Gre Essential Vocab+usage.pdf

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ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 1,423 words Each with a definition, etymology, and usage sentence

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3 out of the 4 types of verbal questions on the GRE are vocabulary intensive. If you get an antonym question, and you don't know the word that is given, you are, to put it bluntly, screwed. Knowing the definitions of the words, both in the question and in the answer choices, is the most important factor to getting analogy, sentence completion, and antonym questions right. To memorize a word, you essentially build a bridge between the word itself and the definition of the word. The easiest way to do so is to create an associative story between the word and its meaning. For example, the word STOLID sounds similar to "Stalin". Stalin killed a lot of people. About 6 to 8 million during the great famine of 1932-1933, and about 1 million during the Great Terror of 19371938. In order to be a mass murderer on that scale, you can't feel very much. And STOLID in fact means "showing little emotion". Therefore, when memorizing these words, get creative, and remember to think of associations between the word itself and the definition. You want to think of a story or image that will lead you from the word to the definition. This is why it's a good idea to learn roots. Often, the definition of the word is linked closely to its its root, and if you know the root it's easy to remember the meaning of the word. For example, an IMPEDIMENT is an obstruction, something in the way. The root is PED, or foot, and the prefix is IM, which usually means "in" or "to put in". So, IMPEDIMENT = IM + PEDiment, or, "to put something in someone's feet". If you put something in someone's feet, you trip them up, or in other words you get in their way and obstruct them.

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY - SET 1

WORD

DEFINITION

USAGE SENTENCE

ETYMOLOGY

1

Abacus

A frame with beads or balls that can be slid on wires or in slots, for doing or teaching arithmetic.

Some old people know how to use an abacus better than they do a calculator.

from L. abacus, from Gk. abax, "counting table"

2

Adulteration

To make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients.

Drug dealers often adulterate their drugs by putting in harmful chemicals such as bleach, rat poison, and so on.

from L. adulterare, "to corrupt, debauch," from ad- "to"+ alterare, "to alter" (see alter)

3

Apprehensive

Anxious or fearful about the future; uneasy.

Because of the bad economic situation, Mike was apprehensive that he might lose his job.

from L. apprehendere, "to take hold of, grasp," from ad- "to" + prehendere "to seize" (see prehensile).

4

Astute

Having or showing a clever or shrewd mind; cunning; crafty; wily.

Laura was an astute poker player; she constantly won large amounts of money.

from L. astutus, "crafty," from astus "guile, cunning,“ of uncertain origin.

5

Barrage

A heavy, prolonged attack of words, blows, bullets, etc.

The candidate faced a barrage of tough questions during the election.

from Fr. barr(er), “to block, to bar”, (see barrier)

6

Blandishment

A flattering or ingratiating act or remark, etc. meant to persuade: usually used in pl.

Her blandishments had a very strong effect on him.

from Fr. blandir, " to flatter," from L. blandiri, "to flatter," from blandus, "mild, smooth" (see bland).

7

Burnish

To make or become shiny by rubbing; polish.

Jack's new car was so burnished you could use it as a mirror.

from Fr. burnir, "to make brown/bright, polish," from brun " brown, polished"

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 8

Chisel

To cheat or swindle(someone).

He chiseled me out of fifty dollars.

from L. caesus, participle of caedere, "to cut" (see concise).

9

Complacent

Satisfied, affable; esp., self-satisfied, or smug.

The team got too complacent after their early victories and so was stunned by an upset late in the series.

from L. complacere "be very pleasing". (see pleasant)

10

Contiguous

In physical contact; touching along all or most of one side. Near, next, or adjacent.

The 48 contiguous states make up most of the land mass of the USA.

from L. contigus, "bordering upon," from base of contingere, "to touch upon" (see contact).

11

Cupidity

Strong desire, esp. for wealth; avarice; greed.

Bob's cupidity drove him to make some very risky bets in the stock market.

from L. cupiditas, "passionate desire, " from cupidus "eager, passionate,” (see Cupid, Roman god of love)

12

Denounce

To accuse publicly; inform against. To condemn strongly as evil.

The director denounced his own movie after he saw how it had been changed by the studio.

from L. denuntiare, from de-"down" + nuntiare, "proclaim, announce," from nuntius "messenger" (see announcement)

13

Dilatory

Causing or tending to cause delay; meant to gain time, defer action, etc.

Joan's dilatory tactics didn't work and she lost the bet.

from L. dilatus, serving as participle of differe, "delay" (see defer).

14

Divergence

Separating or branching off. Becoming different in form or kind.

The feud caused a bitter divergence between the two sides of the family.

from L. divergere, "go in different directions," from dis-"apart" + vergere "to bend, turn" (see verge)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 15

Effluvia

A disagreeable or noxious vapor or odor.

The effluvia from the hospital ward almost made Jerry sick.

from L. effluentem "a flowing out," from ex“out” + fluere, “to flow” (see fluent)

16

Engender

To bring into being; bring about; cause; produce.

Pity engendered love.

from L. ingenerare, from in- "in" + generare, "beget, create." (see generate)

17

Errant

Roving or wandering, esp. in search of adventure; itinerant.

His errant ways finally made Jackie leave him.

from L. iterare, from L. iter "journey, way," from the root ire "to go" (see itinerary)

18

Expedient

Useful for effecting a desired result; suited to the circumstances or the occasion; advantageous; convenient.

The most expedient solution is often the best.

from L. expedire "make fit or ready, prepare," lit. "free the feet from fetters," hence "liberate from difficulties," from ex"out" + pedis "fetter, chain for the feet," related to pedis "foot" (see pedal)

19

Feckless

Weak; ineffective.

Jim's feckless flailing only made the other boxer laugh.

from Scot. feck, "effect, value, vigor," shortened form of effect (see effect)

20

Flaunt

To exhibit ostentatiously or shamelessly.

Eric flaunted his new apartment to his friends once he finished decorating it.

Perhaps a variant of flout or vaunt.

21

Fortuitous

Bringing, or happening by good luck; fortunate.

Through fortuitous circumstances, Martha managed to make the plane on time.

from. L. Fortuitus, from forte "by chance," of fors "chance." (see fortune)

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Glib

Speaking or spoken in a smooth, fluent, easy manner, often in a way that is too smooth and easy to be convincing.

The glib salesman had a very convincing smile.

Possibly shortening of obsolete glibbery "slippery," from Low Ger. glibberig

23

Harbinger

A person or thing that comes before to announce or give an indication of what follows; herald.

The falling leaves are a harbinger of winter.

from O. Fr. herbergier "provide lodging," (see harbor)

24

Iconoclastic

Individualistic, nonconforming, dissident, irreverent.

William Blake was an iconoclast who criticized the rich and powerful of his time.

from Late Gk. eikonoklastes, from eikon "image" +klastes "breaker," (see clash)

25

Impetuous

Done suddenly with little thought; rash; impulsive.

Nick's impetuous decision to move to Costa Rica cost him dearly later on.

from L. impetus "attack, assault, onset, impulse, violence, vigor, force, passion," from in"into" + petere "aim for, rush at" (see petition)

26

Indulgent

Kind or lenient, often to excess.

Grandparents are often indulgent of their grandchildren.

from L. indulgentia "complaisance, fondness, remission," from indulgere "be kind, yield" (see indulge)

27

Interim

The period of time between; meantime.

The interim agreement was eventually discarded.

from L. interim "in the meantime," originally "in the midst of that," from inter- "between" + im, ancient adv. from stem of pronoun is "this, that." (see interval)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 28

Jibe

To be in harmony, agreement, or accord.

These two fingerprints jibe with one another.

of unknown origin, perhaps a figurative extension of earlier jib "shift a sail or boom" (see jib), or a phonetic variant of chime, as if meaning "to chime in with, to be in harmony."

29

Lugubrious

Very sad or mournful, esp. in a way that seems exaggerated or ridiculous.

Mill's lugubrious expression made it clear he was really sad.

from L. lugubris "mournful, pertaining to mourning,” from lugere "to mourn"

30

Mettle

Quality of character or temperament; high spirit; courage.

If you don't have the mettle, don't play the game.

Variant spelling of metal, "stuff of which a person is made."

31

Nice

Showing or indicating very small differences; minutely accurate, as instruments.

The difference between the forgery and the authentic painting was so nice, few people could see it.

from L. nescius "ignorant," lit. "notknowing," from ne"not" (see un-) + stem of scire "to know." (see science)

32

Opprobrium

Reproachful contempt for something regarded as inferior.

Her teenage pregnancy brought opprobrium to her household.

from L. opprobare "to reproach, taunt," from ob "against" + probrum "reproach, infamy." (see disapprove)

33

Pedantic

Overly concerned with minute details or formalisms.

The pedantic teacher was more concerned with how neat the students' handwriting was, than with how much they knew.

from L. paedagogus "slave who escorted children to school and generally supervised them," later "a teacher," from Gk. pais "child" (see pedo-) + agogos "leader," from agein "to lead" (see act)

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Philander

To engage lightly in passing love affairs; make love insincerely; said of a man

Wayne's wife finally got fed up with his philandering.

from Gk. adj. philandros "with love for people," perhaps mistaken as meaning "a loving man," from phill- "loving" + andr-, "man." (see android)

35

Polyglot

Speaking or writing several languages.

Because she was raised abroad by parents who were translators, Lisa turned into a veritable polyglot.

from Gk. polyglottos "speaking many languages," lit. "many-tongued, " from polys "many" (see poly-) + glotta, "language," lit. "tongue." (see glossary)

36

Prodigious

Wonderful, amazing. Of great size, power , extent.

His prodigious talent for acting was obvious for everyone to see.

from L. prodigiosus "strange, wonderful, marvelous,” (see prodigy).

37

Pusillanimous

Timid, cowardly, or irresolute; fainthearted.

The pusillanimous general had never won a battle.

from L. pusillis "very weak, little" + animus "spirit, courage."

38

Recidivism

Habitual or chronic relapse, or tendency to relapse, esp. into crime or antisocial behavior.

There is a very high danger of recidivism among drug addicts.

From recidivist, one who recidivates, from L. recidivus, falling back, from recidere, to fall back : re-, “back” + cadere, “to fall” (see cadence)

39

Rent

Torn.

The rent tablecloth began to serve as a dishrag.

from L. rendere "to render" (see render).

40

Salient

Standing out from the rest; noticeable; conspicuous ; prominent.

We tend to remember only the most salient facts about a situation.

from L. salientem, participle of saliere "to leap" used here figuratively to mean “leaps out at you” (see somersault)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 41

Severance

Breaking off, as of a friendship.

They severed their relationship once he discovered the letters from her ex-boyfriend.

from O. Fr. sevrance, from sevrer (see sever). Meaning "discharge from employment contract."

42

Sophistry

Unsound or misleading, but clever, plausible, and subtle argument or reasoning.

The lawyer's sophistry was not enough to free his client.

from Gk. sophos "wise, clever," of unknown origin (see philosopher)

43

Stride

To walk with long steps, esp. in a vigorous or swaggering manner.

With great strides, John caught up to his mother.

O.E. stridan "to straddle," from Ger. streit "fight, contention, combat," from O. N. striðr "strong, hard, stubborn, severe" The Eng. usage might be the effort involved in making long strides, striving forward.

44

Sustain

To keep in existence; keep up; maintain. To strengthen the spirits, courage, etc. of; comfort; buoy up; encourage

The only thing that sustained him was the thought that he might see his pet turtle again.

from O.Fr. sustenir "hold up, endure," from L. sustinere "hold up, support, endure," from sub "up from below" + tenere "to hold" (see tenet)

45

Torment

To cause great physical pain or mental anguish.

Tormented by nightmares, the soldier finally decided to go see a psychiatrist.

from O.Fr. tourment (11c.), from L. tourmentum "twisted sling, rack,” related to torquere "to twist" (see thwart).

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Undulate

To cause to move in waves.

The boat undulated on the open sea.

from M.L.undulatio, from L. undulatus "wavy, undulated," from undula "wavelet," dim. of L. unda "wave" (see water).

47

Vigilant

Staying watchful and alert to danger or trouble.

A vigilant dog guarded the factory at night.

from L vigilare “to be watchful”. (see vigil)

48

Whimsical

Oddly out of the ordinary; fanciful; freakish.

They took a whimsical walk down to the river.

of unknown origin; perhaps from scandinavian

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY - SET 2 49

Abrasion

A wearing away by rubbing or scraping as of rock by wind, water, etc..

The Grand Canyon was actually formed by a very long process of abrasion.

from L. abrasus, pp. of abradere, from ab"off" + radere "to scrape" (see erase)

50

Amalgamate

To join together into one; unite; combine.

If the two companies, amalgamate, the new entity will have a monopoly in the field.

from L. amalgama, "alloy of mercury (esp. with gold or silver)," an alchemists' word, it may have come via Arabic almalgham.

51

Ardor

Emotional warmth; passion.

Although they had broken up a year ago, his ardor for her never cooled.

from L. ardere "to burn" (see ardent)

52

Avant-garde

The leaders in new or unconventional movements, esp. in the arts; vanguard.

Often, an avant-garde movement in art, like the Impressionists in the mid 19th century, will

from Fr. "advance guard." Used in Eng. 15c.-18c. in a literal, military sense.

not be immediately understood by the public.

53

Belittle

To make seem little, less important, etc.; speak slightingly of; depreciate.

To encourage someone, it's important not to belittle their initial efforts.

Americanism; be- + little

54

Boisterous

Rough and stormy; turbulent.

After the bars close, all the boisterous patrons spill out onto the sidewalk.

From Anglo-Fr. bustous "rough," perhaps from O. Fr. boitous "noisy," or O.Fr. boisteus "curved, lame;" origin obscure. (see beast)

55

Canine

Of or like a dog.

His canine expression frightened her.

from L. caninus "of the dog,"

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 56

Coalition

A combination; union.

At the start of the most recent war in Iraq, the U.S. led a coalition of more than 40 countries who supported an invasion of Iraq.

from L. coalitus "fellowship," orignally participle of L. coalescere (see coalesce)

57

Concord

Agreement; harmony.

The fact that both of them liked old movies helped create concord in their relationship.

from L. concordia "agreement, union," from concors "of the same mind," lit. "hearts together," from com- "together" + cor "heart" (see concur)

58

Cordon

To encircle or shut (off) with a line or circle of police, soldiers, forts, ships, etc.

The crime scene was cordoned off with bright yellow tape.

from M.Fr. cordon "ribbon," dim. of O. Fr. corde "cord" (see cord).

59

Decant

To pour from one container into another.

Sometimes it's useful to decant a bottle of wine into a carafe in order to let it breathe.

from Fr. decanter, from M.L. decanthare, from canthus "corner, lip of a jug,"

60

Derogatory

Tending to lessen or impair; detracting.

Julia became upset after she heard Mary's derogatory comments.

from L. derogare "detract from, " also "repeal partly," from de-"away" + rogar "ask, question, purpose" (see interrogate)

61

Disdain

To regard or treat as unworthy or beneath one's dignity; specif., to refuse or reject with aloof contempt or scorn.

The king had nothing but disdain for the court jester.

from O. Fr. desdeignier, from des"do the opposite of" + designier "treat as worthy" (see deign)

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Dote

To be excessively or foolishly fond of someone or something.

Timmy's grandmother used to dote on him constantly when he was a little child.

from M.L.G doten "be foolish," of unknown origin. Dotage, lit. "the state of one who dotes," first recorded c. 1390 for "senility."

63

Eloquence

Speech or writing that is vivid, forceful, fluent, graceful, and persuasive.

Barbara was thoroughly charmed by Michael's grace and eloquence.

from L. eloquentia, from eloquentem (nom. eloquens), prp. of eloqui "speak out," from ex- "out" + loqui "speak."

64

Entangle

Catch, as in a net, vine, etc., so that escape is difficult; ensnare.

He didn't want to become entangled in the situation, so he passed by the people without saying a word.

from L. in- "in, into." nasalized variant of tagilen "to involve in a difficult situation, entangle"

65

Euthanasia

Act or practice of causing death painlessly, so as to end suffering.

Euthanasia is illegal in most countries, although some doctors support a patient's right to end his or her suffering with dignity.

from Gk. euthanasia "an easy or happy death," from eu"good" + thanatos "death."

66

Extenuate

To lessen or seem to lessen the seriousness of (an offense, guilt, etc.) by giving excuses.

Because of the extenuating circumstances, the judge decided to let the man off with a warning.

from L. extenuat-, stem of extenuare "lessen," from ex"out" + tenuare "make thin," from tenuis "thin" (see thin)

67

Fertilize

To make fertile; make fruitful or productive; enrich.

Sam was an ecoconscious farmer; he never bought any chemical fertilizers.

from L. fertilis "bearing in abundance, fruitful, productive," from ferre "to bear" (see infer)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 68

Florid

Flushed with red or pink; rosy; ruddy: said of the complexion.

His style of writing was characterized by intricately long, florid sentences.

from L. floridus "flowery, blooming," from flos "flower" (see flower)

69

Friction

A rubbing, esp. of one object against another.

Early humans used the friction created by rubbing sticks together to create fire.

from L. frictionem "a rubbing, rubbing down," from fricare "to rub."

70

Gregarious

Fond of the company of others: sociable.

Jake was the most gregarious guy on his floor, and therefore his dorm room always had lots of people hanging out in it.

from L. gregarius, from grex "flock, herd" (see congregation)

71

Hermetic

Hard to understand; obscure

Sometime Jane thought that all she did for a living was study useless, hermetic literature.

from Gk. Hermes, god of science and art

72

Illusory

Producing, based on, or having the nature of illusion.

His illusory hopes dashed, Nick fell into a deep depression.

from L. illusionem "a mocking, jesting, irony," from illudere "mock at," lit. "to play with," from in- "at" + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous)

73

Impolitic

Unwise; injudicious; inexpedient.

Martin realized that it would be impolitic to mention just now the fact that he had lost his job earlier that day.

from politic (adj.,) modeled on Aristotle's politika "affairs of state”

74

Infuse

To put (a quality , idea, etc.) into, as if by pouring; instill; impart.

John's memories of Barcelona were infused with a feeling of happiness.

from L. infundere "to pour into," from in"in" + fundere "pour, spread" (see fund)

75

Introvert

To direct (one's interest, mind, or attention) upon oneself; introspect.

Sarah was anything but introverted, she was probably friends with everybody in her school.

from L. intro- "inward" + vertere "to turn" (see versus)

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Lassitude

A state or feeling of being tired and listless; weariness; languor.

After dinner, an unshakeable lassitude took over Greg's body.

from L. lassitudinem "faintness, weariness," from lassus "faint, tired, weary," (see late)

77

Malign

To speak evil of defame; slander; traduce.

I won't let you malign my father like that for no reason!

from L. malignus "wicked, badnatured," from male "badly" + -gnus “born,” from gignere "to bear, beget," (see genes)

78

Missile

That which can be thrown or shot, as from a gun..

The Cuban missile crisis nearly started world war three.

from L. missile "weapon that can be thrown," from mittere "to send." (see transmit)

79

Numbness

Deadness, anesthesia, stupefaction, dullness, insensitivity.

The queen drank the poison and soon began to feel a numbness spreading throughout her body.

from O.E. niman "to take"

80

Overweening

Arrogant; excessively proud.

His overweening attitude cost him a lot of friends.

from O.E. oferwenian, from ofer + "over"+ wenian (see ween)

81

Perfidy

The deliberate breaking of faith; betrayal of trust; treachery.

Martha felt that she could never forgive her friend's perfidy.

from L. perfidia "falsehood, treachery,” from perfidus "faithless," from per "through" (see per) + fidem, "faith" (see faith)

82

Pith

The essential part; substance; gist.

John was known for his pithy movie summaries.

O.E. pipa "pith of plants," also "essential part," from W. Gmc.

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Precipitate

To cause to happen before excepted, warranted, needed, or desired; to bring on or hasten.

It is thought that Lenin's actions precipitated the Russian civil war of the twenties.

from L. præcipitare "to throw or dive headlong," from prae “before” + caput “head” (see precipitation)

84

Propinquity

Nearness in time or place.

Adam's mother didn't like his propinquity with the motorcycle gang.

from L . propinquitas, "nearness, vicinity," from propinquus "near, neighboring," from prope "near"

85

Quiescent

Quiet; still; inactive.

The quiescent night was illuminated by the moon.

from L. quies "rest, quiet" (see quiet)

86

Recuperate

To get back, or recover (losses, health, etc.).

Sick as he was, he didn't go to work that day and instead recuperated at home.

from L recuperare "recover," from re“back” + capere “take” (see capture)

87

Resilience

The ability to recover the strength, spirits, good humor.

It was only after a string of misfortunes hit him that Jordan discovered his own resilience.

from L resilire "to rebound, recoil," from re- "back" + salire "to jump, leap" (see salient, somersault)

88

Satiate

To provide with more than enough, so as to weary or disgust; glut; surfeit.

The wedding feast was enough to satiate even the hungriest guest.

from L. satiare "fill full, satisfy," (see satisfy)

89

Shunt

To move or turn to one side; turn aside or out of the way.

After he revealed his inexperience, Marco was quickly shunted by his boss to a less important position.

perhaps from shunen "to shun"

90

Spurn

To refuse or reject with contempt or disdain; scorn.

The beautiful woman spurned the inept young man's proposal.

from L. spernere, “to scorn” (see spur)

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Subsume

To include within a larger class, group, order, etc.

Frank's department was soon to be subsumed into the new, larger department of social science.

from L. subsumere "to take under," from L. sub "under” + sumere "to take." (see consume)

92

Taunt

To reproach in scornful or sarcastic language; jeer at: mock.

The wicked children knew they could safely taunt the guard dog because it was chained up in the yard.

from M.Fr. tanter, "to tempt, try, provoke," variant of tempter "to try" (see tempt, or attempt)

93

Travail

Very hard work; toil.

Kelly's travails began the moment she missed her train.

O.Fr. travail "suffering or painful effort, trouble" (see trouble)

94

Vagary

An odd, eccentric, or unexpected action or bit of conduct.

His son's vagaries finally caused Mel to call a doctor.

from L. vagari "to wander, roam, be unsettled, spread abroad" (see vague)

95

Volatile

Likely to shift quickly and unpredictably; unstable; explosive.

The volatile situation only got worse

from L. volare “to fly”

96

Zealot

A person who is zealous, esp. to an extreme degree; fanatic.

Amy was a yoga zealot, she went to at least three classes every day.

from L. zelotes, "one who is a zealous follower," from zelos "zeal" (see zeal)

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Accolade

Anything done or given as a sign of great respect, approval, appreciation, etc.

The professor earned many accolades for his cancer vaccine breakthroughs.

from L. ad- "to" + collum "neck" (see collar, column). The original sense is of an embrace about the neck.

98

Annul

To do away with; put an end to.

Sarah and Julian had their marriage annulled once they realized they couldn't stand one another.

from L. annullare "to make to nothing," from L. ad- "to" + nullus "nothing" (see null, or annihilate)

99

Ascribe

To assign (something) to a supposed cause; impute; attribute.

He ascribed his great height to the fact that his mother fed him breast milk until he was 9.

from L. ascribere "to write in, to add to in a writing," from ad- "to" + scribere "to write" (see script)

100

Bacchanalia

An ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus.

Jim's frat was known for it's enormous bacchanalias.

from L. bacchanalis "having to do with Bacchus" (Gk. Bakkhos), god of wine and revelry.

101

Berate

To scold or rebuke severely.

The teacher berated the student for bringing in the assignment late.

from O.Fr. reter "accuse, blame,” from L. reputare (see reputation)

102

Brindled

Gray or tawny with darker streaks or spots.

Kally's favorite dog in the pet shop was the brindled one.

from M.E brended (1430), from bren "brown color" (13 c.), noun made from participle of brennen "to burn" (see burn)

103

Cede

To give up one's rights; surrender formally.

The general ceded control of the town to the enemy once he saw that it was useless to fight any further.

from L. cedere "to yield," originally "to go, leave” (see proceed)

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Colander

A perforated pan, usually bowlshaped, for draining off liquids, as in washing vegetables.

Mary's colander rarely saw any use, since she constantly ate out.

from L. colare "to strain"

105

Consequential

Following as an effect or inference.

Aaron knew he was not a very consequential member of the team, but he still liked going to the practices anyway.

from L. consequi "to follow after," from com- "with" +sequi "to follow" (see sequel)

106

Cower

To crouch or huddle up, as from fear or cold.

All the players cowered before their incredibly strict coach.

from M.L.G. kuren "lie in wait," or similar Scand. words meaning "to squat" and "to doze." Thus unrelated to coward.

107

Defunct

No longer living or existing; dead or extinct.

The now defunct marching band was once very popular on campus.

from L. defunctus "dead,” lit. "off-duty," from de- "off, completely," + fungi "perform or discharge duty." (see function)

108

Detumescence

A gradual shrinking of a swelling, as, specif., an erection.

After the parade, they let the air out of the balloons on the big floats, and stood around watching the detumescence before packing everything up.

from L detumescere “to cease swelling,” from de- “down, away” + tumescere “to swell”. (see tumor)

109

Dissemble

To conceal under a false appearance; disguise.

He shed a false tear, dissembling his true joy at being fired.

from L. dissimulare "conceal, disguise," from dis- "completely" + simulare "pretend, simulate". (see simulation)

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Dwarf

To keep from growing to full natural size.

The population of the earth now dwarfs what it was 50 years ago.

from P. Gmc. *dweraz, from PIE *dhwergwhos "something tiny."

111

Encomium

A formal expression of high praise; eulogy.

As an encomium to hs father, Larry built a statue of him in front of the house.

from Gk. enkomiom, "laudatory (ode), eulogy," from en- "in" + komos "banquet, procession, merrymaking." (see commotion)

112

Equable

Not varying or fluctuating much; steady; uniform.

She was one of the most equable people he had ever seen, nothing could make her upset.

from L. æquabilis "equal, consistent, uniform," see equal

113

Exegesis

Explanation, critical analysis, or interpretation of a word or literary passage.

The two scholars almost came to blows over their differing exegesis of the text.

from Gk. exegeisthai "explain, interpret," from ex- out" + hegeisthai "to lead, guide."

114

Facetious

Joking or trying to be jocular, esp. at an inappropriate time.

“This is no time for facetious remarks,” said the police officer to his partner.

from L. facetus “witty, elegant,” of unknown origin, perhaps related to facis “torch."

115

Finesse

Adroitness and delicacy of performance.

With great finesse, Laura was able to persuade the waiter to transfer them to a better table.

from M.Fr. finesse "fineness, subtlety," from O.Fr. fin "subtle, delicate" (see fine)

116

Forbearance

Self- control; patient restraint.

Kevin was well known for his forbearance, in fact, his steely willpower was admired by all who knew him.

from O.E. forberan from for + bear “to bear, to endure” (see bear)

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Garment

To cover with a garment; clothe.

New York city was once the center of the garment industry in America.

from O.Fr. garnement, from garnir "fit out, provide, adorn" (see garnish)

118

Gull

A person easily cheated or tricked; dupe.

The car salesman knew a gull when he saw one.

from Brythonic Celtic, cf. Welsh gwylan "gull," Cornish guilan, Breton goelann

119

Hone

To sharpen, as with a whetstone.

He honed his skills by practicing every day in the gym.

from M.E. "whetstone"

120

Impecunious

Having no money; poor; penniless insolvent, destitute.

Nikki's extravagant youth led her to an impecunious life later on.

from in- "not" + L. pecuniosus "rich," from pecunia "money, property."

121

Indefatigable

That which cannot be tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.

She was an indefatigable champion of human rights.

from L. in- "not" + defatigare "to tire out," from de- "utterly, down, away" + fatigare "to weary." (see fatigue)

122

Inordinate

Disordered; not regulated.

Owen and Shelley agreed that they would not pay such an inordinate price for a microwave.

from L. inordinatus "unordered," from in"not" + ordinatus, participle of ordinare "to set in order" (see order)

123

Ire

Anger; wrath.

After the deal fell through, all the employees tried to avoid the boss so as to avoid his ire.

from L. ira “anger.” (see irate)

124

Lien

Right to dispose of property; hold on property; charge security on property.

A lien makes a bondholder's claim more secure.

from L. ligamen "bond," from ligare "to bind, tie." (see ligament)

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Meddlesome

Interfering or inclined to interfere.

Joanna was upset that her meddlesome mother in law was coming with them on the trip.

from O. Fr. medler, variant of mesler, from L. miscere "to mix" (see mix). Meaning "to concern oneself"

126

Mutability

Liable or subject to change or alteration.

The mutability of his opinions made everyone realize that he wasn't very consistent.

from L. mutare "to change." (see mutant)

127

Obtrusive

Inclined to offer or force (oneself, one's opinions, etc.) upon others unasked or unwanted.

Gary thought his new house was perfect, except for his obtrusive neighbors who dropped by every day without asking.

from L. obtrus “thrust forward”, from ob “toward” + trudere “to push” (see intrude)

128

Panegyric

A formal speech or piece of writing praising a person or event.

Betty's panegyric on the school principal that had just passed away was very well received.

from L. panegyricus "public eulogy," from Gk. panegyris “public assembly in honor of a god," from pan"all".

129

Perquisite

Something additional to regular profit or pay.

The pay was not so large, but there were many perquisites.

from L. perquirere "to seek, ask for," from per- "thoroughly" + quærere "to seek" (see query)

130

Pliant

Easily bent; pliable.

Christian's brother was quite pliant and would usually do whatever Christian asked him.

from O. Fr. pliant "bending", participle of plier "to bend" (see pliers)

131

Preternatural

Differing from or beyond what is normally found in or expected from nature; abnormal.

She had a preternatural ability to guess what other people wanted.

from L. præter "beyond" (see preterite) + natura "nature"

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Prudence

Careful management; foresight.

With some prudence and luck, we will be able to save enough money for the trip.

from L. prudentia "foresight, sagacity," contraction of providentia "foresight" (see providence)

133

Rancorous

Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep seated ill will.

Because of their rancorous breakup, Adam and Dawn didn't speak for the next couple of years.

from L. rancorem "rancidness, grudge, bitterness," from rancere "to stink" (see rancid)

134

Reiterate

To repeat (something done or said); say or do again or repeatedly.

Let me reiterate, unless you come to every class this semester, you will get a failing grade.

from L. reiterare "to repeat," from re"again" + iterare "to repeat," from iterum "again."

135

Rift

To burst open; split.

They both agreed that their different political views would not cause a rift between them.

from a Scand. source, "breach"

136

Seal

To grant, assign, or designate with a seal, pledge, etc.

She sealed the envelope by dripping some wax from her candle.

from L. sigillum "small picture, engraved figure, seal," dim. of signum "mark, token" (see sign)

137

Soar

To rise above the usual or ordinary level or bounds; be elevated.

The myth of Icarus is supposed to teach us not to soar too close to the sun.

from O. Fr. essorer "fly up, soar," from L. exaurare "rise into the air," from ex- "out" + aura "breeze, air."

138

Sting

To cause sharp, sudden , smarting pain to.

He was so confident, the other student's insults didn't sting him one little bit.

O.E stingan "to prick with a small point" from Gk. stokhos "pointed stake"

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Superimpose

To put, lay, or stack on top of something else.

In an archelogical site, different time periods are often superimposed on top of one another.

from L. superimponere from super- + imponere “to place upon," from in"into" + poser "put, place." (see impose, position)

140

Tenacious

Holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold.

The bulldog is a dog known for its tenacious grip.

from L. tenacitas "the act of holding fast," from tenax "tough, holding fast," from tenere "to hold" (see tenet)

141

Turgid

Swollen; distended.

Few people liked Nathan's turgid prose because they felt he used a lot of big words to say almost nothing at all.

1620, from L. turgidus "swollen, inflated," from turgere "to swell."

142

Veneer

To give a superficially attractive appearance to.

The rented tuxedo gave him a veneer of respectability.

earlier fineering, faneering, from O.Fr. fournir “to furnish.” (see furniture)

143

Warp

The state or fact of being so distorted; a mental twist, quirk, aberration, or bias.

Don't warp my words, you know very well that's not what I mean!

from O.E. wearp, from root werp from base wer "to turn, bend" (see versus)

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Abate

To make less in amount, degree, force, etc.

Her anger abated once her son explained why he was late.

from L. ad "to" + battuere "to beat" (see beat)

145

Affinity

Close relationship; connection.

They had an affinity for one another from the first moment they met.

from L. affinis "adjacent," from ad"to" + finis "a border, an end."

146

Apprise

To inform or notify.

He apprised his coach of his intention to leave the team.

from Fr. appris, pp. of apprendre "to inform, teach," lit. "to lay hold of.” (see apprehend)

147

Atonement

The act of atoning.

At times, Robert felt that that there could never be any atonement for what had happenned to him during the war.

from L. adunare "unite," from ad- "to, at" + unum "one."

148

Barren

Not bringing useful results; unproductive; unprofitable.

Hank was surprised that he had sold his barren field for such a large amount of money.

from O.Fr. baraigne "barren," of obscure derivation

149

Bland

Pleasantly smooth in manner; suave.

The movie is bland and boring, I don't recommend it at all.

from lt. blando "delicate," or O.Fr. bland "flattering," both from L. blandus "mild, smooth.”

150

Bust

To burst or break.

Many people went bust during the Great Depression.

variant of burst (see burst)

151

Churl

A surly, ill- bred person; boor.

I won't say he's a churl, but he's definitely an unpleasant person.

O.E. ceorl "peasant, freeman, man without rank."

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Complaisance

Willingness to please; disposition to be obliging and agreeable; affability.

At times, her unending complaisance made him feel like it was unfair that he should make all the decisions.

from Fr. complaire "acquiesce to please," from L. complacere "be very pleasing". (see pleasant)

153

Contrite

Feeling contrition; repentant.

The parole board felt that the criminal was not contrite enough, and therefore refused to grant him parole.

from L. contritus, lit. "worn out, ground to pieces," from L. conterere "to grind," from com- "together" + terere "to rub." (see trite [overused, lacking originality])

154

Curriculum

A fixed series of studies required, as in a college, for graduation, qualification in a major field of study.

Frank felt that the school's curriculum would not be rigorous enough for his gifted daughter.

from L. curriculum "course, racing chariot," from currere “to run” (see current)

155

Dent

An appreciable effect, often a lessening or adverse effect.

Buying this car won't even make a dent in our savings!

M.E. dint, sense of "indentation"

156

Dirge

A slow, sad song, poem, or musical composition expressing grief or mourning; lament.

Because of his melancholy nature, Bob was good at composing dirges.

from L. dirige "direct" imperative of dirigere "to direct”

157

Diverse

Different; dissimilar.

The diverse student body of her university appealed to Heather.

from L. diversus "turned different ways," from di “aside” + vertere “to turn” (see versus)

158

Effrontery

Unashamed boldness; impudence; audacity; presumption.

She was surprised at such shameles effrontery.

from L. ex- "out" + frontem "forehead" (see front)

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Engrave

To cut or incise letters, designs, etc. in or on (a surface).

He engraved his and Anna's name on the cherry tree in her father's yard.

from en- + obsolete verb grave "carve." (see engraving)

160

Erratic

Having no fixed course or purpose; irregular; random; wandering.

Tom's erratic behavior was the first sign of his Alzheimer's.

from L. errare "to wander, err" (see err)

161

Expedite

To speed up or make easy the progress or action of; hasten; facilitate.

For a fee, the lawyer claimed that he could expedite the immigration process.

from L. expedire "make fit or ready, prepare" from ex “out” + ped “foot”, literally remove from the feet, or get out of the way (see expedition)

162

Fecund

Fruitful or fertile; productive; prolific.

His fecund mind was always full of ideas.

from L. fecundus "fruitful, fertile”

163

Flaw

A break, scratch, crack, etc. that spoils something; blemish.

There was only one flaw in their plan, and that was that none of them knew how to drive.

from O.N. flaga "stone slab, flake" (see flagstone)

164

Foster

To bring up with care; rear.

Her parents realized early on that they should foster her talent for acting.

O.E. fostrian "to supply with food, nourish, support," from fostor "food, nourishment," from root foth/fod (see food)

165

Gloat

To gaze or think with exultation or malicious pleasure: often with “over”, as in “gloat over”.

Gerry couldn't help but gloat to his sister over the A he got in physics.

from O.N. glotta "smile scornfully," or M.H.G. glotzen "to stare, gloat."

166

Harrow

To cause mental distress to; torment; vex.

Tina experienced the most harrowing 5 minutes of her life when her airplane crashed into the river.

from O.E. hearwa, apparently related to O.N. harfr "harrow"

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Idiom

The usual way in which the words of a particular language are joined together to express thought.

Often, subcultures have their own idiom.

from L..idioma "a peculiarity in language," from GK. idioma "peculiarity, peculiar phraseology," from idioumai "I make my own," from idios "personal, private"

168

Impiety

Lack of respect or dutifulness.

Henry showed such impiety to his grandparents, that the family refused to invite him to the funeral.

from L. impius from in “not” + pius “dutiful.” (see pious)

169

Inebriated

Drunk; intoxicated.

At his prime, not even 20 beers would get Eric inebriated.

from L. inebriare "to make drunk," from in"in" + ebriare "make drunk," from ebrius "drunk"

170

Interregnum

Any break in a series or in a continuity: interval.

Patsy was conservative throughout most of her life, but in her 20s she had a brief liberal interregnum.

from L, lit. "betweenreign," from inter + regnum (see reign)

171

Jocular

Joking; humorous; full of fun.

Kevin was Linda's most jocular friend, he took practically nothing seriously.

from L. jocularis "funny, comic," from joculus, diminutive of jocus (see joke)

172

Lull

To calm or soothe by gentle sound or motion.

The lull in the storm gave the people time to drive away to safety.

Swed. lulla "to hum a lullaby," Ger. lullen "to rock," (see lullaby)

173

Middling

Of middle size, quality, grade, etc.; medium; ordinary; mediocre.

Wyatt realized he was only a middling talent at badminton, but he still loved the game anyway.

from Scottish mydlyn, from M.E. middle + suffix -ing. (see middle)

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Noisome

Injurious to health; harmful.

His noisome feet indicated that he hadn't taken a shower in a long time.

from noye "harm, misfortune," shortened form of anoi "annoyance" from O.Fr. anoier, (see annoy)

175

Ossify

To change or develop into bone.

Over time, their relationship ossified into what it is now.

from L. os "bone" (see osteoporosis)

176

Pedestrian

Lacking interest or imagination; prosaic; ordinary and dull: said of a literary style, a speech, etc.

The more he wrote in his journal, the more his style developed from something pedestrian to something profound.

from L. pedester (sense contrasted with equester “on horseback"), from pedes "one who goes on foot," from pes "foot" (see pedal)

177

Philistine

A person regarded as smugly narrow and conventional in views and tastes.

Kim was afraid that she would be considered a philistine, so she spent half an hour each day reading up on the latest cultural trends.

from Ger. Philister "enemy of God's word," lit. "Philistine,"

178

Ponderous

Very heavy, awkward or unwieldy.

The renowned author's first short stories seemed to him ponderous and amateurish.

from L. ponderosus "of great weight," from pondus "weight" (see pound)

179

Profane

To treat sacred things with irreverence or contempt; desecrate.

Arthur's family was very religious and didn't like his atheist ways because they felt he profaned what they thought was important.

from L. profanus "unholy, not consecrated," " from pro- "before" + fano, "temple."

180

Putrid

Decomposed, rotten and foul-smelling.

By the time they found the corpse, it had become quite putrid.

from L. putris "rotten, crumbling," related to putere "to stink," (see pus)

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Reciprocity

Reciprocal state or relationship; mutual action, dependence, etc.

Reciprocity is the basis of Kant's system of ethics.

from L. reciprocus, from re- “back” + pro“forward”

182

Repast

A quantity of food provided for one occasion of eating.

The impressive repast was arranged in honor of Jake's safe return from the war.

from L. repastus "meal," from. re"repeatedly" + pascere "to graze."

183

Salubrious

Promoting health or welfare; wholesome etc.

Most yoga centers advertise yoga's salubriious effects.

from L. salubris "promoting health, healthful," from salus "welfare, health" (see salute)

184

Shaft

A long, slender part or object.

It wasn't until he got home that Perry realized he had been shafted by the computer salesman.

from P.Gmc. skaftaz, participle of PIE base (s)kep- "to cut, to scrape."

185

Sophomoric

Of like, or characteristic of sophomores, who are often regarded as self-assured, opinionated, though immature.

I didn't like his stand up act, his jokes were too sophomoric and not very insightful.

from Gk. sophos "wise" + moros "foolish, dull." (see sophistry, moron)

186

Strident

Harsh-sounding; shrill; grating.

Eileen ignored her mother's strident warnings about Vincent, because she knew her mother was a bit paranoid.

from L. stridere "utter an inarticulate sound, grate, screech"

187

Sycophant

A person who seeks favor by flattering people of wealth or influence; parasite; toady.

They used to be called sycophants, but now we just call them suckups.

from L. sycophanta, from Gk. sykophantes, originally "one who shows the fig, " from sykon "fig" + phanein "to show."

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Torpid

Slow and dull; apathetic.

The flu had turned the once high energy office into a crew of torpid zombies.

from L. torpidus "benumbed,” from torpere "be numb or stiff" (see torpedo)

189

Unencumbered

Not burdened with cares or responsibilities, "living an unencumbered life."

Most people dream of living an unencumbered life such as yours.

from O.Fr. encombrer "to block up,” from L.L incombrare, from in"in" + combrus "barricade, obstacle," probably from L. cumulus "heap." (see accumulate)

190

Vigorous

Living or growing with full vital strength strong; robust.

His vigorous workout regimen kept him looking youthful even into his old age.

from O.Fr. vigeur from L vigor foce, energy, equiv. to vigere to be lively. (see invigorate)

191

Wince

To shrink or draw back slightly, usually with a grimace, as in pain, embarrassment, alarm, etc.

The French Resistance soldier was so brave that he didn't even wince under Gestapo torture.

from Fr. wenchier (in O. Fr. guenchir “to turn aside, avoid")

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Abrogate

To cancel or repeal by authority; annul.

The new mayor abrogated all the laws that the previous mayor had passed.

from L. abrogare "to annul, repeal (a law). from ab- "away" + rogare "propose a law, request". L. rogatio from rogare "to ask" (see interrogate)

193

Ambidextrous

Able to use both hands with equal ease.

Not many people are naturally ambidextrous, although some have trained themselves to use both their right and left hands equally well.

from L. ambidexter, lit. "right-handed on both sides," from ambi"both" + dexter "righthanded." (see dexterity)

194

Arduous

Difficult to do; laborious; onerous.

Even though it was an arduous decision to make, Samantha realized that she would be better of if she left Charlie.

from Gk. ortho-, stem of orthos "straight, true, correct, regular” (see hard)

195

Avarice

Too great a desire to have wealth; cupidity.

In the fable, king Midas' avarice is what leads to his eventual downfall.

from L. avaritia "greed," from avarus "greedy," adj. form of avere "crave, long for."

196

Bellicose

Of a quarrelsome or hostile nature; eager to fight or quarrel: warlike.

The two countries were bellicose neighbors that constantly threatened one another.

from L. bellicosus, from bellicus "of war," from bellum "war." Bellona was the name of the Roman goddess of war. (see antebellum)

197

Bolster

To prop up as with a bolster; support, strengthen, or reinforce.

He tried to bolster his sagging approval ratings by introducing yet another tax cut.

O.E. bolster "something stuffed so that it swells up," especially "long, stuffed pillow," from PIE bhelgh- "to swell" (see belly)

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Canvass

To examine or discuss in detail; look over carefully.

The campaign workers canvassed the entire county in order to see whether their candidate had support there.

from canvas and probably meaning, originally, "to toss in a canvas sheet"

199

Coax

To induce or try to induce to do something.

She tried to coax her child out of bed with some candy.

use of cokes fool (now obs.), perh. var. of coxcomb.

200

Concur

To occur at the same time; happen together; coincide.

They concurred that it would be best to buy the house in the suburbs.

from L. concurrere "to run together," from com- "together" + currere "to run" (see current)

201

Corporeal

Of a material nature; perceptible by the senses; tangible.

Most schools no longer practice corporeal punishment.

from L. corpusculum, dim. of corpus "body" (see corpse)

202

Decorous

Characterized by or showing decorum, propriety, good taste, etc.

His decorous response did not offend anyone.

from L. decor "beauty, elegance," from decere (see decorate)

203

Descry

To catch sight of; discern (distant or obscure objects).

Mindy descried two horses far off in the distance.

from L. describere “write down” from de “down” + scribe “write” (see describe)

204

Disencumber

To relieve of a burden; free from a hindrance or annoyance.

When a mafioso says “I've got a stone in my shoe,” it means they want to be disencumbered of someone.

from Mfr. desencombrer, from dis- “not” + encombrer “to encumber”, from the latin cumulo “heap”. (see accumulate)

205

Drone

An idle person who lives by the work of others; parasite; loafer.

Sometimes, Louie felt like a drone in the corporation he worked for.

from Swedish drona “to drowse”

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Emaciate

To cause to become abnormally lean; cause to lose much flesh or weight, as by starvation or disease.

The prisoners went on a hunger striked, and by the end of two weeks had become totally emaciated.

from L. emaciare "make lean, waste away," from ex- "out" + macies "leanness," from macer "thin"

207

Entreat

To ask earnestly; beg; beseech; implore.

I entreat you tell me what's the matter.

from Anglo-Fr. entretier, from O.Fr. entraiter, from en"make" + traiter "treat." Meaning "to beseech, implore". (see treaty)

208

Evaluate

To find the value or amount of.

Karl had never bought a diamond ring before, so he didn't know how to properly evaluate one.

from Fr. evaluation, from evaluer "to find the value of," from ex"out" + value (see value)

209

Extinct

Having died down or burned out.

The dodo went extinct because humans found that it was very easy to hunt.

from L. extinctus, participle of extinguere (see extinguish)

210

Fervid

Hot; glowing.

The senator's fervid speech roused many people to action.

from L. fervidus "glowing, burning, vehement," from fervere "to boil, glow" (see fervor)

211

Flout

To mock or scoff at; show scorn or contempt for.

Because the gangster was so feared, he could flout many of the town's laws.

from M.Du. fluyten "to play the flute," also "to jeer".

212

Fringe

A part considered to be peripheral, extreme, or minor in relation to the main part.

Fannie worked her way from the fringes of show business to fame and stardom.

from L. frimbia, from L. fimbriæ(pl.) "fibers, threads, fringe," of uncertain origin.

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Grievance

A circumstance thought to be unjust or injurious and ground for complaint or resentment.

The townsfolk brought their list of grievances to Dr. Frankenstein's castle.

O. Fr. grever (see grief). Meaning "be very sad, lament" + ance.

214

Heterodox

Departing from or opposed to the usual beliefs or established doctrines, esp. in religion; inclining toward heresy; unorthodox.

Her heterodox interpretations of Shakespeare almost caused her to lose her job at the university.

from Gk. heterodoxos, from heteros "the other" + doxa "opinion." (see orthodox)

215

Imbroglio

An involved and confusing situation; state of confusion and complication.

The police were called in to resolve the imbroglio that was going on outside the bar.

from lt. imbroglio, from imbrogliare "confuse, tangle," from in- "in" + brogliare "embroil," probably from M.Fr. brouiller "confuse".

216

Importune

To trouble with requests or demands; urge or entreat persistently or repeatedly.

Quit importuning me with your impossible demands.

from L. importunus "unfit, troublesome," originally "having no harbor" (i.e. "difficult to access"), from in"not" + portus "harbor" (see port)

217

Ingenuous

Frank; open; candid.

Bobby felt that he could trust Dawn, due to her ingenous nature.

from L. ingenuitas "condition of a freeborn man, noblemindedness," from ingenuus, from in “in” + genus “birth, race, stock” (see genes)

218

Inundate

To cover or engulf with a flood; deluge.

Because of the storm, the town was inundated by the rising river waters.

L inundare “to flood, overflow”, from in- “in” + unda “wave” (see undulate)

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Latent

Present but invisible or inactive; lying hidden and undeveloped within a person or thing, as a quality or power.

He didn't discover his latent talent for dancing until almost the end of college.

from L. latentem, participle of latere "to lie hidden"

220

Malinger

To pretend to be ill or otherwise incapacitated in order to escape duty or work; shirk.

As a child, Joey quickly learned to malinger whenever there was a big school project due that he hadn't finished.

from Fr. malingrer "to suffer," perhaps also "pretend to be ill," from malingre "ailing, sickly," possibly a blend of mingre "sickly, miserable" and malade "ill." (see malady)

221

Mitigate

To make or become milder, less severe, less rigorous, or less painful; to moderate.

Due to the mitigating circumstances, the judge let the man off with a warning.

from L. mitigare "make mild or gentle," from mitis "gentle, soft" + agere "do, make, act" (see act)

222

Obdurate

Not easily moved to pity or sympathy; hardhearted.

Because the criminal seemed so obdurate, the judge gave him the maximum sentence.

from L. obduratus "hardened," from ob "against" + durare "harden, render hard”, from durus "hard" (see endure)

223

Overwhelm

To make helpless, as with greater force or deep emotion; overcome; crush.

Overwhelmed by all his schoolwork, Patrick asked his professor for an extension.

from over + M. E. whelmen "to turn upside down" (see whelm)

224

Perfunctory

Done without care or interest or merely as a form or routine; superficial.

The family's dinners were far from perfunctory, because dinner was the only time during the day that everyone could get together and so they all considered it a special time.

from L. perfungi "discharge, get through," from per"through" + fungi" perform" (see function)

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Pivotal

On which something turns or depends; central, crucial, critical, etc.

The pivotal point in the prosecution's argument was that the defendant did not have an alibi.

from O.Fr. pivot "hinge, pivot" (12c.), of uncertain origin.

226

Preclude

To make impossible, esp. in advance; shut out; prevent.

The fact that he was a spy precluded him from telling his wife what he did.

From L. præcludere "to close, shut off, impede," from L. præ"before, ahead" + claudere "to shut" (see close)

227

Propitiate

To cause to become favorably inclined; win or regain the good will of.

We will try to propitiate the gods with a sacrifice.

from L. propitius "favorable, gracious, kind," from pro"forward" + petere "go to" (see petition)

228

Quirk

An evasion, subterfuge, or quibble.

He loved everything about her, even her quirks.

connected to Ger. quer (see queer)

229

Redeem

To buy back.

She tried to redeem herself in his eyes by going back to college.

from L. redimere "to redeem, buy back," from re- "back" + emere "to take, buy, gain, procure" (see exempt)

230

Resolve

To change or transform: used reflexively.

They resolved not to speak of the dead kittens anymore.

from L. resolvere "to loosen, undo, settle," from re-, intensive prefix, + solvere "loosen" (see solve)

231

Saturnine

Sluggish, morose, or taciturn.

Yvonne's saturnine disposition did not make her the life of the party anywhere.

lit. "born under the influence of the planet Saturn," from M.E. Saturne (see Saturn)

232

Sidestep

To avoid by, or as by, stepping aside; dodge.

They narrowly sidestepped trouble by deciding not to steal the bus after all.

from side (adj.) + step (n.)

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Squalid

Foul or unclean, esp. as the result of neglect or unsanitary conditions.

After losing his job, William found himself living in squalid conditions.

from L. squalidus "rough, coated with dirt, filthy," related to squalus "filth," squalus "filthy," from squalare "be covered with a rough, scaly layer, be coated with dirt, be filthy," (see scaly)

234

Succor

To give assistance to in time of need or distress; help; aid; relieve.

The crippled veteran demanded succor from the government.

from L. succurrere "run to help," from sub "up to" + currere "to run" (see current)

235

Taut

Showing strain; tense, a taut smile.

Her taut smile revealed that actually she wasn't enjoying herself as much as she would have liked people to believe.

from O.E. teon "to pull, drag," from P.Gmc. tugn, from PIE deuk- "to lead" (see duke)

236

Trenchant

Forceful; vigorous; effective a trenchant argument.

The lawyer's trenchant arguments swayed the jury.

from O.Fr. trenchier "to cut" (see trench)

237

Vain

Having no real value or significance; worthless, empty, idle, hollow.

His attempt to win her back was in vain, since she had already moved on and found someone else that was more interesting and much wealthier.

from O.Fr. vein "worthless," from L. vanus "idle, empty," (see vanity)

238

Volubility

Characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words; fluent; glib; talkative.

Quinn is one of my most voluble friends; he doesn't shut up.

from L. volubilis, “that which turns easily, flowing,” from volu-, base of volvere “to turn”

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Zenith

The highest point; peak, top, pinnacle, summit.

The sun reaches it's zenith in the middle of the day.

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY - SET 6 240

Accretion

Growth in size, esp. by addition or accumulation.

Ellen built her fortune not in one single stroke, but by slow accretion.

from L. accretionem from ad- "to" + crescere "grow" (see crescendo)

241

Anticlimax

A sudden drop from the dignified or important in thought.

Most people didn't like the movie because the ending was so anticlimactic.

from L. climax from Gk. klimax "propositions rising in effectiveness," lit. "ladder," from base of klinein "to slope," antifrom Gk. anti "against, opposite.” (see climax)

242

Asperity

Roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, weather, etc. or of circumstances.

Known for her fearful asperity, the principal was actually quite kind once you go to know her.

from L. asperitas "roughness," from asper "rough," of unknown origin.

243

Baleful

Harmful or threatening harm or evil; ominous; deadly.

Ivan gave his sister such a baleful look when he realized that she had been telling their parents about his pot smoking.

O.E. bealu-full, from bealu "evil, malice, misery"

244

Bereft

Deprived, robbed, or devoid, as of life, hope, or happiness.

After her husband died, Lauren felt bereft of hope that she would find someone else again.

O.E. bereafian "rob," from be + reafian "rob, plunder," (see ruffian)

245

Brisk

Quick in manner or movement: energetic.

Her brisk manner invigorated the people around her.

Scot. bruisk, probably an alteration of Fr. brusque (see brusque)

246

Censure

Condemning as wrong; strong disapproval.

Frank was strongly censured for not locking the zoo up properly.

from L. censura "judgment" (see censor). From the Roman magistrate who took censuses and oversaw public morals.

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Collaborate

To work together, esp. in some literary, artistic, or scientific undertaking.

The two authors decided to collaborate on their next work.

from L. collaborare "work with," from com- "with" + labore "to work." (see labor)

248

Consolation

Comfort received in times of disappointment.

Zoey's parents couldn't get her a puppy for Christmas, but as consolation, they bought her an ant farm.

from L. solari "to console, soothe," from PIE base sel- "of good mood, to favor" (see solace)

249

Craven

Very cowardly; abjectly afraid.

Boasting words often hide a craven soul.

from O.Fr. cravanter, “crush, overwhelm”, from L. crepare, “burst, crack” (see crack)

250

Defy

To resist or oppose boldly or openly.

She defied her parents by going to the dance with Chris.

from L. dis- "away" + fidus "faithful." Meaning shifted in the 14c. from "be disloyal" to "challenge."

251

Deviance

Differing from a norm or from the accepted standards of a society.

Deviance from accepted Party rules was harshly punished in the early Soviet Union.

from L. phrase de via, from de "off" + via "way." (see deviate)

252

Disseminate

To scatter far and wide; spread abroad, as if sowing; promulgate widely.

One of the jobs of a spy is to disseminate false information.

from L. disseminare, from dis- " every direction" + seminare "to plant, propagate," from semen "seed" (see semen)

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Dynamo

A forceful, dynamic person.

Barry was not just a dentist, he was a dynamo of energy and movement.

short for Ger. dynamoelektrishemas chine, coined 1867 by its inventor, Ger. electrical engineer Werner Siemans (1816-92), from Gk. dynamis "power." (see dynamite)

254

Encroachment

The act of entering gradually or silently upon the rights or possessions of another; unlawful intrusion.

The gang war started when one gang felt that the other gang had encroached too much on its territory.

from O.Fr. encrochier "seize, fasten on, perch," lit. "to catch with a hook," from en"in" + croc "hook," from O.N. krokr "hook."

255

Equanimity

The quality of remaining calm and undisturbed; evenness of mind or temper; composure.

Euquanimity can be achieved through daily meditation.

from æquus "even" + animus "mind, spirit." (see animate)

256

Exert

To put forth or use energetically; put into action or use.

Remember, this is just the dress rehearsal, so don't exert yourself too hard.

from L. exerere "thrust out, put forth, "from ex- "out" + serere "attach, join" (see series)

257

Facile

Not hard to do or achieve; easy.

His facile responses began to annoy the professor, who wanted her students to think before they made comments.

from L. facilis "easy to do" and, of persons, "pliant, courteous," from facere "to do" (see fact)

258

Finical

Too particular or exacting; overly dainty or fastidious; fussy.

Nick thought his grandmother was too finical, and was annoyed whenever she wanted him to clean something up.

perhaps from fine (adj.) + -ical as in cynical, ironical.

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Ford

A shallow place in a stream, river, etc., where one can cross by wading.

They decided to ford the river at the next suitable place.

from L. portus "harbor,” originally "entrance, passage;" (see port)

260

Garner

To gather up and store.

She garnered great praise for her involvement in the charitable efforts.

from O.Fr. gernier, metathesized variant of grenier "storehouse, garret," from L. granarium (see granary)

261

Gullible

Easily cheated or tricked; credulous.

Gloria was so trusting that her friends found her to be almost gullible.

from O.Fr. goule, from L. gula "throat," (see gullet), perhaps related to swallow.

262

Hoodwink

To mislead or confuse by trickery; dupe.

Michael was a con artist, he made his living by hoodwinking other people.

"to blindfold," from hood + wink;

263

Impede

To bar or hinder the progress of; obstruct or delay.

Everyone agreed that the detective's romantic involvement with the witness would only impede the investigation.

from L. impedimentem "hindrance," from in"in" + pes (gen. pedis) "foot." Literally “in the way of someone's feet.” (see pedestal)

264

Indelible

That which cannot be erased, blotted out, eliminated, etc.; permanent; lasting.

The year he spent in Barcelona had made an indelible mark on him.

from L. indelebilis "indelible, imperishable," from in- "not" + delebilis "able to be destroyed," from delere "destroy, blot out" (see delete)

265

Inscrutable

That which cannot be easily understood; completely obscure or mysterious.

Her intentions were completely inscrutable to him, and therefore he could never figure out exactly what it is that she wanted.

from L.L. inscrutabilis, from in- "not" + scrutari "examine, ransack" (see scrutinize)

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Iridescent

Having or showing changes in color; an interplay of rainbowlike colors, as when seen from different angles.

The peacock's iridescent feathers are often a sign of beauty or vanity.

from L. iris "rainbow" (see iris)

267

Limn

To portray in words; describe.

The poet limned out hs feelings in his many poems.

from L. luminare "illuminate, burnish," from lumen "radiant energy, light." (see illuminate)

268

Mellifluous

Sounding sweet and smooth; honeyed.

The mellifluous sounds of nature were an inspiration for some of the romantic composers.

from L. mellifluus "flowing with (or as if with) honey," from L. mel "honey" + -fluus "flowing," from fluere "to flow" (see fluent, melody)

269

Myriad

Of an indefinitely large number; countless; innumerable.

The reason you got an F on your term paper is because there were a myriad problems with it.

from L. myrias "ten thousand," from Gk. myrias "ten thousand," from myrios "innumerable, countless"

270

Obviate

To do away with or prevent by effective measures: make unnecessary.

He obviated the need for surgery by eating right and exercising.

from L. obviare "act contrary to, go against," from L. obvius "that is in the way, that moves against" from ob “against” + via “way” (see obvious)

271

Paradigm

An overall concept accepted by most people in an intellectual community.

We no longer believe that the earth is the center of the universe, and in fact, major scientific paradigms change every 50 to 100 years.

from Gk. Paradeigma "pattern, model," from paradeiknynai "exhibit, represent," lit. "show side by side," from para"beside" + deiknynai "to show".

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Persevere

To continue in some effort, course of action, etc. in spite of difficulty, opposition.

Despite the initial setbacks, Mary perservered and eventually earned a spot on the team.

from L. persevereus "very strict, earnest," from per- "very" + severus "strict" (see severe)

273

Plod

To walk or move heavily and laboriously; trudge.

He was a plodding, calculating man.

Of uncertain origin, perhaps imitative of the sound of walking heavily or slowly. Plodding "diligent and dull".

274

Prevalent

Widely existing.

The prevalent notion that teas and chicken soups can cure the common cold is not quite correct.

from L. prævalere "to be more able" from prae “before” + valere “have power” (see prevail)

275

Prudish

Like or characteristic of a prude; too modest or proper.

Her prudish aunt would not let her out of the house in such a short skirt.

from O.Fr. preude "good, virtuous, modest," perhaps from preudefemme "a discreet, modest woman," from O. Fr. prou de femme, fem. equivalent of prudhomme "a brave man".

276

Rant

To talk or say in a loud, wild, extravagant way; declaim violently; rave.

Melissa tried to avoid listening to talk radio during her morning commute because she felt that it was just a lot of uninformed ranting.

from Du. randten "talk foolishly, rave," of unknown origin.

277

Rejuvenate

To make young again; restore to youthful vigor, appearance.

Many products sold online make almost unbelievable claims that they will be able to rejuvenate the people that buy them.

from re- "again" + L. juvenis (see young, juvenile)

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Rivet

To fasten or secure firmly.

Their attention was riveted by the speaker's stories of the Spanish Civil War.

from O.Fr. rivet, possibly from M.Du. wriven "turn, grind."

279

Secular

Of or relating to worldly things as distinguished from things relating to church and religion.

Even though he was a monk, Ivan still enjoyed many secular activities, such as drinking and watching soccer games.

from L. sæcularis "worldly, of an age, occuring once in an age”

280

Sober

Temperate in any way; not extreme or extravagant.

Her sober judgment was that the horse would never race again.

from O.Fr. sobre, from L. sobrius "not drunk, temperate," from se"without" + ebrius "drunk," (see inebriate)

281

Stingy

Giving or spending grudgingly or only through necessity; mean; miserly.

Otto was surprised to have gotten such an expensive Christmas present from his stingy uncle.

possibly a dialectal alteration of earlier stingy "biting, sharp, stinging".

282

Supernumerary

That exceeds or is beyond the regular or prescribed number; extra.

Once he had transferred the music to his computer, the cds became supernumerary.

from L. super numerum, “beyond the number”, from super, “beyond, over” + numerum, “number” (see number)

283

Tenuous

Slender or fine, as a fiber.

The tenuous evidence was not enough to convict Mark.

from L. tenuis "thin," (see thin)

284

Turmoil

Tumult; commotion; uproar; confusion.

The announcement that everyone would have to retake the test through the whole class into turmoil.

perhaps an alteration of M. Fr. tremouille "mill hopper," in reference to the hopper's constant motion to and fro.

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Veneration

A feeling of deep respect and reverence.

Sonya had great veneration for her grandparents, who had basically raised her when her parents weren't around.

from L. venerari "to worship, revere," from venus, "beauty, love, desire" (see Venus)

286

Warrant

To give (someone) authorization or sanction to do something.

His prank wasn't serious enough to warrant the suspension that he was given.

from O.N.Fr. warant (O.Fr. guarant), from Frankish warand (from O.H.G. weren "to authorize, warrant, "Ger. gewähren "to grant"). (see grant)

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Abdication

The act of a person or branch of government abandoning an office, privileges, or duties to which he or she is entitled or possesses by law.

Because he did not marry royalty but rather a commoner, the prince had to abdicate his throne.

Latin abdicare, abdicat-, “to disclaim” : ab-, “away” + dicare, “to proclaim”; (see dictate)

288

Aggravate

To make worse; make more burdensome, troublesome etc.

Don't pick at your wound, that will just aggravate it.

from L. aggravare "make heavier," from ad- "to" + gravare "weigh down," from gravis "heavy" (see grave)

289

Approbation

Approval, sanction, or commendation.

The movie met with great approbation wherever it was screened.

from L. approbare from ad- "to" + probare "to try, test something (to find if it is good)," from probus "honest, genuine" (see prove)

290

Attenuate

To make slender or thin.

His love for her was attenuated by his fear of becoming to close.

L. attenuare "to make thin," from a- "to" + tenuare "make thin," from tenuis "thin" (see thin)

291

Bask

To warm oneself pleasantly, as in the sunlight.

The child basked in the glow of her parents' approval.

from O.N. baðask reflex. of baða "bathe" (see bathe)

292

Blatant

Disagreeably loud or boisterous; clamorous.

His blatant disregard for the safety of those who worked with him eventually led to his being fired.

from L. blatire "to babble." (see blather)

293

Cabal

A small group of persons joined in a secret, often political, intrigue; junta.

The government was overthrown by a cabal of conspirators.

from Fr. cabal "intrigue, society," originally "mystical interpretation of the Old Testament," from M.L. cabbala (see cabbala)

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Cite

To quote (a passage, book, speech, writer, etc.).

Manny loved to cite Shakespeare at every appropriate situation.

from L. citare "to cause to move, arouse, summon, urge, call"

295

Comply

To act in accordance (with a request, order, rule, etc.).

Julia was stuck, she had no choice but to comply with the police.

from L. complere "to fill up," from com, “with” + plere, “to fill” (see complete)

296

Contumacious

Obstinately resisting authority; insubordinate; disobedient.

The contumacious student was eventually expelled.

from L. contumax, “unyielding, stubborn,” perhaps from con, “with” + tumere, “to swell”

297

Cursory

Hastily, often superficially, done; performed rapidly with little attention to detail.

A cursory look through the records revealed that the senator had voted with his party nearly every time.

from L. cursor "runner," from cursum, participle of currere "to run" (see current)

298

Deplete

To make less by gradually using up (resources, funds, strength, etc.).

Unless we figure something out quickly, we will be in a lot of trouble once reserves of oil are depleted.

from L. deplere "to empty," lit."to un-fill,” from de- "off, away" + plere "to fill" (see complete)

299

Disabuse

To rid of false ideas.

She disabused him of the notion that they were in an open relationship.

F désabuser. See dis, “away from”, + L. abusus, "use up," also "misuse," from ab"away" + uti "use" (see use)

300

Divest

To strip of clothing, equipment, etc.

During the 1980s, many companies divested from South Africa because of the racist policies of that country.

from O.Fr. desvestir, from des- "away" + vestir "to clothe." (see vest)

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Egregious

Outstanding for undesirable qualities; remarkably bad; flagrant.

Drafting an unproven high school player was the most egregious mistake that the executive made.

from L. egregius, from the phrase ex grege "rising above the flock," from ex "out of" + grege, of grex "herd, flock." (see congregation)

302

Engrossing

Taking one's entire attention; very interesting; absorbing.

The book was so engrossing that Nick didn't even notice that he was on the wrong bus until he got to the last stop.

from O.Fr. en gros "in bulk, in a large quantity, at wholesale,” as opposed to en detail. see (gross national product)

303

Erudite

Having or showing a wide knowledge gained from reading; learned; scholarly.

Gary's grandfather was a remarkably erudite man, despite the fact that he never finished high school.

from L. erudire "instruct," from ex"out" + rudis "unskilled, rude." (see rude)

304

Expiation

Compensation for a wrong; the act of atoning for a sin or wrongdoing.

Colin built a hospital for his old neighborhood as an act of expiation.

from L. expiare "make amends,” from ex"completely" + piare "propitiate, appease," from pius "faithful, loyal, devout." (see pious)

305

Feint

A false show; sham.

The basketball player feinted left, went right, and then dunked the ball.

from Fr. feinte "a feint, sham," from O. Fr. feint, originally fem. participle of feindre (see feign)

306

Flax

Any of a genus (Linum) of the flax family the fiber of this plant, manufactured into linen yarn.

Flax seeds are used to make an oil well known for its nutritional value.

from P. Gmc. base fleh-, corresponding to PIE plek- "to weave, plait" (see ply, pliers)

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Fractious

Hard to manage; unruly; rebellious; refractory.

The fractious classroom could only be handled by the strictest teacher in the school.

from fraction in an obsolete sense of "brawling, discord" + ous;

308

Glut

To eat like a glutton; overindulge.

The previous year's good weather caused a glut in the wine market.

from L. gluttire "swallow, gulp down," from PIE base glu- "to swallow" (see polyglot, glossary, gullet)

309

Harry

To raid, esp. repeatedly, and ravage or rob; pillage; plunder.

The army was constantly harried by guerrila fighters as they made their way through the country.

O.E. hergian "make war, lay waste, ravage, plunder," the word used in the "Anglo- Saxon Chronicle" for what the Vikings did to England, from PIE root koro- "war" (see war)

310

Idiosyncrasy

The temperament or mental constitution peculiar to a person or group.

Her idiosyncrasies only made her all the more endearing to him.

from Gk. Idiosynkrasia "a peculiar temperament," from idios "one's own" (see idiom) + synkrasis "temperament, mixture of personal characteristics," from syn "together" + krasis "mixture.". (see synthesis)

311

Impinge

To strike, hit, or dash.

Everyone felt that the new law impinged on the people's freedom of speech.

from L. impingere "drive into, strike against," from in- "in" + pangere "to fix, fasten." Sense of "encroach, infringe".

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Ineffable

Too overwhelming to be expressed or described in words; inexpressible.

At some point, James realized that his philosophy books would not reveal to him the ineffable mysteries of life.

from L. ineffabilis "unutterable," from in"not" + effabilis "speakable," from effari "utter," from ex"out" + fari "speak" (see fame)

313

Intersperse

To scatter among other things; put here and there or at intervals.

Interspersed among the demonstrators were spies from the police and the secret service.

from L. interspergere, from inter- "between" + spargere "to scatter" (see sparse)

314

Judicious

Having, applying, or showing sound judgment; wise and careful.

Everyone came to him to resolve their disputes because he was known as a very judicious man.

from L. judicium, “judgment” (see judge)

315

Luminary

A body that gives off light, such as the sun or moon.

Stella was considered one of the luminaries in her field.

L. luminare "light, torch, lamp, heavenly body," lit. "that which gives light," from L. lumen "light." (see illuminate)

316

Minatory

Menacing; threatening.

The campers were unnerved by the minatory sounds coming from the woods.

from O. Fr. menace, from L. minacia "threat, menace," (see menacing)

317

Nominal

Very small compared to usual expectations; slight.

Because they were friends, she sold him her guitar for a nominal price.

from L. nominalis "pertaining to a name or names," from nomen "name," (see name)

318

Ostensible

Apparent; seeming; professed.

The ostensible reason for the cancellation was that the star actress was sick with the flu, but really she was on her way to rehab.

from L. ostendere "to show," from ob "in front of" + tendere "to stretch" (see thin)

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Pellucid

Transparent or translucent; clear .

George Orwell is known for his pellucid style of writing.

from L. pellucidus "transparent." from pellucere "shine through," from per"through" + lucere "to shine" (see light)

320

Phlegmatic

Hard to rouse to action, sluggish, dull; apathetic.

Harry was the phlegmatic type, he was known for his lowenergy approach to life.

from L. phlegmaticus, from Gk. phlegmatikos "abounding in phlegm" (see phlegm)

321

Portent

Something that warns of an event about to occur, esp. an unfortunate event; omen.

Looking back afterwards, Cindy wondered how she failed to see all the portents of the breakup.

from L. portentum "a sign, omen," from portentus, (see portend)

322

Profligate

Immoral and shameless.

Because he was profligate in his youth, Tom had very little money saved up for his old age.

from L. profligare "to cast down, defet, ruin," from pro"down, forth" + fligere "to strike" (see afflict)

323

Pyre

A pile or heap of wood or other combustible material.

The ancient Greeks used to build funeral pyres for their fallen warriors.

from L pyra, from Gk. pyra "a hearth, funeral pyre," from pyr "fire," (see fire)

324

Recital

A telling of facts, events, etc. in detail.

The recital was a huge success and a lot of money was raised for charity.

from L. recitare "read aloud, repeat from memory," from re"back again" citare "to summon" (see cite)

325

Repine

To feel or express unhappiness or discontent; complain; fret.

To get over a depression it's important to be active and not just to sit in your bed and repine all day.

probably from re-, intensive prefix, + pine "yearn." (see pain)

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Salutary

Promoting or conducive to some good purpose.

One glass of wine a day with dinner has been shown to have salutary effects.

from L. salutaris "healthful," from salus "good health" (see salute)

327

Shallow

Lacking depth of character, intellect, or meaning; superficial.

Jean stopped reading her town's newspaper because she felt that it's explanations of world events had become too shallow.

from O.E. sceald (see shoal)

328

Soporific

Causing or tending to cause sleep.

The old professor's lectures were so soporific, that by the end of each class most of the class was snoring.

from L. sopor "deep sleep," from a causative form of the PIE base swep- "to sleep"

329

Strut

To walk in a vain, stiff, swaggering manner.

She strutted in the bar like she owned the place.

perhaps from strut(v.), or a cognate word in O.N. or Low Ger; ultimately from P. Gmc. "strutoz-, from root strut-

330

Synopsis

A statement giving a brief, general review or condensation; summary.

Because he didn't have time to read the book, Hank instead found a synopsis of it online.

from L. synopsis "a synopsis," from Gk. synopsis "general view," from syn-"together" + optikos “of or having to do with sight” (see optics)

331

Tortuous

Not straightforward; devious; specif., deceitful or tricky.

Some people thought that the philosopher's reasoning was tortuous because he needed to hide the fact that he had very little to say.

From L. tortuosus "full of twists, winding," from tortus “a twisting, winding," from stem of torquere "to twist, wring, distort" (see thwart)

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Unfeigned

Not feigned; sincere; genuine.

Gina could tell that her sister's joy at seeing her was unfeigned.

from un- "not" + pp. of feign. from O.Fr. feign-, pres. stem of feindre "pretend, shirk," from L. fingere "devise, fabricate" (see fiction)

333

Vilify

To use abusive or slanderous language about or of; calumniate; revile; defame.

If the story leaked out, the senator was afraid that the newspapers would thoroughly vilify him.

from L. vilificare "to make cheap or base,” from L. vilis “cheap, base" (see vile) + root of facere "to make" (see fact)

334

Winnow

To analyze or examine carefully in order to separate the various elements;sift.

They winnowed through many candidates until they finally settled on the perfect replacement for their lead actor.

O.E windwian, from wind "air in motion" see L. vannus "winnowing fan." (see wind)

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Abscond

To go away hastily and secretly; run away and hide, esp. in order to escape the law.

He absconded during the night, because he realized he would never get a fair trial.

from L. abscondere "to hide, conceal," from ab(s)- "away"+ condere "put together, store," from com"together" + dere "put"

336

Ambiguous

Having two or more possible meanings.

The lawyer advised Steve not to sign the contract because it was too ambiguously worded.

from L. ambiguus "having double meaning, shifting, changeable, doubtful," adj. derived from ambigere "to dispute about," lit. . "to wander,” from ambi"about" agrere "drive, lead, act." (see act)

337

Argot

The specialized vocabulary and idioms of those in the same work, way of life, etc., as the language used by computer hackers.

The friends had developed their own private argot by the end of high school.

from Fr. argot(17c.) "the jargon of Paris rogues and thieves," earlier "the company of beggars"

338

Aver

To declare to be true; state positively; affirm.

She averred that she had seen him outside the bar on the night of the murder.

from O.Fr. averer "verify," from L. adverare "make true, prove to be true,” from L. ad- "to" + verus "true" (see verify)

339

Belligerent

Showing a readiness to fight or quarrel.

Two such belligerent people should never have become roommates.

from L. belligerare "to wage war," from bellum "war" + gerere "to wage." from Bellona, “Roman goddess of war. (see antebellum, bellicose)

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Bombastic

Using or characterized by high-sounding but unimportant or meaningless language; pompous; grandiloquent.

Nobody liked to listen to Jim's bombastic speeches.

from O.Fr. bombace, from L. bambax "cotton," from Gk. pambax, from Persian pambak "cotton."

341

Capitulate

To give up (to an enemy) or prearranged conditions; surrender conditionally.

Once his queen was taken, Karl was forced to capitulate to his opponent.

from Fr. capituler,(in the sense of parley, draw up terms) from L. capitulare, “draw up under headings”, from L. capitulum, diminutive of caput, “head” (see chapter)

342

Coddle

To treat (an invalid , baby, etc.) tenderly.

Mia's parents felt that her grandparents coddled her too much.

from L. calidium "warm drink," neut. of calidus "hot," from calere "be warm" (see calorie)

343

Condense

To make more dense or compact; reduce the volume of; compress

The most popular program for condensing files so that they can be easily sent over the internet is probably Winzip.

from L. condensare "to make dense," from com- intensive prefix + densare "make thick," from densus "dense." (see dense)

344

Correlate

To establish a mutual relationship or connection between two things.

The basis of the scientific method is finding a correlation between two variables.

from M.Fr. Corrélation, from com-"together" + relation (see relation)

345

Decorum

Propriety and good taste in behavior dress, etc.

He was afraid to take his drunkard brother to a party that required a great deal of decorum.

from L. neuter of decorus "fit, proper," from decor (see decorate)

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Desiccant

Used as a drying agent, drying.

Silica gel is one of the most commonly used dessicants in packaging.

from L désiccare, “to dry up”

347

Disheveled

Disarranged and untidy; tousled; rumpled: said of hair, clothing, etc.

A disheveled and smelly man greeted Andrew at the door.

from O.Fr. descheveler, based on chevel, “hair”, from L. capillus, original sense of “having the hair uncovered”

348

Drowsy

Half-asleep; sleepy.

Still drowsy from her nap, Betty didn't recognize the person who she was talking to on the phone.

from O.E. drusian "sink," also "become low, slow, or inactive" (related to dreosan "to fall"), from P.Gmc. drus-(see dreary)

349

Emanate

To come forth; issue, as from a source.

The weak light emanating from the light bulb wasn't enough to read by.

from L. emanat, “flowed out, from the verb emanare, from ex “out” + manare, “to flow”

350

Enzyme

Any of various proteins, formed in plant and animal cells or made synthetically, that act as organic catalysts.

Violet was sick because she lacked a certain enzyme that helps break down protein.

from Gk. enzymos "leavened," from en-"in" +zyme "leaven."

351

Evaporate

A become vapor; pass off in the form of vapor.

Once the seawater evaporated, only salt was left.

from L. evaporare, from ex, “out of” + vapor, “steam, vapor” (see vapor)

352

Extirpate

To pull up by the roots; root out.

The only way to extirpate the cockroaches from the apartment was to call the exterminator.

from L. exstirpare, from ex, “out” + stirps, “a stem”

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Fervor

Intense heat.

The opera star was popular because she sang with such fervor.

from L. fervor "a boiling, violent heat, passion," from fervere "to boil" (see brew)

354

Fluster

To make or become confused, nervous, or befuddled.

Because he hadn't done the homework, Mark became flustered when the teacher called on him.

from a Scand. Source (see Icel. flaustr "bustle,” flaustra "to bustle"). Originally “to excite,” especially with drink; sense of "to flurry, confuse"

355

Froward

Not easily controlled; stubbornly willful.

The froward child was punished by being sent to bed wthout any supper.

O.E formweard "turned from or away," from + -weard. Opposite of toward. (see from)

356

Grievous

Causing grief.

Such a grievous betrayal was hard to understand.

from O.Fr. grevance, from grever, originally was "injury;" (see grief, grieve)

357

Heterogeneous

Differing or opposite in structure, quality, etc.; dissimilar; incongruous; foreign.

The friends were quite a heterogeneous group, they all came from different backgrounds.

from Gk. heterogenes, from heteros "different" + genos "kind, gender, race stock" (see genes)

358

Immaculate

Perfectly clean; without spot or stain; unsoiled.

Her immaculate book report earned Rebecca an A+.

from L. immaculatus "unstained," from in"not" + maculatus "spotted, defiled," pp. of maculare "to spot," from macula "spot, blemish." (see macula)

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Imprecation

The act of imprecating evil, etc. on someone.

The superstitious man was spooked by the witch's imprecations.

from L. imprecatus, pp. of imprecari "invoke, pray," from in - "within" + precari "to pray, ask beg request." (see pray, deprecate)

360

Ingest

To take (food, drugs, etc.) into the body.

They thought that he committed suicide by ingesting too many sleeping pills.

from L. ingestus, pp. of ingerere "to carry into, put into," from in"into" + gerere "to carry." (see gestation)

361

Inured

To habituate to something undesirable, especially by prolonged subjection; accustom.

By now, she was inured to the coach's insults.

from in ure "in practice," from obsolete ure "work, practice, exercise, use," probably from O.Fr. uevre, oeuvre "work" (see work)

362

Laudatory

Expressing praise; eulogistic; commendatory.

Jim wasn't expecting such a laudatory review of his book of poems.

from L. laudatorius, from laudat “praised”, from the verb laudare (see laud, applaud)

363

Malleable

Capable of being changed, molded, trained, etc; adaptable.

The new recruits were much more malleable than they realized, in fact, within 8 weeks the drill sergeant had changed them from soft civilians into mean fighting machines.

from L. malleus "hammer" (see mallet)

364

Moderation

Avoidance of excesses or extremes.

Fiona drank only in moderation, never more than one or two glasses of wine a day.

from L moderari, “to regulate”, related to modus, “measure” (see modesty)

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Obfuscate

To cloud over: obscure: make dark or unclear.

Don't try to obfuscate the issue with your jargon!

from L. obfuscatus, pp. of obfuscare "to darken," from ob "over" + fuscare "to make dark," from fuscus "dark."

366

Paean

A song of joy , triumph, praise, etc.

The poem was a paean to the French Revolution.

from L. paean "hymn of deliverance," from GK. Paian "hymn to Apollo," from Paian, a name of the god.

367

Perilous

Involving peril or risk; dangerous.

Eric's grandmother grew up during the perilous days of World War Two.

from O.Fr perillous (Fr périlleux) "dangerous, hazardous," from L. periculosus, from periculum "dangerous" (see peril)

368

Placate

To stop from being angry; appease.

He tried to placate his daughter with promises of Disneyland.

from L. placatus, pp. of placare "to calm, appease," related to placere (see please)

369

Precursory

Serving as a precursor, or harbinger; indicating something to follow.

Steve shortened his acceptance speech by getting rid of all the precursory remarks.

from L. præcursor "forerunner," from præcursus, pp. of præcurrere, from præ- "before" + currere "to run" (see current)

370

Propitious

Favorably inclined or disposed; gracious.

The fact that she gave him her phone number was a propitious sign, thought Gary.

from L. propitiare "render favorable," from propitius "favorable, gracious, kind," from pro"forward" + petere "go to" (see petition)

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Quixotic

Extravagantly chivalrous or foolishly idealistic.

Let's not set quixotic goals for ourselves, instead, let's shoot for something practical.

from Don Quixote, romantic, impractical hero of Cervantes' satirical novel "Don Quixote de la Mancha"

372

Redemptive

Serving to redeem.

The book had a very redemptive effect on Luann.

from L. redimere "to redeem, buy back," from re- "back" + emere "to take, buy, gain, procure" (see exempt)

373

Resort

To turn to and adopt, for use, help, or support.

We must not resort to violence, no matter how great the temptation.

from O.Fr. resortir, from re, “again” + sortir, “come or go out.” The sense “place frequently visited is from the 18c.

374

Savant

A learned person; eminent scholar.

Many considered Julia a savant in the field of dog breeding.

from Fr. savant "a learned man," noun use of adj. savant "learned, knowing," former prp. of savoir "to know," (see sapient, sophist)

375

Sinecure

Any office or position providing an income or other advantage but requiring little or no work.

Kianna's job required so little work and paid so well that one could almost consider it a sinecure.

from L. benificium sine cura "benefice without care" (of souls), from L. sine "without" + cura, "care"

376

Squander

To spend or use wastefully or extravagantly.

Unfortunately, he squandered his inheritance on cheap booze and flashy cars.

of unknown origin; Shakespeare used it 1593 in "Merchant of Venice" with a sense of "to be scattered over a wide area.

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Suffice

To be enough; be sufficient or adequate.

For Arturo, the jog to the bus stop sufficed to show him that he was badly out of shape.

from L. sufficere "supply, suffice," from sub "up to" + root of facere "to make" (see fact)

378

Tautology

Needless repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase, or sentence; redundancy.

Although the argument seemed sound, in actuality it was just a tautology.

from L. tautologia "representation of the same thing,” from tauto "the same" + -logos "saying," related to legein "to say" (see lecture)

379

Trend

To have a general tendency: said of events, conditions, opinions etc.

The trend among small businesses these days is to utilize the internet as much as possible.

O.E. trendan, “revolve, rotate”, of Germanic origin.

380

Valiant

Full of or characterized by valor or courage; brave.

Her valiant knight in shining armor turned out to be a meek accountant from New Jersey.

from O.Fr. vailant, based on L. valere, “be strong” (see valor, value)

381

Voluble

Characterized by a great flow of words; talking much and easily; talkative, glib, etc.

Her voluble friend was never invited to any parties because she never let anyone get a word in.

from L. volubilis, “that which turns easily, flowing,” equiv. to volu-, base of volvere, “to turn” (see revolve)

382

Zephyr

The west wind, a gentle breeze.

Lisa walked through the field, a zephyr gently playing with her hair.

from Gk. Zephyros "the west wind" (sometimes personified as a god), probably related to zophos "the west, the dark region, darkness, gloom."

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Acquiesce

To agree or consent quietly without protest, but without enthusiasm.

He acquiesced fearfully to all of the kidnapper's demands.

from L. acquiescere "remain at rest," thus "be satisfied with," from ad- "to" + quiescere "to become quiet," (see quiet)

384

Antidote

A remedy to counteract a poison

They raced to find the antidote in time.

from L. antidotum, from Gk. antidoton "given as a remedy,” lit. "given against," from anti- "against" + didonai "to give" (see dose)

385

Aspersion

The act of defaming.

Xavier was a bitter old man who cast aspersions on everything and everyone.

from L. aspergere "to sprinkle on," from ad"to" + spargere "sprinkle, strew" (see sparse)

386

Balk

To obstruct or thwart; foil.

He balked at paying such a large sum for a chessboard.

O.E balca "ridge," from or influenced by O.N. balkr "ridge of land"

387

Besmirch

To make dirty; soil.

The young man besmirched the family name by running off with a married woman.

O.Fr. esmorcher "to torture," perhaps also "befoul, stain," from es- "out" + morcher "to bite," from L. morsus, pp. of mordere "to bite" (see smart, morsel)

388

Brisket

The breast of an animal.

They serve the best brisket in town over here.

O.Fr. bruschet, with identical sense of the Eng. word, or from O.N. brjosk "gristle" (related to brjost "breast").

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Census

An official, usually periodic, count of population and a recording of economic status, age sex, etc.

The latest census indicates that more than 50% of the population of the USA is female.

from L. census, originally pp. of censere "to assess" (see censorship)

390

Colloquial

Having to do with or like conversation.

Jim liked to get his hair cut at the barber's on the corner because the barber was full of funny, colloquial expressions.

from L colloquium "conference, conversation," from com- "together" + loqui "speak." (see eloquent)

391

Console

To make feel less sad or disappointed; comfort.

The little child was difficult to console after its puppy ran away.

from L. consolari "offer solace," from com- intensive prefix + solari "to comfort" (see solace)

392

Crease

A line, mark, or ridge made by folding and pressing cloth, paper, etc.

Even though his shirt was spotless, Louie still looked sloppily dressed because he had forgot to iron it, and there were lots of creases.

probably a variant of crest

393

Degrade

To lower in rank or status, as in punishing; demote.

Dawn felt that such a job was degrading and beneath her.

from des- "down" + L. gradus "step" (see gradient)

394

Dexterity

Skill in using one's hands or body; adroitness.

When they are very young, children have very little dexterity with a knife and fork.

from L dexter, “on the right”, from M.E. dester, “right hand”

395

Dissent

To differ in belief or opinion; disagree.

He kept his dissent to himself because it seemed dangerous to hold unpopular views.

from L dissentire "differ in sentiments," from dis- differently + sentire "to feel, think." (see sentiment)

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Earthenware

The coarser sort of containers, tableware, etc. made of baked clay.

The archeological dig uncovered some very interesting earthenware.

O.E eorðe "ground, soil, dry land," also used (along with middangeard) for "the (material) world" (see earth)

397

Encumbrance

Hindrance; obstruction; burden.

Although her kids liked the pet dog, Lorna felt that it was nothing but an encumbrance, probably because she was the one that had to feed and walk it.

from L.L. incombrare, from in- "in" + combrus "barricade, obstacle," probably from L. cumulus "heap." (see accumulate)

398

Equilibrium

A state of balance or equality between opposing forces.

After meditating, Kitt usually felt a revitalizing sense of equilibrium.

from L. æquilibrium, from æquus "equal" + libra "a balnce, scale, plummet," (see equal)

399

Exertion

The act, fact, or process of exerting; active use of strength, power.

Without much exertion, Zeke was able to win the race.

from L. exertus, "thrust out, put forth,” from ex- "out" + serere "attach, join" (see series)

400

Facilitate

To make easy or easier.

The invention of the printing press facilitated the spread of knowledge.

from L. facilis "easy to do" and, of persons, "pliant, courteous," from facere "to do" (see fact)

401

Finicky

Too particular or exacting; overly dainty or fastidious; fussy.

Herbert was a finicky eater, he didn't like anything that had the color green in it.

from finical "too particular" (1592), perhaps from fine (adj.) (see fine)

402

Forerunner

A person sent before or going before to announce or prepare the way for another or for something to follow; herald.

Usually, a gray cloudy sky is a forerunner of rain.

from fore + runner. M.E. rendition of L. præcursor (see before)

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Garnish

A decoration; ornament.

She garnished the steak with some cilantro.

from O.Fr. garniss-, stem of garnir "provide, furnish, defend"

404

Gush

To flow out suddenly and plentifully; pour out; spout.

Julian gushed about the fantastic new movie he had just seen.

O.N gusa "to gush, spurt," (see geyser)

405

Hortatory

Serving to encourage or urge to good deeds.

Her hortatory speech speech convinced almost all of her friends to work in the soup kitchen that Thanksgiving.

from L. hortari "exhort, encourage," intens. of horiri "urge, incite, encourage," (see exhort)

406

Impediment

Anything that impedes.

The only impediment that remained was deciding how to split the profits.

from L. impedire "impede," lit. "to shackle the feet," from in- "in" + pes "foot." (see expedient, expedite)

407

Indelicate

Not delicate; coarse; crude; rough; esp., lacking, or offensive.

As usual, his rude and indelicate cousin got both of them kicked out of the party.

"offensive to propriety," from in"not" + delicate (see delicate, delicious)

408

Insensible

Lacking sensation, not intelligible.

Bob's insensible remark was not understood by anyone else at the meeting.

from L. insensibilis "that canot be felt," from in- "not" + sensibilis, from sentire "to feel." (see sentiment)

409

Irksome

That which tends to irk; tiresome or annoying.

By the time Fred caught the irksome mosquito, he felt as if he was covered in bites.

of uncertain origin, perhaps related to O.N. yrkja “work”, or Germanic erken, “to disgust”

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Limp

To move or proceed unevenly, jerkily, or laboriously, because of being impaired, defective, damaged, etc.

After twisting his ankle in the basketball game, Nick limped back home.

of uncertain origin, perhapsOE lemphealt, “limping” (see halt)

411

Mendacious

Not truthful; lying or false.

Yolanda suspected that the new secretary was being mendacious about her work experience.

from L. mendacium "a lie," related to menda "fault, defect, carelessness in writing". (see amend)

412

Nadir

The lowest point.

The nadir of David's life came in a brief two month period when his wife left him, he got fired, he lost the lease on his apartment, and his dog died.

from Arabic nazir "opposite to," in nazir as-samt, lit. "opposite of the zenith," (see zenith)

413

Occlude

To close, shut, or stop up.

The new building occluded the windows of the small house at it's base.

from L. occludere "shut up, close up," from ob "against, up" + claudere "to shut, close" (see close)

414

Parenthesis

An additional word, clause, etc. placed as an explanation or comment within an already complete sentence.

Writers often put their character's less important thoughts in a parenthesis within a sentence (because that makes it seem like something tacked on at the end).

from Gk. parenthesis, lit. "a putting in beside," from parentithenai "put in beside," from para"beside" + en- "in" + tithenai "put, place," (see thesis)

415

Personable

Having a pleasing appearance and personality; attractive.

Sam found his new boss to be personable and so didn't feel so anxious about his new job anymore.

from L. persona "human being," originally "character in a drama, mask," possibly borrowed from Etruscan phersu "mask."

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Pluck

To pull off or out; pick.

Due to her extraordinary singing ability, Gina was plucked from obscurity and thrust into the limelight at an early age.

from L. pilare "pull out hair," from pilus "hair," (see depilation)

417

Prevaricate

To turn aside from, or evade, the truth; equivocate.

Beatrice was known never to prevaricate, she always gave as honest a response as she could.

from L. praevaricari, “to straddle something,” (of an advocate) “collude with an opponent's advocate,” equiv,to prae-”pre-” + varicare, “straddle” (see vary)

418

Prune

To cut out or get rid of as being unnecessary.

During the tryouts, the team was pruned from 50 people initally down to 12 at the end.

from O.Fr. proignier, “cut back vines, prune,” possibly based on L. rotundus, “round” (see round, rotund)

419

Rapacious

Taking by force; plundering.

The rapacious judge was finally indicted for bribery.

from L. rapacitatem "greediness," from rapax "grasping, plundering," from rapere "seize" (see rapid)

420

Relapse

To slip or fall back into a former condition, esp. after improvement or seeming improvement.

Drug addicts that don't wish to relapse into their former habits find that AA meetings help a good deal.

from L. relapsus, "slip back," from re- "back" + labi "to slip" (see lapse)

421

Roll call

The reading aloud of a roll, or list of names, as to check attendance.

The invitation list to the wedding looked like a roll call of many of the day's famous Hollywood stars.

from O.Fr. rolle, from M.L. rotulus "a roll of paper," from L. rotula "small wheel," dim. of rote "wheel." + call

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Sedulous

Working hard and steadily; diligent.

She was a sedulous student who always got great grades.

from L. sedulus "attentive, painstaking," probably from sedulo (adv.) "sincerely, diligently," from sedolo "without deception or guile," from se- "without, apart" (see secret) + dolus "deception, guile," (see zealous)

423

Sodden

Filled with moisture; soaked through.

After the flood, the room was sodden with water from the river.

from O.E. soden, strong pp. of seopan "to cook, boil" (see seethe). Originally "boiled."

424

Stint

To restrict or limit to a certain quantity, number, share, or allotment, often small or scanty.

His brief stint in jail only made him a more effective drug dealer.

from O.E, styntan "to blunt, make dull," from P.Gmc. stuntijanan, (see stunt)

425

Supersede

To remove or cause to be removed so as to make way for another; supplant.

Hopefully, electric cars will soon supersede gasoline powered cars.

from L. supersedere "sit on top of, stay clear of, abstain from, forbear, refrain from," from super "above" (see super) + sedere "to sit" (see sedentary)

426

Terse

Brief or concise to the point of rudeness; curt.

Jamie did not find Matt's terse response to be very helpful.

from L. tersus "wiped off, clean, neat," from pp. of tergere "to rub, polish, wipe." (see detergent)

427

Turpitude

Baseness; vileness; depravity.

The novel was a chronicle of the turpitude and excess of the 1980s.

from M.Fr. turpitude, from L. turpitudinem, "baseness," from turpis "vile, ugly, base, shameful"

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Veracity

Habitual truthfulness; honesty.

His veracity was called into question when it was discovered that he had plagiarized part of the script.

from Fr. véracité, from M.L. veracitatem "truthfulness," from L. verax, "truthful," from verus "true" (see verify).

429

Wary

Cautious; on one's guard.

Ezra was at first wary of walking through the unfamiliar neighborhood at night, but once he became acquainted with it, he felt much more safe.

from O.E. waer "prudent, aware, alert, wary," (see aware)

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Abdomen

The part of the body cavity from the thorax to the pelvic girdle, containing the digestive organs.

Harry Houdini died from a punch to the abdomen that he wasn't adequately prepared for.

from L., perhaps from abdere "conceal," with a sense of "concealment of the viscera"

431

Agile

Quick and easy of movement; deft and active.

Years of ninjutsu training had turned Jorge into an agile martial artist.

L agilis, equiv to ag(base of agere, “to do”) + -ile, expressing capability. (see act)

432

Appropriate

To take for one's own or exclusive use.

The poet felt that the rock group had unlawfully appropriated his lyrics.

from L. appropriatus “made one's own”, from ad, “to” + proprius, “own, proper” (see property)

433

Audacious

Bold or daring; fearless.

The escape plan is so audacious, it just might work.

from L. audacis gen. of audax "brave," but more often "bold" in a bad sense, from audere "to dare, be bold." (see dare)

434

Bastion

Any fortified place; strong defense or bulwark: often used figuratively.

For some people, the big city is a bastion of freedom, while for others it's a bastion of sin.

from M.Fr. bastillon, dim of O.Fr. bastille "fortress, tower," (see Bastille)

435

Blemish

To mar, as by some flaw or fault; spoil the perfection of.

The only thing that blemished their day at the amusement park was the fact that they didn't win any prizes.

from O.Fr. blemiss"to turn pale," extended stem of blemir, blesmir "to injure, make pale,"

436

Cacophony

Harsh, jarring sound; dissonance.

Sue couldn't handle the cacophony of the cafeteria so she often ate outside in the hall.

from Gk. kakophonos "harsh sounding," from kakos "bad, evil" + phone "voice" (see telephone)

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Clamor

A loud outcry; uproar.

Every year around wintertime, the town's residents clamor for more frequent bus service.

from O. Fr. clamour, from L. clamor "a shout," from clamare "to cry out" (see claim)

438

Compound

To make by combining parts or elements.

You shouldn't compound a mistake by lying about it.

from O.Fr. compon(d)re "arrange, direct," from L. componere "to put together" (see composite, compose)

439

Conundrum

A riddle whose answer contains a pun (Ex.: "what’s the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?" "One sells watches and the other watches cells.')

Bert was truly puzzled by the latest conundrum that Mark presented to him.

of unknown origin, perhaps Oxford University slang for “pedant," also "whim," etc., later (1790) "riddle, puzzle,"

440

Curtail

To cut short; reduce; abridge.

The power outage in the theater curtailed that night's performance.

from M.Fr. courtault "made short," from court "short," from L. curtus (see curt)

441

Deposition

A deposing or being deposed; removal from office or position of power.

The deposition of the key witness was one of the most important parts of the trial.

from O.Fr. deposer, from de- "down" + poser "put, place" (see pose)

442

Disallow

To refuse to allow; reject as untrue, invalid, or illegal.

Dancing was disallowed in the bar, because it did not have a cabaret license.

from L. dis- "apart,", "do the opposite of" (e.g. disagree).

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Divulge

To make known; disclose; reveal.

Despite the threat of torture, the spy refused to divulge any classified information.

from L. divulgare "publish, make common," from dis"apart" + vulgare "make common property," from vulgus "common people." (see folk, vulgar)

444

Egress

The act of going out or forth; emergence.

There was only one egress for the entire auditorium.

from L. egressus, from egredi "go out," from ex- "out" + -gredi, form of gradi "step, go." (se regression)

445

Engulf

To swallow up; overwhelm.

The crowd engulfed the speaker once he got off the stage.

from en- "make, put in" + gulf, from L.L colfos, from Gk. kolpos "bay, gulf," (see gulf)

446

Escalate

To grow or increase rapidly, often to the point of becoming unmanageable, as prices or wages.

Nobody wanted the conflict to escalate, but neither side refused to budge.

from M.Fr., where it meant "an assault with ladders on a fortification" (from L. scala "ladder") (see scale (v.))

447

Exploit

A bold or daring feat.

The company denied that it was exploiting workers in its overseas factories.

from L. explicitum "a thing settled, ended, displayed," and therefore a success. neut. of explicitus, pp. of explicare "unfold" (see employ)

448

Felicitous

Used or expressed in a way suitable to the occasion; aptly chosen; appropriate; apt.

Richie's felicitious remarks summed up the situation perfectly.

from L. felicitatem (nom. felicitas) "happiness," from felix (gen. felicis) "happy, fortunate," from L. base fe-, "to suck, suckle, produce, yield" (see fecund)

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Fledge

Having the plumage or feathers necessary for flight.

The training course over, Vince emerged as a fully fledged accountant.

from W. Gmc. fluggja(see fly)

450

Fragile

Easily broken, damaged, or destroyed.

His fragile ice sculpture had to be carried to the wedding in a specially refrigirated van.

from L. fragilitatem, brittleness," from fragilis "brittle, easily broken," from root of frangere "to break" (see fragment)

451

Gnaw

To consume; wear away; corrode.

The dog gnawed on the bone for hours.

O.E. gnagan, a common Gmc. word (cf. O.S. gnagan, O.N. gnaga, M.Du. knagen, Ger. nagen), probably imitative.

452

Harsh

Unpleasantly crude, abrupt, or strained so as to be offensive to the mind or feelings.

Greenland's harsh climate may surprise some people who think that a country with the word “green” in its name should be more lush.

from M.L.G. harsch, “rough”, literally “hairy”, from haer, “hair,” (see hair)

453

Idolatrous

Having or showing excessive admiration or devotion.

Karen was such a fan of Brad Pitt that she had an almost idolatrous relationship to him.

from L. idololatria (Tertullian), from Gk. eidololatria "worship of idols," from eidolon "image" + latreia "worship, service." (see idol)

454

Implacable

That which cannot be appeased or pacified; relentless; inexorable.

The implacable wrath of Genghis Khan caused many people people to quake in fear when they heard his name.

from L. implacabilis "unappeasable," from in- "not" + placabilis "easily appeased" (see placate, please)

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Ineluctable

Not to be avoided or escaped; certain; inevitable.

Mike's fate was ineluctable and there was nothing he could do to change it.

from L. ineluctabilis "unavoidable, inevitable," from in"not" + eluctari "to struggle out of," from ex- "out" + luctari "to struggle." (see reluctant)

456

Intervene

To come between as an influence, as in order to modify, settle, or hinder some action, argument, etc.

The United Nations intervened in the country's civil war when too many civilians began to suffer.

from L. intercedere "intervene, go between," from inter"between" + cedere "go" (see cede)

457

Knit

To join together; unite closely and firmly.

The tragic events knit the family close together.

O.E. cnyttan "to tie with a knot, bind, fasten"

458

Luminous

Clear; readily understood.

Moira was considered one of the luminous poets of her generation.

from L. luminosus "shining, full of light," from lumen "light," related to lucere "to shine" (see light)

459

Mince

To express or do with affected elegance or daintiness.

Don't mince your words, spit it out and tell me exactly what you mean!

from L. minutiæ "small bits," from L. minutus "small" (see minute)

460

Nonchalant

Without warmth or enthusiasm; not showing interest.

The soldiers were amazed by their sergeant's nonchalant attitude while they were under fire.

from Fr. nonchaloir "be indifferent to, have no concern for" , from non- "not” + chaloir "have concern for," ult. from L calere "be hot" (see calorie)

461

Ostentation

Showy display, as of wealth or knowledge; pretentiousness.

Dirk decided not to buy the most expensive watch because he didn't want to be accused of ostentation.

from L. ostentationem "vain display," from ostendere, from ob, “in view of” + tendere, “to stretch” (see ostensible).

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Penchant

A strong liking or fondness; inclination; taste.

Gloria had a penchant for finishing other people's sentences.

from Fr. pencher "to incline," from L. pendicare, a frequentative formed from L. pendere "to hang" (see pendant)

463

Picaresque

Of, like, or having to do with sharp-witted vagabonds or rogues.

“Moll Flanders” is one of the better known picaresque novels.

from Sp. picaresco "roguish," from picaro "rogue,” possibly from picar "to pierce," from L. piccare (see pike)

464

Poseur

A person who assumes attitudes or manners merely for their effect upon others.

Everyone thought Neil was a poseur because he pretended he affected a British accent and pretended he was British when he really wasn't.

from Fr. poseur, from verb poser "affect an attitude or pose," from O.Fr. poser "to put or place" (see pose)

465

Profundity

Depth, esp. great depth.

The author's new novel is not very good, but occasionally shows great profundity.

from. L. profundus "deep, bottomless, vast," also "obscure, profound," from pro"forth" + fundus "bottom" (see foundation)

466

Quack

Any person who pretends to have knowledge or skill that he or she does not have in a particular field; charlatan.

During the nineteenth century, before there were stricter regulations in place, many quacks posed as legitimate doctors and sold fake medicines.

short for quacksalver, from Du. Kwaksalver, lit."hawker of salve," from M.Du quacken "to brag, boast," lit. "to croak"

467

Recluse

Shut away from the world; secluded; solitary.

Towards the end of his life, Howard Hughes became a recluse.

from L. recludere "to shut up, enclose", from L. re-, intensive prefix + claudere "to shut" (see close)

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Reproach

To accuse of and blame for a fault so as to make feel ashamed; rebuke.

The parents reproached the child for not telling them sooner about the fight at school.

from L. re- "opposite of" + prope "near." (see reprobate)

469

Sanctimony

Pretended, affected, or hypocritical religious devotion, righteousness, etc.

When the scandal broke, the public realized just how full of sanctimony the religious leader had been.

from L. sanctimonia "holiness, virtuousness,” from sanctus "holy" (see saint)

470

Shard

A fragment or broken piece, esp. of pottery.

Shards from cooking pots found at the archeological dig proved conclusively that there had once been an ancient city there.

from P.Gmc. skardas, a pp. from the root of O.E. sceran "to cut" (see shear)

471

Sordid

Squalid; depressingly wretched.

For almost two weeks, all the newspapers wrote only about the sordid details of the murder.

from L. sordidus "dirty," from sordere "be dirty, be shabby," related to sordes "dirt"

472

Stygian

Infernal or hellish.

James went to work in the Stygian depths of the mine every day.

from L. Stygius, from Gk. Stygios, from Styx, the Gk. river of the Underworld.

473

Taciturn

Almost always silent ; not liking to talk; uncommunicative.

It was very difficult to start a conversation with the taciturn young woman.

from L. taciturnitatem "a being or keeping silent," from taciturnus "disposed to be silent,” from tacitus "silent" (see tacit, reticent)

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Tout

To praise or recommend highly; puff.

The aspiring photographer touted his services at every possible opportunity.

1700, thieves' cant, "to act as a lookout, spy on," from M.E. tuten "to peep, peer," probably from a variant of O.E. totian "to stick out, peep, peer"

475

Unmitigated

Not lessened or erased.

Despite all the planning that went into it, the school's end of the year dance was an unmitigated disaster.

from L. mitigatus, pp. of mitigare "make mild or gentle," ult. from mitis "gentle, soft" + root of agere "do, make, act" (see act)

476

Vindictive

Revengeful in spirit; inclined to seek vengeance.

Nora was not particularly vindictive, but this time she swore she was going to get her friend back for the prank he pulled on her.

1616, from L. vindicta "revenge" (see vindication)

477

Winsome

Attractive in a sweet, engaging way; charming.

His winsome attitude won him many friends during his travels through Europe.

O.E.wynsum "agreeable, pleasant," from wynn "pleasure, delight" (see win)

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Abstruse

Hard to understand because of being extremely complex.

Philosophy can be a very abstruse subject.

from L. abstrusus, pp. of abstrudere "conceal," lit. "to thrust away," from ab"away" + trudere "to thrust, push" (see thrust)

479

Ambivalent

Uncertain, irresolute, of two minds, conflicted.

Jonas thought that if he was still this ambivalent about the trip, perhaps he shouldn't go after all.

from L. ambi- "both" + valentia "strength," from prp. of valere "be strong" (see valiant)

480

Arrant

Complete, utter.

That's an arrant lie, your honor!

from L.iterare, from L. iter "journey, way," from root of ire "to go" (see ion); related to O. Fr. errant, pp. of errer (see err)

481

Aversion

An intense or definite dislike; antipathy; repugnance.

Jill's aversion to brocolli was well known, so her friends never served her anything with that particular vegetable.

from L. avertere "to turn away," from ab"from, away" + vertere "to turn" (see versus, convert)

482

Bemoan

To moan about or deplore (a loss, grief, etc.); lament.

Instead of bemoaning your fate, why don't you go and try to change it!

from O.E mænan "complain, moan," (see moan)

483

Boorish

Like or characteristic of a boor; rude; awkward; illmannered.

Derek's boorish comments were unusual because he normally was very polite.

from L. bovis, gen. of bos "cow, ox." (see beef, bovine)

484

Capricious

Tending to change abruptly and without apparent reason; erratic; flighty.

The board decided to remove Eric from his position as CEO because he was becoming increasingly capricious.

from Fr. caprice "whim," from It. capriccio "whim," orig. "a shivering,"

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Coerce

To restrain or constrain by force, esp. by legal authority; curb.

The other students coerced Matt into joining the play against his wishes, because he was such a talented actor.

from L. coercere "to control, restrain." from com- "together" + arcere "to enclose, confine, contain, ward off"

486

Condone

To forgive, pardon, or overlook (an offense).

I'm sorry, but your crime is something that I just can't condone.

from L. condonare "to give up, remit," from com- intensive prefix + donare "to give." originally a legal term. (see donate)

487

Corroborate

To strengthen or support with other evidence; make more certain, confirm, make robust.

The doctor's testimony corroborated the defendant's story.

from L. corroborat, “strengthened”, from the verb corroborare, from cor, “together” + roborare, from robur, “strength” (see robust)

488

Decree

To officially order, decide, or appoint.

The king decreed that from that day on, only foreigners were allowed to wear beards.

from L. decretum, neut. of decretus, pp. of decernere "to decree, decide, pronounce a decision," from de- + cernere "to separate" (see discern)

489

Desiccate

To dry completely.

Prunes are really just desiccated plums.

from L désiccant-, s. of désiccāns, prp. of désiccāre “to dry up.”

490

Disingenuous

Not straightforward; not candid or frank; insincere.

His disingenuous remarks hid the fact that he was actually quite aware of what was going on.

"lacking in candor," from dis- "opposite of" (see dis-) + ingenuus, from in, “in” + gen, “beget, produce,” (see genes), meaning “with the virtues of freeborn people, of noble character, frank.”

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Dubious

Causing doubt; ambiguous; vague.

Sarah was dubious about the prospects of Harry's business, but invested in him anyway because he was a friend.

from L. dubiosus "doubtful," from dubium "doubt," neuter of dubius "doubtful," from duo "two," in the sense of "of two minds, undecided between two thinngs." (see dual, two)

492

Embellish

To decorate or improve by adding detail; ornament; adorn.

Henry embellished his account of the time he lived in Paris until it sounded much more interesting than it actually was.

from O.Fr. embelliss-, pp. stem of embellir "make beautiful, ornament," from L. bellus “handsome”. (see belle epoque)

493

Ephemeral

Lasting only one day.

The beauty of a flower is ephemeral, it's not like the beauty of a painting or sculpture.

from Gk. ephemeros "lasting only one day," from epi "on" + hemerai, "day,"

494

Evince

To show plainly; indicate; make manifest; esp., to show that one has (a specified quality, feeling, etc.)

The comedian's jokes evinced his deep understanding of human relationships.

from L. evincere "conquer, elicit by argument, prove," from ex- "out" + vincere "overcome" (see victor)

495

Extol

To praise highly; laud.

Polly extolled the new book by Roberto Bolano and told everyone she knew to go read it.

from L. extollere, from ex- "up" + tollere "to raise," (see Atlas, the Bearer of Heaven)

496

Fetid

Having a bad smell, as of decay; putrid, rank, foul, stinking.

The fetid swamp next to the factory had once been a beautiful lake.

from L. fetidus "stinking," from fetere "have a bad smell, stink." Perhaps connected with fimus "dung," or with fumus "smoke" (see fumes)

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Flux

A flowing or flow, the flowing in of the tide.

After the elections, the country was in a serious state of flux.

from L. fluxus, pp. of fluere "to flow" (see fluent) Originally "excessive flow"

498

Frugal

Not wasteful; not spending freely or unnecessarily; thrifty; economical.

Sam Walton was extremely frugal, that's why he became as rich as he did.

from L. frugalis, from undeclined adj. frugi "economical, useful, proper," originally of frux "fruit, profit, value," related to fructus (see fruit)

499

Grimace

A twisting or distortion of the face, as in expressing pain, contempt, disgust, etc.

The chef didn't need to ask if Dara liked the new dish, Dara's grimace told him all he needed to know.

from O.Fr. grimuche, possibily from same P. Gmc. root as grim, (see grim, grime)

500

Hew

To chop or cut with an ax, knife, etc.; hack; gash.

The bench was made from roughly hewn wood.

from ME hewen, OE héawan; akin to haggle, (see haggle)

501

Immerse

To plunge, drop, or dip into or as if into a liquid, esp. so as to cover completely.

He was so immersed in the book that he didn't realize that he had missed his stop.

from L. mergere "to dip” (see submerge)

502

Impromptu

Without preparation or advance thought; offhand.

They threw an impromptu party to celebrate her return from the war.

from L. in promptu "in readiness," from in "in" + promptus "readiness," from pro"before, forward, for" + emere "to obtain" (see exempt)

503

Ingratiate

To make acceptable; esp., to bring (oneself) into another's favor or good graces by conscious effort.

Frank tried to ingratiate himself with the new principal by telling him all the juicy gossip about the other teachers.

from L. in gratiam "for the favor of," from in"in” + gratia “favor, grace." (see grateful)

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Invective

Inveighing; using, inclined to use, or characterized by strong verbal abuse.

The main character in the movie became well known for his steady stream of invective.

from L. invectivus "abusive," pp. of invehi "to attack with words" from in"against" + vehere "to carry" (see vehicle)

505

Lavish

Very generous or liberal in giving or spending, often extravagantly so; prodigal.

They lavished attention on their only child.

from laver "to wash," from L. lavare "to wash" (see lavatory, laundry)

506

Manacle

A handcuff; fetter or shackle for the hand.

The convicts were manacled together before being put on the bus bound for upstate.

from L. manicula "handle," lit. "little hand," dim. of manicæ "long sleeves of a tunic," from manus "hand" (see manual)

507

Mollify

To soothe the temper of; pacify; appease

His explanations failed mollify her or make her less angry with him.

from L. mollificare "make soft,” from mollificus "softening,"from L. mollis "soft" + root of facere (see emollient)

508

Oblique

Evasive, disingenuous, underhanded.

Because it was written during a time of political repression, the play made only an oblique reference to the dictator's cruelty.

from L. obliquus "slanting, sidelong, indirect," from ob "against" + root of licinus "bent upward," (see limb)

509

Palate

The roof of the mouth.

This way of preparing fish may not suit your palate, but it's very popular in Spain.

from L. palatum "roof of the mouth," perhaps of Etruscan origin.

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Peripatetic

Walking and moving about; not staying in one place; itinerant.

His peripatetic lifestyle gave him a lot of stories that he could tell his kids in his old age.

from L. peripateticus "pertaining to the disciples or philosophy of Aristotle," from Gk. peripatetikos "given to walking about" from peripatein, from peri"around" + patein "to walk." (see perimeter)

511

Placebo

Something said or done to win the favor of another.

Unbeknownst to the patient, the doctors had actually given him a placebo, and not the actual medicine.

from L. placebo "I shall please," future indic. of placere "to please" (see please)

512

Predilection

A preconceived liking; partiality or preference.

John's predilection for organic food was just a part of his generally healthy lifestyle.

from L. prae- "before" + diligere "choose, love" (see diligent)

513

Prosaic

Commonplace, dull and ordinary.

Tina felt that her friend had no business writing a memoir because his life so far had been extremely prosaic.

from M.L. prosaicus "in prose", from L. prosa "prose" (see prose)

514

Quotidian

Daily; recurring every day.

Jane's quotidian commute never contained any surprises, it was always the same day after day.

from L. quotidianus "daily," from L. quotus "how many, which in order or number" + dies "day" (see daily)

515

Redoubtable

Formidable; fearsome; commanding respect.

The engineer's redoubtable reputation preceded him.

from O.Fr. redoutable, from redouter "to dread," from re-, intensive prefix + douter "be afraid of" (see doubt)

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Resplendent

Shining brightly; full of splendor; dazzling; splendid.

Mary looked resplendent in her prom dress.

from L. resplendentem, "brilliant, radiant," prp. of resplendere "to glitter, shine," from re-, intensive prefix, + splendere "to shine," (see splendid)

517

Savor

To enjoy with appreciation; dwell on with delight.

He savored each bite of the meal as if it were his last.

from L. saporem "taste, flavor," related to sapere "to have a flavor" (see insipid)

518

Sinuous

Bending, winding, or curving in and out; wavy; serpentine.

It was easy to get lost on the sinuous road to the hidden beach.

from L. sinuosus "full of folds or bendings," from sinus "curve, fold, bend." (see insinuate)

519

Stalwart

Strong and wellbuilt.

She was a stalwart friend who never deserted others in their time of need.

O.E. stælwierðe "good, serviceable," probably a contracted compound of staðol "foundation, support" + wierðe "good, excellent” (see worthy)

520

Suffuse

To overspread so as to fill with a glow, color, fluid, etc,: said of light, air, etc.

When Eric lifted the curtains, the room became suffused with moonlight.

from L. suffusionem "a pouring over," from suffundere "pour upon, overspread, suffuse," from sub "under" + fundere "to pour" (see fund)

521

Tawdry

Cheap and showy; gaudy; sleazy.

Terry liked shopping at second hand stores, even though sometimes the selection was a bit tawdry.

short for (Sain)t Audrey lace, i.e., neck lace bought at St. Audrey's Fair in Ely, England; so called after St. Audrey

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Trepidation

Tremulous or trembling movement; quaking; tremor.

The sailors viewed the gathering storm clouds with trepidation.

from L. trepidationem, "agitation, alarm, trembling," noun of action from trepidare "to tremble, hurry," from trepidus "alarmed, scared," related to trem- (see tremble)

523

Valorous

Having or showing valor; courageous; brave.

Despite his valorous conduct on the battlefield, the soldier never received any medals.

from O.Fr. valour "strength, value, valor," from L. valorem "value, worth," from L. valere "be worth, be strong" (see valiant)

524

Voluminous

Of great volume; large; bulky; full.

At the photo shoot, the photographer decided that the model's hair needed to be more voluminous.

from L. volumen (gen. voluminis) "roll (as of a manuscript), coil, wreath," from volvere "to turn around, roll" (see revolve)

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Acquisition

An acquiring or being acquired.

The company's new acquisition promised tremendous profits.

from L. acquisitionem, from stem of acquirere "get in addition," from ad"extra" +quærere "to seek to obtain" (see acquire).

526

Antithetical

Directly opposed or contrasted; opposite.

It was difficult to see how the married couple was still together, since so many of the husband's views were antithetical to his wife's.

from Gk. antithetikos, from antithetos "placed in opposition," from antithesis (see thesis)

527

Assail

To attack physically and violently; assault.

Gabby assailed her father's prejudices with carefully chosen arguments and reasons.

from L. adsalire "to leap at," from L. ad"at' + salire "to leap" (see somersault)

528

Ballast

Anything giving stability and firmness to character, human relations, etc.

The guitar was Kyle's ballast in his life.

from M.E. bar "bare" (in this case "mere") + last "a load, burden"

529

Bewilder

To confuse hopelessly, as by something complicated or involved; befuddle.

There was a bewildering amount of ice cream flavors to choose from.

from be- "thoroughly" + archaic wilder "lead astray, lure into the wilds," probably a back- formation or wilderness.

530

Brittle

Easily broken or shattered because hard and inflexible.

Don't skate on the lake now, the ice is too brittle.

O.E. bryttian "to break to pieces," from P.Gmc. Stem brutilo"break."

531

Centurion

The commanding officer of an ancient Roman century.

A centurion was an important position in the Roman army.

from L., Roman army officer, head of a centuria "group of one hundered," from centum "hundred" (see century)

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Collusion

A secret agreement for fraudulent or illegal purposes; conspiracy.

The government convicted the two companies of collusion that had resulted in extremely high prices for consumers.

from L. collusionem "act of colluding," from colludere, from com- "together" + ludere "to play," from ludus "game" (see ludicrous)

533

Conspicuous

Easy to see or perceive; obvious.

He wasn't able to hide well in the crowd because of his conspicuous red hair.

from L. conspicuus "open to view," from conspicere "to look at, observe," from com, an intensive prefix + specere “to view” (see spectacles)

534

Credence

Belief, esp. in the reports or testimony of another.

Don't give much credence to his report, he was drunk when he claimed he saw the flying saucer.

from L. credentum (nom. credens), pp. of credere "believe, trust." (see credentials)

535

Delineate

To trace the outline of; sketch out.

In his short stories, Johann was able to delineate in just a few pages some very profound and complex characters.

from L. delineare, from de- "completely" + lineare "draw lines," from linea "line." (see line)

536

Diaphanous

So fine or gauzy in texture as to be transparent or translucent diaphanous cloth.

The fashion designer's new diaphanous dresses were a hit on the runway.

from Gk. diaphanes, from dia- "through" + phainein "to show." (see epiphany)

537

Dissipation

A wasting or squandering.

The entire inheritance was lost due to the dissipation of the two heirs.

from L. dissipare "disperse, squander, disintegrate," from dis- "apart" + supare "to throw, scatter."

538

Ebullience

High spirits; exhilaration; exuberance.

Hilda's ebullience was infectious, pretty soon everyone was feeling good.

from L. ebullire "to spout out, burst out," from ex- "out" + bullire "to bubble" (see boil)

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Endearing

Inspiring love or affection.

Louie's endearing smile and sense of humor made him popular with his neighbors.

from en- "make, put in" + dear.

540

Equine

Of, like, or characteristic of horses.

Tom's long face and large teeth gave him a very equine appearance.

from L. equinus, from equus "horse," from PIE base ekwos "horse" (see equestrian)

541

Exhaustive

Leaving nothing out; covering every possible detail; thorough.

Even though the search was exhaustive, they still couldn't find the passport anywhere.

from L. exhaustus, pp. exhaurie "draw off, take away, use up," from ex- "off" + haurire "to draw up"

542

Fallacious

Containing a fallacy; erroneous.

Sam joined an amateur debate team so that he could learn to reason and spot fallacious reasoning better.

from L. fallacia "deception," from fallax "deceptive," from fallere "to deceive." (see false)

543

Finite

Having measurable or definable limits; not infinite.

The planet's resources are finite, we can't just keep using stuff up and throwing it away.

from L. finire "to limit, set bounds, end," from finis (see finish)

544

Forestall

To prevent or hinder by doing something ahead of time.

Some research shows that doing crossword puzzles daily may forestall Alzheimer's disease.

O.E. foresteall "an ambush, a waylaying," from fore "before" + steall "standing position" (see stall)

545

Garrulity

Excessive talkativeness;. loquaciousness, wordinrss, verbosity, effusion.

Pat's garrulity sometimes prevented her from truly listening to people.

from L. garrulus "talkative," from garrire "to chatter," from PIE base gar-/ger- "to cry"

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Gust

A sudden, strong rush of air or wind.

The gust of wind knocked Jean's hat into the river.

from O.N. gustr "a cold blast of wind," related to gjosa, “to gush” (see gush)

547

Hospitable

Friendly, kind and solicitous toward guests.

His hostel had the reputation of being the most hospitable one in town.

from L. hospitari "be a guest," from hospes "guest" (see host, hospital)

548

Impending

About to happen; imminent, imminently threatening or menacing.

Darryl's impending graduation brought much joy to his parents.

Fr. pendant "during," lit. "hanging," prp. of pendere "to hang, to suspend" (see suspend)

549

Indemnify

To protect against or keep free from loss, damage, etc; insure.

The policy doesn't specify the amount of insurance you can buy in order to indemnify yourself in the event of a loss.

from L. indemnitatem "security for damage," from L. indemnis "unhurt, undamaged," from in- "not" + damnum "damage", (see damage)

550

Insinuate

To introduce gradually, indirectly, and artfully.

Are you insinuating that I don't do my share of the housework?

from L. insinuare "bring in by windings and curvings, wind one's way into," from in- "in" + sinuare "to wind, bend, curve," (see sinuous)

551

Irrelevant

Not relevant; not pertinent; not to the point; not relating to the subject.

Although your story is interesting, it is irrelevant to our current discussion.

L. relevare "to lessen, lighten" (see relieve)

552

Lithe

Bending easily; flexible; supple; limber; lissome.

The lithe dancer practiced for hours every day to keep her body in shape.

from Ger. lind, “soft, gentle”

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Mendacity

Untruthfulness.

Robert was amazed by the mendacity of the store clerk.

from L. mendacium "a lie," from mendax, "lying, deceitful," related to menda "fault, defect, carelessness in writing" (see amend)

554

Nascent

Beginning to form, start, grow, or develop; said of ideas; cultures, etc.

A nascent environmental movement began to form in the town after the company built a nuclear power plant near it.

from L. nascentum, prp. of nasci "to be born" (see nation, innate)

555

Occult

To hide or become hidden from view.

Mark decided he wanted to learn black magic after reading a book on the occult.

from L. occulere "cover over, conceal," from ob "over" + celare "to hide," (see cell)

556

Pariah

Any person despised or rejected by others; outcast.

Floyd became the school's pariah once everyone discovered how he had ratted everyone out to the teachers.

from Port. paria or directly from Tamil paraiyar, "drummer,” since at festivals, that was the hereditary duty of members of the largest of the lower castes of southern India.

557

Perspicacity

Keenness of mental perception and understanding; discernment; penetration.

Known for her perspicacity, Mindy was often asked advice by her friends.

from L. perspicacitas "sharp-sightedness, discernment," from from perspicere "look through" (see perspective, spectacles)

558

Plumb

To discover the facts or contents of; fathom; solve; understand.

His poetry plumbs the depths of human emotions.

from L. plumba, "lead,” the metal, of unknown origin, related to Gk. molybdos "lead" (see plumber)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 559

Prim

Stiffly formal, precise, moral, etc.; proper; demure.

Sylvia didn't like staying with her aunt because she was much more prim than Sylvia's parents.

from L. primus "first, finest" (see prime) superl. of Old L.pri "before," from PIE base per- "beyond," pro-"before" (see precondition, predate...)

560

Pry

To draw forth or obtain with difficulty.

They were finally able to pry open the lid on the jar after much effort.

ME pryen, prien, unknown origin

561

Rarefy

To make or become thin, or less dense.

When she began to date the rock star, Amy joined the rarefied world of celebrities.

from L. rarefacere "make rare," from rarus "rare, thin" (see rare) + facere "to make" (see fact)

562

Relinquish

To give up; abandon.

He relinquished all hope of winning her back after their last argument.

from O.Fr. relaisser "to relinquish, quit, let go, leave behind," variant of relacher "release, relax," from L. relaxare (see relax)

563

Rope

To fasten, tie, or confine with or as with a rope.

They roped their customers in with a brilliant marketing campaign.

from Du. reep "rope,"

564

Seminal

Of essential importance.

The composer's seminal work was inspired by his trip to Japan.

from L. seminalis, from semen "seed" (see semen)

565

Soggy

Saturated with moisture or liquid; soaked.

Ian's shoes had holes in them, he could tell by how soggy his socks were after he walked in the rain.

perhaps from dialectal sog "bog, swamp"

Page 92

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 566

Stipple

To cover or mark with dots or quick dabs; fleck.

Some Impressionist painters painted only by using the stippling technique.

from Du. stippelen "to make points," freq. of stippen "to prick, speckle," from stip "a point" (see stick)

567

Supine

Mentally or morally inactive; sluggish; listless; passive.

The population was supine in the face of the government's repression.

from L. supinus "turned or thrown backwards, inactive, indolent," related to sub "under."

568

Theocracy

Government by a person or persons claiming to rule with divine authority.

Switzerland was a strict theocracy several hundred years ago.

from Gk. theokratia "the rule of God", from theos "god" + krattos "a rule, regime, strength" (see democracy)

569

Tyro

A beginner in learning something; novice.

Their team was made up mainly of rookies and tyros.

from L. tyro, variant of L. tiro "young soldier, recruit, beginner," of unknown origin.

570

Verbiage

An excess of words beyond those needed to express concisely what is meant; wordiness.

After cutting out all the verbiage, Chris whittled his paper down to six pages.

from Fr. verbiage "wordiness," from M.Fr verbier "to chatter," from O.Fr. verbe "word," from L. verbum "word" (see verb)

571

Wastrel

A person who wastes; esp., a spendthrift.

Unlike her brother who was a wastrel, Britney saved her money and spent very little.

from waste (v.) with pejorative suffix (see mongrel, scoundrel)

Page 93

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Aberration

A departure from what is right, true, correct, etc.

The actor's poor performance was an aberration from his otherwise excellent work.

from L. aberrationem, from aberrare "go astray," from ab"away" + errare "to wander" (see error)

573

Ail

To cause pain or distress; trouble.

She usually cured all that ailed her with some whiskey.

OE eglan, “to afflict: deriv. of egle “painful” (see ailment)

574

Apropos

At the right time; opportune.

Thia's comment was very apropos.

from Fr. à propos "to the purpose," from propos "purpose, plan," from L. proponere, “to set forth, propose”, (see purpose)

575

Augury

Divination from omens.

In a previous life, Nathan was a witch doctor who practiced augury.

from L. augos "increase," and is related to augere "increase" (see augment)

576

Bawdy

Characteristic of a bawd; indecent or humorously coarse; lewd.

The recording company didn't want to release the band's album because they felt the lyrics were too bawdy.

from O Fr. baud "gay, licentious", from O.Fr. bauderie "boldness." (see bold)

577

Blithe

Showing a cheerful, carefree disposition; lighthearted.

She showed blithe indifference to the negative reviews of her movie.

O.E. blipe "joyous, kind," from P.Gmc. "blithiz "gentle, kind"

578

Cadge

To beg or get by begging; sponge.

Right after graduating from college, survived by cadging from his friends while working on his novel.

from ME caggen “to tie”, of uncert. origin

579

Cleanse

To make clean, pure, etc; to purge.

Priya felt that the yoga retreat had been a very cleansing experience.

O.E. clæne "clean,pure," (see cleanse)

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Comprise

To include; contain.

The album was comprised of 2 hits and ten terrible songs.

from O.Fr. comprendre "to contain, comprise," from L. comprehendere (see comprehend)

581

Conveyance

To take from one place to another; transport.

They conveyed the refugees across the river in camouflage boats.

from L. com"together" + via "way, road." It was an euphemism for "steal" (see convey)

582

Cynical

Believing that people are motivated in all their actions only by selfishness

There's no need to be cynical Andy, some people do things without hidden motives.

from Gk. Kynikos, lit "dog-like," from kyon "dog." Supposedly from the sneering sarcasm of the philosophers, but more likely from Kynosarge "Grey Dog."

583

Deprave

To lead into bad habits; make morally bad; corrupt; pervert.

When he drank, Eric became a depraved, but funny, maniac.

from L. depravare "corrupt," from de"completely" + pravus "crooked." (see perverse)

584

Discern

To separate (a thing) mentally from another or others; recognize as separate or different.

Karim had no trouble discerning who his friends were and who weren't.

from L. discernere, from dis- "off, away" + cernere "distinguish, separate, sift" (see discrete)

585

Doctrinaire

A person who dogmatically seeks to apply theories regardless of the practical problem involved.

The doctrinaire Marxist refused to listen to any type of rational argument.

from L. doctrina "teaching, body of teachings, learnings," from doctor "teacher" (see doctor, doctrine)

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Elaborate

Worked out carefully; developed in great detail.

Errol's elaborate prank required a lot of planning, but it was worth it.

from L. elaborationem, from elaborare "work out, produce by labor," from ex- "out" + laborare "to labor." (see labor)

587

Enigma

A perplexing, usually ambiguous, statement; riddle, matter, or person.

Katy was still an enigma to Nick, despite the fact that he had known for her years.

from L. ænigma "riddle," from Gk. ainigma, from ainos "fable, riddle," of uncertain origin.

588

Esoteric

Intended for or understood by only a chosen few, as an inner group.

Teresa had studied esoteric subjects in school and now couldn't find a job.

from Gk. esoterikos "belonging to an inner circle," from esotero, comparative of eso "within," opposite of exo, “without.”

589

Expostulate

To reason with a person earnestly, objecting to that person's actions or intentions; remonstrate.

Matt expostulated with Kumiko for hours and finally got her to agree that Godfather Three was not such a great movie.

from L. expostulare "to demand urgently, remonstrate," from ex- intensive prefix + postulare "to demand." (see postulate)

590

Felon

A person guilty of a major crime; criminal.

Because Rudy was the only felon in Sammy's circle of friends, he had the most interesting stories.

from L. fel "gall, poison," on the notion of "one full of bitterness." (see gall)

591

Fleece

The wooly covering of a sheep or goat.

Jerry had a sneaking suspicion that the taxi driver had fleeced him out of a ton of money.

from W. Gmc. flusaz, probably from PIE plus- (related to L. pluma "feather, down,") (see plumage)

592

Fragrant

Having a pleasant odor; sweetsmelling.

The room had a fragrant smell which was due to all the flowers in it.

from L. fragrare "emit (a sweet) odor," (see fragrance)

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Goad

To prod into action; urge on.

Tim and Victoria were goaded into giving money to charity by the pictures of the starving kids on the TV.

O.E. gad "spearhead"

594

Haughty

Having or showing great pride in oneself and disdain, contempt, or scorn for others; proud; arrogant; supercilious.

Julia became very haughty once she got the volleyball scholarship.

from M.E. haute "high in one's own estimation", from O.Fr. haut "high," from L. altus, (see height)

595

Idolatry

Excessive devotion to or reverence for some person or thing.

His obsession with Dustin Hoffman bordered on idolatry.

from L. idololatria, from Gk. eidololatria "worship of idols," from eidolon "image" + latreia "worship, service." (see idol)

596

Implausible

Not plausible; not having the appearance of truth or credibility.

The police officers found the drunk man's story highly implausible.

from L. plausibilis "deserving applause, acceptable," from pp. stem of plaudere "to applaud" (see applause, plaudit)

597

Inept

Not suitable to the purpose; unfit.

The candidate's inept response to the question probably cost him the election.

from L ineptus "unsuitable, improper, tactless," from inaptus "apt" (see apt)

598

Intractable

Hard to manage; unruly or stubborn.

Jordan's donkey was one intractable ass.

from L. intractabilis "not to be handled," from in- "not” + tractabilis, from tractare, “to handle” (see traction)

599

Labyrinthine

Of or constituting a labyrinth.

The video game was truly labyrinthine, one could play it for weeks and weeks.

from L. labyrinthus, from Gk. labyrinthos "maze, large building with intricate passages," (see labyrinth)

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Lustrous

Having luster; shining ; bright; glorious.

Her lustrous career took of after she starred in the Al Pacino movie.

from L. lustrare "spread light over, brighten, illumine," related to lucere "shine," lux "light" (see illustrate)

601

Misanthrope

A person who hates or distrusts all people.

From his lyrics you could tell that the singer was a true misanthrope.

from Gk. misanthropos "hating mankind," from misein "to hate" + anthropos "man." (see misogyny)

602

Nonplussed

Utterly perplexed; completely puzzled.

Although it was a simple question, Rob became completely nonplussed.

from L. nōn plūs lit., not more, no further, i.e., a state in which nothing more can be done.

603

Ostentatious

Pretentious, showy, pompous.

Selene didn't like the party because of the host's ostentatious display of wealth.

from L. ostentationem "vain display," from ostentare "to display," from ob, “in view of” + tendere, “to stretch” (see thin)

604

Penitent

Truly sorry for having sinned or done wrong and willing to atone; contrite.

Vicky's father saw that she was truly penitent for drinking his last beer.

from L. pænitentia "repentance," from pænitentum "penitent," prp. of pænitere "cause or feel regret," (see penitentiary)

605

Pied

Covered with patches or spots of two or more colors; piebald; variegated.

Although the pied horse was more expensive, Jebediah decided to buy it anyway.

form of M.E. noun pie "magpie" (see magpie)

606

Posture

The position or carriage of the body in standing or sitting; bearing.

A person's posture when speaking can tell one a lot about that person's true thoughts.

from Fr. poseur, from verb poser "affect an attitude or pose," from O.Fr. poser "to put or place" (see pose)

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Proliferate

To reproduce in quick succession.

The cockroaches proliferated in the apartment while the couple was on vacation because they had left a lot of food uncovered.

from L. proles "offspring" (see prolific) + ferre "to bear" (see transfer).

608

Quaff

to drink deeply in a hearty or thirsty way.

He quaffed his thirst at the first bar he could find.

from Low Ger. quassen "to overindulge (in food and drink)," with -ssmisread as -ff-.

609

Recompense

To repay (a person, etc); reward.

The authorities recompensed the woman for the information she provided.

from L recompensare, from L. re- "again" + compensare "balance out," lit. "weigh together” (see compensate)

610

Reprobate

To disapprove of strongly; condemn.

Javier avoided that bar because only reprobates hung out there.

from L. re- "opposite of reversal of previous condition" + probare "prove to be worthy" (see probation)

611

Sanction

To ratify or confirm.

The president sanctioned the bombardment because he felt that was the only way to keep his country safe.

from L. sanctionem "act of decreeing or ordaining," also "decree, ordinance," from sancire "to decree, confirm, ratify, make sacred" (see saint)

612

Sheath

A covering or receptacle resembling this, as the membrane around a muscle, a leaf base etc.

She sheathed her sword once the man identified himself.

M.Du. schede, Du. schede, (see shed (v.))

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Spear

To pierce or stab with something pointed.

Lynn felt as if her brother's cruel words had speared her through the heart.

from P.Gmc. speri from PIE base sper"spear, pole"

614

Stymie

To prevent or hinder the progress of.

The math problem stymied almost everyone in the class.

from Scottish stymie "person who sees poorly," from stime "the least bit"

615

Talon

The claw of a bird of prey; a human finger or hand when like a claw in appearance.

The owl swooped down and grabbed the mouse in it's talons.

from O.Fr. talon "heel or hinder part of the foot of a beast, or of a man, or of a shoe," from L. talus. "ankle"

616

Toy

To play or trifle (with a thing, an idea, etc.)

Don't toy with my feelings, tell me honestly what you think.

from ME toye “dalliance”; of obscure origin

617

Unscathed

Not injured or harmed.

Not many fighter pilots got through the war unscathed.

from un, “not” + scathe, from O.N. skada “to hurt, injure” (see scar)

618

Virago

A quarrelsome, shrewish woman.

Tom wasn't certain exactly when his girlfriend had become such a virago.

from L. vir "man" (see virile)

619

Wont

Accustomed; in the habit of doing something.

She was wont to read the newspaper during breakfast.

from O.E. wunod, "to dwell, be accustomed," from P.Gmc. wun- "to be content, to rejoice" (see win)

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Abundant

Very plentiful; more than sufficient; ample.

The garden produced an abundant amount of tomatoes that year.

L abundant“overflowing”, from und, “wave” (see undulate, abound)

621

Ameliorate

To make better or more tolerable.

Most of the people supported the revolution because they thought it would ameliorate their unbearable situation.

from O. Fr. ameillorer, from à "to" + mellior "to better," from L. meliorare “improve,” from L. melior "better"

622

Arrogance

The quality or state of being arrogant; overbearing pride or self- importance.

His arrogance was a major turn off for her.

from L. arrogant, “claiming for oneself”, from the verb arrogare, from ad, “to” + rogare, “ask”, (see interrogate)

623

Aviary

A large cage or building for keeping many birds.

Bonnie liked visiting her uncle because of the colorful birds he kept in his aviary.

from L. aviarium "place in which birds are kept," neut. of aviarius "of birds," from avis "bird," (see aviation)

624

Bent

An inclination; tendency.

He had a bent for making people laugh, and so decided to become a comedian.

past participle of bend, from O.E. bendan, “put in bonds”, of Germanic origin, related to band (see bend)

625

Braid

To interweave three or more strands of (hair, straw, etc.)

As a young boy, Martin used to love braiding his mother's hair as she told him stories.

from O.E. bregdan "to move quickly"

626

Castigate

To punish or rebuke severely, esp. by harsh public criticism.

The dean castigated in front of the entire assembly the students who had written the grafitti on the school's walls.

from L. castigare "to purify, chastise," from castus "pure" (see caste, chaste) + agere "to do."

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Coeval

Of the same age or period; contemporary.

Michealangelo and Da Vinci were coevals, but they were not friendly towards one another.

L.L coævus, from L. com- "equal" +ævum "an age."

628

Congeal

To thicken; coagulate; jell.

The milk congealed after it was left outside the fridge overnight.

from L. congelare "to freeze together," from com- "together" + gelare "to freeze," from gelu "frost, ice." (see gelatin)

629

Countenance

The look on a person's face that shows one's nature or feelings.

No one could tell by his countenance whether he believed the story or not.

from L. continentia "restraint," lit. "way one contains oneself," from continere (see contain)

630

Decry

To speak out against strongly and openly; denounce.

The human rights lawyer decried his country's use of secret prisons.

from O.Fr. descrier "cry out, announce," from de- "down, out" + crier "to cry." (see cry)

631

Desuetude

The condition of not being used or practiced any more; disuse.

Although vinyl albums have mostly fallen into desuetude, they enjoyed a brief revival recently.

from L. desuetudo "disuse," from desuescere "become unaccustomed to," from de- "away, from" + suescere "become used to"

632

Disinter

To bring (something hidden) to light.

The judge ordered that the body be disinterred so that DNA evidence could be gathered.

from Fr. désenterrer, from dés- "dis-" + enterrer "to inter, to put in the earth" (see inter)

633

Ductile

That can be stretched, drawn, or hammered thin without breaking; not brittle: said of metals

Vlad shaped the ductile piece of copper into a bowl.

from L. ductilis "that may be led or drawn," from ducere "to lead" (see duke)

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Embezzle

To steal(money, etc. entrusted to one's care).

Susan's father was accused of embezzling from his company, but he was eventually cleared of all charges.

from Anglo-Fr. embesiler "to steal, cause to disappear", from O.Fr. besillier "torment, destroy, gouge," of uncertain origin.

635

Epicure

A person who enjoys and has a discriminating taste for fine foods and drinks

Melody's friend Zoe was a true epicure who always knew where the best restaurants were.

from L. Epicurus, from Gk. Epicouros, an Athenian philosopher who taught that pleasure is the highest good.

636

Evoke

To draw forth or elicit (a particular mental image, reaction, etc.)

The images of the war evoked worldwide protest and anger against the aggressor.

from L. evocationem from evocare "call out, rouse, summon,” from ex- "out" + vocare "to call" (see voice)

637

Extort

To get (money, etc.) from someone by violence, threats, misuse of authority, etc.

Frank complained to the police that he felt that some criminals were trying to extort money from him.

L extortus, ptp. of extorquére, equiv. to ex- “out” + torquére to twist. (see contort)

638

Fetter

To bind with fetters; shackle; chain.

Fettered together, the slaves suffered horribly in their voyage across the ocean.

O.E. feter "chain or shackle for the feet," from PIE root ped"foot" (see foot)

639

Foible

A small weakness; slight frailty in character.

One of her few foibles was that she was a messy eater in bed.

from Fr. foible (adj.) "weak," from O.Fr. foible "feeble," dissimilated from L. flebilis (see feeble)

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Frustrate

To cause to have no effect; bring to nothing; counteract.

The cold Russian winter frustrated Germany's war plans in World War Two.

from L. frustratus, pp. of frustrari "to deceive, disappoint, frustrate," from frustra (adv.) "in vain, in error," related to fraus "injury, harm." (see fraud)

641

Grind

To crush into bits or fine particles between two hard surfaces; pulverize.

Between work and school, Larry felt extremely ground down.

L. frendere "to gnash the teeth," Gk. Khondros "corn, grain," Lith. grendu "to scrape, scratch"

642

Hirsute

Hairy, shaggy, bristly.

Cro-Magnon men and women must have been a hirsute bunch, since none of them had any razors.

from L. hirsutus "rough, shaggy," related to hirtus "shaggy," and possibly to horrere "to bristle with fear."

643

Imminent

Likely to happen without delay; impending.

The family was in imminent danger of being evicted from their apartment.

from L. imminere "to overhang, impend, be near," from in- "into" + minere "jut out," related to monos "hill" (see mount)

644

Imprudent

Not prudent; without thought of the consequences; lacking in judgment or caution; rash; indiscreet.

Fred stopped his imprudent spending once his daughter was born.

L imprudent“unforeseeing, rash.” from in, “not” + prudent, contraction of provident, “foreseeing, attending to”. (see provide)

645

Inherent

Existing in someone or something as a natural and inseparable quality, characteristic, or right; innate; basic; inborn.

Double meanings and ambiguity are inherent in Leonard Cohen's lyrics.

from L. inhærere "be closely connected with, adhere to," from in- "in" + hærere "to stick" (see hesitation)

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Inveigh

To make a violent verbal attack; talk or write bitterly (against); rail against.

The candidate inveighed against his opponent's tax policies.

from L. invehi "to attack with words," originally "carry oneself against," from in- “against" + vehere "to carry" (see vehicle)

647

Leakage

An act or instance of leaking; a leak.

Due to the leakage, the ship had to be fixed once it reached the harbor.

from M.Du. leken "to drip, to leak," (see lack)

648

Martial

Showing a readiness or eagerness to fight; warlike.

Bruce had studied the martial arts since he was a very little child.

from L. martialis "of Mars or war," from Mars Roman god of war. (see martial arts)

649

Molt

To cast or shed (feathers, skin, etc.) in the process of renewal.

Eric saw the discarded snake skin and realized that the snake in his garden must be molting.

from L. mutare "to change" (see mutant).

650

Oblivious

Forgetful: usually used with “of”, as in “oblivious of”.

Tony was listening so intently to the new album that he was oblivious of everything around him.

from L. oblivionem "forgetfulness," from oblivisci "forget," originally "even out, smooth over," from ob "over" + root of levis "smooth." (see oblivion)

651

Palatial

Of, suitable for, or like a palace.

After Nina got her promotion, the entire family moved to a palatial new apartment.

from L. palatium (see palace)

652

Perish

To be destroyed, ruined, or wiped out.

The neighbor watered their plants while they were on vacation so that the plants wouldn't perish in their absence.

from L. perire "to be lost, perish," lit. "to go through," from per"through, completely, to destruction" + ire "to go."

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Plaintive

Expressing sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad.

Her plaintive cry could be heard all night.

from O.Fr. plaintif "complaining," from pleint (see complaint)

654

Predominate

To have ascendancy, authority, or dominating influence (over others); hold sway.

In the dark ages, ignorance and superstition predominated over science and rational thought.

from L. præ- "before" + dominari "to rule" (see dominate)

655

Proscribe

To banish; exile.

The new law proscribed drinking alcohol on the street.

from L. proscribere "publish in writing", from pro- "before" + scribere "to write" (see script)

656

Rabble

A noisy, disorderly crowd; mob.

The rabble made its way to the courthouse to demand the release of the accused man.

M.E. rablen “speak in a rapid, confused manner," probably imitative of hurry and confusion (see, M.Du.rabbelen, Low Ger. rabbeln "to chatter").

657

Refine

To make fine or pure; free from impurities.

He refined his technique until he could make almost 90% of his free throws.

from re-, intensive prefix + obs. fine(v.) "make fine," from fine. (see fine)

658

Restive

Nervous or impatient under pressure or restraint.

The restive dog kept tugging at the leash.

from M.Fr. restif "motionless," from rester "to remain" (see rest)

659

Sawdust

Small particles of wood produced in sawing.

The air in the lumber yard was filled with sawdust.

from saw + dust

660

Skiff

Any of various small, light, open boats propelled by oars, motor, or sail.

Lisa liked floating along in her skiff, watching the stars in the night sky.

from It. schifo "little boat," (see ship)

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Stanch

To stop the flow of blood or other liquid from (a wound, leak, etc.).

The first thing the doctors tried to do when the patient came into the E.R. was stanch the blood coming from his wound.

from O.Fr. estanchier "cause to cease flowing, stop, hinder," from L. stancare, prehaps contracted from stagnicare, from L. stagnum "pond, pool" (see stagnant)

662

Sullied

To become soiled, dirty, or tarnished.

Please don't let the family name be sullied like that.

probably from M.Fr. souiller, from O.Fr. souillier "make dirty"

663

Tease

To reveal, extract, obtain; to tantalize.

Maury's teasing finally crossed the line and his young cousin began to cry.

from ME tesen (v.), from OE tæsan to pull, tear, comb, from MLG tesen, OHG zeisan to pluck.

664

Trifling

Frivolous; shallow; fickle.

The change from the purchase was so trifling that Lucy didn't even bother to take it.

from O.Fr. trufle, byform of trufe, “deceit”, origin unknown

665

Vanquish

To overcome (a feeling, condition, etc.); suppress.

Joe decided to vanquish his fear of heights by going skydiving.

from O.Fr. venquis and vencus from veintre "defeat," from L. vincere "defeat" (see victor)

666

Vulpine

Of, resembling, or characteristic of a fox.

Mary played the scheming, vulpine waitress on the show, and she ultimately became the most popular character.

from L. vulpinus "of or pertaining to a fox," from vulpes, earlier volpes, "fox," of unknown origin.

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Abhor

To shrink from in disgust, hatred, etc., detest.

The monks abhorred violence and were firm pacifists.

from L. abhorrere "shrink back in terror," from ab- "away" + horrere "tremble at, shudder," (see horror)

668

Alienate

To make unfriendly; estrange.

The DJ thought that heavy metal was just music for alienated teenagers.

from L. alienare "to make another's, estrange," from alienus "of or belonging to another person or place," from alius "(an)other" (see alias)

669

Arabesque

A complex and elaborate decorative design.

Ellen liked the wallpaper in the apartment because of its arabesque patterns.

from It. arabesco, “Arab” with reference to the designs in Moorish architecture. (see Arab)

670

Auspice

An omen, esp. a favorable one.

The town's film festival was organized under the auspices of the municipal government.

from L auspicium, from auspex, "observer of birds," from awi- "bird" + spek- "to see." (see aviary, spectacles)

671

Beatify

To make blissfully happy.

The decision to beatify the deceased bishop was taken by the Pope.

from L. beatificare "make happy, make blessed," from L. beatus "supremely happy, blessed" (see beat generation)

672

Blueprint

Any exact or detailed plan or outline.

The thieves thoroughly studied the blueprint of the bank's security system before they attempted their robbery.

from the original process in which prints were composed of white lines on a blue ground or of blue lines on a white ground

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Calipers

Any of various calibrated instruments for measuring thicknesses or distances between surfaces.

Hugo bought a pair of calipers in order to measure his body fat index.

an alteration of caliber, from the French calibre, from Italian calibro (see calibrate)

674

Cling

To hold fast by or as by embracing, entwining, or sticking; adhere.

Frieda couldn't shake off the grashopper that was clinging onto her finger.

from O.E. clingan "hold fast, congeal, shrivel," shifting 13c. to "adhere, stick together," (see clench)

675

Concave

Hollow and curved like the inside of a bowl.

As the table aged, it became concave in shape.

from L. concavus "hollow," from comintensive prefix + cavus "hollow" (see cave)

676

Convoke

To call together for a meeting; summon to assemble; convene.

The lead singer convoked an emergency meeting of the band.

from L convocāre, from con, “together” + vocare, “call” (see voice)

677

Daunt

To make discouraged; intimidate; dishearten.

Despite its daunting height, Anna decided to climb the tree in her friend's backyard.

from L. domitare, freq. of domare "to tame" (see tame)

678

Depredation

The act or an instance of robbing, plundering, or laying waste.

The army committed terrible acts of depradation as it made its way through enemy territory.

from L. deprædari "to pillage," from de"thoroughly" + prædari "to plunder," lit. "to make prey of," from præda "prey." (see prey)

679

Disconcert

To frustrate (plans, etc.).

It was impossible to disconcert Ross during a game, he was the best quarterback the school had ever had.

from M.Fr. disconcerter, “confused, from dis, “do the opposite of” + concerter, “bring into agreement”, (see concert)

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Dogmatic

Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

Her dogmatic stances made her a difficult person to live with.

from Gk dogmatikós, from dogma, “opinion, tenet, that which one this is true, from dokein, “to seem good”, (see decent)

681

Elation

A feeling of exultant joy or pride; high spirits.

One could see the runner's elation on her face as she crossed the finish line first.

from L. elationem, from elatus "elevated," from ex"out" + ferre "carry" (see transfer)

682

Ennui

Weariness and dissatisfaction resulting from inactivity or lack of interest.

Ford always suffered from boredom and ennui during the long, cold, and dark winter months.

from O.Fr. enui "annoyance," backformation from envier (see annoy)

683

Ethereal

Of or like the ether, or upper regions of space.

The composer was mainly known for his beautiful, ethereal piano pieces.

from L aether, “the upper pure, bright air” extended sense of “light, airy" (see air)

684

Exscind

To cut out; excise; extirpate.

Troy was later exscinded out of the photo digitally.

L exscindere to destroy, tear away, equiv. to ex- “out of”+ scindere, “to cut, tear” (see incision)

685

Ferment

A state of excitement or agitation.

The city was in a state of ferment that was due to the revolutionary grafitti that kept popping up mysteriously.

from L. fermentum "substance causing fermentation, leaven," from root of fervere "to boil, seethe" (see brew)

686

Fleeting

Passing swiftly; not lasting.

He felt that his youth had been fleeting and that he didn't have much to show for it.

from O.E. fleotende "floating,drifting," later "flying, moving swiftly," (see float)

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Frantic

Wild with anger, pain, worry, etc.; frenzied.

After a frantic search for the keys, he was forced to conclude that he had forgotten them.

from O Fr. frenetique, from Gk. phrenetikos, from phrenitis “delirium”, from phren, “mind”, (see phrenology)

688

Gouge

To scoop out; dig or force out.

In most legal martial arts matches, eye gouging is not allowed.

from L. gubia, alteration of gulbia "hollow beveled chisel,"

689

Hedonist

A person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and selfgratification.

A hedonist in his youth, Roger had tired of that life by the time he was 30 and became a priest.

from Gk. hedonikos "pleasurable,” from hedone "pleasure," related to hedys "sweet"

690

Igneous

Of , containing, or having the nature of fire; fiery.

Igneous rock is incredibly fertile.

from L. igneus "of fire, fiery, from ignis "fire,” (see ignite)

691

Implicit

Suggested or understood though not plainly expressed; implied.

Although she didn't say anything directly her implicit criticism of her boss got her into trouble at work.

from L. implicitus, later variant of implicatus, (see implicate)

692

Infertile

Not fertile; not productive; barren.

If two different species produce offspring, that offspring will usually be infertile.

from L. fertilis "bearing in abundance, fruitful, productive," from ferre "to bear" (see transfer) + in- from L. in- "not,"

693

Intransigence

The trait of being intransigent; stubbornly refusing to compromise.

Later on in life, she came to realize that her intransigence had cost her some good friendships.

from L. in, “not” + transigere, “come to an understanding” (see transaction). From the Spanish los intransigentes, a name adopted by the extreme republicans in the Cortes, 187374.

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Lackluster

lacking brightness; dull.

The lackluster performance by the actors was one of the reasons why the movie failed at the box office.

M.Du. lak "deficiency, fault," + luster, “light.” Lackluster first attested 1600 in Shakespeare's "As You Like It." (see illustrate)

695

Machination

An artful or secret plot or scheme, esp. one with evil intent.

The machinations of the duke eventually resulted in him being crowned king.

from L. machinationem "device, contrivance," from machinari, "contrive, plot," (see machine)

696

Misconstrue

To construe wrongly; misinterpret; misunderstand.

Please don't misconstrue what I was trying to say, I didn't mean to suggest that you owe me money.

from mis, “bad, wrong” + construe, “relate grammatically” (see construct)

697

Notion

A mental image; general idea.

The notion that there should be international law is a relatively recent one.

from L. notionem "concept," from notus, pp. of noscere "come to know" (see know)

698

Ostrich

A person who tries to avoid difficult or dangerous situations by refusing to confront them.

He's a real ostrich, he wouldn't even stand up to the waiter when he brought the wrong wine.

from L. avis "bird" + strouthos melage, “big sparrow”

699

Peregrination

Travel from one place to another, esp. on foot.

Meaghan remembered her twenties as a time of peregrinations.

from peregre "abroad," properly "that found outside Roman territory," from per-(q.v.) + agri, loc. of ager "field, territory, land, country". (see agriculture)

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Pious

Seemingly virtuous; affecting virtue hypocritically.

Lisa's pious parents wanted to send her to a religious school.

from L. pius "dutiful, kind, devout," perhaps related to L. purus "pure, clean" (see pure)

701

Poverty

The condition or quality of being poor; indigence; need.

According to some researchers, 1 out of 2 children in the world live in poverty.

from L. paupertatem, "poverty," from pauper (see poor).

702

Promulgate

To publish or make known officially.

The new law was promulgated over the radio and TV.

from L. promulgare "make publicly known," perhaps from provulgare, from pro"forth" + vulgare "make public, publish," (see divulge)

703

Qualm

A sudden, brief feeling of sickness, faintness, or nausea.

He had no qualms about eating worms for a bet.

from O.E. cwealm (W.Saxon) "death, disaster, plague," utcualm (Anglian) "utter destruction," related to cwellan "to kill," cwelan "to die" (see quell, kill)

704

Recondite

Beyond the grasp of the ordinary mind or understanding; profound.

Albert's movie tried to make his professor's recondite philosophy more understandable to ordinary people.

from L. recondere "store away," from re"away" + condere "to store, hide, put together," from con"together" + -dere "to put, place." (see contain)

705

Repudiate

To refuse to have anything to do with; disown or cast off publicly.

After the scandal, the politicians from his party were quick to repudiate Henry.

from L. repudiatus, pp. of repudiare "to divorce or reject," from repudium "divorce, rejection," from re- "back, away" + pudium, probably related to pes-/ped"foot."

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Sanity

Soundness of mind; mental health.

They began to doubt her sanity after she started talking to people who weren't there.

from L. sanitas "health, sanity," from sanus "healthy, sane." Meaning "soundness of mind”.

707

Shove

To push or thrust, as along a surface.

Shoving his way through the crowd, Jules managed to catch the train.

Ger. schieben "to push, thrust," (see scuffle, shuffle, shovel)

708

Splenetic

Bad-tempered, irritable, peevish, spiteful, etc.

The splenetic child was a nightmare to babysit.

from L. splen, “spleen”. Regarded in medieval physiology as the seat of morose feelings and bad temper. Hence fig. sense of "violent illtemper"

709

Sublime

Noble; exalted; majestic.

Rita felt that she had just spent a sublime couple of hours at the opera.

from L. sublimis "uplifted, high, lofty," possibly originally "sloping up to the lintel," from sub "up to" + limen "lintel."

710

Tamper

To interfere with or meddle with, esp. so as to damage, corrupt, etc.

The sign clearly said that it was forbidden to tamper with the machinery.

figurative use of tamper "to work in clay, etc.so as to mix it thoroughly," probably originally a variant of temper.

711

Traduce

To say untrue or malicious things about; defame; slander; vilify.

Karen was upset that the magazine article had so obviously tried to traduce her character.

from L. traducere "change over, convert," originally "lead along or across, transfer,'' from trans“across” + ducere “to lead” (see duke)

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Upbraid

To rebuke severely or bitterly; censure sharply.

Dirk upbraided his son for taking the car without permission.

from O.E. upbregdan “bring forth as a ground for censure," from up "up" + bregdan "move quickly, intertwine" (see braid)

713

Viscid

Having a cohesive and sticky fluid consistency; viscous.

The viscid honey dripped from the beehive.

from L. viscidus, from L. viscum "mistletoe, birdlime" (see viscous)

714

Xenophobia

Fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything foreign or strange.

Xenophobia is usually rampant during times of war.

from Greek xénos, “foreign” + phobos, “fear”. (see phobia)

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Adamant

Too hard to be broken.

She was adamant that she had seen a ghost.

from L. adamantem "unbreakable,", from a-"not" + daman "to conquer, to tame" (see tame, dominate)

716

Apartheid

The official policy (c. 1950-91) of strict racial segregation and discrimination against nonwhites practiced in South Africa.

Apartheid officially ended in South Africa in 1994.

from Fr. àpart; (see apart) + suffix -heid, cognate of Eng. -hood.

717

Asset

Exchange value.

One of Bruce Lee's chief assets as a fighter was his phenomenal speed.

from L. ad- "to" + satis "enough." Beginning as a legal term, "sufficient estate". (see satisfy)

718

Balloon

To cause to swell like a balloon; inflate.

The country's debt ballooned as it imported more than it exported.

from Fr. ballon, altered from It. pallone "large ball,", "to blow, swell", (see ball)

719

Biased

Having or showing bias or prejudice; not objective.

One could easily tell that the news report was biased because it interviewed no one from the other side.

from O.Fr. biais “slant, oblique”, origin uncertain.

720

Broach

To start a discussion of; bring up; introduce.

He tried to broach the subject as carefully as he could.

from fiugrative use of the literal meaning “to pierce”, from O.Fr. broche "spit for roasting, awl," from L. brocca "pointed tool"

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Chagrin

A feeling of embarrassment and annoyance because one has failed or been disappointed; mortification.

Much to Darla's chagrin, the fact that she was late meant they couldn't shoot that day.

from Fr. chagrin, literally “rough skin”, origin uncertain.

722

Combustion

Violent excitement or agitation; tumult.

The internal combustion engine is one of the most important inventions in history.

from L. combustionem, from comburere "to burn," from com- intens. prefix + burere, faulty sep. of amburere "to burn around," (see burn)

723

Consternation

Great fear or shock that makes one feel helpless or bewildered.

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 caused great consternation for a lot of people.

from L. consternationem, from consternare "lay prostrate, terrify" from com- intensive prefix + sternare "throw down."

724

Credulity

A tendency to believe too readily, esp. with little or no proof; lack of doubt.

The con artist preyed on the credulity of other people.

from L. credulus, from credere "to believe." (see credibility)

725

Deluge

A heavy rainfall.

A deluge of immigrants to the town caused racial tension to increase.

from L. diluvium, from diluere "wash away," from dis- "away" + -luere, from lavere "to wash" (see lavatory, laundry)

726

Diatribe

A bitter, abusive, criticism or denunciation.

The newspaper called his new work a diatribe against mindless sitcoms.

from Gk. Diatribe "discourse, study," lit. "a wearing away (of time)," from dia"away, through" (see diaphanous) + tribein "to wear, rub."

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Dissolution

A breaking up or into parts; disintegration.

The dissolution of the partnership was inevitable once the business went bankrupt.

from L. dissolutio, from the verb dissolvere, from dis, “apart” + solvere, “loosen or solve” (see dissolve, solution)

728

Ebullient

Bubbling; boiling.

Maki's ebullient spirit soon cheered everyone up.

from L. ebullientem, prp. of ebullire "to spout out, burst out," from ex- "out” + bullire "to bubble" (see boil)

729

Endearment

An endearing or being endeared; affection.

The couple had many terms of endearment for one another.

from en- "make, put in" + dear. Hence, endearment, "act of making dear."

730

Equipoise

Equal distribution of weight; state of balance, or equilibrium.

The equipoise of power shifted in 1917 when the USA entered World War One.

from of L. æquus "equal, even." + poise, from O.Fr. pois, peis, from an alteration of latin pensum, “weight, from the verb pendere, “weigh” (see ponder).

731

Exhort

To urge earnestly by advice, warning, etc. (to do what is proper or required); admonish strongly.

Joe exhorted his friends to come to volunteer with him.

from L. exhortationem, noun of action from exhortari, from ex"thoroughly" + hortari "encourage, urge" (see hortatory)

732

Fallacy

Aptness to mislead; deceptive or delusive quality.

The fallacy in his argument was obvious to anyone who listened carefully.

from L. fallacia "deception," from fallax "deceptive," from fallere "deceive." (see false)

Page 118

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Firebrand

A piece of burning wood.

The authorities made an attempt to arrest the firebrand, but he escaped with the support of the crowd.

O.E. fyr, from P. Gmc. fuir, + O.E. brand, from P.Gmc. brandaz, from base bran/bren- (see burn)

734

Forfeit

Something that one loses or has to give up because of some crime, fault, or neglect of duty.

Because of your drunk driving, you have to forfeit your license for a period of time.

from O.Fr. forfait "crime," originally pp. of forfaire "transgress," from for"outside, beyond," + faire "to do", from L. facere; (see fact)

735

Garrulous

Talking much or too much, esp, about unimportant things; loquacious.

Steve was the most garrulous freshman in the dorm, something which helped him both make and lose friends.

, from L. garrulus "talkative," from garrire "to chatter," from PIE base gar-/ger- "to cry," (see cry)

736

Hack

To chop or cut crudely, roughly.

They hacked at the tree in the yard until they were able to chop it down.

O.N. höggva "to hack, hew," from PIE kau"to hew, strike." (see hew)

737

Hubris

Wanton insolence or arrogance resulting from excessive pride or passion.

His hubris eventually led to his downfall.

from Gk. hybris "wanton violence, insolence, outrage," originally "presumption toward the gods," of unknown origin.

738

Impenitent

Without regret, shame, or remorse; unrepentant.

Although the parents scolded the child and explained why he shouldn't throw his food, he was impenitent.

from L. pænitentia "repentance," from pænitere "cause or feel regret," (see repentant, penitentiary) + imvariant of in- before -b-, -m-,-p-, in the sense of "not". (see impossible)

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Indigent

In poverty; poor; needy; destitute.

The charity was set up for the indigent refugees.

from L indigent-, from of indigere, “to need, lack, be poor,” from indi, “into”, + egere, “to need”

740

Insipid

Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty.

Charles thought the director's new movie was rather insipid.

from L. inspidus "tasteless," from L. in"not" + sapidus "tasty," from sapere "have a taste" (also "be wise"). (see sapient)

741

Irresolute

Not resolute; wavering in decision, purpose, or opinion; indecisive; vacillating.

The irresolute woman couldn't decide which job offer to take.

from L. in, “not”,(see irresponsible) +resolvere "to loosen, undo, settle," from re-, intensive prefix, + solvere "loosen" (see solve)

742

Loll

To lean or lounge about in a relaxed or lazy manner.

The friends went to the park for a picnic and spent the day lolling on the grass.

M.Du. lollen "to doze, mumble," somehow imitative of rocking or swinging.

743

Mendicant

A beggar; person who begs for alms.

The bus station always had a group of mendicants camped out near it.

from L. mendicantem, "beggar," from mendicare "to beg," from mendicus "beggar," originally "cripple", from mendum, “fault”. (see amend)

744

Nebulous

Unclear; vague; indefinite.

His nebulous plan did not inspire the other members of his group.

from L. nebulosus "cloudy, misty, foggy," from nebula (see nebula)

745

Odious

Arousing or deserving hatred or loathing; disgusting; offensive.

A lot of people think that cockroaches are most odious insects on the planet.

from L. odiosus "hateful," from odium "hatred", from the verb stem od, “hate” (see odium, hate)

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Parsimonious

Unwilling to spend money or resources; frugal, stingy.

June's parsimonious parents nevertheless gave her a large allowance.

from L. parsimonia "sparingness, frugality," from parcere "to spare, save" + -monia, suffix signifying action or condition.

747

Pertain

To belong; be connected to or associated with; be a part, accessory, etc.

I'm sorry, but your comment doesn't pertain at all to the issue we're discussing.

from L. pertinere "to reach, strech, relate, have reference to," from per- "through" + tenere "to hold" (see tenet)

748

Plummet

To fall or drop straight downward; plunge.

After the pilot ejected from the fighter jet, it plummeted straight down.

from O.Fr. plomet, dim. of plom "sounding lead" (see plumb)

749

Pristine

Still pure; uncorrupted ; unspoiled.

The pristine nature of the campsite was a joy to all who camped there.

from L. pristinus "former," from pri "before." Meaning "unspoiled,untouched, pure, primitive and undeveloped"

750

Pugnacious

Eager and ready to fight; quarrelsome; combative.

Katie was usually quite calm, but as soon as she started drinking, she became extremely pugnacious.

from L. pugnax, from pugnare, “to fight”, from pugnus, “fist” (see pugilist)

751

Raucous

Hoarse; roughsounding a raucous shout.

The raucous fans did their best to unnerve the opposing team.

from L. raucus "hoarse,” related to ravus "hoarse," L. racco "a roar."

752

Reluctant

Opposed in mind; unwilling; disinclined.

Tim was reluctant to leave Europe because his trip had been so fun.

from obsolete verb reluct "to struggle or rebel against", from L. reluctari "to struggle against," from re"against" + luctari "to struggle."

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Rotund

Round or rounded out; plump or stout.

Jon exercised because he didn't want to end up like his rotund parents.

from L. rotundus "round, circular, like a wheel," from rota "wheel" (see rotation)

754

Sententious

Expressing much in a few words; short and pithy; pointed.

Nick looked everywhere for the book of sententious proverbs.

from L. sententiosus "full of meaning, pithy," from sententia "opinion, maxim" (see sentence)

755

Solicitous

Showing care, attention, or concern.

Being solicitous towards your students is one of the qualities of a good teacher.

from L. sollicitus "restless, uneasy, careful" (see solicit)

756

Stipulate

To include specifically in the terms of an agreement, contract, etc.; arrange definitely.

The contract stipulated that the artist had to write at least four albums for the record company.

from L. stipulat, “demanded as a formal promise”, from the verb stipulari, “to demand” (see stipulation)

757

Suppliant

Asking humbly; supplicating; entreating.

The suppliant tenants convinced their landlord to let them pay that month's rent a little late.

from M.Fr. suppliant, from supplier "to plead humbly, entreat, beg, pray," from L. supplicare "beg, beseech" from sub, “from below” + placere, “propitiate” (see please)

758

Thrift

Careful management of one's money or resources; economy; frugality.

Mary learned the art of thrift from her parents.

from M.E. thriven "to thrive" (see thrive), possibly infl. by O.N. prift, variant of prif "prosperity," from prifask "to thrive."

759

Ulterior

Intentionally hidden.

He had ulterior motives for volunteering at the soup kitchen.

from L. ulterior "more distant, further," comparative of ulter "beyond" (see ultra)

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Verisimilitude

The appearance of being true or real.

Before the middle of the nineteenth century, a painting would have been judged in part on its verisimilitude.

from Fr. verisimilitude, from L. verisimilitudo "likeness to truth," from verus "true" (see verify) + similis "like, similar" (see similar)

761

Wax (verb)

To grow gradually larger, more numerous, etc.; increase in strength, intensity, volume.

The lunar month is based on the waxing and waning of the moon.

from OE weaxan, to grow, akin to Ger wachsen, relatd to L augere, GR auxein, to increase. (see augment)

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Abeyance

Temporary suspension, as of an activity or function.

The construction of the dam was in abeyance until more money could be found.

from O.Fr. abeance "aspiration, desire," noun of condition of abeer "aspire after, gape", from L. batare "to yawn, gape".

763

Alacrity

Eager willingness or readiness, often manifested by quick, lively action.

Gloria's parents were surprised that she did her chores with such alacrity.

from L. alacritatem, "liveliness," from alacer, "cheerful, brisk, lively;" cognate with Goth. aljan "zeal,"

764

Apt

Suited to its purpose; appropriate; fitting.

Everyone felt that the epitath on David's gravestone was very apt.

L aptus “fastened, fitted, fitting, appropriate”, from apere, “fasten” (see apply)

765

August

Inspiring awe and reverence; imposing and magnificent.

Due to a number of groundbreaking articles, Philip had become an august journalist by the end of his career.

from L. augustus, “consecrated, venerable”, sixth month of the Roman calendar, named for emperor Augustus Cæsar, lit. "Venerable Cæsar"

766

Bazaar

A market or street of shops and stalls esp. in Middle Eastern countries.

Kelly and Ned enjoyed haggling in the bazaar during their trip to Marrakech.

from It. bazarra, from Pers, bazar (Pahlavi vacar) "a market."

767

Bludgeon

To strike with or as with a bludgeon.

Millie didn't want to be bludgeoned into doing the Playboy shoot if she didn't want to.

from M.Fr. bougeon, dim. of bouge "a club.", of unknown origin.

768

Calligraphy

Beautiful handwriting, esp. as an art.

Venn always felt that penmanship and calligraphy should be taught in school.

from Gk. kaligraphia, from kallos "beauty" + graphein "to write" (see graph)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 769

Cleave

To split; separate; fall apart.

1. The knife cleaved the orange into two equal portions. 2. The pages of the magazine cleaved together after Bobby spilled milk on them.

1. from O.E. cleofan, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch klieven, and German klieben 2. from O.E. clifian, from W.Gmc. klibajanan, from PIE gloi- "to stick." (see clay, climb)

770

Compunction

A sharp feeling of uneasiness brought on by a sense of guilt; remorse.

Victor felt no compunction for never learning to write cursive.

from L. compunctus, pp.of compungere "to severely prick, sting," from com- intensive prefix + pugere "to prick." (see point, puncture)

771

Conviction

A strong belief.

His conviction was that spas were just a waste of time.

from L. convictus, pp. of convincere (see convince)

772

Dart

To move swiftly; spring or start suddenly and run swiftly.

The zebra darted through the plains in its effort to elude the tigers.

from O. Fr.dart, from P.Gmc, darothuz, source of O.E. daroð. Verb meaning "to move like a dart"

773

Deprecate

To feel and express disapproval of; plead against.

Chloe felt that her parents were deprecating her decision to be a housewife instead of a lawyer.

from L. deprecat, “prayed against (as being evil)”, from the verb deprecari, from de, expressing reversal, + precari “pray” (see imprecate)

774

Discomfit

To frustrate the plans or expectations of.

Edgar was slightly discomfited by his sister's antics.

from O.Fr. desconfit, pp. of desconfire "to defeat, destroy," from des- "not" + conficere "put together”, (see confection)

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Doggerel

Trivial, awkward, often comic verse characterized by a monotonous rhythm.

Hubert's first attempts at poetry were nothing but doggerel.

the root word probably from dog.

776

Elate

To raise the spirits of; make very proud, happy, or joyful.

The detective was elated when he finally solved the mystery.

from L. elatus "elevated," pp. of efferre, from ex- "out" + ferre "carry" (see transfer)

777

Enmity

The bitter attitude or feelings of an enemy or of mutual enemies; hostility; antagonism.

The argument happened so long ago, that both of them have forgotten the original cause of their enmity.

from O.Fr. enemistie, from L. inimicitatem from L. inimicitia "enmity, hostility," from inimicus "enemy" from, in, “not” + amicus, “friend” (see enemy)

778

Espouse

To give in marriage.

Many people espouse the idea that one should be presumed innocent until found guilty.

from L. sponsalia, neut. pl. of sponsalis "of a betrothal," from sponsa "spouse." Espouse is from 1435; extended sense of "adopt, embrace" (see spouse, sponsor)

779

Expurgate

To remove passages considered obscene or otherwise objectionable from (a book, etc.).

The final edit expurgated many of the movie's sex scenes that had been in the original edit.

from L. purgare "cleanse, purify," from Old L. purigare, from purus "pure" (see pure) + root of agere "to drive, make" (see act)

780

Feral

Untamed; wild.

Bill kept a feral dog in his yard to scare off burglars.

from L. fera, in phrase fera bestia "wild beast," from ferus "wild" (see fierce)

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Fleet

Swift; rapid; speedy.

The transportation company's fleet of trucks was among the fastest in the business.

O.E. fleot "ship, floating vessel," from fleotan "to float," from P.Gmc. fleut-, from PIE base pleu- "to flow, run, swim." (see flow, float)

782

Franchise

Any special right, privilege, or exemption granted by the government.

McDonald's is perhaps the most well known restaurant franchise in the world.

from O.Fr. franchise "freedom," from variant stem of franc "free” (see frank)

783

Gossamer

A very thin, soft, filmy cloth.

The butterfly's gossamer wings are very fragile.

apparently from gos "goose" + sumer "summer" (related to Swed. sommertrad "summer thread").

784

Haven

A port; harbor.

During his time in Paris, Marc considered the Louvre a haven from his troubles.

from O.N. hofn, from Ger. Hafen, “harbor”, perhaps from PIE kap- "to sieze, hold contain" (see have)

785

Idyll

A short poem or prose work describing a simple, peaceful scene of rural or pastoral life.

Milton is best known for “Paradise Lost”, but he composed several popular idylls in his life.

from L. idyllium, from Gk. eidyllion "short, descriptive poem of rustic or pastoral type," lit. "a little picture," dim. of eidos “idol” (see idol)

786

Implicate

To show to have a connection with a crime, fault, etc.; involve.

The president's chief of staff was implicated in the scandal.

from L. implicitus, later variant of implicatus, pp. of implicare, from im, “in” + plicare, “to fold” (see imply)

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Inexorable

That cannot be moved or influenced by persuasion or entreaty; unrelenting.

The conductor was inexorable, Dina either had to pay the fair or get off the train.

from L. inexorabilis "that which cannot be moved by entreaty," from in- "not" exorabilis "able to be entreated," from exorare "to prevail upon," from ex- "out" + orare "pray". (see oration)

788

Intransigent

Refusing to compromise or come to an agreement; very stubborn.

The band fell apart because the drummer and the singer were both extremely intransigent and could never compromise on anything.

from Fr. intransigeant, from Sp. los intransigentes, lit. "not coming to an agreement," name for extreme republican party in Sp. Cortes 1873-4, from in- "not" + transigente "compromising," from L. transigentem , prp. of transigere "come to an agreement, accomplish, to carry through" (see transact)

789

Lachrymose

Inclined to shed many tears; tearful.

Her lachrymose mother cried at literally almost anything.

from L. lacrimosus "tearful, sorrowful," from lacrima "tear," a dialect-altered borrowing of Gk. dakryma "tear," from dakryein "to shed tears"

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Macabre

Grim and horrible; gruesome; ghastly.

The macabre murder made the headlines for a week straight.

from O.Fr. (danse) Macabré "(dance) of Death", perhaps from Macabe, “a Maccabee”, referring to a miracle play depicting the slaughter of the Maccabees.

791

Mischievous

Incline to annoy or vex with playful tricks; naughty.

Dean was a mischievous child who preferred playing tricks on people to doing his homework.

from O.Fr. meschief, verbal noun from meschever "come or bring to grief, be unfortunate", from mes, “adversely” + chever, “come to an end”, from chef, “head” (see chief)

792

Nostrum

A patent medicine of a kind sold with exaggerated claims; quack medicine.

Kevin's nostrums invariably failed to fix the problems they were intended for.

from L. nostrum remedium "our remedy," presumably that prepared by the person offering it, from L. nostrum, neut. of noster "our," from nos "we,"

793

Ostracize

Banish, bar, exclude, etc. by ostracism.

The young man was ostracized from his village because he had stolen money from the village church.

from Gk. ostrakismos, from ostrakizein "to ostracize," from ostrakon "tile, potsherd," related to osteon "bone," ostreion "oyster". In ancient Greece, voting to banish unpopular citizens was done on shells or tiles.

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Penury

Lack of money, property, or necessities; extreme poverty; destitution.

Gabriel was rescued from his state of penury by the death of a rich uncle.

from L. penuria "want, need," related to paene "scarcely."

795

Pinch

To cause distress or discomfort to.

Thelma felt that her new shoes pinched her feet too much.

from L. punctum "point", and piccare "to pierce." (see point, puncture)

796

Potent

Having authority or power; mighty; influential.

The economist's book was a potent argument for less tariffs.

from L pontentem "powerful," prp.of potere "be powerful," from potis "powerful, able, capable" (cognate with Skt. Patih "master, husband,") (see potential)

797

Prolix

So wordy as to be tiresome; verbose.

Laura thought that the author's new work was too prolix to deserve the prizes it won.

from L. prolixus "extended," lit. "poured out," from pro- "forth" + base of liquere "to flow" (see liquid)

798

Quail

To draw back in fear; lose heart or courage; cower.

The young recruits quailed at the approaching enemy army.

from M.Du quelen "to suffer, be ill," from P.Gmc. kwel- "to die" (see quell, kill)

799

Reconcile

To make friendly again or win over to a friendly attitude.

Finn and Mick reconciled over a friendly game of chess.

from L. reconcilare "to bring together again," from re- again" + concilare "make friendly" (see conciliatory)

800

Reprove

To speak to in disapproval; rebuke.

Jackie reproved Carmine for his inflexibility.

from L.L.reprobare "disapprove, reject, condemn" (see reprobate)

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Sanguine

Cheerful and confident; optimistic; hopeful.

The new discovery created a sanguine mood in the lab.

from L. sanguineus "of blood," also "bloody, bloodthirsty," from sanguis "blood"

802

Shoot (noun)

The act of shooting.

Pandas feed mainly on bamboo shoots.

Du. schieten, Ger. schieβen from PIE base skeud- "to shoot, to chase, to throw, to project"

803

Specious

Seeming to be good, sound, correct, logical, etc. without really being so.

Her specious arguments managed to fool the jury.

from L. speciosus "good-looking, beautiful," from species "appearance" (see species)

804

Subdue

To make less intense; reduce; diminish; soften, allay.

The police managed to subdue the drugdealer when he tried to run from the scene of the crime.

from L. subducere "draw, lead away from below" (see seduce)

805

Tamp

To pack firmly or pound (down) by a series of blows or taps.

Sue tamped down the dirt around the cactus on her windowsill.

"to fill (a hole containing an explosive) with dirt or clay before blasting,” a workmen's word, perhaps a backformation from tampion.

806

Tractable

Easily managed, taught, or controlled; docile; complaint.

Chris prayed for a class of tractable kids this year.

from L. tractabilis "that which may be touched, handled, or managed," from tractare "to handle, manage" (see treat)

807

Untoward

Inappropriate, improper, unseemly, etc.

Because of his untoward comments, James only went on one date with Nina.

1526, "not having inclination" (to or for something), also "difficult to manage, unruly," from un- "not" + toward.

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Visceral

Intuitive, instinctive, emotional, etc. rather than intellectual.

For Gary, horror movies were a visceral pleasure rather than an intellectual one.

from L. viscus, “the internal organs in the body” (see eviscerate)

809

Woo

To try to get.

After many months of wooing her, James finally convinced Nina to go on a date with her.

from OE. wōgian, whence wōgere “wooer”; of unkn. orig.

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Abysmal

Of or like an abyss; bottomless; unfathomable.

Despite of all the stars who acted in it, the movie was an abysmal failure.

from L. abyssimus, superl. of L. abyssus (see abyss). from L. abyssus, from Gk. abyssos "bottomless,” from a- “without" + byssos "bottom," related to bathos "depth."

811

Amicable

Characterized by friendly goodwill; peaceable.

Their breakup was initially quite amicable.

from L. amicabilis, a word in Roman law, from L. amicus "friend," related to amare "to love" (see amiable)

812

Ascend

To go up; move upward; rise.

She ascended the ranks at her law firm until finally she was made partner.

from L. ascendere "to climb up," from ad"to" + scandere "to climb." (see descend, escalator)

813

Avow

To declare openly or admit frankly.

During the revolution, many people were forced to avow their allegiance to the new rulers.

O.Fr. avouer "acknowledge, accept,” from L. advocare (see advocate)

814

Benefactor

A person who has given help, esp. financial help; patron.

Mike's benefactor didn't know that Mike actually spent the money that was sent him not on art supplies but on trips to Las Vegas.

from L. benefactor, from L. phrase bene facere, from bene "well" (see benefit) + facere "to do" (see fact)

815

Brash

Hasty and reckless; rash; impetuous.

The brash CEO angered most of the boardmembers and so was quickly fired.

originally Amer.Eng.; perhaps akin to Scottish brash "attack, assault"

816

Carnal

In or of the flesh; bodily; material or worldly, not spiritual.

40 years ago, the movie would have been banned because of its carnal nature.

from L. carnalis "natural, of the same blood," from L. carnis "of the flesh," (see carnival)

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Cogitate

To think seriously and deeply (about) ponder; meditate; consider.

They chose a quiet spot in the bar to cogitate on their problem.

from L. cogitat, “considered”, from the verb cogitare, from co, “together”, + agitare, “turn over, consider”. (see agitation)

818

Conjoin

To join together; unite; combine.

He was a good basketball player because he conjoined talent with tireless practice.

from L. conjungere "to join together," from com- "together" + jungere "join" (see junction, join)

819

Countermand

To cancel or revoke (a command or order).

The general countermanded his earlier order to attack the plane.

from M.Fr.contremander "reverse an order or command," from contre- "against" + mander, from L. mandare "to order" (see mandate, command).

820

Deference

A yielding in opinion, judgment, or wishes.

Marcos showed great deference to his grandfather.

from L. deferre "carry away, transfer, grant;" modern sense is from meaning "refer (a matter) to someone," from de- “down, away" + ferre "carry" (see transfer)

821

Detach

To unfasten or separate and remove; disconnect; disengage.

Some religions believe that at the moment of death, the soul detaches from the body and flies up to heaven.

from O.Fr. destachier, from des- "apart" + attachier "attach" (see attach)

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Dismal

Causing gloom or misery; depressing.

What a dismal week, nothing went right!

from O.Fr. dis mals "(the) bad days," from L. dies mali "evil or unlucky days," from L. dies "days" (see diurnal), and mal, “bad” (see malicious)

823

Dulcet

Soothing or pleasant to hear; sweet- sounding; melodious.

The opera star's dulcet voice drew many crowds.

from L. dulcis, “sweet”

824

Emergence

The act or process of emerging.

The emergence of fascism in the 1930s was caused partly by the bad economic conditions of that time.

from L. emergere "rise out or up," from ex- "out" + mergere "to dip, sink" (see merge)

825

Epistle

A letter, esp. a long, formal, instructive letter.

Yesterday, Clark received the epistle from Lara that he had been expecting all week.

from L. epistola "letter," from Gk. epistole "message, letter," from epistellein "send to," from epi"to" + stellein "send."

826

Excise

A tax or duty on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of various commodities within a country, such as liquor, tobacco, etc.

Because of the excise taxes on cigarettes, many people quit smoking that year.

from L. excis, “cut out”, from the verb excidere, from ex, “out of” + caedere, “to cut” (see incision, scissors, cut)

827

Extrapolate

To arrive at (conclusions or result) by hypothesizing from known facts or observations.

Extrapolating from what she had seen, Jenna concluded that her neighbors were planning to move.

from extra, “outside” + a shortened form of interpolate, from L. interpolatus, pp. of interpolare "alter, freshen up, falsify,' from inter- "up" + polare, related to polire "to smoothe, polish." (see polish)

Page 135

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Fidelity

Faithful devotion to duty or to one's obligations or vows; loyalty; faithfulness.

What Peter prized most in his girlfriend was her fidelity.

from L. fidelitatem, "fidelity," from fidelis "loyal, faithful" (see faith)

829

Foment

To treat with warm water, medicated lotions, etc.

The mine owner felt that the striking miners fomented nothing but trouble.

from L. fomentare, from L. fomentum "warm application, poultice," from fovere "to warm, cherish, encourage."

830

Fulsome

Complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree

The chef was embarrassed by the fulsome praise of the critic who reviewed her restaurant.

from M.E. compound of ful "full" + -som "some." Sense evolved from "abundant, full" (see full)

831

Grouse

To complain; grumble.

Quit your grousing and help me push this car!

from O.Fr. groucier "to murmur, grumble," of imitative origin (related to Gk. gru "a grunt")

832

Hoax

A trick or fraud, esp. one meant as a practical joke.

The hoax was so well planned that almost everyone fell for it.

alt. of hocus "conjurer, juggler" (1640), or directly from hocuspocus. (see hocus pocus)

833

Immutable

Never changing or varying; unchangeable.

They immutable laws of physics are just as true now as they were a billion years ago.

from L. immutabilis "unchangeable," from in- “not” + mutabilis “changeable,” from mutare "to change" (see mutant)

834

Increment

The fact of becoming greater or larger.

He increased the weight that he was bench pressing in small increments.

from L.incrementum "growth, increase," from stem of increscere "to grow in or upon" (see increase)

Page 136

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Inimical

Like an enemy; hostile; unfriendly.

The president's advisers told him that signing the treaty would be inimical to the country's interests.

from L. inimicus "unfriendly, an enemy", from in, “not”, + amicus, “friend” (see enemy)

836

Inveterate

Firmly established over a long period; of long standing; deep-rooted.

He was an inveterate gambler, but fortunately he was pretty good.

from L. inveteratus "of long standing, chronic," pp. of inveterare "become old in," from in- "into" + veterare "to make old," from vetus "old" (see veteran)

837

Legerdemain

Sleight of hand; skill of a stage magician.

The magician acquired his legerdemain through many years of practice.

from M.Fr. léger de main "quick of hand," from léger "light" in weight, from L. levis "light;" (see lift) + main "hand", from L. manus, (see manual)

838

Matriculation

To admit or be admitted into a group, especially a college or university.

Nick' parents gave him a present for his successful matriculation at Columbia.

from L. matriculat, “enrolled”, from the verb matriculare, from matricula, “register”, diminutive of matrix, from mater, “mother”

839

Morose

Ill-tempered; gloomy, sullen, etc.

Emily became morose when the electricity went out because she couldn't watch her favorite sitcom.

from L. morosus "morose, peevish, fastidious," from mos "habit, custom" (see moral)

840

Obsequious

Showing too great a willingness to serve or obey; fawning.

The obsequious journalist wrote each article keeping in mind what his editor liked and what he didn't.

from L. obsequiosus "compliant, obedient," from ob "after" + sequi "follow" (see sequel)

Page 137

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Pallid

Faint in color; pale; wan

When the doctor saw Jerry's pallid features, she realized he hadn't quite recovered yet.

from L. pallidus "pale," from root of pallere "be pale" (see pale)

842

Permeate

To pass into or through and affect every part of.

The spies permeated the enemy country's secret police.

from L. permeare "to pass through," from per- "through" + meare "to pass," from PIE base mei-/moi"to change" (see mutable)

843

Platitude

A commonplace, flat, or dull quality, as in speech or writing.

The new history textbook contains nothing but platitudes and cliches in it's chapter on the Cold War.

from Fr. platitude "flatness, vapidness" from O.Fr. plat "flat” (see flat)

844

Prehensile

Adapted for seizing or grasping, esp. by wrapping or folding around something, as the tail of certain monkeys.

Some monkeys have evolved with prehensile tails so that they could swing through trees more easily.

from L. prehensus, pp. of prehendere "to grasp, to seize," from præ- "before" + hendere, “to grasp” (see apprehend)

845

Provenance

Origin; derivation; source.

The provenance of that custom is unknown.

from L. provenire "come forth, organize," from pro"forth" + venire "come." (see invent)

846

Radiant

Filled with light; bright.

Luke's radiant face showed just how happy he was.

from L. radiantem "shining," prp. of radiare "to beam, shine" (see radiation)

847

Refulgent

Shining; radiant; glowing; resplendent.

Mary's refulgent smile put everyone at ease.

from L. refelgentum, prp. of refulgere "flash back, shine brilliantly," from re- "back" + fulgere "to shine" (see fulminate)

Page 138

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Resuscitate

To revive, esp. from apparent death or from unconsciousness.

The life guard successfully resuscitated the child.

from L. resuscitationem, from L. resuscitatus, pp. of resuscitare "rouse again, revive," from re- "again" + suscitare "to raise, revive," from sub "(up from) under" + citare "to summon".

849

Scent

To get a hint or liking of.

After interviewing many witnesses, the detectives were able to pick up the criminal's scent.

from L. sentire " to feel, perceive, sense" (see sense)

850

Slack

Slow; idle; sluggish;, loose; relaxed.

He was slack in his duties, so they fired him.

from P.Gmc. slakes, from PIE base (s)leg"to be slack" (see lax)

851

Stentorian

Very loud

Josh's stentorian voice could be heard from one end of the field to the other.

from Stentor, legendary Gk. herald in the Trojan War, whose voice (described in the "lliad") was as loud as 50 men. His name is from Gk. stenein "groan, moan,", "thunder."

852

Sumptuous

Involving great expense; costly; lavish.

The sumptuous dinner impressed all the guests.

from L. sumptuosus "costly, expensive," from sumptus "cost, expense," pp. of sumere "spend, consume, take," (see consume)

Page 139

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Teetotal

Advocating, or pledged to, total abstinence from intoxicating drink.

Richard quit his teetotal lifestyle when he realized he was doing that just to feel superior to other people.

reduplicated variation of total, coined by R. Turner, of Preston, England, in 1833, in a speech advocating total abstinence from alcoholic drinks.

854

Truculence

Fierce; cruel; savagely brutal.

The dictator's regime was characterized by oppression and truculence.

from L. truculentus, from trux, truc, “fierce”

855

Vapor

A gaseous substance suspended in the air.

There were many hazardous vapors in the factory, so workers were required to wear masks.

from Anglo-Fr. vapour, from L. vaporem "exhalation, steam, heat," (see vaporize)

856

Wag

Move or cause to move rapidly to and fro.

Yves earned the reputation of being a wag in his first year of high school.

from ME waggen, from ON vaga “to sway,” or vagga “cradle”

Page 140

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Adhere

To stick fast; stay attached.

The Johnson family adhered to its principles, no matter what the circumstances.

L. adhærentem, prp.of adhærere "stick to," from ad- "to" + hærere "to stick" (see hesitation)

858

Apathetic

Having or showing little or no feeling or emotion : spiritless.

Kris found it difficult to teach history to a bunch of apathetic teenagers.

from L. apathia, from apathes "without feeling," from a"without " + pathos, “feeling” (see sympathy)

859

Assiduous

Done with constant and careful attention.

He practiced assiduously until he could play the song.

from L. assidere "to sit beside" (and thus to assist in the office of a judge), from ad-"to" + sedere "to sit." (see supersede)

860

Balm

Any fragrant ointment or aromatic oil for healing or anointing.

Reading Rilke's poetry was a balm for his troubled soul.

from L. balsamum, from Gk. balsamon "balsam," from Heb. basam "spice," (see balsam)

861

Bigot

A person who holds blindly and intolerantly to a particular creed, opinion etc.

Stop being such a prejudiced bigot and try open your mind a little!

from M.Fr. bigot, from O.Fr., supposedly a derogatory name for Normans, from their frequent use of O.E. oath bi God.

862

Bromide

A trite saying; platitude, typically intended to sooth or placate.

No bromides would help her now, she wanted to know the truth.

from Fr. brome, from Gk. bromos "stench."

863

Chary

Not taking chances; careful; cautious.

Tom was chary of walking through his neighborhood late at night.

O.E. cearig "sorrowful" (see care). Sense evolved 16c. from "full of care" to "careful."

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Commemorate

To honor the memory of, as by a ceremony.

The statue was supposed to commemorate 200 years of democracy in the country.

from L. commemorationem, from commemorare "to call to mind," from com-intens. prefix + memorare "to remind,"(see memory)

865

Constrict

To make smaller or narrower, esp. at one place, by binding, squeezing, or shrinking; contract.

Frank felt that he was being constricted to a few unappealing choices.

from L. constrictus, pp. of constringere "compress" from com, “together” + stringere, “to draw tight” (see constrain, restrict)

866

Credulous

Tending to believe; too easily convinced.

The credulous man fell for the con artist's trick.

from L. credulus, from credere "to believe ." (see incredible)

867

Demagogue

A person who tries to stir up the people by appeals to emotion, prejudice, etc. in order to win them over quickly and so gain power.

Some people consider Hugo Chavez nothing but a demagogue.

from Gk. demagogos "leader of the people," from demos "people" (see democracy) + agogos "leader," from agein "to lead" (see act)

868

Dichotomy

Division into two parts, groups, or classes, esp. when these are sharply distinguished or opposed.

The dichotomy between faith and doubt is one of the main themes of Dostoyevsky's novels.

from Gk. Dichotomia "a cutting in half," from dicha "in two" + temnein "to cut" (see tome)

869

Distend

To stretch out.

My granmdother claims that drinking water too quickly distends the belly.

from L. distendere "to swell or stretch out, extend," from dis"apart” + tendere "to stretch" (see thin)

Page 142

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Ecumenical

General or universal; esp., of or concerning the Christian church.

Miami hosted a large ecumenical conference last year.

from L. oecumenicus "general, universal," from Gk. oikoumenikos, from oikoumene "the inhabited world.”

871

Endemic

Native to a particular country, nation ,or region: said of plants ,animals, and sometimes customs, etc.

In the Paris of Medieval times, because of a lack of proper sewage disposal, typhoid fever was endemic.

from Gk. Endemos "native," from en-"in" + demos "people, district" (see demotic).

872

Equivocal

That which can have more then one interpretation.

He did not appreciate her equivocal response because he didn't know what she really wanted.

from L.L. æquivocationem, from æquivocus "of identical sound," from L. æquus "equal" + vocare "to call" (see voice)

873

Exigency

A situation calling for immediate action or attention.

The financial exigency made it clear that she had to get a second job.

from L. exigentia "urgency," from L. exigentem, from exigere "to demand" (see exact)

874

Fallow

Left uncultivated or unplanted.

The farmer let part of his field lie fallow for a year.

from O.E. fealgian, “to break up land for sowing” (see plow)

875

Fission

A splitting apart; division into parts.

The civil war caused a fission in the country.

from L. fissionem, "a breaking up, cleaving," from root of findere "to split" (see fissure)

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Forge

To make something false or imitate something genuine for purposes of deception or fraud.

The friends decided to forge the money they needed in order to buy Christmas gifts for the orphans.

from L. fabrica "workshop," from faber "workman in hard materials, smith." Sense of "to counterfeit" is in Anglo-Fr. verb forger "falsify," (see fabricate)

877

Gaucherie

Awkwardness; tactlessness.

Before she could marry the king, they had to get rid of the journalist's gaucheries.

from Fr. gauche "left", originally "awkward, awry," from M.Fr. gauchir "turn aside,swerve" (see gauche)

878

Halcyon

Tranquil, happy, idyllic, usually with nostalgic reference to earlier times.

Many people now look on the 90s as halcyon days when the economy was booming.

from L. halcyon, from Gk. halkyon, variant (perhaps a misspelling) of alkyon "kingfisher," from hals "sea, salt" + kyon "conceiving," prp. of kyein "to conceive"

879

Hurdle

A difficulty to be overcome; obstacle.

Jennifer overcame many hurdles before she started her first profitable business.

from O.E. hyrdel "frame of intertwined twigs used as a temprorary barrier," dim. of hyrd "door,"

880

Imperative

Absolutely necessary; urgent; compelling.

It is imperative that you arrive here on time.

from L. imperativus "pertaining to a command," pp. of imperare "to command, to requistion," from in"in" + parare "beget,bear"

881

Indigenous

Existing, growing, or produced naturally in a region or country.

Horses are not indigenous to North America, they were brought over from Europe.

from L.indigena "a native," lit. "in-born person," from Old L. indu "in, within" + gen-, root of gignere, "beget," (see genes)

Page 144

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Insolvent

Not solvent; unable to pay debts as they become due; bankrupt.

The company was close to becoming insolvent, but was saved by an emergency loan.

from L. solventem, prp. of solvere "loosen, dissolve" (see solve) + in- "not" + L. solventem "paying".

883

Irrevocable

That cannot be revoked, recalled, or undone; unalterable.

He made an irrevocable decision to give her possessions away and join a monastery.

from L. irrevocabilis "that cannot be recalled," from in"not" + revocabilis (see revoke)

884

Loquacious

Very talkative; fond of talking.

The loquacious bartender made everyone in the bar feel at home.

L. loquax "talkative," from loqui "to speak," of unknown origin. (see interlocutor)

885

Mercenary

Working or done for payment only; motivated by a desire for money or other gain; venal; greedy.

Mercenary soldiers fight only for money, but are usually as dependable as soldiers that fight for other reasons.

from L. mercenarius "one who does anything for pay," lit. "hired, paid," from merces "pay, reward, wages," from merx, “wares, merchandise” (see market, merchandise)

886

Negligent

Habitually failing to do the required thing, neglectful.

The negligent doctor would have injured many of his patients had not his nurses looked after them.

from L. neglegentia "carelessness, heedlessness," from neglegentem, prp. of neglegere "to neglect". (see neglect)

887

Odium

Hatred, esp. of a person or thing regarded as loathsome.

The writer's controversial book made him the target of general odium.

from L. odium "ill-will, hatred, offense," related to odi "I hate", from PIE base od - "to hate" (see hate)

Page 145

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Partisan

A person who takes the part of or strongly supports one side, party, or person.

Supposedly objective TV news shows are becoming more and more partisan.

upper It. partezan "member of a faction, partner," from parte "part, party," (see party, partner)

889

Pest

A person or thing that causes trouble, annoyance, discomfort, etc.; nuisance.

Sandy thought that Herbert was a major pest, because he was always trying to copy her homework.

from L. pestis "deadly contagious disease." Meaning "noxious or troublesome person or thing" (see pesticide)

890

Plunge

To throw oneself, dive, or rush, as into water, a fight, etc.

Laura plunged into her new job with enthusiasm.

from L. plumbicare "to heave the lead," from plumbum “lead" (see plumb)

891

Prize (Verb)

To value highly; esteem.

The new recruit was prized for his athletic ability.

from O.Fr. pris, stem of preisier, “to praise, appraise,” (see appraise)

892

Punch

Forcefulness, effectiveness, or pungency in content or appeal; power; zest.

The article packed a lot of punch in just a couple of short paragraphs.

from O.Fr. ponchonner "to punch, prick, stamp," from ponchon "pointed tool, piercing weapon"

893

Reactionary

A person or set of views opposing political or social liberalization or reform.

His reactionary views were unpopular in his liberal home state.

from Fr. réactionnaire (19c.), from réaction (see reaction), from re- "again, anew" + action, from stem of agere "to do". (see act)

894

Remiss

Careless in attending to a task; lax in the performance of duty.

The newspaper was remiss in portraying the conflict so onesidedly.

from L. remissus, pp. of remittere "slacken, abate, let go" (see remit)

Page 146

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Rubric

Any heading, title, etc. as of a chapter or section.

The document's rubric explained well what its purpose was.

from O.Fr. rubrique, from L. rubrica "red ochre, red coloring matter," from ruber, from PIE base rudhro(see red)

896

Sequence

To arrange in a sequence; put in order.

A sequence of preventable mistakes almost caused the nuclear power plant to shut down.

from L. sequentem, prp. of sequi "to follow" (see sequel)

897

Solvent

Something that solves or explains.

Hydrochloric is a commonly used solvent.

from L. solventem, prp. of solvere "loosen, dissolve" (see solve)

898

Stoic

One who is indifferent to or free from passion.

Her stoic acceptance of her fate was remarkable.

from L. stoicus, from GK. stoikos "pertaining to a member of or the teachings of the school founded by Zeno (c.334-c.262 B.C.E.), because the school met at the Stoa Poikille, or Painted Porch.

899

Supplicate

To ask for humbly and earnestly, as by prayer; petition earnestly.

Oliver supplicated the headmaster for a little more food.

from L. supplicātus, ptp. of supplicāre, “to kneel, from supplex, “submissive, suppliant” (see supple)

900

Timid

Easily frightened; lacking selfconfidence; shy; timorous.

He finally overcame his timid nature when he began to study the martial arts.

from L. timidus "fearful," from timere "to fear." (see timorous)

Page 147

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Umbrage

Offense or resentment.

The duchess took umbrage at the duke's remarks.

from M.Fr. ombrage "shade, shadow,"early meaning was “shadowy” outline, which became “ground for suspicion”, and the current meaning.

902

Veritable

Being such practically or in effect.

Milton was a veritable encyclopedia of useless information.

from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr. veritable "true," from verité + -able. (see verify)

903

Weave

To do weaving; make cloth.

The boxer dodged and weaved throughout the fight.

from O.E wefan, of Germanic origin

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Abut

To end (on) or lean (upon) at one end.

His backyard abutted the highway.

from O.Fr. abouter "join end to end," from à "to" + bout "end," (see butt)

905

Amendment

The act of amending: a change made by correction, addition, or deletion.

The country's constitution has already had more than a dozen amendments.

from L. emendare "to correct, free from fault," from ex- "out" + menda "fault, blemish", (see amend)

906

Articulate

Expressing oneself easily and clearly.

Maybe one of the points of education is learning how to articulate your thoughts and desires.

from L. articulatus, pp. of articulare "to separate (meat) into joints," also "to utter distinctly," from articulus, dim. of artus "joint" (see article)

907

Avid

Having an intense craving; greedy.

He was an avid mountain climber.

from L. avidus "longing eagerly for," from avere "to desire eagerly."

908

Benediction

A blessing.

The man gave his older daughter his benediction shortly before he died.

from L. benedictionem, noun of action from benedicere "to speak well of, bless," from bene "well" + dicere "to speak" (see diction)

909

Brandish

To wave, shake, or exhibit in a menacing, challenging, or exultant way; flourish.

The guards brandished their weapons as soon as they saw the people approaching them.

from O.Fr. brandiss-, stem of brandir "to flourish a sword," of Frank. origin (see brand).

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Casual

Happening by chance; not planned; incidental; not serious.

A casual encounter in a bookstore led to a great friendship.

from L. casus "chance, "event" (see case) Of persons, in the sense of “not to be depended on, unmethodical"

911

Cogent

Forceful and to the point, as a reason or argument; compelling; convincing.

Her cogent arguments convinced the jury.

from L. cogentem (nom. cogens), prp. of cogere "to curdle, to compel, to collect," from com- "together" + agere "to drive" (see act)

912

Congenital

Existing as such at birth.

He had a congenital heart defect which actually was not that serious at all.

from L congenitus, from con- “with” + geni-, from gignere to give birth (see genes)

913

Counterfeit

Made in imitation of something genuine so as to deceive or defraud.

The police eventually discovered who was printing all that counterfeit money.

from O.Fr. contrefait "imitated," pp. of contrefaire "imitate," from contre-"against" + faire "to make, to do" (see fact)

914

Defer

To put off until a future time; postpone; delay.

Normally, if you defer payment on money you owe, the interest on it increases.

from L. differre "set apart, put off, delay," also "be different, differ," from dis"apart" + ferre "carry" (see transfer)

915

Desultory

Lacking direct relevance; random; incidental.

Karl spent most of his twenties in desultory travel around Europe.

from L. desultorius, adj. form of desultur "hasty, casual, superficial," from desilire "jump down," from de- "down" + salire "to jump, leap" (see assault)

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Dislodge

To force from a position or place where lodged, hiding, etc.; drive out.

They tried to dislodge the bullet from the wall, but it was buried too deeply.

from O.Fr. desloger "to leave or cause to leave a lodging place," from des- "do the opposite of" + loger (see lodge)

917

Dud

A person or thing that fails or is ineffectual.

Robbie was surprised that there were so many duds in the packet of firecrackers he bought.

from OE dudde, “cloak, mantle,” by the early 19th century meaning developed into “person in ragged clothing,” and then “useless person or thing” by the end of the 19th century, and finally “shell which doesn't explode,” during WWI.

918

Embryonic

Of or like an embryo.

Their embryonic friendship later turned into a very close bond.

from Gk. embryon, in Homer, "young animal," later, "fruit of the womb," lit. "that which grows," from en- "in" + bryein "to swell, be full."

919

Epicurean

Of Epicurus or his philosophy.

Martha thought her epicurean uncle was her most interesting family member.

from L. Epicurus, from Gk. Epicouros, Greek philosopher who taught that pleasure is the highest good, and that the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil, life.

920

Evolve

To develop by gradual changes; unfold.

Fossils can sometimes be a good record of how certain animals evolved.

from L. evolvere "unroll," from ex- "out" + volvere "to roll" (see revolution)

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Extralegal

Outside of legal control or authority; not regulated by law.

The policemen were accused of their extralegal tactics.

from L. extra“outside” + legalis "legal, pertaining to the law," from lex (gen. legis)" law (see illegal)

922

Feud

A bitter, protracted, and violent quarrel.

The feud between the two families was resolved when they sat down for a talk.

from Ofr. fede, from O.G. fehida "contention, quarrel, feud," (see foe)

923

Foil

To keep from being successful; thwart; frustrate.

Ricky foiled his sister's plans by accident.

from foilen "to spoil a trace or scent by running over it," from O.Fr. fouler "trample," from L. fullare "to clean cloth" (by treading on it), from L. fullo "one who cleans cloth, fuller," of unknown origin. (see foul)

924

Fulminate

To explode with sudden violence; detonate.

Henry fulminated against the new taxes.

from L. fulminatus, pp. of fulminare "hurl lighting, lighten," from fulmen "lightning," related to fulgere "to shine, flash"

925

Groove

A long, narrow, furrow or hollow cut in a surface.

Jill felt that she had slipped into a groove that she couldn't get out of.

from O.N. grod "pit" or M.Du. groeve "furrow, ditch," (see grave)

926

Hoary

White, gray, or grayish-white.

The man's hoary beard indicated his advanced age.

rfom O.E. har "gray, venerable, old," the connecting notion being gray hair. Ger. retains the word as a title of respect, in Herr.

Page 152

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 927

Immolate

To sacrifice; esp. to offer or kill as a sacrifice.

The monk immolated himself in order to protest the Vietnam War.

from L. immolatus, pp. of immolare "to sacrifice," originally "to sprinkle with sacrificial meal," from in- "upon" + mola “meal," (see meal)

928

Incredulous

Unwilling or unable to believe; doubting; skeptical.

She was incredulous when he showed her his high grade in math.

from L. incredibilis "that which cannot be believed," from in"not" + credibilis "worthy of belief" (see credit)

929

Inhibit

To hold back or keep some action, feeling, etc.; check; repress.

Feel free to say whatever you want, don't inhibit yourself.

from L. inhibire, “hinder”, from in, “in” + habere, “hold” (see exhibit)

930

Inveigle

To lead on with deception; entice or trick into doing or giving something, going somewhere, etc.

The babysitter tried to inveigle the kids into going to bed.

from M.Fr. aveugler "delude, make blind," from L. aboculus "without sight, blind," from L. ab- "without" + oculus "eye."

931

Legacy

Anything handed down from, or as from, an ancestor.

Racial problems in America can be seen as the legacy of many years of slavery.

from L. legatus "ambassador, envoy," noun use of pp. of legare "appoint by a last will, send as a legate" (see delegate)

932

Massacre

The indiscriminate, merciless killing of a number of human beings.

The massacre of civilians finally got the UN to send peacekeeping forces.

from O.Fr. macacre, macecle "slaughterhouse, butchery," perhaps from L. macellum "provisions store, butcher shop."

Page 153

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Morbid

Gruesome; grisly; horrible.

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most morbid of writers.

from L. morbidus "diseased," from morbus "sickness, disease," from root of mori "to die," (see mortal)

934

Obloquy

Verbal abuse of a person or thing; censure or vituperation, esp. when widespread or general.

Because of her unpopular political views, the writer had to endure years of obloquy.

from L. obloquium "speaking against, contradiction," from ob "against" + loqui "to speak," (see loquacious)

935

Palliate

To lessen the pain or severity of without actually curing; alleviate; ease.

Going shopping only palliated his loneliness, but didn't actually solve anything.

from L. palliatus, lit "cloaked," from pp. of palliare "cover with a cloak, conceal," from L. pallium "cloak". (see pall)

936

Perjury

The breaking of any oath or formal promise.

Because she lied while under oath, Rebecca was accused of perjury.

from L. perjurium "false oath," from perjurare "swear falsely," from per"away, entirely" + jurare "to swear" (see jury)

937

Plaque

Any thin, flat piece of metal, wood, etc., with a picture or design in relief.

The plaque in the town square commemorated those who had died in the war.

from Fr. plaque, from M.Fr., "metal plate,coin," from Dutch plak, “tablet”, from plakken, “to stick” (see placard)

938

Preempt

To seize before anyone else can, excluding others; appropriate beforehand.

He preempted any criticism by laying out a very thorough plan that met all the objections in advance.

from L. praeemere, from prae, “in advance” + emere, “to buy” (see exempt)

Page 154

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 939

Protracted

To draw out or lengthen in time; prolong.

The protracted argument finally tired both sides out.

from L. protractionem "a drawing out or lengthening," from pp. stem of protrahere, from pro- "forward" + trahere "to draw" (see contract (v.))

940

Raconteur

A person skilled at telling stories or anecdotes.

Ruth's grandpa Wally was a great raconteur who could tell interesting stories for hours.

from Fr. raconter "to recount," from re- + O.Fr. aconter, from a"to" + conter "to tell" (see recount)

941

Refractory

Hard to manage; stubborn; obstinate: said of a person or animal.

They finally sold their refractory goat to the neighboring farm.

from L. refractionem "a breaking up," from L. refractus, pp. of refringere "to break up," from re-"back" + frangere "to break” (see fracture)

942

Resurrect

To raise from the dead or the grave; bring back to life.

Please don't resurrect those old arguments, I thought we've moved on.

from L. resurrectionem "a rising again from the dead," from pp. stem of L. resurgere "rise again" (see resurgent)

943

Scabbard

A sheath for a sword or the like.

Those who raise their swords against the prince must throw their scabbards away.

from Anglo-Fr. escauberc "sheath, vagina" (13c.), probably from Frank. skar "blade" (see scissors) + berg"protect".

944

Skit

A short piece of satirical or humorous writing.

Priya got a job writing skits for the popular comedy show.

from O.N. skjuta, “to shoot”, with the meaning changed to “short comedic performance,” in the early 19th century.

Page 155

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 945

Steep (verb)

To soak in liquid, so as to soften, clean, extract the essence of, etc.

You mustn't steep the teabag in the water too long, otherwise the tea will be too bitter.

uncertain origin, cognate with O.N. steypa "to pour out, throw"

946

Summarily

In a prompt or direct manner; immediately; straightway.

The no-nonsense lawyer summarily answered all the questions.

from L. summa "whole, gist" (see sum)

947

Tedious

Full of tedium; long or verbose and wearisome; tiresome; boring.

Bart found the lecture quite tedious.

from L. tædiosus "wearisome, irksome" from L. tædium (see tedium)

948

Trite

Worn out by constant use; no longer having freshness, originality, or novelty; stale.

Her trite and cliched speeches were one of the reasons why she wasn't elected.

1548, from L. tritus "worn, familiar," from pp. of terere "to rub, wear down" (see contrite, detritus)

949

Vapid

Tasteless; flavorless; flat.

Gunther thought the party was boring mainly because the people were so vapid.

from L. vapidus "flat, insipid," lit. "that has exhaled its vapor," related to vappa "stale wine," and probably to vapor "vapor."

950

Waft

To carry or propel (objects, sounds, odors, etc.) lightly through the air or over water.

The smell of grilled hamburgers wafted through the air.

from M.L.G. wachter "a guard," from wachten "to guard," related to waken "rouse from sleep" (see wake)

Page 156

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY - SET 21 951

Adhesion

The act of sticking (to something) or the state of being stuck together.

The main character's adhesion to his principles eventually saved the day.

from L. adhærentem, prp. of adhærere "stick to," from ad"to" + hærere "to stick" (see hesitation)

952

Aplomb

SeIf-possession; assurance; poise.

With great aplomb, Lexington nailed the job interview.

from Fr. a plomb, “poised upright, balanced, on the plumb line”, from L. plumbum, “lead metal” (see plumb)

953

Assuage

To lessen (pain, distress, etc.); allay.

A night out with her friend did much to assuage Naomi's fears that the two were growing apart.

from L. ad- "to" + suavis "sweet, agreeable" (see sweet). from L. suavis "sweet"

954

Banal

Dull or stale because of overuse; trite; hackneyed; commonplace.

His banal comments were mistaken for words of great wisdom.

from Fr. banal, adj. form of ban "decree, legal control" (see ban). Originally used for compulsory feudal service, which everyone had to serve.

955

Bifurcate

Having two branches or peaks; forked.

A road in a forest bifurcated, and I took the path less traveled.

from L. bifurcatus, from L. bi- “two” + furca, “fork.”

956

Brook

To put up with; endure: usually in the negative.

The new boss brooked no criticism of her decisions.

from O.E. bruccan "use," from P.Gmc. bruk- "to make use of, enjoy"

957

Chassis

The part of a motor vehicle that includes the engine, the frame, suspension system, wheels, steering mechanism, etc., but not the body.

The car crash was not so serious, only the chassis was damaged, and that was just a scratch.

from Fr. châssis "frame," from L. capsa "box, case." (see case)

Page 157

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 958

Commend

To put in the care of another; entrust.

Sheila commended her pets to the care of her neighbors while she was away on vacation.

from L. commendare "to entrust to, praise," from com- intens. prefix + mandare "to commit to one's charge" (see mandate, recommend)

959

Consummate

To bring to completion or fulfillment; finish; accomplish.

They consummated the deal over a dinner at the steakhouse.

from L. consummationem, from consummare "to sum up, finish," from com- "together" + summa "sum, total," from summus "highest." (see summit)

960

Crush

To subdue or suppress by or as by force; overwhelm.

The rebellion was crushed by the government.

from O.Fr. croisir "to gnash (teeth), crash, break," perhaps from Frank. krostjan "to gnash."

961

Demur

To hesitate because of one's doubts or objections; have scruples; object.

The literary critic demurred to review such a piece of trash.

from L. demorari, from de- + morari "to delay," from mora "a pause, delay." (see moratorium)

962

Dictate

To speak or read (something) aloud for someone else to write down.

Whle Jamie dictated, the secretary wrote everything down.

from L. dictatus, pp. of dictare "say often, prescribe," freq. of dicere "tell, say" (see diction)

963

Distinct

Not alike; different.

Although the two were twins, they were quite distinct from one another.

from L. distinctionem, from stem of distinguere (see distinguish)

964

Edacious

Voracious; consuming; devouring.

The edacious hyenas waited for the lions to have their fill before eating from the carcass.

from L. edere, “eat”

Page 158

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Endorse

To give approval to; support; sanction.

The senator endorsed the bill wholeheartedly.

from O.Fr. endosser, lit. "to put on back," from en- "put on" + dos "back," from L. dossum, var. of dorsum. Sense of "confirm, approve". (see dorsal)

966

Equivocate

To use equivocal terms in order to deceive, mislead, hedge, etc.; be deliberately ambiguous.

Luis tried to equivocate his way out of the situation.

L. æquivocationem, from æquivocus "of identical sound," from L. æquus "equal" + vocare "to call" (see voice)

967

Exonerate

To relieve of (a duty, obligation, etc.).

Twenty years after his death, the man was finally exonerated of all wrongdoing.

from L. exoneratus, pp. of exonerare "remove a burden, discharge," from ex"off" + onus "burden." (see onus, onerous)

968

Fatuous

Complacently stupid or inane; silly; foolish.

Maria felt that Nacho had gone from an intelligent young man to a fatuous old fool.

from L. fatuus "foolish, insipid," (see infatuate)

969

Fixate

To make or become fixed.

The newspapers fixated on the scandal almost to the exclusion of all other stories.

from L. fixus, pp. of figere "to fix, fasten,"

970

Forgery

The act or legal offense of imitating or counterfeiting documents, signatures, works of art, etc. to deceive.

The museum did not want anyone to know that it's most famous piece was actually a forgery.

from L. fabrica "workshop," from faber "workman in hard materials, smith." Sense of "to counterfeit" is in Anglo-Fr. verb forger "falsify,"

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Germane

Truly relevant; pertinent; to the point.

Her germane comments showed that she had thought about the issue deeply.

from O.Fr. germain, from L. germanus, “of brothers and sisters”, related to germen, “sprout, bud” (see germinate, germ)

972

Hallow

To make hoIy or sacred; sanctify; consecrate.

Many people consider Ayers Rock in Australia a hallowed place.

related to halig "holy," from P.Gmc.

973

Husk

The dry, rough, or useless outside covering of anything.

The husks of corn were ground up and served to the pigs.

perhaps from M.Du. huuskyn

974

Imperious

Overbearing, arrogant, domineering, etc.

John's imperious manner ultimately cost him his job.

from L. imperiosus "commanding, mighty, powerful," from imperium "empire, command" (see emperor)

975

Indistinct

Not seen, heard, or perceived clearly; faint; dim; obscure.

The figures in the distance were indistinct, Mandy couldn't tell who or what they were.

from L. distinctionem, from stem of distinguere (see distinguish) + in, “not”

976

Insouciant

Calm and untroubled; carefree; indifferent.

Her insouciant appearance was just a facade, really, Laura was quite concerned.

from Fr. insouciant, from in- "not" + se soucier "to care," from L. sollicitare "to agitate"

977

Itinerant

Traveling from place to place or on a circuit.

The itinerant salesman had criscrossed the country many times.

from L. itinerantem, prp. of itinerare "to travel," from L. iter "journey," from ire "go"

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Lubricant

Reducing friction by providing a smooth film as a covering over parts that move against each other.

Alcohol is sometimes thought of as a social lubricant.

from L. lubricare, “to make slippery or smooth”, from lubricus, “slippery” (see lube)

979

Mercurial

Having qualities suggestive of mercury; quick, quick-witted, volatile, changeable, fickle, etc.

Her mercurial nature drove Adam crazy because he never knew what to expect.

from L. mercurialis, “relating to the god Mercury”

980

Neophyte

One just beginning a new kind of life, work, etc.; beginner; novice.

Hilda steadily progressed from neophyte to expert in her field.

from L. neophytus, from Gk. neophytos, lit. "newly planted," from neos "new" + phytos "planted,"

981

Odor

A smell, whether pleasant or unpleasant; fragrance, stench, etc.

The unpleasant odor in his son's room was due to the fact that it hadn't been cleaned in months.

from L. odorem (nom. odor) "smell, scent,"

982

Parvenu

A person who has suddenly acquired wealth or power, esp. one who is not fully accepted socially by the class associated with the higher position; upstart.

Over several generations, the Rothwells went from being a bunch of parvenus to an established and respected family.

from L. pervenire, from per- "through" + venire "to come" (see convene)

983

Petrify

To benumb or paralyze with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion.

The bear petrified the little boy.

from L. petra, “rock” (see petroleum)

Page 161

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Plutocracy

Government by the wealthy.

Most people instinctively don't like the idea of a plutocracy and prefer living in a democracy.

from Gk. ploutokratia "rule or power of the wealthy or of wealth," from ploutos "wealth" (see Pluto) + -kratia "rule," (see democracy)

985

Probity

Uprightness in one's dealings; integrity.

The doctor had a reputation for his probity.

from L. probitatem "uprightness, honesty," from probus "worthy, good" (see prove)

986

Punctilious

Very exact; scrupulous.

The punctilious chef made sure that he followed the recipe exactly.

from It. puntiglioso, from puntiglio "fine point," from L. punctum "prick" (see point, puncture)

987

Rebuff

To refuse bluntly; snub.

Her advances were rebuffed by the quarterback.

from It. ribuffare "to check, chide, snide," from ribuffo "a snub," from ri- "back" + buffo "a puff," of imitative origin

988

Remonstrate

To say or plead in protest, objection, complaint, etc.

Jake remonstrated angrily with the police officers that he hadn't gone over the speed limit.

from L. remonstrat, “demonstrated”, from remonstrare, from re, expressing intensive force, + monstrare, “to show”

989

Ruffian

A brutal, violent, lawless person; a tough or hoodlum.

A ruffian since childhood, Martha eventually wound up in jail.

from It. ruffiano "a pander, pimp," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Gmc. source related to rough

990

Serrated

Having a notched edge or sawlike teeth, esp. for cutting.

Please use the serrated knife to cut bread.

from L. serratus "notched like a saw," from serra "saw"

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Somatic

Of the body, as distinguished from the soul, mind, or psyche; corporeal; physical.

The symptoms were purely somatic in nature.

from Fr. somatique, from Gk. somatikos "of the body," from soma "body." (see chromosome)

992

Stolid

Having or showing little or no emotion or sensitivity; unexcitable; impassive.

His stolid demeanor made him seem very cold and emotionless.

from L. stolidus "insensible, dull, brutish," prop. "unmovable," related to stultus "fooIish"

993

Suppress

To put down by force; subdue; quell; crush.

The army managed to suppress the rebellion.

from L. suppressus, pp. of supprimere "press down, stop, check, stifle," from sub "down, under" + premere "push against" (see press)

994

Timorous

Full of or subject to fear; timid.

The parents enrolled their timorous child in a dojo in order to help him gain some confidence.

from L. timor "fear," from timere "to fear." (see timid)

995

Uncouth

Awkward; clumsy; ungainly.

Sheila thought that her farmer cousin was embarrassingly uncouth.

from O.E. uncuð "unknown, uncertain, unfamiliar," from un"not" + cuð "known, well-known," pp. of cunnan "to know"

996

Verve

Vigor and energy, as in movement, portrayal, etc.

The painting showed that the artist had great verve.

from Fr. verve, “enthusiasm, especially if creative”, from L. verba, “words”

997

Weigh

To consider and choose carefully.

Will weighed all his options carefully before making the decision.

from O.E. wegan "find the weight of, have weight, lift, carry"

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Abide

To stand fast; remain; go on being.

If you can't abide by my rules, then leave my house!

from O.E. abidan, from a- on + bidan "bide, remain, wait, dwell", (see bide)

999

Allegiance

The obligation of support and loyalty to one’s ruler, government, or country.

Each soldier had to swear allegiance to the country before he or she went into battle.

from Anglo-Fr. legaunce "loyalty of a liege-man to his lord," from O.Fr. legeance, from liege (see liege)

1000

Arbitrate

To give to an arbitrator to decide; settle by arbitration.

Ron was chosen to arbitrate the disagreement.

from L. arbiter "one who goes somewhere (as witness or judge)," from ad- "to" + baetere "to come, go"

1001

Auspicious

Of good omen; boding well for the future; favorable; propitious.

The good weather was an auspicious sign for their trip.

from L. auspex, "augur," lit. "one who takes signs from the flight of birds," from avis, “birds” (see aviation) + specere, “to look” (see spectacles)

1002

Bedizen

To dress or decorate in a cheap, showy way.

The dress was bedizened with rhinestones.

from be-, an intensifier, + dizen, “deck out”, uncertain origin, probably Dutch.

1003

Blunt

To make dull or insensitive.

Many years of use had blunted the knife's sharp edge.

uncertain origin, perhaps from O.N. blundra (see blunder)

1004

Calumniate

To spread false and harmful statements about; slander.

The website was eventually shut down because it calumniated too many powerful people.

from L calumnia, “slander, false accusation” (see challenge)

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Clot

A soft lump of earth, clay, etc.; clod.

Hemophilia is a condition where your blood doesn't clot easily.

from O.E. clott, akin to Du. kloot "ball" (see clod)

1006

Conceal

To put out of sight; hide.

Monica and Chandler concealed their relationship for as long as they could.

from L. concelare "to hide," from com-"together" + celare "to hide," (see cell)

1007

Convoluted

Extremely involved; intricate; complicated.

Bobby thought that his father's convoluted plan was sure to fail.

from L. convolutus, pp of convolvere, “roll together, intertwine”, from con, “together” + volvere, “to roll” (see revolution)

1008

Dawdle

To waste (time) in trifling or by being slow; idle.

Instead of studying, Jessica dawdled away the entire day.

a variant of daddle "to walk unsteadily." (see dally)

1009

Dereliction

A neglect of, or failure in, duty.

The soldier was charged with dereliction of duty after falling asleep at the guardpost.

from L. derelictus, pp. of dereliquere "abandon," from de"entirely" + relinquere "leave behind" (see relinquish)

1010

Discountenance To make ashamed or embarrassed; disconcert.

The model was not discountenanced when she stumbled on the runway.

from M.Fr. descontenancer "to abash," from des"not-" + contenancer (see countenance)

1011

Dogmatism

Strong assertion of opinion, usually without reference to evidence.

His dogmatism did not allow him to come up with a solution to the problem.

from L. dogmatismus, from L. dogma, “philosophical tenet”

1012

Electorate

All those qualified to vote in an election.

The electorate was ready for a change.

from L. éléctor, “chooser,” from éligere, “to choose” (see elect)

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Enormity

Enormous size or extent; vastness.

John wondered at the enormity of the universe.

from L. enormis "irregular, extraordinary, very large," from ex- "out of" + norma "rule, norm" (see normal)

1014

Eulogy

High praise; commendation.

Alexis thought George's eulogy was very moving.

from Gk. eulogia "praise," from eu"well" (see joy) + -logia "speaking," from logos "discourse, word," (see lecture)

1015

Exsert

To thrust out; protrude; project.

He exserted his chest as he walked through the door.

from L. exertus, pp. of exerere "thrust out, put forth," from ex"out" + serere "attach, join" (see insert)

1016

Ferocity

The state or quality of being ferocious; fierceness, brutality.

The guard dogs were well known for their ferocity.

from L. ferocitatem "fierceness," from ferocis, an oblique case of ferox "fierce, wild-looking," a derivative of ferus "wild" (see fierce)

1017

Flexibility

Capable of being bent, usually without breaking.

Doing yoga helps you develop great flexibility.

from L flexibilis, “pliant, easily bent.” (see fIex)

1018

Frenetic

Frantic; frenzied, hectic, hyper.

The frenetic pace of his job was too much for Josh, so he quit after a few weeks.

from L. phreneticus "delirious," alteration of Gk. phrenitikos, from phrenitis "frenzy," lit. "inflammation of the brain," from phren "mind, reason" (see phrenology)

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Grace

Beauty or charm of form, composition, movement, or expression.

The ballet dancers performed the piece with effortless grace.

from L. gratia "pleasing quality, good will," from gratus "pleasing, agreeable," (see gratitude)

1020

Heed

To pay close attention to; take careful notice of.

Take heed of what I am about to say: don't stay out later than 11.

from O.E. hedan "to take care, attend,"

1021

Ignoble

Not noble in birth or position; of the common people.

Mark was ashamed of his ignoble motives.

from L. ignobilis "unknown, undistinguished, not noble," from in- "not" + nobilis "noble,"

1022

Implode

To cause to burst or collapse inward.

The pressure of the water caused the submarine to implode.

a bursting inward, 1877, modeled on explosion

1023

Inflammatory

Rousing or likely to rouse excitement, anger, violence, rioting.

Inflammatory speech is usually not protected by the first amendment.

from L. inflammare "to set on fire, kindle," from in- "in" + flammare "to flame," (see flammable)

1024

Intrepid

Not afraid; bold; fearless; dauntless; very brave.

The intrepid adventurer had been all over the world.

from L. intrepidus "unshaken, undaunted," from in"not" + trepidus "alarmed." (see trepidation)

1025

Laconic

Brief or terse in speech or expression; using few words.

Maya was especially laconic yesterday, she said at most a dozen words the whole day.

from Gk. Lakonikos, from Lakon "person from Lakonia," the district around Sparta in southern Greece in ancient times, whose inhabitants were famous for their brevity of speech.

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 1026

Maladroit

Awkward; clumsy; bungling.

It was incredible that such a maladroit person could become such an expert juggler.

from Fr. phrase à droit "according to right," from O.Fr. à "to" + droit "right," from L. directum "right, justice,"

1027

Miscreant

An evil person; criminal; villain.

It seemed as if the street fair brought together all the miscreants in the neighborhood.

from O.Fr. mescreant, from mes- "wrongly" + creant, prp. of creire "believe," from L. credere. (see credible)

1028

Noxious

Morally injurious; corrupting; unwholesome.

People that lived near the factory had to deal with its noxious fumes constantly.

from L. noxius "hurtful, injurious," from noxa "injury, hurt, damage entailing liability",related to nocere "to hurt", (see innocent, or nuisance)

1029

Outset

A setting out; beginning; start.

The problem seemed complex at the outset, but quickly became very simple.

from out + set (v.). The earlier word for this was outsetting.

1030

Peremptory

That which cannot be denied, changed, delayed, opposed, etc.

Teresa's peremptory tone signaled that she considered the conversation over.

from L. peremptorius "destructive, decisive, final," from perimpere "destroy, cut off," from per- "away entirely, to destruction" + emere "to take"

1031

Piquant

Exciting agreeable interest or curiosity; stimulating; provocative.

Lucia's restaurant always offered an assortment of piquant dishes.

from O.Fr. prp. of piquer "to prick, sting, nettle" (see pike)

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Pragmatic

Concerned with actual practice, everyday affairs, not with theory or speculation; practical.

He was a pragmatic politician who knew how to get things done.

from L. pragmaticus "skilled in business or law," from Gk. pragmatikos "versed in business"

1033

Prone

Lying flat or prostrate; in a horizontal position.

The new operating systems were prone to crashing frequently.

from L. pronus "bent forward, inclined to," from adverbial form of pro- "forward." (see “pro vs con”)

1034

Quell

To crush; subdue; put an end to.

The prime minister called in the national guard to quell the violent demonstrations.

from O.E. cwellan "to kill, murder, execute,", from root kwel-/kwal(see kill)

1035

Reconnaissance An exploratory survey or examination, as in seeking out information about enemy positions or installations.

Several soldiers went on the reconnaissance mission.

from Fr. reconnaissance "act of surveying," lit. "recognition," from O.Fr. reconoissance (see recognize)

1036

Repulsive

Tending to repel

The dog was very cute, except for its repulsive slobbering.

from L. repulsionem, noun of action from repellere (see repel)

1037

Sap

To undermine by digging away the foundations; dig beneath.

The bombing gradually sapped the morale of the city's inhabitants.

from Ital. zappa, “spade, spadework”

1038

Shrewd

Keen-witted, clever, or sharp in practical affairs; astute.

Julia made a shrewd decision when she bought that hybrid car.

from shrewe "wicked man" (see shrew)

1039

Splice

To join or unite by weaving together the end strands.

Bruce Lee spliced together different martial arts to create something very effective.

from M.Du. splissen "to splice"

Page 169

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 1040

Submerge

To cover over; suppress; hide.

The flood submerged many of the houses under water.

from L. submergere "to plunge under, sink, overwhelm," from sub "under" + mergere "to plunge, immerse" (see immerse)

1041

Tangential

Going off at a tangent; diverging or digressing.

Although interesting, Christina's point was tangential to the discussion.

from L. tangentem, prp. of tangere "to touch,"(see tangible)

1042

Transgress

To overstep or break (a law, commandment, etc.).

Sergei could openly transgress the country's laws because he had diplomatic immunity.

from O.Fr. transgression, from L. transgressionem L. "a going over," from transgressus, from trans- "aoross" + gradi "to walk, go" (see digress)

1043

Urbane

Polite and courteous in an smooth, polished way; refined.

Mycroft's urbane manner and charm made him seem like an attractive catch.

from M.Fr. urbain, from L. urbanus "belonging to a city," also "citified, elegant" (see urban)

1044

Vitiate

To make imperfect, faulty, or impure; spoil; corrupt.

Many felt that allowing professional athletes to compete vitiated the spirit of the Olympics.

from L. vitiat, “impaired”, from the verb vitiare, from vitium (see vice)

1045

Yarn

Any fiber, as wool, silk, flax, cotton, nylon, glass, etc., spun into strands for weaving.

It was an unbelieveable, but very amusing yarn.

from O.E. gearn "spun fiber"

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY - SET 23 1046

Acarpous

Bearing no fruit; sterile.

The acarpous tree was now only fit to be chopped into firewood.

from Gk -karpos, adj. deriv. of karpós, “fruit”

1047

Amortize

To put money aside at intervals, as in a sinking fund, for gradual payment of (a debt, etc.) either at or before maturity.

It was a better choice to amortize the loan over a long period of time.

from L. ad- "to" + mors "death" (see mortal)

1048

Ascent

The act of ascending, rising, or climbing.

The ascent up the mountain was actually easier than the descent.

from L. ascendere "to climb up," from ad-"to" + scandere "to climb." (see descent)

1049

Avuncular

Of an uncle.

Bob's avuncular manner made him popular with his students.

from L. avunculus "maternal uncle," dim. of avus (see uncle)

1050

Benevolence

An inclination to do good; kindliness.

The benevolence of the aid organization provided food and shelter for the refugees.

from L. benevolentia "good feeling," from bene "well" + volantem prp. of velle "to wish" (see will)

1051

Brass

Bold impudence; effrontery.

I can't believe she had the brass to say that.

from O.Swed. brasa "fire,"

1052

Catalyst

A person or thing acting as the stimulus in bringing about or hastening a result.

The factory accident was a catalyst for making safety regulations more strict.

from Gk. kata "down" + -lysis "a loosening" (see lose)

1053

Cognition

The process of knowing in the broadest sense, including perception, memory, and judgment.

His stroke fortunately did not impair any of his faculties of cognition.

from late ME cognicioun, from L cognōscere (see know)

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Connoisseur

A person who has expert knowledge and keen discrimination in some field, esp. in the fine arts or in matters of taste.

The connoisseur could tell just from a sniff where a certain wine was from.

from Fr. conoisseor "a judge, one wellversed," from L. cognoscere "to know," from com- "with" + gnoscere "recognize" (see notice, know)

1055

Countervail

To make up for; compensate.

The rookie's inexperience countervailed his tremendous athleticism.

from L phrase contrā valére, “to be of worth against (someone or something).”

1056

Deferential

Showing deference; very respectful.

The royal couple received very deferential treatment from the hotel they were staying in.

from L. deferre "carry away, transfer, grant;" modern sense is from meaning "refer (a matter) to someone," from de- "down, away" + ferre "carry" (see transfer)

1057

Deter

To keep or discourage (a person, group, or nation) from doing something by instilling fear, anxiety, doubt.

In order to deter thieves from breaking in, Peter put iron bars on the windows.

from L. deterrere, from de- "away" + terrere "frighten." (see terrify)

1058

Disparage

To Iower in esteem; discredit.

Francis didn't let the kids in her class disparage one another.

from O.Fr. desparagier "reduce in rank, degrade," originally "to cause to marry unequally," and thus by extension the disgrace or dishonor involved in this, from des- "away" + parage "rank, lineage"

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Dupe

A person easily tricked or fooled.

Terry felt duped by the telemarketer.

from Fr. dupe "deceived person," from M.Fr. duppe, thieves' jargon, probably from phrase de huppe "of the hoopoe," an extravagantly crested and reputedly stupid bird.

1060

Emote

To act in an emotional or theatrical manner while, or as though, playing a role in a drama: often used humorously.

Corinna thought the movie was fine, except for the fact that the actors emoted a little too much.

from L. emovere "move out, remove, agitate," from ex"out" + movere "to move" (see move)

1061

Epithet

An adjective, noun, or phrase, often specif. a disparaging one, used to characterize some person or thing (Ex.: "egghead" for an intellectual).

"Egghead" is often an epithet used for an intellectual.

from Gk. epitheton, from epi- "in addition" + tithenai "to put," (see thesis)

1062

Excoriate

To strip, scratch, or rub off the skin of; flay, abrade, chafe, etc.

The television show excoriate the candidate's pick for vice president.

from L. excoriatus, pp. of excoriare "flay, strip off the hide," from L. ex- "off" + corium "hide, skin."

1063

Extricable

capable of being released from an entanglement or difficulty.

He found himself in a not very extricable situation.

from L. extricatus, pp. of extricare "disentangle," from ex- "out of" + tricæ (pl.) "perplexities, hindrances," (see intricate)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 1064

Fidget

Make small movements, esp. of the hands and feet, through nervousness or impatience.

The little child couldn't stop fidgeting at the dinner table.

from M.E. fiken "to fidget, hasten," from O.N. fikjask "to desire eagerly"

1065

Foppish

Concerned with one's clothes and appearance in an excessive and affected way.

Although Mike's friend was a bit foppish, he often had good advice.

related to fob (v.) via Ger. foppen "jeer at, make a fool of" (see fob )

1066

Fusillade

A simultaneous or rapid and continuous discharge of many firearms.

The tanks were pelted with a fusillade of stones.

from Fr. fusillade, from fusiller "to shoot," from fusil "musket," because of the fuses used in early weaponry. (see fuse)

1067

Grovel

To lie prone or crawl in a prostrate position, esp. abjectly.

He couldn't bring himself to grovel before his boss.

from O.N. grufe "prone"

1068

Hoi Polloi

The common people; the masses: usually patronizing or contemptuous: sometimes preceded by “the”.

We're not sending our son to public school with the hoi polloi!

from Gk. hoi polloi (pl.) "the people," lit. "the many" (pl. of polys) (see poly-)

1069

Impair

To make worse, less, weaker, etc.; damage; reduce.

Kelly made up for her impaired vision by developing her other senses.

from L. in- "into" + L. pejorare "make worse," from pejor "worse." (see pejorative)

1070

Inculcate

To impress upon the mind by frequent repetition or persistent urging.

The school inculcated in the children a sense of pride in the country.

from L. inculcatus, pp. of inculcare "force upon, stamp in," from in- "in" + calcare "to tread, press in," from calx "heel." (see recalcitrant)

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY 1071

Inimitable

That which cannot be imitated or matched; too good to be equaled or copied.

She had an inimitable soprano voice.

from L. inimitabilis "that cannot be imitated," from in"not" + imitabilis (see imitation).

1072

Involute

Intricate; involved.

The plot of the murder mystery was too involute to follow.

from L involūtus (ptp. of involvere to roll up, wrap, cover), equiv. to in- “in” + volū- variant of volvere, “to roll” (see involve)

1073

Libel

Anything that gives an unflattering or damaging picture of the subject with which it is dealing.

He sued the newspaper for libel because of the article it had written about him.

from L. libellus "a little book, petition," dim. of liber "book." (see library)

1074

Mature

Fully or highly developed, perfected, worked out, considered, etc.

The conductor's later, mature works are considered his best.

from L. maturare "to ripen," from maturus "ripe, timely, early," maybe related to matins

1075

Mortuary

Of or having to do with the burial of the dead.

The placed her remains in the mortuary.

from L. mortuus, pp. of mori "to die" (see mortal)

1076

Obsolete

No longer in use or practice; discarded.

Computer technology becomes obsolete at a lightning pace these days.

from L obsolétus, ptp. of obsoléscere, to fall into disuse

1077

Palpable

Clear to the mind; obvious; evident; plain.

There was an almost palpable sense of relief when the storm passed.

from L. palpabilis "that which may be touched or felt," from L. palpare "touch gently, stroke" (see feel)

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Pernicious

Causing great injury, destruction, or ruin; fatal; deadly.

Lady Macbeth's pernicious influence on her husband is one of the themes of the play “Macbeth.”

from L. perniciosus "destructive," from per- "completely" + necis "violent death, murder," related to necare "to kill," nocere "to hurt, injure, harm," (see noxious, nuisance, necrosis)

1079

Plea

An earnest and urgent request; appeal; entreaty.

Rick's plea to hold the party outdoors was granted.

from O.Fr. plait "lawsuit, decision, decree," from L. placitum "lawsuit," in classical L., "opinion, decree," lit. "that which pleases, thing which is agreed upon," from placere (see please)

1080

Premature

Happening, done, arriving, or existing before the proper or usual time; too early.

Hubert realized that his celebration was premature.

from L. præmaturus "early ripe" or "too early," from præ"before" + maturus "ripe, timely" (see mature)

1081

Provident

Providing for future needs or events; exercising or characterized by foresight.

Stella's years of living on the street had taught her to be provident.

from L. providentem, prp. of providere "to foresee", from pro, “ahead” + videre, “to see” (see provide)

1082

Raffish

Having a carelessly unconventional style or manner; rakish.

The raffish young man knew that his appearance made him stand out from others.

from raff "people," usually of a lower sort, probably from rif and raf, "everyone," via Fr. or M.Du

1083

Regale

To delight with something pleasing or amusing.

They regaled their friends with stories from the trip.

from Fr. régaler "to entertain or feast," from O.Fr. rigale, from gale "merriment," from galer "make merry"

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Retard

To hinder, delay, or slow the advance or progress of.

At first, his shyness retarded his progress in school.

from L. retardare "to make slow, delay, keep back, hinder," from re-, intensive prefix, + tardare "to slow" (see tardy)

1085

Scribble

To write carelessly or illegibly.

The poet scribbled some of his greatest poems on napkins while eating in the diner.

from Du. schrabbelen, frequentative of schrabben "to scratch," (see scrape)

1086

Slake

To quench or satisfy (one's thirst).

John slaked his thirst with a beer from the fridge.

from O.E. slacian "slacken an effort," from slæc "lax" (see slack)

1087

Stickler

A person who insists on the strict observance of something specified.

Gary was a stickler for the rules.

from O.E. stihan "to arrange order," which is cognate with M.Du. stichten, Ger. stiften "to found, establish,"

1088

Sundry

Various; miscellaneous.

Behind the bed, there were dolls, trucks, and sundry other toys.

from P.Gmc. sunder (see asunder)

1089

Temerity

Foolish or rash boldness; foolhardiness; recklessness.

She didn't think he would have the temerity to move to another country.

from L. temeritatem "blind chance, accident, rashness," from temere "by chance, blindly, casually, rashly," related to tenebrae "darkness,"

1090

Trudge

To walk, esp. wearily or Iaboriously.

Frank trudged to work with a heavy heart.

to walk laboriously, 1547, of unknown origin. The noun meaning "an act of trudging" is attested from 1835.

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Variegated

Exhibiting different colors, esp. as irregular patches or streaks.

Although it was a little unusual, Tom really liked his variegated coat.

from L. variegat, “made varied”, from the verb variegare, from varius, “diverse”

1092

Wage

To engage in or carry on (a war, struggle, campaign, etc.).

America has been waging a war on drugs for years.

from O.N.Fr. wagier, from wage (see wage). Meaning "to carry on" (of war, etc.)

Page 178

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Adjacent

Near or close (to something); adjoining.

The friends rented hotel rooms that were adjacent to one another.

from L. adjacentem, "lying at," prp. of adjacere "lie near," from ad- "to" + jacere "to lie, rest,"

1094

Apostate

One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.

The church denounced him as an apostate.

from L. apostata, from apostenai "to defect," lit. "to stand off," from apo- "away from" + stenai "to stand."

1095

Assumption

A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.

You are making a major assumption in your argument.

from L assūmere, “to take to, adopt,” from ad, “to” + sumere, “to take” (see consume)

1096

Bandy

To pass (gossip, rumor, etc.) about freely and carelessly.

They spent the afternoon bandying gossip around.

from M.Fr. bander, from root of band. The sense apparently evolved from "join together to oppose," to opposition itself, to "exchanging blows,"

1097

Bilge

The bulge of a barrel or cask.

In the end, it turned out that most of his promises had been just a whole lot of bilge.

from L. bulga "leather sack," (see bulge)

1098

Bulwark

A person or thing serving as a strong defense or protection.

They supported the repressive dictator because they felt he was a bulwark against Communism.

from M.Du. bulwerke or M.H.G. bolwerc, from bole "plank, tree trunk" + werc "work."

1099

Chasten

To punish in order to correct or make better; chastise.

Gloria chastened her daughter for wearing such a revealing dress.

from obsolete chaste (v.), c.1200, from O.Fr. chastier (see chastize)

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Commingle

To mingle together; intermix; blend.

The blood of two people commingling in the same mosquito.

M.E. myngen "to mix," from O.E. mengan (related to among)

1101

Consume

To destroy, as by fire; do away with.

Ronald was consumed by his desire to climb the mountain.

from L. consumere "to use up, eat, waste," from com- intensive prefix + sumere "to take," from sub"under" + emere "to buy, take" (see presume)

1102

Cryptic

Having a hidden or ambiguous meaning; mysterious; baffling.

No one could decipher what the cryptic message meant.

from L. crypta "vault, cavern," from Gk. krypte, fem. of kryptos "hidden," from kryptein "to hide."

1103

Denigrate

To blacken

Wilma hadn't meant to denigrate the janitor, but obviously, he was upset.

from L. denigratus, pp. of denigrare "to blacken, defame," from de- "completely" + nigr-, stem of niger "black," of unknown origin.

1104

Diffidence

Lack of confidence in oneself, marked by hesitation in asserting oneself; shyness.

Troy overcame his diffidence once he joined the soccer team.

from L. diffidentia "want of confidence," from diffidere "to mistrust, lack confidence," from dis"away" + fidere "to trust" (see faith)

1105

Distorted

Not truly or completely representing the facts or reality.

After the lecture, Fred realized that he had had a distorted view of the situation.

from L. distortus, pp. of distorquere "to twist different ways, distort," from dis"completely" + torquere "to twist" (see thwart)

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Eddy

A contrary movement or trend, limited in importance or effect.

The leaves from the tree floated in the eddy.

from Scot. ydy, possibly from O.N. iða "whirlpool," and related to the frequent O.E. prefix ed- "again, backwards,"

1107

Enduring

Lasting; permanent; durable.

Joseph had never felt such enduring happiness.

from L. indurare "make hard," in L. "harden (the heart) against," from in- "in" + durare "to harden," from durus "hard" (see durable)

1108

Eradicate

To tear out by the roots; uproot.

The exterminator's job was to eradicate all the cockroaches in the house.

from L. eradicat, “torn up by the roots”, from the verb eradicare, from ex, “out of” + radix, “root” (see radical)

1109

Exoneration

To clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame; exculpate.

Most people felt that the criminal didn't deserve the exoneration he was awarded.

from L. exoneratus, pp. of exonerare "remove a burden, discharge," from ex"off" + onus "burden." (see onerous, onus)

1110

Faucet

A device with a hand-operated valve for regulating the flow of a liquid from a pipe, barrel, etc.

The plumber came to fix the broken faucet.

from L. faux, fauc"throat."

1111

Flaccid

Hanging in Ioose foIds or wrinkles; soft and limp; flabby.

When he saw his flaccid skin in the mirror, Joe realized that he needed to exercise more.

from L. flaccidus "flabby," from fiaccus "flabby,"

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Forswear

To renounce on oath; promise earnestly to give up.

They all forswore smoking for the next two weeks.

from O.E. forswerian "swear falsely," also "abandon or renounce on oath," from for"completely" + swerian "to swear."

1113

Gild

To make appear bright and attractive.

Rodrigo tried to gild the situation, but his wife wasn't buying it.

from P.Gmc. gulthianan, from gulthan "gold." (see gold)

1114

Hamper

To keep from moving or acting freely; hinder; impede; encumber.

His studying was hampered by his children's yelling.

from German, hemmen, “restrain”

1115

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for effect and not meant to be taken literally (Ex: He's as strong as an ox.)

People often said that Maria was as strong as an ox, but that wasn't literally true, it was just a hyperbole.

from Gk. hyperbole "exaggeration, extravagance," from hyperballein "to throw over or beyond," from hyper- "beyond" + ballein "to throw."

1116

Impermeable

Not permeable; not permitting fluids to pass through it; impenetrable.

He had a very closed mind, impermeable to new ideas.

from L. impermeabilis, from in- "not" + permeabilis, “to pass through” (see permeate)

1117

Indolence

Habitual Iaziness; sloth.

Nick couldn't stand his sister's indolence, he wished she would get up and do something.

from L. in- "not" + dolentem "grieving," prp. of dolere "suffer pain." Sense of "laziness" comes from idea of “not going to any pains”. (see doleful)

1118

Insularity

Of or pertaining to an island; detached; standing alone; isolated.

The community's insularity meant that it didn't really follow many new trends from the outside.

from L. insularis, from L. insula "island". (see insulate)

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Itinerary

Of or pertaining to traveling, journeys, routes, or roads.

According to their itinerary, they should have been to see the pyramids several days ago.

from L. iter, "journey," from ire "go" (see reiterate)

1120

Lubricious

Having a smooth or slippery quality.

The church group wanted the lubricious billboards removed because of their sexual nature.

from L. lubricatus, pp. of lubricare "to make slippery or smooth," from lubricus "slippery." (see lubricate)

1121

Meretricious

Alluring by false, showy charms; attractive in a flashy way; tawdry.

She was covered head to toe in meretricious trinkets.

from L. meretricius "of or pertaining to prostitutes," from meretrix, "prostitute," lit. "woman who earns money," from merere, "to earn, gain" (see merit)

1122

Nepotism

Favoritism shown to relatives, esp. in appointment to desirable positions.

During the days of communism, the only way to get a job was through nepotism.

from L. nepotem, "grandson, nephew" (see nephew)

1123

Officious

Offering unnecessary and unwanted advice or services; meddlesome, esp. in a highhanded or overbearing way.

The officious man didn't realize that his help was not needed.

from L. officiosus "dutiful," from officium "duty, service" (see office)

1124

Patron

A person, usually a wealthy and influential one, who sponsors and supports some person, activity, institution.

The king was the poet's main patron.

from L. patronus "defender, protector, advocate," from pater, "father." Meaning "one who advances the cause" (see patronage)

1125

Petrify

To make rigid, inflexible, or inert; harden or deaden.

Sarah was petrified by the sight of the grizzly bear near their camp.

from L. petra "rock" + -ficare, from facere "to make, do" (see fact)

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Poignant

Evoking pity or compassion; emotionally touching or moving.

Jim thought the ending was the most poignant moment in the film.

from O.Fr. poignant, prp. of poindre "to prick, sting," from L. pungere "to prick" (see pungent)

1127

Proclivity

A natural or habitual tendency or inclination, esp. toward something discreditable.

The child showed a proclivity for pulling pranks, something his parents didn't appreciate.

from L. proclivitatem, "a tendency, propensity," from proclivis "prone to," lit. "sloping," from pro"forward" + clivus "a slope"

1128

Pundit

A person who has or professes to have great learning; actual or selfprofessed authority.

The pundits on the news showed debated all hour.

from Hindi payndit "a learned man, master, teacher," from Skt. payndita-s "a learned man, scholar,"

1129

Recalcitrant

Refusing to obey authority, custom, regulation, etc.; stubbornly defiant.

The mule became more and more recalcitrant as it got older and older.

from L. recalcitrare "to kick back," from re"back" + calcitrare, "to kick," from calx "heel."

1130

Render

To give (up); surrender.

Rita always tried to render assistance to those less fortunate than her.

from L. reddere "give back, return, restore," from re- "back" + dare "to give" (see rendition)

1131

Sacrosanct

Very sacred, holy, or inviolable.

The right to own private property is a sacrosanct right in the United States.

from L. sacrosanctus "protected by religious sanction," from sacro, "religious sanction" + sanctus, pp. of sancire "make sacred" (see sanctify)

1132

Serration

A tooth or point of a jagged, sawlike edge or surface.

The metal saw had very many sharp serrations.

from L. serratus "notched like a saw," from serra "saw,"

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Sonorous

Full, deep, or rich: said of sound.

Boris's sonorous bass voice helped make him a popular singer.

from L. sonorus "resounding," from sonor "sound, noise," from sonare "to sound" (see sound)

1134

Stray

To wander from a given place, limited area, direct course.

Don't stray too far from the hotel!

from L. via strata "paved road" (see street)

1135

Surfeit

Too great an amount or supply; excess.

There was a surfeit of applications for the position.

from O.Fr. surfet "excess," noun use of pp. of surfaire "overdo," from sur"over" + faire "do," from L. facere "to make" (see fact).

1136

Tolerable

That which can be tolerated or endured.

Billy was a tolerable guitar player, but an excellent songwriter.

from L. tolerabilis "that which may be endured," from tolerare "to tolerate" (see extol)

1137

Unctuous

Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily.

His unctuous manner immediately creeped out Linda and her friend.

"oily," from O.Fr. unctueus, from L. unctus "act of anointing," from pp. stem of unguere "to anoint" (see unguent)

1138

Vex

To give trouble to, esp. in a petty or nagging way; disturb, annoy, irritate, etc.

Raul's stomach had vexed him all day.

from L. vexare, “shake, disturb”

1139

Welter

Move in a turbulent fashion.

Mathematics sometimes seems like a welter of rules to remember.

from M.Du. or M.L.G. welteren "to roll," (see revolt)

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Abjure

To give up (rights, allegiance, etc.) under oath; renounce.

Once she had read some history, Jill abjured her previous bigotry.

from L. abjurare "deny on oath," from ab-"away" + jurare "to swear," related to jus, "law" (see jurist)

1141

Alloy

A substance that is a mixture, as by fusion, of two or more metals, or of a metal and something else.

The plane's wings are made from a very light, but very strong, metal alloy.

from L. alligare, compound of ad- "to" + ligare "to bind" (see ligament)

1142

Arboreal

Of or like a tree

Monkeys are a very arboreal species.

from L. arbor "tree," of unknown origin

1143

Austere

Having a severe or stern look, manner, etc.; forbidding.

Floyd didn't like visiting his austere grandparents.

from L. austerus "dry, harsh, sour, tart," from Gk. austeros "bitter, harsh," related to auos "dry."

1144

Beguile

To mislead by cheating or tricking; deceive.

The false advertisement beguiled many people before it was banned.

from O.Fr. guile, from Frank. wigila "trick, ruse" (see wile)

1145

Boggle

To be astonished or overwhelmed when trying to imagine something.

That you would even say something like that boggles my imagination.

from M.E. bugge "specter" (among other things, supposed to scare horses at night)

1146

Calumny

A false and malicious statement meant to hurt someone's reputation.

Despite all the calumnies posted on the internet, the politician was reelected.

from L. calumnia "slander, false accusation," from calvi "to trick, deceive,"

1147

Cloture

The parliamentary procedure by which debate is closed and the measure under discussion put to an immediate vote.

After much debate, the Senate decided to invoke cloture.

the Fr. word for "the action of closing," applied to debates in the Fr. Assembly, from Fr. clôture, from O.Fr. closture

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Conceit

An exaggerated opinion of oneself, one's merits, etc.; vanity.

Despite all her achievements, Caroline was not conceited at all.

from L. concipere, "to take in and hold," from com- intensive prefix + capere "to take," (see capable)

1149

Cord

To fasten, connect, or provide with a cord.

The prisoners were corded together before being put in the bus.

from L. chorda "string, gut," from Gk. khorde "string, catgut, chord, cord,"

1150

Dearth

Any scarcity or lack.

After the attacks, there was a dearth of newspaper articles critical of the president.

abstract n. formed from root of O.E. deore "precious, costly" (see dear)

1151

Derision

Contempt or ridicule; scorn, mockery, disdain.

As a child, he suffered much derision because of his big, thick, glasses.

from L. derisionem, noun of action from deridere "ridicule," from de- "down" + ridere "to laugh." (see ridicule)

1152

Discourse

Communication of ideas, information, etc., esp. by talking; conversation.

They used to hold a discourse on a different topic each week.

L. discursus "a running about," in L. "conversation," from stem of discurrere "run about," from dis"apart" + currere "to run." (see intercourse)

1153

Dolt

A stupid, sIow-witted person; blockhead.

I gave him the keys, but then the dolt locked them in the car.

from O.E. dol "dullwitted, foolish," or from M.L.G. dul, "slow-witted," (see dull)

1154

Elegy

A poem or song of lament and praise for the dead, as Shelley's "Adonais".

Shelley's "Adonais" is an example of a well known elegy.

from Gk. elegeia ode "an elegaic song," from elegos, “mournful poem”

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Enormous

Very great or abnormal size, bulk, degree, etc.

The country's enormous debt meant that government spending would have to go down.

from L. enormis "irregular, extraordinary, very large," from ex- "out of" + norma "rule, norm" (see normal)

1156

Euphony

The quality of having a pleasing sound.

Her poetry was full of euphony, and therefore very enjoyable to read aloud.

from Gk. euphonia, from euphonos "wellsounding," from eu"good" (see joy) + phone "sound, voice," (see telephone)

1157

Extant

Still existing; not extinct; not lost or destroyed.

Because of the fire, many of the museum's paintings are no longer extant.

from L. extantem, prp. of extare "stand out, be visible, exist," from ex- "out" + stare "to stand"

1158

Ferret

To search for persistently and discover (facts, the truth, etc..

He tried to ferret out the details from his cousins.

from O.Fr. fuiret, dim. of fuiron "weasel, ferret," lit. "thief," from L. furionem

1159

Flinch

To draw back, as from a blow, difficulty, etc.

The boxer didn't even flinch when he was hit.

from O.Fr. flenchir "to bend," from Ger. lenken "to bend, turn, lead"

1160

Fresco

The art or technique of painting with watercolors on wet plaster.

Some of the most beautiful frescoes in the world are in Rome.

from It. fresco "cool, fresh," (see fresh)

1161

Grandiloquent

Using high-flown, pompous, bombastic words and expressions.

Everyone thought that the grandiloquent mayor talked a lot but got little done.

from L. grandiloquus, “grand speaking”, from grandis, “grand” + loqui, “speak” (see eloquent)

1162

Heinous

Outrageously evil or wicked; abominable.

The heinous crimes shocked the community.

from O.Fr. haineus, from haine "hatred," from hair "to hate,"

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Ignominious

Shameful; dishonorable; disgraceful.

His once promising career came to an ignominious end.

from L. ignominiosus, "disgraceful, shameful," from ignominia, "loss of a (good) name," from in- "not" + nomen "name." (see nominal)

1164

Implosion

A bursting inward

The implosion in the stock market caused a general recession.

a bursting inward, 1877, modeled on explosion

1165

Infraction

A breaking of a law, pact, etc.; violation; infringement.

She had several minor infractions on her record, but nothing serious.

from L. infractionem, "a breaking," noun of action from infrang-, stem of infringere (see infringe).

1166

Intrigue

To bring on or get by secret or underhanded plotting.

The poster intrigued her so much that she finally went to see the movie.

from L. intricare "entangle" (see intricate)

1167

Lag

To fall, move, or stay behind; Ioiter; linger.

Try not to lag behind, we need to get there in twenty minutes.

Scand: perhaps related to Norw lagga, “to go slowly”

1168

Malapropism

Ludicrous misuse of words, esp. through confusion caused by resemblance in sound.

One of the things George W. Bush is known for are his malapropisms.

from Fr. mal à propos "inopportunely, inappropriately," lit. "badly for the purpose," from mal, “ill” + proposer "propose, purpose"

1169

Miser

A greedy, stingy person who hoards money for its own sake, even at the expense of personal comfort.

When the miser died, it turned out that he had millions in his bank account.

from L. miser (adj.) "unhappy, wretched," (see miserable)

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Nullify

To make valueless or useless; bring to nothing.

The judge's decision nullified the rulings of the lower court.

from L. nullificare "to esteem lightly, despise, to make nothing," from L. nullus "not any" (see null) + root of facere "to make" (see fact)

1171

Overhaul

to check thoroughly for needed repairs

Wayne decided that his computer needed a complete overhaul.

from over + haul, originally nautical, "pull rigging apart for examination,"

1172

Perennial

Lasting or continuing for a long time.

Rachel sometimes thought the conflict in the Middle East was a perennial conflict that would never end.

from L. perennis "lasting through the year (or years)," from per- "through" + annus "year" (see annual)

1173

Pique

To arouse resentment in, as by slighting; ruffle the pride of.

His interest in the book was piqued by the review he had read in the newspaper.

from M.Fr. pique "a prick, sting, irritation," from O.Fr. (see pike )

1174

Precarious

Dependent upon circumstances; uncertain; insecure.

For early homo sapiens, life was often quite precarious.

from L. precarius "obtained by asking or praying," from prex, "entreaty, prayer."

1175

Propagation

A spreading, as of ideas, customs, etc.

The propagation of the religion took place over a long period of time.

from L. propagationem, from pro- "forth" + pag-, root of pangere "to fasten" (see pact)

1176

Querulous

Inclined to find fault; complaining.

Joe tried to avoid his querulous neighbor as much as possible.

from L. querulosus, from L. quorulus "full of complaints, complaining," from queri "to complain." (see query)

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Recourse

A turning or seeking for aid, safety.

Veronica had no recourse but to ask her parents for a loan.

from L. recursus "return, retreat," lit. "a running back," from recurrere "run back, return" (see recur)

1178

Requite

To make return or repayment (for a benefit, service, an injury, wrong.)

The majority of love poems deal with a lover whose love is not requited.

from M.E. re- "back" + quite "clear, pay up" (see quit)

1179

Sartorial

Of or pertaining to tailors or their trade.

His sartorial decisions were superb.

from L. sartor "tailor," lit. "patcher, mender,"

1180

Shrill

High pitched and piercing.

The children's shrill yells finally drove the babysitter insane.

from Low Ger. schrell, Ger. schrill "piercing, shrill"

1181

Sponge

To remove or obliterate with or as with a damp sponge.

During his days as a starving writer, Henry Miller perfected the art of sponging from others.

from L. spongia "a sponge," also "sea animal from which a sponge comes,"

1182

Suborn

Bribe or otherwise induce someone to commit an unlawful act sucha s perjury.

They suspected that he was trying to suborn the witness.

from L. subornare "suborn," originally "equip," from sub "under, secretly" + ornare "equip," (see adorn)

1183

Tarnish

To dull the luster of; discolor, especially by exposure to air or dirt.

The scandal tarnished the principal's reputation.

from Old French ternir, terniss-, “to dull,” from terne, “dull,” of Germanic origin.

1184

Transient

Passing away with time; not permanent; temporary; transitory.

Jill hadn't realized that fame was so transient.

1607, from L. transiens "passing over or away," prp. of transire "cross over, pass away," from trans- "across" + ire "to go." (see transcontinental)

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Uxorious

Dotingly or irrationally fond of or submissive to one's wife.

Sam's poker buddies accused him of being uxorious.

from L. uxorius “of or pertaining to a wife," from uxor "wife," of unknown origin.

1186

Vituperate

To speak abusively to or about; berate; revile.

Brenda vituperated the cashier for giving her the wrong amount of change back.

from L. vituperat, “censured, disparaged”, from the verb vituperare, from vitium, “fault” (see vice) + parare, “prepare” (see prepare)

1187

Yen

A strong longing or desire.

Mike had a real yen for some pizza at that moment.

from Chinese (Cantonese) yan "craving," or from a Beijing dialect word for "smoke."

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Accentuate

To pronounce or mark with an accent or stress.

Anna's hat accentuated her blue eyes.

from L. accentus "song added to speech," from ad- "to" + cantus "a singing," pp. of canere "to sing" (see chant)

1189

Amplify

To make larger or stronger; increase or extend (power, authority, noise etc.).

Lucy's book amplified the argument she had first made in a magazine article.

from L. amplificare "to enlarge," from amplus "large" + the root of facere "make, do" (see fact)

1190

Ascertain

To find out with certainty.

We need to ascertain whether it works before we put it on the market.

from O.Fr. acertener "to assure," from a "to" + certain "certain" (see certain). from L. certus "sure, fixed"

1191

Awry

With a twist to a side; not straight; askew.

Something was awry with the situation, but Ian couldn't tell what.

from a- "on" + wry

1192

Benign

Good-natured; kindly.

The benign weather meant that they could have the picnic they'd planned.

from L. benignus "good, kind," lit. "well born," from bene "well" + gignere "to bear, beget," (see genus)

1193

Brazen

Showing no shame; bold; impudent.

His brazen question got him slapped.

from O.E. bræsen "made of brass," from bræs "brass."

1194

Catharsis

The purifying of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, esp. by art.

Going to the funeral provided Brandon with the catharsis he needed.

from Gk. katharsis "purging, cleansing," from kathairein "to purify, purge," from katharsos "pure."

1195

Cognizant

Having or showing knowledge, understanding, realization, or perception.

I was not cognizant of the law your honor.

from L. cognoscere, “get to know” (see recognize, cognition, connoisseur)

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Connotation

Something connoted; idea or notion suggested by or associated with a word, phrase, etc. in addition to its explicit meaning, or denotation.

The song Little Red Rooster was banned because of the title's connotations.

from L. com"together" + notare "to mark" (see note)

1197

Covert

Concealed, hidden, disguised, or surreptitious.

As a spy, Jason had much experience with covert operations.

from O.Fr. covert, pp. of covrir "to cover" (see cover)

1198

Defiance

The act of open, bold resistance to authority or opposition.

The people showed their defiance by refusing to obey the new law.

from O.Fr. defiance "challenge," from defiant, prp. of defier (see defy)

1199

Determinate

Having exact limits; definite; distinct; fixed.

There is no determinate interpretation of the painting.

from L. determinatus, “limited, determined”, pp of determinare (see determine)

1200

Disparate

Essentially not alike; distinct or different in kind; unequal.

The two disparate solutions to the problem were equally successful.

from L. disparatus, pp. of disparare "divide, separate," from dis- "apart" + parare "get ready, prepare" (see prepare)

1201

Duplicity

Hypocritical cunning or deception; double-dealing.

Lorna was shocked by her husband's duplicity.

from L. duplicitatem "doubleness," in L. "ambiguity," from duplex "twofold." (see double)

1202

Empirical

Relying or based solely on experiment and observation rather than theory or the empirical method.

They made their decision based on empirical evidence.

from L. empiricus, from Gk. empeirikos "experienced," from empeiria "experience," from empeiros "skilled," from en- "in" + peira "trial, experiment."

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Epitome

A short statement of the main points of a book, report, incident, etc.; abstract; summary.

He was the epitome of the greedy Wall Street banker.

from Gk. epitome "abridgment," from epitemnein "cut short, abridge," from epi"into" (see epilogue) + temnein "to cut." (see lobotomy)

1204

Excoriate

To censure or criticize severely.

After the debate, most news stations excoriated the candidate for her lack of knowledge.

from L. excoriatus, pp. of excoriare "flay, strip off the hide," from L. ex- "off" + corium "hide, skin."

1205

Extrovert

Someone characterized by extroversion; a person who is active and expressive, or other than introspective.

Ruth was an extrovert who made friends easily.

from L. extra "outside" + vertere "to turn" (see versus)

1206

Figurehead

A person put in a position of leadership because of name, rank, etc., but having no real power, authority, or responsibility.

Most kings these days are just figureheads with little political power.

from L. figura, “a shape, form, figure”

1207

Foray

To raid for spoils; plunder; pillage.

Their first foray into business went much better than they had hoped.

from O.Fr. forrier, from forrer "to forage," related to fuerre "fodder" (see forage)

1208

Gainsay

To deny

No one could gainsay Matt's point.

from O.E. gegn"against" + say. Solitary survival of a once common prefix which was used to form such nowobsolete compounds as gain-taking "taking back again," etc.

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Guile

Slyness and cunning in dealing with others.

With great guile, Samantha managed to infiltrate the drug gang.

from O.Fr. guile, from Frank. wigila "trick, ruse" (see wile)

1210

Hollow

Having an empty space, or only air, within it; having a cavity inside; not solid.

Somehow, the victory felt hollow.

from P.Gmc. holhwo-, related to hol "hole" (see hole)

1211

Impassive

Not feeling pain; not liable to suffering; insensible.

The dancers felt that the crowd was especially impassive that day.

from L. passivus "capable of feeling or suffering," from pass-, pp. stem of pati "to suffer" (see passion)

1212

Incumbent

Necessary for someone as a duty or responsibility.

In American politics, it is usually difficult to unseat the incumbent.

from L. incumbere "recline on, apply oneself to," from in"on" + -combere "lie down" (see succumb)

1213

Iniquity

Gross injustice or wickedness.

All over the country, people protested what they thought was the iniquity of the verdict.

from L. iniquitatem "unequalness, injustice," noun of quality from iniquus "unjust, unequal," from in-"not" + æquus "just, equal." (see equal)

1214

Irascible

Easily angered; quick-tempered.

Frank had finally figured out how to handle his irascible boss.

from L. irascibilis, from L. irasci "grow angry," from ira "anger" (see ire)

1215

Liberality

Absence of narrowness or prejudice in thinking; broad-mindedness.

Connie's liberality and openness to new experiences meant that she learned new things every day.

from L. Iiberalis "noble, generous," lit. "pertaining to a free man," from liber "free" (see liberate)

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Maudlin

Foolishly and tearfully or weakly sentimental.

He became embarrassingly maudlin when drunk.

from M.E. proper name Maudelen, from Magdalene, woman's name, originally surname of Mary, the repentant sinner forgiven by Jesus in Luke vii.

1217

Multifarious

Having many kinds of parts or elements; of great variety; diverse; manifold.

They tried multifarious approaches in their attempt to solve the problem.

from L. multifarius "manifold," from multifariam "in many places or parts," perhaps originally, from multi- "many" + fariam "parts," (see nefarious)

1218

Obstreperous

Noisy, boisterous, or unruly, esp. in resisting or opposing.

The obstreperous inmates started creating problems.

from L. obstreperus "clamorous," from obstrepere "drown with noise, oppose noisily," from ob "against" + strepere "make a noise"

1219

Palpitate

To beat rapidly or flutter: said esp. of heart action that one is conscious of.

Her heart palpitated as he leaned in to kiss her.

from L. palpitationem, from palpitare "to throb, to flutter," from palpare "touch gently, stroke" (see feel)

1220

Peroration

The concluding part of a speech, in which there is a summing up and emphatic recapitulation.

The speaker's peroration moved many people to tears.

from L. perorationem, "the ending of a speech or argument of a case," from per"to the end" + orare "to speak, plead" (see oration)

1221

Plead

To make an earnest appeal; supplicate; beg.

Henry pleaded with his kids not to make so much noise.

from L. placitum, “lawsuit” (see plea)

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Preponderance

The fact or quality of being superior in weight, power, or numbers.

The country had clear military preponderance over its neighbors.

from L. præponderare "outweigh," from præ"before" + ponderare "to weigh" (see pound)

1223

Provisional

Having the nature of a temporary provision.

Their agreement was provisional, and would be evaluated later on.

from L. provisionem, "foresight, preparation," from providere "look ahead", from pro"ahead" + videre "to see" (see vision)

1224

Rail (verb)

To utter bitter complaint or vehement denunciation.

Tim railed against the inefficiency of the subway system.

from O.Fr. raale, related to râler "to rattle," of unknown origin

1225

Regicide

The killing of a monarch

Found guilty of attempted regicide, the man was executed.

formed from L. rex "king" on model of suicide

1226

Reticent

Habitually silent or uncommunicative.

Suzan was reticent, but not shy, she just liked to think deeply about things.

from L. reticentia "silence," from reticere "keep silent," from re-, intensive prefix, + tacere "be silent" (see tact)

1227

Scurrilous

Using indecent or abusive language; coarse; vulgar; foulmouthed.

The tabloid made some scurrilous claims about the pop star.

from L. scurrilis "buffoonlike," from scurra "fashionable city idler," later "buffoon."

1228

Slate

To schedule or plan for a certain time.

His appointment was slated for next week.

from O.Fr. esclate, "split piece, splinter", so called because the rock splits easily into thin plates.

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Stigma

Something that detracts from the character or reputation of a person, group, etc.; mark of disgrace or reproach.

There is a certain stigma associated with working at that job.

from L. stigma, from Gk. stigma "mark, puncture," (see stick)

1230

Supercilious

Disdainful or contemptuous; full of or characterized by pride or scorn; haughty.

Gloria didn't much like her supercilious neighbors.

from L. supercilium "haughty demeanor, pride," lit. "eyebrow" from super "above" + cilium "eyelid," related to celare "to cover, hide,"

1231

Temperance

Self-restraint in conduct, expression,and indulgence of the appetites

Dawn was a person of great temperance, she always showed impressive selfdiscipline.

from L. temperantia "moderation," from temperans, prp. of temperare "to moderate" (see temper (v.))

1232

Turbid

Thick, dense, or dark, as clouds or smoke.

The turbid waters of the lake made it difficult to see what was at the bottom.

from L. turbidus "muddy, full of confusion," from turbare "to confuse, bewilder," from turba "turmoil, crowd" (see turbine)

1233

Veer

To change sides; shift, as from one opinion or attitude to another.

His was so inconsistent that his opinions constantly veered from one extreme to the other.

from M.Fr. virer "to turn," perhaps from a L. contraction of vibrare "to shake."

1234

Wan

Faint or weak in a way suggestive of sickness or great weariness, sadness, etc.

Derek's wan complexion made it obvious that he was pretty sick.

from O.E. wann "dark, lacking luster," later "leaden, pale, gray," of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to wane.

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Admonitory

Giving or conveying a warning or reprimand.

His mother's admonitory tone made it clear that she was serious.

from L. admonit, “urged”, from admonére to remind, advise, warn (see monitor)

1236

Apotheosis

The act of raising a person to the status of a god.

The movie was really just an apotheosis of Che Guevara.

from L. apotheosis, from Gk. apotheosis, from apotheoun "deify, make (someone) a god," from apo- "change" + theos "god." (see theology)

1237

Asterisk

A starlike sign (*) used in printing to indicate footnote references, emissions, etc.

An asterisk usually indicates that there is some extra information that might be interesting to the reader.

from L. asteriscus, from Gk. asterikos "little star," dim. of aster "star"

1238

Bane

The cause of distress, death, or ruin.

He was the bane of her existence.

from O.E. bana "slayer, murderer,"

1239

Bilk

To cheat or swindle; defraud.

The financier who had tried to bilk the city out of millions was caught and tried.

Origin obscure, "a word signifying nothing,“ perhaps of Arabic origin.

1240

Buoyant

Light in spirits.

Everyone left the party in a buoyant mood.

from Sp. boyante, prp. of boyar "to float," from boya “buoy,“ from Du. boei (see buoy)

1241

Chastise

to punish, esp. by beating

Steve was chastised by his parents for not telling them about his F in chemistry.

from L. castigare "to punish," lit. "to make pure" (see castigate)

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Commuter

A person who travels regularly between a residence and a place of employment.

The mayor promised a tax break to all commuters.

from L. commutare "to often change, to change altogether," from com- intensive prefix + mutare "to change" (see mutable)

1243

Contemn

To treat or think of with contempt; scorn.

His contemn for his family's roots was ultimately not very healthy.

L contemnere, “to despise, scorn,” equiv. to conintensive prefix- + temnere “to slight” (see contempt)

1244

Cumbersome

Hard to handle or deal with as because of size or weight; burdensome; clumsy.

Tina hadn't realized how cumbersome it would be to carry her laptop to the beach.

from O.Fr. encombrer, from combre “obstruction, barrier,“ from L. comboros, “that which is carried together”. Sense of “unwieldy, hard to carry”, is from the Middle Ages.

1245

Denizen

An inhabitant or occupant.

The bar's denizens were a criminal lot.

from L. deintus, from de- "from" + intus “within."

1246

Diffident

FuII of diffidence; lacking selfconfidence; timid; shy.

Helga's husband was a diffident and mousy man.

from L. diffident, “failing in trust”, from dis, “not”, + fidere, “to trust” (see faith)

1247

Distraught

Extremely troubled; mentally confused; distracted; harassed.

Distraught by the plunge in the stock market, many people started selling their stocks.

from L. distractus, pp. of distrahere "draw in different directions,“ from dis- "away" + trahere "to draw" (see tract)

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Effete

No Ionger capable of producing; spent and sterile.

The stereotype of the effete intellectual is a common one in politics.

from L. effetus "unproductive, worn out (with bearing offspring)" lit. "that has given birth," from ex- "out" + fetus "childbearing, offspring" (see fetus)

1249

Enervate

To deprive of strength, force, vigor, etc.; weaken physically, mentally, or morally

Billy felt completely enervated by the long debate.

from L. enervat, “weakened”, from ex, “out of”, + nervus, “nerves, sinew” (see nerve)

1250

Erasure

The act of erasing.

Her erasure from the history books is completely unfair.

from L. erasus, pp. of eradere "scrape out,“ from ex- “out" + radere "to scrape" (see raze, razor)

1251

Exorbitant

Going beyond what is reasonable, just, proper, usual, etc.; excessive; extravagant: said esp. of charges, prices, etc.

The company could charge exorbitant prices because they held a monopoly.

from L. exorbitantem, prp. of exorbitare "deviate, go out of the track," from ex- "out of" + orbita "wheel track."

1252

Fawn

To try to gain favor by acting servilely; to cringe and flatter.

The associates fawned over the partners in the firm.

from O.E. fagnian "rejoice," from fægen "glad" (see fain)

1253

Flamboyant

Flamelike or brilliant in form or color.

His flamboyant mannerisms made him popular in his school.

from Fr. flamboyant "flaming, wavy," prp. of flamboyer "to flame,“ from O.Fr. flamboier, from flambe "flame." (see flame)

1254

Fortify

To make strong or stronger; strengthen physically, emotionally.

Drinking milk with calcium helps fortify the bones.

from L. fortificare, from L. fortis "strong" (see fort) + facere "to make" (see fact)

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Gist

The essence or main point, as of an article or argument.

Finn had totally missed the gist of what I was saying.

from Anglo-Fr. legalese phrases, especially cest action gist "this action lies," meaning "this case is sustainable by law,"

1256

Hapless

Unfortunate; unlucky; Iuckless.

The hapless tourist got food poisoning at the beginning of the trip.

from O.N. happ "chance, good luck," + less, (see happ)

1257

Hypocrisy

Pretending to be what one is not, or to feel what one does not feel; esp., a pretense of virtue, piety, etc.

The governor's hypocrisy was exposed when his affair became public knowledge.

from L. hypocrisis, from Gk. hypokrisis "acting on the stage, pretense," from hypokrinesthai "play a part, pretend"

1258

Imperturbable

That which cannot be disconcerted, disturbed, or excited; impassive.

Her imperturbable manner instilled confidence in her teammates.

from L. imperturbabilis "that which cannot be disturbed", from in"not" + perturbabilis, from L. perturbare "to confuse, disturb" (see disturb, turbid)

1259

Indomitable

Not easily discouraged, defeated, or subdued.

Nature had given him an indomitable spirit.

from L. indomitabilis "untameable," from in"not" + L. domitare, "to tame", from L. domus, “house” (see domesticate)

1260

Insurrection

Rising up against established authority; rebellion; revolt.

The inserruction turned into a full blown revolution, and eventually into a change of government.

from L. insurrectionem, "a rising up," from insurrectus, pp. of insurgere "to rise up" (see surge, insurgent)

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Jabber

To speak or say quickly, incoherently, or nonsensically; chatter; gibber.

The child jabbered away to itself.

from O.E. jablen, javeren, jaberen, probably imitative.

1262

Lucrative

Producing wealth or profit; profitable; remunerative.

His investment in the gold mine turned out to be very lucrative.

from L. lucrativus "gainful, profitable," from lucratus, pp. of lucrari "to gain," from lucrum "gain, profit." (see lucre)

1263

Mesmerize

To hypnotize; esp., to spellbind.

The crowd was mesmerized by the magician's tricks.

from Fr. mesmérisme, named for Franz Anton Mesmer (17341815), Austrian physician who developed a theory of animal magnetism and a mysterious body fluid which allows one person to hypnotize another.

1264

Nexus

A connection, tie, or link between individuals of a group or members of a series.

The nexus between big corporations and powerful politicians is not often talked about in the media.

from L. nexus, pp. of nectere "to bind," (see connection)

1265

Omnipotent

Having unlimited power or authority; all-powerful

In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh was considered omnipotent.

from L. omnipotentem, “allpowerful, almighty,“ from omnis "all" (see omni-) + potens “powerful” (see potential)

1266

Paucity

Fewness; small number.

There was a paucity of food after the war.

from L. paucitatem, "fewness, scarcity," from paucus "few, little," (see pauper)

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Petrous

Of or like rock; hard; stony.

His petrous demeanor made it difficult to figure out his true feelings.

from L. petrōsus, “rocky,” from petra, “rock”. (see petrify)

1268

Poise

To balance; keep steady.

The textbooks were poised on top of her head.

from O.Fr. peis, “weight”, from the verb peser, “to weigh”, from L. pensum, “weight” (see pensive, ponder)

1269

Procrastination

To defer action; delay.

Because of his procrastination, the homework took him much longer than it should have.

from L. procrastinationem "a putting off," noun of action from procrastinare "put off till tomorrow," from pro- "forward" + crastinus “belonging to tomorrow," from cras “tomorrow,"

1270

Pungency

Acutely distressing to the feelings or mind; poignant.

The cheese was considered a delicacy because of its pungency.

from L. pungentem, prp. of pungere "to prick, pierce, sting," related to pugnus "fist" (see pugnacious)

1271

Recant

To withdraw or renounce (beliefs or statements formerly held), esp. in a formal or public manner.

Under the threat of torture and death, he recanted his views on astronomy.

from L. recantare "recall, revoke,“ from re- "back" + cantare "to chant" (see chant)

1272

Renovate

To make fresh or sound again, as though new; clean up.

They spent the entire summer renovating their house.

from L. renovationem, from renovatus, pp. of renovare "renew, restore," from re"again" + novare "make new," from novus "new" (see innovate)

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Sagacious

Having or showing keen perception or discernment and sound judgment.

His sagacious advice helped them with their difficult decision.

from L. sagax, “wise” (see sage)

1274

Servile

Like or characteristic of a slave; humbly yielding.

He showed them to their table with a servile smile.

from L. servilis "of a slave, servile," from servus "slave" (see servant)

1275

Soot

To cover, soil, or treat with soot.

Millie's dress was ruined when the soot fell on it.

from P.Gmc. sotam "soot“

1276

Streak

A strain, element, or tendency in behavior, temperament, etc.

He had a real mean streak when he got drunk.

from O.E. strica, of Germanic origin.

1277

Surreptitious

Done, gotten, made, etc. in a secret, stealthy way; clandestine.

The talks between the two countries were carried on in a surreptitious manner.

from L. surrepticius "stolen, furtive, clandestine," from sub "from under" (hence, “secretly") + rapere "to snatch" (see rapid)

1278

Tonic

Mentally or morally invigorating; stimulating.

The walk through the woods had quite a tonic effect on him.

from Gk. tonikos "of stretching," from tonos "a stretching" (see thin)

1279

Underbid

To bid lower than (another person); bargain, negotiate.

In an attempt to get the contract, Jill's company underbid everyone else.

from under- + bid, from ME bidden, from OE biddan, “to beg, ask”.

1280

Vicissitude

Unpredictable changes or variations that keep occurring in life, fortune, etc.; shifting circumstances; ups and downs.

The vicissitudes of life are what make it both exciting and unpleasant.

from L. vicissitudo, from vicissim, “by turns”, from vic, “turn, change”. (see vicarious)

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Wend

To proceed or go on (one's way).

He wended his way through the desert.

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www.totaltestprep.net ESSENTIAL GRE VOCABULARY - SET 28 1282

Abrade

To scrape or rub off; wear away by scraping or rubbing.

The words on the plaque were abraded by the passage of time.

from L. abradere "to scrape off" (see abrasion), from L. abrasus, pp. of abradere, from ab"off" + radere "to scrape" (see erase)

1283

Aloof

At a distance but in view; apart.

Jeff was an aloof guy who didn't have many friends.

from M.E. loof "weather gage," also "windward direction," probably from Du. loef

1284

Ardent

Warm or intense in feeling; passionate, ardent love.

His ardent declaration of love fell on deaf ears.

from L. ardentem, prp. of ardere "to burn,“ (see arson)

1285

Auxiliary

Giving help or aid; assisting or supporting.

The hospital had an auxiliary power source in case the power went out in the city.

from L. auxiliaris "helpful," from auxilium "aid, help,“ related to auctus, pp. of augere "to increase" (see augment)

1286

Belie

To give a false idea of; disguise or misrepresent.

The comedian's cynical jokes belied his essentially optimistic nature.

from O.E. beleogan "to deceive," from be+ lie "to lie, tell lies."

1287

Bogus

Not genuine; spurious.

I'm sorry, but your claim is totally bogus.

Americanism; orig. an apparatus for coining false money; perh. akin to bogey

1288

Candid

Free from prejudice or bias; fair; just; impartial.

Their candid talk greatly helped resolve the argument.

from L. candidum "white, pure, sincere," from candere "to shine," (see candle)

1289

Coalesce

To grow together, as the halves of a broken bone.

The various small movements coalesced into a formidable opposition to the regime.

from L.L. coalitus "fellowship," originally pp. of L. coalescere “come together” (see coalition)

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Conciliatory

Intended or likely to placate or pacify.

His concilliatory offer was accepted, and so the disagreement ended.

from L. conciliat, “combined, gained”, from the verb conciliare, from concilium (see council)

1291

Cordial

Sincere; deeply felt.

Their cordial relationship had begun way back in college.

from L. cor "heart" (see heart, courage)

1292

Debacle

An overwhelming defeat or rout.

Many generals resigned after the military debacle.

from M.Fr. desbacler "to unbar," from des"off" + bacler "to bar"

1293

Derivative

Using or taken from other sources; not original.

His derivative conclusions have been disproved many years ago anyway.

from L. derivare "to lead or draw off (a stream of water) from its source," from phrase de rivo (de "from" + rivus "stream").

1294

Discredit

To reject as untrue; disbelieve.

The presidential candidate tried to discredit his opponent by claiming that the opponent was “soft on crime”.

from dis- "opposite of" + credit, “public acknowledgment or praise”

1295

Dormant

As if asleep; quiet; still.

The virus lay dormant for several months before Hannah felt any symptoms.

from L. dormire "to sleep," (see dormitory)

1296

Elicit

To draw forth; evoke.

The comedian's joke elicited a burst of laughter from the audience.

from L. elicitus, pp. of elicere “draw forth," from ex- "out" + -licere, "to entice." (see illicit)

1297

Ensconce

To place or settle comfortably, snugly, or securely.

The rabbit ensconced himself in his burrow.

“to cover with a fort,” from en- "make, put in" + sconce, "small fortification, shelter,"

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Euphoria

A feeling of vigor, well-being, or high spirits.

Her euphoria lasted throughout the day.

from Gk. euphoria "power of bearing easily, fertility," from euphoros, lit. "bearing well," from eu- "well" (see joy) + pherein "to carry" (see transfer)

1299

Extensive

Having great extent; covering a large area; vast.

The professor had extensive knowledge of ancient customs and traditions.

from L. extendere "stretch out," from ex"out" + tendere "to stretch" (see thin)

1300

Fertile

Producing abundantly; rich in resources or invention.

Some of the most fertile land in the valley was currently up for grabs.

from L. fertilis "bearing in abundance, fruitful, productive," from ferre "to bear" (see transfer)

1301

Flippant

Frivolous and disrespectful; saucy; impertinent.

Clark's flippant response showed that he didn't really care.

extended form of flip (adj.) "glib"

1302

Fret

To irritate; vex; annoy; worry.

Nancy fretted whether her train would arrive on time.

from O.E. fretan "eat, devour" (in O.E., used of monsters and Vikings; in M.E., used of animals' eating)

1303

Grave

Requiring serious thought; important; weighty, grave doubts.

Ricardo found himself in a very grave situation after his taxes were audited.

from P.Gmc. graban (see grief)

1304

Heresy

Any opinion (in philosophy, politics, etc.) opposed to official or established views or doctrines.

Hundreds of years ago, people were burned at the stake for heresy.

from Gk. hairesis, "choice”, from haireisthai, “choose”

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Illicit

Not allowed by law, custom, rule, etc.; unlawful.

His illicit trade in diamonds was dangerous, but profitable.

from L. illicitus "not allowed, unlawful, illegal," from in- "not" + licitus "lawful," pp. of licere "to be allowed."

1306

Imply

To indicate indirectly or by allusion; hint; suggest; intimate.

I didn't mean to imply that you are incompetent.

from L. implicare "involve" (see implicate)

1307

Infuriate

To cause to become very angry; enrage.

The captain was infuriated that the sailors were so lazy.

from L. in furia "in a fury,“ from furia, “rage” (see fury)

1308

Introspection

Looking into one's own mind, feelings, etc.; observation and analysis of oneself.

As a result of much introspection, Jasmine realized she didn't really want to join the circus.

from L. introspectionem, from intro- "inward" + specere "to look at" (see scope, spectacles)

1309

Lament

To feel deep sorrow or express it as by weeping or wailing; mourn; grieve.

Rob lamented his decision to quit smoking.

from L. lamenta “wailing, moaning, weeping,"

1310

Malevolence

Malice; spitefulnees; ill will.

There was a hint of malevolence in his look.

from L. malevolentia, from male, "badly" + volentem, prp. of velle "to wish" (see will)

1311

Misogyny

Hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women.

Misogyny will not be tolerated on this campus!

from Gk. misogynia, from miso-, "hatred" (from misein "to hate") + gyne "woman" (see queen)

1312

Numb

Weakened in or deprived of the power of feeling or moving; benumbed; deadened; insensible.

The anesthetic caused Frieda's entire right arm to go numb.

from pp. of nimen "to take, seize," from O.E. niman "to take" (see nimble)

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Overt

Not hidden; open; observable; apparent; manifest.

His statement was an overt insult to anyone from the East Coast.

from O.Fr., past participle of ovrir, “to open”, from L. aperire "to open, uncover"

1314

Perfidious

Characterized by perfidy; treacherous.

The perfidious friend betrayed those closest to him for the sake of a promotion.

from L. perfidus “faithless,“ from phrase per fidem decipere "to deceive through trustingness," from per "through" + fidem, "faith“ (see faith)

1315

Pitfall

An unsuspected difficulty, danger, or error that one may fall into.

She avoided the pitfalls more through luck than through anything else.

from pit + fall (v.). Extended sense of “any hidden danger"

1316

Precept

A commandment or direction meant as a rule of action or conduct.

The basic moral precept is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

from L. præceptum "maxim, rule, order," prop. neuter pp. of præcipere "give rules to, order, advise," lit. "take beforehand," from præ- "before" + capere "to take" (see capture)

1317

Propensity

A natural inclination or tendency; bent.

Sheila had a propensity to question authority.

from L. propendere "incline to, hang forward, weigh over," from pro- "forward" + pendere "hang“ (see pendant)

1318

Quibble

An evasion of the main point as by emphasizing some petty detail; cavil.

Let's not quibble over the details.

from L. quibus "by what (things)?,"

1319

Recreancy

CowardIy or craven.

John's recreant betrayal of the resistance made him very unpopular in his town.

from OF, prp. of recreire “to yield in a contest,” from reopposite + credere “entrust”

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Resigned

Feeling or showing resignation; submissive; yielding and uncomplaining.

Resigned to his fate, the man trudged to and from work each day.

from L. resignare "to check off, cancel, give up," from re"opposite" + signare "to make an entry in an account book," lit. "to mark" (see sign)

1321

Sate

To satisfy to the full; gratify completely.

His hunger sated, Kevin put the plates away and turned on the TV.

from M.E. saden “become satiated," from O.E. sadian "to satiate,"

1322

Shun

To keep away from; avoid scrupulously or consistently.

Everyone in school tended to shun the new kid because he was so weird.

of uncertain origin; not found in any other language.

1323

Spurious

Not true or genuine; false; counterfeit.

Few believed Iliya's spurious claim that he had invented the internet.

from L. spurius "illegitimate, false", from spurius, "illegitimate child," probably from Etruscan spural "public."

1324

Subpoena

To summon with such an order.

Debbie missed work yesterday because she was under subpoena.

from L. sub "under" + poena, "penalty" (see penalty)

1325

Tarry

To delay, linger, be tardy, etc.

You can go visit them, but try not to tarry because the last bus is at 2.

from L. tardare "to delay," or O.E. tergan "to vex, irritate." Intrans. meaning "to linger" (see tardy)

1326

Transitory

Of a passing nature; not enduring or permanent; temporary, fleeting, or ephemeral; transient.

He realized that his feelings for her had been only transitory.

from O.Fr. transitoire, from L. transitorius "passing, transient," from transitus "allowing passage through," pp. of transire "go or cross over" (see transient)

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Vacillation

A state of indecision or irresolution.

Lily was not a decisive person, everything she did was marked by a great deal of vacillation.

from L. vacillationem "a reeling, wavering," from pp. stem of vacillare "sway to and fro."

1328

Vivacious

Full of Iife and animation; Iively.

Mina was a vivacious woman who always seemed to be full of energy.

from L. vivacitatem, "vital force, liveliness," from vivax "lively," also "long-lived," from vivere "to live" (see vital)

1329

Yeoman

A freeholder of a class below the gentry, who worked his own land.

Thomas Jefferson envisioned America as a nation of yeoman farmers.

c.1300, "attendant in a noble household," of unknown origin, perhaps a contraction of O.E. iunge man "young man"

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Acclaim

To greet with loud applause or approval.

Their newest album earned a lot of critical acclaim.

from L. acclamare, from ad, “to” + clamare, “to shout” (see clamor)

1331

Animosity

A feeling of strong dislike or hatred; ill will; hostility.

Nick no longer felt any animosity towards his brother.

from L. animositatem, from animosus "bold, spirited." Sense of "hostile feeling" is first recorded 1605, from a secondary sense in L. (see animus, animal)

1332

Ascetic

Characterized by the practice of severe selfdiscipline and abstaining from all forms of indulgence.

The monks lived a simple, ascetic lifestyle.

from Gk. asketikos "rigorously selfdisciplined," from asketes "monk, hermit," from askein "to exercise, train"

1333

Axiom

A statement universally accepted as true; maxim.

One of the axioms of physics is that matter can neither be created nor destroyed.

from Gk. axioma "authority," lit. "that which is thought worthy or fit," from axioun "to think worthy,"

1334

Bequest

The act of bequeathing.

The museum received the famous painting by bequest.

from be- + O.E. cwis, cwiss "saying"

1335

Breach

To make a breach in; break open or through.

No army had been able to breach the city's defenses.

from O.E. bræc "a breaking," from brecan (see break)

1336

Caustic

Cutting or sarcastic in utterance; biting.

Anna's caustic remarks were sharp, but quite funny.

from Gk. kaustikos "capable of burning," from kaustos combustible," from kaiein, the Gk. word for "to burn" (see cauterize)

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Coherent

Sticking together; having cohesion.

The defense's arguments were coherent and convincing.

from L. cohærentem, prp. of cohærere from com- "together" + hærere "to stick" (see hesitation)

1338

Consent

To agree (to do something).

Owen had given his consent for his music to appear in the movie.

from L. consentire "feel together," from com- "with" + sentire "to feel." "Feeling together," hence, "agreeing, giving permission" (see sentiment)

1339

Covetous

Greedy; avaricious.

Their covetous neighbor always wanted what they had.

from L. cupiditas "passionate desire," from cupidus "very desirous," from cupere "long for, desire." (see cupidity)

1340

Deflect

To turn or make go to one side; bend; swerve.

The politician was skilled at deflecting questions from the press.

from L. deflectere "to bend aside or downward," from de"away" + flectere "to bend." (see reflect)

1341

Detraction

A taking away so as to make something seem less impressive.

The car's price is not a major detraction.

from L. detractionem, from detrahere "take down, pull down, disparage," from de"down" + trahere "to pull" (see extract)

1342

Dispassionate

Free from passion, emotion, or bias; calm; impartial.

A dispassionate review of the facts will show that I am correct.

from dis- "the opposite of" + passionate

1343

Duress

Imprisonment.

Bob was forced to sell his house under duress.

from L. duritia "hardness," from durus "hard" (see endure)

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Encapsulate

To enclose in or as if in a capsule.

That article perfectly encapsulates my thoughts on the matter.

from en- "make, put in" + capsulate (see capsule), from L. capsula dim. of capsa "box, case, chest."

1345

Epoch

A point in time or a precise date.

It was the epoch of exploration and conquest.

from Gk. epokhe "stoppage, fixed point of time," from epekhein "to pause, take up a position," from epi- "on" + ekhein "to hold."

1346

Exculpate

To free from blame; declare or prove guiltless.

The new DNA evidence exculpated the man that had been convicted of murder.

from L. ex culpa, from ex "from" + culpa "blame."

1347

Exuberance

Filled with or characterized by a lively energy and excitement.

Jane's exuberance irritated her hungover husband.

from L. exuberantem "overabundance," prp. of exuberare "be abundant, grow luxuriously," from ex"thoroughly" + uberare "be fruitful"

1348

Filial

Of, suitable to, or due from a son or daughter.

Mark instilled in his children a sense of fillial obedience.

from L. filius "son," filia "daughter," (see affiliation)

1349

Forbear

To refrain or abstain from.

Mike couldn't forbear from eating another piece of candy.

from fore "before" + be-er "one who exists."

1350

Gambol

To jump and skip about in play; frolic, caper, romp.

They gamboled in the sun.

from L. gamba "horse's hock or leg," from Gk. kampe "bend."

1351

Guileless

Without guile; candid; frank.

He was an essentially honest, guileless person.

from O.Fr. guile, from Frank. wigila "trick, ruse" (see wile)

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Holster

A pistol case, usually of Ieather and attached to a belt, saddle, or shoulder strap.

She could whip the gun out of the holster faster than you could blink.

from O.E. heolster, earlier helustr "concealment, hiding place"

1353

Impeccable

Not liable to sin, incapable of wrongdoing.

Thia's taste in furniture was impeccable.

from L. impeccabilis "not liable to sin," from in- "not" + pecare "to sin," of unknown origin.

1354

Incursion

A running in or coming in, esp. when undesired; inroad.

The UN denounced the rebel army's incursion into the peacekeeping zone.

from L. incurrere, from in, “toward”, + currere, “run” (see incur)

1355

Innocuous

That which does not injure or harm; harmless.

Her not so innocuous question sparked off a debate.

from L. innocuus "harmless," from in"not" + nocuus "hurtful," from nocere "to injure, harm," (see innocent)

1356

Irate

Angry; wrathful; incensed.

The irate fans booed the team.

from L. iratus "angry, enraged, violent, furious," pp. of irasci "grow angry," from ira "anger" (see ire)

1357

Libertine

A person, esp. a man, who leads an unrestrained, sexually immoral life.

Lord Byron is an example of a famous libertine poet.

from L. libertinus "member of a class of freedmen," from libertus "one's freedmen," from liber "free" (see liberate)

1358

Maverick

A person who takes an independent stand, as in politics, from that of a party or group.

The presidential candidate claimed he was a maverick.

in allusion to Samuel A. Maverick (180370), Texas cattle owner who was negligent in branding his calves. Sense of "individualist, unconventional person"

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Mundane

Commonplace, everyday, ordinary, etc.

Leo liked his job, even the boring and mundane details.

from L. mundanus "belonging to the world" (as distinct from the Church), from mundus "universe, world," lit. "clean, elegant" (see mound)

1360

Obtain

To get possession of, esp. by some effort; procure.

An original recording of the band's first album was difficult to obtain.

from L. obtinere "hold, take hold of, acquire," from ob "to" (though perhaps intensive in this case) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet).

1361

Panacea

A supposed remedy or medicine for all diseases or ills; cure-all.

Ian's grandmother believed that green tea was a panacea.

from L. panacea, an all-healing herb(variously identified), from Gk. panakeia "cure-all," from panakes "allhealing," from pan"all" + akos "cure"

1362

Perpetrate

To do or perform (something evil, criminal, or offensive); be guilty of.

No one believed that the young child could perpetrate such a crime.

from L. perpetratus, pp. of perpetrare "to perform, to accomplish," from per- "completely" + patrare "carry out," originally "bring into existence," from pater "father"

1363

Plethora

The state of being too full; overabundance; excess.

There were a plethora of details to be taken care of before they could buy the house.

from L. plethora, from Gk. plethore "fullness," from plethein "be full"

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Presage

To give a presage, or warning, of; portend.

The rise in unemployment presaged the coming depression.

from L. præsagium "a foreboding," from præsagire "to perceive beforehand, forebode," from præ"before" + sagus "prophetic," related to sagire "perceive" (see sagacious, sage)

1365

Provoke

To excite to some action or feeling.

The movie provoked negative reactions from religious groups all over the country.

from L. provocare "call forth, challenge," from pro- "forth" + vocare "to call" (see voice)

1366

Ramify

To divide or spread out into branches or branchlike divisions.

Kevin realized that the problem would only ramify if he didn't deal with it soon.

from L. ramus "branch" (related to radix "root;" see radish) + root of facere "to make" (see fact)

1367

Rehabilitate

To restore the good name or reputation of; reinstate in good repute.

The aim of the prison was not just to punish, but also to rehabilitate the criminals.

from L. rehabilitationem "restoration," from re"again" + habitare "make fit," from L. habilis "easily managed, fit."

1368

Revere

To regard with deep respect, love, and awe; venerate.

She greatly revered her parents.

from L. reverentia "awe, respect," from re-, intensive prefix, + vereri "stand in awe of, fear" (see wary)

1369

Scurvy

Scurfy

I can't stand him or his scurvy friend.

of Du. scheurbuik, Fr. scorbut "scurvy," the disease characterized by swollen and bleeding gums, prostration, etc

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Sluggard

A habitually lazy or idle person.

Quit being a sluggard and get a job!

from M.E. sluggi "sluggish, indolent"

1371

Stigmatize

to characterize or mark as disgraceful

In colonial New England, women were sometimes stigmatized as witches for no good reason.

from Gk. stigma "mark, puncture," (see stick)

1372

Superfluous

Being more than is needed, useful, or wanted; surplus; excessive.

Her suitcase was heavy because she had packed a lot of superfluous things in it.

from L. superfluus "unnecessary," lit. "overflowing," from super, "over" (see super-) + fluere "to flow" (see fluent)

1373

Temperate

Moderate in indulging the appetites; not selfindulgent; abstemious.

Wendy was a temperate drinker, she never had more than a glass of wine at dinner.

from L. temperatus "restrained, regulated," from pp. of temperare "to moderate, regulate" (see temper)

1374

Turbulence

Commotion or wild disorder.

Nick's brother hated flying because the turbulence terrified him.

from M.Fr. turbulent, from L. turbulentus "full of commotion, restless," from turba "turmoil, crowd" (see turbid)

1375

Venal

That which can readily be bribed or corrupted.

The venal official got rich quickly but eventually wound up in jail.

from Fr. vénal, from L. venalis "that is for sale," from venum "for sale" (see vendor)

1376

Warmonger

A person or agency that advocates war or tries to bring about a war.

Hitler and other warmonger Nazis eventually led to the destruction of Germany.

1590, from war (n.) + monger. “dealer, trader”, O.E. First attested in Spenser's "Faerie Queene"

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Adorn

To be an ornament to; add beauty, splendor, or distinction.

Posters of his favorite band adorned his dorm room.

from L. adornare "equip, embellish," from ad- "to" + ornare "prepare, furnish, adorn, fit out," (see ornament)

1378

Appease

To pacify or quiet, esp. by giving in to the demands of

Water is the best way to appease thirst, better than soda.

O.Fr. apeser "to pacify, appease," from the phrase a paisier "bring to peace," from a- "to" + pais, from L. pacem "peace." (see peace)

1379

Astringent

That which contracts body tissue and checks secretions, capillary bleeding, etc.

The astringent critic caused Mike to think twice next time.

from L. astringentum, prp. of astringere "to bind fast," from ad"to" + stringere "draw tight" (see constrain)

1380

Baneful

Causing distress, death, or ruin; deadly.

Frank wished that he had never gone on that baneful trip.

from OE bana, “slayer”

1381

Blanch

To make white; take color out of.

Lily blanched at the thought that she would go to the prom alone.

from O.Fr. blanchir "to whiten," from blanc "white" (see blank)

1382

Burgeon

To grow or develop rapidly; expand; proliferate; flourish.

American suburbs burgeoned after World War Two.

from O.Fr. burjoner "to bud, sprout," from burjon "a bud," of uncertain origin

1383

Chauvinist

Zealous and aggressive patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory.

His chauvinist attitudes made it difficult to talk to him.

from Fr. chauvinisme, (named after N. Chauvin, a soldier in Napoleon's army noted for loudmouthed patriotism)

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Compendium

A summary or abstract containing the essential information in a brief form; concise but comprehensive treatise.

This notebook is a compendium of my knowledge on the subject.

from L. compendere "to weigh together," from com- "together" + pendere "to weigh" (see ponder)

1385

Contentious

Always ready to argue; quarrelsome.

The contentious athlete dispute the referee's every call.

from L. contentionem, from stem of contendere (see contend)

1386

Curmudgeon

A surly, illmannered, badtempered person; cantankerous fellow.

He wasn't really a curmudgeon, just a lonely old man.

from ME curre, appar. shortened from curdogge. (see cur, “dog”)

1387

Denouement

Any final revelation or outcome.

The play's denouement was a surprise to everyone.

from Fr. dénouement "an untying" (of plot), from dénouer "untie," from O.Fr. desnouer, from des- "un-, out" + nouer "to tie, knot"

1388

Dilate

To make wider or larger; cause to expand or swell; stretch.

A cat's pupils dilate greatly in the dark, this is why they have good night vision.

from L. dilatare "make wider, enlarge," from dis- "apart" + latus "wide" (see latitude)

1389

Distress

To cause sorrow, misery, or suffering to; pain.

The rejection letter did not distress the young man greatly.

from L. districtus, pp. of distringere "draw apart, hinder," from dis- "apart" + stringere "draw tight, press together"

1390

Efficacy

Power to produce effects or intended results; effectiveness.

Her efficacy was greatly prized in her office.

from L. efficacia, from efficax, "effective," from efficere "work out, accomplish" (see effect)

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Engaging

Attractive; pleasant; winning; charming.

The engaging young man had no trouble making friends.

from O.Fr. en gage "under pledge," from en "make" + gage "pledge"

1392

Erode

To eat into; wear away; disintegrate.

Don't let inflation erode your savings.

from L. erosionem, from erodere "gnaw away," from ex"away" + rodere "gnaw" (see rodent)

1393

Expatiate

To speak or write in great detail; elaborate or enlarge (on or upon)

The professor liked to expatiate on physics, which was his topic of expertise.

from L. exspatiari, “to move beyond one's usual bounds”, from ex - “out, from” + spatiari, “to walk”, from spatium, “space”

1394

Febrile

Of or characterized by fever; feverish.

Uri's febrile illness eventually went away after a diet of chicken soup and tea.

from L. febris "a fever" (see fever)

1395

Flammable

Easily set on fire; that which burns readily or quickly.

Dina told her husband not to buy any flammable toys.

from L. flammare "to set on fire" (see flame)

1396

Fortitude

The strength to bear misfortune, pain, etc. calmly and patiently; firm courage.

Clare's fortitude helped her get through the Great Depression.

from L. fortitudo "strength," from fortis "strong, brave" (see fort)

1397

Glean

To collect (grain).

See if you can glean any information about the new boss that's coming in.

from L. glennare "make a collection”

1398

Harangue

A long, blustering, noisy, or scolding speech; tirade.

Their landlord constantly harangued them about their wild parties.

from M.Fr. harangue, from It. aringo "public square, platform"

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Iconoclast

One who attacks and seeks to destroy widely accepted ideas, beliefs, etc.

Iconoclasts tend to be punished during their lives, but celebrated afterwards.

from Gk. eikonoklastes, from eikon "image" + klastes "breaker," from klas- stem of klan "to break."

1400

Impervious

Incapable of being passed through or penetrated.

His mind was completely closed and impervious to any new ideas.

from L. impervius "that which cannot be passed through," from in- "not" + pervius "letting things through," from per "through" + via "road." (see pervade)

1401

Indulge

To gratify the wishes of; be very Ienient with; humor.

The friends indulged in some video games after school.

from L. indulgentia "complaisance, fondness, remission," from indulgere, “be kind, yield”

1402

Interdict

To prohibit (an action) or prohibit the use of (a thing).

The school will never interdict the students from bringing their own lunch.

from L. interdicere "interpose by speech, prohibit," from inter"between" + dicere "to speak, to say" (see diction)

1403

Jeopardize

To put in jeopardy; risk loss, damage.

Your reckless behaviour has jeopardized the mission!

from L. jocus "jest" + parti, pp. of partir "to divide" (see part)

1404

Luculent

Clear to the understanding; lucid.

The tutor's luculent explanations helped the child greatly.

from L lūculentus, “bright”, from lūc-, “light“ (see lucid)

1405

Meticulous

Extremely or excessively careful about details; scrupulous or finicky.

Their meticulous search yielded some new clues.

from L. meticulosus "fearful, timid," lit. "full of fear," from metus "fear," of unknown origin. Sense of "fussy about details".

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Nibble

To take small, cautious, or gentle bites.

Owen wasn't hungry, so he only nibbled at his food.

from Low Ger. nibbeln "to nibble, gnaw," related to M.L.G. nibbelen

1407

Onerous

Burdensome; laborious.

Jeremy was given the onerous task of telling his son there is no Santa Claus.

from L. onerosus, from onus, "burden." (see onus, exonerate)

1408

Peccadillo

A minor or petty sin; slight fault.

It was a slight peccadillo that could be forgiven.

from L. peccatum "a sin, fault, error," from neut. pp. of peccare "to make a mistake, sin," of unknown origin.

1409

Petulant

Impatient or irritable, esp. ever petty things; peevish.

The petulant child was a difficult one to deal with.

from L. petulantem, "wanton, froward, insolent," from the root of petere "rush at, seek" (see petition)

1410

Polemical

A controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc.

His polemical essays were published only after his death.

from Gk polemikós of or for war, equiv. to pólemos, “war”

1411

Prodigal

Exceedingly or recklessly wasteful.

The prodigal amount of food amazed all the guests.

from L. prodigus "wasteful," from prodigere "drive away, waste," from pro"forth" + agere "to drive" (see act)

1412

Purvey

To furnish or supply (esp. food or provisions).

They made sure to purvey the ship with all the essentials before they sailed out.

from L. providere (see provide), noun purveyor is from O.Fr. porveour

1413

Recast

To cast again or anew.

Because he got a bigger budget, the director decided to recast the play.

from O.N. kasta "to throw." (see cast (v.)) + re- from L. re"again, back."

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Renowned

Known or talked about by many people.

She was a renowned scholar whose work had saved many lives.

O.Fr. renon, from renomer "make famous," from re"repeatedly" + nomer "to name,"

1415

Salacious

Lecherous; Iustful.

Tell me everything, and don't leave out any salacious details.

from L. salax, "lustful," probably originally "fond of leaping," as in a male animal leaping on a female in sexual advances, from salire "to leap" (see assault)

1416

Sever

To separate (a part) from the whole, as by cutting or the like.

They decided it would be least complicated if they severed their ties completely.

from Anglo-Fr. severer, from O.Fr. sevrer "to separate," from L. seperare, from L. separare "separate"

1417

Sophisticated

Highly complex, refined, or developed; characterized by advanced form, technique, etc.

The room seemed full of sophisticated people who had refined and expensive tastes.

from L. sophisticus "of sophists," from Gk. sophistikos "of or pertaining to a sophist," from sophistes "a wise man, master, teacher" (see sophist)

1418

Striated

Furrowed; striped; streaked.

The striated riverbed was bone dry.

from L striatus, grooved, furrowed, pp. of striare, to groove, channel

1419

Susceptibility

A susceptible temperament or disposition; capacity for receiving impressions.

A poor diet increases susceptibility to obesity.

from L. suscipere, “take up, sustain”, from sub, “from below”, + capere, “take” (see capture)

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Topple

To fall (over) because or as if topheavy, overbalance; totter.

The government toppled after the massive inflation, and new elections had to be called.

"to tumble or roll about" (1542), from a verb derived from top

1421

Undermine

To injure, weaken, or impair, esp. by subtle, stealthy, or insidious means.

He tried to undermine his ex-girlfirend's date.

from under + mine (v.) “lay explosives on or just below the surface”

1422

Vigilance

The quality or state of being vigilant; watchfulness, alertness, acuity.

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

from L. vigilare, “to keep awake” (see vigil)

1423

Wheedle

To influence or persuade (a person) by flattery, soothing words, coaxing, etc.

The homeless man tried to wheedle some money out of Dom.

to influence by flattery, perhaps connected with O.E. wædlian "to beg" (from wædl "poverty"), or borrowed by Eng. soldiers in the 17c. German wars from Ger. wedeln "wag the tail," hence "fawn, flatter"

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