SAT

verisimilitude n

appearance of truth; likelihood. Critics praised her for the verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth. She was completely believable.

propitiate v

appease. The natives offered sacrifices to propitiate the gods.

geniality n

cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy. This restaurant is famous and popular because of the geniality of the proprietor, who tries to make everyone happy. genial, adj.

exculpate v

clear from blame. She was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed.

limpid adj

clear. A limpid stream ran through his property.

lout n

clumsy person. The delivery boy is an awkward lout. loutish, adj.

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.

foil n

contrast. In Star Wars, dark, evil Darth Vader is a perfect foil for fair-haired, na've Luke Skywalker.

facsimile n

copy. Many museums sell facsimiles of the works of art on display.

libertine n

debauched person, rou'. Although she was aware of his reputation as a libertine, she felt she could reform him and help him abandon his dissolute way of life.

unravel v

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

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.

imbibe v

drink in. The dry soil imbibed the rain quickly.

effigy n

dummy. The mob showed its irritation by hanging the judge in effigy.

vent v

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

stentorian adj

extremely loud. The town crier had a stentorian voice.

draconian adj

extremely severe. When the principal canceled the senior prom because some senior had been late to school that week, we thought the draconian punishment was far too harsh for such a minor violation of the rules.

frond n

fern leaf; palm or banana leaf. After the storm the beach was littered with the fronds of palm trees.

fecundity n

fertility; fruitfulness. The fecundity of her mind is illustrated by the many vivid images in her poems. Rabbits are noted for their fecundity: in the absence of natural predators, they multiply, well, like rabbits, as the Australians learned to their dismay.

fete v

honor at a festival. The returning hero was feted at a community supper and dance. also n.

pell-mell adv

in confusion; disorderly. The excited students dashed pell-mell into the stadium to celebrate the victory.

insouciant adj

indifferent; without concern or care. Your insouciant attitude at such a critical moment indicates they you do not understand the gravity of the situation.

impinge v

infringe; touch; collide with. How could they be married without impinging on one another's freedom?

impertinent adj

insolent; rude. His neighbors' impertinent curiosity about his lack of dates angered Ted. It was downright rude of them to ask him such personal questions. impertinence, n.

edify v

instruct; correct morally. Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience, many of his listeners were amused and not enlightened.

expletive n

interjection; profane oath. The sergeant's remarks were filled with expletives that offended the new recruits.

misconstrue v

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

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.

repugnance n

loathing. She looked at the snake with repugnance.

striated adj

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

impenitent adj

not repentant. We could see by his brazen attitude that he was impenitent.

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.

immolate v

offer as a sacrifice. The tribal king offered to immolate his daughter to quiet the angry gods.

elegy n

poem or song expression lamentation. On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the elegy 'Lycidas.' elegiacal, adj.

precept n

practical rule guiding conduct. 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' is a worthwhile precept.

emboss v

produce a design in raised relief. The secretary of the corporation uses a special stamp to emboss the corporate seal on all official documents.

wastrel n

profligate. He was denounced as a wastrel who had dissipated his inheritance.

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.

skimp v

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

sonorous adj

resonant. His sonorous voice resounded through the hall.

snivel v

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

eclectic adj

selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources. His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique d'cor. eclecticism, n.

vendor n

seller. The fruit vendor sold her wares from a stall on the sidewalk.

glimmer v

shine erratically; twinkle. In the darkness of the cavern, the glowworms hanging from the cavern roof glimmered like distant stars.

rend v

split; tear apart. I his grief, he tried to rend his garments. rent, n.

spat n

squabble; minor dispute. What had started out as a mere spat escalated into a full-blown argument.

subaltern n

subordinate. The captain treated his subalterns as though they were children rather than commissioned officers.

emetic n

substance causing vomiting. Ingesting an emetic like mustard is useful in some cases of poisoning.

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.

spate n

sudden flood. I am worried about the possibility of a spate if the rains do not diminish soon.

stifle v

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

turgid adj

swollen; distended. The turgid river threatened to overflow the levees and flood the countryside.

doff v

take off. A gentleman used to doff his hat to a lady.

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.

veneer n

thin layer; cover. Casual acquaintances were deceived by his veneer of sophistication and failed to recognize his fundamental shallowness.

gruel n

thin, liquid porridge. Our daily allotment of gruel made the meal not only monotonous but also unpalatable.

wispy adj

thin; slight; barely discernible. Worried about preserving his few wispy tuffs of hair, Walter carefully massaged his scalp and applied hair restorer every night.

laceration n

torn, ragged wound. The stock-car driver needed stitches to close the lacerations he received in the car crash. lacerate, v.

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.

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.

ethos n

underlying character of a culture, group, etc. Seeing how tenderly Spaniards treated her small daughter made author Barbara Kingsolver aware of how greatly children were valued in the Spanish ethos.

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.

ignoble adj

unworthy; not noble. A true knight, Sir Galahad never stooped to perform an ignoble deed.

suavity n

urbanity; polish. He is particularly good in roles that require suavity and sophistication. suave, adj.

ribald adj

wanton; profane. He sang a ribald song that offended many of the more prudish listeners. ribaldry, n.

dross n

waste matter; worthless impurities. Many methods have been devised to separate the valuable metal from the dross.

fritter v

waste. He could not apply himself to any task and frittered away his time in idle conversation.

haggard adj

wasted away; gaunt. After his long illness, he was pale and haggard.

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.

verbatim adv

word for word. He repeated the message verbatim. also adj.

verbose adj

wordy. We had to make some major cuts in Senator Foghorn's speech because it was far too verbose. verbosity, n.

militate v

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

sallow adj

yellowish; sickly in color. We were disturbed by her sallow complexion, which was due to jaundice.

scad n

a great quantity. Refusing Dave's offer to lend him a shirt, Phil replied, 'No, thanks; I've got scads of clothes.'

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.

felicitous adj

apt; suitably expressed; well chosen. He was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to serve as master-of-ceremonies at many a banquet.

stem from v

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

treatise n

article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly. He is preparing a treatise on the Elizabethan playwrights for his graduate degree.

importune v

beg persistently. Democratic and Republican phone solicitors importuned her for contributions so frequently that she decided to give nothing to either party.

tyro n

beginner; novice. For a mere tyro, you have produced some marvelous results.

incipient adj

beginning; in an early stage. I will go to sleep early for I want to break an incipient cold.

disparage v

belittle. A doting mother, Emma was more likely to praise her son's crude attempts at art than to disparage them.

fancier n

breeder or dealer of animals. The dog fancier exhibited her prize collie at the annual Kennel Club show.

laconic adj

brief and to the point. Many of the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types: strong men of few words.

refulgent adj

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

nonplus v

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

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.

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.

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.

onerous adj

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

smolder v

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

inter v

bury. They are going to inter the body tomorrow at Broadlawn Cemetery. interment, n.

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.

emend v

correct, usually a text. In editing Beowulf for his new scholarly edition, Professor Oliver freely emended the manuscript's text whenever it seemed to make no sense.

emendation n

correction of errors; improvement. Please initial all the emendations you have made in this contract.

fop n

dandy; man excessively preoccupied with his clothes. People who dismissed young Mizrahi as a fop for his exaggerated garments felt chagrined when he turned into one of the top fashion designers of his day. foppish, adj.

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!'

stalemate n

deadlock. Negotiations between the union and the employers have reached a stalemate; neither side is willing to budge from previously stated positions.

guile n

deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning. Iago uses considerable guile to trick Othello into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful.

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 loves felt that fate had ordained their meeting.

tureen n

deep dish for serving soup. The waiters brought the soup to the tables in silver tureens.

wheedle v

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

expunge v

cancel; remove. If you behave, I will expunge this notation from your record.

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.

sanguine adj

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

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.

masticate v

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

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.

raiment n

clothing 'How can I go to the ball?' asked Cinderella. 'I have no raiment fit to wear.'

saccharine adj

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

gauche adj

clumsy; coarse and uncouth. Compared to the sophisticated young ladies in their elegant gowns, tomboyish Jo felt gauche and out of place.

menagerie n

collection of wild animals. Whenever the children run wild around the house, Mom shouts, 'Calm down! I'm not running a menagerie!'

solace n

comfort in trouble. I hope you will find solace in the thought that all of us share your loss.

fiat n

command; authorization. Although the bill abolishing the allowances and privileges of the former princes was rejected by the upper house, it was put into effect by presidential fiat.

hackneyed adj

commonplace; trite. When the reviewer criticized the movie for its hackneyed plot, we agreed; we had seen similar stories hundreds of times before.

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.

remunerative adj

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

lexicographer n

compiler of a dictionary. The new dictionary is the work of many lexicographers who spent years compiling and editing the work.

grouse v

complain; fuss. Students traditionally grouse about the abysmal quality of 'mystery meat' and similar dormitory food.

plenary adj

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

imbroglio n

complicated situation; painful or complex misunderstanding; entanglement; confused mass (as of papers). The humor of Shakespearean comedies often depends on cases of mistaken identity that involve the perplexed protagonists in one comic imbroglio after another. embroil, v.

sedate adj

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

smirk n

conceited smile. Wipe that smirk off your face! also v.

nexus v

connection. I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events.

epicure n

connoisseur of food and drink. Epicures frequent this restaurant because it features exotic wines and dishes. epicurean, adj.

subjugate v

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

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.

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.

vie v

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

din n

continued loud noise. The din of the jackhammers outside the classroom window drowned out the lecturer's voice. also v.

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.

espouse v

adopt; support. She was always ready to espouse a worthy cause.

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.

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.'

truculence n

aggressiveness; ferocity. Tynan's reviews were noted for their caustic attacks and general tone of truculence. truculent, adj.

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.

waylay v

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

guise n

appearance; costume. In the guise of a plumber, the detective investigated the murder case.

transcribe v

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

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, adj. skepticism, n.

oratorio n

dramatic poem set to music. The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital.

limn v

draw; outline; describe. Paradoxically, the more realistic he detains this artist chooses, the better able she is to limn her fantastic, other-worldly landscapes.

pensive adj

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

flotsam n

drifting wreckage. Beachcombers eke out a living by salvaging the flotsam and jetsam of the sea.

quaff v

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

ferret v

drive or hunt out of hiding. She ferreted out their secret.

flag v

droop; grow feeble. When the opposing hockey team scored its third goal only minutes into the first period, the home team's spirits flagged. flagging, adj.

stolid adj

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

dingy adj

dull; not fresh; cheerless. Refusing to be depressed b her dingy studio apartment, Bea spent the weekend polishing the floors and windows and hanging bright posters on the walls.

moribund adj

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

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.

witless adj

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

killjoy n

grouch; spoilsport. At breakfast we had all been enjoying our bacon and eggs until that killjoy John started talking about how bad animal fats and cholesterol were for our health.

junta n

group of persons joined in political intrigue; cabal. As soon as he learned of its existence, the dictator ordered the execution of all of the members of the junta.

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.

pall v

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

macabre adj

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

tutelage n

guardianship; training. Under the tutelage of such masters of the instrument, she made rapid progress as a virtuoso.

trite adj

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

hackles n

hairs on back and neck, especially of a dog. The dog's hackles rose and he began to growl as the sound of footsteps grew louder.

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.

harry v

harass, annoy, torment; raid. The guerrilla band harried the enemy nightly.

interminable adj

endless. Although his speech lasted for only twenty minutes, it seemed interminable to his bored audience.

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.

sphinx-like adj

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

jingoist n

extremely aggressive and militant patriot; warlike chauvinist. Always bellowing 'America first!' the congressman was such a jingoist you could almost hear the sabers rattling as he marched down the halls. Jingoism, n.

lilliputian adj

extremely small. Tiny and delicate, the model was built on a lilliputian scale. also n.

windfall n

fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event. This huge tax refund is quite a windfall.

kismet n

fate. Kismet is the Arabic word for 'fate.'

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.

gaudy adj

flashy; showy. The newest Trump skyscraper is typically gaudy, covered in gilded panels that gleam in the sun.

lithe adj

flexible; supple. Her figure was lithe and willowy.

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.

quay n

dock; landing place. Because of the captain's carelessness, the ship crashed into the quay.

hale adj

healthy. After a brief illness, he was soon hale.

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.

encomium n

high praise; eulogy. Uneasy with the encomiums expressed by his supporters, Tolkien felt unworthy of such high praise.

intimate v

hint. She intimated rather than stated her preferences.

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.

immure v

imprison; shut up in confinement. For the two weeks before the examination, the student immured himself in his room and concentrated upon his studies.

impropriety n

improperness; unsuitableness. Because of the impropriety of the punk rocker's slashed T-shirt and jeans, the management refused to admit him to the hotel's very formal dining room.

effrontery n

impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness. When the boss told Frank she was firing him for laziness and insubordination, he had the effrontery to ask her for a letter of recommendation.

virtual adj

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

vassal n

in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord. The lord demanded that his vassals contribute more to his military campaign.

enamored adj

in love. Narcissus became enamored of his own beauty.

effervescence n

inner excitement or exuberance; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation. Nothing depressed Sue for long; her natural effervescence soon reasserted itself. Soda that loses its effervescence goes flat. effervescent, adj. effervesce, v.

interpolate v

insert between. She talked so much that I could not interpolate a single remark.

osseous adj

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

trinket n

knickknack; bauble. Whenever she traveled abroad, Ethel would pick up costume jewelry and other trinkets as souvenirs.

fetid adj

malodorous; foul-smelling. When a polecat is alarmed, the scent gland under its tail emits a fetid secretion used for territorial marking. Stinky! Does feta cheese smell fetid to you?

repast n

meal; feast; banquet. The caterers prepared a delicious repast for Fred and Judy's wedding day.

niggardly adj

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

mete v

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

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.

tryst n

meeting. The lovers kept their tryst even though they realized their danger. also v.

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.

mirth n

merriment; laughter. Sober Malvolio found Sir Toby's mirth improper.

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.

urchin n

mischievous child (usually a boy). Get out! This store is no place for grubby urchins!

waggish adj

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

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.

inveigle v

lead astray; wheedle. She was inveigled into joining the club after an initial reluctance.

fallacy n

mistaken idea base on flawed reasoning; invalid argument. The challenge that today's social scientists face is to use computers in ways that are most suited to them without falling into the fallacy that, by themselves, computers can guide and organize the study of human society.

mitigate v

lessen in intensity; moderate; appease. Because solar energy has the power to reduce greenhouse gases and provide increased energy efficiency, conversion to the use of solar energy may help mitigate global warming.

missive n

letter. The ambassador received a missive from the Secretary of State.

unfettered adj

liberated; freed from chains. Chained to the wall for months on end, the hostage despaired that he would never be unfettered. unfetter, v.

prevaricate v

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

equivocate v

lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth. No matter how bad the news is, give it to us straight. Above all, don't equivocate.

ethereal adj

light; heavenly; unusually refined. In Shakespeare's The Tempest, the spirit Ariel is an ethereal creature, too airy and unearthly for our mortal world.

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.

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.

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.

insularity n

narrow-mindedness; isolation. The insularity of the islanders manifested itself in their suspicion of anything foreign. insular, adj.

propensity n

natural inclination. Convinced of his own talent, Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others.

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.

pejorative adj

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

unearthly adj

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

evasive adj

not frank; eluding. Your evasive answers convinced the judge that you were withholding important evidence. evade, v.

extemporaneous adj

not planned; impromptu. Because her extemporaneous remarks were misinterpreted, she decided to write all her speeches in advance.

incommodious adj

not spacious; inconvenient. In their incommodious quarters, they had to improvise for closet space.

impolitic adj

not wise. I think it is impolitic to raise this issue at the present time because the public is too angry.

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.

whiff n

puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); hint. The slightest whiff of Old Spice cologne brought memories of George to her mind.

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.

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.

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, adj. obtrusion, n.

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.

droll adj

queer and amusing. He was a popular guest because his droll anecdotes were always entertaining.

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.

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.

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.

epaulet n

ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.). The shoulder loops on Sam Spade's trench coat are the nonmilitary counterparts of the fringed epaulets on George Washington's uniform.

frieze n

ornamental band on a wall. The frieze of the church was adorned with sculpture.

hue and cry n

outcry. When her purse was snatched, she raised such a hue and cry that the thief was captured.

uncouth adj

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

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.

garish adj

over bright in color; gaudy. She wore a rhinestone necklace with a garish red and gold dress trimmed with sequins.

exuberance n

overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness. I was bowled over by the exuberance of Amy's welcome. Cheeks glowing, she was the picture of exuberant good health.

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.

sere adj

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

predilection n

partiality; preference. Although the artist used various media from time to time, she had a predilection for watercolors.

filing n

particle removed by a file. As the prisoner filed away at the iron bar on the cell window, a small heap of filings accumulated on the window sill.

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.

sagacious adj

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

epitome n

perfect example or embodiment. Singing 'I am the very model of a modern Major-General' in The Pirates of Penzance, Major-General Stanley proclaimed himself the epitome of an officer and a gentlemen. epitomize, v.

epoch n

period of time. The glacial epoch lasted for thousands of years.

intermittent adj

periodic; on and off. The outdoor wedding reception had to be moved indoors to avoid the intermittent showers that fell on and off all afternoon.

masochist n

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

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.

somatic adj

pertaining to the body; physical. Why do you ignore the spiritual aspects and emphasize only the corporeal and the somatic ones?

ecclesiastic adj

pertaining to the church. The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb wand walked to the pulpit. also n.

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.

vignette n

picture; short literary sketch. The New Yorker published her latest vignette.

perspicuous adj

plainly expressed. Her perspicuous comments eliminated all possibility of misinterpretation.

solstice n

point at which the sun is farthest from the equator. The winter solstice usually occurs on December .

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.

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.

effusion n

pouring forth. The critics objected to her literary effusion because it was too flowery.

visionary adj

produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical. She was given to visionary schemes that never materialized. also n.

lachrymose adj

producing tears. His voice has a lachrymose quality that is more appropriate at a funeral than a class reunion.

desecrate v

profane; violate the sanctity of. Shattering the altar and trampling the holy objects underfoot, the invaders desecrated the sanctuary.

docket n

program as for trial; book where such entries are made. The case of Smith v. Jones was entered in the docket for July also v.

interdict v

prohibit; forbid. Civilized nations must interdict the use of nuclear weapons if we expect our society to live.

sibylline adj

prophetic; oracular. Until their destruction by fire in B.C., the sibylline books were often consulted by the Romans.

neophyte n

recent convert; beginner. This mountain slope contains slides that will challenge experts as well as neophytes.

inchoate adj

recently begun; rudimentary; elementary. Before the Creation, the world was an inchoate mass.

ruddy adj

reddish; healthy-looking. Santa Claus's ruddy cheeks nicely complement Rudolph the Reindeer's bright red nose.

sublimate v

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

intransigence n

refusal of any compromise; stubbornness. The negotiating team had not expected such intransigence from the striking workers, who rejected any hint of a compromise. intransigent, adj.

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.

limbo n

region near heaven of hell where certain souls are kept; a prison (slang). Among the divisions of Hell are Purgatory and Limbo.

elysian adj

relating to paradise; blissful. An afternoon sail on the bay was for her an elysian journey.

spatial adj

relating to space. Certain exercises test you sense of spatial relations by asking you to identify two views of an object seen from different points in space.

dialectical adj

relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal. The debate coach's students grew to develop great forensic and dialectical skill. Teaching, however, is inherently a dialectical situation: the coach learned at least as much from her students as they learned from her. dialectics, n.

dorsal adj

relating to the back of an animal. A shark may be identified by its dorsal fin, which projects above the surface of the ocean.

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.

restitution n

reparation; indemnification. He offered to make restitution for the window broken by his son.

requite v

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

penitent adj

repentant. When he realized the enormity of his crime, he became remorseful and penitent. also n.

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.

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.

immune adj

resistant to; free or exempt from. Fortunately, Florence had contracted chicken pox as a child and was immune to it when her baby came down with spots. immunity, n.

recourse n

restoring to help when in trouble. The boy's only recourse was to appeal to his father for aid.

lampoon v

ridicule. This article lampoons the pretensions of some movie moguls. also n.

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.

torrent n

rushing stream; flood. Day after day of heavy rain saturated the hillside until the water ran downhill in torrents. torrential, adj.

forlorn adj

sad and lonely; wretched. Deserted by her big sisters and her friends, the forlorn child sat sadly on the steps awaiting their return.

ken n

range of knowledge. I cannot answer your question since this matter is beyond my ken.

fester v

rankle; produce irritation or resentment. Joe's insult festered in Anne's mind for days, and made her too angry to speak to him.

voracious adj

ravenous. The wolf is a voracious animal; its hunger never satisfied.

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.

lectern n

reading desk. The chaplain delivered his sermon from a hastily improvised lectern.

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.

sententious adj

terse; concise; aphoristic. After reading so many redundant speeches, I find his sententious style particularly pleasing.

palpitate v

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

yore n

time past. She dreamed of the elegant homes of yore, but gave no thought to their inelegant plumbing.

knell n

tolling of a bell, especially to indicate a funeral, disaster, etc.; sound of the funeral bell. 'The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.' also v.

sepulcher n

tomb. Annabel Lee was buried in a sepulcher by the sea.

modulate v

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

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.

lionize v

treat as a celebrity. She enjoyed being lionized and adored by the public.

tremor n

trembling; slight quiver. She had a nervous tremor in her right hand.

tremulous adj

trembling; wavering. She was tremulous more from excitement than from fear.

trivia n

trifles; unimportant matters. Too many magazines ignore newsworthy subjects and feature trivia.

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.

jurisprudence n

science of law. She was more a student of jurisprudence than a practitioner of the law.

sophistry n

seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning. Instead of advancing valid arguments, he tried to overwhelm his audience with a flood of sophistries.

specious adj

seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often internationally). To claim that, because houses and birds both have wings, both can fly is extremely specious reasoning.

sentinel n

sentry; lookout. Though camped in enemy territory, Bledsoe ignored the elementary precaution of posting sentinels around the encampment.

solemnity n

seriousness; gravity. The minister was concerned that nothing should disturb the solemnity of the marriage service.

homily n

sermon; serious warning. His speeches were always homilies, advising his listeners to repent and reform. homiletic, adj.

trigger v

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

fetter v

shackle. The prisoner was fettered to the wall.

shoddy adj

sham; not genuine; inferior. You will never get the public to buy such shoddy material.

ebullient adj

showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm. Amy's ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was always bubbling over with excitement. ebullience, n.

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.

stealth n

slyness; sneakiness; secretiveness. Fearing detection by the sentries on duty, the scout inched his way toward the enemy camp with great stealth.

mote n

small speck. The tiniest mote in the eye is very painful.

emollient n

soothing or softening remedy. Emollients soften the skin by slowing evaporation of water. Beeswax, spermaceti, almond oil, and rosewater were used in ancient Greece, while lanolin or sheep fat was commonly used in medieval Europe. Also adj.

wizardry n

sorcery; magic. Merlin amazed the knights with his wizardry.

polyglot adj

speaking several languages. New York City is a polyglot community because of the thousands of immigrants who settle there.

velocity n

speed. The train went by at considerable velocity.

vitiate v

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

unfaltering adj

steadfast. She approached the guillotine with unfaltering steps.

filch v

steal. The boys filched apples from the fruit stand.

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.

inclement adj

stormy; unkind. In inclement weather, I like to curl up on the sofa with a good book and listen to the storm blowing outside.

raconteur n

story-teller. My father as a gifted raconteur with an unlimited supply of anecdotes.

uncanny adj

strange; mysterious. You have the uncanny knack of reading my innermost thoughts.

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.

dour adj

sullen; stubborn. The man was dour and taciturn.

perfunctory adj

superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm. The auditor's perfunctory inspection of the books overlooked many errors.

putative adj

supposed; reputed. Although there are some doubts, the putative author of this work is Massinger.

vulnerable adj

susceptible to wounds. His opponents could not harm Achilles, who was vulnerable only in his heel. vulnerability, n.

tumid adj

swollen; pompous; bombastic. I especially dislike his tumid style; I prefer writing that is less swollen and bombastic.

unwonted adj

unaccustomed. He hesitated to assume the unwonted role of master of ceremonies at the dinner.

irresolute adj

uncertain how to act; weak. Once you have made your decision, don't waver; a leader should never appear irresolute.

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.

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.

disquietude n

uneasiness; anxiety. When Holmes had been gone for a day, Watson felt only a slight sense of disquietude, but after a week with no word, Watson's uneasiness about his missing friend had grown into a deep fear for Holmes's safety. disquiet, v., n.

untoward adj

unfortunate or unlucky; adverse; unexpected. Trying to seek out of the house, Huck had a most untoward encounter with Miss Watson, who thwarted his escape.

unison n

unity of pitch; complete accord. The choir sang in unison.

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.

uninhibited adj

unrepressed. The congregation was shocked by her uninhibited laughter during the sermon.

unsullied adj

untarnished. I am happy that my reputation is unsullied.

ineffable adj

unutterable; cannot be expressed in speech. Such ineffable joy must be experienced; it cannot be described.

insalubrious adj

unwholesome; not healthful. The mosquito-ridden swamp was an insalubrious place, a breeding ground for malarial contagion.

execrable adj

very bad. The anecdote was in such execrable taste that the audience was revolted.

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.

impetuous adj

violent; hasty; rash. 'Leap before you look' was the motto suggested by one particularly impetuous young man.

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.

vagabond n

wanderer; tramp. In summer, college students wander the roads of Europe like carefree vagabonds. also adj.

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.

ponderous adj

weighty; unwieldy. His humor lacked the light touch; his jokes were always ponderous.

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.

hoary adj

white with age. The man was hoary and wrinkled when he was .

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.

dormer n

window projecting from roof. In remodeling the attic into a bedroom, we decided that we needed to put in dormers to provide sufficient ventilation for the new room.

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.

wizened adj

withered; shriveled. The wizened old man in the home for the aged was still active and energetic.

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.

whelp n

young wolf, dog, tiger, etc. This collie whelp won't do for breeding, but he'd make a fine pet.

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.

guileless adj

without deceit. He is na've, simple, and guileless; he cannot be guilty of fraud.

impromptu adj

without previous preparation; of the cuff; on the spur of the moment. The judges were amazed that she could make such a thorough well-supported presentation in an impromptu speech.

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.

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.

solicitous adj

worried, concerned. The employer was very solicitous about the health of her employees as replacements were difficult to get. solicitude, n.

exacerbate v

worsen; embitter. The latest bombing exacerbated England's already existing bitterness against the IRA, causing the Prime Minister to break off the peace talks abruptly. exacerbation, n.

idolatry n

worship of idols; excessive admiration. Such idolatry of singers of country music is typical of the excessive enthusiasm of youth.

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.

indite v

write; compose. Cyrano indited many letters for Christian.

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.

inured adj

accustomed; hardened. She became inured to the Alaskan cold.

exonerate v

acquit; exculpate. The defense team feverishly sought fresh evidence that might exonerate their client.

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.

volition n

act of making a conscious choice. She selected this dress of her own volition.

vigor n

active strength. Although he was over seventy years old, Jack had the vigor of a man in his prime. vigorous, adj.

mincing adj

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

harrowing adj

agonizing; distressing; traumatic. At first Terry Anderson did not wish to discuss his harrowing months of captivity as a political hostage. harrow, v.

jibe v

agree; be in harmony with. Moe says Curly started the fight; Curly insists it was Moe. Their stories just don't jibe.

winsome adj

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

dilettante n

aimless follower of the arts; amateur; dabbler. According to Turgenev, without painstaking work, any writer or artist remains a dilettante. In an age of increasing professionalism, the terms amateur and dilettante have taken on negative connotations they did not originally possess.

desultory adj

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random. In prison Malcolm X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not desultory.

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.

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 route.

reverie n

daydream; musing. She was awakened from her reverie by the teacher's question.

ignominy n

deep disgrace; shame or dishonor. To lose the Ping-Pong match to a trained chimpanzee! How could Rollo endure the ignominy of his defeat? ignominious, adj.

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 v. slanderous, adj.

reprehensible adj

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

invidious adj

designed to create ill will or envy. We disregarded her invidious remarks because we realized how jealous she was.

scurvy adj

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

sensitometer n

device that measures the strength of light. The sensitometer on that roof tells how much sunlight the solar panel absorbs.

diabolical adj

devilish. 'What a fiend I am, to devise such a diabolical scheme to destroy Gotham City,' chortled the Joker.

unearth v

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

disinter v

dig up; unearth. They disinterred the body and held an autopsy.

discursive adj

digressing; rambling. As the lecturer wandered from topic to topic, we wondered what if any point there was to his discursive remarks.

sedulous adj

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

refectory n

dining hall. In this huge refectory, we can feed the entire student body at one sitting.

exude v

discharge; give forth. We get maple syrup from the sap that the trees exude in early spring. exudation, n.

hortatory adj

encouraging; exhortative. The crowd listened to his hortatory statements with ever-growing excitement; finally they rushed from the hall to carry out his suggestions.

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.

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.

verve n

enthusiasm; liveliness. She approached her studies with such verve that it was impossible for her to do poorly.

plaudit n

enthusiastic approval; round of applause. The theatrical company reprinted the plaudits of the critics in its advertisements. plauditory, adj.

gamut n

entire range. In a classic put-down of actress Katharine Hepburn, the critic Dorothy Parker wrote that the actress ran the gamut of emotions from A to B.

entr'e n

entrance; a way in. Because of his wealth and social position, he had entr'e into the most exclusive circles.

inebriated adj

habitually intoxicated; drunk. Abe was inebriated more often than he was sober. Because of his inebriety, he was discharged from his job as a bus driver.

hirsute adj

hairy. He was a hirsute individual with a heavy black beard.

somnolent adj

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

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.

factotum n

handyman; person who does all kinds of work. Although we had hired him as a messenger, we soon began to use him as a general factotum around the office.

esoteric adj

hard to understand; known only to the chosen few. New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusions to obscure people and events. The implication is, if you are in the in-crowd, you'll get the reference; if you come from Cleveland, you won't. esoterica, n.

raucous adj

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

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.

fluted adj

having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar). All that remained of the ancient building were the fluted columns.

promontory n

headland. They erected a lighthouse on the promontory to warn approaching ships of their nearness to the shore.

salubrious adj

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

eminent adj

high; lofty. After her appointment to this eminent position, she seldom had time for her former friends.

virtuoso n

highly skilled artist. The child prodigy Yehudi Menuhin grew into a virtuoso whose virtuosity on the violin thrilled millions. virtuosity, n.

insinuate v

hint; imply; creep in. When you said I looked robust, did you mean to insinuate that I'm getting fat?

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.

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.

quixotic adj

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

enmity n

ill will; hatred. At Camp David President Carter labored to bring an end to the enmity that prevented Egypt and Israel from living in peace.

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.

paramour n

illicit lover. She sought a divorce on the grounds that her husband had a paramour in another town.

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.

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 n. stoicism, n.

impervious adj

impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed. The carpet salesman told Simone that his most expensive brand of floor covering was warranted to be impervious to ordinary wear and tear. Having read so many negative reviews of his acting, the movie star had learned to ignore them, and was now impervious to criticism.

impalpable adj

imperceptible; intangible. The ash is so fine that it is impalpable to the touch but it can be seen as a fine layer covering the window ledge.

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.

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.

wreak v

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

minatory adj

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

jocund adj

merry. Santa Claus is always cheerful and jocund.

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.

feral adj

not domestic; wild. Abandoned by their owners, dogs may revert to their feral state, roaming the woods in packs.

unrequited adj

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

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.

efficacy n

power to produce desired effect. The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage. efficacious, adj.

puissant adj

powerful; strong; potent. We must keep his friendship for he will make a puissant ally.

impuissance n

powerlessness; feebleness. The lame duck president was frustrated by his shift from enormous power to relative impuissance.

hermetic adj

obscure and mysterious; occult. It is strange to consider that modern chemistry originated in the hermetic teachings of the ancient alchemists. (secondary meaning)

recalcitrant adj

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

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.

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.

levity n

lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity. Stop giggling and wriggling around in the pew: such levity is improper in church.

disingenuous adj

lacking genuine candor; insincere. Now that we know that the mayor and his wife are engaged in a bitter divorce fight, we find their earlier remarks regretting their lack of time together remarkably disingenuous.

insipid adj

lacking in flavor; dull. Flat prose and flat ginger ale are equally insipid: both lack sparkle.

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 spartan quarters. Only his spartan sense of duty kept him at his post.

flippant adj

lacking proper seriousness. When Mark told Mona he loved her, she dismissed his earnest declaration with a flippant 'Oh, you say that to all the girls!' flippancy, n.

lackadaisical adj

lacking purpose or zest; halfhearted; languid. Because Gatsby had his mind more on his love life than on his finances, he did a very lackadaisical job of managing his money.

incontinent adj

lacking self-restraint; licentious. His incontinent behavior off state so shocked many people that they refused to attend the plays and movies in which he appeared.

inept adj

lacking skill; unsuited; incompetent. The inept glove maker was all thumbs. ineptness, n.

effete adj

lacking vigor; worn out; sterile. Is the Democratic Party still a vital political force, or is it an effete, powerless faction, wedded to outmoded liberal policies?

dirge n

lament with music. The funeral dirge stirred us to tears.

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.

lassitude n

languor; weariness. After a massage and a long soak in the hot tub, I surrendered to my growing lassitude and lay down for a nap.

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.

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.

litigation n

lawsuit. Try to settle this amicably; I do not want to start litigation. litigant, n.

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.

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.

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.

laity n

laypersons; persons not connected with the clergy. The laity does not always understand the clergy's problems.

sluggard n

lazy person. 'You are a sluggard, a drone, a parasite,' the angry father shouted at his lazy son.

indolent adj

lazy. Couch potatoes lead an indolent life lying back in their Lazyboy recliners watching TV. indolence, n.

lien n

legal claim on a property. There was a delay before Ralph could take possession of his late uncle's home; apparently, another claimant had a lien upon the estate.

usury n

lending money at illegal rates of interest. The loan shark was found guilty of usury.

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.

diminution n

lessening; reduction in size. Old Jack was as sharp at eighty as he had been at fifty; increasing age led to no diminution of his mental acuity.

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.

diorama n

life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history. Because they dramatically pose actual stuffed animals against realistic painted landscapes, the dioramas at the Museum of Natural History particularly impress high school biology students.

jaunty adj

lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree. In Singing in the Rain, Gene Kelly sang and danced his way through the lighthearted title number in a properly jaunty style.

vulpine adj

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

ligneous adj

like wood. Petrified wood may be ligneous in appearance, but it is stonelike in composition.

labile adj

likely to change; unstable. Because the hormonal changes they undergo affect their spirits, adolescents may become emotionally labile and experience sudden shifts of mood. lability, n.

modicum n

limited quantity. Although his story is based on a modicum of truth, most of the events he describes are fictitious.

qualified adj

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

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.

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.

vernacular n

living language; natural style. Cut out those old-fashioned 'thee's' and 'thou's' and write in the vernacular. also adj.

patios n

local or provincial dialect. His years of study of the language at the university did not enable him to understand the patios of the natives.

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.

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 poplar support.

dilapidated adj

ruined because of neglect. The dilapidated old building needed far more work than just a new coat of paint. dilapidation n.

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.

disconsolate adj

sad. The death of his wife left him disconsolate.

jocular adj

said or done in jest. Although Bill knew the boss hated jokes, he couldn't resist making one jocular remark; his jocularity cost him the job.

emolument n

salary; compensation. In addition to the emolument this position offers, you must consider the social prestige it carries with it.

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.

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.

imbue v

saturate, fill. His visits to the famous Gothic cathedrals imbued him with feelings of awe and reverence.

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.

excoriate v

scold with biting harshness; strip the skin off. Seeing the rips in Bill's new pants, his mother furiously excoriated him for ruining his good clothes. The tight, starched collar chafed and excoriated his neck, rubbing it raw.

rail v

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

shrew n

scolding woman. No one wanted to marry Shakespeare's Kate because she was a shrew.

hermetic adj

sealed by fusion so as to be airtight. After you sterilize the bandages, place them in a container and seal it with a hermetic seal to protect them from contamination by airborne bacteria.

silt n

sediment deposited by running water. The harbor channel must be dredged annually to remove the silt.

truism n

self-evident truth. Many a truism is summed up in a proverb; for example, 'Marry in haste, repent at leisure.'

dotage n

senility. In his dotage, the old man bored us with long tales of events in his childhood.

touchy adj

sensitive; irascible. Do not discuss his acne with Archy; he is very touchy about it.

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.

estranged adj

separated; alienated. The estranged wife sought a divorce. estrangement, n.

premonitory adj

serving to warn. You should have visited a doctor as soon as you felt these premonitory chest pains.

ensconce v

settle comfortably. Now that their children were ensconced safely in the private school, the jet-setting parents decided to leave for Europe.

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.

unbraid 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 coat rack in the classroom.

mangy adj

shabby; wretched. We finally threw out the mangy rug that the dog had destroyed.

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.

doddering adj

shaky; infirm from old age. Lear's cruel daughters treat him as a doddering old fool, too aged and infirm to be taken seriously.

whet v

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

tonsure n

shaving of the head, especially by person entering religious orders. His tonsure, even more than his monastic garb, indicate that he was a member of the religious order.

gossamer adj

sheer; like cobwebs. Nylon can be woven into gossamer or thick fabrics. also n.

diaphanous adj

sheer; transparent. Through the diaphanous curtains, the burglar could clearly see the large jewelry box on the dressing table. Sexy nightgowns are diaphanous; woolen long johns, fortunately, are not.

ephemeral adj

short-lived; fleeting. The mayfly is an ephemeral creature: its adult life lasts little more than a day.

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.

scintilla n

shred; least bit. You have not produced a scintilla of evidence to support your argument.

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 all too soon they wither.

diffidence n

shyness. You must overcome your diffidence if you intend to become a salesperson.

winnow v

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

portent n

sign; omen; forewarning. He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil.

gaffe n

social blunder. According to Miss Manners, to call your husband by your lover's name is worse than a mere gaffe; it is a tactical mistake.

pariah n

social outcast. If everyone ostracized singer Mariah Carey, would she then be Mariah the pariah?

macerate v

soften by soaking in liquid; waster 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.

monolithic adj

solidly uniform; unyielding. Knowing the importance of appearing resolute, the patriots sought to present a monolithic front.

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 wasters money. Easy access to credit encourages people to turn into spendthrifts who shop till they drop.

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.

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.

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.

incandescent adj

strikingly bright; shining with intense heat. If you leave on an incandescent light bulb, it quickly grows too hot to touch.

divest v

strip; deprive. He was divested of his power to act and could no longer govern. divestiture, n.

saunter v

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

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.

stalwart adj

strong, brawny; steadfast. His consistent support of the party has proved that he is a stalwart and loyal member. also n.

indefatigable adj

tireless. Although the effort of taking out the garbage exhausted Wayne for the entire morning, when it came to partying, he was indefatigable.

harping n

tiresome dwelling on a subject. After he had reminded me several times about what he had one for me I told him to stop his harping on my indebtedness to him. harp, v.

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.

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 proactive'these are extreme steps that the authorities should take only after careful consideration.

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.

sinewy adj

tough; strong and firm. The steak was too sinewy to chew.

vestige n

trace; remains. We discovered vestiges of early Indian life in the cave.

turncoat n

traitor. The British considered Benedict Arnold a loyalist; the Americans considered him a turncoat.

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.

pellucid adj

transparent; limpid; easy to understand. After reading these stodgy philosophers, I find his pellucid style very enjoyable.

trek n

travel; journey. The tribe made their trek further north that summer in search of game. also n.

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.

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.

vacillate v

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

enervate v

weaken. She was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window enervated her. enervation, n.

extenuate v

weaken; mitigate. It is easier for us to extenuate our own shortcomings than those of others.

undermine v

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

imbecility n

weakness of mind. I am amazed at the imbecility of the readers of these trashy magazines.

foible n

weakness; slight fault. We can overlook the foibles of our friends; no one is perfect.

tycoon n

wealthy leader. John D. Rockefeller was a prominent tycoon.

imponderable adj

weightless. I can evaluate the data gathered in this study; the imponderable items are not so easily analyzed.

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.

iniquitous adj

wicked; immoral; unrighteous. Whether or not King Richard III was responsible for the murder of the two young princes in the Tower, it was an iniquitous deed. iniquity, n.

wangle v

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

pandemonium n

wild tumult. When the ships collided in the harbor, pandemonium broke out among the passengers.

frantic adj

wild. At the time of the collision, many people became frantic with fear.

lurid adj

wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome. Do the lurid cover stories in the Enquirer actually influence people to buy that trashy tabloid?

slake v

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

nostrum n

questionable medicine. No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me.

legerdemain n

sleight of hand. The magician demonstrated his renowned legerdemain.

sleight n

dexterity. The magician amazed the audience with his sleight of hand.

lexicon n

dictionary. I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library.

disparity n

difference; condition of inequality. Their disparity in rank made no difference at all to the prince and Cinderella.

fastidious adj

difficult to please; squeamish. Bobby was such a fastidious eater that he would eat a sandwich only if his mother first cut off every scrap of crust.

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.

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.

redolent adj

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

extricate v

free; disentangle. Icebreakers were needed to extricate the trapped whales from the icy floes that closed them in.

impunity n

freedom from punishment or harm. A -pound weakling can't attack a beachfront bully with impunity: the poor, puny guy is sure to get mashed.

frenetic adj

frenzied; frantic. The novels of the beat generation reflect a frenetic, restless pursuit of new sensation and experience, and a disdain for the conventional measures of economic and social success.

jocose adj

given to joking. The salesman was so jocose that many of his customers suggested that he become a stand-up comic.

shimmer v

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

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.

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.

pantomime n

acting without dialogue. Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared. also v.

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.

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.

recondite adj

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

invective n

abuse. He had expected criticism but not the invective that greeted his proposal.

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?'

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.

iconoclastic adj

attacking cherished traditions. Deeply iconoclastic, Jean Genet deliberately set out to shock conventional theatergoers with his radical plays. iconoclasm, n.

impute v

attribute; ascribe. If I wished to impute blame to the offices in charge of this program, I would state my feelings definitely and immediately.

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.

shirk v

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

eschew v

avoid. Hoping to present himself to his girlfriend as a totally reformed character, he tried to eschew all the vices, especially chewing tobacco and drinking bathtub gin.

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.

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.

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.

nib n

beak; pen point. The nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded.

fructify v

bear fruit. This peach tree should fructify in three years.

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.

ingratiate v

become popular with. He tried to ingratiate himself into her parents' good graces.

transmute v

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

mordant adj

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

diatribe n

bitter scolding; invective. During the lengthy diatribe delivered by his opponent he remained calm and self-controlled.

gall n

bitterness; nerve. The knowledge of his failure filled him with gall.

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.

vagary n

caprice; whim. She followed every vagary of fashion.

mercurial adj

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

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.

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.

engender v

cause; produce. To receive praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child.

pestilential adj

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

luminary n

celebrity; dignitary. A leading light of the American stage, Ethel Barymore was a theatrical luminary whose name lives on.

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.

hap n

chance; luck. In his poem Hap, Thomas Hardy objects to the part chance plays in our lives. also v.

veer v

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

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 and once ruled.

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.

vitriolic adj

corrosive; sarcastic. Such vitriolic criticism is uncalled for.

recrimination n

countercharges. Loud and angry recriminations were her answer to his accusations.

yokel n

country bumpkin. Although her older sisters both had married farmers, Rita rejected the notion of marrying some uncultivated yokel.

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.

tribunal n

court of justice. The decision of the tribunal was final and the prisoner was sentenced to death.

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.

mulct v

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

filigree n

delicate, lacelike metalwork. The pendant with gold filigree that she wore round her neck trembled with each breath she took.

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.

fulminate v

denounce thunderously; explode. Known for his 'fire and brimstone' sermons, the preacher fulminated against sinners and backsliders, consigning them to the flames of hell.

inveigh v

denounce; utter censure or invective. He inveighed against the demagoguery of the previous speaker and urged that the audience reject his philosophy as dangerous.

gainsay v

deny. She was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report.

renege v

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

turpitude n

depravity. A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude.

despondent adj

depressed; gloomy. To the distress of his parents, William became seriously despondent after he broke up with Jan. despondency, n.

venerable adj

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

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.

impugn v

dispute or contradict (often in an insulting way); challenger; gainsay. Our treasurer was furious when the finance committee's report impugned the accuracy of his financial records and recommended that he take bonehead math.

profligate adj

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

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.

discernible adj

distinguishable; perceivable. The ships in the harbor were not discernible in the fog.

tribulation n

distress; suffering. After all the trials and tribulations we have gone through, we need this rest.

disseminate v

distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds). By their use of the Internet, propagandists have been able to disseminate their pet doctrines to new audiences around the globe.

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 case. zealous, adj.

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.

maudlin adj

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

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.

sinister adj

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

gestate v

evolve, as in prenatal growth. While the scheme was being gestated by the conspirators, they maintained complete silence about their intentions.

precise adj

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

sublime adj

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

scrutinize v

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

exorbitant adj

excessive. The people grumbled at his exorbitant prices but paid them because he had a monopoly.

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.

ejaculation n

exclamation. He could not repress an ejaculation of surprise when he heard the news.

expatriate n

exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land. Henry James was an American expatriate who settled in England.

distend v

expand; swell out. I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins distend on his forehead.

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.

intrepid adj

fearless. For her intrepid conduct nursing the wounded during the war, Florence Nightingable was honored by Queen Victoria.

lineaments n

features, especially of the face. She quickly sketched the lineaments of his face.

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.

simulate v

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

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.

harbinger n

forerunner. The crocus is an early harbinger of spring.

jollity n

gaiety; cheerfulness. The festive Christmas dinner was a merry one, and old and young alike joined in the general jollity.

garner v

gather; store up. In her long career as an actress, Katharine Hepburn garnered many awards, including the coveted Oscar.

magnanimity n

generosity. Noted for his magnanimity, philanthropist Eugene Lang donated millions to charity. magnanimous, adj.

largess n

generous gift. Lady Bountiful distributed largess to the poor.

zephyr n

gentle breeze; west wind. When these zephyrs blow, it is good to be in an open boat under a full sail.

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 attach recently.

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.

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.

perspicacious adj

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

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.

peregrination n

journey. Auntie Mame was a world traveler whose peregrinations took her from Tijuana to Timbuktu.

distrait adj

inattentive; distracted, often by anxiety. Jane was so caught up in her wedding plans that her family and friends considered their absent-minded, distrait, aloof and generally useless.

proclivity n

inclination; natural tendency. Watching the two-year-old voluntarily put away his toys, I was amazed by his proclivity for neatness.

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.

wax v

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

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.'

irrefutable adj

indisputable; incontrovertible; undeniable. No matter how hard I tried to find a good comeback for her argument, I couldn't think of one: her logic was irrefutable.

incontrovertible adj

indisputable; not open to question. Unless you find the evidence against my client absolutely incontrovertible, you must declare her not guilty of this charge.

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.'

unerringly adv

infallibly. My teacher unerringly pounced on the one typographical error in my essay.

incorporate v

introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite. Breaking with precedent, President Truman ordered the military to incorporate blacks into every branch of the armed services. also adj.

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.

grate v

make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; shred. The screams of the quarreling children grated on her nerves.

expiate v

make amends for (a sin). Jean Valjean tried to expiate his crimes by performing acts of charity.

essay v

make an attempt at; test. In an effort to enrich the contemporary operatic repertoire, the Santa Fe Opera commissioned three new operas by American composers who had not previously essayed the form. Although Lydgate essayed courtly verse in Chaucer's manner, his imitations of the master's style rarely succeeded. In the actor Paul Newman essayed the role that perhaps best defined his screen persona, that of pool shark 'Fast' Eddie Felson in The Hustler.

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.

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.

indemnify v

make secure against loss; compensate for loss. The city will indemnify all home owners whose property is spoiled by this project.

scoff v

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

satirical adj

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

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.

unassuming adj

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

potentate n

monarch; sovereign. The potentate spent more time at Monte Carlo than he did at home on his throne.

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.

drivel n

nonsense; foolishness. Why do I have to spend my days listening to such idiotic drivel? Drivel is related to dribble: think of a dribbling, driveling idiot.

indelible adj

not able to be erased. The indelible ink left a permanent mark on my shirt. Young Bill Clinton's meeting with President Kennedy made an indelible impression on the youth.

discordant adj

not harmonious; conflicting. Nothing is quite so discordant as the sound of a junior high school orchestra tuning up.

unexceptionable adj

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

egregious adj

notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking. She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said. Ed's housekeeping was egregious: he let his dirty dishes pile up so long that they were stuck together with last week's food.

trident n

three-pronged spear. Neptune is usually depicted as rising from the sea, carrying his trident on his shoulder.

unprecedented adj

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

effluvium n

noxious smell. Air pollution has become a serious problem in our major cities; the effluvium and the poisons in the air are hazards to life. effluvia, pl.

manifold adj

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

scurrilous adj

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

unctuous adj

oily; bland; insincerely suave. Uriah Heep disguised his nefarious actions by unctuous protestations of his 'umility.'

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.

pass' adj

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

poignancy n

quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion. Watching the tearful reunion off the long-separated mother and child, the social worker was touched by the poignancy of the scene. poignant, adj.

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.

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.

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.

herpetologist n

one who studies reptiles. As a boy, Indiana Jones had a traumatic experience involving snakes; sensibly enough, he studied to be an archaeologist, not a herpetologist.

unilateral adj

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

seep v

ooze; trickle. During the rainstorm, water seeped through the crack in the basement wall and damaged the floor boards. Seepage, n.

extol v

praise; glorify. The president extolled the astronauts, calling them the pioneers of the Space Age.

encomiastic adj

praising; eulogistic. Some critics believe that his encomiastic statements about Napoleon were inspired by his desire for material advancement rather than by an honest belief in the Emperor's genius.

invocation n

prayer for help; calling upon as a reference or support. The service of Morning Prayer opens with an invocation during which we ask God to hear our prayers.

prognosticate v

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

jaundiced adj

prejudiced (envious, hostile, or resentful); yellowed. Because Sue disliked Carolyn, she looked at Carolyn's paintings with a jaundiced eye, calling them formless smears. Newborn infants afflicted with jaundice look slightly yellow: they have jaundiced skin.

stymie v

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

overweening adj

presumptuous; arrogant. His overweening pride in his accomplishments was not justified.

discomfit v

put to rout; defeat; disconcert. This ruse will discomfit the enemy. discomfiture, n. discomfited, adj.

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.

rebus n

puzzle in which pictures stand for words. A coven of witches beside a tree is a possible rebus for the town Coventry.

fusillade n

simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.). Tchaikovsky's Overture concludes with a thunderous fusillade of cannon fire.

warble v

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

incantation n

singing or chanting of magic spells; magical formula. Uttering incantations to make the brew more potent, the witch doctor stirred the liquid in the caldron.

scuttle v

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

vagrant adj

stray; random. He tried to study, but could not collect his vagrant thoughts.

stamina n

strength; staying power. I doubt that she has the stamina to run the full distance of the marathon race.

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.

expropriate v

take possession of. He questioned the government's right to expropriate his land to create a wildlife preserve.

flair n

talent. She has an uncanny flair for discovering new artists before the public has become aware of their existence.

expatiate v

talk at length. At this time, please give us a brief resume of your work; we shall permit you to expatiate later.

soliloquy n

talking to oneself. The soliloquy is a device used by the dramatist to reveal a character's innermost thoughts and emotions.

savory adj

tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable. Julia Child's recipes enable amateur chefs to create savory delicacies for their guests.

tribute n

tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect. The colonists refused to pay tribute to a foreign despot.

inculcate v

teach. In an effort to inculcate religious devotion, the officials ordered that the school day begin with the singing of a hymn.

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.

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.

emaciated adj

thin and wasted. A severe illness left him acutely emaciated, and he did not recover fully until he had regained most of his lost weight.

librettist n

the writer of a libretto. He is anonymous even if he was the librettist of a famous libretto.

histrionic adj

theatrical. He was proud of his histrionic ability and wanted to play the role of Hamlet. histrionics, n.

pachyderm n

thick-skinned animal. The elephant is probably the best-known pachyderm.

roll v

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

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 from immediate reform.

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.

exigency n

urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention. The exigencies of war gave impetus and funding to computer research in general and in particular to the development of code-breaking machines. Denmark's Gustav I proved to be a harsh master and an exigent lord, known for his heavy taxes and capricious demands.

importunate adj

urging; demanding. He tried to hide from his importunate creditors until his allowance arrived.

prophylactic adj

used to prevent disease. Despite all prophylactic measures introduced by the authorities, the epidemic raged until cool weather set in. prophylaxis, n.

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.

vituperative adj

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

incisive adj

cutting; sharp. Her incisive remarks made us see the fallacy in our plans. Incision, n.

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.

diurnal adj

daily. A farmer cannot neglect his diurnal tasks at any time; cows, for example, must be milked regularly.

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.

shun v

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

incongruity n

lack of harmony; absurdity. The incongruity of his wearing sneakers with formal attire amused the observers. incongruous, adj.

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.

disquisition n

a formal systematic inquiry; an explanation of the results of a formal inquiry. In his disquisition, he outlined the steps he had taken in reaching his conclusions.

dint n

means; effort. By dint of much hard work, the volunteers were able to control the raging forest fire.

equivocal adj

ambiguous; intentionally misleading. Rejecting the candidate's equivocal comments on tax reform, the reporters pressed him to state clearly where he stood on the issue. equivocate, v. equivocation, n.

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.

licentious adj

amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained. Unscrupulously seducing the daughter of his host, Don Juan felt no qualms about the immorality of his licentious behavior.

yield n

amount produced; crop; income on investment. An experienced farmer can estimate the annual yield of his acres with surprising accuracy. also v.

disport v

amuse. The popularity of Florida as a winter resort is constantly increasing; each year, thousands more disport themselves at Miami and Palm Beach.

gall v

annoy; chafe. Their taunts galled him.

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.

disputatious adj

argumentative; fond of arguing. Convinced he knew more than his lawyers, Tony was a disputatious client, ready to argue about the best way to conduct the case.

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.

imposture n

assuming a false identity; masquerade. She was imprisoned for her imposture of a doctor.

dumbfound v

astonish. Egbert's perfect score on the GRE dumbfounded his classmates, who had always considered him to be utterly dumb.

insolvent adj

bankrupt; lacking money to pay. When rumors that he was insolvent reached his creditors, they began to press him for payment of the money due them. insolvency, n.

disparate adj

basically different; unrelated. Unfortunately Tony and Tina have disparate notions of marriage: Tony sees it as a carefree extended love affair, while Tina sees it as a solemn commitment to build a family and a home.

seethe v

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

mendicant n

beggar. 'O noble sir, give alms to the poor,' cried Aladdin, playing the mendicant. mendicancy, n.

inaugurate v

begin formally; install in office. The candidate promised that he would inaugurate a new nationwide health care plan as soon as he was inaugurated as president. inauguration, n.

ubiquitous adj

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

lambaste v

bet; thrash verbally or physically. It was painful to watch the champion lambaste his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly.

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.

stringent adj

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

unimpeachable adj

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

hallowed adj

blessed; consecrated. Although the dead girl's parents had never been active churchgoers, they insisted that their daughter be buried in hallowed ground.

vendetta n

blood feud. The rival mobs engaged in a bitter vendetta.

doldrums n

blues; listlessness; slack period. Once the excitement of meetings her deadline was over, she found herself in the doldrums.

vaunted adj

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

magniloquent adj

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

vainglorious adj

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

regatta n

boat or yacht race. Many boating enthusiasts followed the regatta in their own yachts.

hilarity n

boisterous mirth. This hilarity is improper on this solemn day of mourning. hilarious, adj.

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.

verge n

border; edge. Madame Curie knew she was on the verge of discovering the secrets of radioactive elements. also v.

ennui n

boredom. The monotonous routine of hospital life induced a feeling or ennui that made her moody and irritable. 'This vacation is bor-ing!' complained Heather, tired of being stuck riding in the car with no way to relieve her growing ennui.

obeisance n

bow. She made an obeisance as the king and queen entered the room.

plait v

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

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.

fracas n

brawl, melee. The military police stopped the fracas in the bar and arrested the belligerents.

onus n

burden; responsibility. The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead, he relegated the assignment to his generals.

guy n

cable or chain attached to something that needs to be braced or steadied. If the guys holding up the mast on that derrick snap, the mast will topple.

evoke v

call forth. He evoked much criticism by his hostile manner. evocation, n.

phlegmatic adj

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

halcyon adj

calm; peaceful. In those halcyon days, people were not worried about sneak attacks and bombings.

imperturbable adj

calm; placid. Wellington remained imperturbable and in full command of the situation in spite of the hysteria and panic all around him. imperturbability, n.

serenity n

calmness, placidity. The serenity of the sleepy town was shattered by a tremendous explosion.

tranquility n

calmness; peace. After the commotion and excitement of the city, I appreciate the tranquility of these fields and forests.

venal adj

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

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.

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.

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.

mountebank n

charlatan; boastful pretender. The patent medicine man was a mountebank.

idyllic adj

charmingly carefree; simple. Far from the city, she led an idyllic existence in her rural retreat.

prelate n

church dignitary. The archbishop of Moscow and other high-ranking prelates visited the Russian Orthodox seminary.

vociferous adj

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

expurgate v

clean; remove offensive parts of a book. The editors felt that certain passages in the book had to be expurgated before it could be used in the classroom.

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.

shrewd adj

clever; astute. A shrewd investor, she took clever advantage of the fluctuations of the stock market.

scale v

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

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

enjoin v

command; order; forbid. The owners of the company asked the court to enjoin the union from picketing the plant.

unanimity n

complete agreement. We were surprised by the unanimity with which our proposals were accepted by the different groups. unanimous, adj.

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.

pr'cis n

concise summing up of main points. Before making her presentation at the conference, Ellen wrote a neat pr'cis of the major elements she would cover.

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!'

peroration n

conclusion of an oration. The peroration was largely hortatory and brought the audience to its feet clamoring for action at its close.

validate v

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

fluster v

confuse. The teacher's sudden question flustered him and he stammered his reply.

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?

disconcert v

confuse; upset; embarrass. The lawyer was disconcerted by the evidence produced by her adversary.

hubbub n

confused uproar. The marketplace was a scene of hubbub and excitement; in all the noise, we could not distinguish particular voices.

discombobulated adj

confused; discomposed. The novice square dancer became so discombobulated that he wandered into the wrong set.

pan v

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

fell adj

cruel; deadly. The newspapers told of the tragic spread of the fell disease.

wily adj

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

imprecation n

curse. Roused from bed at what he considered an ungodly hour, Roy muttered imprecations under his breath.

execrate v

curse; express abhorrence for. The world execrates the memory of Hitler and hopes that genocide well never again be the policy of any nation.

wont n

custom; habitual procedure. As was her wont, she jogged two miles every morning before going to work.

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.

hew v

cut to pieces with ax or sword. The cavalry rushed into the melee and hewed the enemy with their swords

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.

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.

dissonance n

discord; opposite of harmony. Composer Charles Ives often used dissonance'clashing or unresolved chords'for special effects in his musical works. dissonant, adj.

virus n

disease communicator. The doctors are looking for a specific medicine to control this virus.

dissemble v

disguise; pretend. Even though John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance, we all knew he was there not to dance but to meet girls.

unkempt adj

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

skullduggery n

dishonest behavior. The investigation into municipal corruption turned up new instances of skullduggery daily.

ramify v

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

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.

imperious adj

domineering; haughty. Jane rather liked a man to be masterful, but Mr. Rochester seemed so bent on getting his own way that he was actually imperious! imperiousness, n.

exorcise v

drive out evil spirits. By incantation and prayer, the medicine man sought to exorcise the evil spirits that had taken possession of the young warrior.

lethargic adj

drowsy; dull. In class, she tried to stay alert and listen to the professor, but the stuffy room made her lethargic; she felt as if she was about to nod off. lethargy, n.

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.

desiccate v

dry up. A tour of this smokehouse will give you an idea of how the pioneers used to desiccate food in order to preserve it.

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.

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.

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.

rapport n

emotional closeness; harmony. In team teaching, it is important that all teachers in the group have good rapport with one another.

underscore v

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

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.

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.

gourmand n

epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink. Gourmands lack self-restraint; if they enjoy a particular cuisine, they eat far too much of it.

paraphernalia n

equipment; odds and ends. Her desk was cluttered with paper, pen, ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft.

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.

gloss over v

explain away. No matter how hard he tried to talk around the issue, President Bush could not gloss over the fact that he had raised taxes after all.

elucidate v

explain; enlighten. He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article.

explicate v

explain; interpret; clarify. Harry Levin explicated James Joyce's novels with such clarity that even Finnegan's Wake seemed comprehensible to his students.

exegesis n

explanation, especially of biblical passages. The minister based her sermon on her exegesis of a difficult passage from the book of Job.

expository adj

explanatory; serving to explain. The manual that came with my VCR was no masterpiece of expository prose: its explanations were so garbled that I couldn't even figure out how to rewind a tape.

traduce v

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

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.

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 indicted that she had decided to impose a severe penalty.

founder v

fail completely; sink. After hitting the submerged iceberg, the Titanic started taking in water rapidly and soon foundered.

philanderer n

faithless lover; flirt. Swearing he had never so much as looked at another woman, Jack assured Jill he was no philanderer.

ravel v

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

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.

zealot n

fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal. Though Glenn was devout, he was not zealot; he never tried to force his religious beliefs on his friends.

modish adj

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

splice v

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

jaded adj

fatigued; surfeited. He looked for exotic foods to stimulate his jaded appetite.

propitious adj

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

feckless adj

feeble and ineffective; careless and irresponsible. Richard II proved such a feckless ruler that Bolingbroke easily convinced Parliament to elect him king in Richard's place. The film The Perfect Circle tells the tale of a feckless poet who, unwillingly saddled with two war orphans, discovers a sense of responsibility and community that had eluded him in his own previous family life.

visceral adj

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

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.

febrile adj

feverish. In his febrile condition, he was subject to nightmares and hallucinations.

interim n

meantime. The company will not consider our proposal until next week; in the interim, let us proceed as we have in the past.

fraught adj

filled or charged with; causing emotional distress. 'Parenting, like brain surgery, is not all-consuming, fraught with anxiety, worry, and self-doubt. We have allowed what used to be simple and natural to become bewildering and intimidating.' (Fred Gosman)

squalor n

filth; degradation; dirty, neglected sate. 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.

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.

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.

spasmodic adj

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

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.

flaccid adj

flabby. His sedentary life had left him with flaccid muscles.

panache n

flair; flamboyance. Many performers imitate Noel Coward, but few have his panache and sense of style.

meretricious adj

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

sherbet n

flavored dessert ice. I prefer raspberry sherbet to ice cream since it is less fattening.

evanescent adj

fleeting; vanishing. For a brief moment, the entire skyline was bathed in an orange-red hue in the evanescent rays of the sunset.

sleazy adj

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

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.

glib adj

fluent; facile; slick. Keeping up a steady patter to entertain his customers, the kitchen gadget salesman was a glib speaker, never at a loss for a word.

voluble adj

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

flit v

fly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by. Like a bee flitting from flower to flower, Rose flitted from one boyfriend to the next.

vanguard n

forerunners; advance forces. We are the vanguard of a tremendous army that is following us.

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.

premonition n

forewarning. We ignored these premonitions of disaster because they appeared to be based on childish fears.

venial adj

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

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 biter satire attacking human folly.

dissertation n

formal essay. In order to earn a graduate degree from many of our universities, a candidate is frequently required to prepare a dissertation on some scholarly subject.

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.'

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.

querulous adj

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

fa'ade n

front (of building); superficial or false appearance. The ornate fa'ade of the church was often photographed by tourists, who never bothered to walk around the building to view its other sides. Cher's outward show of confidence was just a fa'ade she assumed to hide her insecurity.

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 fa'ade.

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.

nugatory adj

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

spectral adj

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

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.

yield v

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

waive v

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

traverse v

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

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.

jovial adj

good-natured; merry. A frown seemed out of place on his invariably jovial face.

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.

gerontocracy n

government ruled by old people. Gulliver visited a gerontocracy in which the young people acted as servants to their elders, all the while dreaming of the day they would be old enough to have servants of their own.

vouchsafe v

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

turmoil n

great commotion and confusion. Lydia running off with a soldier! Mother fainting at the news! The Bennet household was in turmoil.

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 woks; 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.

verdant adj

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

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.

lechery n

gross lewdness; lustfulness. In his youth he led a life of lechery and debauchery; he did not mend his ways until middle age. lecherous, adj.

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 , miles.

recidivism n

habitual return to crime. Prison reformers in the United States are disturbed b the high rate of recidivism; the number of persons serving second and third terms indicates the failure of the prisons to rehabilitate the inmates.

foist v

insert improperly; palm off. I will not permit you to foist such ridiculous ideas upon the membership of this group.

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.

insuperable adj

insurmountable; unbeatable. Though the odds against their survival seemed insuperable, the Apollo astronauts reached earth safely.

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.

opalescent adj

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

ineluctable adj

irresistible; not to be escaped. He felt that his fate was ineluctable and refused to make any attempt to improve his lot.

irascible adj

irritable; easily angered. Miss Minchin' irascible temper intimidated the younger schoolgirls who feared she'd burst into a rage at any moment.

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.

seclusion n

isolation; solitude. One moment she loved crowds; the next, she sought seclusion.

emanate v

issue forth. A strong odor of sulfur emanate from the spring.

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.

facetious adj

joking (often inappropriately); humorous. I'm serious about this project; I don't need any facetious, smart-alecky cracks about do-good little rich girls.

warranted adj

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

harangue n

long, passionate, and vehement speech. In her lengthy harangue, the principal berated the offenders. also v.

yen n

longing; urge. She had a yen to get away and live on her own for a while.

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.

nadir n

lowest point. Although few people realized it, the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an upward surge.

steadfast adj

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

lascivious adj

lustful. Because they might arouse lascivious impulses in their readers, the lewd books were banned by the clergy.

palatial adj

magnificent. He proudly showed us through his palatial home.

obviate v

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

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 or doing grandiose things. Developers who spend millions trying to build the world's tallest skyscraper suffer from megalomania.

virile adj

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

variegate adj

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

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.

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.

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.

nubile adj

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

requiem n

mass for the dead; dirge. They played Mozart's Requiem at the funeral.

floe n

mass of floating ice. The ship made slow progress as it battered its way through the ice floes.

inimitable adj

matchless; not able to be imitated. We admire Auden for his inimitable use of language; he is one of a kind.

scanty adj

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

miscellany n

mixture of writings on various subjects. This is an interesting miscellany of nineteenth-century prose and poetry.

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.

low v

moo. From the hilltop, they could see the herd like ants in the distance; they could barely hear the cattle low.

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.

plaintive adj

mournful. The dove has a plaintive and melancholy call.

lugubrious adj

mournful. The lugubrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness.

doleful adj

mournful; causing sadness. Eeyore, the lugubrious donkey immortalized by A. A. Milne, looked at his cheerful friend Tigge and sighed a doleful sign.

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.

waft v

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

impetus n

moving force; incentive; stimulus. A new federal highway program would create jobs and give added impetus to our economic recovery.

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.

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.

ingenuous adj

na've and trusting; young; unsophisticated. The woodsman did not realize how ingenuous Little Red Riding Hood was until he heard that she had gone off for a walk in the woods with the Big Bad Wolf. ing'nue, n.

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.

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.

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.

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.

remiss adj

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

whinny v

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

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.

tyranny n

oppression; cruel government. Frederick Douglass fought against the tyranny of slavery throughout his entire life.

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.

libratory adj

oscillatory. The scale is libratory before it is balanced.

vindictive adj

out for revenge; malicious. Divorce sometimes brings out a vindictive steak 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.

upshot n

outcome. The upshot of the rematch was that the former champion proved that he still possessed all the skills of his youth.

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.

glut v

overstock; fill to excess. The many manufacturers glutted the market and could not find purchasers for the many articles they had produced. also n.

inundate v

overwhelm; flood; submerge. This semester I am inundated with work: you should see the piles of paperwork flooding my desk. Until the great dam was built, the waters of the Nile used to inundate the river valley every year.

insurmountable adj

overwhelming; unbeatable; insuperable. Facing almost insurmountable obstacles, the members of the underground maintained their courage and will to resist.

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.

mauve adj

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

pallid adj

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

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.

whittle v

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

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.

madrigal n

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

trajectory n

path taken by a projectile. The police tried to locate the spot from which the assassin had fired the fatal shot by tacking the trajectory of the bullet.

forbearance n

patience. Be patient with John. Treat him with forbearance: he is still weak from his illness.

stipend n

pay for services. There is a nominal stipend for this position.

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.

interregnum n

period between two reigns. Henry VIII desperately sought a male heir because he feared the civil strife that might occur if any prolonged interregnum succeeded his death.

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.

prot'g' n

person receiving protection and support from a patron. Born with an independent spirit, Cyrano de Bergerac refused to be a prot'g' of Cardinal Richelieu.

hypochondriac n

person unduly worried about his health; worrier without cause about illness. The doctor prescribed chocolate pills for her patient who was a hypochondriac.

numismatist n

person who collects coins. The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins.

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.

horticultural adj

pertaining to cultivation of gardens. When he bought his house, he began to look for flowers and decorative shrubs, and began to read books dealing with horticultural matters.

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.

vitreous adj

pertaining to or resembling glass. Although this plastic has many vitreous qualities such as transparency, it is unbreakable.

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.

vernal adj

pertaining to spring. We may expect vernal shows 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.

stellar adj

pertaining to the stars. He was the stellar attraction of the entire performance.

germane adj

pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand. The lawyer objected that the testimony being offered was not germane to the case at hand.

minutiae n

petty details. She would have liked to ignore the minutiae of daily living.

epistemologist n

philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge. 'What is more important, a knowledge of nature or the nature of knowledge?' the epistemologist asked the naturalist.

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.

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.

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.

purgatory n

place of spiritual expiation. In this purgatory he could expect no help from his comrades.

indigence n

poverty. Neither the economists nor the political scientists have found a way to wipe out the inequities of wealth and eliminate indigence from our society. indigent, adj., n.

unequivocal adj

plain; obvious. My answer to your proposal is an unequivocal and absolute 'No.'

rostrum n

platform for speech-making; pulpit. The crowd murmured angrily and indicted that they did not care to listen to the speaker who was approaching the rostrum.

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.

entreat v

plead; ask earnestly. She entreated her father to let her stay out till midnight.

piquant adj

pleasantly tar-tasting; stimulating. The piquant sauce added to our enjoyment of the meal. piquancy, n.

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.

fallow adj

plowed but not sowed; uncultivated. Farmers have learned that it is advisable to permit land to lie fallow every few years.

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.

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.

toxic adj

poisonous. We must seek an antidote for whatever toxic substance he has eaten. toxicity, n.

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.

grandiloquent adj

pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language. The politician could never speak simply; she was always grandiloquent.

indigent adj

poor; destitute. Someone who is truly indigent can't even afford to buy a pack of cigarettes. [Don't mix up indigent and indigenous. See preceding entry.] also n.

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.

effusive adj

pouring forth; gushing. Unmoved by Martha's many compliments on his performance, George dismissed her effusive words of praise as the sentimental outpourings of emotional fool.

sham v

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

dissimulate v

pretend; conceal by feigning. Although the governor tried to dissimulate his feelings about the opposing candidate, we all knew he despised his rival.

endemic adj

prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country. This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than percent of the population are at one time or another effected by it.

verisimilar adj

probable or likely; having the appearance of truth. Something verisimilar is very similar to the truth, or at least seems to be.

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.

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.

extrapolation n

projection; conjecture. Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the networks predicted that George W. Bush would be the Republican candidate for the presidency. extrapolate, v.

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.

remonstrance n

protest; objection. The authorities were deaf to the pastor's remonstrances about the lack of police protection in the area. remonstrate, v.

expostulation n

protest; remonstrance. Despite the teacher's scoldings and expostulations, the class remained unruly.

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.

propound v

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

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.

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.

levorotary adj

rotating to left. Levoglucose is levorotary glucose.

efface v

rub out. The coin had been handled so many times that its date had been effaced.

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.

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.

spurn v

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

exult v

rejoice. We exulted when our team won the victory.

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.

inexorable adj

relentless; unyielding; implacable. After listening to the pleas for clemency, the judge was inexorable and gave the convicted man the maximum punishment allowed by law.

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.

rote n

repetition. He recited the passage by rote and gave no indication he understood what he was saying. Also adj.

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.

sedentary adj

requiring sitting. Sitting all day at the computer, Sharon grew to resent the sedentary nature of her job.

umbrage n

resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult. She took umbrage at his remarks and stormed away in a huff.

pinion v

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

rejoinder n

retort; comeback; reply. When someone has been rude to me, I find it particularly satisfying to come up with a quick rejoinder.

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.

rent n

rip; split. Kit did an excellent job of mending the rent in the lining of her coat. rend, v.

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.

fleece v

rob; plunder. The tricksters fleeced him of his inheritance.

wallow v

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

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.

gambol v

romp; skip about; leap playfully. Watching the children gambol in the park, Betty marveled at their youthful energy and zest. also n.

extirpate v

root up. The Salem witch trials were a misguided attempt to extirpate superstition and heresy.

inane adj

silly; senseless. There's no point in what you're saying. Why are you bothering to make such inane remarks? inanity, n.

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.

vilify v

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

obloquy n

slander; disgrace; infamy. I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation.

detraction n

slandering; aspersion. Because Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton dared to fight for women's rights, their motives, manners, dress, personal appearance, and character were held up to ridicule and detraction.

servitude n

slavery; compulsory labor. Born a slave, Douglass resented his life of servitude and plotted to escape to the North.

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.

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.

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.

slither v

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

dowdy adj

slovenly; untidy. She tried to change her dowdy image by buying a fashionable new wardrobe.

slacken v

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

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)

sluggish adj

slow; lazy; lethargic. After two nights without sleep, she felt sluggish and incapable of exertion.

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.

grotto n

small cavern. The Blue Grotto in Capri can be entered only by small boats rowed by natives through a natural opening in the rocks.

hummock n

small hill. The ascent of the hummock is not difficult and the view from the hilltop is ample reward for the effort.

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.

facet n

small plane surface (of a gem); a side. The stonecutter decided to improve the rough diamond by providing it with several facets.

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.

lancet n

small surgical tool for making incisions. With the sharp tip of her lancet, Doctor Wheeler cut into the abscess, opening it to let it drain.

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.

exiguous adj

small; minute. Grass grew here and there, an exiguous outcropping among the rocks.

whit n

smallest speck; shred; tiny bit. There's not one whit of truth in your allegations.

simper v

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

fluency n

smoothness of speech. She spoke French with fluency and ease.

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.

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.

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.

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.

regeneration n

spiritual rebirth. Modern penologists strive for the regeneration of the prisoners.

dichotomy n

split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones). Willie didn't know how to resolve the dichotomy between his ambition to go to college and his childhood longing to run away and join the circus. Then he heard about Ringling Brothers Circus College, and he knew he'd found his school.

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.

strew v

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

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.

scotch v

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

philatelist n

stamp-collector. When she heard the value of the Penny Black stamp, Phyllis was inspired to become a philatelist.

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.

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.

desuetude n

state of disuse. Overshadowed by the newly popular waltzes and cotillions, the English country dances of Jane Austen's time fell into desuetude until they were rediscovered during the folk dance revival of the early twentieth century.

turbulence n

state of violent agitation. Warned of approaching turbulence in the atmosphere, the pilot told the passengers to fasten their seat belts.

furtive adj

stealthy; sneaky. Noticing the furtive glance the customer gave the diamond bracelet on the counter, the jeweler wondered whether he had a potential shoplifter on his hands.

viscous adj

sticky, gluey. Melted tar is a viscous substance. viscosity, n.

extant adj

still in existence. Although the book is out of print, some copies are still extant. Unfortunately, all of them are in libraries or private collections; none is for sale.

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.

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.

foment v

stir up; instigate. Cher's archenemy Heather spread some nasty rumors that fomented trouble in the club. Do you think Cher's foe meant to foment such discord?

squat adj

stocky; short and thick. Tolkien's hobbits are somewhat squat, sturdy little creatures, fond of good ales, good music, and good food.

touchstone n

stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion. What touchstone can be used to measure the character of a person?

prostrate v

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

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.

obdurate adj

stubborn. He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints.

pertinacious adj

stubborn; persistent. She is bound to succeed because her pertinacious nature will not permit her to quit.

froward adj

stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient. Miss Watson declared that Huck was a froward child, stubborn in his wickedness, and that no good would come of condoning his disobedience.

ethnology n

study of humankind. Sociology is one aspect of the science of ethnology.

philology n

study of language. The professor of philology advocated the use of Esperanto as an international language.

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.

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.

expedient adj

suitable; practical; politic. A pragmatic politician, she was guided by what was expedient rather than by what was ethical. expediency, n.

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, v. preponderant, adj.

libretto n

text of an opera. The composer of an opera's music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto.

litany n

supplicatory prayer. On this solemn, the congregation responded to the prayers of the priest during the litany with fervor and intensity.

stint n

supply; allotted amount; assigned portion of work. She performed her daily stint cheerfully and willingly.

strut n

supporting bar. The engineer calculated that the strut supporting the rafter needed to be reinforced.

transcendent adj

surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior. Standing on the hillside watching the sunset through the Golden Gate was a transcendent experience for Lisa: the sight was so beautiful it surpassed her wildest dreams. transcend, v. transcendence, n.

extradition n

surrender of prisoner by one state to another. The lawyers opposed the extradition of their client on the grounds that for more than five years he had been a model citizen.

disgorge v

surrender something; eject; vomit. Unwilling to disgorge the cash he had stolen from the pension fund, the embezzler tried to run away.

miasma n

swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere, often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence. The smog hung over Victorian London like a dark clouds; noisome, reeking of decay, it was a visible miasma.

dulcet adj

sweet sounding. The dulcet sounds of the birds at dawn were soon drowned out by the roar of traffic passing our motel.

mellifluous adj

sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious. Italian is a mellifluous language, especially suited to being sung.

natation n

swimming. The Red Cross emphasizes the need for courses in notation.

eddy n

swirling current of water, air, etc. The water in the tide pool was still, except for an occasional eddy. also v.

didactic adj

teaching; instructional. Pop's lengthy poem An Essay on Man is too didactic for my taste: I dislike it when poets turn preachy and moralize. didacticism, n.

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.

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.

evocative adj

tending to call up (emotions, memories). Scent can be remarkably evocative. The aroma of pipe tobacco evokes the memory of my father; a whiff of talcum powder calls up images of my daughter as a child.

dilatory adj

tending to delay; intentionally delaying. If you are dilatory in paying your bills, your credit rating may suffer.

improvident adj

thriftless. He was constantly being warned to mend his improvident ways and begin to 'save for a rainy day.' improvidence, n.

junket n

trip, especially one taken for pleasure by an official at public expense. Though she maintained she had gone abroad to collect firsthand data on the Common Market, the opposition claimed that her trip was merely a political junket.

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.

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.

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.

veracious adj

truthful. I can recommend him for this position because I have always found him veracious and reliable. veracity, n.

veracity n

truthfulness. Trying to prove Hill a liar, Senator Spector repeatedly questioned her veracity. veracious, adj.

fawning adj

trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering, or cringing. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins is the archetypal fawning clergyman, wholly dependent for his living on the good will of his patron, Lady Catherine, whom he flatters shamelessly. Courtiers fawn upon princess; groupies fawn upon rock stars.

shunt v

turn aside; divert; sidetrack. If he 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 anther deadly foe.

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.

wry adj

twisted; wit a humorous twist. We enjoy Dorothy Parker's verse for its wry wit.

torque n

twisting force; force producing rotation. With her wrench she applied sufficient torque to the nut to loosen it.

stock adj

typical; standard; kept regularly in supply. Victorian melodramas portrayed stock characters'the rich but wicked villain, the sweet young ing'nue, 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.

doctrinaire adj

unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding. Weng had hoped that the student-led democracy movement might bring about change in China, but the repressive response of the doctrinaire hard-liners crushed his dreams of democracy.

unprepossessing adj

unattractive. During adolescence many attractive young people somehow acquire the false notion that their appearance is unprepossessing.

immutable adj

unchangeable. All things change over time; nothing is immutable.

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.

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.

incessant adj

uninterrupted; unceasing. In a famous TV commercial, the frogs' incessant croaking goes on and on until eventually it turns into a single word: 'Bud-weis-er.'

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.

fluke n

unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune. When Douglas defeated Tyson for the heavyweight championship, some sportscasters dismissed his victory as a fluke.

heterodox adj

unorthodox; unconventional. To those who upheld the belief that the earth did not move, Galileo's theory that the earth circled the sun was disturbingly heterodox.

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!

inordinate adj

unrestrained; excessive. She had an inordinate fondness for candy, eating two or three boxes in a single day.

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.

intractable adj

unruly; stubborn; unyielding. Charlie Brown's friend Pigpen was intractable: he absolutely refused to take a bath.

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.

protean adj

versatile; able to take on many forms. A remarkably protean actor, Alec Guinness could take on any role.

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.

myriad n

very large number. Myriads of mosquitoes from the swamps invaded our village every twilight. also adj.

mite n

very small object or creature; small coin. Gnats are annoying mites that sting.

rile v

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

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.

quarry n

victim; object of a hunt. The police closed in on their quarry.

spry adj

vigorously active; nimble. She was eighty years old, yet still spry and alert.

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.

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.