ENGLISH VOCAB (2ND SEMESTER)

Maven

(noun) an expert or connoisseur

Mawkish

(adj) sentimental in an exaggerated way

Modus Operandi

(noun) a particular way or method of doing something, especially one that is characteristic or well-established

Nefarious

(adj) (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal

Nicety

(noun) a fine detail or distinction, especially one regarded as intricate and fussy

Orthodoxy

(noun) authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice

Patina

(noun) a green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period of time

Palliate

(verb) make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause

Nonchalance

(noun) a state of being nonchalant

Obdurate

(adj) stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action

Penury

(noun) extreme poverty; destitution

Pernicious

(adj) having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way

Perpetuate

(verb) make (something, typically an undesirable situation or an unfounded belief) continue indefinitely

Pittance

(noun) a very small or inadequate amount of money paid to someone as an allowance or wage

Pompous

(adj) affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important

Precipitate

cause (an event or situation, typically one that is bad or undesirable) to happen suddenly, inexpediently, or prematurely

Prescience

the fact of knowing something will happen before it takes place; foreknowledge

Profusion

an abundance or large quantity of something

Propensity

an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way

Pugnacious

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight