Tobias Wolff: Old School

Bosse B. (Sweden)
71 words 4 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jock
    a person trained to compete in sports
  2. deference
    courteous regard for people's feelings
  3. desolate
    providing no shelter or sustenance
  4. giddy
    lacking seriousness; given to frivolity
  5. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  6. metonymy
    substituting the name of a feature for the name of the thing
  7. intimation
    a slight suggestion or vague understanding
  8. dear
    a beloved person
  9. rend
    tear or be torn violently
  10. genteel
    marked by refinement in taste and manners
  11. gentile
    a Christian as contrasted with a Jew
  12. invective
    abusive language used to express blame or censure
  13. lurid
    glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism
  14. cudgel
    a club that is used as a weapon
  15. puissance
    power to influence or coerce
  16. bait
    something used to lure fish or other animals
  17. fretful
    nervous and unable to relax
  18. muddle
    make clouded as with sediment
  19. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  20. taunt
    harass with persistent criticism or carping
  21. chaff
    material consisting of seed coverings and pieces of stem
  22. doily
    a small round piece of decorative linen or paper
  23. sardonic
    disdainfully or ironically humorous
  24. parody
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style
  25. burnish
    polish and make shiny
  26. wen
    a common cyst of the skin
  27. peyote
    a small spineless globe-shaped cactus
  28. badger
    sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws
  29. simper
    smile in an insincere, unnatural, or coy way
  30. smirk
    smile in a mocking or condescending way
  31. furtive
    secret and sly
  32. wilt
    become limp
  33. daze
    confusion characterized by lack of clarity
  34. skittish
    unpredictably excitable, especially of horses
  35. mullioned
    of windows
  36. steerage
    the act of directing the course of a ship
  37. sneer
    a facial expression of contempt or scorn
  38. hushpuppy
    deep-fried cornbread ball (southern)
  39. poignance
    a state of deeply felt distress or sorrow
  40. trite
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  41. revile
    spread negative information about
  42. Morris chair
    an armchair with an adjustable back
  43. pompadour
    a hair style in which the hair is swept up from the forehead
  44. slattern
    a dirty untidy woman
  45. dodge
    a quick evasive movement
  46. beset
    assail or attack on all sides
  47. swagger
    walk with a lofty proud gait
  48. reel
    a winder around which flexible materials can be wound
  49. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
  50. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
  51. pauper
    a person who is very poor
  52. cinch
    a band that holds a horse's saddle in place
  53. dross
    worthless or dangerous material that should be removed
  54. pennant
    a flag that usually tapers and is longer than it is wide
  55. taper
    diminish gradually
  56. traducement
    a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions
  57. boorish
    ill-mannered and coarse in behavior or appearance
  58. boor
    a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking refinement
  59. crow
    a black bird having a raucous call
  60. wilted
    not firm
  61. jostle
    make one's way by pushing or shoving
  62. fluster
    cause to be nervous or upset
  63. smart
    characterized by quickness and ease in learning
  64. puttee
    a strip of cloth wound around the leg to form legging
  65. lunge
    the act of moving forward suddenly
  66. foil
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
  67. garish
    tastelessly showy
  68. impudent
    improperly forward or bold
  69. subterfuge
    something intended to misrepresent the nature of an activity
  70. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  71. trellis
    latticework used to support climbing plants
Created on Fri Mar 09 20:38:02 EST 2012 (updated Tue Aug 07 20:09:52 EDT 2012)

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