abalone
n. any of various large edible marine gastropods of the genus Haliotis having an ear-shaped shell with pearly interior |
aberrant
n. abnormal; markedly different from an accepted norm |
absenteeism
n. habitual not to appear, especially for work or other regular duty |
accelerator
n. a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine |
agog
a. highly excited |
amorphous
a. formless; lacking shape or definition |
ampere
n. unit of electric current equal to flow of one coulomb per second; |
anachronistic
a. having time error in story; erroneous in date; in wrong time |
anathema
n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse |
apocryphal
a. untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious |
arboreal
a. tree-dwelling; treelike; living in trees |
assiduous
a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent |
atrophy
n. wasting away; decrease in size; reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease |
attenuate
v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of |
auspices
n. kindly endorsement and guidance |
autonomous
a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent |
ballyhoo
n. blatant or sensational promotion |
beguiling
a. misleading by means of pleasant or alluring methods |
belvedere
n. densely branched Eurasian plant; foliage turns purple-red in autumn |
biennial
a. every two years; lasting or living for two years |
bravura
n. brilliant and showy technical skill |
carcinogen
n. any substance that produces cancer |
cervine
a. relating to or resembling deer |
colloquial
a. of informal spoken language or conversation; conversational or chatty |
comestible
n. any substance that can be used as food |
commensurate
a. of the same size, extent, or duration as another |
concierge
n. a French caretaker of apartments or a hotel; lives on the premises and oversees people entering and leaving and handles mail and acts as janitor or porter |
convivial
a. festive; occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company |
corollary
n. natural consequence or effect; result |
cumbrous
a. difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight |
delineate
v. portray; depict; draw or trace outline of; sketch out |
despotism
n. government by a singular authority, either a single person or tight-knit group, which rules with absolute power |
disenfranchise
v. deprive of civil right; deprive someone of franchise, generally their right to vote |
echelon
n. level or rank in an organization, profession, or society; formation of troops, ships |
eclectic
a. composed of elements from a variety of sources |
emigrant
n. someone who leaves one country to settle in another |
encyclical
a. intended for wide distribution |
fallacious
a. false; tending to mislead; deceptive |
filibuster
v. block legislation by making long speeches |
fungible
a. of goods or commodities; freely exchangeable for or replaceable by another of like nature or kind in the satisfaction of an obligation |
gazpacho
n. a soup made with chopped tomatoes and onions and cucumbers and peppers and herbs; served cold |
ignominy
n. deep disgrace; shame or dishonor |
imperturbable
a. unshakably calm; placid; incapable of being disturbed or disconcerted |
incontrovertible
a. indisputable; not open to question |
incredulously
ad. in a manner indicating disbelief |
indomitable
a. unconquerable; incapable of being overcome |
intransigence
n. refusal of any compromise; stubbornness |
knickknack
n. a small inexpensive mass-produced article; miscellaneous curios |
largesse
n. a gift or money given (as for service or out of benevolence); usually given ostentatiously |
lintel
n. horizontal beam used as a finishing piece over a door or window |
modicum
n. limited quantity; small or moderate amount; any small thing |
myrrh
n. aromatic resin that is burned as incense and used in perfume |
narcissus
n. (Greek mythology) a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection |
neophyte
n. recent convert to a belief; one newly initiated |
neurosis
n. a mental or personality disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction |
nunnery
n. house in which nuns reside; cloister or convent in which women reside for life, under religious vows |
obdurate
a. hardened in wrongdoing or wickedness; not giving in to persuasion |
obstetrician
n. physician specializing in delivery of babies |
opacity
n. the phenomenon of not permitting the passage of electromagnetic radiation |
operetta
n. a short amusing opera |
oxymoron
n. conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence') |
parallelogram
n. a quadrilateral whose opposite sides are both parallel and equal in length |
pejorative
a. tending to make or become worse; disparaging or belittling |
perfunctory
a. done routinely and with little interest or care; acting with indifference; showing little interest or care |
pertinacious
a. stubbornly or perversely persistent; unyielding; obstinate |
poultice
n. a medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc. |
recalcitrant
a. obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority |
restaurateur
n. the proprietor of a restaurant |
sacrilegious
a. acting or speaking very disrespectfully toward what is held to be sacred; violating sacred things; profane |
sobriquet
n. nickname; familiar name for person, typically shortened version of given name |
surreptitiously
ad. in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively |
sycophantic
a. attempting to win favor by flattery |
thievery
n. the act of taking something from someone unlawfully |
tremolo
n. (music) a tremulous effect produced by rapid repetition of a single tone or rapid alternation of two tones |
tripartite
a. involving three parties or elements |
troika
n. a modern Russian triumvirate |
unconscionable
a. lacking conscience; greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation |
unpronounceable
a. impossible or difficult to pronounce correctly; very difficult to pronounce correctly |
virulent
a. extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter |
vociferous
a. offensively loud; noisy; making outcry |