Vocabulary workshop Level C: Unit 1-9

adage

(n.) a wise saying,proverb

bonanza

(n.) a rich mass of ore in a mine; something very valuable, profitable, or a rewarding; a source of wealth or prosperity; a very large amount; sudden profit or gain

churlish

(adj.) lacking politeness or good manners, lacking sensitivity; difficult work to deal with or rude

citadel

(n.) a fortress that overlooks and protects a city, any strong or commanding place

collaborate

(v.) to work with, work together

decree

(n.) an order having the force of law; (v.) to issue such an order; to command firmly or forcefully

discordant

(adj.) disagreeable in sound, jarring, lacking in harmony, conflicting

evolve

(v.) to develop gradually; to rise to a higher level

excerpt

(n.) a passage taken from a book, article, etc.; (v.) to take such a passage, to quote

grope

(v.) to feel about hesitantly with the hands; to search blindly an uncertainly

hover

(v.) to float or hang suspended over; to move back and forth uncertainly over or around

jostle

(v.) to make o force one's way around by pushing or elbowing; to bump, shove,brush against; to compete for

laggard

(n.) a person who moves slowly or falls behind; (adj.) falling behind; slow to move, act or respond

plaudits

(n. pl.) applause; enthusiastic praise or approval

preclude

(v.) to make impossible, prevent, shut out

revert

(v.) to return, go back

rubble

(n.) broken stone or brick; ruins

servile

(adj.) of or relating to a slave, behaving like or suitable for a slave or a servant, menial, lacking spirit or independence, adjectively submissive

vigil

(n.) a watch, especially at night; any period of watchful attention

wrangle

(v.) to quarrel or argue in a noisy, angry way; to obtain by argument; to herd; (n.) a noisy quarrel

antics

(n. pl.) ridiculous and unpredictable behavior or actions

avowed

(adj., part.) declared openly and without shame, acknowledged

banter

(v.) to exchange playful remarks, tease; (n.) talk that is playful and teasing

bountiful

(adj.) giving freely, generous; plentiful, given abundantly

congested

(adj., part.) overcrowded, filled or occupied to excess

detriment

harm or loss; injury, damage; a disadvantage; a cause of harm,injury,loss,or damge

durable

(adj.) sturdy, not easily worn out or desroyed; lasting for a long time; (n. pl.) consumer goods used repeatedly over a series of years

enterprising

(adj.) energetic, willing and able to start something new; showing boldness and imagination

frugal

(adj.) economical, avoiding waste and luxury; scanty, poor, meager

gingerly

(adj., adv.) with extreme care or caution

glut

(v.) to provide more than is needed or wanted; to feed or fill to the point of overstuffing; (n.) an oversupply

incognito

(adj., adv.) in a disguised state, under an assumed name or identity; (n.) the state of being disguised; a person in disguise

invalidate

(v.) to make valueless, take away all force or effect

legendary

(adj.) described in well-known stories; existing in old stories (legends) rather than in real life

maim

(v.) to cripple, disable, injure, mar, disfigure, mutilate

minimize

(v.) to make as small as possible, make the least of; to make smaller than before

oblique

(adj.) slanting or sloping not straightforward or direct

veer

(v.) to change direction or course suddenly, turn aside, shift, swerve

venerate

(v.) to regard with reverence, look up to with great respect

wanton

(adj.) reckless, heartless, unjustifialbe, loose in morals; (n.) a spoiled, pampered person, one with low morals

allot

(v) to assign or distribute into shares or portions

amass

(v) to bring together, collect, gather, especially for oneself;to come together, assemble

audacious

(adj) bold, adventurous, recklessly daring

comply

(v) to yield to a request or demand

devoid

(adj) not having or using, lacking

elite

(n) the choice part of a group of people or things; (adj ) superior

grapple

(n) an iron hook used to grab and hold; (v) to come to grips with, wrestle or fight with

incapacitate

(v) to deprive of strength or ability, to make legally ineligible

instigate

(v) to urge on, or stir up, provoke, start, incite

longevity

(n) long life, long duration, length of life

myriad

(adj) in very great numbers; (n) a very great number

perspective

(n) a point of view or general standpoint from which different things are viewed physically or mentally; the appearance to the eye of various objects viewed at a given time, place, or distance

perturb

(v) to trouble, make uneasy,to disturb greatly, to throw into confusion

prodigious

(adj) immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree

relevant

(adj) connected with or related to the matter at hand

skittish

(adj) extremely nervous and easily frightened; shy or timid; extremely cautious, unstable, undependable

tether

(n) a rope used to fasten something to a fixed object; the outer limit of strength or resources; (v) to fasten with a rope or chain

unison

(n) a sounding together, agreement or accord

vie

(v) to compete; to strive for victory or superiority

willful

(adj) stubbornly self-willed; done on purpose, deliberate

Annul

(v) to reduce to nothing, to declare legally invalid or void, to make ineffective or inoperative

blase

(adj) indifferent, bored as a result of having enjoyed many pleasures, aphanitic

bolster

(v) to support, give a boost to (n) a long pillow or cushion, a supporting post

Deplore

To feel or express regret or disapproval

frivolous

of little importance, not worthy of serious attentionl not meant seriously

muster

(v) to bring together for service or battle, to gather or summon, to gather or summon

Nonentity

a person or thing of no importance

obsess

to trouble, haunt, or fill the mind

ornate

elaborately decorated, showily splendid

oust

to remove

peruse

to read thoroughly and carefully

porous

full of tiny holes, able to be penetrated by air or water

promontory

a high point of land extending into water

prone

lying face down, inclined, likely

qualm

a pang of conscience, uneasiness, misgiving, or doubt, a feeling of faintness or nausea

recourse

a person or thing turned to for help or advice

residue

a remainder

solicitous

showing concern or care, fearful or anxious about someone or something

staid

serious and dignified, quiet or subdued in character or conduct

sustain

to support, nourish keep up, to suffer undergo, to bear up under, to affirm the validity of

Aghast

(adj) filled with amazement, disgust, fear or terror

Ample

(adj) more than enough, large, spacious

apparition

(n) a ghost or ghostly figure; an unexplained or unusual appearance

assert

(v) to declare or state as truth, maintain or defend, put forward forcefully

Cower

(v) to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame

Disdain

(v) to look upon with scorn; to refuse scornfully; (n) a feeling of contempt

Epitaph

(n) a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone

ethical

(adj) having to do with morals, values, right and wrong; in accordance with standards of right conduct; requiring a prescription for purchase

Facetious

(adj) humorous, not meant seriously

Inaudible

(adj) not able to be heard

Indiscriminate

(adj) without restraint or control; unselective

intrigue

(n) crafty dealings, underhanded plotting; (v) to form and carry out plots; to puzzle or excite the curiosity

jurisdiction

(n) and area of authority or control; the right to administer justice

plausible

(adj) appearing true, reasonable, or fair

Plebeian

(adj) common, vulgar, belonging to the lower class; (n) a common person, member of the lower class

Prodigal

(adj) wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant

Proximity

(n) nearness, closeness

Pulverize

(v) to grind or pound to a powder to destroy or overcome

sequel

(n) that which follows, a result; a literary work or film continuing the story of one written or made earlier

Volatile

(adj) highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive; changing readily from the liquid to the gaseous state