amplitude
n. the maximum displacement of a periodic wave; the property of copious abundance |
anode
n. the negatively charged terminal of a voltaic cell or storage battery that supplies current |
asymmetric
a. not identical on both sides of a dividing central line |
batik
n. a method of producing colored designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to the parts to be left undyed |
belabor
v. discuss repeatedly; attack verbally; work hard upon |
bifurcation
n. the place where something divides into two branches; the act of splitting into two branches |
brusque
a. abrupt and curt in manner or speech; rudely abrupt, unfriendly |
cadenza
n. a brilliant solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music |
canto
n. part or division of poem of some length |
censorious
a. critical; addicted to censure; severe in making remarks on others, or on their writings or manners; implying or expressing censure |
coagulant
n. an agent that produces coagulation |
collate
v. examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order |
commissariat
n. a stock or supply of foods |
complacent
a. contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions |
concordance
n. agreement of opinions; an index of all main words in a book along with their immediate contexts |
conscript
v. enroll into service compulsorily, typically into the armed services |
contiguity
n. the attribute of being so near as to be touching |
convalesce
v. recover gradually from an illness |
corpulent
a. very fat; large in body; overweight |
cryptogram
n. a piece of writing in code or cipher |
defalcate
v. misuse or misappropriate property or funds entrusted to one |
demonstrative
a. serving to demonstrate; given to or marked by the open expression of emotion |
deportment
n. manner of deporting or demeaning one's self; manner of acting; conduct; carriage |
despotism
n. dominance through threat of punishment and violence; a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator |
diaphanous
a. so thin as to transmit light; very sheer and light; almost completely transparent |
diplomatist
n. an official engaged in international negotiations |
discrepant
a. not compatible with other facts; not in agreement; not in accord |
dissever
v. separate into parts or portions |
dissipate
v. spend or expend wastefully; vanish by dispersion; drive away; disperse |
distemper
n. any of various infectious viral diseases of animals; an angry and disagreeable mood |
drachma
n. formerly the basic unit of money in Greece; a unit of apothecary weight equal to an eighth of an ounce or to 60 grains |
dutiable
a. subject to customs duty, as imported goods |
efflorescence
n. the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms; any red eruption of the skin; the period of greatest prosperity or productivity |
egotist
n. a conceited and self-centered person |
embrasure
n. an opening, in a wall or ship or armored vehicle, for firing through |
entomology
n. study of insects; branch of zoology which treats of insects |
eugenic
a. pertaining to or causing improvement in the offspring produced |
execrable
a. very bad; extremely inferiorl; intolerable; very hateful |
exiguous
a. extremely scanty; excessively scanty; meager and small |
extempore
a. with little or no preparation or forethought |
federate
v. enter into a league for a common purpose; unite on a federal basis or band together as a league |
filial
a. having or assuming relationship of child or offspring to parent |
foresail
n. the lowest sail on the foremast of a square-rigged vessel |
fusillade
n. rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms |
guano
n. the excrement of sea birds; used as fertilizer |
histology
n. the branch of biology that studies the microscopic structure of animal or plant tissues |
indolence
n. inactivity resulting from a dislike of work |
inroad
n. entrance of an enemy into a country with purposes of hostility; sudden or desultory incursion or invasion; raid; encroachment |
intestacy
n. the situation of being or dying without a legally valid will |
inveigh
v. speak against in an impassioned manner; complain bitterly |
irksome
a. causing annoyance, weariness, or vexation; tedious |
isochronous
a. equal in duration or interval |
lactation
n. the production of milk by the mammary glands; the period following birth during which milk is secreted; feeding an infant by giving suck at the breast |
leeward
n. the direction in which the wind is blowing; the side of something that is sheltered from the wind |
licentious
a. amoral; unrestrained; lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint |
lionize
v. look on or treat a person as celebrity; visit famous places in order to revere them |
loch
n. an arm of the sea, especially when narrow or partially landlocked |
magistracy
n. the position of magistrate; the office or function of a magistrate |
mawkish
a. insincerely emotional; showing a sickly excess of sentiment |
mettlesome
a. willing to face danger; having a proud and unbroken spirit |
minutia
n. petty details; small particular or detail; a minute or trivial matter of fact |
molt
v. shed or cast off hair or feathers |
moribund
a. dying; in dying state; approaching death; about to die |
munificence
n. liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit |
necropolis
n. a tract of land used for burials |
niggardly
a. petty or reluctant in giving or spending |
obstetrician
n. physician specializing in delivery of babies |
odium
n. strong dislike, contempt, or aversion; hatefulness; disrepute |
orthography
n. a method of representing the sounds of a language by written or printed symbols |
pantheism
n. the doctrine or belief that God is the universe and its phenomena or the doctrine that regards the universe as a manifestation of God |
pauperism
n. a state of extreme poverty or destitution |
peninsular
a. of or forming or resembling a peninsula |
perambulate
v. make an official inspection on foot of the bounds of a property; walk with no particular goal |
pertinacity
n. persistent determination; quality of sticking with something |
pied
a. having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly; multicolored |
polycracy
n. form of government ruled by more than one person, as opposed to a monocracy |
precocity
n. intelligence achieved far ahead of normal developmental schedules |
propound
v. put forward; offer for consideration or debate |
rapprochement
n. the reestablishing of cordial relations |
reparable
a. capable of being repaired; admitting of repair |
rivulet
n. small brook or stream; streamlet |
salubrious
a. healthful; favorable to health; promoting health; wholesome |
sedulous
a. diligent; hardworking; persevering and constant in effort or application |
somnolence
n. a very sleepy state; tending to cause sleep |
titian
n. a reddish-brown or golden-brown color |
viol
n. any of a family of bowed stringed instruments that preceded the violin family |