incursion (n) -- an aggressive entrance into foreign territory; a raid or invasion
paucity (n) -- smallness of number; fewness
freegan (n) -- a person who, through opposition to capitalism and consumerism, attempts to live without buying consumer goods, recycling discarded goods instead
stoic (n/adj.) -- one who is seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain; of or relating to this indifference; impassive
gloze (v) -- to minimize or underplay; gloss
funambulist (n) -- an acrobat who performs on a tightrope or slack rope
acumen (n) -- shrewdness shown by keen insight
fabrifuge (n/adj.) -- any medicine that lowers body temperature to prevent or alleviate fever; acting to reduce fever; antipyretic
antipyretic (adj./n) -- reducing or tending to reduce fever; something that does this
Vocab 6/4/14
toxophilic (adj.) -- easily susceptible to poison; having affinity for toxins
monotony (n) -- uniformity or lack of variation in pitch, intonation, or inflection
portent (n) -- an indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; an omen
spasmodic (adj.) -- relating to, affected by, or having the character of a spasm; convulsive
desultory (adj.) -- having no set plan; haphazard or random
hallow (v) -- to make or set apart as holy
obtuse (adj.) -- not sharp, pointed, or acute in form; blunt
celestial (adj.) -- of or relating to the sky or the heavens
largess (n) -- liberality in bestowing gifts, especially in a lofty or condescending manner
Vocab 6/3/14
conduit (n) -- a pipe or channel for conveying fluids, such as water
magnanimous (adj.) -- courageously noble in mind and heart
onomatopoeia (n) -- the formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to
Usage Note: Adjectival and adverbial forms consist of the following variants: on•o•mat•o•poe•ic (-tic) and on•o•mat•o•poe•ic•al•ly (-poe•tic•al•ly)
garrulous (adj.) -- given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk; tiresomely talkative
loquacious (adj.) -- very talkative; garrulous
quaggy (adj.) -- resembling a marsh; soggy
addlepated (adj.) -- befuddled; confused
flout (v) -- to show contempt for; scorn
clientele (n) -- the clients of a professional person or practice considered as a group
client (n) -- the party for which professional services are rendered, as by an attorney
Vocab 6/2/14
munificent (adj.) -- very liberal in giving; generous
opprobrium (n) -- disgrace arising from exceedingly shameful conduct; ignominy
ignominy (n) -- great personal dishonor or humiliation
Vocab 5/30/14
percolate (v) -- to cause (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; filter
stasis (n) -- a condition of balance among various forces; motionlessness
vociferous (adj.) -- taking, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry
vehement (adj.) -- characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid
fervid (adj.) -- marked by great passion or zeal
zeal (n) -- enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance
interlude (n) -- an intervening episode, feature, or period of time
intervene (v) -- to come, appear, or lie between two things
despotism (n) -- rule by or as if by a despot; absolute power or authority
despot (n) -- a ruler with absolute power
amanuensis (n) -- one who is employed to take dictation or to copy manuscript
dictation (n) -- the act or process of dictating material to another for transcription
dictate (v) -- to say or read aloud to be recorded or written by another
transcription (n) -- the act or process of transcribing
transcribe (v) -- to make a full written or typewritten copy of (dictated material, for example)
wharf (n) -- a landing place or pier where ships may tie up and load or unload
hosiery (n) -- socks and stockings; hose: a grotesque series of both pin- and wide-striped hosiery hanging in the clearance section of Barney's Northside Black Friday Shopping locales
grotesque (adj.) -- characterized by ludicrous or incongruous distortion, as of appearance or manner
ludicrous (adj.) -- laughable or hilarious because of obvious absurdity or incongruity
absurd (adj.) -- ridiculously incongruous or unreasonable
ridiculous (adj.) -- deserving or inspiring ridicule; absurd, preposterous, or silly
ridicule (n) -- words or actions intended to evoke contemptuous laughter at or feelings toward a person or thing
preposterous (adj.) -- contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd
incongruity (n) -- lack of congruence
congruence (n) -- agreement, harmony, conformity, or correspondence
congruity (n) -- the quality or fact of being congruous
incongruous (n) -- lacking in harmony; incompatible
locale (n) -- a place, especially with reference to a particular event
fealty (n) -- the fidelity owed by a vassal to his feudal lord
entourage (n) -- a group of attendants or associates; a retinue
prosthesis (n) -- an artificial device used to replace a missing body part, such as a limb, tooth, eye, or heart valve
rouge (n) -- a red or pink cosmetic for coloring the cheeks or lips
cosmetic (n/adj.) -- a preparation, such as powder or a skin cream, designed to beautify the body by direct application; serving to do this, especially by the face and hair
constabulary (n/adj.) -- the body of constables of a district or city; of or relating to constables
constable (n) -- a peace officer with less authority and smaller jurisdiction than a sheriff, empowered to serve writs and warrants and make arrests
jurisdiction (n) -- law the right and power to interpret and apply the law
writs (n) -- law a written order issued by a court, commanding the party to whom it is addressed to perform or cease performing a specified act
viscous (adj.) -- having relatively high resistance to flow
divulge (v) -- to make known (something private or secret)
compatriot (n) -- a person from one's own country
felicitate (v) -- to offer congratulations to
rapt (adj.) -- deeply moved or delighted; enraptured
enraptured (adj.) -- to fill with rapture or delight
rapture (n) -- the state of being transported by a lofty emotion; ecstasy
shale (n) -- a fissile rock composed of layers of claylike, fine-grained sediments
fissile (adj.) -- possible to split
sediment (n) -- material that settles to the bottom of a liquid; lees
lees (n) -- sediment settling during fermentation, especially in wine; dregs
fermentation (n) -- the anaerobic conversion of sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol by yeast
anaerobe (adj.) -- an organism, such as a bacterium, that can live in the absence of atmospheric oxygen
dregs (n) -- brewing solid particles that tend to settle at the bottom of some liquids, such as wine or coffee
polygamy (n) -- the condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time
suffuse (v) -- to spread through or over, as with liquid, color, or light
fraught (adj.) -- filled with a specified element or elements; charged
anonymity (n) -- the quality or state of being unknown or unacknowledged
immiscible (adj.) -- that cannot undergo mixing or blending
Vocab 5/29/14
fissiparous (adj.) -- 1. reproduced by biological fission 2. tending to break up into parts or break away from a main body; factious
fission (n/v) -- the act or process of splitting into parts; to cause to undergo fission
antipodal (adj.) -- 1. of, relating to, or situated on the opposite side or sides of the earth 2. diametrically opposed; exactly opposite
diametrically (adj.) -- of, relating to, or along a diameter
apnea (n) -- transient suspension or respiration
transient (adj.) -- passing with time; transitory
transitory (adj.) -- existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary
viviparous (adj.) -- zoology giving birth to living offspring that develop within the mother's body
toxophilite (adj.) -- of or relating to archery
interpolation (n) -- something interpolated
interpolate (v) -- to insert or introduce between other elements or parts
abstract (adj.) -- considered apart from concrete existence
(n) -- 1. a statement summarizing the important points of a text 2. something abstract
concatenate (v) -- to connect or link in a series or chain
arcane (adj.) -- known or understood by only a few
metaphysics (n) -- philosophy the branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, fact and value
incommensurate (adj.) -- not commensurate; disproportionate
commensurate (adj.) -- of the same size, extent, or duration as another
et al. -- latin et alia/aliae/alii; and other/other/others
trope (n) -- a figure of speech using words in nonliteral ways such as a metaphor
metaphor (n) -- a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of troubles"
apposite (adj.) -- strikingly appropriate and relevant
crib (v) -- 3. a. to plagiarize (an idea or answer, for example) b. to steal
liberal (adj.) -- 2. a. tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor b. generous in amount; ample
benefactor (n) -- one that gives aid, especially financial aid
benefactress (n) -- a woman benefactor
beneficiary (n) -- one that receives a benefit
integer (n) -- a member of the set of positive whole numbers {1, 2, 3, . . . }, negative whole numbers {-1, -2, -3, . . . }, and zero {0}
Vocab 5/28/14
filigree (n) -- delicate and intricate ornamental work made from gold, silver, or other fine twisted wire
absolve (v) -- to pronounce clear of guilt or blame
efficacy (n) -- power or capacity to produce a desired effect; effectiveness
allot (v) -- to parcel out; distribute or apportion
parcel (n) -- something wrapped up or packaged; a package
(v) -- to divide into parts and distribute
apportion (v) -- to divide and assign according to a plan; allot
disseminate (v) -- to scatter widely, as in sowing seed
nefarious (adj.) -- infamous by way of being extremely wicked
infamous (adj.) -- having an exceedingly bad reputation; notorious
notorious (adj.) -- known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
obeisance (n) -- a gesture or movement of the body, such as a curtsy, that expresses deference or homage
deference (n) -- submission or courteous yielding to the opinion, wishes, or judgment of another
homage (n) -- 1. ceremonial acknowledgment by a vassal of allegiance to his lord under feudal law 2. special honor or respect shown or expressed publicly
vassal (n) -- a person who held land from a feudal lord and received protection in return for homage and allegiance
feudal (adj.) -- of, relating to, or characteristic of feudalism
feudalism (n) -- a political and economic system of Europe from the 9th to about the 15th century, based on the holding of all land in fief or fee and the resulting relation of lord to vassal and characterized by homage, legal and military service of tenants, and forfeiture
fief (n) -- a fiefdom; fee
fiefdom (n) -- the estate or domain of a feudal lord
fee (n) -- 5. a. in feudal law, an estate in land granted by a lord to his vassal on condition of homage and service b. the land so held
forfeiture (n) -- the act of surrendering something as a forfeit
obfuscate (v) -- to render obscure and/or darken
indubitable (adj.) -- too apparent to be doubted; unquestionable
pied (adj.) -- patchy in color; splotched or piebald
piebald (adj./n) -- spotted or patched, especially in black and white; a piebald animal, especially a horse
centennial (adj.) -- of or relating to an age or period of 100 years
(n) -- a 100th anniversary or celebration of it
insipid (adj.) --lacking flavor or zest; not tasty
catenary (n) -- the curve formed by a perfectly flexible, uniformly dense, and inextensible cable suspended from its endpoints
carpophagous (adj.) -- feeding on fruit; fruit-eating
carrel (n) -- a partially partitioned nook in or near the stacks in a library, used for private study
butyraceous (adj.) -- resembling butter in appearance, consistency, or chemical properties
Vocab 5/27/14
duress (n) -- constraint by threat; coercion
subsume (v) -- to classify, include, or incorporate in a more comprehensive category or under a general principle
confer (v) -- to bestow (an honor, for example)
oeuvre (n) -- 1. a work of art 2. the sum of the lifework of an artist, writer, or composer
incredulous (adj.) -- skeptical; disbelieving
unctuous (adj.) -- characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness
affect (v) -- to have an influence on or effect a change in
(n) -- feeling or emotion, especially as manifested by facial expression or body language
effect (n) -- something brought about by a cause or agent; a result
(v) -- to bring into existence
recant (v) -- to make a formal retraction or disavowal of (a statement or belief to which one has previously committed oneself
sibilate (v) -- to utter or pronounce with a hissing sound
shunt (v/n) -- to turn aside or move to an alternate course; the act or process of this
acquiesce (v) -- to consent or comply passively or without protest: the hostages whom, after intense gunfire and emotionally taxing duress, are forced to acquiesce and comply with the pantyhose-masked villain's every order
expletive (n) -- an exclamation or oath, especially one that is profane, vulgar, or obscene
(adj.) -- added or inserted in order to fill out something, such as a sentence or a metrical line
discomfit (v) -- to make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert
disconcert (v) -- to upset the self-possession of; ruffle
poignant (adj.) -- profoundly moving; touching
Vocab 5/26/14
frenetic (adj.) -- wildly excited or active; frantic; frenzied
gainly (adj.) -- graceful or well-formed; shapely
(adv.) -- conveniently or suitably
protrusive (adj.) -- tending to protrude; protruding: the protrusive fangs of some vague vampire's salivating gob
protrude (v) -- to push or thrust outward
guilloche (n) -- architecture an ornamental border formed of two or more curved bands that interlace to repeat a circular design
hornito (n) -- a low mound of volcanic origin, sometimes emitting smoke or vapor
stratigraphy (n) -- the study of rock strata, especially the distribution, deposition, and age of sedimentary rocks
stratum (n) -- a horizontal layer of any material, esp. one of several layers arranged one on top of another.
Usage Note: The pl. form is strata.
issuant (adj.) -- heraldry designating an animal with only the upper part depicted
noxious (adj.) -- harmful to living things; injurious to health
Vocab 5/25/14
pejorative (adj.) -- tending to make or become worse
imprimatur (n) -- official approval or license to print or publish, especially under conditions of censorship
phylactery (n) -- 1. Judaism either of two small leather boxes, each containing strips of parchment inscribed with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, one of which is strapped to the forehead and the other to the left arm; traditionally worn by Jewish men during morning worship, except on the Sabbath and holidays 2. a. an amulet b. a reminder
auteur (n) -- a filmmaker, usually a director, who exercises creative control over his or her works and has a strong personal style
pustule (n) -- a small inflamed elevation of the skin that is filled with pus; a pimple
garret (n) -- a room on the top floor of a house, typically under a pitched roof; an attic
prurient (adj.) -- inordinately interested in matters of sex; lascivious
inordinate (adj.) -- exceeding reasonable limits; immoderate
lascivious (adj.) -- given to or expressing lust; lecherous
lecherous (adj.) -- given to, characterized by, or eliciting lechery
lechery (n) -- excessive indulgence in sexual activity; lewdness
lewdness (n) -- preoccupied with sex and sexual desire; lustful
reticent (adj.) -- inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself
apodictic (adj.) -- necessarily or demonstrably true; incontrovertible
Vocab 5/24/14
consanguineous (adj.) -- of the same lineage or origin; having a common ancestor
consanguinity (n) -- 1. relationship by blood or by a common ancestor 2. a close affinity or connection
pirouette (n) -- a full turn of the body on the point of the toe or the ball of the foot in ballet
defecate (v) -- to void feces from the bowels
aleatory (adj.) -- dependent on chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome
plumb (n) -- a weight on the end of a line, used to determine water depth
(adj.) -- 1. exactly vertical 2. also plum informal utter; absolute; sheer
wen (n) -- a harmless cyst, especially on the scalp or face, containing the fatty secretion of a sebaceous gland
cyst (n) -- pathology an abnormal membranous sac containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance
sebaceous gland (n) -- any of various glands in the dermis of the skin that open into a hair follicle and produce and secrete sebum
follicle (n) -- anatomy a small bodily cavity or sac
sac (n) -- a pouch or pouchlike structure in a plant or an animal, sometimes filled with fluid
dermis (n) -- the sensitive connective tissue layer of the skin located below the epidermis, containing nerve endings, sweat and sebaceous glands, and blood and lymph vessels
sebaceous (adj.) -- of, relating to, or resembling fat or sebum; fatty
sebum (n) --the semifluid secretion of the sebaceous glands, consisting chiefly of fat, keratin, and cellular material
ester (n) -- any of a class of organic compounds corresponding to the inorganic salts and formed from an organic acid and an alcohol
keratin (n) -- a tough, insoluble protein substance that is the chief structural constituent of hair, nails, horns, and hooves
insoluble (adj.) -- that cannot be dissolved
soluble (adj.) -- that can be dissolved, especially easily dissolved
Vocab 5/21/14
Vocab 5/20/14
vocative (adj.) -- 1. relating to, characteristic of, or used in calling 2. of, relating to, or being a grammatical case in certain inflected languages to indicate the person or thing being addressed
(n) -- the vocative case
scathe (v) -- to harm or injure, especially by fire
curare (n) -- a toxic alkaloid found in certain tropical South American trees that is a powerful relaxant for striated muscles; "curare acts by blocking cholinergic transmission at the myoneural junction"
striate (v) -- to mark with striations
striation (n) -- the state of being striated or having striae
stria (n) -- a thin, narrow groove or channel
Usage Note: The plural (pl.) form is striae.
alkaloid (n) -- any of various organic compounds normally with basic chemical properties and usually containing at least one nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring, occurring chiefly in many vascular plants and some fungi. Many alkaloids, such as nicotine, quinine, cocaine, and morphine, are known for their poisonous or medicinal attributes
heterocyclic (n) -- containing more than one kind of atom joined in a ring
paraplegia (n) -- complete paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord
eidetic (adj.) -- of, relating to, or marked by extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall of visual images
bradykinetic (adj.) -- characterized by or pertaining to slow movement
homodont (n) -- having teeth all alike in form, as those of the lower vertebrates, in contrast to heterodont
Vocab 5/19/14
mendacious (adj.) -- lying; untruthful
sonorous (adj.) -- having or producing a full, deep, or rich sound
sonorant (n) -- a usually voiced speech sound characterized by relatively free air flow through the vocal tract and capable of being syllabic, as a vowel, liquid, or nasal
vivacious (adj.) -- full of animation and spirit; lively
sycophant (n) -- a servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people
tangential (adj.) -- of, relating to, or moving along or in the direction of a tangent
tangent (adj.) -- making contact at a single point or along a line; touching but not intersecting
(n) -- a line, curve, or surface meeting another line, curve, or surface at a common point and sharing a common tangent line or tangent plane at that point
machination (n) -- 1. the act of plotting 2. a crafty scheme or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end
evoke (v) -- to summon or call forth
invoke (v) -- to call on (a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration
ableism (n) -- discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities
carapace (n) -- zoology a hard bony or chitinous outer covering, such as the fused dorsal plates of a turtle or the portion of the exoskeleton covering the head and thorax of a crustacean
decorum (n) -- appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
propriety (n) -- the quality of being proper; appropriateness
entomology (n) -- the scientific study of insects
Vocab 5/17/14
vacuous (adj.) -- devoid of matter; empty
devoid (adj.) -- completely lacking; destitute or empty
destitute (adj.) -- utterly lacking; devoid
utterly (adv.) -- completely; absolutely; entirely
perpetrate (v) -- to be responsible for; commit
remonstrate (v) -- to say or plead in protest, objection, or reproof
petulant (adj.) -- unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; peevish
peevish (adj.) -- querulous or discontented
querulous (adj.) -- given to complaining; peevish
curdle (v) -- to change into curd
curd (n) -- the part of milk that coagulates when the milk sours or is treated with enzymes
coagulate (v) -- to cause transformation of (a liquid or sol, for example) into or as if into a soft, semisolid, or solid mass
protein (n) -- any of a group of complex organic macromolecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and usually sulfur and are composed of one or more chains of amino acids. Proteins are fundamental components of all living cells and include many substances, such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies, that are necessary for the proper functioning of an organism; they are essential in the diet of animals for the growth and repair of tissue and can be obtained from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and legumes
macro- (pref.) -- large
enzymes (n) -- any of numerous proteins or conjugated proteins produced by living organisms and functioning as biochemical catalysts
conjugate (v) -- 1. grammar to inflect (a verb) in its forms for distinctions such as number, person, voice, mood, and tense 2. to join together
biochemistry (n) -- the study of the chemical substances and vital processes occurring in living organisms; biological chemistry; physiological chemistry
catalyst (n) -- 1. chemistry a substance, usually used in small amounts relative to the reactants, that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process 2. one that precipitates a process or event, especially without being involved in or changed by the consequences
relative (adj.) -- 1. having pertinence or relevance; connected or related 2. considered in comparison with something else
precipitate (v) -- 1. to throw from or as if from a great height; hurl downward 2. to cause to happen, especially suddenly or prematurely 3. meteorology to cause (water vapor) to condense and fall from the air as rain, snow, sleet, or hail 4. chemistry to cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution
Vocab 5/16/14
conical (adj.) -- of, relating to, or shaped like a cone
consummate (v) -- to bring to completion or fruition; conclude
plastron (n) -- 1. a metal breastplate worn under a coat of mail 2. a quilted pad worn by fencers to protect the torso and side
candelabrum (n) -- a large decorative candlestick having several arms or branches
malentendu (n) -- a misunderstanding
Vocab 5/14/14
cunctation (n) -- procrastination; delay
procrastinate (v) -- to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness; to delay needlessly
pleonasm (n) -- the use of more words than are required to express an idea; redundancy
animalcule (n) -- a microscopic or minute organism, such as an amoeba or paramecium, usually considered to be an animal
anapest (n) -- a metrical foot composed of two short syllables followed by one long one, as in the word seventeen
indurate (adj./v) -- physically or morally hardened; to make or become such
Vocab 5/13/14
burgeon (v) -- to put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; sprout
sterile (adj.) -- 1. not producing or incapable of producing offspring 2. free from live bacteria or other microorganisms
bumptious (adj.) -- crudely or loudly assertive; pushy
lazaretto (n) -- a hospital treating contagious diseases
widdershins (adv.) -- in a contrary or counterclockwise direction
coracle (n) -- a small rounded boat made of waterproof material stretched over a wicker or wooden frame
Usage Note: still used in some parts of Great Britain, the coracle is often made of animal hides stretched over a wicker frame.
Vocab 5/12/14
matrifocal (adj.) -- focused or centered on the mother
fallow (adj.) -- plowed but left unseeded during a growing season
retinue (n) -- the retainers or attendants accompanying a high-ranking person
reciplicate (v) -- mimic or return the favor
opulent (adj.) -- possessing or exhibiting great wealth; affluent
inguinal (adj.) -- of, relating to, or located in the groin
atomize (v) -- to reduce to or separate into atoms
sonic (adj.) -- of or relating to audible sound: the sonic beams of deaf killers' magnetized annular pistols in the darkness of the hall's concerto strings
annular (adj.) -- shaped like or forming a ring
threnody (n) -- a poem or song of mourning or lamentation
efface (v) -- to rub or wipe out; erase
Florentine (adj.) -- 1. of or relating to Florence, Italy 2. often florentine Having or characterized by a dull chased or rubbed finish--used of gold 3. prepared, cooked, or served with spinach
Vocab 5/8/14
indelible (adj.) -- impossible to remove, erase, or wash away; permanent
addle (v) -- 1. to become confused 2. to become rotten, as an egg
caprine (adj.) -- of, relating to, or characteristic of a goat
lionize (v) -- to look on or treat (a person) as a celebrity
cataract (n) -- 1. a large or high waterfall 2. Pathology Opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye, causing impairment of vision or blindness
opaque (adj.) -- impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor translucent