Definition List

314 Pages·2012·1.29 MB·English

by  Syed Ghulam Akbar

subside or moderate shorten
Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to Because we were running out of time, the lecturer had to
abate. abbreviate her speech.
2 1
complete; totally unlimited; certain unsuccessful; fruitless
Although the King of Siam was an absolute monarch, he did We had to abandon our abortive attempts.
not want to behead his unfaithful wife without absolute
evidence of her infidelity.
4 3
coarsely insulting; physically harmful theoretical; not concrete; non-represent
An abusive parent damages a child both mentally and To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he had never
physically. missed a meal.
6 5
easy to approach; obtainable move faster
We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on In our science class, we learn how falling bodies
foot. accelerate.
8 7
depart secretly and hide additional object; useful but not essenti
The teller absconded with the bonds and was not found. She bought an attractive handbag as an accessory for her
dress.
10 9
suspended action abnormal or deviant
The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival. Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt
the validity of the entire experiment.
12 11
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make impure by mixing with baser sub hard, inflexible
It is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer. He was adamant in his determination to punish the
wrongdoer.
14 13
lower; degrade; humiliate poverty, misfortune
Anna expected to have to curtsy to the King of Siam; when We must learn to meet adversity gracefully.
told to cast herself down on the ground before him, however
she refused to abase herself.
16 15
renounce; give up embarrass
When Edward VII abdicated the British throne, he surprised He was not at all abashed by her open admiration.
the entire world.
18 17
wretched; lacking pride assist, usually in doing something wron
On the streets of New York the homeless live in abject She was unwilling to abet him in the swindle he had
poverty, huddling in doorways to find shelter from the wind. planned.
20 19
washing renounce upon oath
His daily ablutions were accompanied by loud noises that he He abjured his allegiance to the king.
humorously labeled "Opera in the Bath."
22 21
loathe; hate renunciation; self-sacrifice
Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he Though Rudolph and Duchess Flavia loved one another,
abominated the custom. their love was doomed, for she had to wed the king; their
act of abnegation was necessary to preserve the kingdom.
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abolish rubbing away; tending to grind down
He intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor. Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny
finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener's
patience.
26 25
refrain; withhold from participation pardon (an offense)
After considering the effect of alcohol on his athletic The father confessor absolved him of his sins.
performance, he decided to abstain from drinking while he
trained for the race.
28 27
bottomless border upon; adjoin
His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance. Where our estates abut, we must build a fence.
30 29
adjust to climate or environment agree
One of the difficulties of our present air age is the need of If I accede to this demand for blackmail, I am afraid that I
travellers to acclimate themselves to their new and often will be the victim of future demands.
strange environments.
32 31
award of merit sharp upslope of a hill
In Hollywood, an "Oscar" is the highest accolade. The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear.
34 33
approach and speak first to a person agreement
When the two young men accosted me, I was frightened She was in complete accord with the verdict.
because I thought they were going to attack me.
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growth; increase equip
The accretion of wealth marked the family's rise in power. The fisherman was accoutred with the best that the
sporting goods store could supply
38 37
slightly sour; sharp; caustic come about by addition
James was unpopular because of his sarcastic and acidulous You must pay the interest that has accrued on your debt as
remarks. well as the principal sum.
40 39
assent; agree passively peak; pinnacle; highest point
Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer's Welles's success in Citizen Kane marked the acme of his
suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about the career as an actor; never again did he achieve such popular
changes he wanted made. acclaim.
42 41
sharp; bitterly pungent deliverance from a charge
The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought
pistol had been fired. him guilty.
44 43
calculating; pertaining to insurance stat stinging, caustic
According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is His tendency to utter acrimonious remarks alienated his
greater today than it was a century ago. audience.
46 45
sharpness motivate
In time his youthful acuity of vision failed him, and he I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter
needed glasses. so nastily.
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wise saying; proverb mental keenness
There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their His business acumen helped him to succeed where others
money. had failed.
50 49
muddle; drive crazy addition; appendix to book
This idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone. Jane's editor approved her new comparative literature text
but thought it would be even better with an addendum on
recent developments in literary criticism.
52 51
something attached to but holding an in supporter; follower
I will entertain this concept as an adjunct to the main In the wake of the scandal, the senator's one-time adherent
proposal. quietly deserted him.
54 53
staff officer assisting the commander; a solemn urging
Though Wellington delegated many tasks to his chief Her adjuration to tell the truth did not change the
adjutant, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Somerset was in no doubt as witnesses' testimony.
to who made all major decisions.
56 55
decorate warn; reprove
Wall paintings and carved statues adorned the temple. He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways.
58 57
flattery; admiration skillful
The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and His adroit handling of the delicate situation pleased his
yes-men. employers.
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accidental; casual arrival
He found this adventitious meeting with his friend extremely Most Americans were unaware of the advent of the
fortunate. Nuclear Age until the news of Hiroshima reached them.
62 61
unfavorable; hostile opponent; enemy
adverse circumstances compelled him to close his business. Batman struggled to save Gotham City from the
machinations of his wicked adversary, the Joker.
64 63
urge; plead for refer to
The abolitionists advocated freedom for the slaves. Since you advert to this matter so frequently, you must
regard it as important.
66 65
courteous shield; defense
Although he held a position of responsibility, he was an Under the aegis of the Bill of Rights, we enjoy our most
affable individual and could be reached by anyone with a treasured freedoms.
complaint.
68 67
written statement made under oath artificial; pretended
The court refused to accept his statement unless he presented His affected mannerisms irritated may of us who had
it in the form of an affidavit. known him before his promotion.
70 69
kinship joining; associating with
She felt an affinity with all who suffered; their pains were His affiliation with the political party was of short duration
her pains. for he soon disagreed with his colleagues.
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attach or add on; fasten positive assertion; confirmation; solem
First the registrar had to affix his signature to the license; Despite Tom's affirmation of innocence, Aunt Polly still
then he had to affix his official seal. suspected he had eaten the pie.
74 73
insult; offend abundance; wealth
Accustomed to being treated with respect, Miss Challoner Foreigners are amazed by the affluence and luxury of the
was affronted by Vidal's offensive behavior. American way of life.
76 75
items of business at a meeting openmouthed
We had so much difficulty agreeing upon an agenda that She stared, agape, at the many strange animals in the zoo.
there was very little time for the meeting.
78 77
increase or intensify; raise in power, we collection; heap
The history of the past quarter century illustrates how a It took weeks to assort the agglomeration of miscellaneous
President may aggrandize his power to act aggressively in items she had collected on her trip.
international affairs without considering the wishes of
Congress.
80 79
horrified sum; total
He was aghast at the nerve of the speaker who had insulted The aggregate wealth of this country is staggering to the
his host. imagination.
82 81
stir up; disturb nimbleness
Her fiery remarks agitated the already angry mob. The agility of the acrobat amazed and thrilled the
audience.
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highly excited; intensely curious one who is skeptical of the existence of
We were all agog at the news that the celebrated movie star The agnostic demanded proof before she would accept the
was giving up his career in order to enter a monastery. statement of the minister.
86 85
cheerful promptness pertaining to land or its cultivation
He demonstrated his eagerness to serve by his alacrity in As a result of its recent industrialization, the country is
executing the orders of his master. gradually losing its agrarian traditions.
88 87
nook; recess medieval chemistry
Though their apartment lacked a full-scale dining room, an The changing of baser metals into gold was the goal of the
alcove adjacent to the living room made an adequate students of alchemy.
breakfast nook for the young couple.
90 89
make hostile; separate an assumed name
Her attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they John Smith's alias was Bob Jones.
had complete faith in each other.
92 91
payments make to an ex-spouse after di supplying nourishment
Because Tony had supported Tina through medical school, The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because
on their divorce he asked the court to award him $500 a digestion of foods occurs there.
month in alimony.
94 93
state without proof calm; pacify
It is alleged that she had worked for the enemy. The crew tried to allay the fears of the passengers by
announcing that the fire had been controlled.
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relieve story in which characters are used as sy
This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of the temptations and
use stronger drugs. victories of the human soul.
98 97
mixture as of metals repetition of beginning sound in poetry
alloy of gold are used more frequently than the pure metal. "The furrow followed free" is an example of alliteration.
100 99
entice; attract refer indirectly
allured by the song of the sirens, the helmsman steered the Try not to allude to this matter in his presence because the
ship toward the reef. topic annoys him.
102 101
pertaining to soil deposits left by runnin indirect reference
The farmers found the alluvial deposits at the mouth of the the allusions to mythological characters in Milton's poems
river very fertile. bewilder the reader who has not studied Latin.
104 103
upward apart; reserved
The sailor climbed aloft into the rigging. Shy by nature, she remained aloof while all the rest
conversed.
106 105
unselfishly generous; concerned for oth noisy quarrel
In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships to Throughout the altercation, not one sensible word was
hundreds of economically disadvantaged youths, Eugene uttered.
Lang performed a truly altruistic deed.
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collect combine; unite in one body
The miser's aim is to amass and hoard as much gold as The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into
possible. one national body.
110 109
capable of using either hand with equal female warrior
A switch-hitter in baseball should be naturally ambidextrous. Ever since the days of Greek mythology we refer to strong
and aggressive women as amazons.
112 111
unclear or doubtful in meaning environment; atmosphere
His ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know She went to the restaurant not for the food but for the
which road to take. ambience.
114 113
moving at an easy pace the state of having contradictory or con
When she first mounted the horse, she was afraid to urge the Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating
animal to go faster than a gentle amble. them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her
feelings.
116 115
able to walk food of the gods
He was described as an ambulatory patient because he was ambrosia was supposed to give immortality to any human
not confined to his bed. who ate it.
118 117
readily managed; willing to be led improve
He was amenable to any suggestions that came from those he Many social workers have attempted to ameliorate the
looked up to; he resented advice from his inferiors. conditions of people living in the slums.
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