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 |
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