Evans Boy & Loose Cannon Vocab | Quizlet

portentous

adj

"the author's portentous moralizings"

done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress.

diaphanous

adj

See-through, light, delicate, translucent.

lacustrine

adj

relating to or associated with lakes.

senescence

noun

the condition or process of deterioration with age.

gainsay

verb

deny or contradict.

fatuous

adj

silly and pointless.

analgesic

adj

pain killing

止痛剂 zhǐtòngjì

grass

verb

[British]

tell; give away; betray; denounce; sell out.

gloaming

noun

twilight; dusk.

黄昏 huánghūn

indelible

adj (2)

1) (of ink, a pen, etc.) making marks that cannot be removed.

2) not able to be forgotten.

deleterious

adj

harmful.

ultra vires

adj/adv [law]

acting or done beyond one's legal power or authority.

soi-disant

adj

self-styled; so-called.

usufruct

noun

the right to enjoy the use and advantages of another’s property short of the destruction or waste of it's substance.

wiles

noun

devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants.

res nullius

phrase

“nobody’s property"; property that has no owner or is abandoned.

caveat emptor

noun

'“let the buyer beware”; the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.

volenti non fit iniuria

noun

“to a willing person, it is not a wrong.” This legal maxim holds that a person who knowingly and voluntarily risks danger cannot recover for any resulting injury. This principle was the common-law basis for the assumption of the risk doctrine.

quagmire

noun (2)

1) a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot.

2) an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation.

athame

noun

a double-edged ritual knife used in Wicca and modern paganism.

lectern

noun

a tall stand with a sloping top to hold a book or notes, from which someone, typically a preacher or lecturer, can read while standing up.

diktat

noun

an order or decree imposed by someone in power without popular consent.

sundry

adj/noun

of various kinds; several.

various items not important enough to be mentioned individually.

portent

n

"they believed that wild birds in the house were portents of death"

a sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen.

soporific

adj

"the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect"

tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.

shrewd

adj

"she was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind his gesture"

having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute.

vindictive

adj

"the criticism was both vindictive and personalized"

having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.

intractable

adj

"intractable economic problems"

hard to control or deal with.

recalcitrant

adj

"a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds"

having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.

rawboned

adj

"His tall, rawboned body had been designed for physical work."

having a bony or gaunt physique.

pitted

v, adj

1) "a dusty pitted road"

2) "pitted black olives"

1) having a hollow or indentation on the surface.

2) (of a fruit) having had the stone removed.

dole

n

1) "they are receiving the dole" (informal british)

2) "death be his dole who worst maintains the strife" (literary)

1) benefit paid by the government to the unemployed.

2) a person's lot or destiny.

scabrous

adj

1) "his face was scabrous and lumpy"

2) "scabrous publications"

1) rough and covered with, or as if with, scabs.

2) indecent; salacious.

despondent

adj

"she grew more and more despondent"

in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.

paucity

noun

"a paucity of information"

the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.

chuffed

adj

"I'm dead chuffed to have won" (informal british)

very pleased.

onerous

adj

"he found his duties increasingly onerous"

(of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome.

can also be used to describe a person

fortuituous

adj

"the similarity between the paintings may not be simply fortuitous"

happening by accident or lucky chance rather than design.

mean

adj

"her home was mean and small" (of a place)

"it was obvious to even the meanest intelligence" (of one's mental capacity)

"it was a hat like that worn by the meanest of people" (dated)

(of a place) poor in quality and appearance; shabby.

(of one's mental capacity) inferior, poor.

(dated) of low birth or social class

ground zero

noun

1) "the pictures from Indonesia's ground zero are beyond description"

2) "if you're starting at ground zero in terms of knowledge, go to the library"

1) a site of devastation, disaster, or violent attack.

2) a starting point or base for some activity.

anomie

noun

"the theory that high-rise architecture leads to anomie in the residents"

lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group.

mardy

adj

"she was acting like a mardy teenager" (british)

angry and complaining; refusing to be pleasant to other people

insouciant

adj

"she answered all of the journalists' questions calmly and insouciantly."

in a relaxed and happy way, without any sign that you feel worried or guilty: comes from the French word insouciant, which is a combination of the prefix in- ("not") and souciant ("worrying").

bachanal

noun

1) "the event has morphed into one of the most shamelessly drunken bacchanals on the social calendar"

2) "the bachanal heads to the temple"

1) an occasion of wild and drunken revelry.

2) a priest, worshiper, or follower of Bacchus.

countenance

noun (2), verb

1) "his impenetrable eyes and inscrutable countenance give little away"

2) "she was giving her specific countenance to the occasion"

3) "he was reluctant to countenance the use of force"

1) a person's face or facial expression.

2) support.

3) admit as acceptable or possible.

harassed

adj

"it is a godsend for harassed parents"

feeling or looking strained through having too many demands made on one.

blanched

v

1) "the cold light blanched her face"

2) "many people blanch at the suggestion"

1) make white or pale by extracting color.

2) flinch or grow pale from shock, fear, or a similar emotion.

callously

adv

"they use other people callously and remorselessly for their own ends"

in a way that shows an insensitive and cruel disregard for others; unfeelingly.

militant

adj

"the army are in conflict with militant groups"

combative and aggressive in support of a political or social cause, and typically favoring extreme, violent, or confrontational methods.

inured

v

1) "these children have been inured to violence"

2) "a release given to one of two joint contractors inures to the benefit of both"

1) accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant.

2) come into operation; take effect.

vacillate

v

"I had for a time vacillated between teaching and journalism"

alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.

ambivalent

adj

"some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her"

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

pedagogy

noun

"the relationship between applied linguistics and language pedagogy"

the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.

puerile

adj

childishly silly and trivial.

vapid

adj

offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.

insipid

adj

lacking flavor, vigor, or interest.

noisome

adj (literary) (2)

1) having an extremely offensive smell.

2) to be disagreeable or unpleasant

surreptitiously

adv

in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively.

plinth

noun (2)

a heavy base supporting a statue or vase.

or

the lower square slab at the base of a column (arch).

pallid

adj

1) (of a person's face) pale, typically because of poor health.

2) feeble or insipid.

patronize

v (2)

1) treat in a way that is apparently kind or helpful but that betrays a feeling of superiority.

2) frequent (a store, theater, restaurant, or other establishment) as a customer or give encouragement and financial support to (a person, especially an artist, or a cause).

prima facie

adj, adv

1) on the first impression.

2) accepted as correct until proved otherwise.

galvanize

v (2)

1) shock or excite (someone) into taking action.

2) coat (iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc.

mollify

v (2)

1) appease the anger or anxiety of (someone).

2) reduce the severity of (something); soften. [rare]

galling

adj

annoying; humiliating.

fugue state

noun

a rare psychiatric condition that involves a temporary loss of identity and memory, along with unexpected travel or wandering.

cantrip

noun

a mischievous or playful act; a trick.

commiserate

v

express or feel sympathy or pity; sympathize.

impassioned

adj

filled with or showing great emotion.

curio cabinet

noun

a display case for showcasing and protecting valuable or sentimental items, such as collectibles, heirlooms, or figurines; also known as "cabinet of curiosities".

bracing

adj, v

1) fresh and invigorating.

2) prepare (oneself) for something difficult or unpleasant.

eviscerate

v (2)

1) disembowel (a person or animal).

2) deprive (something) of its essential content.

lance

v (3)

1) pierce with or as if with a lance.

2) move suddenly and quickly.

3) fling; launch. [archaic]

swotty

adj

someone is given to studying hard, especially to the exclusion of other activities.

circumspect

adj

wary and unwilling to take risks.

accoutrements

noun

additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity.

innocuously

adv

in a way that is harmless, not likely to offend, or not intended to cause upset.

dotty

adj

(of a person, action, or idea) somewhat mad or eccentric. [british informal]

savant

noun

1) a very learned or talented person, especially one distinguished in a particular field of science or the arts.

lapidary

adj

relating to stone and gems and the work involved in engraving, cutting, or polishing.

abject

adj

1) (of something bad) experienced or present to the maximum degree.

2) (of a person or their behavior) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.

ensorcell

v

enchant; fascinate.

florid

adj (2)

1) having a red or flushed complexion.

2) elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated; using unusual words or complicated rhetorical constructions.

paltry

adj

small or meager; petty or trivial.

pretentious

adj

attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

gobsmacked

adj

utterly astonished; astounded. [informal british]

attrition

noun

the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure.

harridan

noun

a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman.

swain

noun

a young lover or suitor.

oblong

noun

an object or flat figure in an elongated rectangle or oval shape.

rueful

adj

expressing sorrow or regret, especially when in a slightly humorous way.

forlorn

adj (2)

1) pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely.

2) unlikely to succeed or be fulfilled; hopeless.

guile

noun

sly or cunning intelligence.

dour

adj

relentlessly severe, stern, or gloomy in manner or appearance.

parsimonious

adj

unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.

piteous

adj

deserving or arousing pity.

stymie

v

prevent or hinder the progress of.

distemper

noun

an angry or disagreeable mood.

prurient

adj

having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters.