| A |
acquiesce - to agree or consent quietly without protest, but without enthusiasm: often with in
admonish - 1. to caution against specific faults; warn 2. to reprove mildly 3. to urge or extort 4. to inform or remind, by way of a warning.
altruism - 1. unselfish concern for the wellfare of others; selflessness
appropriate - 1. to take for one's own or exclusive use 2. to take improperly, as without permission 3. to set aside for a specific use or certain person
|
| B |
bellicose - of a quarrelsome or hostile nature; eager to fight or quarrel; warlike
burgeon - to grow or develop rapidly; expand; proliferate; flourish
|
| C |
caduceus - 1. the staff of an ancient herald; esp., the winged staff with two serpents coiled about it, carried by Mercury 2. an emblematic staff like this with either one or two serpents, used as a symbol of the medical profession
capricious - tending to change abruptly and without apparent reason; erratic; flighty
contemporaneous - existing or happening in the same period of time
contrition - remorse for having done wrong
|
| D |
denigrate - 1. to blacken 2. to disparage the character or reputation of; defame
didactic - 1. used or intended for teaching or instruction 2. morally instructive, or intended to be so 3. too much inclined to teach others; boringly pedantic or moralistic
dote - 1. to be foolish or weak-minded, especially because of old age 2. to be excessively or foolishly fond
draconian - extremely severe or cruel
|
| E |
edict - 1. an official public proclamation or order issued by authority; decree 2. any command or order
egregious - outstanding for undesirable qualities; remarkably bad; flagrant
emeritus - retired from active service, usually for age, but retaining one's rank or title 2. a person with such status
espouse - 1. to take as a spouse, esp. as a wife; marry 2. to give in marriage 3. to take up, support, or advocate (some cause, idea, etc.)
estrus - 1. the periodic sexual excitement of most female placental mammals, corresponding to rut in males; heat 2. the period of this when the female will accept mating with the male, characterized by changes in the sex organs
evanesce - to fade from sight like mist or smoke; disappear; vanish.
exacerbate - 1. to make more intense or charp; aggravate 2. to exasperate; annoy; irritate; embitter
expound - 1. to set forth point by point; state in detail 2. to explain or interpret; clarify 3. to comment (on); make a statement
exogamy - the custom, often inviolable, of marrying only outside one's own clan, tribe, etc.; outbreeding: opposed to endogamy
extol - or extoll - to praise highly; laud
extricated - to set free; release or disentangle
|
| F |
fealty - 1a. the duty and loyalty owed by a vassal or tenant to his feudal lord 1b. an oath of such loyalty
fecund - fruitful or fertile; productive, prolific
furtive - done or acting in a stealthy manner, as if to hinder observation; surreptitios; stealthy; sneaky
|
| G |
genuflect - 1. to bend the knee, as in reverence or worship 2. to act in a submissive or servile way
|
| H |
|
| I |
interregnum - 1. an interval between two successive reigns, when the country has no sovereign 2. a suspension of governmental or administrative functions; period without the usual ruler, governor, etc. 3. any break in a series or in a continuity; interval
immolate - 1. to sacrifice; esp., to offer or kill as a sacrifice 2. to kill or destroy
impute - to attribute (esp. a fault or misconduct) to another; charge with; ascribe
intransigent - refusing to compromise, come to an agreement, or be reconciled; uncompromising 2. a person who is intransigent, esp. in politics
inveigh - to make a violent verbal attack; talk or write bitterly (against); rail
|
| J |
|
| K |
|
| L |
lapidary - 1. a person who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones 2. the art of such a person 3. an expert in precious stones; collector of or dealer in gems
largesse - 1. generous giving, as from a patron 2. a gift or gifts given in a generous, or sometimes showy, way 3. nobility of spirit
lascivious - 1. characterized by or expressing lust or lewdness; wanton 2. tending to excite lustful desires
|
| M |
magnanimous - noble in in mind; high-souled; esp., generous in overlooking injury or insult; rising above pettiness or meanness
misogyny - hatred of women, esp. by a man
|
| N |
nepotism - favoritism shown to relatives, esp. in appointment to desirable positions
|
| O |
oligarchy - 1. a form of government in which the ruling power belongs to a few persons 2. a state governed in this way 3. the person ruling such a state
opulent - 1. very wealthy or rich 2. characterized by abundance or profusion; luxuriant
|
| P |
parlance - a style or manner of speaking or writing; language; idiom
perfidy - the deliberate breaking of faith; betrayal of trust; treachery
perturb - 1. to cause to be alarmed, agitated, or upset; disturb or trouble greatly 2. to cause disorder or confusion in; unsettle
polyandry - the state or practice of having two or more husbands at the same time
pontificate - 1. to officiate as a pontiff 2. to speak or act in a pompous or dogmatic way
progenitor - 1. a forefather, ancestor in direct line 2. a source from which something develops; originator or precursor
priapism - 1. a pathological condition characterized by persistent erection of the penis, esp. without sexual excitement 2. a lascivious attitude
protean - very changeable; readily taking on different shapes and forms
protuberant - bulging or swelling out; protruding; prominent
puissant - powerful; strong
|
| Q |
|
| R |
recluse - shut away from the world; secluded; solitary 2. a person who lives a secluded, solitary life
redolent - 1. sweet-smelling; fragrant 2. smelling (of) 3. suggestive or evocative (of)
reify - to treat (an abstraction) as substantially existing, or as a concrete material object
repudiation - 1 to refuse to have anything to do with; disown or cast off publicly 2a. to refuse to accept or support; deny the validity or authority of (a belief, a treaty, etc.) 2b. to deny the truth of (a charge, etc.) 3. to refuse to acknowledge or pay (a debt or obligation): said esp. of government
repugnant - 1. contradictory; inconsistent 2. offering resistance; opposed; antagonistic 3. causing repugnance; distasteful; offensive; disagreeable
rubric - 1. in early books and manuscripts, a chapter heading, initial letter, specific sentence, etc. printed or written in red, decorative lettering, etc. 2. any heading, title, etc., as of a chapter or section 3. a direction, as in a prayer book, for conducting religious services 4. an explanatory comment, or gloss 5. the title or a heading of a law 6. established custom or rule of procedure
|
| S |
sagacious - having or showing keen perception or discernment or sound judgement, foresight, etc.
savant - a learned person; eminent scholar
segue - an immediate transition from one part to another, as in music
soporific - 1. causing or tending to cause sleep 2. of or characterized by sleep or sleepiness
syllogism - 1. an argument or form of reasoning in which two statements or premises are made and a logical conclusion is drawn from them 2. reasoning from the general to the particular; deductive logic 3. an instance of subtle, tricky, or specious reasoning
|
| T |
taciturn - almost always silent; not liking to talk; uncommunicative
tumescence - 1. a swelling; distention 2. a swollen or distended part
|
| U |
|
| V |
|
| W |
|
| X |
|
| Y |
|
| Z |
|
|