Set 1 (Fall Comp 1)

Abjure

To renounce under oath; to take back

Antebellum

Belonging to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War

Bowdlerize

To remove material that is offensive or objectionable

Circumlocution

The use of unnecessarily wordy & indirect language; evasiveness in speech or writing

Diffident

Lacking self-confidence; shy or timid

Equinox

The length of day and night are approximately equal (March & September)

Facetious

Playfully jocular; humorous

Filibuster

Use of tactics, especially long speeches, to delay legislative action

Hegemony

The predominant influence of a state, region, or group over others

Hypotenuse

The side of a right triangle opposite the right angle

Inculcate

To teach by frequent instruction or repetition; to indoctrinate

Jejune

Dull or not interesting; lacking maturity or childish

Lexicon

A dictionary; a set of terms used in a specific profession

Lurid

Characterized by vivid descriptions or explicit details that are meant to provoke or shock

Mantra

A word or phrase that is expressed repeatedly, as in reaffirming an idea or motivating someone

Misnomer

A name wrongly or unsuitably applied to a person or an object

Nouveau riche

Characterized by newly acquired wealth, especially when it is flaunted

Ostracize

To exclude from a group

Perfunctory

Done routinely and with little interest or care

Quid pro quo

Something given in return for something else or accepted as a reciprocal exchange

Rhetoric

Language that is intended to persuade, especially when viewed as lacking intellectual merit

Stoic

Seemingly indifferent to pleasure and pain; showing little or no emotion

Teetotaler

One who abstains completely from alcoholic beverages

Ubiquitous

Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time

Vile

Loathsome; disgusting; morally depraved, or wicked