More Vocab Words

1. salient - 1: moving by leaps or springs : jumping 2: jetting upward <a salient fountain> 3 a: projecting beyond a line, surface, or level b: standing out conspicuously : prominent ; especially : of notable significance <similar to…Prohibition, but there are a couple of salient differences — Tony Gibbs> Salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it <the salient points of the speech>. Latin salient-, saliens, present participle of salire to leap.
2. turgid - 1: being in a state of distension : swollen, tumid <turgid limbs> ; especially : exhibiting turgor 2: excessively embellished in style or language : bombastic, pompous <turgid prose>. Latin turgidus, from turgēre to be swollen
3. churlish - 1 : of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl : vulgar 2 : marked by a lack of civility or graciousness : surly 3 : difficult to work with or deal with : intractable <churlish soil>. Suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness <churlish remarks>.
4. churl - 2: a medieval peasant 3: rustic, countryman 4 a: a rude ill-bred person b: a stingy morose person
5. aphorism - 1 : a concise statement of a principle 2 : a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment : adage, maxim. Greek aphorismos definition, aphorism, from aphorizein to define
6. sententious - (sententiously) 1 : given to or abounding in aphoristic expression or excessive moralizing 2 : terse, aphoristic, or moralistic in expression. <not so much a research paper as a sententious manifesto denouncing globalization>. Latin sententiosus, from sententia sentence, maxim.
7. labile - 1. Open to change; apt or likely to change; adaptable. 2. Constantly or readily undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown; unstable. Latin labilis, from Latin labi, "to slip."
8. bucolic - 1: of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral 2 a: relating to or typical of rural life b: idyllic. Greek boukolikos, from boukolos cowherd, from bous head of cattle + -kolos, akin to Latin colere to cultivate.
9. lassitude - 1 : a condition of weariness or debility : fatigue 2 : a condition of listlessness : languor. Lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health <a depression marked by lassitude>. Latin lassitudo, from lassus weary.
10. sartorial - : of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes; broadly : of or relating to clothes <poor sartorial taste>
11. protean - 1. Displaying considerable variety or diversity. 2. Readily assuming different shapes or forms. <[Roosevelt's] protean executive style; Clinton was a protean character who constantly adapted to his environment> Protean is derived from Proteus, an ancient Greek god who had the ability to change his shape at will. Versatile.
12. sedulous - 1. Diligent in application or pursuit; steadily industrious. 2. Characterized by or accomplished with care and perseverance. <not by accident but by sedulous study; clearly the product of sedulous art, but it has the flame of spontaneity> Latin sedulus, "busy, diligent," from se-, "apart, without" + dolus, "guile, trickery." Sedulous implies painstaking and persevering application <a sedulous investigation of the murder>.
13. assiduous - marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application <an assiduous book collector> <tended her garden with assiduous attention>. Assiduous stresses careful and unremitting application <assiduous practice>.
14. apoplectic - : of a kind to cause or apparently cause stroke <an apoplectic rage>; also : greatly excited or angered <was apoplectic over the news> — ap·o·plec·ti·cal·ly
15. semaphore - 1 : an apparatus for visual signaling (as by the position of one or more movable arms) 2 : a system of visual signaling by two flags held one in each hand
16. recalcitrant - Stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint. <This recalcitrant fellow was the only dissenter> Latin recalcitrare, "to kick back," from re-, "back" + calcitrare, "to strike with the heel, to kick," from calx, calc-, "the heel."
17. lambent - 1. Playing lightly on or over a surface; flickering; as, "a lambent flame; lambent shadows." 2. Softly bright or radiant; luminous; as, "lambent moonlight." 3. Light and brilliant; as, "a lambent style; lambent wit. ...feel that lambent look that was better than sunshine." Latin lambere,"to lick."
18. indolent - 1 a : causing little or no pain b : slow to develop or heal <indolent tumors> <indolent ulcers> 2 a : averse to activity, effort, or movement : habitually lazy b : conducive to or encouraging laziness <indolent heat> c : exhibiting indolence <an indolent sigh> Suggests a love of ease and a dislike of movement or activity <the heat made us indolent>.
19. gastronomic - 1 : the art or science of good eating 2 : culinary customs or style
20. histrionic (histrionics) - (adj.) 1 : deliberately affected : theatrical 2 : of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater. Histrionic applies to tones, gestures, and motions and suggests a deliberate affectation or staginess <a histrionic show of grief>. Latin histrion-, histrio actor
21. ontology - 1 : a branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature and relations of being 2 : a particular theory about the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence
22. histology - 1 : a branch of anatomy that deals with the minute structure of animal and plant tissues as discernible with the microscope 2 : tissue structure or organization
23. syncretism (syncretic) - 1 : the combination of different forms of belief or practice 2 : the fusion of two or more originally different inflectional forms
24. peripatetic - 2 a : of, relating to, or given to walking b : moving or traveling from place to place : itinerant. Greek peripatētikos, from peripatein to walk up and down, discourse while pacing (as did Aristotle), from peri- + patein to tread; akin to Sanskrit patha path.
25. junket - feast, banquet or picnic. 2 a : a festive social affair b : trip, journey: as (1) : a trip or errand made by a public official at public expense often viewed as having dubious public benefit (2) : a promotional trip made at another's expense <a film's press junket>. meeting requiring travel where the beauty or luxury of the destination brings into question the true motives of the attendees. <Conversation is the natural Junket of the Mind>
26. abstemious : marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint <an abstemious diet>. Latin abstemius, from abs- + -temius; akin to Latin temetum intoxicating drink
27. lugubrious - 1 : mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful <dark, dramatic and lugubrious brooding — V. S. Pritchett> 2 : dismal <a lugubrious landscape>. Latin lugubris, from lugēre to mourn
28. emetic - : an agent that induces vomiting. Greek "emein" to vomit
29. cloacal - n. sewer, cesspool
30. anodyne - adj. 1 : serving to alleviate pain 2 : not likely to offend or arouse tensions : innocuous. noun, 1 : something that soothes, calms, or comforts <the anodyne of bridge, a comfortable book, or sport — Harrison Smith> 2 : a drug that allays pain
31. prurient - marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire; especially : marked by, arousing, or appealing to sexual desire. Latin prurient-, pruriens, present participle of prurire to itch, crave; akin to Latin pruna glowing coal,
32. insouciance - lighthearted unconcern : nonchalance. French, from in- + soucier to trouble, disturb
33. sinecure - 2 : an office or position that requires little or no work and that usually provides an income. Medieval Latin sine cura without cure (of souls)
34. palladian - 1. Pertaining to wisdom, knowledge, or study. 2. Of or pertaining to the goddess Athena.
35. sclerosis - 1 : pathological hardening of tissue especially from overgrowth of fibrous tissue or increase in interstitial tissue; also : a disease characterized by sclerosis 2 : an inability or reluctance to adapt or compromise <political sclerosis>
36. comity - 1 a : friendly social atmosphere : social harmony <group activities promoting comity> b : a loose widespread community based on common social institutions <the comity of civilization> c : comity of nations d : the informal and voluntary recognition by courts of one jurisdiction of the laws and judicial decisions of another 2 : avoidance of proselytizing members of another religious denomination. Latin comis courteous.
37. diffidence (diffident) - : reserved, shy, unassuming, unassertive : hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence. Diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking <felt diffident about raising an objection>. Latin diffidere to distrust, from dis- + fidere to trust.
38. superordinate - superior in rank, class, or status
39. raiment - clothing, garments <the prince exchanged his silken raiment for the pauper's humble homespun> Middle English rayment, short for arrayment, from arrayen to array
40. preternatural 1 existing outside of nature 2 : exceeding what is natural or regular : extraordinary <wits trained to preternatural acuteness by the debates — G. L. Dickinson> 3 : inexplicable by ordinary means; especially : psychic <preternatural phenomena> <1. She has a preternatural ability to charm people. 2. There was a preternatural quiet in the house.> Latin praeter naturam "beyond nature."
41. sybarite - debauchee, decadent, hedonist, sensualist, voluptuary; a devotee of luxury and the sensual vices <the prince was remembered as a self-indulgent sybarite, not as a statesman or warrior>
42. sybaritic - pertaining to or characteristic of a sybarite; characterized by or loving luxury or sensuous pleasure: to wallow in sybaritic splendor.
43. provident - 1 : making provision for the future : prudent 2 : frugal, saving <it is possible to be provident without being miserly> <her provident measures kept us safe while we waited out the hurricane> Latin provident-, providens, from present participle of providēre
44. stentorian - : extremely loud <stentorian tones> <the professor's stentorian voice was enough to keep even the drowsiest student awake>
45. tendentious - : marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view : biased <He made some extremely tendentious remarks.>
46. sagacious - a : of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment : discerning <sagacious judge of character> b : caused by or indicating acute discernment <sagacious purchase of stock> <a sagacious critique of the current social climate in our nation> Latin sagac-, sagax, from sagire to perceive keenly; akin to Latin sagus prophetic
47. propitiate - : to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of : appease 1. <He made an offering to propitiate the angry gods.> 2. <the temple was once the site of sacrifices—both to honor the gods in times of plenty and to propitiate them in times of trouble>
48. fatuous : complacently or inanely foolish : silly <a fatuous remark> 1. <the fatuous questions that the audience members asked after the lecture suggested to the oceanographer that they had understood little> 2. <ignoring the avalanche warnings, the fatuous skiers continued on their course> Latin fatuus foolish
49. salutary - 1 : producing a beneficial effect : remedial <salutary influences> 2 : promoting health : curative <1. The accident should be a salutary lesson to be more careful.> 2. <the low interest rates should have a salutary effect on business>
50. lubricious - 1 : lewd, wanton, greasy, lecherous, salacious <back in the days when lubricious employers could, with impunity, take advantage of naive factory girls>
51. expiate - a : to extinguish the guilt incurred by b : to make amends for <permission to expiate their offences by their assiduous labours — Francis Bacon> <Yom Kippur is the holy day on which Jews are expected to expiate sins committed during the past year.>
52. exegesis - : exposition, explanation; especially : an explanation or critical interpretation of a text
53. excrecate - declare to be evil, curse
54. desultory : marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose <a dragged-out ordeal of…desultory shopping — Herman Wouk> 2: not connected with the main subject 3 : disappointing in progress, performance, or quality <a desultory fifth place finish> <a desultory wine> 4. Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm. (of conversation or speech) Going from one subject to another in a halfhearted way; unfocused: <desultory conversation>. Synonyms: incoherent, disconnected, disjointed, rambling
55. desuetude - disuse
56. descry - discern, catch sight of
57. contumacious - : stubbornly disobedient : rebellious <the judge threatened to charge the contumacious witness with contempt of court>
58. cavil : to raise trivial and frivolous objection < I don't intend to cavil or compromise.> <A customer caviled about the price.>
59. captious - disposed to point out trivial faults, calculated to confuse or entrap in argument
60. asseverate - : to affirm or declare positively or earnestly <he always asseverated that he did not know — G. K. Chesterton>
61. adumbrate - 1 : to foreshadow vaguely : intimate 2 : to suggest, disclose, or outline partially <adumbrate a plan> 3 : overshadow, obscure
62. abjure - to forswear, recant, repudiate
63. concomitant - accompanying especially in a subordinate or incidental way. <The drug's risks increase with the concomitant use of alcohol.> <an improvement in the facilities led to a concomitant improvement in morale> <Christopher Walken delivers his customary edge without any of his clichéd, concomitant weirdness.>
64. tousle - v. to dishevel, rumple, usually used in conjunction with hair
65. syllogism - Logic . an argument the conclusion of which is supported by two premises, of which one (major premise) contains the term (major term) that is the predicate of the conclusion, and the other (minor premise) contains the term (minor term) that is the subject of the conclusion; common to both premises is a term (middle term) that is excluded from the conclusion. A typical form is “All A is C; all B is A; therefore all B is C.” Some men are mortal; some men are angelic; so some mortals are angelic is invalid, while some temples are in ruins; all ruins are fascinating; so some temples are fascinating is valid. Here fascinating, in ruins, and temples are respectively major, middle, and minor terms
66. diadem 1 a : crown 2; specifically : a royal headband b : crown 6a(1) 2 : something that adorns like a crown <Miss America's diadem was auctioned off for charity.> Middle English diademe, from Anglo-French, from Latin diadema, from Greek diadēma, from diadein to bind around, from dia- + dein to bind; akin to Sanskrit dāman rope
67. plaudit - Enthusiastic expression of praise or approval: a new play that opened to the plaudits of the critics. [Short for Latin plaudite, pl. imperative of plaudere, to applaud (used at the end of Roman plays).]
68. gestalt - An organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts. A configuration, pattern, or organized field having specific properties that cannot be derived from the summation of its component parts; a unified whole. "the gestalt of human consciousness"
69. hirsute - hairy, covered with coarse stiff hairs <a hirsute leaf>
70. oeuvre - "Ur-vrah" The works of a painter, composer, or author regarded collectively: "the complete oeuvre of Mozart".
71. scabrous - 1. rough and covered with, or as if with, scabs. 2. indecent; salacious. "scabrous publications"
72. militate - (of a fact or circumstance) be a powerful or conclusive factor in preventing. "these fundamental differences will militate against the two communities coming together" synonyms: tend to prevent, work against, hinder, discourage, prejudice, be detrimental to "his resentment of others in the company militates against his own chances for advancement"
73. sternutation - sneezing
74. prosody - the rhythm and pattern of sounds of poetry and language
75. firmament - literary - the sky or heavens, conceived as a solid dome; regarded as a tangible thing
76. proleptic - Of a calendar, extrapolated to dates prior to its first adoption; Of an event, assigned a date that is too early; (rhetoric) Anticipating and answering objections before they have been raised; procataleptic; anticipatory
77. gamine - A gamine is a slim, elegant young woman who is, or is perceived to be, mischievous, teasing or sexually appealing. Audrey Hepburn is cited as the epitome of gamine.
78. abseil - descend a rock face or other near-vertical surface by using a doubled rope coiled round the body and fixed at a higher point; rappel. early 20th century: from German abseilen, from ab ‘down’ + Seil ‘rope’.
79. logorrheic - excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness
80. caterwaul - make a shrill howling or wailing noise like that of a cat; to make a harsh cry; to protest or complain noisily.
81. deracinate - to uproot; to remove or separate from a native environment or culture; metaphorical suggesting removal of anyone or anything from native roots or culture.

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