Lecture Vocabulary Review

A collection of vocabulary words and definitions from the lecture transcript.

grasp

(v/n) to understand; to hold firmly; understanding or grip

wield

(v) to hold and use a tool, weapon, or power

prosperous

(adj) successful, wealthy, or flourishing

perilous

(adj) very dangerous or risky

affront

(n/v) an insult; to offend or insult openly

feeble

(adj) weak; lacking strength or effectiveness

belligerent

(adj/n) hostile or aggressive; a party engaged in war

defy

(v) to resist, refuse to obey, or challenge

quell

(v) to suppress, stop, or calm something

impropriety

(n) a failure to observe standards or show due honesty or modesty; improper language, behavior, or character

parlous

(adj) full of danger or uncertainty

ruthless

(adj) without pity or compassion; cruel

ambiguity

(n) doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention

voluptuous

(adj) full of, characterized by, or ministering to indulgence in luxury, pleasure, and sensuous enjoyment

epiphany

(n) a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience

improbable

(adj) not probable; unlikely to be true or to happen

notorious

(adj) widely and unfavorably known/publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait

guzzle

(v) to drink, or sometimes eat, greedily, frequently, or plentifully

cushy

(adj) involving little effort for ample rewards/soft and comfortable

rigorous

(adj) rigidly severe or harsh, as people, rules, or discipline/severely exact or accurate

gauge

(n/v) a standard of measure or measurement/to determine the exact dimensions, capacity, quantity, or force of; measure

fumble

(v) to feel or grope about clumsily/(sport) to fail to hold or maintain hold on (a ball) after having touched it or carried it

mundane

(adj) common; ordinary/of or relating to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven

profound

(adj) having deep insight or understanding/of deep meaning; of great and broadly inclusive significance

waddle

(v) to walk with short steps, swaying or rocking from side to side, as a duck

rectify

(v) to make, put, or set right/to put right by adjustment or calculation, as an instrument or a course at sea

disdain

(n/v) to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn/a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt

bombardment

(n) a continuous or sustained attack, as with bombs or artillery fire/an overwhelming quantity or barrage of something

fib

(n/v) a trivial and harmless lie

mirage

(n) something illusory, without substance or reality

bolster

(n) a long, often cylindrical, cushion or pillow for a bed, sofa, etc/(v) to add to, support, strengthen, or uphold

erratic

(adj) deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion/having no certain or definite course or pattern

hollow

(adj) having a space or cavity inside; not solid; empty/without real or significant worth; meaningless

decree

(n/v) a formal and authoritative order, especially one having the force of law/to command, ordain

warden

(n) a person charged with the care or custody of persons, animals, or things; keeper/the chief administrative officer in charge of a prison

provoke

(v) to stir up, arouse, or call forth (feelings, desires, or activity)/to incite or stimulate (a person, animal, etc.) to action

nonchalant

(adj) coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual

impotent

(adj) utterly unable (to do something)/lacking power or ability

astute

(adj) keenly perceptive or discerning/having insight or acumen

caveat

(n) a warning or caution

bootstrap

(n/v) a means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something/to help (oneself) without the aid of others

propel

(v) to drive, or cause to move, forward or onward

xenophobic

(adj) relating to or exhibiting fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers/relating to or exhibiting fear or dislike of the customs, dress, etc., of people who are culturally different

malaise

(n) a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease

bleak

(adj) bare, desolate, and often windswept/cold and piercing; raw

hinterland

(n) the remote or less developed parts of a country; back country

deliberate

(v/adj) carefully weighed or considered/careful or slow in deciding/leisurely and steady in movement or action

raconteur

(n) a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly

anecdote

(n) a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature/a short, obscure historical or biographical account

shorthand

(n) a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases

introspection

(n) observation or examination of one's own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself

flotation

(n) an act or state of floating/the launching of a commercial venture, bond issue, loan, etc

brevity

(n) shortness of time or duration/the quality of expressing much in few words

batty

(adj/slang) insane; crazy; eccentric

hegemony

(n) leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation

gaffe

(n) a social blunder; faux pas

blunder

(n/v) a gross, stupid, or careless mistake/to move or act blindly, stupidly, or without direction or steady guidance

exemplary

(adj) worthy of imitation, serving as a model or pattern/serving as a warning

consolidation

(n) an act or instance of combining or consolidating into a single or unified whole

cripple

(n/v) anything that is impaired or flawed/a person who is partially or totally unable to use one or more limbs

ire

(n) intense anger; wrath

hindsight

(n) recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a situation, event, decision etc., after its occurrence

chasm

(n) a breach or wide fissure in a wall or other structure/a marked interruption of continuity; gap/a wide difference in interests, feelings, etc

novelty

(n) the quality of being new and fresh and interesting/a new or unusual experience or occurrence

sporadic

(adj) (of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time/isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others

trove

(n) a collection of objects

euphemism

(n) the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt

ellipsis

(n) a mark or marks as ——, …, or * * *, to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or words

carnage

(n) the slaughter of a great number of people, as in battle/fighting or other violence

furlough

(n) a vacation or leave of absence granted to an enlisted person/a usually temporary layoff from work

deadpan

(adj) displaying no emotional or personal involvement/marked by or accomplished with a careful pretense of seriousness or calm detachment

bewilder

(v) to confuse or puzzle completely

cull

(v) to select and remove from a group, especially to discard or destroy as inferior/to discard unwanted parts or remove choice parts from (a group)

byword

(n) a word or phrase associated with some person or thing; a characteristic expression, typical greeting, or the like/a word or phrase used proverbially; common saying

slander

(n) a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report

vindicate

(v) to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like/to uphold or justify by argument or evidence

novice

(n) a person who is new to the circumstances, work, etc., in which they are placed

constellation

(n) any of various groups of stars to which definite names have been given/a group or configuration of ideas, feelings, characteristics, objects, etc., that are related in some way

kingpin

(n) the chief element of any system, plan, or the like

circumvent

(v) to go around or bypass

conscription

(n) compulsory enrollment of persons for military or naval service; draft

redact

(v) to put into suitable literary form/to draw up or frame (a statement, proclamation, etc.)/to edit (text) so as to remove or hide confidential or sensitive information

taxidermy

(n) the art of preparing and preserving the skins of animals and of stuffing and mounting them in lifelike form

heyday

(n) the stage or period of greatest vigor, strength, success, etc.; prime

shrug

(v) to raise and contract (the shoulders), expressing indifference, disdain, etc

monotonous

(adj) lacking in variety; tediously unvarying

bourse

(n) a stock exchange, especially the stock exchange of certain European cities

a whole slew of

(phrase) a large number or quantity

faddish

(adj) intensely fashionable for a short time

laden

(adj) burdened; loaded down

reel off

(phr) to recite or write fluently and without apparent effort

leapfrog

(n/v) an advance from one place, position, or situation to another without progressing through all or any of the places or stages in between

whirlwind

(n) a relatively small mass of air rotating rapidly around a more or less vertical axis and simultaneously advancing over land or sea

plateau

(n) a period or state of little or no growth or decline/a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons

bespoke

(adj) (esp of clothing or a website, computer program, etc) made to the customer's specifications

excavate

(v) to make hollow by removing the inner part/to unearth (buried objects) methodically in an attempt to discover information about the past

denizen

(n) an inhabitant; resident/a person who regularly frequents a place

synopsis

(n) a brief or condensed statement giving a general view of some subject

pinnacle

(n) the highest or culminating point, as of success, power, fame, etc/a lofty peak/any pointed, towering part or formation, as of rock

fiduciary

(n/adj) a person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another/of or relating to a trust or trustee