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VOCABULARY LISTS > USER LISTS

Favorite Words 124 words

August 31, 2008 By Barry P.

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Definitions Notes & Examples Words Only
  1. ricochet
    spring back; spring away from an impact
  2. clavicle
    bone linking the scapula and sternum
  3. etymology
    a history of a word
  4. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
  5. decoupage
    art produced by decorating a surface with cutouts and then coating it with several layers of varnish or lacquer
  6. dillydally
    postpone doing what one should be doing
  7. effervescent
    (of a liquid) giving off bubbles
  8. flimflam
    a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
  9. haberdashery
    a store where men's clothes are sold
  10. hullabaloo
    disturbance usually in protest
  11. debacle
    a sudden and violent collapse
  12. juxtapose
    place side by side
  13. lackadaisical
    idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way
  14. qualm
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
  15. polygamy
    having more than one spouse at a time
  16. oxymoron
    conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence')
  17. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  18. obfuscate
    make obscure or unclear
  19. harbinger
    something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone
  20. humdinger
    someone of remarkable excellence
  21. ampersand
    a punctuation mark (&) used to represent conjunction (and)
  22. maladroit
    not adroit
  23. ambidextrous
    equally skillful with each hand
  24. smithereens
    a collection of small fragments considered as a whole
  25. persnickety
    characterized by excessive precision and attention to trivial details
  26. snorkel
    breathing device consisting of a bent tube fitting into a swimmer's mouth and extending above the surface; allows swimmer to breathe while face down in the water
  27. pantaloon
    trousers worn in former times
  28. discombobulate
    cause to be confused emotionally
  29. tink
    make or emit a high sound
  30. osmosis
    (biology, chemistry) diffusion of molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a place of higher concentration to a place of lower concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal
  31. gazebo
    a small roofed building affording shade and rest
  32. quibble
    evade the truth of a point or question by raising irrelevant objections
  33. lallygag
    be about
  34. tomfoolery
    foolish or senseless behavior
  35. anomaly
    deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
  36. boondocks
    a remote and undeveloped area
  37. abyss
    a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
  38. void
    an empty area or space
  39. amok
    wildly; without self-control
  40. huddle
    a disorganized and densely packed crowd
  41. crosswalk
    a path (often marked) where something (as a street or railroad) can be crossed to get from one side to the other
  42. midrib
    the vein in the center of a leaf
  43. parapet
    a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony
  44. skitter
    to move about or proceed hurriedly
  45. rookery
    a breeding ground for gregarious birds (such as rooks)
  46. catamaran
    a sailboat with two parallel hulls held together by single deck
  47. ramshackle
    in deplorable condition
  48. croquet
    a game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops; the winner is the first to traverse all the hoops and hit a peg
  49. swayback
    having abnormal sagging of the spine (especially in horses)
  50. kettle
    a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid
  51. centerpiece
    something placed at the center of something else (as on a table)
  52. stammer
    speak haltingly
  53. wisteria
    any flowering vine of the genus Wisteria
  54. lapel
    lap at the front of a coat; continuation of the coat collar
  55. twig
    a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
  56. wilt
    any plant disease characterized by drooping and shriveling; usually caused by parasites attacking the roots
  57. binoculars
    an optical instrument designed for simultaneous use by both eyes
  58. footstool
    a low seat or a stool to rest the feet of a seated person
  59. plunk
    set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise
  60. leaflet
    a small book usually having a paper cover
  61. stance
    a rationalized mental attitude
  62. crawdad
    small freshwater decapod crustacean that resembles a lobster
  63. cricket
    leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together
  64. tangle
    twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
  65. cartwheel
    a wheel that has wooden spokes and a metal rim
  66. carousel
    a large, rotating machine with seats for children to ride or amusement
  67. temple
    place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
  68. stipple
    engrave by means of dots and flicks
  69. meantime
    the time between one event, process, or period and another
  70. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
  71. fluster
    cause to be nervous or upset
  72. peephole
    a hole (in a door or an oven etc) through which you can peep
  73. skywalk
    an elevated walkway between buildings (usually enclosed)
  74. raffle
    a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money
  75. echoic
    like or characteristic of an echo
  76. sequence
    a following of one thing after another in time
  77. finch
    any of numerous small songbirds with short stout bills adapted for crushing seeds
  78. eavesdrop
    listen without the speaker's knowledge
  79. turmoil
    a violent disturbance
  80. spectacle
    something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)
  81. tether
    tie with a tether
  82. dovecote
    a birdhouse for pigeons
  83. phrenology
    a now abandoned study of the shape of skull as indicative of the strengths of different faculties
  84. galoot
    a disreputable or clumsy man
  85. poppycock
    senseless talk
  86. boycott
    a group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies
  87. jaded
    exhausted
  88. moniker
    a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name)
  89. tiddlywinks
    a game in which players try to flip plastic disks into a cup by pressing them on the side sharply with a larger disk
  90. stymie
    hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
  91. tawdry
    tastelessly showy
  92. mummery
    meaningless ceremonies and flattery
  93. serendipity
    good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
  94. somersault
    an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return
  95. tidings
    information about recent and important events
  96. mischief
    reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
  97. curmudgeon
    a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
  98. rabble
    a disorderly crowd of people
  99. bevy
    a flock of birds (especially when gathered close together on the ground)
  100. cranny
    a small opening or crevice (especially in a rock face or wall)
  101. niche
    a small concavity
  102. roustabout
    a member of a ship's crew who performs manual labor
  103. seersucker
    a light puckered fabric (usually striped)
  104. shellac
    lac purified by heating and filtering; usually in thin orange or yellow flakes but sometimes bleached white
  105. ottoman
    a low seat or a stool to rest the feet of a seated person
  106. epiphany
    a divine manifestation
  107. dandelion
    any of several herbs of the genus Taraxacum having long tap roots and deeply notched leaves and bright yellow flowers followed by fluffy seed balls
  108. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
  109. trimester
    a period of three months; especially one of the three three-month periods into which human pregnancy is divided
  110. sequester
    keep away from others
  111. malcontent
    discontented as toward authority
  112. augury
    an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come
  113. jingoistic
    fanatically patriotic
  114. architrave
    the molding around a door or window
  115. propitiate
    make peace with
  116. pantile
    a roofing tile with a S-shape; laid so that curves overlap
  117. anathema
    a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication
  118. dipsomaniac
    a person who drinks alcohol to excess habitually
  119. palaver
    loud and confused and empty talk
  120. threnody
    a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
  121. pillory
    a wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for the wrists and neck; offenders were locked in and so exposed to public scorn
  122. gainsay
    take exception to
  123. fulsome
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech
  124. shibboleth
    a manner of speaking that is distinctive of a particular group of people