a. strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited
E.g. He was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion.
v. inform; give notice to; make aware
E.g. If you apprise him the dangerous weather conditions, he has to postpone his trip.
n. expression of warm approval; praise
E.g. She looked for some sign of approbation from her parents, hoping her good grades would please them.
n. funding; money set aside for a specific purpose
E.g. The appropriation from the central budget totaled 725.3 billion yuan, an increase of 21.8 percent over the previous year.
a. curved or hooked like an eagle's beak
E.g. He can be recognized by his aquiline nose, curved like the beak of the eagle.
a. fit for growing crops, as by plowing
E.g. The first settlers wrote home glowing reports of the New World, praising its vast acres of arable land ready for the plow.
n. person with power to decide a dispute; judge
E.g. As an arbiter in labor disputes, she has won the confidence of the workers and the employers.
a. tree-dwelling; treelike; living in trees
E.g. Learn about the arboreal emblems that represent the provinces and territories of Canada.
n. prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned
E.g. The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Island and New Jersey.
n. group of closely located islands
E.g. When I looked at the map and saw the archipelago in the South Seas, I longed to visit them.
a. fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odor
E.g. Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from China to Europe.
v. officially charge someone in a court of law
E.g. After his indictment by the Grand Jury, the County Criminal Court should arraign the accused man.
n. being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation
E.g. He was in arrears with his payments on the car.
v. claim without justification; claim for oneself without right
E.g. Lynn watch in astonishments as her coworkers arrogate the credit for her brilliant work in the project.
n. subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity
E.g. The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military might.
a. free of artificiality; natural; open and honest
E.g. Sophisticated and cynical, Jack could not believe Jill was as artless and naive as she appeared to be.
n. superiority or decisive advantage; domination
E.g. Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers by methods that can verge on brainwashing.
a. leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere
E.g. The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders.
a. preventing infection; having cleansing effect
E.g. Hospitals succeeded in lowering the mortality rate as soon as they introduced aseptic conditions.
n. sharpness of temper; roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate
E.g. These remarks, spoken with asperity, stung the boys to whom they had been directed.
v. deprive of oxygen to the extent of producing death or very serious symptoms; suffocate
E.g. Carbon monoxide could build up and make you sick or even asphyxiate you.
n. one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position
E.g. Although I am an aspirant for public office, I am not willing to accept the dictates of the party bosses.
v. assault; attack with or as if with violent blows
E.g. These days nightmares assail him regularly.
v. express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept
E.g. It gives me great pleasure to assent to your request.
a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent
E.g. He was assiduous, working at this task for weeks before he felt satisfied with his results.
v. ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease
E.g. Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream.
n. eye defect that prevents proper focus
E.g. As soon as his parents discovered that the boy suffered from astigmatism, they took him to the optometrist for corrective glasses.
a. causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere
E.g. The juice from the last pressing being very dark and astringent, is put with the inferior wine.
a. not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
E.g. Because one eyebrow was set markedly higher than the other, William's face had a particularly asymmetric appearance.
n. something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement
E.g. The end of all scholarly attainment is to live nobly.
v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of
E.g. By withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines.
n. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment
E.g. In the 1960s urban churches suffered from attrition as members moved from the cities to the suburbs.
a. fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold
E.g. Audiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious, death defying leap to freedom, escaping Darth Vader's troops.
n. sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens
E.g. He interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil.
a. strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented
E.g. The headmaster's austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students, who never visited his study willingly.
v. prove genuine; establish authenticity of
E.g. An expert was needed to authenticate the original Van Gogh painting, distinguishing it from its imitation.
n. dictator; ruler having unlimited power
E.g. Mussolini has been described as an autocrat who tolerated no opposition.
a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent
E.g. Although the University of California at Berkeley is just one part of the state university system, in many ways it is autonomous, for it runs several programs that are not subject to outside control.
n. radically new or original; cutting edge
E.g. It collects news, reviews, image galleries, and texts concerning avant-garde culture and contemporary art in Tokyo.
n. greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain
E.g. King Midas is a perfect example of avarice, for he was so greedy that he wished everything he touched would turn to gold.