Vocabulary 1

malapropism

malapropism

misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar

faddish

intensely fashionable or popular for a short time

polymath

a person of great and varied learning

parquetry

a patterned wood inlay used to cover a floor

limerick

a humorous rhymed verse form of five lines

coagulant

an agent that produces coagulation

orotund

overly formal and pompous in style

onomatopoeia

using words that imitate the sound they denote

malingerer

someone shirking duty by feigning illness or incapacity

analgesic

capable of relieving pain

optometrist

a person skilled in testing for defects of vision

aphoristic

terse and witty and like a maxim

ligneous

consisting of or resembling wood

offertory

the offerings of the congregation at a religious service

conflate

mix together different elements

nonplused

filled with bewilderment

congruent

corresponding in character or kind

mollycoddle

treat with excessive indulgence

aesthete

one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art

quotidian

found in the ordinary course of events

homeopathy

a method of treating disease with small amounts of remedies that

disassemble

take apart

emollient

a substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin

misogynist

a misanthrope who dislikes women in particular

epistemology

the philosophical theory of knowledge

syncopated

stressing a normally weak beat

aberrant

markedly different from an accepted norm

ossified

set in a rigidly conventional pattern of behavior or beliefs

calisthenics

light exercises designed to promote general fitness

truculence

stubborn and defiant aggressiveness

mettlesome

having a proud, courageous, unbroken spirit

dichotomy

a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses

molt

cast off hair, skin, horn or feathers

vituperative

marked by harshly abusive criticism

obfuscate

make obscure or unclear

finicky

especially about details

adumbrate

describe roughly or give the main points or summary of

egalitarian

favoring social equality

bilk

cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money

oaf

an awkward, foolish person.

objurgate

censure severely

optician

a worker who makes glasses for remedying defects of vision

rotundity

the roundness of a 3-dimensional object

mendacious

given to lying

obsidian

a hard, dark glass formed by the cooling of lava without crystallization

foppish

overly concerned with extreme elegance in dress and manner

macerate

soften and cause to disintegrate as a result

convoluted

highly complex or intricate

omnivorous

feeding on both plants and animals