(Kate's) Sadlier-oxford vocabulary workshop level H units 1-8
chimerical
(adj.) absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible
insouciant
(adj.) blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky
eleemosynary
(adj.) charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity
cognate
(adj.) closely related in origin, essential nature, or function; (n.) such a person or thing
pragmatic
(adj.) concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions
commensurate
(adj.) equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards
bibulous
(adj.) fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent
oblivious
(adj.) forgetful; unaware
gratis
(adj.) free; (adv.) without charge
lachrymose
(adj.) given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious
sanguine
(adj.) having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook
prurient
(adj.) having lustful desires or interests; tending to arouse sexual desires
therapeutic
(adj.) having the power to heal or cure; beneficial
tendentious
(adj.) intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan
ribald
(adj.) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language
effete
(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date
supine
(adj.) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive
hidebound
(adj.) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative
ineffable
(adj.) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered
systemic
(adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems
noisome
(adj.) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious
indigenous
(adj.) originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent
bilious
(adj.) peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant
risible
(adj.) pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable
quizzical
(adj.) puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal
mnemonic
(adj.) relating to or designed to assist the memory; (n.) a device to aid the memory
quasi
(adj.) resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely
ancillary
(adj.) subordinate or supplementary
symptomatic
(adj.) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease
sacrosanct
(adj.) very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack
diaphanous
(adj.) very sheer and light; almost completely transparent
minuscule
(adj.) very small, tiny; (n.) a lowercase letter
philippic
(n) a bitter verbal attack
poltroon
(n.) a base coward
cul-de-sac
(n.) a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse
virtuoso
(n.) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj.) masterly or brilliant
vicissitude
(n.) a change, variation, or alteration; (pl.) successive or changing phases or conditions
persona
(n.) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes
panache
(n.) a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display
melee
(n.) a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling
proselyte
(n.) a convert; a disciple
parameter
(n.) a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary
lexicon
(n.) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium
schism
(n.) a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
claque
(n.) a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat
pundit
(n.) a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions
matrix
(n.) a mold; the surrounding situation or environment
affinity
(n.) a natural attraction to a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection
morass
(n.) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand
vassal
(n.) a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant; (adj.) subservient
forte
(n.) a person's strong point; what a person does best
elixir
(n.) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines
corollary
(n.) a proposition that follows from one already proven; a natural consequence or result; (adj.) resultant or consequent
obloquy
(n.) a public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment
foray
(n.) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; (v.) to make such a raid
liturgy
(n.) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship
icon
(n.) a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion
homily
(n.) a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse
vignette
(n.) a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter
interstice
(n.) a small, narrow space between things or parts of things
paean
(n.) a song of praise, joy, or triumph
solecism
(n.) a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake
mountebank
(n.) a trickster or swindler; a charlatan
genre
(n.) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted
volte-face
(n.) an about-face; a complete reversal
fait accompli
(n.) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
enclave
(n.) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character
aficionado
(n.) an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan
gamut
(n.) an entire range or series
hierarchy
(n.) any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.
folderol
(n.) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle
obsequies
(n.) funeral rites or ceremonies
raillery
(n.) good-humored ridicule; teasing
rapacity
(n.) inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
lucubration
(n.) laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work
persiflage
(n.) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
microcosm
(n.) miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system
plethora
(n.) overfullness; superabundance; superfluity
emolument
(n.) profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary
aegis
(n.) protection; patronage; sponsorship
adjunct
(n.) something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic; (adj.) added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a favulty or staff in an auxiliary capacity
mirage
(n.) something illusory, without substance, or without a basis in reality; an illusion
divination
(n.) the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge
hoi polloi
(n.) the common people, the masses
bellwether
(n.) the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends
paternalism
(n.) the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children
versimilitude
(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable
purview
(n.) the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute
macrocosm
(n.) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something
derring-do
(n.) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics)
caterwaul
(v) To howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; (n) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket
polarize
(v.) to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern
condescend
(v.) to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner
obfuscate
(v.) to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
immure
(v.) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate
apprise
(v.) to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice
browbeat
(v.) to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully
deracinate
(v.) to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of
bowdlerize
(v.) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)
cozen
(v.) to trick; to cheat or swindle