Term
| acquisitive (ah-quiz-ah-tiv) |
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Definition
1. excessively interested in acquiring money or material things; avaricious
2. able to get and to retain ideas or information |
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take or claim (something) for oneself without justification
ex.)they arrogate to themselves the ability to divine the nation's true interests |
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| hackneyed, trite, commonplace |
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1. argue or elaborate (a subject) in excessive detail
ex.)critics thought they belabored the obvious
2. attack or assault (someone) physically or verbally
ex.)Tyndale seized every opportunity to belabor the Roman Church |
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difficult to please; critical; tending to find fault, especially in a petty nasty or hairsplitting way
ex.)she has silenced the carping critics with a successful debut tour |
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1. (of an argument, theory, or policy) logical and consistent; comprehensible and meaningful
ex.)they failed to develop a coherent economic strategy
2. united as or forming a whole |
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1. solidify or coagulate (from a liquid), especially by cooling
ex.)the blood had congealed into blobs
2.take shape or coalesce, especially to form a satisfying whole
ex.)the ballet failed to congeal as a single oeuvre |
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match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation
ex.)lesser men trying to emulate his greatness |
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a formal speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly; a lavish tribute
ex.)the encomium due to the brave |
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deliberately avoid using; abstain from; shun
ex.)eschew bad habits |
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1. to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally
ex.)He was excoriated for his mistakes
2. to strip off or remove the skin from
ex.)Her palms were excoriated by the hard labor of shoveling |
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relevant to a subject under consideration; apropos (ap-ruh-po, fitting; at the right time; to the purpose; opportunely)
ex.)not germane to the the discussion |
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(so great or demanding, that it is) impossible to satisfy (of a desire or hunger)
ex.)an insatiable appetite for gossip |
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unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something; uncompromising, irreconcilable
ex.)the regime remained intransigent in its opposition to wider participation in the political process |
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(of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others; offensive
ex.)she'd put herself in an invidious position just to stir things up |
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generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others; lavish or bountiful contributions
ex.)dispensing his money with such largesse
The beneficiary of their largesse |
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form branches or offshoots; spread or branch out; separate into divisions
ex.)ramify in all directions
An elaborate system of canals was built, ramifying throughout Britain |
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Term
| reconnaissance (reh-con-ah-sense) |
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Definition
military observation of a region to locate an enemy or ascertain strategic features; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
ex.)an excellent aircraft for low-level reconnaissance |
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provide evidence to support or prove the truth of; to give concrete or substantial form to
ex.)unable to substantiate the claim |
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habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
ex.)a dour(severe and gloomy) and taciturn personality |
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avoid making a decision or committing oneself in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation or postpone a decision; to stall or act evasively
ex.)tended to temporize rather than act |
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capable of being held or defended (against attack or objection)
ex.)a tenable theory |
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