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VOCABULARY LISTS > USER LISTS

Unfamilar Words 116 words

December 17, 2008 By Duxiana

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Definitions Notes & Examples Words Only
  1. terseness
    a neatly short and concise expressive style
  2. guileful
    marked by skill in deception
  3. knavish
    marked by skill in deception
  4. scrivener
    someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts
  5. deprecatory
    tending to diminish or disparage
  6. elocution
    an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture
  7. galling
    causing irritation or annoyance
  8. immeasurably
    to an immeasurable degree; beyond measurement
  9. amphitheater
    an oval large stadium with tiers of seats; an arena in which contests and spectacles are held
  10. scythe
    an edge tool for cutting grass; has a long handle that must be held with both hands and a curved blade that moves parallel to the ground
  11. bantam
    any of various small breeds of fowl
  12. sagacity
    the mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations
  13. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
  14. orifice
    an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity
  15. recidivist
    someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior
  16. gangrene
    the localized death of living cells (as from infection or the interruption of blood supply)
  17. etymon
    a simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes
  18. metier
    an occupation for which you are especially well suited
  19. joule
    a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
  20. synod
    a council convened to discuss ecclesiastical business
  21. auteur
    a filmmaker who has a personal style and keeps creative control over his or her works
  22. piton
    a metal spike with a hole for a rope; mountaineers drive it into ice or rock to use as a hold
  23. apposite
    being of striking appropriateness and pertinence
  24. defrayal
    the act of paying money
  25. fracas
    noisy quarrel
  26. defenestration
    the act of throwing someone or something out of a window
  27. naught
    a quantity of no importance
  28. triceratops
    huge ceratopsian dinosaur having three horns and the neck heavily armored with a very solid frill
  29. tarpaulin
    waterproofed canvas
  30. katzenjammer
    loud confused noise from many sources
  31. gauche
    lacking social polish
  32. taipan
    large highly venomous snake of northeastern Australia
  33. tussock
    a bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass
  34. acquisitive
    eager to acquire and possess things especially material possessions or ideas
  35. pirouette
    (ballet) a rapid spin of the body (especially on the toes as in ballet)
  36. scalar
    a variable quantity that cannot be resolved into components
  37. oscilloscope
    electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities
  38. glissade
    (ballet) a gliding or sliding step in ballet
  39. insolation
    incident solar radiation
  40. dossier
    a collection of papers containing detailed information about a particular person or subject (usually a person's record)
  41. gadfly
    any of various large flies that annoy livestock
  42. duly
    at the proper time
  43. wayfarer
    a pedestrian who walks from place to place
  44. incisor
    a tooth for cutting or gnawing; located in the front of the mouth in both jaws
  45. mendacious
    given to lying
  46. intentionally
    with intention; in an intentional manner
  47. toucan
    brilliantly colored arboreal fruit-eating bird of tropical America having a very large thin-walled beak
  48. defalcator
    someone who violates a trust by taking (money) for his own use
  49. occultism
    a belief in supernatural powers and the possibility of bringing them under human control
  50. abrogate
    revoke formally
  51. envisage
    form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
  52. catheter
    a thin flexible tube inserted into the body to permit introduction or withdrawal of fluids or to keep the passageway open
  53. precedent
    an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time
  54. truant
    one who is absent from school without permission
  55. compliance
    the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another
  56. soothsayer
    someone who makes predictions of the future (usually on the basis of special knowledge)
  57. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  58. menagerie
    a collection of live animals for study or display
  59. inherent
    existing as an essential constituent or characteristic
  60. summarily
    without delay; in a summary manner
  61. inexorable
    not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
  62. pharmaceutical
    of or relating to pharmacy or pharmacists
  63. stalactite
    a cylinder of calcium carbonate hanging from the roof of a limestone cave
  64. corpuscle
    either of two types of cells (erythrocytes and leukocytes) and sometimes including platelets
  65. scalpel
    a thin straight surgical knife used in dissection and surgery
  66. irretrievably
    in an irretrievable manner
  67. incessant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
  68. scrupulous
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  69. debacle
    a sudden and violent collapse
  70. eradicate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
  71. incremental
    increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions
  72. fascist
    an adherent of fascism or other right-wing authoritarian views
  73. disinherit
    prevent deliberately (as by making a will) from inheriting
  74. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
  75. connive
    form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
  76. indelible
    cannot be removed or erased
  77. emaciate
    grow weak and thin or waste away physically
  78. drudge
    a laborer who is obliged to do menial work
  79. synecdoche
    substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa
  80. commissioner
    a member of a commission
  81. lacrosse
    a game invented by American Indians; now played by two teams who use long-handled rackets to catch and carry and throw the ball toward the opponents' goal
  82. embezzle
    appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use
  83. larynx
    a cartilaginous structure at the top of the trachea; contains elastic vocal cords that are the source of the vocal tone in speech
  84. disconsolate
    sad beyond comforting; incapable of being consoled
  85. lozenge
    a small aromatic or medicated candy
  86. tumult
    a state of commotion and noise and confusion
  87. derogatory
    expressive of low opinion
  88. fortuitously
    by good fortune
  89. ludicrous
    incongruous;inviting ridicule
  90. wrangle
    an instance of intense argument (as in bargaining)
  91. chloroform
    a volatile liquid haloform (CHCl3); formerly used as an anesthetic
  92. compulsory
    required by rule
  93. versatile
    having great diversity or variety
  94. cumulus
    a globular cloud
  95. derelict
    a person without a home, job, or property
  96. myriad
    a large indefinite number
  97. austerity
    the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures)
  98. centaur
    (classical mythology) a mythical being that is half man and half horse
  99. convenience
    the quality of being useful and convenient
  100. illegitimate
    contrary to or forbidden by law
  101. thoracic
    of or relating to the chest or thorax
  102. precocious
    characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)
  103. esplanade
    a long stretch of open level ground (paved or grassy) for walking beside the seashore
  104. adulation
    servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise
  105. canary
    any of several small Old World finches
  106. dilettante
    an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
  107. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  108. salacious
    suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
  109. aperture
    a natural opening in something
  110. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
  111. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  112. vagary
    an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.)
  113. indurate
    make hard or harder
  114. unctuous
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech
  115. chortle
    a soft partly suppressed laugh
  116. adroit
    quick or skillful or adept in action or thought