Vocabulary Words

1. consider seconds left on the clock.
Reuters (Jan 15, 2012)
deem to be
At the moment, artemisinin-based therapies

5. practice
are considered the best treatment, but cost a customary way of operation or
about $10 per dose - far too much for behavior
impoverished communities.
He directed and acted in plays every season
Seattle Times (Feb 16, 2012)
and became known for exploring
minute
Elizabethan theatre practices.
2. BBC (Feb 16, 2012)
infinitely or immeasurably small

6. intend
The minute stain on the document was not
visible to the naked eye. have in mind as a purpose
accord
Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use
3. with limited absorption, is ingested only in
very small quantities, the agency said on
concurrence of opinion its website.
BusinessWeek (Feb 15, 2012)
The committee worked in accord on the bill,
concern
and it eventually passed.
7.
4. evident something that interests you

because it is important
clearly revealed to the mind or
the senses or judgment The scandal broke out in October after former
chief executive Michael Woodford claimed
That confidence was certainly evident in the
he was fired for raising concerns about the
way Smith handled the winning play with 14
company's accounting practices.
BBC (Feb 15, 2012)
8. commit A small French colony, Port Louis,
was established on East Falkland in 1764
and handed to the Spanish three years
perform an act, usually with a
later.
negative connotation
BBC (Feb 16, 2012)
In an unprecedented front page article in 2003

The Times reported that Mr. Blair, a young
reporter on its staff,
12. utter
had committed journalistic fraud. without qualification
New York Times (Feb 15, 2012)
No one can blame an honest mechanic for
9. issue holding a wealthy snob in uttercontempt.

Ingersoll, Robert Green
some situation or event that is

thought about 13. conduct
As a result, the privacy issues surrounding direct the course of; manage or
mobile computing are becoming ever-more control
complex.
Time (Feb 16, 2012) Scientists have been conducting studies of
individual genes for years.
10. approach BusinessWeek (Feb 15, 2012)
move towards 14. engage

Spains jobless rate for people ages 16 to 24 consume all of one's attention or
is approaching 50 percent. time
We had nearly two hundred passengers, who
11. establish were seated about on the sofas, reading, or

playing games, or engaged in
conversation.
set up or found
Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)
15. obtain After three straight losing seasons, Hoosiers
fans were just hoping for a winning record.
come into possession of
He delayed making the unclassified report

public while awaiting an Army review, but
19. stock
Rolling Stone magazine obtained the capital raised by a corporation
report and posted it Friday night. through the issue of shares
In other words, Apples stock is cheap, and you
scarce
should buy it.
16. Forbes (Feb 16, 2012)
deficient in quantity or number

compared with the demand 20. apparent
Meanwhile, heating oil could grow clearly revealed to the mind or
more scarce in the Northeast this winter, the senses or judgment
the Energy Department warned last month.
But the elderly creak is beginning to
New York Times (Jan 21, 2012)
become apparent in McCartneys voice.
policy
Time (Feb 16, 2012)
17.
a plan of action adopted by an 21. property

individual or social group
a basic or essential attribute
Inflation has lagged behind the central banks 2 shared by members of a class
percent target, givingpolicy makers extra
Owing to these magic properties, it was often
scope to cut rates.
planted near dwellings to keep away evil
spirits.
straight
Parsons, Mary Elizabeth
18.
successive, without a break 22. fancy

imagine; conceive of; see in New College.
one's mind Various
passage
For a time, indeed, he had fancied that things
were changed. 26.
Weyman, Stanley J.
a section of text, particularly a
23. concept section of medium length
His interpretation of many obscure

an abstract or general idea scriptural passages by means of native
inferred from specific instances manners and customs and traditions is
particularly helpful and informing.
As a psychologist, I have always found
Sheets, Emily Churchill Thompson
the concept of speed dating fascinating.
vain
Scientific American (Feb 13, 2012)
27.
24. court unproductive of success

an assembly to conduct judicial An attempt was made to ignore this brilliant and
business
irregular book, but invain; it was read all
over Europe.
When Brown pleaded not guilty to assaulting
Various
Rihanna, their violent past came out
in court.
Slate (Feb 16, 2012) 28. instance
25. appoint an occurrence of something
In many instances large districts or towns

assign a duty, responsibility or
would have fewer representatives than
obligation to
smaller ones, or perhaps none at all.
In 1863 he was appointed by the general Clarke, Helen Archibald
assembly professor of oriental languages at
29. coast
the shore of a sea or ocean
Martello towers must be built within short

33. circumstanc
distances all round the coast.
Wingfield, Lewis
es
one's overall condition in life
30. project The circumstances leading up to the
shootings was not immediately available.
a planned undertaking
Chicago Tribune (Feb 19, 2012)
The funds are aimed at helping build

public projects including mass transit,
electricity networks, water utility and ports, it
34. constitute
said. to compose or represent
Oil and natural gas constituted almost 50
31. commission percent of Russian government revenue

last year.
a special group delegated to
consider some matter
The developers are now seeking approval from

35. level
the landmarkscommission. a relative position or degree of
New York Times (Feb 16, 2012) value in a graded group
32. constant Only last month did the mens and womens
unemployment rates reach the same level.
a quantity that does not vary
In 1929, Hubble independently put forward and

confirmed the same idea, and the
36. affect
parameter later became known as the have an influence upon
Hubble constant.
Nature (Nov 15, 2011)
The central bank will start distributing low-
interest loans in early March to individuals 40. generate
and small- and medium-sized
bring into existence
companies affected by the flooding.
Qualities such as these are
not generated under bad working practices
37. institute of any sort.
Hungerford, Edward
set up or lay the groundwork for
Corporations have to be more and more 41. theory

focused on instituting higher labor
a well-substantiated explanation
standards.
of some aspect of the world
Washington Post (Feb 7, 2012)
Testing that theory begins Saturday night, as
38. render the Capitals take on Tampa Bay in another

important contest.
give an interpretation of Washington Post (Feb 18, 2012)
But authorities had rendered the weapon and

the explosive device inoperable, officials
42. range
said.
a variety of different things or
activities
39. appeal Like American community colleges, admission

at an open university is not competitive, but
be attractive to the schools offer a range of programs,

including doctoral degrees.
To get traditional womens accessories Time (Feb 19, 2012)
to appeal to men, some designers are
giving them manly names and styles.
43. campaign
a race between candidates for Ms. Stewart said Mrs.
elective office Bachmann conferred with her family and a
few aides after her disappointing showing
At the same point in 2004 as an incumbent
on Tuesday evening.
facing re-election Mr. Bush had taken in
about $145.6 million for his campaign.
grant
47.
44. league allow to have

an association of sports teams He had been granted entry into the White
that organizes matches
House only for the daily briefing, later that
afternoon.
"When I broke into the big leagues until a
month ago, Gary kept in touch," Mets third
baseman David Wright said.
Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012) 48. dwell
45. labor think moodily or anxiously about
something
any piece of work that is But it is hardly necessary to dwell on so normal
undertaken or attempted
an event.
Vinogradoff, Paul
More labor is entailed, more time is required,
greater delay is occasioned in cleaning up,
and the amount of water used is much 49. entertain
greater.
Hoskin, Arthur J. provide amusement for
46. confer The first Super Bowl in 1967 featured college

marching bandsentertaining the crowds at
halftime.
have a meeting in order to talk
Reuters (Feb 6, 2012)
something over
50. contract While each animal wandered through the
maze, its brain was working furiously.
a binding agreement that is
enforceable by law
Contracts with utilities will be signed starting

54. insist
next month, he said. be emphatic or resolute and
BusinessWeek (Feb 16, 2012) refuse to budge
51. earnest Interior Department officials insisted that they

had conducted an extensive scientific
inquiry before moving ahead with the spill
characterized by a firm,
response plan.
humorless belief in one's
opinions
Too much praise cannot be given to

the earnest and efficient missionaries who
55. knight
founded and have maintained this mission. a person of noble birth trained to
Miller, George A. arms and chivalry
52. yield The knight was gallant not only in war, but in
love also.
Crothers, Samuel McChord
give or supply
It is a very important honey plant, as

it yields an exceptionally pure nectar and
56. convince
remains in bloom a long time. make realize the truth or validity
Parsons, Mary Elizabeth of something
53. wander But though he listened he was not convinced.

Reade, Charles
move or cause to move in a

sinuous or circular course 57. inspire
serve as the inciting cause of or harried.
His surprising performance inspired an
financial
outpouring of fan adoration that has been
dubbed "Linsanity." 61.
involving fiscal matters
58. convention Meanwhile, universities have raised tuition

every year, putting many students in
a large formal assembly a financial bind.
Last year, the industrys main
reflect
trade convention, the Inside Self-Storage
World Expo, organized workshops in Las 62.
Vegas focusing on lien laws and auction
sales. show an image of
Teens ranting over chores and whatnot can
skill
often reflect deeper feelings of alienation or
59. perceived uncaring on the part of parents.
Time (Feb 17, 2012)
an ability that has been acquired
by training
63. novel
He says many new drivers are terrified of
motorway driving because they do not have an extended fictional work in
the skills or confidence needed. prose
BBC (Feb 20, 2012)
Before Robert Barr publishes a novel he
harry
spends years in thinking the thing out.
60. Anonymous
annoy continually or chronically

64. furnish
Theres something uplifting about hearing a
string instrument when Im feeling ragged provide or equip with furniture
Instead, according to court documents, the
money went toward furnishingmansions, 68. temper
flying in private jets, and retaining a
a characteristic state of feeling
$120,000-a-year personal hairstylist.
Oscar Wilde, to do him justice, bore this sort of
rebuff with astonishing goodtemper and
65. compel sweetness.
Anonymous
force somebody to do something
But the flames grew too 69. bent

large, compelling firefighters to call off the
fixed in your purpose
rescue.
The business-oriented constituency of the
Republican Party, Jacobs said, has been
66. venture weakened by a faction bent on lowering
taxes and cutting spending.
proceed somewhere despite the BusinessWeek (Feb 17, 2012)
risk of possible dangers
Clearly he would not venture to descend while 70. intimate

his enemy moved.
Strang, Herbert marked by close acquaintance,
association, or familiarity
67. territory The female spider can choose when to cut

off intimate relations by eating her partner,
the geographical area under the or kicking him out.
jurisdiction of a state Scientific American (Jan 31, 2012)
undertake
On Friday, West Africa regional group Ecowas
condemned the rebels, urging them to end 71.
hostilities and surrender all
occupied territory. enter upon an activity or
enterprise
BBC (Feb 18, 2012)
An autopsy has reportedly
been undertaken but the results are not 75. chamber
expected for several weeks.
a natural or artificial enclosed
The Guardian (Feb 13, 2012)
space
72. majority "Today," said the old man, "you must push
through with me into my most
more than half of the votes in an solitary chamber, that we may not be
election disturbed."
Carlyle, Thomas
Republicans need just four seats in the Senate
to take control as themajority party.
Reuters (Feb 7, 2012) 76. humble
marked by meekness or
73. assert modesty; not arrogant or prideful
declare or affirm solemnly and Challenging yourself, playing up against

formally as true stronger, tougher, and overall better
competition will keep you humble.
In your talk you asserted the pill's risks of Washington Post (Jan 17, 2012)
blood clotting, lung artery blockage, heart
attack and stroke are minimal.
Science Magazine (Feb 18, 2012) 77. scheme
an elaborate and systematic plan
74. crew of action
the men and women who man a Some companies in the Globe District of
vehicle Arizona have started extensive
underground schemes for mining large
Several pilots and crew members would have tonnages very cheaply by "caving"
to escape at once, while safety divers methods.
watched, ready to rescue anyone who Hoskin, Arthur J.
became stuck.
the periodic rise and fall of the
78. keen sea level
demonstrating ability to In the case of mobile connectivity, a

recognize or draw fine rising tide does not lift all boats.
distinctions Slate (Feb 9, 2012)
attitude
Not one of his movements escaped
her keen observation; she drank in every 82.
shiver.
Wingfield, Lewis
a complex mental state involving
beliefs and feelings
79. liberal "Behaviours have changed and attitudes have

changed," Mr Taylor said.
having political views favoring BBC (Feb 16, 2012)
reform and progress
Romneys actually done well in open primaries 83. justify

where fiscally conservative yet
socially liberal independents have backed
show to be reasonable or provide
adequate ground for
him over his opponents.
Time (Feb 14, 2012)
He felt sure that if the
circumstances justified it, the necessary
80. despair proceedings could be taken.
Anonymous
a state in which all hope is lost or
absent
84. flag
There were wounded love, and wounded pride,
and despair, and coming madness, all in
a rectangular piece of cloth of
distinctive design
that piteous cry.
Reade, Charles
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
declared three days of mourning and
81. tide
ordered flags flown at half staff. relative magnitude
And there might not be much money, so fashion
merit
shows are done on a much smaller scale.
85. Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012)
any admirable or beneficial

attribute 89. formal
Thus far in our inquiry characteristic of or befitting a
extraordinary merits have been offset by person in authority
extraordinary defects.
A formal decision to call off the search is likely
Ayres, Harry Morgan
on Wednesday, rescue officials said.
manifest
86.
reveal its presence or make an 90. resource

appearance
a new or reserve supply that can
A too rapid transformation of existing conditions be drawn upon when needed
might very easily lead to an economic crisis,
Economists assume that, under normal
symptoms of which are already beginning
conditions, markets will
to manifestthemselves.
allocateresources efficiently, he added.
Vay, P?ter
87. notion 91. persist

a general inclusive concept
continue to exist
Does that old notion that defense wins
Old ideas, long after the conditions under which
championships still hold up these days?
they were produced have passed away,
Seattle Times (Jan 13, 2012)
often persist in surviving.
scale
88.
92. contempt So far, the political turmoil has not appeared to
have discouraged visitors, but prolonged
strife could weigh on tourism.
lack of respect accompanied by a
feeling of intense dislike
And with his backhanded contempt for all

things ordinary, Blake is making some of
96. mode
the catchiest, most difficult music in recent how something is done or how it
memory. happens
Time (Dec 20, 2011)
Speaking of science, he says, in language far
93. tour in advance of his times: There are

two modes of knowingby argument and
by experiment.
a route all the way around a
Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry
particular place or area
Davenport)
He typed in South Park and took senior

executives on a tour of Web sites offering
pirated episodes.
97. distinction
New York Times (Feb 8, 2012) a discrimination between things
as different
94. plead But such a distinction is quite external; at

heart the men may be very much alike.
enter a defendant's answer
Anonymous
Aria pleaded not guilty, but he acknowledged

that he had violated some laws.
98. inclined
at an angle to the horizontal or
95. weigh vertical position
Such an inclined passage following a seam of

be oppressive or burdensome coal is known as a slope.
Hoskin, Arthur J.
compete for something
99. attribute But eight men, however bold and stout-hearted,
a quality belonging to or could not long contendwith an enemy at
characteristic of an entity least four times their number.
Strang, Herbert
The authors found that when the available
stake
prospects varied more inattributes such as
age, height, occupation and educational 103.
background, people made fewer dating
proposals.
a strong wooden or metal post
driven into the ground
His remains were buried in Cannon Street, and

100. exert a stake was driven through the body.
Andrews, William
make a great effort at a mental or
physical task
104. toil
School boards may come to exert even greater
influence over what students read.
work hard
Forbes (Jan 23, 2012)
He toiled in the sweat of his brow, tilling the
oppress
stubborn ground, taking out stones, building
101. fences.
Adler, Felix
come down on or keep down by
unjust use of one's authority
105. perish
Those who managed to survive were
later oppressed by Poland's post-war pass from physical life
communist authorities.
Simon Wiesenthal's parents are long since
deceased, with his father dying in World
contend
War I and his mother perishing in the
102. Holocaust.
BBC (Feb 14, 2012)
106. disposition Mr. Estes was also well connected
politically, boasting that the president of the
United States took his calls.
your usual mood
New York Times (Dec 10, 2011)
Melancholia the state of mind can hide

behind seemingly sunnydispositions.
Seattle Times (Dec 28, 2011)
110. advocate
a person who pleads for a
107. rail person, cause, or idea
Well, safety advocates, consumers and the

complain bitterly government dragged the automobile
industry toward including seat belts, air
Mr. Gray railed against lengthy stage
bags, more visible taillights and other safety
directions, saying he crossed them out in
features.
scripts before he would begin rehearsals
with his actors.
bestow
111.
108. cardinal present

one of a group of prominent He bestowed public buildings and river
bishops in the Sacred College
improvements in return for votes.
Gilbert, Clinton W. (Clinton Wallace)
Each time he names cardinals he puts his
stamp on Roman Catholicism's future by
choosing men who share his views.
112. allege
report or maintain
109. boast It is being fired into enclosed areas and homes,

the human rights groupalleges.
show off
BBC (Feb 7, 2012)
having a sharp inclination
113. notwithstan It was narrow and very steep, and had
ding precipices in all parts, so that they could not
mount upward except one at a time.
despite anything to the contrary Various
He seems to have taken things easily

enough, notwithstanding the sorrow and 117. heed
suffering that surrounded him on every
pay close attention to
side.
Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry
But Cain was already too far gone to heed the
Davenport)
warning voice.
Adler, Felix
114. lofty
of imposing height; especially
118. modest
standing out above others
not large but sufficient in size or
amount
He found himself in an enormous hall with
a lofty ceiling.
A healthy person living in an unfashionable city
Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente
with no student loans to pay off can get by
on a fairly modest income.
115. multitude Slate (Feb 17, 2012)
a large indefinite number

119. partial
Department store chains in general have been
being or affecting only a segment
strained in recent years as a " multitude" of
alternatives has emerged, all competing for
Generalizations of this sweeping order are apt
customers.
to contain only partial truth.
Chicago Tribune (Dec 28, 2011)
Clarke, Helen Archibald
116. steep
120. apt It provoked a bigger reaction than we could
ever have anticipated.
The Guardian (Feb 10, 2012)
naturally disposed toward
Another reason to display beds at an

electronics show: consumers are aptto use
124. tread
high-tech devices while tucked in. a step in walking or running
The farmer went down, his clumsy boots
121. esteem making no sound on the uncarpeted

stairway, so careful was his tread.
Woolson, Constance Fenimore
the condition of being honored
Despite being held in the highest esteem by his

fellow poets, Redgrove never quite
125. ascertain
achieved the critical reception or readership learn or discover with confidence
he deserved.
The Guardian (Feb 10, 2012) Health care providers and manufacturers
can ascertain alternative treatment more
122. credible effectively by tackling predicted drug

shortage incidences early in the process.
Forbes (Feb 13, 2012)
appearing to merit belief or
acceptance
Mike Mullen, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs

126. fare
of Staff, has acknowledged receiving the proceed, get along, or succeed
memo but said he ignored it as
not credible. A recent study breaks down how graduates
New York Times (Dec 19, 2011) with various college degrees arefaring in
todays difficult job market.
123. provoke Washington Post (Feb 17, 2012)
provide the needed stimulus for 127. cede

relinquish possession or control Tributor and his men were all captured.
over Thornbury, Walter
derived
Some militia chiefs say they will
only cede command of their fighters once 131.
an organized military and security
apparatus is in place. formed or developed from
Reuters (Jan 3, 2012) something else; not original
perpetual
Modern kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower,
128. Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi are all
members of the same
continuing forever or indefinitely species, derived from a single prehistoric
plant variety.
The river is a perpetual enjoyment, always
Slate (Feb 21, 2012)
something going on.
elaborate
Waddington, Mary King
132.
129. decree marked by complexity and

richness of detail
a legally binding command or
decision But the tobacco industry and owners of other
convenience stores say tribal cigarette
While the decree takes effect immediately, it
manufacturing is just an elaborate form of
requires Parliaments approval within 60
tax evasion.
days to remain in force.
BusinessWeek (Jan 28, 2012)
130. contrive 133. substantial

real; having a material or factual
make or work out a plan for; existence
devise
Defence lawyers said the large number of
The wily Roc, never taken much by
forensic tests which had been carried out
surprise, contrived to escape, but old
had failed to find any substantial evidence
linked to the accused. show to be reasonable or provide
BBC (Feb 23, 2012) adequate ground for
frontier
In the United Kingdom and Europe the devices
134. are not used unless the need
is warranted by the patient's medical
a wilderness at the edge of a condition.
settled area of a country US News (Jan 17, 2012)
sob
Adding to the precarious security situation,
tribesmen kidnapped 18 Egyptian border 138.
guards along the frontier with Israel in
Sinai Peninsula. weep convulsively
He cried and trembled, sobbing, while they
facile
spoke, like the child he was.
135. Weyman, Stanley J.
arrived at without due care or

effort; lacking depth 139. rider
As one teacher remarks about a troubled a traveler who actively sits and
student, There is no facilesolution. travels on an animal
New York Times (Oct 11, 2011)
In horseback riding, a rider will give commands
cite
by squeezing or lengthening the reins and
136. altering the position of his legs.
Time (Jan 5, 2012)
make reference to
The Federal Reserve has pledged low interest 140. dense

rates until late 2014, citing in part the
weakness of the job market. permitting little if any light to pass
BusinessWeek (Feb 21, 2012) through
warrant
Dense black smoke rose in the distance as
137. demonstrators burned tires in Shiite
villages.
BusinessWeek (Feb 14, 2012) 144. pious
having or showing or expressing
141. afflict reverence for a deity
cause physical pain or suffering Mother, you see, is a very pious woman, and
in she attributes it all to Providence, saying
that it was the Divine interference in her
Melanoma globally afflicts nearly 160,000 new behalf.
people each year. Various
Reuters (Dec 16, 2011)
142. flourish 145. vex

disturb, especially by minor
grow vigorously irritations
His business had been all along There are vexing problems slowing the growth
steadily flourishing, his patrons had been and the practical implementation of big data
of high social position, some most technologies.
illustrious, others actually royal. Forbes (Oct 21, 2011)
Petherick, Horace William
143. ordain 146. gravity

the force of attraction between all
invest with ministerial or priestly masses in the universe
authority
Once captured, the combined object will have a
One of the present bishops was consecrated new center of gravity and may be spinning
when quite a young boy, and deacons are in an uncontrolled way.
often ordained at sixteen, and even much Science Magazine (Feb 15, 2012)
earlier.
Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)
147. suspended
supported or kept from sinking or Typhoon fighter jets, helicopters, two warships
falling by buoyancy and bomb disposal experts will also be on
duty to guard against security threats.
Frustrating enough at ground level, but can you
imagine the agony about a stranded, ever-
bolt
soggier Oreo being suspended 11 feet
above the ground? 151.
Washington Post (Feb 21, 2012)
run away
148. conspicuou The blare of bugles was heard, and a few
s
seconds afterwards Jackson, still facing the
enemy, shouted: "By Jupiter,
they're bolting, sir."
obvious to the eye or mind Strang, Herbert
assent
Its bright scarlet fruits are conspicuous in late
autumn. 152.
Anonymous
to agree or express agreement
149. retort His two companions readily assented, and the

promise was mutually given and received.
a quick reply to a question or Keightley, Thomas
remark
Having put him in ill humour with this retort, 153. purse
she fled away rejoicing.
Coster, Charles Th?odore Henri de a sum spoken of as the contents
of a money container
150. jet She watched over her husband, kept his

accounts, held the family purse, managed
an airplane powered by gas all his affairs.
turbines
Shorter, Clement K.
154. plus Some exalt themselves by anonymously
posting their own laudatory reviews.
the arithmetic operation of
summing
The surveys margin of error was plus or minus

158. siege
four percentage points. an action of an armed force that
BusinessWeek (Dec 29, 2011) surrounds a fortified place
155. sanction Rebellion broke out, and finally the aged

Caliph, after enduring a siege of several
weeks, was murdered in his own house.
give authority or permission to
Nicholson, Reynold
The Securities and Exchange Commission said

last year it had sanctioned39 senior
officers for conduct related to the housing
159. malice
market meltdown. feeling a need to see others
BusinessWeek (Feb 19, 2012) suffer
proceeding
He viewed the moths with malice, their
156. fluttering wings fanning his resentment.
Lyman, Olin L.
a sequence of steps by which
legal judgments are invoked
Chu attended the special court-

160. extravagant
martial proceeding on Monday in Hawaii, recklessly wasteful
Hill said.
Reuters (Jan 30, 2012) Advisers say new millionaires are prone to
mistakes, like
157. exalt makingextravagant purchases or risky

deals with friends.
praise, glorify, or honor
161. wax His campaign even issued a press
release assailing other rivals for, in Mr.
Pauls view, taking Mr. Romneys quote
increase in phase
about firing people out of context.
Carols had existed for centuries, though their
popularity waxed and waned as different
governments and religious movements
periodically declared them sinful.
165. sublime
Time (Dec 12, 2011) of high moral or intellectual value
162. throng He was uneven, disproportioned, saying

ordinary things on great occasions, and
now and then, without the slightest
press tightly together or cram
provocation, uttering thesublimest and
most beautiful thoughts.
Deafening cheers rent the air as he landed;
hundreds thronged around him to clasp his
hand.
Strang, Herbert 166. exploit
163. venerate draw from; make good use of
As humans increasingly exploit the deep seas

regard with feelings of respect
for fish, oil and mining, understanding how
and reverence
species are dispersed is crucial, Copley
He venerated me like a being descended from said.
an upper world. Scientific American (Jan 3, 2012)
167. exertion
164. assail use of physical or mental energy;
attack someone physically or hard work
emotionally
One day overcome by exertion, she fainted in The letter claims pensioners are too often
the street. patronised, humiliated, denied privacy or
Ingersoll, Robert Green even medical treatment.
BBC (Feb 22, 2012)
kindle
suffrage
168.
172.
catch fire
a legal right to vote
Then a match was kindled and fire applied.
Warner, Susan There has been a great deal said in this country
of late in regard to giving the right
169. endow of suffrage to women.

furnish with a capital fund
The grammar school here, founded in 1533, is

173. ensue
liberally endowed, with scholarships and issue or terminate in a specified
exhibitions. way
Various
An uproar ensued months after the approval,
170. imposed when opponents realized the online

gambling measure had been slipped in.
set forth authoritatively as
obligatory
The Arab League has already suspended Syria

174. brook
and imposed economic sanctions. a natural stream of water smaller
BusinessWeek (Feb 22, 2012) than a river
171. humiliate He walked across the little bridge over

the brook and at once his mood changed.
Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward
cause to feel shame
Woodley)
175. gale Designing and building models
that intrigue and educate without
overwhelming has been challenging.
a strong wind moving 45-90
Science Magazine (Nov 24, 2011)
knots
The gale was accompanied, as usual, by

incessant rain and thick weather, and a
179. indication
heavy confused sea kept our decks always something that serves to suggest
flooded.
Fitzroy, Robert Authorities said an autopsy found
no indications of foul play or obvious signs
176. muse of trauma on Houston.

reflect deeply on a subject
Musing about the Big Picture may be a lot

180. dispatch
more gratifying than focusing on the details send away towards a designated
of the specific policies that arent working. goal
Time (Jan 24, 2012)
More than one assassin was dispatched by
177. satire the Turkish authorities to murder Napoleon.

Various
witty language used to convey

insults or scorn 181. cower
Theres plenty of humor on Russian television, crouch or curl up
though not much politicalsatire; Mr. Putin
put a stop to that long ago. The knaves lowered their weapons and shrank
New York Times (Feb 13, 2012) back cowering before him.
Weyman, Stanley J.
178. intrigue 182. wont

cause to be interested or curious
an established custom city.
He made his customary slick feeds to open
latitude
teammates, but as is their wont, the Nets
struggled at times to convert points on his 186.
passes.
New York Times (Feb 20, 2012) freedom from normal restraints in
conduct
183. tract Great employees often get more latitude to

bring up controversial subjects in a group
a system of body parts that serve setting because their performance allows
some particular purpose greater freedom.
Inc (Feb 21, 2012)
When probiotics flourish in the digestive tract,
vacate
nutrients are better absorbed and bad bugs
are held at bay, research suggests. 187.
Seattle Times (Jan 10, 2012)
leave behind empty; move out of
184. canon Their number diminished sharply after

Villaraigosa announced last week that he
a collection of books accepted as wanted protesters to vacate the grounds by
holy scripture Monday or be forcibly removed.
Chicago Tribune (Nov 30, 2011)
For me, all novels of any consequence are
undertaking
literary, and they take their place, high and
low, in the canon of English literature. 188.
The Guardian (Jan 10, 2011)
any piece of work that is
185. impel attempted
"Let my epitaph be, Here lies Joseph, who was

cause to move forward with force unsuccessful in all hisundertakings."
Marvin, Frederic Rowland
Some power beyond his comprehension
was impelling him toward the neighboring
189. slay "I'm surprised," said Philip, cautiously opening
fire, "that you were ever allowed
to forsake your native land."
kill intentionally and with
Hay, Ian
premeditation
"It were shame," said Lancelot, "for an armed

to slay an unarmed man."
193. beseech
Unknown ask for or request earnestly
190. predecesso Utterly distraught, he ran up and down the

bank, hunting for his clothes, calling, crying
r out, imploring, beseeching help from

somewhere.
Frank, Ulrich
one who precedes you in time
Heller fills in the blanks about Taft,

overshadowed by
194. philosophic
colorful predecessorTeddy Roosevelt.
al
relating to the investigation of
191. delicacy existence and knowledge
His arguments, like Einsteins, were qualitative,

the quality of being exquisitely
verging on highlyphilosophical.
fine in appearance
Scientific American (Jan 30, 2012)
This refinement appears in his works, which are

full of artistic grace and dainty delicacy.
Drake, Samuel Adams
195. grove
a small growth of trees without
192. forsake underbrush
Soon after we came to Pasadena, father

leave someone who needs or
bought an orange grove of twenty-five
counts on you; leave in the lurch
acres.
Chamberlain, James Franklin 199. pomp
cheap or pretentious or vain
196. frustrate display
hinder or prevent, as an effort, Throughout U.S. history, Americans have been

plan, or desire fascinated by royal pomp -- even on a
movie screen.
Frustrated after two years of missed budget Reuters (Feb 21, 2011)
targets, finance chiefs demanded Greek
officials put their verbal commitments into
law. 200. entreat
ask for or request earnestly
197. illustrious "Let me go now, please," she entreated, her

eyes unable to meet his any longer.
widely known and esteemed Hope, Anthony
She will be joining an illustrious list of

recipients that include Winston Churchill, 201. impart
Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II and
transmit, as knowledge or a skill
Princess Diana.
BBC (Feb 24, 2012)
Long before writing and books were in common
use, proverbs were the principal means
198. device of imparting instruction.
Preston, Thomas
an instrumentality invented for a
particular purpose
202. propriety
Youve probably also noticed that the telephone
and computer are no longer the correct behavior
only devices on your employees desks.
I felt a trifle doubtful about the propriety of
Forbes (Feb 26, 2012)
taking a short cut across private grounds,
and said as much. The objective was to mobilize students from
Sutphen, Van Tassel 18 high schools across the city to provide
community services and inspire others.
203. consecrate New York Times (Feb 5, 2012)
render holy by means of religious

rites
207. clad
wearing or provided with clothing
The building was consecrated as a Protestant
Episcopal church in May, 1814. A few of the villagers came behind, clad in
Faris, John T. (John Thomson) mourning robes, and bearing lighted tapers.
Various
204. proceeds
the income or profit arising from a
208. partisan
transaction devoted to a cause or party
His own share in the proceeds was about a But given the bitter partisan divide in an
hundred thousand dollars. election year, Democrats said they would
Stark, James H. never be able to get such legislation
passed.
205. fathom Chicago Tribune (Mar 30, 2012)
come to understand
209. faction
But after flying for so many years, the idea of
a dissenting clique
hanging up his sparkling wings is hard for
him to fathom. One faction declared it would begin an armed
New York Times (Mar 17, 2012) struggle against the government of the
United States.
206. objective Slate (Feb 29, 2012)
the goal intended to be attained

210. contrived
artificially formal He cant trot down the street without
being besieged by paparazzi.
In lesser hands the story about a young man
New York Times (Mar 18, 2012)
who discovers life among the dead could be
manifestatio
impossibly cute and contrived.
New York Times (Mar 25, 2012) 214.
211. venerable n
a clear appearance
impressive by reason of age
Singing and dancing are manifestations of
Thus, after much more than two hundred years,
what many Syrians describe as a much
the venerable building looks almost as it
broader cultural flowering.
did when the first students entered its
doors.
rebuke
Faris, John T. (John Thomson)
215.
212. restrained an act or expression of criticism

and censure
not showy or obtrusive
Afterward, the leaders fought court orders to
By contrast, Mr. Peis restrained design took release records showing what they had
time to claim my attention, particularly since done, drawing an uncommonly
it sat quietly next door to Saarinens sharp rebuke from a federal judge.
concrete gull wings. Washington Post (Mar 14, 2012)
213. besiege 216. insurgent

in opposition to a civil authority or
harass, as with questions or government
requests
The Free Syrian Army, an insurgent group
made of defecting soldiers and based in
southern Turkey, claimed responsibility for
both attacks.
New York Times (Nov 20, 2011) 220. stump
cause to be perplexed or
217. rhetoric confounded
using language effectively to Though family members long suspected Evans,

please or persuade a local handyman who frequently hired local
youths, the case stumped investigators for
His fiery rhetoric in support of limiting cuts to years.
projected defense spending has surprised Washington Post (Aug 30, 2011)
and impressed some of Obama's toughest
Republican critics.
Reuters (Jan 5, 2012) 221. discreet
marked by prudence or modesty
218. scrupulous and wise self-restraint
having ethical or moral principles Sarkozy has attempted to tone down his image,
becoming more discreetabout his private
The reason is that the vast majority of life.
businesses are scrupulous and treat their BusinessWeek (Feb 8, 2012)
employees well.
The Guardian (Jun 4, 2010)
222. imposing
219. ratify impressive in appearance
approve and express assent, These buildings were grand and stylized with
responsibility, or obligation intricate details and a bit of
animposing presence.
Company officials at Safeway said those Scientific American (Mar 5, 2012)
replacement workers will remain on standby
until the agreement is ratified by union
members. 223. wistful
Washington Post (Mar 29, 2012)
showing pensive sadness
She turned toward him, her face troubled, her wear off or die down
eyes most wistful.
Affliction is allayed, grief subsides, sorrow is
soothed, distress is mitigated.
Woodley)
Webster, Noah
224. mortify 228. adverse

cause to feel shame
contrary to your interests or
Intensely mortified at this humiliation, the king welfare
fell sick, and henceforth his health failed
High doses can have adverse effects and even
rapidly.
cause death.
Various
Seattle Times (Mar 26, 2012)
225. ripple 229. caprice

stir up so as to form small waves
a sudden desire
That could precipitate higher interest rates that
Nobody is really in charge, and decisions are
would ripple across the economy.
made on whim and caprice.
Washington Post (Jul 27, 2011)
New York Times (Apr 10, 2011)
226. premise 230. muster

a statement that is held to be true
gather or bring together
Success, real success, comes to the jack of all
Yet Fox needed all the strength that he
trades, a major premisehanded down from
could muster.
pioneer days.
Rosebery, Archibald Phillip Primrose
Gilbert, Clinton W. (Clinton Wallace)
227. subside
cause to form a united, orderly,
231. comprehen and consistent whole
sive Two antagonistic values may cohere in the

same object.
broad in scope Anderson, Benjamin M. (Benjamin
McAlester)
The United States Army developed
a comprehensive plan to address
problematic race relations in the 1970s,
235. tribunal
recognizing that they were hampering
an assembly to conduct judicial
military effectiveness.
business
The military has historically been protected
232. accede from civilian courts, with any crimes

committed by soldiers being decided in
yield to another's wish or opinion closed military tribunals.

Wall Street Journal (Feb 15, 2012)
Therefore he made up his mind to accede to
his uncle's desire.
Streckfuss, Adolph
236. austere
severely simple
233. fervent A certain austere simplicity was noticeable all
characterized by intense emotion over Longfellow's house.

Anonymous
But, to fervent applause and scattered fist
pumps from two sets of worshipers, he
pledged to legally challenge the claims
237. recovering
against him.
returning to health after illness or
New York Times (Sep 26, 2010) debility
234. cohere
The recovering economy is bringing more made arbitrary arrests.
people back into the market. Time (Mar 18, 2012)
exasperate
stratum
241.
238.
irritate
people having the same social or
economic status Shopkeepers, exasperated at the impact of
higher taxes and reduced consumer
She belonged to the upper stratum of the spending, are planning to close down for
profession, and, knowing it, could not sink. the day.
George, Walter Lionel New York Times (Feb 7, 2012)
239. conscientio 242. conjure

us summon into action or bring into
existence
characterized by extreme care
and great effort Vacation homes typically conjure up dreams of
blue skies, pristine sand and crystalline
A conscientious hostess would be very much waters.
mortified if she served chicken out of its Wall Street Journal (Feb 28, 2012)
proper course.
Reed, Myrtle
243. ominous
240. arbitrary threatening or foreshadowing evil
or tragic developments
based on or subject to individual
discretion or preference The Count's words were so ominous, so full of
sinister meaning that for the moment he felt
Sandra Nurse, a member of Occupy's direct like crying out with fear.
action working group, said police treated Hocking, Joseph
demonstrators roughly and
244. edifice activism.
a structure that has a roof and

walls 248. admonish
They are here erecting a fine stone edifice for scold or reprimand; take to task
an Episcopal Church.
Clark, John A. "Children, children, stop quarrelling, right here
in public!" admonishedMrs. Dering, in a
245. elude low, shocked tone.

Perry, Nora
escape, either physically or

mentally 249. repeal
But despite racking up world titles, Olympic cancel officially
gold was eluding him.
The Guardian (Feb 10, 2012) If Republicans repeal the law, Ms. Schakowsky
said, they would be taking away benefits
246. pervade that seniors are already getting.

spread or diffuse through
An air of intense anticipation pervaded the

250. retiring
Generals dining room. not arrogant or presuming
Burnett, Carolyn Judson
Foster was an extremely modest,
247. foster unworldly, retiring gentleman.

Rosenbach, A. S. W.
promote the growth of
Mr. Horne accused the districts Mexican-

251. incidental
American studies program of using an not of prime or central
antiwhite curriculum to foster social importance
The models themselves are incidental on States usurping Mexicos authority.
Scouted, merely empty planets around New York Times (Mar 15, 2011)
which revolve some fascinating characters
and plenty more dull ones.
New York Times (Nov 27, 2011)
255. sentinel
a person employed to keep
252. acquiesce watch for some anticipated event
The prisoners undressed themselves as usual,

to agree or express agreement
and went to bed, observed by the sentinel.
American officials initially tried to resist Drake, Samuel Adams
President Karzais moves but
eventually acquiesced.
256. precision
the quality of being reproducible
253. slew in amount or performance
At this time, home ranges of small rodents can

a large number or amount or
not be measured with greatprecision,
extent
therefore any such calculations are, at best,
In fact, intense focus may be one reason why only approximations.
so-called savants become so extraordinary Douglas, Charles L.
at performing extensive calculations or
remembering a slewof facts.
Scientific American (Mar 3, 2012)
257. depose
force to leave an office
254. usurp Late Wednesday, Mr. Tour,
the deposed president, spoke out from
seize and take control without
authority hiding for the first time.
More than anything, though, officials expressed
concern about reigniting longstanding
Mexican concerns about the United
258. wanton
unprovoked or without motive or
justification 262. fray
I am not a sentimentalist by any means, yet I a noisy fight
abominate wanton cruelty.
Stables, Gordon Armed rebels have joined the fray in recent
months.
259. odium Reuters (Jan 27, 2012)
state of disgrace resulting from

detestable behavior
263. candid
openly straightforward and direct
This was one of the men who bring odium on without secretiveness
the whole class of prisoners, and prejudice
society against them. The actor was candid about his own difficult
Henderson, Frank childhood growing up with alcoholic
parents.
260. precept Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012)
rule of personal conduct 264. enduring

The law of nature has but one precept, "Be unceasing
strong."
Williams, C. M. What makes the galumphing hubby such
an enduring stock character?
261. deference Slate (Mar 26, 2012)
a courteous expression of
esteem or regard
265. impertinent
improperly forward or bold
Other rules, as indicated in Mr. Collins' book,
concerned deportment, and demanded Imagine calling a famous writer by his first
constant deference to superiors. nameit seemed impertinent, to say the
Faris, John T. (John Thomson)
least.
Watkins, Shirley 269. suppliant
humbly entreating
266. bland The colonists asked for nothing but what was
lacking stimulating clearly right and asked in the most
characteristics; uninteresting respectful and even suppliant manner.
Judson, L. Carroll
Many critics were less than enamored with the
languid
kind of easy listening Mr. Williams
embodied, deriding his approach 270.
as bland and unchallenging.
New York Times (Oct 9, 2011) lacking spirit or liveliness
insinuate
Many viewers, bored by the languid pace of
267. the show, tuned out early.
suggest in an indirect or covert
way; give to understand
271. rave
"Good heavens, do you mean to insinuate that
I did anything crooked?" said Bojo loudly, praise enthusiastically
yet at the bottom ill at ease.
I have heard lots of women simply rave about
Johnson, Owen
him.
nominal
Kauffman, Reginald Wright
268.
insignificantly small; a matter of 272. monetary

form only
relating to or involving money
He sought nominal damages of one dollar from
each defendant. A hundred years ago, monetary policy
Reuters (Jan 23, 2012) control over interest rates and the
availability of credit was viewed as a
highly contentious political issue. elaborate, as of theories and
New York Times (Mar 29, 2012) hypotheses
headlong
He urged judges to resist the rigid guidelines
273. and to write opinionsexplicating their
reasons for doing so.
in a hasty and foolhardy manner New York Times (Jan 22, 2010)
gaunt
They may not be wishing to
rush headlong back into the same sort of 277.
risks just yet.
BusinessWeek (Dec 24, 2010) very thin especially from disease
or hunger or cold
274. infallible Gaunt, starved, and ragged, the men marched

northwards, leaving the Touat country upon
incapable of failure or error their left hand.
But conductors are no more infallible than Woodley)
other people, and once in a blue moon in
going through a train they miss a
passenger. 278. morbid
Lynde, Francis
suggesting the horror of death
and decay
275. coax Earlier in the day, however, his demise was
influence or urge by gentle watched by spectators with
urging, caressing, or flattering amorbid fascination.
New York Times (Aug 16, 2010)
He used his most enticing manner and did his
best to coax the little animal out again.
Kay, Ross 279. ranging
wandering freely
276. explicate
His detective work is fascinating and
wide ranging. 283. ebb
fall away or decline
280. pacify Although Gardners competitive

appetite ebbed after 2004, other cravings
ease the anger, agitation, or did not.
strong emotion of New York Times (Jan 28, 2012)
aide
How they pacified him I dont know, but at the
end of two hours he had cooled off enough 284.
to let us go aboard.
Quincy, Samuel M. someone who acts as assistant
pastoral
She later found work as a teachers aide in a
281. Head Start program in Harlem.
idyllically rustic
He made a considerable reputation as an 285. appease

accomplished painter of
quietpastoral subjects and carefully cause to be more favorably
inclined; gain the good will of
elaborated landscapes with cattle.
Various
The king also has tried to appease public anger
over corruption.
282. dogged New York Times (Feb 9, 2012)
stubbornly unyielding
286. stipulate
Some analysts expect Mr. Falcone, who is
make an express demand or
known for his doggeddetermination, to just
provision in an agreement
continue to limp along while slashing costs.
New York Times (Feb 15, 2012) The mayor has an executive order in
place stipulating that all top officials,
except those granted a waiver, live in the
city. 290. aversion
New York Times (Sep 22, 2011)
a feeling of intense dislike
287. recourse Already my passive dislike had grown into an

active aversion.
something or someone turned to Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
for assistance or security
Bargain hunters and holiday shoppers are bad 291. conceit

guys favorite targets and have little or
no recourse when shoddy or fake an artistic device or effect
merchandise arrives.
An urban panorama is viewed from a high
Forbes (Nov 22, 2011)
vantage point, a conceit used in
constrained
topographic art to render vast perspectives.
288. New York Times (Sep 30, 2011)
lacking spontaneity; not natural

292. loath
All his goodness, however, will be of a
forced, constrained, artificial, and at strongly opposed
bottom unreal character.
Friends and political allies are loath to talk
Hyde, William De Witt
about her, knowing the familys intense
bate
obsession with privacy.
289. New York Times (Aug 14, 2011)
moderate or restrain; lessen the

force of 293. rampart
You called her an interfering, disagreeable old an embankment built around a
woman! whispered Bertha space for defensive purposes
with bated breath, glancing half fearfully at
The night was gloomy, dark, and wet; the
the door as she spoke.
soldiers, wearied with watching at
Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.
the ramparts, dozed, leaning on their Wishing to observe the rules of decorum she
weapons. invited him to stay for supper, though
Sienkiewicz, Henryk absolutely nothing had been prepared for a
guest.
294. extort Sudermann, Hermann
obtain by coercion or intimidation 298. luxuriant

The owners, in turn, have called the lawyers produced or growing in extreme
shakedown artists bent on ruining their abundance
good reputations to extort money.
New York Times (Jan 27, 2012) Her luxuriant curly hair, restrained by no net,
but held together simply by a flowering
295. tarry spray, waved over her shoulders in all its

rich abundance.
Elisabeth Burstenbinder (AKA E.
leave slowly and hesitantly
Werner)
For two days I tarried in Paris, settling my little

property.
Ford, Paul Leicester
299. cant
insincere talk about religion or
296. perpetrate morals
It was the familiar cant of the man rich enough

perform an act, usually with a
to affect disdain for money, and Wade was
negative connotation
not impressed.
Come on its just a cruel joke perpetrated by Day, Holman
the airline industry.

Forbes (Dec 11, 2011) 300. enjoin
297. decorum give instructions to or direct
somebody to do something
propriety in manners and conduct
He turned to beckon the others forward with balance among the parts of
one hand, while laying the other over his something
mouth in a gesture enjoining silence.
Even the staging displays symmetry, with
Breckenridge, Gerald
actors lined up on either side in formal
avarice
precision.
301. New York Times (Jan 24, 2011)
extreme greed for material wealth

305. capitulate
The old man's fears were assailed with threats,
and his avarice was approached by bribes, surrender under agreed
conditions
and he very soon capitulated.
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
"Alas, no," said Bergfeld, mournfully, "the day
after the battle our brave soldiers were
302. edict surrounded by overwhelming forces and
obliged tocapitulate."
a formal or authoritative Meding, Johann Ferdinand Martin Oskar
proclamation
An edict was issued by him forbidding any 306. arbitrate

Christian to give instruction in Greek
literature under any circumstances. act between parties with a view
to reconciling differences
Lightfoot, J. B.
The Scottish throne was now disputed by many

303. disconcert claimants, and the Scots asked Edward
to arbitrate between them.
cause to lose one's composure Various
Perplexed and disconcerted, I found no words

to answer such an amazing sally. 307. cleave
Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
separate or cut with a tool, such
as a sharp instrument
304. symmetry
Instead someone shouts "Go" and he is bearing In most instances, I have closed my visits by
down on me and almostcleaves my shield reading some interesting story or parable.
in two with his first blow. Frothingham, Octavius Brooks
BBC (Aug 7, 2011)
chastise
append
312.
308.
censure severely
add to the very end
She remembers an upsetting incident when a
Some specimens will appear in the headmistress chastised her for working too
papers appended to this report. much.
Various The Guardian (Jan 14, 2011)
309. visage 313. foil

the human face hinder or prevent, as an effort,
plan, or desire
An honest, quiet laugh often mantled his pale
earnest visage. On March 1st, a Turkish newspaper reported
Turnbull, Robert that the country's intelligence service
had foiled an attempt by Syrian agents to
310. horde kidnap the colonel.

Time (Mar 8, 2012)
a moving crowd
Hordes of puzzled tourists, many with rolling

314. veritable
suitcases attached, poured down the being truly so called; real or
staircases. genuine
The heavy rain had reduced this low-lying
311. parable ground to a veritable quagmire, making

progress very difficult even for one as
unburdened as he was.
a short moral story
Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
315. grapple The maxim "All is fair in love and war" was
applied literally.
Thomson, Basil
come to terms with
But, he said, all coastal communities will have

to grapple with rising seas.
319. projection
New York Times (Mar 24, 2012) a prediction made by
extrapolating from past
316. gentry observations
Volume is down 25 percent from five years ago,

the most powerful members of a and projections show even further
society declines, said Postmaster General Patrick
R. Donahoe.
The mode of travel of the gentry was riding
horses, but most people traveled by
prowess
walking.
Reilly, S. A. 320.
317. pall a superior skill learned by study

and practice
a sudden numbing dread While our engineering prowess has advanced

a great deal over the past sixty years, the
Residents who fled in recent days spoke of the
principles of innovation largely have not.
smell of death and piles of garbage drifting
Time (Mar 21, 2012)
like snowbanks, casting a pall over the city.
dingy
321.
318. maxim thickly covered with ingrained dirt

or soot
a saying that is widely accepted
on its own merits Though composed amid the unromantic
surroundings of a dingy, dusty, and
neglected back room, the speech has
become a memorable document.
Herndon, William H. 325. asunder
into parts or pieces
322. semblance In 1854, as I have already remarked, Nicaragua
an outward appearance that is was split asunder by civil war.
deliberately misleading Powell, E. Alexander (Edward
Alexander)
He was perceptibly older, in the way in which
rout
people look older all at once after having
long kept the semblance of youth. 326.
King, Basil
an overwhelming defeat
323. tout It's how Seattle won Sunday's game in

Chicago, scoring 31 consecutive second-
advertise in strongly positive half points as an impressive comeback
terms became an overwhelmingrout.
Seattle Times (Dec 19, 2011)
Testing is being touted as the means of making
staid
the U.S. education system competitive,
even world-class. 327.
characterized by dignity and
324. fortitude propriety
He was prim and staid and liked to do things in

strength of mind that enables one an orderly fashion.
to endure adversity Doyle, A. Conan
beguile
Leigh Hunt bore himself in his captivity with
cheerful fortitude, suffering severely in 328.
health but flagging little in spirits or industry.
Colvin, Sidney influence by slyness
I can no longer remain silent in the presence of
the schemers who seek tobeguile you. 332. enigma
Bolanden, Conrad von
something that baffles
understanding and cannot be
329. purport explained
have the often specious Tails are often an enigma; many creatures
appearance of being or intending have them, but scientists know little about
their function, particularly for extinct
Of course, none of these purported medical species.
benefits have any grounding in science. Science Magazine (Jan 4, 2012)
330. deprave 333. assiduous

marked by care and persistent
corrupt morally or by effort
intemperance or sensuality
He's an assiduous diary-keeper and regularly
The people who make up this typical Gorky rereads ancient entries to check up on
offering are drunkards, himself.
thieves,depraved creatures of every kind. The Guardian (Jul 17, 2010)
Kilmer, Joyce
331. bequeath 334. vassal

a person holding a fief
leave or give by will after one's
death And what was of still greater importance, he
could only obtain taxes and soldiers from
No matter how often she changed her will, she among the vassals, by the consent of their
told me, that diamond pin was feudal lords.
always bequeathed to me. Freytag, Gustav
Wells, Carolyn
335. quail
draw back, as with fear or pain
He quailed before me, and forgetting his new

339. gird
part in old habits, muttered an apology. prepare oneself for a military
Weyman, Stanley John confrontation
outskirts Protesters are girding for another police raid

336. as several City Council members have
called on protesters to leave.
outlying areas, as of a city or Washington Post (Nov 11, 2011)
town
Ms. Waters talked about how she had spent the

day at an organic farm on the outskirts of
340. betrothed
Beijing looking at vegetables for the dinner. pledged to be married
We are not betrothed'her eyes filled with
337. bulwark tears,'he can never marry me; and he and

my father have quarrelled.
Fleming, George
a protective structure of stone or
concrete
The cliffs are of imposing height, nearly three

341. prospective
hundred feet: a formidablebulwark. of or concerned with or related to
White, Walter the future
338. swerve Most prospective homesteaders make the

same mistake I did in buying horses, unless
they are experienced.
an erratic turn from an intended
Micheaux, Oscar
course
However, I was not going to swerve from my

word.
342. advert
Johnstone, James Johnstone, chevalier make reference to
de
In the family circle it was rarely adverted to, have become stronger and which weaker.
and never except when some allusion to the Economist (Jan 6, 2011)
approaching separation had to be made.
Werner, E. T. C. (Edward Theodore
Chalmers)
346. halting
fragmentary or broken from
343. peremptory emotional strain
I so much love cricket, he said, shyly,

not allowing contradiction or
refusal in halting English.
This time it was not a request but
a peremptory order to go at once to Cuba
and undertake the work.
347. ignominy
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
a state of dishonor
344. rudiment After all, we love nothing better than seeing the
powerful and formerly smug dragged across
the elementary stage of any the front pages in ignominy.

subject Time (Jun 7, 2011)
He retraced his steps, and came to Cape

Girardeau, in Missouri, where he remained
348. ideology
some time, acquiring the rudiments of the
an orientation that characterizes
English language.
the thinking of a group
Anonymous
Bill OReilly and others picked up on the theme,
345. deduce summing up left-wingideology as San

Francisco values.
reason from the general to the Slate (Jan 19, 2012)

particular
They then used models of global wind

349. pallid
circulation to deduce which dust sources
lacking in vitality or interest or
effectiveness 353. construe
But too often the music sounded thin make sense of; assign a
and pallid. meaning to
But nothing that was said Tuesday can
350. chagrin be construed as good news.

Washington Post (Sep 14, 2011)
strong feelings of embarrassment
But he was feeling deeply chagrined and

354. ford
mortified over his last escapade. cross a river where it's shallow
White, Fred M. (Fred Merrick)
Sometimes they drive their teams through
351. obtrude unsettled country, without roads, swimming

and fording streams, clearing away
obstructions, and camping where night
thrust oneself in as if by force
overtakes them.
Folsom, William Henry Carman
She had no right to obtrude herself into his life
and to disturb it.
Packard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius) 355. repast
352. audacious the food served and eaten at one
time
disposed to venture or take risks Fragrant coffee, light rolls, fresh butter, ham
and eggs, fried crocuses and soft crabs,
In an audacious operation that unfolded like a
formed the repast.
Hollywood thriller, the Navy Seals executed
Reid, Mayne
a daring raid deep into Pakistan to kill
stint
Osama bin Laden.
New York Times (Sep 4, 2011) 356.
an unbroken period of time They bought a log chain, and lumber for a door;
during which you do something the window frames werehewed from logs.
Daughters of the American Revolution.
He found his unionized warehouse job after
Nebraska
a stint working for his father, an
parity
accountant.
357. fresco functional equality
How many of the worlds problems would be

a mural done with watercolors on solved, or at least greatly reduced, if
wet plaster
women had true parity with men?
The little church has an ancient fresco of St.
Christopher, placed, as usual, opposite the
entrance. 361. affable
Conybeare, Edward
diffusing warmth and friendliness
358. dutiful He was well liked and respected in these

islands, for his affable manners had
willingly obedient out of a sense
obtained for him much popularity.
of respect
Various
Perhaps he thinks an engaged young lady

should be demure and dutiful, having no
eyes or ears for any one except her
362. interminable
betrothed. tiresomely long; seemingly
Harland, Marion without end
359. hew All was going well, but slowly, the time taken for
the last few feet seeming to
be interminable.
make or shape as with an axe
Cumberland, Barlow
363. pillage With businesses shut, fields untended and
fishing abandoned many have lost
their livelihoods as well as their homes,
steal goods; take as spoils
our correspondent says.
BBC (Apr 15, 2011)
In addition great material losses were inflicted:
seven hundred houses were destroyed, six
hundred stores pillaged, and thousands of
families utterly ruined.
367. deign
Straus, Oscar S. do something that one considers
to be below one's dignity
364. foreboding To Mr. Gompers' courteous letter Czar Gary did

not deign to reply.
a feeling of evil to come Foster, William Z.
capricious
Mr. Harding had strong forebodings that the
trouble, so far from being ended, was only 368.
just beginning.
Marsh, Richard determined by chance or impulse
rather than by necessity
365. rend Her admirers were capricious, returning to her

at times, and then holding aloof again; and
tear or be torn violently as for suitors, they entirely disappeared.
Schubin, Ossip
In the distance heavy artillery was growling,
stupendous
and high explosive shells were bursting with
a violence that seemed to rend the sky. 369.
Tracy, Louis
so great in size or force or extent
as to elicit awe
366. livelihood
The fact was so stupendous that Terry felt
the financial means whereby one almost frightened over the great good
lives fortune.
Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
370. chaff Here were many fierce and
bitter wrangles over vexed questions,
turbulent scenes, displays of sectional
material consisting of seed
feelings.
coverings and pieces of stem
Raymond, Evelyn
The wheat, being heavy, falls, while the chaff is

blown away.
Starr, Frederick
374. crevice
a long narrow opening
371. innate The disruptive power of tree roots, growing in
the crevices of rocks, is well known.
not established by conditioning or
Various
learning
In other words, one of our most essential

abilities as humans--reading--is the product
375. ostensible
of a combination of innate and learned appearing as such but not
traits. necessarily so
Time (Dec 9, 2011)
This already-exhaustive book is studded with
372. reverie diary entries, academic papers and

other ostensible evidence that its fictitious
stories of destruction are true.
an abstracted state of absorption
New York Times (Jun 6, 2010)
He stood still, seemingly lost in reverie, and

quite oblivious to the group about him.
Frey, Hildegard G. (Hildegard Gertrude)
376. craven
lacking even the rudiments of
373. wrangle courage; abjectly fearful
Was it for them to follow the craven footsteps

quarrel noisily, angrily or
of a cowardly generation?
disruptively
Robinson, Victor
377. vestige A longtime colleague, Gate Theatre director
Michael Colgan, noted Kelly's old-school
charms, punctuated by his propensity for
an indication that something has
bow ties and smart suits.
been present
Now, there was no vestige of vegetation; no

living thing.
Hopkins, William John
381. chide
censure severely or angrily
378. plumb He chided reporters as having stalked family
members, demanding that his relatives be
examine thoroughly and in great
left alone.
depth
Tellingly, Ms. Liao said she had great difficulty
finding three actors willing toplumb their
own personalities.
382. espouse
New York Times (Jun 1, 2011) choose and follow
379. reticent He said Islam should not be equated with

terrorism or the kind of
violenceespoused by Bin Laden.
temperamentally disinclined to
talk Reuters (May 2, 2011)
No questions were asked, and few indeed were

the words spoken, hisreticent manner
383. raiment
preventing any undue familiarity.
especially fine or decorative
Maclean, John clothing
380. propensity Clothed in fine raiment and faring sumptuously

every day, he soon developed into a
handsome lad.
an inclination to do something
Oxley, J. Macdonald (James Macdonald)
occurring in spells and often
384. intrepid abruptly
invulnerable to fear or She had lost her composure, her breath came
intimidation in fitful, uneven gasps, and as she sat
there she pressed one hand over her heart.
There are some very courageous Davis, Owen
and intrepid reporters in Afghanistan,
including some who work for American
media outlets. 388. erode
Salon (Apr 5, 2010)
become ground down or
deteriorate
385. seemly Another report today showed home prices fell
according with custom or more than forecast in
propriety November, eroding the wealth of families
as they seek to rebuild savings.
The Baron was less conscientious, for he ate BusinessWeek (Jan 31, 2012)
more beefsteak than wasseemly, and
talked a great deal of stupid nonsense, as
was his wont. 389. unaffected
Hoffmann, Ernst Theordor Wilhelm
free of artificiality; sincere and
genuine
386. allay His conversation was unaffectedly simple and
lessen the intensity of or calm frank; his language natural; always
abounding in curious anecdotes.
Our boy was scared and confused; we tried Conway, Moncure Daniel
to allay his fears.
390. canto
387. fitful a major division of a long poem
Folengos next production was the Orlandino,
an Italian poem of eightcantos, written in 394. estrange
rhymed octaves.
arouse hostility or indifference in
Various
An atmosphere of distrust, suspicion and fear

391. docile can cause workers to feelestranged from
one another, Dr. Wright has written.
easily handled or managed New York Times (Jan 28, 2012)
Time and again humans have domesticated

wild , producing tame individuals with softer 395. spat
appearances and
a quarrel about petty points
more docile temperaments, such as dogs
and guinea pigs.
Public spats are rare in the asset-management
industry, where companies typically resolve
disputes behind closed doors.
392. patronize BusinessWeek (Sep 16, 2011)
treat condescendingly
396. warble
Ms. Paul herself noted that glib talk about
sing or play with trills
appreciating dyslexia as a gift is unhelpful
at best and patronizing at worst.
Meadow larks, as you have undoubtedly
noticed, warble many different songs.
Barrett, R. E.
393. teem
be abuzz
397. mien
a person's appearance, manner,
The coast, once teeming with traffic, is now
or demeanor
lonely and deserted.
Mahaffy, J. P.
Nevertheless, before going to meet Samuel, shawls, lifted their patrician eyebrows with
she assumed a calm and dignified mien. disapproval.
Kraszewski, Jo?zef Ignacy Brooks, Charles Stephen
398. sate 401. parry

fill to contentment avoid or try to avoid fulfilling,
answering, or performing
His appetite was not sated by any means, but
he knew the danger of overloading his The boys asked a few guarded questions, but
stomach, so he stopped. gained no information whatever, their
Dewey, Edward Hooker questions being parried in every instance.
Mears, James R.
constituenc
practitioner
399.
402.
y someone who carries out a
the body of voters who elect a learned profession
representative for their area
In particular, modern medical practitioners are
Each posited that the blue-collar coming around to the idea that certain
Democratic constituency rooted in the illnesses cannot be reduced to one
New Deal had grown increasingly isolatable, treatable cause.
conservative, alienated from big Nature (Dec 21, 2011)
government.
403. ravel
400. patrician disentangle
Overcasting is done by taking loose stitches

characteristic of the nobility or
aristocracy over the raw edge of the cloth, to keep it
from ravelling or fraying.
Respectable ladies, long resident, wearing Ontario. Ministry of Education
black poke bonnets and camel's-hair
404. infest Patients convalescing from pneumonia were
evacuated to England or given Base Duty.
Jahns, Lewis E.
occupy in large numbers or live
on a host
Many lived in dilapidated apartments with leaky

408. demoralize
pipes, broken windows, rooms full of mold, lower someone's spirits; make
and walls infested with cockroaches and downhearted
rats.
New York Times (Jul 28, 2011) The storm clobbered many communities still
recovering from the flooding two months
405. actuate ago caused by Hurricane Irene, leaving

weary homeowners exhausted
and demoralized.
give an incentive for doing
Washington Post (Nov 1, 2011)
something
He knew that men were actuated by other

motives, good and bad, than self-interest.
409. devolve
Blease, Walter Lyon grow worse
406. surly As the rhetoric heated up inside, the violence

outside devolved into chaos.
Time (Feb 13, 2012)
unfriendly and inclined toward
anger or irritation
But Blake, being surly and quarrelsome even

410. alacrity
when sober, gave the lapel a savage jerk, liveliness and eagerness
and reached out with his other hand.
Chisholm, A. M. (Arthur Murray) Every one exerted himself not only without
murmuring and discontent, but even with
407. convalesce an alacrity which almost approached to

cheerfulness.
Kippis, Andrew
get over an illness or shock
411. waive Fans and commentators are scrutinizing every
blemish: his turnovers, his weak left hand,
his jump shot.
do without or cease to hold or
adhere to
Low rates have also led retail brokerages

to waive fees on money market funds to
415. diffident
avoid negative returns for their clients. lacking self-confidence
Shyly diffident in the presence of strangers,
412. unwonted her head was lowered.

Packard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
out of the ordinary
He must rush off to see his people, who no

416. execrate
doubt were quite confounded by curse or declare to be evil or
his unwonted energy. anathema
Speed, Nell
When all Great Britain
413. seethe was execrating Napoleon, picturing him as

a devil with horns and hoofs, Byron looked
upon him as the world's hero.
be in an agitated emotional state
Hubbard, Elbert
Outwardly quite calm and matter-of-fact, his

mind was in a seethingturmoil.
Douglas, Hudson
417. implacable
incapable of being appeased or
414. scrutinize pacified
This man was a savage in

to look at critically or searchingly, his implacable desire for revenge.
or in minute detail
Kelly, Florence Finch
418. pique He had not stopped to consider her rough
speech and uncouth manners.
Johnston, Annie F. (Annie Fellows)
a sudden outburst of anger
A talented youngster who smashes his guitar in

a fit of pique finds it magically reassembled
422. petulant
just in time for a crucial concert. easily irritated or annoyed
The Guardian (May 31, 2010)
The black eyes emitted an angry flash, the
419. mite voice that answered was sharp

and petulant.
Fleming, May Agnes
a slight but appreciable amount
I never saw anybody so pleased with monkeys

as she is, and not one miteafraid.
423. expiate
Raymond, Evelyn make amends for
420. encumber Wulphere was absolved on condition that he

should expiate his crime by founding
churches and monasteries all over his
hold back
kingdom.
Clifton, A. B.
Two others were making slower progress for
the reason that each wasencumbered by
supporting a disabled man.
Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
424. cavalier
given to haughty disregard of
421. uncouth others
Some would have given Nicklaus

lacking refinement or cultivation a cavalier response: polite nod while
or taste
thinking, Yeah, whatever.
425. banter This faithful and trusted retainer is greatly
valued by his employers.
Black, Helen C.
light teasing repartee
Our easy banter had suddenly been replaced

by strained and awkward interaction.
429. subjugate
Slate (Feb 15, 2012) make subservient; force to
submit or subdue
426. bluster The Confederacy was led by thoroughgoing

racists who wanted to keep
act in an arrogant, overly self- blacks subjugated for all time because of
assured, or conceited manner
the color of their skin.
Slate (Apr 7, 2010)
Slade, despite his swaggers and blustering,
was at heart a coward.
Landon, Herman 430. extol
427. debase praise, glorify, or honor
How I praised the duck at that first dinner,

corrupt morally or by
and extolled Madame's skill in cookery!
intemperance or sensuality
Warren, Arthur
Long oppression had not, on the whole, either

blunted their intellects ordebased their
morals.
431. fraught
Adler, Felix filled with or attended with
428. retainer But the ocean remains an unpredictable

place, fraught with hazards.
Scientific American (Apr 5, 2012)
a person working in the service of
another
432. august
profoundly honored Outwardly merry and good-humoured, he was
by nature coldly fierce, calculating, callous.
At all times reserved in his manner and his
Wingfield, Lewis
bearing full of dignity, never before had she
inculcate
realized the majesty of General
Washingtons augustpresence. 436.
Madison, Lucy Foster
teach and impress by frequent
repetitions or admonitions
433. fissure But instruction in history has been for a long
a long narrow depression in a time systematically used
surface toinculcate certain political sentiments in
the pupils.
The brown bark is not very rough, though its
Liebknecht, Karl Paul August Friedrich
numerous fissures and cracks give it a
nettle
rugged appearance.
Step, Edward 437.
434. knoll disturb, especially by minor

irritations
a small natural hill Lincoln began these remarks by good-humored

but nettling chaffing of his opponent.
Opened in 2008, the park serves as a true Various
public space; elderly couples stroll around
the artificial lake as toddlers roll down
grassy knolls. 438. blanch
New York Times (May 7, 2010)
turn pale, as if in fear
435. callous He is silent, as if struck dumb, his face

showing blanched and bloodless, while she
emotionally hardened utters a shriek, half terrified, half in frenzied
anger.
Reid, Mayne
439. inscrutable action.
Magnay, William
of an obscure nature
The fashion industry is notoriously opaque and

443. disconsolat
often inscrutable for outsiders, even ones
as well connected as him.
e
Seattle Times (Oct 1, 2011) sad beyond comforting;
incapable of being consoled
440. tenacious Was there a bereaved mother

or disconsolate sister weeping over their
stubbornly unyielding dead?
Steward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
She was a tenacious woman, one who would
impetus
even hold fast a thing which she no longer
valued, simply because it belonged to her. 444.
Morris, Clara
a force that makes something
441. thrall happen
Critics say it has known mixed success at best,

the state of being under the although supporters hope the U.S.
control of another person drawdown could provide just the impetus it
needs to thrive.
Then Kiss commenced in earnest, and quickly
held his audience in thrall.
imposition
Farjeon, Benjamin Leopold
445.
442. exigency an uncalled-for burden

a pressing or urgent situation On that far-away day he had considered the
little, lost girl a nuisance and
The exigency of the situation roused Mr.
an imposition.
Popkiss' sluggish faculties into prompt
Chisholm, A. M. (Arthur Murray)
446. auspices Knee pain is the bane of many runners,
sometimes causing them to give up
altogether.
kindly endorsement and
Seattle Times (Jun 7, 2010)
guidance
In March 2009, negotiations between Israel and

Hamas were held in Cairo, under
450. dint
the auspices of the Egyptian intelligence force or effort
agency.
New York Times (Nov 9, 2011) If only certain puzzles could be solved
by dint of sheer hard thinking!
447. sonorous Marsh, Richard
full and loud and deep 451. ignominious

His voice rang out firmly now, a deep deserving or bringing disgrace or
and sonorous bass. shame
Bedford-Jones, H.
The great Ottawa chief saw his partially
448. exploitation accomplished scheme withering

into ignominious failure.
Rudd, John
an act that victimizes someone
In a scathing report released last year, Amnesty

International found there was
452. amicable
widespread exploitation of migrants in characterized by friendship and
Malaysia. good will
BBC (Apr 4, 2011)
After a short colloquy the two men evidently
bane
came to an amicableunderstanding, for
449. they shook hands.
Kraszewski, Jo?zef Ignacy
something causing misery or
death
marked by a ready flow of
453. onset speech
the beginning or early stages I find him charming: shy yet easy to talk to
voluble and funny once he gets going.
Thousands of families are living in makeshift The Guardian (Aug 21, 2010)
camps as temperatures fall to freezing with
the onset of winter.
457. yeoman
a free man who cultivates his
454. conservator own land
y On one extreme was the well-to-

do yeoman farmer farming his own land.
a schoolhouse with special Reilly, S. A.

facilities for fine arts
The young instrumental talent that is coming

458. levity
out of local music schools
a manner lacking seriousness
andconservatories is as amazingly good
as you are going to find anywhere. The same balance of seriousness
Chicago Tribune (Jun 1, 2011) and levity runs through her plays, which put
an absurdist spin on everyday problems.
455. zenith New York Times (May 7, 2010)
the point above the observer

directly opposite the nadir
459. rapt
feeling great delight
In other words it never reaches the zenith, a
point directly overhead.
She was watching the development of the
George H. Lowery.
investigation with rapt, eager attention.
Mitford, Bertram
456. voluble
460. sultry Looking off seaward, I could descry no sails.
Drake, Samuel Adams
characterized by oppressive heat

and humidity 464. retinue
New guidelines from the American Academy of the group following and attending
Pediatrics arrive just as school sports ramp to some important person
up in sultry August temperatures.
Washington Post (Aug 9, 2011) Despite his retinue of security personnel,
Atambaev had been poisoned during his
461. pinion short tenure as prime minister.

Salon (Apr 9, 2010)
bind the arms of
The prisoners having dismounted, were placed

465. functionary
in a line on the ground facing the guillotine, a worker who holds or is invested
their arms pinioned. with an office
Various
He was the functionary of the assize court,
axiom
impaneling its juries, bringing accused men
462. before it, and carrying out its penalties.
Reilly, S. A.
a proposition that is not
susceptible of proof or disproof
The fundamental axiom of scientific thought is

466. imbibe
that there is not, never has been, and never take in liquids
will be, any disorder in nature.
Huxley, Thomas H. "We're cornered at last," he said suddenly, as
the old man set the bottle down after
463. descry having imbibed the best half of its

contents.
Douglas, Hudson
catch sight of
467. diversified She still showed a partiality for bright colors,
by her gown of deep crimson.
Sage, William
having variety of character or
form or components
Funds in both categories tend to be

471. philology
highly diversified, typically with 100 or the humanistic study of language
more stocks across at least 10 industries. and literature
I had determined to study philology, chiefly
468. maraud Greek and Latin, but the fare spread out by
the professors was much too tempting.
Mller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
raid and rove in search of booty
Its reporter says armed gangs and looters

are marauding the streets.
472. wry
BBC (Apr 8, 2011) humorously sarcastic or mocking
469. grudging She also has a very understated but

very wry sense of humour; watch out for it.
The Guardian (Oct 13, 2010)
petty or reluctant in giving or
spending
Expect delays, scattered outages and

473. caucus
surly, grudging customer service in the meet to select a candidate or
interim. promote a policy
Time (Aug 30, 2011)
Representative Ron Paul of Texas isnt
470. partiality campaigning in Florida, instead focusing on

Maine, which will caucus in late February.
a predisposition to like something
474. permeate
spread or diffuse through acquired subjects by becoming a resident in
the conquered country.
Floridas summertime heat permeates almost
Frith, William Powell
every scene, becoming something like a
excise
character.
475. propitious remove by cutting
Wielding a razor, Jefferson excised all

presenting favorable passages containing supernaturalistic
circumstances elements from the gospels, extracting what
he took to be Jesus's pure ethical
With the Athens stock market down nearly 30
teachings.
percent so far this year, it would not seem
The Guardian (Apr 8, 2011)
a propitious time for initial public offerings.
betoken
479.
476. salient be a signal for or a symptom of

having a quality that thrusts itself The haggard face and sombre
into attention
eyes betokened considerable mental
anguish.
Bullying has become an
Young, F.E. Mills
increasingly salient problem for school-age
children, and in rare cases has ended
tragically with victims committing suicide. 480. palatable
acceptable to the taste or mind
477. propitiate If nicely cooked in this way, cabbage is

as palatable and as digestible as
make peace with
cauliflower.
Ronald, Mary
King Edward, having subdued the Welsh,
endeavoured to propitiate his newly
481. upbraid The reader is treated to pedantic little
footnotes, and given a good deal of
information which is either gratuitous or
express criticism towards
uninteresting.
Hay, Ian
When Kahn warned of a serious economic
"depression", he was upbraidedby the
White House for using such language.
485. coy
showing marked and often
482. renegade playful evasiveness or reluctance
It was funny watching such a solid person,

someone who rebels and based in faith and education, grow a
becomes an outlaw
trifle coy about the year of his birth.
New York Times (Jul 11, 2010)
If he went off to another people he lost all
standing among the Sioux and was
thereafter treated as an outlaw and
a renegade.
486. troth
Robinson, Doane a solemn pledge of fidelity
483. hoary She had pledged to him her troth, and she
would not attempt to go back from her
pledge at the first appearance of a difficulty.
ancient
Trollope, Anthony
The device of the trapped young person saved

by books is a hoary one, but Ms. Winterson
makes it seem new, and sulfurous.
487. encroachm
New York Times (Mar 8, 2012) ent
484. pedantic entry to another's property
without right or permission
marked by a narrow focus on or The move may mark yet another attempt by
display of learning
France to rein in what it sees as
the encroachment of online services on
the country's culture. 491. imperturbab
BusinessWeek (Jan 8, 2010)
le
488. belie marked by extreme calm and
composure
be in contradiction with
Ordinarily imperturbable, even in the face of
"It is a fine morning," he said, taken aback by unexpected situations, he was now visibly
my sudden movement, but affecting an agitated.
indifference which the sparkle in his Griggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
eye belied.
Weyman, Stanley John
492. irresolute
489. armada uncertain how to act or proceed
a large fleet I stood for a moment before I entered on my

arduous undertaking,irresolute and
An armada of three hundred ships manned by hesitating, swayed by two conflicting
eighteen thousand marines assembled in impulses.
the bay on their way to the conquest of Waugh, Joseph Laing
Algiers.
Douglas, Frances
493. knack
490. succor a special way of doing something
assistance in time of difficulty He had a special knack of hunting out farm

houses, engaging madame in conversation,
Given his health woes, succession worries and and coming away with bread, eggs, or
persistent isolation, Mr. Kim may simply be cheese in his knapsack.
seeking succor from what may be his last Price, Lucien
friend on earth.
494. unseemly
not in keeping with accepted deciding factor for portraying a strong man.
standards of what is proper Reuters (Jul 9, 2010)
burnish
The square mile's upbeat mood may strike
some as unseemly at a time of national 498.
gloom.
The Guardian (Jan 1, 2011) polish and make shiny
accentuate
Great cleanliness is enforced in all that belongs
495. to a lighthouse, the reflectors and lenses
being constantly burnished, polished, and
to stress, single out as important cleansed.
Whymper, Frederick
This sparkling marvel lies modestly nestled
palpitate
among the law courts, whose plainer
modern buildings serve but 499.
to accentuate its wonderful beauty.
Sherrill, Charles Hitchcock beat rapidly
divulge
After supper my heart started
496. racing, palpitating like a tick.
Isaacson, Lauren Ann
make known to the public
information previously kept secret
500. promiscuou
She hectors her children not
to divulge personal information like phone
numbers online.
s
Seattle Times (Nov 15, 2011) not selective of a single class or
person
497. brawn A promiscuous assembly had gathered there

men of all creeds and opinionsand an
possessing muscular strength "open-air" meeting was in progress.
Whitney, Orson F.
He believes Hollywood has often have had an
over-reliance on physicalbrawn as the
the abode of a recluse
501. dissemble All the rest of their time is passed in solitude in
make believe with the intent to their hermitages, which are built quite
deceive separate from one another.
Various
Pictures have always dissembled there are
despoil
millions of snaps of miserable families
grinning bravely but now they directly lie. 505.
The Guardian (Dec 4, 2010)
destroy and strip of its
possession
502. flotilla Wherever his lordship's army went, plantations
a fleet of small craft were despoiled, and private houses
plundered.
She was guarded by a flotilla of boats Campbell, Charles
equipped with satellites, Global Positioning
System devices, advanced navigation
systems and shark shields. 506. sully
make dirty or spotty
503. invective Why sully the reputation of an otherwise

fascinating online community with really
abusive language used to deeply questionable, troubling content?
express blame or censure Forbes (Feb 13, 2012)
malevolent
There's much more name-calling, shouting and
personal invective in American life than 507.
anywhere I've ever traveled outside the
United States.
having or exerting a malignant
influence
Washington Post (Jan 15, 2011)
So you dont believe in evil, as an

504. hermitage actual malevolent force?
508. irksome But red, itchy welts typically appear within 24 to
48 hours of being bitten.
US News (Nov 23, 2010)
tedious or irritating
It was pretty irksome passing the time in his

enforced prison, and finally Andy went to
512. wreak
sleep. cause to happen or to occur as a
Webster, Frank V. consequence
prattle
The burden of paying for college
509. is wreaking havoc on the finances of an
unexpected demographic: senior citizens.
speak about unimportant matters Washington Post (Apr 1, 2012)
rapidly and incessantly
She prattled on about the gossip of the town

until Penny and her father were thoroughly
513. tenable
bored. based on sound reasoning or
Clark, Joan evidence
subaltern
First, it is no longer really tenable and in fact
510. a bit disrespectful to call a country like
China an emerging economy.
inferior in rank or status The Guardian (Feb 18, 2011)
inimitable
The careful commanding officer of a regiment
discourages his youngsubalterns from 514.
taking leave to Hill Stations.
Casserly, Gordon matchless
welt
Leave aside Spain, where Barcelona breeds its
511. own, inimitable style, and the answer might
be that we are rushing toward uniformity.
a raised mark on the skin New York Times (Sep 26, 2010)
515. depredation 518. proxy
a destructive action a person authorized to act for
another
Wild elephants abound and commit
many depredations, entering villages in Ideally, everybody over 18 should execute a
large herds, and consuming everything living will and select a health care proxy
suitable to their tastes. someone to represent you in medical
Various matters.
amalgamat
dote
516.
519.
e shower with love; show
to bring or combine together or excessive affection for
with something else
He doted on him, just dearly loved him, and
Where two weak tribes amalgamated into one, thought he could do no wrong, Kredell
there it exceptionally happened that two said.
closely related dialects were simultaneously Washington Post (Oct 17, 2011)
spoken in the same tribe.
Engels, Friedrich
520. reactionary
517. immutable extremely conservative
Old people are often accused of being too

not subject or susceptible to
change or variation conservative, and evenreactionary.
Chinard, Gilbert
We are mistaken to imagine a work of literature
is or should beimmutable, sculpted in
marble and similarly impervious to change.
521. rationalism
The Guardian (May 27, 2010)
the doctrine that reason is the
basis for regulating conduct
Offering a religious rationale for policy goals
threatens what for many has become the 525. pert
cherished principle of
characterized by a lightly
secular rationalism in public life.
exuberant quality
Salon (Apr 24, 2011)
Her pert, lively manner said she hadn't taken
522. endue any wooden nickels lately.

Schoenherr, John
give qualities or abilities to
To say the least of it, he was endued with

526. disembark
sufficient intelligence to acquire an ordinary
go ashore
knowledge of such matters.
Various The immigrants disembarked from their ships
tired and underfedgenerally in poor
523. discriminati health.

Hughes, Thomas Proctor
ng
showing or indicating careful
527. aria
judgment and discernment an elaborate song for solo voice
Jobs Apple specializes in delighting the
Ms. Netrebko sang an elegantly sad aria with
most discriminating, hard-to-please
lustrous warmth, aching vulnerability and
customers.
floating high notes.
Forbes (Oct 12, 2011)
524. brooch 528. trappings

a decorative pin worn by women ornaments; embellishments to or
characteristic signs of
Upon her breast she wore a brooch of gold set
with many precious stones.
Butler, Pierce
They were caparisoned in Indian fashion with
gay colors and fancytrappings. 532. glib
Roy, Lillian Elizabeth
having only superficial plausibility
529. abet The other sort of engineer understands

that glib comparisons between computers
assist or encourage, usually in and humans don't do justice to the
some wrongdoing complexities of either.
Forbes (Jul 22, 2010)
"Since YouTube, digital culture has aided and
pucker
enhanced -- or maybe the better word
is abetted -- the celebrity meltdown," said 533.
Wired magazine senior editor Nancy Miller.
Reuters (Mar 9, 2011) gather something into small
wrinkles or folds
530. clandestine Godmother,' she went on, puckering her

forehead again in perplexity, 'it almost feels
conducted with or marked by like feathers.
hidden aims or methods Molesworth, Mrs. (Mary Louisa)
rejoinder
For Jordan, this is a clandestine relationship it
would much prefer to have kept secret. 534.
BBC (Jan 5, 2010)
a quick reply to a question or
remark
531. distend "Not at all!" was Aunt Susannah's
swell from or as if from internal brisk rejoinder.
pressure Various
spangle
Some kids said LaNiyah's distended abdomen
looked like she was carrying a baby. 535.
Seattle Times (Apr 7, 2011)
adornment consisting of a small
piece of shiny material
Magdalen's garments are rich with spangles;
her mantle is scarlet; she has flowers in her 539. vestment
luxuriant tresses, and looks a vain creature.
a gown worn by the clergy
O'Shea, John Augustus
And then a priest, arrayed in all his vestments,

536. blighted came in at the open door, and the prince
and princess exchanged rings, and were
affected by something that married.
prevents growth or prosperity Glinski, A. J.
urbane
Hudec, whose career has been blighted by
knee injuries and operations, won for the 540.
first time in more than four years.
New York Times (Feb 4, 2012) showing a high degree of
refinement
537. nicety Polished, urbane and gentlemanlyhis

manners were calculated to refine all
conformity with some aesthetic around him.
standard of correctness Judson, L. Carroll
defray
They accepted the invitation; but Mrs.
Rowlandson did not appreciate 541.
theniceties of Indian etiquette.
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot) bear the expenses of
aggrieve
The legislation also calls for $1.6 billion in
538. spending cuts to help defray the disaster
costs.
infringe on the rights of Washington Post (Sep 26, 2011)
spectral
Some fallout appears evident in donations from
Wall Street executives, who feel 542.
particularly aggrieved by Mr. Obamas
criticisms and policies. resembling or characteristic of a
phantom
Hawthornes figures are somewhat spectral; a sheath for a sword or dagger or
they lack flesh and blood. bayonet
Merwin, Henry Childs
Drawing his own sabre from its scabbard, he
munificent
pointed to a stain on it, saying, "This is the
543. blood of an Englishman."
Reed, Helen Leah
very generous
They have shown themselves very loving and 547. adulterate

generous lately, in making a
quite munificent provision for his traveling. make impure by adding a foreign
or inferior substance
Carlyle, Thomas
Shady dealers along the supply chain

544. dictum frequently adulterate olive oil with low-
grade vegetable oils and add artificial
an authoritative declaration coloring.
In other words, they seemed fully subscribed to
Andy Warhols dictum that business art is
the best art. 548. beleaguer
annoy persistently
545. fad Rock concert ticket sales dropped sharply last

year, sounding another sour note for
an interest followed with the beleaguered music industry.
exaggerated zeal The Guardian (Dec 30, 2010)
gripe
According to Chinese media, the hottest
new fad in China involves selling small live- 549.
animal key chains.
Time (Apr 5, 2011) complain
scabbard
If America is going to gripe about the yuans
546. rate, then China will complain about the
dollars role. influence or urge by gentle
Economist (Jan 20, 2011) urging, caressing, or flattering
remission
Hamilton, however, was not to be cajoled into
550. friendliness by superficial compliment.
Fisher, Harrison
an abatement in intensity or
degree
554. inclusive
After a few hours there is a remission of the
pain, slight perspiration takes place, and the encompassing much or
patient may fall asleep. everything
Various
We are going to adhere to our basic
exorbitant
programing strategy of nonpartisan
551. information inclusive of all different points
of view.
greatly exceeding bounds of Reuters (Sep 27, 2010)
reason or moderation
Soon, stories began trickling across the Atlantic 555. interdict

of crazed fans payingexorbitant sums to
get into London gigs. command against
Slate (Oct 10, 2011)
Failing to satisfy his examiners, he
invocation
was interdicted from practice, but ignored
552. the prohibition, and suffered more than one
imprisonment in consequence.
the act of appealing for help Worley, George
abase
These dances are prayers or invocations for
rain, the crowning blessing in this dry land. 556.
Roosevelt, Theodore
cause to feel shame
553. cajole
Ashamed, abased, degraded in his own eyes,
he turned away his head. 560. mettle
Caine, Hall, Sir
the courage to carry on
557. obviate The deployment will also test the

emotional mettle of soldiers and their
do away with families.
Comfortable sleeping-cars obviate the
necessity of stopping by the way for bodily
rest, provided the traveller be physically 561. interpolate
strong and in good health.
insert words into texts, often
Ballou, Maturin Murray
falsifying it thereby
558. hurtle Most scholars agree that these lines

are interpolated, since they do not fit in
move with or as if with a rushing with the rest of the poem.
sound Various
The hurricane was expected to hit Washington

in the early hours of Sunday 562. surreptitious
before hurtling toward New York City.
marked by quiet and caution and
Reuters (Aug 27, 2011)
secrecy
559. unanimity He noticed that the peddler was eying the bag
Scotty had picked up, and was trying to
everyone being of one mind be surreptitious about it.
Goodwin, Harold L. (Harold Leland)
On all other points of colonial policy, Mackenzie
declared, people would be found to differ,
but as regards the post office there was
563. dissimulate
absoluteunanimity.
hide feelings from other people
Smith, William, Sir
From infancy these people have been schooled
to dissimulate and hide emotion, and 567. hale
ordinarily their faces are as opaque as
exhibiting or restored to vigorous
those of veteran poker players.
good health
Kephart, Horace
From a hearty, hale, corn-fed boy, he has
564. ruse become pale, lean, and wan.

Adams, Abigail
a deceptive maneuver, especially
to avoid capture
568. palliate
Overseas criminals use elaborate ruses,
lessen or to try to lessen the
including phony websites, to trick job-
seriousness or extent of
seekers into helping transfer stolen funds.
BusinessWeek (Aug 4, 2011) Divisions and inequalities persist, but
government can palliate their effects with
565. specious hard cash.

The Guardian (Aug 14, 2010)
plausible but false
You might be tempted to think of the biggest

569. obtuse
airline as the one with the most aircraft, but
lacking in insight or discernment
capacity differences make this
reasoning specious. The affair had been mentioned so plainly that it
Salon (May 6, 2010) was impossible for the most dense
and obtuse person not to have understood
566. revulsion the allusion.

Brazil, Angela
intense aversion
After a first instinctive cry of horrified revulsion,

570. querulous
the men reached down under water with
habitually complaining
their hands and drew outa corpse.
Livingston, Arthur
He was, at times, as querulous as a
complaining old man. 574. grovel
Williams, Ben Ames
show submission or fear
571. vagary The two young men who drove them had fallen
flat and were grovellingand wailing for
an unexpected and inexplicable mercy.
change in something Mitford, Bertram
refractory
Today such acquisitions are more likely to stay
put, destined to survive both market 575.
fluctuations and the vagaries of style.
New York Times (Sep 29, 2010) stubbornly resistant to authority
or control
572. incipient Beyond them the gardener struggled with

a refractory horse that refused to draw his
only partly in existence; load of brush and dead leaves.
imperfectly formed Bacon, Josephine Dodge Daskam
dregs
Above all, medical teams will need to establish
quick surveillance to identify health needs 576.
and pinpoint incipient outbreaks before
they explode. sediment that has settled at the
bottom of a liquid
Time (Jan 13, 2010)
"Right got to go," Ali says, draining the dregs of

573. obdurate his beer.
BBC (Feb 25, 2012)
stubbornly persistent in
wrongdoing
577. ascendancy
Several appeared deeply affected, with tears of
repentance standing in their eyes, others the state when one person or
group has power over another
sullen and obdurate.
Huth, Alexander
But in a few days he had secured an almost We had spent countless hours together drinking
incredible ascendancy over the sullen, wine and commiseratingabout child-
starved, half-clothed army. rearing, long Wisconsin winters and
Various interrupted sleep.
supercilious
alcove
578.
581.
having or showing arrogant
superiority to a small recess opening off a
larger room
A supercilious, patronizing personson of a
wretched country parsonused to loll They showed him where he would sleep, in a
against the wall of your salonwith his little closet-like alcovescreened from the
nose in the air. big room by a gay curtain.
Pinero, Arthur Wing, Sir Wilson, Harry Leon
579. pundit 582. assay

someone who has been admitted make an effort or attempt
to membership in a field
He decided to assay one last project before
Pundits of agricultural science explore the giving up.
sheds, I believe, the barns, stables, New York Times (Mar 30, 2012)
machine-rooms, and so forth, before
inspecting the crops.
Boyle, Frederick
583. parochial
narrowly restricted in outlook or
580. commiserat scope
e But Republicans in Pennsylvania also have

narrower and more parochialthings to
to feel or express sympathy or worry about.

compassion New York Times (Sep 17, 2011)
marked by complexity and
584. conjugal richness of detail
relating to the relationship Unlike his literary icon, Herman Melville, he

between a wife and husband doesnt adorn his writing
withornate flourishes or complicated
They even had conjugal visits for prisoners scaffolding.
five hours in a private room every three Scientific American (Dec 20, 2011)
months with your wife.
588. inflammator
585. abjure y
formally reject or disavow a arousing to action or rebellion
formerly held belief
We don't know
The caste abstain from liquor, and some of
whether inflammatory language or images
them have abjured all flesh food while
can incite the mentally ill to commit acts of
others partake of it.
violence.
Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane)
Time (Jan 13, 2011)
586. frieze 589. machination

an ornament consisting of a a crafty and involved plot to
horizontal sculptured band achieve your ends
All the doorways mentioned above have
He was continued a member of Congress until
cornices, and in those at Palmyra and
1777 when his enemies succeeded in their
Baalbec richly carved friezes with side
long nursed machinations against him.
corbels.
Judson, L. Carroll
Various
587. ornate 590. mendicant

a pauper who lives by begging
In others are the broken- done or made using whatever is
down mendicants who live on soup- available
kitchens and begging.
The house was still under construction, so he
Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
climbed up a ladder being used as
meander
a makeshift stairway, fell and injured his
591. leg.
move or cause to move in a
sinuous or circular course
595. husbandry
They paused beside one of the low stone walls
that meandered in a meaningless fashion the practice of cultivating the land
this way and that over the uplands. or raising stock
Vance, Louis Joseph
The U.S. can take a lesson from Denmark,
bullion
which has efficiently raised livestock without
592. hurting farmers, by using better
animal husbandrypractices.
gold or silver in bars or ingots Scientific American (Mar 22, 2011)
podium
In times of economic turmoil, more people tend
to invest in bullion gold. 596.
a platform raised above the
surrounding level
593. diffidence
Leyva beamed as he stood atop the podium,
lack of self-assurance nodding as the American flag was raised
and The Star-Spangled Banner played in
His grave diffidence and continued hesitation his honor.
in offering an opinion confirmed me in my New York Times (Oct 22, 2011)
own.
Froude, James Anthony
597. dearth
594. makeshift an insufficient quantity or number
A continuing dearth of snow in many U.S.
spots usually buried by this time of year has 601. diadem
turned life upside down.
an ornamental jeweled
headdress signifying sovereignty
598. granary I dethrone monarchs and the people rejoicing

crown me instead, showeringdiadems upon
a storehouse for threshed grain my head.
or animal feed Tilney, Frederick Colin
Here is where he does his husking, and the

"clear corn" produced is stored away in 602. fallow
some underground granary till It is needed.
undeveloped but potentially
Seton, Ernest Thompson
useful
599. whet Several new prostate cancer drugs have been

approved in the last couple of years, after a
make keen or more acute long fallow period, and others are in
advanced development.
While he described the fishing as pretty good, New York Times (Nov 3, 2011)
the silver salmon running in the creek
only whetted his appetite to return to
Alaska.
603. hubbub
Washington Post (Aug 17, 2011)
loud confused noise from many
sources
600. imposture There was some good-humoured pushing and
pretending to be another person thrusting, the drum beating and the church
bells jangling bravely above the hubbub.
He got somebody to prosecute him for false Weyman, Stanley J.
pretences and imposture, on the ground
that Madame was a man.
Leland, Charles Godfrey
a surgical knife with a pointed
604. dispassiona double-edged blade
te His left arm was held by the second physician,

while the chief surgeon bent over
unaffected by strong emotion or it, lancet in hand.
prejudice Hay, Marie, Hon. (Agnes Blanche Marie)
The commission sitting by,

judicial, dispassionate, presided with cold 608. rankle
dignity over the sacrifice, and pronounced it
gnaw into; make resentful or
good.
angry
Candee, Helen Churchill Hungerford,
Mrs. He was feeling more like himself now, though
the memory of the bullys sneering
605. harrowing words rankled.

Chadwick, Lester
causing extreme distress
Belgium found itself in turmoil as hundreds of

609. ramify
people came forward to
have or develop complicating
offerharrowing accounts of abuse over
consequences
several decades.
New York Times (Jan 16, 2012) Cometary science has ramified in unexpected
ways during the last hundred years.
606. askance Various
with suspicion or disapproval 610. gainsay

A secret marriage in these days would be
take exception to
looked upon askance by most people.
Wood, Mrs. Henry That Whitman entertained a genuine affection
for men and women is, of course, too
607. lancet
obvious to be gainsaid.
Rickett, Arthur 614. ingratiate
gain favor with somebody by
611. polity deliberate efforts
a governmentally organized unit He became kindly and coaxing, leaning across

the table with aningratiating smile.
China needs a polity that can address its King, Basil
increasingly sophisticated society, and to
achieve that there must be political reform,
Mr. Sun said.
615. declivity
a downward slope or bend
612. credence In this frightful condition, the hunter grappled

with the raging beast, and, struggling for
the mental attitude that life, they rolled together down a
something is believable steep declivity.
Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
"Well-known brand names that promote new
products receive morecredence than
newcomers that people don't know about." 616. importunate
US News (Oct 6, 2010)
making persistent or urgent
requests
613. indemnify The young man was then
make amends for; pay passionately importunate in the
compensation for protestations of his love.
Barr, Amelia Edith Huddleston
She put her affairs in order and left instructions
that those whom she had unwittingly
wronged should be indemnified out of her 617. passe
private fortune.
out of fashion
Butler, Pierce
My friend is very keen on the new crowd; a small storeroom for storing
everything else he declares is "passe." foods or wines
Holliday, Robert Cortes
Mr. Goncalvess larder holds staples like
whittle
beefsteak, salt cod, sardines, olives,
618. artichokes, hot and sweet peppers and
plenty of garlic.
cut small bits or pare shavings New York Times (Feb 18, 2011)
from
Tad followed, whittling on a stick with his knife 622. threadbare

and kicking at the shavings as they fell.
Kjelgaard, James Arthur thin and tattered with age
repine
They were all poor folk, wrapped
619. in threadbare cloaks or tattered leather.
Brackett, Leigh Douglass
express discontent
Those poor fellows above, accustomed to the 623. grisly

wild freshness and freedom of the sea, how
they must mourn and repine! shockingly repellent; inspiring
O'Shea, John Augustus horror
flay
Television video showed a heavily damaged
620. building and a grisly scene inside, with
clothing and prayer mats scattered across a
strip the skin off blood-splattered floor.
Once at the moose and hastily flaying the hide
untoward
from the steaming meat my attention
became centered on the task. 624.
Sinclair, Bertrand W.
not in keeping with accepted
standards of what is proper
621. larder
Responding to criticism that cash payments are though careful use.
a classic means of tax evasion, he said he Bull, Charles Livingston
had done nothing untoward.
628. stanch
625. idiosyncras stop the flow of a liquid
y She did not attempt to stanch her tears, but sat

looking at him with a smiling mouth, while
a behavioral attribute peculiar to the heavy drops fell down her cheeks.
an individual Stockley, Cynthia
One of his well-known idiosyncrasies was that

he would never allow himself to be
629. incongruity
photographed.
the quality of disagreeing
Le Queux, William
Hanging out wet clothes and an American flag
626. quip at the North Pole seemed an

amusing incongruity.
make jokes Cook, Frederick A.
"I could have joined the FBI in a shorter period

of time and with less documentation than it
630. perfidious
took to get that mortgage," she quipped.
tending to betray
Reuters (Oct 13, 2010)
The perfidious Italian at length confessed that
627. blatant it was his intention to murder his master,

and then rob the house.
without any attempt at Billinghurst, Percy J.
concealment; completely obvious
There was no blatant display of wealth, and 631. platitude

every article of furniture bore signs of long
a trite or obvious remark
But details are fuzzy and rebel leaders often
resort to platitudes when dismissing 635. polemic
suggestions of discord, saying simply that
a controversy, especially over a
"Libya is one tribe."
belief or dogma
Wall Street Journal (Jun 20, 2011)
Would it be a polemic that denounced Western
632. revelry imperialism for using cinema to undermine

emerging nations like Kazakhstan?
unrestrained merrymaking New York Times (Oct 4, 2010)
But all this revelry dancing, drinks,

exuberant youth can be hard to manage.
636. enrapture
hold spellbound
633. delve I was delighted, enraptured, beside myself--

the world had disappeared in an instant.
turn up, loosen, or remove earth Spielhagen, Friedrich
So she did what any reporter would do:

she delved into the scientific literature and
637. virtuoso
talked to investigators.
someone who is dazzlingly
skilled in any field
634. extenuate Each of the seven instrumentalists was

a virtuoso in his own right and had ample
lessen or to try to lessen the opportunity to prove it, often in long, soulful
seriousness or extent of solos.
Prosecutors often spend time weighing
mitigating and extenuatingcircumstances
before deciding to seek the death penalty.
638. glower
Washington Post (Oct 15, 2011)
look angry or sullen as if to signal
disapproval
A moment later he would collapse,
sit glowering in his chair, looking angrily at 642. postulate
the carpet.
maintain or assert
Hecht, Ben
In fact, when Einstein formulated his

639. mundane cosmological vision, based on his theory of
gravitation, he postulated that the universe
found in the ordinary course of was finite.
events Scientific American (Jul 26, 2011)
gist
Now, it would seem, that the Chinese are
getting back to their everyday concerns, 643.
paying attention to events
more mundane and less cataclysmic. the central meaning or theme of
a speech or literary work
The syntax was a little off, even comical at

640. fatuous times, but I got the gist of what was going
on.
devoid of intelligence Time (May 6, 2010)
They're too stupid, for one thing; they go on

burning houses and breaking windows in 644. vociferous
their old fatuous way.
conspicuously and offensively
McKenna, Stephen
loud
641. incorrigible The complaints grew so loud

and vociferous that even President Obama
impervious to correction by was forced to address the backlash from
punishment Lisbon on Saturday.
She scolded and lectured her sister in vain;
Cynthia was incorrigible.
Various 645. purvey
supply with provisions one has slammed on one's self.
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
And we will agree also to purvey food for these
prude
horses and people during nine months.
Villehardouin, Geoffroi de 649.
646. baleful a person excessively concerned

about propriety and decorum
deadly or sinister Criticising high-profile programmes about

teenage sex education often means risking
But he is dead, put in Fanning, wondering at being written off as a prude.
the baleful expression of hatred that had The Guardian (Feb 11, 2011)
come into the mans face.
Burnham, Margaret
650. luminary
647. gibe a celebrity who is an inspiration
to others
laugh at with contempt and
derision Founded in 1947, the group's members have
included such luminaries as Walt Disney,
So much did their taunts prey upon him that he Spencer Tracy and another American
ran away from school to escape president, Ronald Reagan.
their gibes. Seattle Times (Apr 11, 2011)
Hubbard, Elbert
648. dyspeptic 651. amenable

disposed or willing to comply
irritable as if suffering from
indigestion He, Jean Boulot, being so amenable to
sensible argument, would at once fall in
One may begin with heroic renunciations and
with his views.
end in undignified envy
Wingfield, Lewis
anddyspeptic comments outside the door
652. willful And because leap seconds are needed
irregularly their insertion cannot
beautomated, which means that fallible
habitually disposed to
humans must insert them by hand.
disobedience and opposition
Economist (Jan 12, 2012)
I crossed my arms like a willful child.

New York Times (Aug 18, 2011) 656. enervate
653. overbearing weaken mentally or morally
The reviewers have enervated mens minds,

having or showing arrogant
and made them indolent; few think for
superiority to
themselves.
"True; but" "Just so," interrupted Mr. Rossetti, William Michael
Fauntleroy, in his decisive and
rather overbearing manner.
Wood, Mrs. Henry
657. wheedle
influence or urge by gentle
654. dais urging, caressing, or flattering
On one level, I expected incessant flattery in

a platform raised above the
attempts to wheedleequipment or even
surrounding level
money from American forces.
The throne was elevated on a dais of silver New York Times (Aug 16, 2010)
steps.
Tracy, Louis
658. gusto
655. automate vigorous and enthusiastic
enjoyment
operate or make run by
The audience, surprisingly large given the
machines rather than human
action inclement weather, responded with gusto,
applauding each song, including those
within the Shostakovich cycle. the dead and rotting body of an
New York Times (Mar 2, 2010) animal; unfit for human food
bouillon
Habitually his diet is not carnivorous, but he will
659. eat at times either carrionor living flesh.
Reid, Mayne
a clear seasoned broth
The meat soups are called broths, bouillon, or 663. emolument

consomm, according to their richness.
Ronald, Mary compensation received by virtue
of holding an office
660. omniscient As the TUC has pointed out, those incomes

except for senior executives,
infinitely wise whose emoluments seem to know few
bounds are rising more slowly than
Robbe-Grillet responds that his work is in fact prices.
far less objective than the The Guardian (Jan 8, 2011)
godlike, omniscient narrator who presides
over so many traditional novels.
The Guardian (May 13, 2010) 664. ungainly
lacking grace in movement or
661. apostate posture
not faithful to religion or party or Thomas looked up furtively and saw that
cause an ungainly human figure with crooked
legs was being led into the church.
They are atheist conservatives Mr. Khan Gogol, Nikolai Vasilievich
an apostate to his familys Islamic faith, Ms.
Mac Donald to her left-wing education.
New York Times (Feb 18, 2011) 665. impiety
unrighteousness by virtue of
662. carrion lacking respect for a god
That, however, is unbelief, extreme impiety,
and a denial of the most high God. 669. circumvent
Bente, F. (Friedrich)
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling,
answering, or performing
666. decadence Mr. Bloomberg said he would take several
the state of being degenerate in steps to circumvent obstacles to his
mental or moral qualities proposals posed by city labor unions.
But there are people who really do not want to
import what they regard as
Western decadence, especially public 670. syllogism
drunkenness.
reasoning in which a conclusion
BBC (Jun 11, 2011)
is derived from two premises
667. homily The conclusions arrived at by means

of syllogisms are irresistible, provided the
a sermon on a moral or religious form be correct and the premises be true.
topic Webster, W. F. (William Franklin)
In his New Year's homily, the pope said "words

were not enough" to bring about peace, 671. collation
particularly in the Middle East.
assembling in proper numerical
or logical sequence
668. avocation In the case of early printed books or

manuscripts, which are often not paged,
an auxiliary activity special knowledge is needed for
their collation.
Unlike many retired doctors, whom he says Rooke, Noel
often have no life outside their profession,
he always knew sailing would become
his avocation.
672. haggle
Newsweek (Nov 17, 2010)
wrangle, as over a price or terms
of an agreement 676. unction
Obama said while officials can haggle over the excessive but superficial
makeup of spending cuts, the policy issues compliments with affected charm
have no place in the measure.
BusinessWeek (Apr 6, 2011) "You couldn't ask too much of me," he returned,
with no unction of flattery, but the
673. waylay cheerfully frank expression of an ingenuous

heart.
Ogden, George W. (George Washington)
wait in hiding to attack
Sir Samuel Clithering was not, of course, a

member of it; but he lurked about outside
677. adjure
and waylaid us as we went in. command solemnly
Birmingham, George A.
I adjure thee, she said, swear to me that you
674. savant will never go near those Christians again or

read their books.
Pennell, T. L. (Theodore Leighton)
a learned person
Frank had studied something of almost

everything and imagined himself asavant.
678. acrimony
Roussel, John a rough and bitter manner
675. cohort Relations with India have been slowly

improving, although talks ended
inacrimony last July with the two sides
a group of people having
indulging in a public spat over Kashmir.
approximately the same age
BBC (Feb 10, 2011)
The current cohort of college students is, as

many have pointed out, the first truly digital
generation.
679. clarion
Washington Post (Dec 1, 2011) loud and clear
He has been the single, clarion voice for
commuter rail in central Florida for 20 683. preternatura
years, said Mayor Ken Bradley of Winter
Park. l
surpassing the ordinary or
normal
680. turbid In fact, they regarded the Spaniards as superior
clouded as with sediment beings endowed withpreternatural gifts.
Gilson, Jewett Castello
The thick turbid sea rolled in, casting up mire
and dirt from its depths.
Reynolds, Mrs. Baillie
684. eschew
avoid and stay away from
681. cupidity deliberately
extreme greed for material wealth Morrissey is among those seniors who
are eschewing nursing homes in favor of
Well educated, but very corrupt at heart, he independent living.
found in his insatiable cupiditymany ways Washington Post (Mar 23, 2012)
of gaining money.
Kraszewski, Jozef Ignacy
685. expatiate
682. disaffected add details, as to an account or
idea
discontented as toward authority
He then expatiated on his own miseries, which
The financial crisis, largely caused by banker he detailed at full length.
incompetence, has created legions Manzoni, Alessandro
of disaffected customers.
Forbes (Sep 15, 2011)
686. didactic
instructive, especially excessively
Let us have a book so full of good illustrations
that didactic instruction shall not be 690. homespun
needed.
characteristic of country life
Various
His rural, homespun demeanor ordinarily might

687. sinuous elicit snickers from Indias urban elite.
curved or curving in and out
In origami parlance, Mr. Joisel was a wet-folder, 691. embroil

dampening his paper so that he could coax
force into some kind of situation
it into sinuous curves.
or course of action
But Mr. Marbury, often embroiled in
688. rancor controversy during his N.B.A. days, seems

to have found some measure of peace in
a feeling of deep and bitter anger China.
and ill-will New York Times (Apr 1, 2012)
The current session of Parliament has so far

produced only rancor, as opposition parties 692. pathological
have shut down proceedings with angry,
caused by or evidencing a
theatrical protests against corruption.
mentally disturbed condition
"Fixated individuals" mentally ill people with
689. puissant a pathological focus on someone, often a

stranger make up the first group.
powerful Time (Apr 26, 2011)
The ship was not fighting now, but yieldinga

complacent leviathan held captive by a
693. resonant
most puissant and ruthless enemy.
characterized by a loud deep
Tracy, Louis
sound
His eyes were piercing but sad, his voice grand
and resonant, suiting well the wrathful, 697. gratis
impassioned Calvinism of his sermons.
costing nothing
Barr, Amelia Edith Huddleston
"Would you admit them gratis?" asked Mr.

694. libretto Castlemaine with a smile, "or would they
have to pay, like ordinary residents in an
the words of an opera or musical hotel?"
play Hocking, Joseph
upshot
In many great operas, composers have had to
whittle down an epic literary work into a 698.
suitable libretto.
New York Times (Mar 6, 2010) a phenomenon that is caused by
some previous phenomenon
695. flail The inevitable upshot of their growing social

power was that brands wanted an
thresh about expanded visual presence.
The Guardian (Jul 27, 2010)
Exercise is prescribed, but when she joins an
aqua aerobics class,
she flailsembarrassingly. 699. aphorism
a short pithy instructive saying
696. bandy General Sherman's famous aphorism that

"War is Hell," has become classic.
discuss lightly Fletcher, Samuel H.
Hillary Clintons name has

been bandied about, but shes made it 700. redoubtable
clear shes not interested.
worthy of respect or honor
Time (Mar 20, 2012)
Captain Miles Standish was
a redoubtable soldier, small in person, but 704. cabal
of great activity and courage.
a clique that seeks power usually
Mann, Henry
through intrigue
701. corpulent Supposedly, see, there's this global cabal of

scientists conspiring to bring about socialist
excessively fat one-world government.
Salon (Jul 7, 2010)
Obesity is very common, but chiefly among the
women, who while still quite young often
become enormously corpulent.
705. paraphernal
D'Anvers, N.
ia
702. benighted equipment consisting of
miscellaneous articles
lacking enlightenment or
knowledge or culture It's outfitted with cricket bats and other antique
sports paraphernalia.
I alone was magnificently and absurdly aware Seattle Times (Sep 27, 2011)
everyone else wasbenightedly out of it.
James, Henry
706. vitiate
703. sententious make imperfect
abounding in or given to His talent in writing is vitiated by his affectation

pompous or aphoristic moralizing and other faults.
Blair, Emma Helen
He is the village wise man; very sententious;
and full of profound remarks on shallow
subjects. 707. adulation
Irving, Washington
servile flattery; exaggerated and
hypocritical praise
And celebrities get all this adulation for
something that is not about character, it's 711. maul
about talent.
injure badly
Salon (Jan 10, 2011)
Hundreds of concert goers were mauled as

708. quaff they left by what The New York Times
called bands of roving youths.
to swallow hurriedly or greedily or New York Times (Aug 17, 2011)
in one draught
Meanwhile the officers under the tree had got 712. adage
served, and, cups in hand,
were quaffing joyously. a condensed but memorable
saying embodying an important
Reid, Mayne
fact
709. unassuming So he focuses on the fans and embraces

the adage, Living well is the best
not arrogant revenge.
Parr's conduct after his most heroic actions was
thoroughly modest andunassuming.
Greely, Adolphus W.
713. expostulatio
710. libertine n
the act of expressing earnest
a dissolute person opposition or protest
Still, Mr. Awlaki was neither among the most He even believed he saw visions with his own
conservative Muslim students nor among bodily eyes, and noexpostulations of his
the libertines who tossed aside religious friends could drive this belief out of his
restrictions on drinking and sex. head.
New York Times (May 8, 2010) Hoffmann, E. T. A. (Ernst Theodor
Amadeus)
714. tawdry days she missed acting terribly.
tastelessly showy
It was a tawdry affair, all Cupids and

718. egregious
cornucopias, like a third-rate wedding cake. conspicuously and outrageously
Wilde, Oscar bad or reprehensible
trite
These offenses are very serious,
715. even egregious, the judge said.
repeated too often; overfamiliar
through overuse
The subjecta deathbed scenemight seem

719. cogent
at first sight to be a trite and common one. powerfully persuasive
Lancey, Magdalene de
His thesis was too cogent, and appealed too
716. hireling powerfully to all classes of the Upper

Canada community, to be anything but
irresistible.
a person who works only for
Morison, J. L. (John Lyle)
money
Why should I?a mere police detective, who

had been hired to do a service and paid for
720. incisive
it like any other hireling. demonstrating ability to
Hanshew, Thomas W. recognize or draw fine
distinctions
717. ensconce A half-hour of informed

and incisive questioning by Mr. Russert
fix firmly would have demolished Mr. Trump.
Though she is firmly ensconced in a writing
career, Ms. Freud, 48, said that in the early
in deplorable condition
721. errant Others are clustered under a tin awning by
straying from the right course or a derelict railway station or in similarly run-
from accepted standards down school buildings.
Time (Jan 5, 2011)
As the crowd voiced its displeasure, the
entomology
referees made sure Wisconsin got the ball,
but pass was errant and rolled out of 725.
bounds at midcourt.
the branch of zoology that
studies insects
722. sedulous From the department of entomology you

expect to learn something about the
marked by care and persistent troublesome insects, which are so universal
effort an annoyance.
Latham, A. W.
Sedulous attention and painstaking industry
execrable
always mark the true worker.
Calhoon, Major A.R. 726.
723. incandesce unequivocally detestable
nt
But minds were so overexcited at the time that
the parties mutually accused each other, on
all occasions, of the
characterized by ardent emotion, most execrable crimes.
intensity, or brilliance Imbert de Saint-Amand, Arthur Lon,
baron
Kirkwood's anger cooled apace; at worst it had
sluice
been a flare of passionincandescent.
Vance, Louis Joseph 727.
724. derelict pour as if from a conduit that

carries a rapid flow of water
At 4:15 p.m., as the rain was sluicing off roofs
in sheets, the firemen moved the trucks to 731. dapper
higher ground.
marked by up-to-dateness in
dress and manners
728. moot Thoroughly dapper, he took off his black-and-

white pinstriped suit jacket with its
of no legal significance, as pocket-square flair and weaved in and
having been previously decided out among them, his voice ever rising.
The statement from Hermitage said even in the
Soviet period no defendant had been tried
after death, when charges were generally 732. asperity
considered moot.
harshness of manner
All this proceeds from the old man, whose

729. evanescent proper character it is to be angry and bitter,
and to exhibit rancor and asperity.
tending to vanish like vapor Arndt, Johann
Time seems stopped but it is moving on, and

every glimmer of light isevanescent, 733. flair
flitting.
a natural talent
The Guardian (Apr 15, 2010)
In fact, while Lamarr qualified as an inventive

730. vat genius for her artistic flair, she fell
somewhat short on her scientific acumen.
a large open vessel for holding or Slate (Nov 28, 2011)
storing liquids
The cream remains in the large vat about 734. mote

twenty-four hours before it is churned.
Chamberlain, James Franklin a tiny piece of anything
He took his discharge out of his pocket,
brushed every mote of dust from the table, 738. gruel
and spread the document before their eyes.
a thin porridge
Auerbach, Berthold
He says, keep them on just two pints of Indian-

735. circumspect meal gruelby which he appears to mean
thin hasty puddinga day, and no more.
heedful of potential Alcott, William A. (William Andrus)
consequences
Obama administration officials argue that new 739. gentility

regulations are forcing insurers to be
more circumspect about raising rates. elegance by virtue of fineness of
manner and expression
This was no rough bully of the seas; Carew's

736. inimical bearing and dandified apparel
bespoke gentility.
not friendly Springer, Norman
The Hindu idea is that so long as justice and

equity characterise a kings rule, even 740. disapprobati
beasts naturally inimical are disposed to
live in friendship. on
Kingscote, Mrs. Howard
pronouncing as wrong or morally
culpable
737. apropos Mr Ruthven shook his head and declared that
of an appropriate or pertinent he regarded the conduct of her persecutors
nature with grave moral disapprobation.
Wheeler, E.J.
I found myself thinking vaguely about things
that were not at all aproposto the situation.
Stockley, Cynthia 741. cameo
engraving or carving in low relief Be prepared for inclement weather and
on a stone possible ice and snow on park roads.
Seattle Times (Oct 16, 2011)
The trinket was a small round cameo cut out of
scintilla
mother-of-pearl and set in gold; it
represented St. George and the dragon. 745.
J?kai, M?r
a tiny or scarcely detectable
742. gouge amount
Gardner "never expressed one scintilla of

swindle; obtain by coercion remorse for his attack upon the victim"
despite overwhelming evidence,
Shortages also have raised concerns about
prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo.
higher prices and gouging by wholesale
Salon (Mar 3, 2010)
drug companies that obtain supplies of
confluence
hard-to-get drugs and jack up the costs.
Seattle Times (Jan 20, 2012) 746.
743. oratorio a flowing together
And indeed, before the 13th century, there was

a musical composition for voices an extraordinaryconfluence of genius and
and orchestra innovation, particularly around Baghdad.
Mendelssohn had no sooner completed his
squalor
first oratorio, "St. Paul," than he began to
think about setting another Bible story to 747.
music.
Edwards, Frederick George sordid dirtiness
inclement
What can be expected of human beings,
744. crowded in such miserable habitations,
living in filth and squalor, and often pinched
severe, of weather with hunger?
Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)
748. stricture It depicts a mountain landscape near Kingston,
a historic town abuttingthe Hudson River.
severe criticism
While gratefully accepting the generous praises

of our friends, we must briefly reply to
752. banal
some strictures by our critics. repeated too often; overfamiliar
Stanton, Elizabeth Cady through overuse
emblazon
Highly dramatic incidents are juxtaposed with
749. comparatively banal ones; particular
attention is given to tales of doomed love
decorate with heraldic arms affairs.
His coat of arms was emblazoned on the
congeal
cover.
Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward 753.
Woodley)
become gelatinous
750. augury Boil down the syrup to half its original quantity,
but take care that it does not boil long
an event indicating important enough to congeal or become thick.
things to come
Baru?, Sulpice
This is always an encouraging sign, and

an augury of success.
Alger, Horatio
754. pilfer
make off with belongings of
751. abut others
Many young people scavenge for reusable

lie adjacent to another or share a garbage, living on proceeds
boundary
frompilfered construction material and
other recyclables.
the characteristic parts of a
755. malcontent person's face
a person who is unsatisfied or The tears stood in Muriel's eyes, and her face
disgusted was very pale, but serenity marked
every lineament.
Now, unfortunately, some malcontents among Davidson, John
the hands here have spread their ideas,
and a strike has been called.
Maitland, Robert 759. firebrand
someone who deliberately
756. sublimate foments trouble
direct energy or urges into useful But Hassan is not some

activities teenage firebrand hurling rocks; hes a
slight, graying scholar committed to peace.
They might instead have passionate New York Times (Jun 9, 2011)
friendships, or sublimate their urges into
other pursuits.
New York Times (Jun 4, 2010) 760. fiasco
a complete failure or collapse
757. eugenic The Stuttgart protests became a
causing improvement in the national fiasco in late September, when
offspring produced protesters clashed with police wielding
batons and water cannons.
Eugenics was aimed at creating a better
Newsweek (Dec 14, 2010)
society by filtering out people considered
foolhardy
undesirable, ranging from criminals to those
imprecisely designated as feeble-minded. 761.
marked by defiant disregard for
danger or consequences
758. lineament
Many mistakesextravagant nature.
purchases, foolhardy investmentsare Hurll, Estelle M. (Estelle May)
made in the first months after a windfall.
765. inured
762. retrench made tough by habitual exposure
tighten one's belt; use resources But he had become inured to the rush and
carefully whirr of missiles, and now paid no heed
whatever to them.
But there was only one way open to me at Mitford, Bertram
presentand that was toretrench my
expenses.
Caine, Hall, Sir
766. invidious
containing or implying a slight or
763. ulterior showing prejudice
lying beyond what is openly "After an old-fashioned, all-round team

revealed or avowed performance it might seeminvidious to
single out one player," admits the paper
Shop window displays may help prettify before singling out one player.
shopping thoroughfares, but any savvy The Guardian (Jun 24, 2010)
retailer has the ulterior motive of self
promotion.
BBC (Feb 3, 2010)
767. unmitigated
not diminished or moderated in
764. equable intensity or severity
not varying In order to be well directed, sympathy must

consider all men, and not the individual
His must have been that alone; only then is it an unmitigated good.
calm, equable temperament not easily Williams, C. M.
ruffled, which goes with the self-respecting
768. concomitant windows and operable shutters, give this
home a pleasing, well-balanced presence.
Southern Living (Apr 14, 2010)
an event or situation that
happens at the same time
The conclusion must be drawn that every

772. pontifical
epidemic of bubonic plague is caused by denoting or governed by or
the concomitant rat plague. relating to a bishop or bishops
The high priest made no resistance, but went
769. cozen forth in his pontifical robes, followed by the

people in white garments, to meet the
mighty warrior.
cheat or trick
Lord, John
Dicing-houses, where cheaters meet,

and cozen young men out of their money.
Various
773. disport
occupy in an agreeable,
770. phlegmatic entertaining or pleasant fashion
Straightway the glade in which they sat was

showing little emotion filled with knights, ladies, maidens, and
esquires, who danced
Humanity, when surfeited with emotion,
and disported themselves right joyously.
becomes calm, almostphlegmatic.
Spence, Lewis
Tracy, Louis
771. dormer 774. apologist

a person who argues to defend
a gabled extension built out from
some policy or institution
a sloping roof
Tories, and apologists for Great Britain, have
Other features, such as the front French doors
written much about a justification for this
and two roof dormers with curved-top
action, but there is no real justification.
Barce, Elmore 778. disquisition
an elaborate analytical or
775. abeyance explanatory essay or discussion
temporary cessation or Cumulatively, what emerges from To Kill a

suspension Mockingbird is a thoughtfuldisquisition that
encompasses and goes beyond the
My feelings of home-sickness had returned with question of racial bias at its worst.
redoubled strength after being long The Guardian (Jul 9, 2010)
in abeyance.
Boldrewood, Rolf
779. categorical
776. enclave not modified or restricted by
reservations
an enclosed territory that is
culturally distinct "European leaders were
united, categorical and crystal clear:
And its suburban schools, rather than being Gaddafi must go," British Prime Minister
exclusive enclaves, include children whose David Cameron said.
parents can't afford a house in the Time (Mar 12, 2011)
neighborhood.
780. placate
777. improvident cause to be more favorably
inclined
not supplying something useful
for the future The East India Company was placated by the
concession of further exemptions in its
He was industrious but improvident; he made favour.
money and he lost it. Smith, A. D.
Hubbard, Elbert
781. redolent
serving to bring to mind He wore a checked suit, very natty, and was
more than usually tall and fine-looking.
Here, however, are congregated a vast number
Green, Anna Katharine
of curious and interesting objects, while the
pacifist
place is redolent of vivid historical
associations. 785.
Ballou, Maturin Murray
opposed to war
782. felicitous He was, furthermore, a real pacifist, believing

that war is debasing morally and disastrous
exhibiting an agreeably economically.
appropriate manner or style Seymour, Charles
buxom
The first book is the finest, sparkling
with felicitous expressions and rising 786.
frequently to true poetry.
Dennis, John healthily plump and vigorous
gusty
Mrs. Connellya round,
783. rosy, buxom Irishwoman, with a mellow
voice, laughing eye, and artist-red hair
blowing in puffs or short was very much taken with their plan.
intermittent blasts
Douglas, Amanda Minnie
Winds could get gusty, occasionally blowing at

more than 30 miles per hour. 787. heyday
Reuters (Mar 29, 2011)
the period of greatest prosperity
784. natty or productivity
Playboy's most popular years are well behind it

marked by up-to-dateness in - the magazine enjoyed itsheyday in the
dress and manners
1970s.
make a prediction about; tell in
788. herculean advance
displaying superhuman strength How strange it is that our dreams

or power often prognosticate coming events!
Huth, Alexander
He made herculean efforts to get on terms with
his examination subjects, and worked
harder than he had ever done in his life 792. lout
before.
an awkward stupid person
Marshall, Archibald
But this question was beyond the poor lout's

789. burgeon intelligence; he could only blubber and fend
off possible chastisement.
grow and flourish Williams, J. Scott (John Scott)
Brooklyn's burgeoning dining scene has even

developed a following among Manhattan 793. simper
food lovers.
smile affectedly or derisively
Reuters (Oct 4, 2011)
Mrs. Barnett's mouth simpered at the implied

790. crone flattery; but her eyes, always looking
calculatingly for substantial results, were
an ugly, evil-looking old woman studying Reedy Jenkins.
Hamby, William H. (William Henry)
The aged crone wrinkled her forehead and
lifted her grizzled eyebrows, still without
looking at him. 794. iniquitous
Myrick, Frank
characterized by injustice or
wickedness
791. prognosticat This was some piece of wickedness concocted
e by the venomous brain of

theiniquitous Vicar, more abominable than
all his other wickednesses.
Trollope, Anthony 798. readjustme
795. rile nt
the act of correcting again
disturb, especially by minor
irritations While earpieces are not uncomfortable, they do
sometimes come loose,
The prospect of seeing Ms. Palin tour Alaskas
requiring readjustment.
wild habitats may rile some people who
Slate (Apr 17, 2012)
oppose her opinions about climate change.
erstwhile
799.
796. sentient belonging to some prior time
endowed with feeling and Sony, whose erstwhile dominance in consumer

unstructured consciousness electronics has been eroded by the likes of
Samsung, could beat rivals to a potentially
The money fluttered from his hand to the floor,
new generation of devices.
where it lay like a sentientthing, staring
Reuters (May 20, 2010)
back as if mocking him.
aquiline
Hitchcock, Lucius W.
800.
797. garish curved down like an eagle's beak

tastelessly showy The nose slightly aquiline, curving at the
nostril; while luxuriant hair, in broad plaits,
With its opulently garish sets and knee-jerk
fell far below her waist.
realism, the production dwarfed the cast, no
Various
matter what stars were singing.
bilious
801.
irritable as if suffering from He speaks mainly of his humiliation at lying on
indigestion the sidewalk as hipstersgawked.
But his sleep had not refreshed him; he waked
refectory
up bilious, irritable, ill-tempered, and
looked with hatred at his room. 805.
Garnett, Constance
a communal dining-hall, usually
802. vilify in a monastery
Meanwhile, the soup was getting cold in

spread negative information the refectory, so that the assembled
about brotherhood at last fell to, without waiting
any longer for the Abbot.
The trial was televised and the victim's identity
Scheffel, Joseph Victor von
became known, resulting in her
palatial
being vilified by almost the entire town.
The Guardian (Jan 19, 2011) 806.
803. nuance suitable for or like a large and

stately mansion
a subtle difference in meaning or The house was very large; its rooms
opinion or attitude almost palatial in size, had been finished in
richly carved hardwood panels and
By working so hard to simplify things, we lose
wainscoting, mostly polished mahogany.
any nuance or ability to deal with folks
Hitchcock, Frederick L. (Frederick
individual circumstances.
Lyman)
Washington Post (Oct 3, 2011)
804. gawk 807. mincing

affectedly dainty or refined
look with amazement
She went, carrying her little head very high
indeed, and taking dainty,mincing steps.
Banks, Nancy Huston
pitching dangerously to one side
808. trenchant I turned the steering wheel all the way to one
having keenness and side, and found myselfcareening backward
forcefulness and penetration in in a violent arc.
thought Vogel, Nancy
debacle
They are written in a serio-comic tone, and for
sparkling wit, trenchantsarcasm, and 812.
dramatic dialectics surpass anything ever
penned by Lessing. a sound defeat
Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim
The Broncos are coming off their worst season
emboss
in franchise history, a 4-12debacle that
809. included issues on and off the field.
Newsweek (Jan 9, 2011)
raise in a relief
Requests may also be made of the stationer to 813. sycophant

use an embossed plate so that the letters
stand out in relief. a person who tries to please
Eichler, Lillian
someone to gain an advantage
proletarian
The people around the king
810. are sycophants who are looking after their
own personal advantage.
a member of the working class Coffin, Charles Carleton
crabbed
As yet, the true proletarian wage-earner,
uprooted from his native village and broken 814.
away from the organization of Indian
society, is but insignificant.
annoyed and irritable
Stoddard, Lothrop
He grew crabbed and soured, his temper
careen
flashing out on small provocation.
811. Weyman, Stanley J.
815. archetype But men were buying Valentine's baubles for
their honeys long before the first Zales ever
opened its doors in a suburban shopping
something that serves as a
mall.
model
Slate (Feb 14, 2012)
Newport, R.I., looks like a perfect archetype of

a small, seaside New England town.
Forbes (Nov 3, 2010)
819. mounteban
k
816. cryptic a flamboyant deceiver
of an obscure nature
They are singularly clever, these
The authorities, beyond some cryptic language Indian mountebanks, especially in sleight
about the death being sudden but not of hand tricks.
suspicious, have released no details. Ballou, Maturin Murray
820. fawning
817. penchant attempting to win favor by flattery
a strong liking
As any cult leader, he was extremely good at
But sometimes, old Wall Street habits milking the rich, at flattering and fawning,
including a penchant for expensive luxuries Ms. Gordon said.
are hard to break. New York Times (Apr 16, 2010)
821. hummock
818. bauble a small natural hill
cheap showy jewelry or ornament
Captain Bill leaned back on a hummock of
on clothing
earth, his arms folded behind his head.
Grayson, J. J.
822. apotheosis 825. comport
model of excellence or perfection behave in a certain manner
of a kind
Ironically, the one man on stage who
Contrary to popular belief, however, she said did comport himself with dignity, John
Ms. Deens fat-laden cooking does not in Huntsman, is now being dismissed as
fact represent the apotheosis of Southern having not made an impact.
cuisine. Time (Sep 8, 2011)
checkered
discretionar
826.
823.
marked by changeable fortune
y Both restaurants have checkered histories with
not earmarked; available for use the health department; they were
as needed temporarily shut down for sanitary violations
that included evidence of rodents.
Steeper prices for basic necessities have New York Times (Aug 22, 2010)
forced many to cut back on
morediscretionary purchases.
Washington Post (Oct 19, 2011) 827. ambrosia
the food and drink of the gods
824. pithy "Frieda represents the lovely goddess, Hebe,
concise and full of meaning who served nectar andambrosia to the high
gods on Mount Olympus," she explained.
As Moore isolated finer points of the passing Vandercook, Margaret
game, Keller in neat penmanship jotted
down pithy phrases and punchy quotes,
basic ideas and specific concepts. 828. factious
dissenting with the majority
opinion
Will it be answered that we are factious, Grecian slain.
discontented spirits, striving to disturb the Lee, Carson Jay
public order, and tear up the old fastnesses
of society?
Stanton, Elizabeth Cady
832. demonstrab
le
829. disgorge capable of being proved
cause or allow to flow or run out
or over The linkage between deposits and trade is
definite, causal, positive,
There are telephone poles and cinder blocks statistically demonstrable.
and living room chairs and large trash bins, Anderson, Benjamin M.
overturned and disgorging their soggy
contents.
833. pertinacious
stubbornly unyielding
830. filch His temper, though yielding and easy in
make off with belongings of appearance, was in reality most obstinate
others and pertinacious.
Kavanagh, Julia
Then, in place of the real site, it displays a fake
site created to filch account numbers, login
names and passwords. 834. emend
make corrections to
831. wraith The following were identified as spelling or

typographic errors and have
a mental representation of some been emended as noted.
haunting experience Hopper, James
laggard
Whichever way he turns there loom
past wraiths, restless as ghosts of unburied 835.
someone who takes more time grown men.
than necessary School, A Sexton of the Old
peon
Corporate data centers are the
slowpoke laggards of information 839.
technology.
New York Times (Apr 10, 2012) a laborer who is obliged to do
menial work
836. waffle For the most part, the men were wiry peons,
some toiling half naked, but there were a
pause or hold back in uncertainty number who looked like prosperous
or unwillingness citizens.
Bindloss, Harold
A few days of waffling back and forth and I
effulgence
ended up going out to a mediocre bistro
with my parents. 840.
the quality of being bright and
837. loquacious sending out rays of light
Then, all at once, in a way that seemed to

full of trivial conversation frighten her, the sunshine had burst the
clouds, and dazzled her with
Pan soon found it needful to make
its effulgence.
conversation, in order to keep
Fenn, George Manville
theloquacious old stage driver from talking
lode
too much.
Grey, Zane 841.
838. venial a deposit of valuable ore
Such local perturbations are regularly used in

easily excused or forgiven Sweden for tracing out the position of
underground lodes of iron ore.
The confidence of ignorance, however venial in
Gilbert, William
youth, is not altogether so excusable, in full
842. fanfare 845. ingrained
a gaudy outward display deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held
It opened a month ago to considerable fanfare, The narrow prejudices of his country
with television cameras trailing government were ingrained too deeply in his character
officials meandering proudly around the to be disturbed by any change of
bright new stores filled with imported surroundings.
goods. Fuller, Robert H.
quagmire
dilettante
846.
843.
a soft wet area of low-lying land
showing frivolous or superficial that sinks underfoot
interest; amateurish
The heavy rain had reduced this low-lying
They dabbled in politics and art in the ground to a veritable quagmire, making
same dilettante fashion. progress very difficult even for one as
Cannan, Gilbert unburdened as he was.
Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
pusillanimo
reprobation
844.
847.
us severe disapproval
lacking in courage and manly
strength and resolution Mr. Conway denounced this scheme as "utterly
and flagrantly unconstitutional, as radically
He was described by his friends revolutionary in character and deserving
as pusillanimous to an incredible extent, thereprobation of every loyal citizen."
timid from excess of riches, afraid of his Blaine, James Gillespie
own shadow.
Motley, John Lothrop
848. mannered
having unnatural behavioral Now, my uncle seemed so miserly that I was
attributes struck dumb by this sudden generosity, and
could find no words in which to thank him.
Nothing was mannered or pretentious; the
Stevenson, Robert Louis
texts came through with utter naturalness.
vapid
852.
849. squeamish lacking significance or liveliness

or spirit or zest
excessively fastidious and easily
disgusted How vapid was the talk of my remaining fellow-
passengers; how slow of understanding,
But please note that this gunfire-fueled film is
and how preoccupied with petty things they
for mature audiences; given its content,
seemed!
young and/or squeamish viewers should
Dawson, A. J. (Alec John)
avoid this one.
mercurial
853.
850. proclivity liable to sudden unpredictable

change
a natural inclination
Wind energy is notoriously mercurial, with
She received, under her father's supervision, a
patterns shifting drastically over the course
very careful education, and developed
of years, days, even minutes.
her proclivities for literary composition at
an early age.
perspicuous
Adams, W. H. Davenport
854.
851. miserly transparently clear; easily

understandable
characterized by or indicative of
lack of generosity The statements are plain and simple, a perfect
model of perspicuousnarrative.
Smith, Uriah
a large number or amount or
855. nonplus extent
be a mystery or bewildering to French authorities are already reporting a

rising spate of calls to emergency services
I shook my head and rushed from his presence, by homeowners whose once-frozen water
completely nonplussed, bewildered, mains have now burst.
frantic. Time (Feb 13, 2012)
Cole, E. W. (Edward William)
pedagogue
enamor 859.
856.
someone who educates young
attract people
Young Indian audiences are so enamored with His old pedagogue, Mr. Brownell, had been
reality television that they will not watch the unable to teach him mathematics.
soap operas and dramas that their parents Pierce, H. Winthrop
or grandparents watch.
860. acme
857. hackneyed the highest level or degree
attainable
repeated too often; overfamiliar
through overuse Scientifically speaking, it is the acme of
absurdity to talk of a man defying the law of
Many speakers become so addicted to gravitation when he lifts his arm.
certain hackneyed phrases that those used Huxley, Thomas H.
to hearing them speak can see them
coming sentences away.
Lewis, Arthur M. (Arthur Morrow)
861. masticate
bite and grind with the teeth
858. spate
Food should be masticated quietly, and with draw out a discussion or process
the lips closed. in order to gain time
Cooke, Maud C.
So he temporized and beat about the bush,
sinecure
and did not touch first on that which was
862. nearest his heart.
Erskine, Payne
a job that involves minimal duties
He would have repudiated the notion that he 866. unimpeacha

ble
was looking for a sinecure, but no doubt
considered that the duties would be easy
and light.
Trollope, Anthony beyond doubt or reproach
indite
Whether we agree with the conclusions of
863. these writers or not, the method of critical
investigation which they adopt
produce a literary work is unimpeachable.
Huxley, Thomas H.
She indited religious poems which were the
genesis
admiration of the age.
Brittain, Alfred 867.
864. emetic a coming into being
He found himself speculating on the genesis of

a medicine that induces nausea the moral sense, how it developed in
and vomiting difficulties rather than in ease.
Miller, Alice Duer
The juice of this herb, taken in ale, is esteemed
mordant
a gentle and very goodemetic, bringing on
vomiting without any great irritation or pain. 868.
Smith, John Thomas
harshly ironic or sinister
865. temporize
Even Morgan himself, intrepid as he was, a trip taken by an official at public
shrank from the awful menace of expense
the mordant words.
Mr. Abramoff arranged for junkets, including
Crawford, Will
foreign golfing destinations, for the
smattering
members of Congress he was trying to
869. influence.
a small number or amount
Only a smattering of fans remained for all four 873. appurtenan

ce
ghastly quarters.
870. suavity a supplementary component that

improves capability
the quality of being charming and In the center of this space stood a large frame
gracious in manner building whose courtyard, stables, and
other appurtenances proclaimed it an inn.
His combativeness was harnessed to
Madison, Lucy Foster
his suavity, and he could be forcible and at
nostrum
the same time persuasive.
Windsor, William 874.
871. stentorian patent medicine whose efficacy is

questionable
very loud or booming Just here a native "medicine man"

dispenses nostrums of doubtful efficacy,
If a hundred voices shouted in opposition, and in front a quantity of red Moorish
his stentorian tones still made themselves pottery is exposed for sale.
heard above the uproar. Meakin, Budgett
J?kai, M?r
872. junket 875. immure

lock up or confine, in or as in a without the American tutelage it enjoyed for
jail so many decades.
Newsweek (Jan 23, 2011)
Political prisoners, numbering as many as three
testator
or four hundred at a time, have
been immured within its massive walls. 879.
Boyd, Mary Stuart
a person who makes a will
876. astringent This will was drawn up by me some years since

at the request of thetestator, who was in
sour or bitter in taste good health, mentally and bodily.
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
There was something sharply astringent about
elysian
her then, like biting inadvertently into a
green banana. 880.
McFee, William
of such excellence as to suggest
877. unfaltering inspiration by the gods
Life seemed an elysian dream, from which

marked by firm determination or care and sorrow must be for ever banished.
resolution; not shakable Hentz, Caroline Lee
fulminate
Still unfaltering, the procession commenced to
trudge back, the littlest boy and girl bearing 881.
themselves bravely, with lips tight pressed.
Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand) criticize severely
tutelage
But with people looking for almost any excuse
878. to fulminate against airlines these days,
there's a certain risk of embellishment.
attention and management Salon (Jun 25, 2010)
implying responsibility for safety
It will do so under German leadership that 882. fractious

grows less hesitant with each crisis, and
easily irritated or annoyed fragrant coffee of Red's making
were unexceptionable.
He was a fractious invalid, and spared his wife
Mayer, Frank
neither time nor trouble in attending to his
triumvirate
wants.
Brazil, Angela 886.
883. pummel a group of three people

responsible for civil authority
strike, usually with the fist This triumvirate approach has real benefits in
terms of shared wisdom, and we will
Another, with rubber bands wrapped tightly continue to discuss the big decisions
around his face, is pummelledby a plastic among the three of us.
boxing kangaroo. Salon (Jan 20, 2011)
884. manumit 887. sybarite

a person addicted to luxury and
free from slavery or servitude pleasures of the senses
Moreover, manumitted slaves enjoyed the He was not used to travelling on omnibuses,
same rights, privileges and immunities that being something of a sybaritewho spared
were enjoyed by those born free. nothing to ensure his own comfort.
Various Wallace, Edgar
885. unexception 888. jibe

able be compatible, similar or
consistent
completely acceptable; not open
to reproach Contemporary art has never quite jibed with
mainstream media.
All cowboys are from necessity good cooks, Salon (Jul 6, 2010)
and the fluffy, golden brown biscuits and
influence by slyness
889. magisterial The stories of the saints he regarded as
offensively self-assured or preposterous fables invented tohoodwink a
exercising unwarranted power gullible and illiterate populace.
The Guardian (Sep 19, 2010)
Now look here, he said, making believe to
striate
take down my words and shaking his pencil
at me in a magisterial way. 893.
Fenn, George Manville
mark with stripes of contrasting
color
890. roseate The body is striated with clearly defined, often
of something having a dusty depressed lines, which run longitudinally
purplish pink color and sometimes spirally.
Calkins, Gary N. (Gary Nathan)
Behind the trees rough, lichened rock and
arrogate
stony slopes ran up to a bare ridge,
silhouetted against the roseate glow of the 894.
morning sky.
Bindloss, Harold
seize and take control without
authority
891. obloquy Japanese manufacturers were accused

of arrogating American technologies to
a false accusation of an offense churn out low-cost electronics.
This is the real history of a transaction which,
by frequent misrepresentation, has brought
undeserved obloquy upon a generous 895. rarefied
man.
of high moral or intellectual value
Purchas, H. T. (Henry Thomas)
The debate over climate science has involved

892. hoodwink very complex physical models
and rarefied areas of scientific knowledge.
New York Times (Apr 9, 2011) 899. impolitic
not marked by artful prudence
896. chary Bill Maher has always been a vocal critic of
characterized by great caution Islam, even at times
makingimpolitic statements about the
There was no independent verification of the religion.
figure; the authorities have been chary of Salon (Mar 16, 2011)
releasing death tolls for fear of inflaming
further violence.
New York Times (Apr 24, 2011) 900. aspersion
a disparaging remark
897. credo Lord Sanquhar then proceeded to deny
any system of principles or the aspersion that he was an ill-natured
beliefs fellow, ever revengeful, and delighting in
blood.
She preferred to hang out with everyone but
Thornbury, Walter
was best friends with no one, holding to
abysmal
the credo: You should be nice to people.
New York Times (Jan 21, 2011) 901.
898. superannua resembling an abyss in depth; so

deep as to be immeasurable
ted After all, many Americans regard this Congress

as dysfunctional, withabysmal approval
too old to be useful ratings.
Civil servants are superannuated at fifty-five
years of age and are sent home on a
pension, seldom enjoying life longer than 902. poignancy
two years afterward.
Hunt, Eleonora
a quality that arouses emotions, you stopped to give your
especially pity or sorrow horses provender!"
Housman, Laurence
They were curious about the near loss
endemic
experiencespecifically the feelings
of poignancy that occur when what we 906.
cherish disappears.
Scientific American (Jan 17, 2011) of a disease constantly present in
a particular locality
903. stilted Mean-spirited chants and songs are

also endemic in British soccer.
artificially formal New York Times (Jan 27, 2012)
jocund
But thanks to the stilted writing and stiff acting,
the characters still feel very much like one- 907.
dimensional figures from a dutiful fable.
New York Times (Jul 12, 2011) full of or showing high-spirited
merriment
904. effete Her jocund laugh and merry voice, indeed, first
attracted my attention.
excessively self-indulgent, Lever, Charles James
affected, or decadent
John Bull was an effete old plutocrat whose 908. procedural

sons and daughters were given up to sport
and amusement. of or relating to processes
Moffett, Cleveland
In other words, the rejection was a
provender
bureaucratic/ procedural decision.
905. Scientific American (Feb 1, 2012)
food for domestic livestock

909. rakish
"Fools!" she cried, looking in her magic crystal,
"he was in the big sycamore under which
marked by a carefree Was he such a nonentity in every way that she
unconventionality or could remain unconcerned as to any fear of
disreputableness
danger from him?
Woolson, Constance Fenimore
She wore her red cap in a rakish manner on
the side of her head, its tassel falling down
over her forehead between her eyes. 913. abstemious
Sage, William
marked by temperance in
910. skittish indulgence
Raw, boozy, untethered performances are

unpredictably excitable, heralded as real;
especially of horses
theabstemious professional is yawned off
the stage.
That combined with his calm and reassuring
Salon (Jul 25, 2011)
tone made me think of an animal trainer
trying to woo skittish wild animals.
Time (May 20, 2011) 914. viscid
911. peroration having the sticky properties of an
adhesive
a flowery and highly rhetorical Roads were quagmires where travellers slipped
address
and laboured throughviscid mud and over
icy fords.
He had little hope that Gallagher, once
Buck, Charles Neville
embarked on a peroration, would stop until
he had used up all the words at his
command. 915. doggerel
Birmingham, George A.
a comic verse of irregular
912. nonentity measure
He sang, with accompanying action, some

a person of no influence dozen verses of doggerel, remarkable for
obscenity and imbecility. a puzzle consisting of pictures
Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing) representing words
sleight
They wrote at times with pictures standing for
916. sounds, as we now write inrebus puzzles.
Park, Robert Ezra
adroitness in using the hands
The trick was performed Tuesday by Russell 920. wizened

Fitzgerald, an amateur magician known to
open meetings with a little sleight of hand. lean and wrinkled by shrinkage
as from age or illness
Kim Jong Il may be increasingly wizened and

917. rubric frail, with fingernails white from kidney
disease, but his propaganda apparatus is
category name as vigorous as ever.
Wall Street Journal (Mar 26, 2010)
Ms. Moss took issue, not surprisingly, with the
notion that grouping the performances
under the rubric of spirituality was a 921. whorl
marketing ploy.
a round shape formed by a
series of concentric circles
918. plenitude The flowers are waxy, tubular, fragrant, turning

their yellow petals backward in a whorl.
a full supply Rogers, Julia Ellen
Of course at that season, amid the plenitude of

seeds, nuts, and berries, they were as
922. fracas
plump as partridges.
noisy quarrel
Reid, Mayne
Other cops were battling each other, going after
919. rebus the kids and clutching empty air, cursing

and screaming unheard orders in
the fracas.
Freas, Kelly 926. discursive
tending to cover a wide range of
923. iconoclast subjects
someone who attacks cherished Tabloid, like his previous films, consists
ideas or institutions largely of long, discursiveconversations
in effect monologues directed at an unseen,
Jobs is a classic iconoclast, one who mostly unheard interlocutor.
aggressively seeks out, attacks, and New York Times (Jul 22, 2011)
overthrows conventional ideas.
BusinessWeek (Oct 12, 2010)
927. zealot
924. saturnine a fervent and even militant
proponent of something
bitter or scornful
"The public is going to just think of us as
Only when Bill Lightfoot spoke did he look up, these zealots who want to ban smoking
and then with a set sneer, growing daily everywhere," he said.
more saturnine. Seattle Times (Feb 20, 2011)
Dixon, Maynard
925. madrigal 928. moribund

not growing or changing; without
an unaccompanied partsong for force or vitality
several voices
The entertainment sector there is booming,
Nevertheless we learn from Malvezzi's while Pakistan's is moribund.
publication that the pieces were all written Seattle Times (Dec 3, 2011)
in the madrigal style, frequently in
numerous voice parts.
Henderson, W. J. (William James)
929. modicum
a small or moderate or token The mystery of verse is like other abstruse
amount and recondite mysteriesit strikes the
ordinary fleshly man as absurd.
He volunteered a modicum of advice, limited in
Gosse, Edmund
quantity, but valuable.
zephyr
Bolderwood, Rolf
933.
930. connotation a slight wind

an idea that is implied or The dwellings and public buildings throughout
suggested
Cuba are planned to give free passage to
every zephyr that wafts relief from the
In Arabic, the word bayt translates literally as
oppressive heat.
house, but its connotationsresonate
Various
beyond rooms and walls, summoning
longings gathered about family and home.
New York Times (Feb 18, 2012) 934. counterman
931. adventitious d
associated by chance and not an cancel officially
integral part
In the midst of executing this order, he got
The derivation of the word thus appears to be another order countermandingit, and
merely accidental andadventitious. proceeding directly from his direct superior.
Stace, W. T. (Walter Terence) Belloc, Hilaire
932. recondite 935. captious

difficult to penetrate tending to find and call attention
to faults
Miss Burton had been very irritable

and captious in class, more so even than
usual, and most of her anger was vented
upon Gerry. seeing an old friend.
Chaundler, Christine Doyle, A. Conan
936. cognate 939. foist

having the same ancestral to force onto another
language
Mr. Knoll added that the 3-D Star Wars
The synonyms are also given in movies are not going to befoisted on
the cognate dialects of Welsh, Armoric, anybody against their will.
Irish, Gaelic, and Manx, showing at one New York Times (Sep 29, 2010)
view the connection between them.
Jenner, Henry
940. dotage
937. forebear mental infirmity as a
consequence of old age
a person from whom you are
descended He is, as you say, a senile old man in
his dotage.
His forebears were Greek immigrants who Wilcox, Ella Wheeler
opened a small sandwich shop in Brooklyn,
then moved, one after another, to
Providence, to sell distinct, delectable
941. nexus
wieners.
a connected series or group
Numerous innovators are also worrying away at
938. cadaverous this nexus of problems.

Economist (Apr 28, 2011)
very thin especially from disease
or hunger or cold
942. choleric
He looked gaunt and cadaverous, and much of
characterized by anger
his old reckless joyousness had left him,
though he brightened up wonderfully on
Jonathan, choleric with indignation, stood by deal is reached, and taxes rise for
his desk, clenching his hands. everyone.
Mills, Weymer Jay Salon (Nov 30, 2010)
943. garble 946. animus

make false by mutilation or a feeling of ill will arousing active
addition hostility
But the fact remains that the contradictory and The youthful savages had each an armful of
inconsistent things said do reach the public, snowballs, and they were pelting the child
and usually in garbled and distorted form. with more animus than seemed befitting.
Unknown Murray, David Christie
944. bucolic 947. overweenin

idyllically rustic g
Forty-four years ago, Bill Sievers moved into unrestrained, especially with
his neo-Colonial house in Douglaston, regard to feelings
Queens, on bucolic Poplar Street, lined
with stately trees and equally stately He had overweening ambitions even then,
homes. along with a highly developed sense of his
New York Times (Mar 26, 2012) own importance.
denouemen
tyro
945.
948.
t someone new to a field or activity
the outcome of a complex
sequence of events As yet he was merely a tyro, gaining practical
experience under a veteran Zeppelin
Suppose the truly commander.
apocalyptic denouement happens -- no Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
greatly exceeding bounds of
949. preen reason or moderation
dress or groom with elaborate For generations in the New York City public
care schools, this has become the norm with
devastating consequences rooted
He preened on fight nights in a tuxedo, a bow in unconscionable levels of student
tie and no shirt, and he favored showy rings failure.
and bracelets. New York Times (Nov 4, 2011)
950. largesse 953. badinage

frivolous banter
liberality in bestowing gifts
It was preposterous to talk to her of serious
After being saved by government largesse, things, and nothing but an
they say, big banks then moved to thwart airybadinage seemed possible in her
reforms aimed at preventing future company.
meltdowns caused by excessive risk- Maugham, W. Somerset (William
taking. Somerset)
951. retentive 954. insensate

devoid of feeling and
good at remembering consciousness and animation
The child was very sharp, and her memory was Men also are those brutal soldiers, alike
extremely retentive. stupidly ready, at the word of command, to
Rowlands, Effie Adelaide drive the nail through quivering flesh
or insensate wood.
952. unconscion Stowe, Harriet Beecher
able 955. sherbet

a frozen dessert made primarily
of fruit juice and sugar 959. factitious
"One person said it looks like a big not produced by natural forces
lime sherbet ice cream cone!"
Southern Living (Apr 28, 2010) Indeed, the Chinese make a factitious cheese
out of peas, which it is difficult to
956. beatific discriminate from the article of animal

origin.
Cameron, Charles Alexander, Sir
resembling or befitting an angel
or saint
She dozed at last, her face serene

960. gestate
and beatific. have the idea for
Beach, Rex Ellingwood
Mr. Lucass most recent project, still gestating,
957. bemuse is a collaboration with Cuban musicians.

cause to be confused emotionally
They were marching in the middle of the street,

961. traduce
chanting and singing and disrupting traffic speak unfavorably about
while countless New Yorkers looked on,
some bemused, others applauding. For Grover Cleveland there were no longer
Time (Oct 28, 2011) enemies to traduce and vilify.
Straus, Oscar S.
microcosm
sextant
958.
962.
a miniature model of something
an instrument for measuring
The building, he said, is "a microcosm of what angular distance
Shanghai was all about."
Wall Street Journal (Apr 30, 2010) For example, a sextant could be used to sight
the sun at high noon in order to determine
ones latitude. Thence they grow, expand, fructify, and the
Scientific American (Mar 8, 2012) result is Progress.
Stanton, Elizabeth Cady
coiffure
nihilist
963.
967.
the arrangement of the hair
someone who rejects all theories
They sat down, and Saint-Clair noticed his of morality
friend's coiffure; a single rose was in her
hair. Hes a loner nihilist who believes in nothing,
M?rim?e, Prosper Mr. Lu said.
malleable
ellipsis
964.
968.
easily influenced
omission or suppression of parts
The Americans are seen as of words or sentences
nave malleable tools in the hands of the
Brits. He speaks in ellipses, often leaving sentences
New York Times (Nov 30, 2011) hanging, and fiddles apologetically with his
BlackBerry.
965. rococo The Guardian (Jun 28, 2010)
having excessive asymmetrical 969. accolade

ornamentation
a tangible symbol signifying
The upper part of the case is decorated with approval or distinction
elaborately carved and giltrococo motifs.
Bedini, Silvio A. The Nobel Prize, considered one of the
highest accolades in literature, is given
966. fructify only to living writers.

Seattle Times (Oct 6, 2011)
become productive or fruitful

970. codicil 973. inconseque
a supplement to a will ntial
The codicil to her will, which she had spoken lacking worth or importance
of with so much composure, left three
hundred pounds to Stella and me. But as the months went by, Mr. Kimura had an
Fothergill, Jessie unexpected epiphany: His business, which
he thought was inconsequential, mattered
971. roil to a lot of people.

Wall Street Journal (Nov 11, 2011)
be agitated
Like thousands of fellow students, he

974. effervescen
was roiled with emotions, struggling to
come to grips with an inescapable reality.
ce
New York Times (Nov 26, 2011) the property of giving off bubbles
972. grandiloque Both were in the very sparkle

and effervescence of that fanciful glee
nt which bubbles up from the golden, untried

fountains of early childhood.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
lofty in style
A large part of his duties will be to strut about

on the stage, and mouth more or less
975. stultify
unintelligible sentences in deprive of strength or efficiency;
a grandiloquent tone. make useless or worthless
Smith, Arthur H.
Far from being engines of economic growth,
Egypt's leading cities arestultified.
Inc (Feb 12, 2011)
976. tureen We're reminded of the story,
possibly apocryphal, that they used to play
the Beach Boys' Smiley Smile in psychiatric
large deep serving dish with a
wards to calm patients.
cover
Soups are presented in big tureens and can be

quite good.
980. veracious
precisely accurate
977. pellucid For proof, we cite the
following veracious narrative, which bears
transparently clear; easily
within it every internal mark of truth, and
understandable
matter for grave and serious reflection.
Caribou Island is a scant 300 pages, and Roby, John
written in prose as pellucid as the rivers he
used to fish as a boy.
981. pendulous
hanging loosely or bending
978. euphony downward
And all around, far out of reach, the trees of the

any pleasing and harmonious
forest were swaying restlessly, their
sounds
long, pendulous branches, like tentacles,
It depends somewhat on usage and lashing out hungrily.
on euphony or agreeableness of sound. Bates, Harry
Hamilton, Frederick W. (Frederick
William)
982. exegesis
979. apocryphal an explanation or critical
interpretation
being of questionable authenticity
Its musical significance has been presented
with illuminating exegesis by more than
one commentator.
Forkel, Johann Nikolaus 986. misanthrop
983. effluvium e
someone who dislikes people in
a foul-smelling outflow or vapor general
However, acting on my best judgment, I struck And shaking his head like a misanthrope,
a downward course, and then suddenly a disgusted, if not with life, at least with men,
horrible effluvium was wafted to my Patout led the horse to the stable.
nostrils. Dumas pre, Alexandre
Mitford, Bertram
984. apposite 987. vintner

someone who makes wine
being of striking appropriateness
and pertinence The question remains, he said, whether
established vintners will change their
He was quite capable of winemaking practices or continue to sell
meaningful, apposite phrases about the their schlock.
game, even though distant sports editors New York Times (Oct 27, 2010)
did not encourage them enough.
The Guardian (Aug 18, 2010)
988. halcyon
985. viscous idyllically calm and peaceful;
suggesting happy tranquility
having the sticky properties of an
adhesive He now seemed to have entered on
a halcyon period of lifecongenial society,
Sluggish, blind crawling things like three-foot romantic and interesting surroundings.
slugs flowed across their path and among Kennard, Nina H.
the tree trunks, leaving viscous trails of
slime behind them.
Various
of or involving dispute or
989. anthropomo controversy
rphic His works include several dogmatic

and polemical treatises, but the most
suggesting human features for important are the historical.
animals or inanimate things Various
The same anthropomorphic fallacy that

accords human attributes to giant 993. gadfly
corporations like BP distorts clear thinking
a persistently annoying person
about how to limit their political influence.
Salon (Jul 28, 2010)
Mr. Phelps is regarded here as the ultimate
example of an irritating localgadfly.
990. turgid New York Times (Oct 9, 2010)
ostentatiously lofty in style

994. atavism
His waspish wit can make him entertaining
a reappearance of an earlier
company at a party, but there is little
characteristic
evidence of that in his largely turgid prose.
The Guardian (Jul 17, 2010) Criminal atavism might be defined as the
sporadic reversion to savagery in certain
991. malaise individuals.

Symonds, John Addington
a general feeling of discomfort,
uneasiness, or depression
995. contusion
Initially, many doctors discounted sufferers
an injury in which the skin is not
feelings of generalized malaiseas nothing
broken
more than stress or normal fatigue.
Time (Dec 22, 2011) My falling companion, being a much stouter
man than myself did not fare so well, as his
992. polemical right shoulder received a

severe contusion. The live set reprises material from this
Bevan, A. Beckford remarkable group's earlier Aurora CD.
parsimoniou
anodyne
996.
999.
s capable of relieving pain
excessively unwilling to spend
But philosophy failed, as it will probably fail till
Pill-splitting is catching on some far-off age, to find ananodyne for the
among parsimonious prescription-takers spiritual distresses of the mass of men.
who want to lower costs. Dill, Samuel
Forbes (Mar 4, 2010)
1000. bemused
997. dulcet perplexed by many conflicting
pleasing to the ear situations or statements
Ever and anon the dulcet murmur of gurgling They were marching in the middle of the street,
streams broke gently on the ear. chanting and singing and disrupting traffic
Madison, Lucy Foster while countless New Yorkers looked on,
some bemused, others applauding.
998. reprise Time (Oct 28, 2011)
repeat an earlier theme of a

composition

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1. consider seconds left on the clock.

Reuters (Jan 15, 2012)

At the moment, artemisinin-based therapies

infinitely or immeasurably small

4. evident something that interests you

In an unprecedented front page article in 2003

9. issue holding a wealthy snob in uttercontempt.

some situation or event that is

10. approach BusinessWeek (Feb 15, 2012)

move towards 14. engage

11. establish were seated about on the sofas, reading, or

He delayed making the unclassified report

deficient in quantity or number

a plan of action adopted by an 21. property

successive, without a break 22. fancy

23. concept section of medium length

His interpretation of many obscure

24. court unproductive of success

In many instances large districts or towns

In 1863 he was appointed by the general Clarke, Helen Archibald

assembly professor of oriental languages at

Martello towers must be built within short

The funds are aimed at helping build

31. commission percent of Russian government revenue

The developers are now seeking approval from

In 1929, Hubble independently put forward and

Corporations have to be more and more 41. theory

Testing that theory begins Saturday night, as

38. render the Capitals take on Tampa Bay in another

But authorities had rendered the weapon and

39. appeal Like American community colleges, admission

be attractive to the schools offer a range of programs,

44. league allow to have

46. confer The first Super Bowl in 1967 featured college

Contracts with utilities will be signed starting

51. earnest Interior Department officials insisted that they

Too much praise cannot be given to

It is a very important honey plant, as

53. wander But though he listened he was not convinced.

move or cause to move in a

58. convention Meanwhile, universities have raised tuition

annoy continually or chronically

But the flames grew too 69. bent

Clearly he would not venture to descend while 70. intimate

67. territory The female spider can choose when to cut

declare or affirm solemnly and Challenging yourself, playing up against

demonstrating ability to In the case of mobile connectivity, a

79. liberal "Behaviours have changed and attitudes have

Romneys actually done well in open primaries 83. justify

any admirable or beneficial

reveal its presence or make an 90. resource

87. notion 91. persist

And with his backhanded contempt for all

93. tour in advance of his times: There are

He typed in South Park and took senior

94. plead But such a distinction is quite external; at

Aria pleaded not guilty, but he acknowledged

95. weigh vertical position

Such an inclined passage following a seam of