lessons 15 – 30 review. a cappella: without instrumental accompaniment (adjective & adverb)
TRANSCRIPT
Adhere: (verb)
1. To stick tightly to a surface
2. To be loyal or devoted to something
3. To carry out a plan or program without straying from it
Aggregate:
1. Total; amounting to a whole (adjective)
2. A total composed of different parts (noun)
3. To add up; to gether into a mass, sum, or whole (verb)
Bane: (noun)1. The cause of great harm, ruin, or
death2. A source of constant annoyance and
frustration
From old English bana, “destroyer”
Malevolent: (adjective)1. Having or showing ill will; wishing harm to
others; malicious2. Having evil or harmful influence
From Latin mal-, “bad” + velle, “to wish”
Panacea: (noun)
From Greek pan-, “all” + akos, “true”
A remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
Salutary: (adjective)
1. Helpful or designed to be helpful; remedial2. Favorable to health; wholesome
Toxic: (adjective)
Poisonous; capable of causing injury or death by chemical means
From old Persian taxsa, “arrow”
Auspicious: (adjective)
1. favorable; promising success
2. Marked by success; prosperous
From Latin avis, “bird” + spec,
“look”
Circumspect: (adjective)
Cautious; prudent; mindful of circumstances and potential consequences
Introspective: (adjective)
Contemplating ones own thoughts and feelings; self-examining
Specious: (adjective)
Seemingly true, but actually false
From Latin species, basedon spek, based on “look”
Spectacle: (noun)
1. An impressive public performance or display
2. A public display of bad behavior
Specter: (noun)
1. A ghost or spirit
2. A haunting or disturbing image or possibility
Spectrum: (noun)
1. A band of color or sound, within its wavelength arrange in order
2. A broad range of related qualities or ideas
Apocryphal: (adjective)
1. Doubtful; of questionable origin, authorship, or authenticity
2. False; fictitious or erroneous
Bona fide: (adjective)1. Authentic; genuine; not counterfeit or copied2. Done in good faith without any attempt to deceive;
sincere
From Latin bonus, “good” + fides, “faith”
Cant: (noun)1. Hypocritically moralistic language
2. Monotonous talk filled with platitudes
3. The special vocabulary of a sect, group, or profession, jargon
Charlatan: (noun)A person who claims to have special knowledge or
ability;a quack or a fraud.
From Italian ciarlare, “to prattle” + cerratano, “an inhabit of Italy known for its
quacks”
Chicanery: (noun)Deception by trickery; a trick
Feign: (verb)
1. To present or represent falsely
From Latin fingere, “toshape or from”
Insidious: (adjective) 1. Working or spreading in harmfully or subtle or stealthy way
2. Beguiling or alluring but secretfully harmful; treacherous
From Latin in-, + sedere, “to sit”
Accrue: (verb)
To increase, accumulate, or come about as a result of growth.
Arbiter: (noun)
1. A person chosen to judge or decide a disputed issue
2. A person who has the power to judge at will
Audit:
1. To examine, verify, or correct financial accounts (verb)
2. An examination of records (noun)
3. To attend a course without requesting or receiving academic credit
Cartel: (noun)
A group of independent business organizations formed to control production, pricing, and marketing of goods
Collateral:
1. Property that is pledged as security for a loan, so that if the loan is not repaid, the property is taken in its place (noun)
2. Serving to support or corroborate (adjective)
3. Of a secondary nature; subordinate (adjective)
Commodity: (noun)
1. An item of trade or commerce, especially an agricultural or a mining product
2. Something or someone valuable and useful
Conglomerate:
1. A corporation made up of a number of companies that operate in different fields (noun)
2. To form or gather into a mass or whole
Liquidate: (verb)1. To settle a debt, claim, or other obligation by selling property
or goods
2. To convert assets into cash
From Latin liquidare, “to melt”
Security: (noun)
1. A document showing ownership or something owed; a stock or bond
2. Something deposited or given as assurance of the fulfillment of an obligation; a pledge; collateral
Lucrative: (adjective)
Producing wealth; profitable
From Latin lucrum, “profit”
Culminate: 1. To reach the highest point or degree; climax2. To come to completion; to end
From Latin culmen, “summit”
Epitome: (noun)
An example; a perfect representative of a
Type
From Greek epi-, “into” + temnein, “to cut”
Inimitable: (adjective)
Impossible to imitate or copy; unique
From Latin in-, “not” + imitari, “to imitate”
Optimum1. Most favorable or advantegeous; best
(adjective)
2. The point at which something is most favorable (noun)
From Latin optimus, “best”
Breach1. A break in friendly relations; an estrangement (noun)
2. A violation of the law, an obligation, or a promise (noun)
3. To violate a law, an obligation, or promise (verb)
Sublime: 1. Impressive; awe inspiring; supreme (adjective)
2. Something awe inspiring (noun)
Schism:
• (noun) a separation or division into opposing groups or factions; discord or discontent
1. Given to quarrelling; argumentative2. involving or likely to cause argument; controversial
contentious: (adjective)
Dissension: (noun)
Difference of opinion; disagreement; discord
Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will; enmity
Rancor: (noun)
Retribution: (noun)
1. Something justly deserved
2. Something given or demanded in repayment, especially as punishment
To destroy or kill a large part of a group
Decimate: (verb)
1. To insult intentionally and openly (verb)
2. An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult (noun)
Affront
Cohere: (verb)
1. To stick together in a mass that resists separation
2. To be internally consistent and have logically linked parts
Gregarious: (adjective)Sociable; seeking and enjoying the company
of others
From Latin greg, “flock”
Alchemy: (noun)1. The medieval chemical art of trying to change metals to
gold, cure diseases, or give eternal youth
2. a seemingly magical power process of change
Amulet: (noun)An object worn,
usually aroundthe neck, to bring
good luck orprotection; a charm
Fatalism: (noun)
The belief that all events are determined in advance by fate or destiny and there for cannot be
changed
Propitious: (adjective)
Presenting favorable
circumstances;
advantageous;
auspicious
Providential: (adjective)
Happening favorably, as
if through divine
intervention
Quirk: (noun)
1. An odd or peculiar behavior or mannerism
2. A strange happening
Serendipity: (noun)The occurrence of lucky, accidental
discoveries
Vicissitude: (noun)
1. A change or variation
2. A sudden or unexpected change
3. The quality of being changeable; variability
Cadence: (noun)1. The balance or rhythmic flow of music, speech, poetry, or
movement2. The rhythm or beat3. A progression of chords moving toward a harmonic close
or resolution
From Latin cadere, “to fall”
Dissonance: (noun) 1. A harsh, disagreeable combination of sounds
2. A lack of agreement, consistency, or harmony; conflict
From Latin dis-, “apart” + sonare, “to sound”
Complicity: (noun)
Involvement as an accomplice in a crime or wrongdoing
From Latin com-, “together” + plic, “fold”
Deploy: (verb)1. To position troops or
people strategically or systematically
2. To put into use or action
From Latin dis, “apart” + ploy, “fold”
Explicit: (adjective)
1. Fully and clearly expressed; leaving nothing implied
2. Readily observable
From Latin ex-, “out” + plic, “fold”
Implicate: (verb)
1. To involve or connect intimately or incriminatingly
2. To have as a consequence; to entail
Latin in-, “in” + plic, “fold”
Implicit:(adjective)
1. Implied or understood though not directly expressed
2. Unquestioning; without doubt or reservation
Replica: (noun)
1. A copy or reproduction of a work of art, especially one made by the original artist
2. A copy or reproduction, especially one that is smaller than the original
Supple: (adjective)
1. Easily bent; limber; pliant2. Changing or yielding readily; compliant;
adaptable
Supplicant: (noun)
A person who asks, prays, or begs humbly and earnestly
From sub-, “under” + plic, “fold”
Jurisprudence: (noun)
The philosophy and science of law or a division of the law
From Latin jur, “law” + prudentia, “knowledge”
Fidelity: (noun)
1. Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or vows
2. The degree to which a sound or image is accurately produced
From Latin fid, “faith”
Motif: (noun)
1. A short rhythm or melody repeated and evoked many times in a piece of music
2. A recurrent thematic element in art or literature
3. A repeated figure or design in architecture or decoration
From Latin movere, “to move”
Sonata: (noun)
A composition of three or four independent movements, written for one or more solo instruments, one of which a keyboard is usually an
instrument
From Latin sonare, “to sound”
Arboreal: (adjective)
1. Relating to or resembling a tree
2. Living in trees
From Latin arbor, “tree”
Fauna: (noun)
Animals considered as a group, particularly those of one region or
period
From Latin goddess of fertility, Fauna
Flora: (noun)
Plants considered as a group, particularly those of one region or period
From Latin, after the goddess of flowers, Flora
Germination: (noun)
1. The process of a plan beginning to grow or develop
2. The process of coming into existence
Horticulture: (adjective)
Relating to tending or growing plants
From Latin hortus, “garden” + cultus, “tilled”
Lichen: (noun)A type of fungus that grows in combination with algae
and usually forms a crustlike or branching growth on rocs or tree limbs and trunks
Covenant: (noun)
A binding agreement; a legal contract
From Latin com-, “together” + venire, “to come”
Discretion: (noun)1. The quality of using good
judgment and self-restraint; the quality of acting wisely based on awareness of the potential consequences of one’s actions
2. The ability or power to decide responsibly
Abdicate: (verb)
To formally give up control, authority, or a
high office
From Latin ab-, “away”, + dicare, “toproclaim”
Catharsis: (verb)
A purifying or refreshing release of emotional tension, especially as an effect of a tragic drama
From Greek katharos, “pure”
Machiavellian: (adjective)
Cunning, deceitful, and underhanded in business or politics; aiming to maintain power by whatever means
necessary
From philosopher Niccolo Machievelli’s 1513 work, The Prince
An official who represents his or her own government’s economic interests in a foreign
country and assists fellow citizens living or traveling there
Consul: (noun)
An understanding or agreement between two or more political powers, providing for a common
course of action or policy
From Old French entendre, “ to understand”Entente: (noun)
The process in which parties involved in a dispute allow an impartial party to settle
their differences
From Latin arbitrari, “to give judgment”Arbitration: (noun)
ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by confusing it with one of similar sound
Malapropism: (noun)
1. of or related to the language of the common people2. crude; indecent
3. offensively excessive in the display of one’s self one’s wealth
Vulgar: (adjective)
1. conditional; dependent on other things2. (noun) a representative group forming part of a
larger group
Contigent: (adjective)
1. impossible to comprehend or grasp fully2. so unlikely as to be thought impossible
Inconceivable: (adjective)
tending to vary often or widely; as in price; subject to wide variation; inconstant
Volatile: (adjective)
to discover or determine with certainty; especially through examination or
experimentation
Ascertain: (verb)
1. to escape from, usually by daring, cleverness, or skill
2. To escape the graspor understanding of
Elude: (verb)
A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt; a sting of conscience or pang of guilt
Compunction: (noun)
(noun) failure to complete a task or meet an obligation
(noun) a situtation that remains in effect unless specifically set in some other way
(verb) to fail to meet an obligation
Default
Onerous: (adjective) difficult to bear, carry, or do; troublesome, burdensome
From Latin onus, “burden”
Camouflage
1. (noun) concealment by disguise or by coloring that matches the surrounding environment
2. (verb) to hide by disguising or by blending in with surroundings.
From Old French camoufler, “to disguise alteration”
Emulate: (verb)
1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation
2. To approach or achieve equality with; to compete with successfully
Platitude: (noun)
An overused, dull, unoriginal remark or statement, especially one delivered as if it were original or significant.
Prototype: (noun)1. An original type, form, or instance that serves as a
basis or standard for those that follow, a test or trial model.
2. An early typical example
Redundant: (adjective)
1. Extra; exceeding what is necessary
2. Repetitive or needlessly wordy in expression
Rendition: 1. (noun) An interpretation or a performance of a musical
or dramatic piece
2. (verb) To represent in verbal form or in a drawing or painting
Sham: 1. (noun) something false or empty that is presented as
genuine; a fake
2. (adjective) not genuine; fake
3. (verb) to put on the false appearance; to feign
Prosecute: (verb)
1. To bring action against, in a court of law
2. To continue an activity until it is completed
Quota: (noun)
1. The amount of goods assigned to a person; an allotment
2. A number or percentage, especially of people, that represents an upper limit or a required minimum.