisoners.

spat

n. squabble; minor dispute. What had started out as a mere spat escalated into a full-blown argument.

philatelist

n. stamp-collector. When she heard the value of the Penny Black stamp, Phyllis was inspired to become a philatelist.

quirk

n. startling twist; caprice, By a quirk of fate, he found himself working for the man whom he had discharged years before.

stupor

n. state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness. In his stupor, the addict was unaware of the events taking place around him.

solitude

n. state of being alone; seclusion. Much depends on how much you like your own company. What to one person seems fearful isolation to another is blessed solitude. solitary, ADJ.

multiplicity

n. state of being numerous. She was appalled by the multiplicity of details she had to complete before setting out on her mission.

parallelism

n. state of being parallel; similarity. Although the twins were separated at birth and grew up in different adoptive families, a striking parallelism exists between their lives.

responsiveness

n. state of reacting readily to appeals, orders, etc. The audience cheered and applauded, delighting the performers by its responsiveness.

turbulence

n. state of violent agitation. Warned of approaching turbulence in the atmosphere, the pilot told the passengers to fasten their seat belts.

parsimony

n. stinginess; excessive frugality. Silas Marner's parsimony did not allow him to indulge in any luxuries. parsimonious, ADJ.

skinflint

n. stingy person; miser. Scrooge was an ungenerous old skinflint until he reformed his ways and became a notable philanthropist.

proviso

n. stipulation. I am ready to accept your proposal with the proviso that you meet your obligations within the next two weeks.

suture

n. stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision; material used in sewing. We will remove the sutures as soon as the wound heals. also v.

touchstone

n. stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion. What touchstone can be used to measure the character of a person?

repository

n. storehouse. Libraries are repositories of the world's best thoughts.

raconteur

n. story-teller. My father was a gifted raconteur with an unlimited supply of anecdotes.

stamina

n. strength; staying power. I doubt that she has the stamina to run the full distance of the marathon race.

transport

n. strong emotion. Margo was a creature of extremes, at one moment in transports of joy over a vivid sunset, at another moment .in transports of grief over a dying bird. also v.

■penchant

n. strong inclination; liking. Dave has a penchant for taking risks: one semester he went steady with three girls, two of whom were stars on the school karate team.

wanderlust

n. strong longing to travel. Don't set your heart on a traveling man. He's got too much wanderlust to settle down.

philology

n. study of language. The professor of philology advocated the use of Esperanto as an international language.

paleontology

n. study of prehistoric life. The professor of paleontology had a superb collection of fossils.

oaf

n. stupid, awkward person. "Watch what you're doing, you clumsy oaf!" Bill shouted at the waiter who had drenched him with iced coffee.

subaltern

n. subordinate. The captain treated his subalterns as though they were children rather than commissioned officers.

solvent

n. substance that dissolves another. Dip a cube of sugar into a cup of water; note how the water acts as a solvent, causing the cube to break down.

propellant

n. substance that propels or drives forward. The development of our missile program has forced our scientists to seek more powerful propellants. also ADJ.

surrogate

n. substitute. For a fatherless child, a male teacher may become a father surrogate.

spate

n. sudden flood. I am worried about the possibility of a spate if the rains do not diminish soon.

revulsion

n. sudden violent change of feeling; negative reaction. Many people in this country who admired dictatorships underwent a revulsion when they realized what Hitler and Mussolini were trying to do.

vertex

n. summit. Let us drop a perpendicular line from the vertex of the triangle to the base. vertices, PL.

preponderance

n. superiority of power, quantity, etc. The rebels sought to overcome the preponderance of strength of the government forces by engaging in guerrilla tactics. preponderate,

stint

n. supply; allotted amount; assigned portion of work. She performed her daily stint cheerfully and willingly.

proponent

n. supporter; backer; opposite of opponent. In the Senate, proponents of the universal health care measure lobbied to gain additional support for the controversial legislation.

■strut

n. supporting bar. The engineer calculated that the strut supporting the rafter needed to be reinforced.

reconnaissance

n. survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering. If you encounter any enemy soldiers during your reconnaissance, capture them for questioning.

relic

n. surviving remnant; memento. Egypt's Department of Antiquities prohibits tourists from taking mummies and other ancient relics out of the country. Mike keeps his photos of his trip to Egypt in a box with other relics of his travels.

miasma

n. swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere, often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence. The smog hung over Victorian London like a dark cloud; noisome, reeking of decay, it was a visible miasma.

natation

n. swimming. The Red Cross emphasizes the need for courses in natation.

phoenix

n. symbol of immortality or rebirth. Like the legendary phoenix rising from its ashes, the city of San Francisco rose again after its destruction during the 1906 earthquake.

resumption

n. taking up again; recommencement. During the summer break, Don had not realized how much he missed university life: at the resumption of classes, however, he felt marked excitement and pleasure. resume, v.

soliloquy

n. talking to oneself. The soliloquy is a device used by the dramatist to reveal a character's innermost thoughts and emotions.

obelisk

n. tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid. Cleopatra's Needle is an obelisk in New York City's Central Park.

prey

n. target of a hunt; victim. In Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Euell Gibbons has as his prey not wild beasts but wild plants. also v.

quip

n. taunt. You are unpopular because you are too free with your quips and sarcastic comments. also v.

tribute

n. tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect. The colonists refused to pay tribute to a foreign despot.

tithe

n. tax of one-tenth. Because he was an agnostic, he refused to pay his tithes to the clergy. also v.

sophist

n. teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning. You are using all the devices of a sophist in trying to prove your case; your argument is specious.

pedagogue

n. teacher. He could never be a stuffy pedagogue,: his classes were always lively and filled with humor.

pedagogy

n. teaching; art of education. Though Maria Montessori gained fame for her innovations in pedagogy, it took years before her teaching techniques became common practice in American schools.

prolixity

n. tedious wordiness; verbosity. A writer who suffers from prolixity tells his readers everything they never wanted to know about his subject (or were too bored to ask). prolix, ADJ.

remission

n. temporary moderation of disease symptoms; cancellation of a debt; forgiveness or pardon. Though Senator Tsongas had been treated for cancer, his symptoms were in remission, and he was considered fit to handle the strains of a presidential race.

scaffold

n. temporary platform for workers; bracing framework; platform for execution. Before painting the house, the workers put up a scaffold to allow them to work on the second story.

sojourn

n. temporary stay. After his sojourn in Florida, he began to long for the colder climate of his native New England home.

reprieve

n. temporary stay. During the twenty-four-hour reprieve, the lawyers sought to make the stay of execution permanent. also v.

pathos

n. tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings. The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degenerated into the maudlin or the overly sentimental.

nomenclature

n. terminology; system of names. Sharon found Latin word parts useful in translating medical nomenclature: when her son had to have a bilateral myringotomy, she figured out that he needed a hole in each of his eardrums to end his earaches.

terminology

n. terms used in a science or art. The special terminology developed by some authorities in the field has done more to confuse laypersons than to enlighten them.

Occident

n. the West. It will take time for the Occident to understand the ways and customs of the Orient.

unction

n. the act of anointing with oil. The anointing with oil of a person near death is called extreme unction.

prosody

n. the art of versification. This book on prosody contains a rhyming dictionary as well as samples of the various verse forms.

venison

n. the meat of a deer. The hunters dined on venison.

molecule

n. the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance. In chemistry, we study how atoms and molecules react to form new substances.

motif

n. theme. This simple motif runs throughout the score.

pachyderm

n. thick-skinned animal. The elephant is probably the best-known pachyderm.

veneer

n. thin layer; cover. Casual acquaintances were deceived by his veneer of sophistication and failed to recognize his fundamental shallowness.

millennium

n. thousand-year period; period of happiness and prosperity. I do not expect the millennium to come during my lifetime.

trident

n. three-pronged spear. Neptune is usually depicted as rising from the sea, carrying his trident on his shoylder.

yore

n. time past. She dreamed of the elegant homes of yore, but gave no thought to their inelegant plumbing.

rubric

n. title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol. In ordaining the new priests, the bishop carefully observed all the rubrics for the ordination service.

■stigma

n. token of disgrace; brand. I do not attach any stigma to the fact that you were accused of this crime; the fact that you were acquitted clears you completely. stigmatize, N.

sepulcher

n. tomb. Annabel Lee was buried in a sepulcher by the sea.

vise

n. tool for holding work in place. Before filing its edges, the keysmith took the blank key and fixed it firmly between the jaws of a vise.

pestle

n. tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl. From the way in which the elderly pharmacist pounded the drug with his pestle, young George could tell that his employer was agitated about something.

vestige

n. trace; remains. We discovered vestiges of early Indian life in the cave.

wake

n. trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before. The wake of the swan gliding through the water glistened in the moonlight. Reporters and photographers converged on South Carolina in the wake of the hurricane that devastated much of the eastern seaboard.

quisling

n. traitor who aids invaders. In his conquest of Europe, Hitler was aided by the quislings who betrayed their own people and served in the puppet governments established by the Nazis.

turncoat

n. traitor. The British considered Benedict Arnold a loyalist; the Americans considered him a turncoat.

quietude

n. tranquility. He was impressed by the air of quietude and peace that pervaded the valley.

rendition

n. translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc. The audience cheered enthusiastically as she completed her rendition of the aria.

trek

n. travel; journey. The tribe made their trek further north that summer in search of game. also v.

tremor

n. trembling; slight quiver. She had a nervous tremor in her right hand.

ruse

n. trick; stratagem. You will not be able to fool your friends with such an obvious ruse.

predicament

n. tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma. Tied to the railroad tracks by the villain, Pauline strained against her bonds. How would she escape from this terrible predicament?

trivia

n. trifles; unimportant matters. Too many magazines ignore newsworthy subjects and feature trivia.

■platitude

n. trite remark; commonplace statement. In giving advice to his son, old Polonius expressed himself only in platitudes; every word out of his mouth was a truism.

typhoon

n. tropical hurricane or cyclone. If you liked Twister, you'll love Typhoon!

torso

n. trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk. This torso, found in the ruins of Pompeii, is now on exhibition in the museum in Naples.

veracity

n. truthfulness. Trying to prove Hill a liar, Senator Spector repeatedly questioned her veracity. veracious, ADJ.

warren

n. tunnels in which rabbits live; crowded conditions in which people live. The tenement was a veritable warren, packed with people too poor to live elsewhere.

■welter

n. turmoil; bewildering jumble. The existing welter of overlapping federal and state proclaims cries out for immediate reform.

torque

n. twisting force; force producing rotation. With her wrench she applied sufficient torque to the nut to loosen it.

mortician

n. undertaker. The mortician prepared the corpse for burial.

unison

n. unity of pitch; complete accord. The choir sang in unison.

mirage

n. unreal reflection; optical illusion. The lost prospector was fooled by a mirage in the desert.

■probity

n. uprightness; incorruptibility. Everyone took his probity for granted; his defalcations, therefore, shocked us all.

rectitude

n. uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment. The Eagle Scout was a model of rectitude; smugness was the only flaw he needed to correct.

suavity

n. urbanity; polish. He is particularly good in roles that require suavity and sophistication. suave, ADJ.

retribution

n. vengeance; compensation; punishment for offenses. The evangelist maintained that an angry deity would exact retribution from the sinners.

tarantula

n. venomous spider. We need an antitoxin to counteract the bite of the tarantula.

myriad

n. very large number. Myriads of mosquitoes from the swamps invaded our village every twilight. also ADJ.

pauper

n. very poor person. Though Widow Brown was living on a reduced income, she was by no means a pauper.

mite

n. very small object or creature; small coin. Gnats are annoying mites that sting.

shaving

n. very thin piece, usually of wood. As the carpenter pared away the edge of the board with his plane, a small pile of shavings began to accumulate on the floor.

onslaught

n. vicious assault. We suffered many casualties during the unexpected onslaught of the enemy troops.

quarry

n. victim; object of a hunt. The police closed in on their quarry.

■transgression

n. violation of a law; sin. Although Widow Douglass was willing to overlook Huck's minor transgressions, Miss Watson refused to forgive and forget.

throes

n. violent anguish. The throes of despair can be as devastating as the spasms accompanying physical pain.

mural

n. wall painting. The walls of the Chicano Community Center are covered with murals painted in the style of Diego Rivera, the great Mexican artist.

vagabond

n. wanderer; tramp. In summer, college students wander the roads of Europe like carefree vagabonds. also ADJ.

surveillance

n. watching; guarding. The FBI kept the house under constant surveillance in the hope of capturing all the criminals at one time.

tycoon

n. wealthy leader. John D. Rockefeller was a prominent tycoon.

sinecure

n. well-paid position with little responsibility. My job is no sinecure; I work long hours and have much responsibility.

maelstrom

n. whirlpool. The canoe was tossed about in the maelstrom.

vortex

n. whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged. Sucked into the vortex of the tornado, Dorothy and Toto were carried from Kansas to Oz.

pandemonium

n. wild tumult. When the ships collided in the harbor, pandemonium broke out among the passengers.

orgy

n. wild, drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence. The Roman emperor's orgies were far wilder than the toga party in the movie Animal House. When her income tax refund check finally arrived, Sally indulged in an orgy of shopping.

vintner

n. winemaker; seller of wine. The poet wondered what the vintners could buy that would be half as precious as the wine they sold.

secession

n. withdrawal. The secession of the Southern states provided Lincoln with his first major problem after his inauguration. secede, v.

recession

n. withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity. The slow recession of the flood waters created problems for the crews working to restore power to the area.

witticism

n. witty saying; wisecrack. I don't mean any criticism, but your last supposed witticism really hurt my feelings.

stockade

n. wooden enclosure or pen; fixed line of posts used as defensive barrier. The Indians are coming! Quick! Round up the horses and drive them into the stockade.

onomatopoeia

n. words formed in imitation of natural sounds. Words like "rustle" and "gargle" are illustrations of onomatopoeia.

opus

n. work. Although many critics hailed his Fifth Symphony, he did not regard it as his major opus.

shambles

n. wreck; mess. After the hurricane, the Carolina coast was a shambles. After the New Year's Eve party, the host's apartment was a shambles.

miscreant

n. wretch; villain. His kindness to the miscreant amazed all of us who had expected to hear severe punishment pronounced.

■subpoena

n. writ summoning a witness to appear. The prosecutor's office was ready to serve a subpoena on the reluctant witness. also v.

writ

n. written command issued by a court. The hero of Leonard's novel is a process server who invents unorthodox ways of serving writs on reluctant parties.

misnomer

n. wrong name; incorrect designation. His tyrannical conduct proved to all that his nickname, King Eric the Just, was a misnomer.

whelp

n. young wolf, dog, tiger, etc. This collie whelp won't do for breeding, but he'd make a fine pet.

shrewd

ADJ, clever; astute. A shrewd investor, she took clever advantage of the fluctuations of the stock market.

phenomena

N, PL. observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation. We kept careful records of the phenomena we noted in the course of these experiments. phenomenon, SING.