Saturday, August 04, 2007

August - Words

AUGUST THREAD - updated regularly

Make sure to do all words and questions from April/May/June/July thread


1. Inkling - A slight hint or indication; a slight understanding or vague idea or notion; a subtle quality underlying or felt to underlie a situation, action, or person
2. Gleam - A point of shining light, especially in darkness; brightness, sparkle; a sudden quick light; to shine brightly and steadily but without a flame; a brief or dim indication; a trace
3. Glare - To stare fixedly and angrily; to shine intensely and blindingly; to be conspicuous; stand out obtrusively; a focus of public attention; a sheet or surface of glassy and very slippery ice; be sharply reflected
4. Innuendo - An indirect or subtle, usually derogatory implication in expression; an insinuation; an artful, indirect, often derogatory hint; suggestion 5. Disbelief - Refusal or reluctance to believe; doubt, skepticism; to doubt the truth about something
6. Insinuation - An artful, indirect, often derogatory hint; the act of gaining acceptance or affection for yourself by persuasive and subtle blandishments; an indirect (and usually malicious) implication
7. Cruet - A small glass bottle for holding a condiment, such as vinegar or oil; a small vessel for holy water or for water or wine used in the consecration of the Eucharist
8. Misconstruction - An inaccurate explanation, interpretation, or report; a misunderstanding
9. Evasive - Intentionally vague or ambiguous; equivocal; inclined or intended to evade; deceitful, tricky; trying to avoid; skillful at eluding capture
10. Seldom - Not often; infrequently or rarely
11. Obliterate - To do away with completely so as to leave no trace; to wipe out, rub off, or erase; to remove completely (a body organ or part), as by surgery, disease, or radiation
12. Hillock - A small hill; a small natural hill; a small projection or elevation, as from an organ, tissue, or structure
13. Complement - Something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection; quantity or number needed to make up a whole; either of two parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other; complete
14. Flicker - To move waveringly; flutter; to burn unsteadily or fitfully; to shine with intermittent gleams; a sudden quick light; glimmer; brief or slight sensation; any of various large North American woodpeckers of the genus Colaptes, especially C. auratus, the common flicker, having a brown back, spotted breast, and white rump
15. Eulogy - A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died; high praise or commendation; praise, acclamation
16. Quiescent - Being quiet, still, or at rest; inactive
17. Exuberant - Full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy; energetic, enthusiastic; profuse; plentiful; extreme in degree, size, or extent
18. Crutch - A means or device that keeps something erect, stable, or secure; a support used under the arm by an injured person to help in walking; a staff or support used by the physically injured or disabled as an aid in walking, usually designed to fit under the armpit and often used in pairs
19. Fraternity - A group of people united in a relationship and having some interest, activity, or purpose in common; brotherhood; group united in interest
20. Catalyze - To modify, especially to increase, the rate of (a chemical reaction) by catalysis; to bring about; initiate; to produce fundamental change in; transform
21. Refute - To prove to be false or erroneous; overthrow by argument or proof; to deny the accuracy or truth of; prove false; discredit
22. Reinforcement - The act or process of reinforcing or the state of being reinforced; an event, a circumstance, or a condition that increases the likelihood that a given response will recur in a situation like that in which the reinforcing condition originally occurred; additional personnel or equipment sent to support a military action
23. Renege - To fail to carry out a promise or commitment;
to fail to follow suit in cards when able and required by the rules to do so; to renounce; disown; default on
24. Sunder - To break or wrench apart; sever; a division or separation; to crack or split into two or more fragments by means of or as a result of force, a blow, or strain
25. Remorseful - Feeling or expressing regret for one's sins or misdeeds; guilty, ashamed
26. Sate - To satisfy (an appetite) fully; to satisfy to excess; fill to satisfaction
27. Devious - Marked by treachery or deceit; not taking a direct or straight line or course; without a fixed or regular course; crooked; indirect; dishonest, crafty
28. Egregious - Conspicuously bad or offensive; outstandingly bad; outrageous
29. Malady - An unwholesome condition; a disease, a disorder, or an ailment
30. Aggrieve - To distress; afflict; to inflict an injury or injuries on; to cause suffering or painful sorrow to; feeling burdened
31. Dab - To spread with a greasy, sticky, or dirty substance; a tiny amount; a person with a high degree of knowledge or skill in a particular field
32. Irk - To be irritating, wearisome, or vexing to
33. Preclude - To make impossible, as by action taken in advance; prevent; to exclude or prevent (someone) from a given condition or activity
34. Metaphysical - Having no body, form, or substance; of, coming from, or relating to forces or beings that exist outside the natural world; not physical; without physical presence; ideal
35. Forlorn - Appearing sad or lonely because deserted or abandoned; forsaken or deprived; wretched or pitiful in appearance or condition; nearly hopeless; desperate
36. Bunion - A bunion is an abnormal enlargement of the joint; a painful, inflamed swelling of the bursa at the first joint of the big toe, characterized by enlargement of the joint and lateral displacement of the toe
37. Hospice - A shelter or lodging for travelers, pilgrims, foundlings, or the destitute; a program that provides palliative care and attends to the emotional and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients at an inpatient facility or at the patient's home; an institution that provides care and shelter; resort for travelers which includes lodging and entertainment
38. Tardy - Occurring, arriving, acting, or done after the scheduled, expected, or usual time; late; moving slowly; sluggish
39. Lackadaisical - Lacking spirit, liveliness, or interest; languid; lacking energy and vitality or showing such a lack; careless, indifferent
40. Jerry - A German, especially a German soldier; offensive terms for a person of German descent
41. Glean - To gather grain left behind by reapers; to collect (something) bit by bit; gather facts in small quantities
42. Inane - One that lacks sense or substance
43. Canvas - A piece of such fabric on which a painting, especially an oil painting, is executed
44. Hamstring - To restrict the activity or free movement of; handicap; to destroy or hinder the efficiency of; frustrate; any of the tendons at the rear hollow of the human knee
45. Palliated - To relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder; to make less severe or intense; mitigate; to make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate
46. Sycophant - A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; one who flatters another excessively
47. Fawn - To seek favor or attention by flattery and obsequious behavior; to support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a superior; a young deer, less than one year old; a grayish yellow-brown to moderate reddish brown
48. Myriad - Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable; composed of numerous diverse elements or facets
49. Vault - An arched ceiling or roof. Also: A room for keeping money or valuable papers safe; a burial place or receptacle for human remains; move off the ground by a muscular effort of the legs and feet; act of jumping
50. Gruffness - A throaty harshness; an abrupt discourteous manner
51. Mortar - A vessel in which substances are crushed or ground with a pestle; a machine in which materials are ground and blended or crushed; an ancient field weapon that fires a projectile in a high arch to reach an impact point; plastic material to bond stones and bricks together
52. Deleterious - Having a harmful effect; injurious
53. License - To give or yield permission to or for; official or legal permission to do or own a specified thing
54. Ragged - Tattered, frayed, or torn; worn-out; in shreds
55. Leviathan - One that is extraordinarily large and powerful; any large animal, as a whale; a monstrous sea creature mentioned in the Bible; something unusually large of its kind, especially a ship
56. Repletion - The condition of being fully supplied or completely filled; a state of excessive fullness
57. Orc - A mythical monster of varying descriptions; any of several cetaceans especialy the grampus of the dolphin family
58. Maroon - To put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandon; to abandon or isolate with little hope of ready rescue or escape; a fugitive Black slave in the West Indies in the 17th and 18th centuries; a dark reddish brown to dark purplish red
59. Sham - A fraudulent imitation; a display of insincere behavior; to behave affectedly or insincerely or take on a false or misleading appearance of; to assume a false appearance or character; dissemble; a decorative cover made to simulate an article of household linen and used over or in place of it
60. Modicum - A small, moderate, or token amount
61. Fiesta - A festival or religious holiday, especially a saint's day celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries
62. Gaily - In a joyful, cheerful, or happy manner; merrily; with bright colors or trimmings; showily
63. Fealty - The fidelity owed by a vassal to his feudal lord. The oath of such fidelity
64. Laryngitis - Inflammation of the larynx; laryngitis is caused by inflammation of the larynx, often resulting in a temporary loss of voice
65. Ensconce - To settle (oneself) securely or comfortably; to place or conceal in a secure place; hide; tuck away; fix firmly
66. Votary - A person bound by vows to live a life of religious worship or service; a faithful follower; an enthusiast
67. Decrepitude - The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use
68. Hortatory - Marked by exhortation or strong urging; giving strong encouragement
69. Exponent - One that speaks for, represents, or advocates; one that expounds or interprets; expository; explanatory; advocate
70. Banister - A handrail, especially on a staircase; a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
71. Skittish - Feeling or exhibiting nervous tension; very nervous; lively; shy
72. Hiatus - An interval during which continuity is suspended; pause, interruption; a separation, aperture, fissure, or short passage in an organ or body part
73. Fathom - A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.83 meters), used principally in the measurement and specification of marine depths; to perceive and recognize the meaning of; discern, understand
74. Awry - In a position that is turned or twisted toward one side; askew; away from the correct course; amiss
75. Convivial - Fond of feasting, drinking, and good company; sociable; fun-loving; merry; festive
76. Debater - One who debates; one given to argument; a disputant; a controvertist; one who participates in a structured discussion
77. Pedestrian - A person traveling on foot; a walker; lacking liveliness, charm, or surprise
78. Gratuitous - Costing nothing; not required, necessary, or warranted by the circumstances of the case; not necessary; free
79. Demurral - The act of demurring, especially a mild, polite, or considered expression of opposition; a formal objection to an opponent's pleadings
80. Vouchsafe - To condescend to grant or bestow (a privilege, for example); deign; to let have as a favor, prerogative, or privilege; to descend to a level considered inappropriate to one's dignity; ose; grant
81. Paroles - Key words or signals used to establish mutual identification
82. Shun - To avoid deliberately; keep away from; avoid; ignore
83. Dapper - Neatly dressed; trim; very stylish in dress; lively and alert
84. Seraph - A celestial being having three pairs of wings; the first of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology
85. Asunder - Into separate parts or pieces; apart from each other either in position or in direction; widely separated especially in space
86. Ballon - To curve outward past the normal or usual limit; stand out, stick out; increase rapidly; swell; a rounded or irregularly shaped outline containing the words that a character in a cartoon is represented to be saying; a flexible bag designed to be inflated with hot air or with a gas, such as helium, that is lighter than the surrounding air, causing it to rise and float in the atmosphere
87. Fabric - A distinctive, complex underlying pattern or structure; a material made from fibers or threads by weaving or knitting; the basic elements making up a building; the carcass without finishings or decoration
88. Bolt - A large roll of cloth of a definite length, especially as it comes from the loom; a bar made of wood or metal that slides into a socket and is used to fasten doors and gates; sudden and involuntary movement; lock; part of lock; eat very fast; run quickly away
89. Suppliant - Asking humbly and earnestly; beseeching; one praying humbly for something
90. Jarring - Disagreeable to the sense of hearing; making or causing a harsh and irritating sound; characterized by rough motion
91. Symphony - Pleasing agreement, as of musical sounds; harmony, especially of sound or color
92. Tirade - A long angry or violent speech, usually of a censorious or denunciatory nature; a diatribe
93. Glean - To gather grain left behind by reapers; to collect (something) bit by bit
94. Abandon - To give up completely; to desert; careless disregard for consequences; leave behind, relinquish; leave in troubled state; careless, often reckless disregard for consequences
95. Rancour - A feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
96. Desecrate - To violate the sacredness of; profane; spoil or mar the sanctity of; abuse, violate
97. Quartet - A group of four musicians or singers; also, a piece of music for four instruments or voices; composition for four voices or four instruments or four parts; four performers or singers who perform together
98. Rickety - Not physically steady or firm; unsound, broken-down; shaky; likely to fall apart
99. Triad - A group of three; a chord of three tones, especially one built on a given root tone plus a major or minor third and a perfect fifth; set of three similar things considered as a unit
100. Preposterous - Contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd; ridiculous, bizarre; completely devoid of wisdom or good sense; senseless as to be laughable
101. Puckish - Mischievous; impish; naughtily or annoyingly playful
102. Delusion - An erroneous perception of reality; misconception, misbelief
103. Aplomb - Self-confident assurance; poise; assurance of manner or of action; a firm belief in one's own powers; stable, calm state of the emotions
104. Stupor - A state of reduced or suspended sensibility; state of mental numbness, as that resulting from shock; a daze; condition of dullness, often resulting from stress; unconsciousness
105. Benedict - A newly married man who was previously considered a confirmed bachelor
106. Tiresome - Causing fatigue or boredom; wearisome; arousing no interest or curiosity; irritating, exasperating; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
107. Boredom - The condition of being bored; ennui; disinterest; weariness; the state of being uninterested
108. Orifice - An opening, especially to a cavity or passage of the body; a mouth or vent; an open space allowing passage
109. Arboretum - A facility where trees and shrubs are cultivated for exhibition; botanical garden primarily devoted to trees and woody plants, forming a living collection of trees intended at least partly for scientific study
110. Grouch - A habitually complaining or irritable person; a grumbling or sulky mood; complaint; a grudge
111. Animadversion - Strong criticism; a critical or censorious remark; harsh criticism or disapproval
112. Illegible - (of handwriting, print, etc.) not legible; "illegible handwriting"; not capable of being read or deciphered
113. Uncouth - Crude; unrefined; awkward or clumsy; ungraceful; archaic; foreign; unfamiliar; clumsy, uncultivated; lacking in delicacy or refinement
114. Churlish - Lacking in delicacy or refinement; crude, boorish; having a bad disposition; surly; difficult to work with, such as soil; intractable
115. Helter-skelter - In disorderly haste; confusedly; pell-mell; carelessly hurried and confused; turmoil; confusion; haphazardly
116. Puckish - Mischievous; impish; naughtily or annoyingly playful
117. Tantamount - Agreeing exactly in value, quantity, or effect; same; equivalent in effect or value
118. Berth - A built-in bed or bunk, as on a ship or a train; a place to sleep or stay; accommodations; a post of employment; provide with often temporary lodging; place where a ship can tie up
119. Dally - To treat lightly or flippantly; dawdle, delay; deal with or treat in a half serious or playful way
120. Reprobate - A morally unprincipled person; morally objectionable; feel or express strong disapproval of; criticize; abandon to eternal damnation; reject as invalid, as of documents
121. Receptacle - A container that holds items or matter; the expanded tip of a flower stalk or axis that bears the floral organs or the group of flowers in a head; a fitting connected to a power supply and equipped to receive a plug; container
122. Bowl - A dish that is round and open at the top for serving foods; a round vessel that is open at the top; throw or roll
123. Provenance - Place of origin; derivation; the history of the ownership of an object, especially when documented or authenticated
124. Obstruse - ( is an obsolete English spelling of abstruce) Abstruse means difficult to understand; recondite
125. Sully - To mar the cleanness or luster of; soil or stain; to defile; taint
126. Loathesome - So objectionable as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation; hateful; abhorrent


ANALOGIES

1). needle:sew - Ans must be D
A.pencil:papaer
B.radio:electricity
C.picture :color
D.towel:dry
E.book:cover
2). tea:saucer
3). misconstruction:interpretation
4). mountain:hillock
5). complement:complete
6). crutch:walk
7). eulogy:speech
8). fervor:zealot
9). symptom:palliated
10). sycophant:fawn
11). vault:valuables
12). verbal:deleterious
13).mortar:grind
14). license:cultivation
15) cloth:ragged
16). reliable:fail
17). exponent:advocate
18). convivial:gruffness
19). banister:steps
20). jejune:interest
21). libertine:dissolute
22). exodus:departure
23). knoll:hill
24). physique:sturdy
25). bolt:fabric
26). plead:suppliant
27). tractor:vehicle
28). novel:book
29). quartet:singer
30). furniture:rickety
31). triad:group
32). lid:box
33). perturb:serenity
34). dessicate:moisture
35). river:water
36). dancer:ballet
37). tiresome:boredom
38). traces:amount
39). tree:aboretum
40). berth:sleep
41). dally:dedication
42). replete:abundance
43). bowl:receptacle
44). ilegible:read
45). wood:carpenter
46). thunderous:noise
47). aquarium:fish
48). unpleasant:loathsome


ARGUMENT TOPICS

1. The following appeared in a memo from the new vice president of Sartorian, a company that manufactures men's clothing.

"Five years ago, at a time when we had difficulties in obtaining reliable supplies of high-quality wool fabric, we discontinued production of our deluxe alpaca overcoats. Now that we have a new fabric supplier, we should resume production. This coat should sell very well: since we have not offered an alpaca overcoat for five years and since our major competitor no longer makes an alpaca overcoat, there will be pent-up customer demand. Also, since the price of most types of clothing has risen in each of the past five years, customers should be willing to pay significantly higher prices for alpaca overcoats than they did five years ago, and our company profits will increase"

2. The following appeared in a memo from a budget planner in Sophia County.

"Census data indicate that the number of retired couples without children who are moving into Sophia County is steadily rising; private schools in our county report substantial increases in enrollment; and a statewide survey of parents shows that over 10 percent now support the idea of home schooling instead of public schooling funded by the county government. Such demographic trends suggest that our county will not have to construct new school buildings and that we can therefore decrease the budget for county-funded public schools."

3. The following appeared in a recommendation from the planning department of the city of Transopolis.

"Ten years ago, as part of a comprehensive urban renewal program, the city of Transopolis adapted for industrial use a large area of severely substandard housing near the freeway. Subsequently, several factories were constructed there, crime rates in the area declined, and property tax revenues for the entire city increased. To further revitalize the city, we should now take similar action in a declining residential area on the opposite side of the city. Since some houses and apartments in existing nearby neighborhoods are currently unoccupied, alternate housing for those displaced by this action will be readily available."

4. The following appeared in a memo at the XYZ company.

"When XYZ lays off employees, it pays Delany Personnel Firm to offer those employees assistance in creating resumès and developing interviewing skills, if they so desire. Laid-off employees have benefited greatly from Delany's services: last year those who used Delany found jobs much more quickly than did those who did not. Recently, it has been proposed that we use the less-expensive Walsh Personnel Firm in place of Delany. This would be a mistake because eight years ago, when XYZ was using Walsh, only half of the workers we laid off at that time found jobs within a year. Moreover, Delany is clearly superior, as evidenced by its bigger staff and larger number of branch offices. After all, last year Delany's clients took an average of six months to find jobs, whereas Walsh's clients took nine."

5. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Walnut Grove town newspaper.

"Walnut Grove's town council has advocated switching from EZ Disposal (which has had the contract for trash collection services in Walnut Grove for the past ten years) to ABC Waste, because EZ recently raised its monthly fee from $2,000 to $2,500 a month, whereas ABC's fee is still $2,000. But the town council is mistaken; we should continue using EZ. EZ collects trash twice a week, while ABC collects only once. Moreover, EZ—which, like ABC, currently has a fleet of 20 trucks—has ordered additional trucks. Finally, EZ provides exceptional service: 80 percent of respondents to last year's town survey agreed that they were 'satisfied' with EZ's performance."


ISSUE TOPICS

1. Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between them
2. Many people know how to attain success, but few know how to make the best use of it
3. In most professions and academic fields, imagination is more important than knowledge
4. Public figures such as actors, politicians, and athletes should expect people to be interested in their private lives. When they seek a public role, they should expect that they will lose at least some of their privacy
5. The concept of 'individual responsibility' is a necessary fiction. Although societies must hold individuals accountable for their own actions, people's behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making
6. Many of the world's lesser-known languages are being lost as fewer and fewer people speak them. The governments of countries in which these languages are spoken should act to prevent such languages from becoming extinct
7. It is the artist, not the critic,* who gives society something of lasting value.
8. The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different from people who lived at any other time in history
9. How we teach our kids socialization highly influences the future society. We need to adopt better ways to make sure that we have a good society in future
10. Technology creates more problems than it solves, and may threaten or damage the quality of life
11. As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate
12. With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication, there is no doubt that every aspect of society—including education, politics, the arts, and the sciences—will benefit greatly from international influences
13. The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little
14. Only through mistakes can there be discovery or progress
15. A school or college should pay its teachers at the same rate in all disciplines, regardless of differences in salaries for related fields in the world outside of school. For example, entry-level teachers in mathematics and in the arts should receive the same pay, even if outside of school, math specialists earn a much higher salary on average than do specialists in the arts