|
VOCABULARY LISTS > USER LISTS

charnel, apostasy, quixotic 69 words

March 1, 2009 By philip A.

MORE ON THIS LIST:

0% Mastered %
Learn Bookmark Print Create New List Post a Comment
REVIEW LEARN THIS LIST COMMENTS
Definitions Notes & Examples Words Only
  1. charnel
    gruesomely indicative of death or the dead
  2. apostasy
    the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes)
  3. quixotic
    not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic
  4. bathos
    a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one
  5. autodidact
    a person who has taught himself
  6. lodestar
    guiding star; a star that is used as a reference point in navigation or astronomy
  7. Jacobin
    a member of the radical movement that instituted the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution
  8. hegemony
    the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others
  9. bromide
    a trite or obvious remark
  10. brio
    quality of being active or spirited or alive and vigorous
  11. culverin
    a medieval musket
  12. afflatus
    a strong creative impulse; divine inspiration
  13. boreas
    a wind that blows from the north
  14. cambric
    a finely woven white linen
  15. jabot
    a ruffle on the front of a woman's blouse or a man's shirt
  16. hecatomb
    a great sacrifice; an ancient Greek or Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen
  17. venal
    capable of being corrupted
  18. reticule
    a woman's drawstring handbag; usually made of net or beading or brocade; used in 18th and 19th centuries
  19. existential
    relating to or dealing with existence (especially with human existence)
  20. fin de siecle
    relating to or characteristic of the end of a century (especially the end of the 19th century)
  21. griot
    a storyteller in West Africa; perpetuates the oral traditions of a family or village
  22. insular
    relating to or characteristic of or situated on an island
  23. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  24. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  25. lapidary
    a skilled worker who cuts and engraves precious stones
  26. redact
    formulate in a particular style or language
  27. irridentism
    the doctrine that irredenta should be controlled by the country to which they are ethnically or historically related
  28. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  29. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  30. palindrome
    a word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward
  31. bel esprit
    a witty or clever person with a fine mind
  32. diffidence
    lack of self-confidence
  33. cynosure
    something that provides guidance (as Polaris guides mariners)
  34. crepuscular
    like twilight; dim
  35. droll
    comical in an odd or whimsical manner
  36. threnody
    a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
  37. videlicet
    as follows
  38. soutache
    a narrow braid used as a decorative trimming
  39. postiche
    something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
  40. lambrequin
    short and decorative hanging for a shelf edge or top of a window casing
  41. leister
    a spear with three or more prongs; used for spearing fish (especially salmon)
  42. pasquinade
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
  43. janissary
    a loyal supporter
  44. hejira
    a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment
  45. expatiate
    add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing
  46. caitiff
    a cowardly and despicable person
  47. parlous
    fraught with danger
  48. lebensraum
    space sought for occupation by a nation whose population is expanding
  49. trumpery
    ornamental objects of no great value
  50. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  51. falderol
    ornamental objects of no great value
  52. foil
    hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
  53. synecdoche
    substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa
  54. sororal
    like or characteristic of or befitting a sister
  55. fervid
    characterized by intense emotion
  56. thrall
    the state of being under the control of another person
  57. soubrette
    a pert or flirtatious young girl
  58. gamin
    (sometimes offensive) a homeless boy who has been abandoned and roams the streets
  59. waif
    a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
  60. picaresque
    involving clever rogues or adventurers especially as in a type of fiction
  61. doggerel
    a comic verse of irregular measure
  62. lingua franca
    a common language used by speakers of different languages
  63. progenitor
    an ancestor in the direct line
  64. jocose
    characterized by jokes and good humor
  65. uncanny
    surpassing the ordinary or normal
  66. revenant
    a person who returns after a lengthy absence
  67. accretion
    an increase by natural growth or addition
  68. bandy
    discuss lightly
  69. shuttlecock
    badminton equipment consisting of a ball of cork or rubber with a crown of feathers