Quarter 1 English Vocabulary

Ambrosia

anything that tastes (smells) good enough to be eaten by the gods; good with an especially delicious flavor or aroma

Byzantine

artistically and architecturally elaborate, decorative, and colorful; complex;

Cretin

a dense, slow stupid person

Dwem

a white male, now deceased, of European extraction-A term of denigration, generally used as a backlash against the traditional focus on the hitorical and cultural achievements of Caucasian makes to the exclusion of woman and non white persons.

Greenbelt

a beltlike area around a city or residential area reserved for parks, stands of trees, or uncultivated land

Ideologue

a person devoted to a specific ideology; one greatly influenced by ideas, especially theoretical ones

Minimality

the smallest possible amount; a very small quantity; the state of being minimal

Picaresque

characteristic of a tale of the experiences of roguish characters “on the road”.  

Rockabilly

a type of popular music that combines rock-and-roll with country and western music

Transponder

a radio or radar unit that upon being activated by an incoming electrical signal sends a signal of its own

Bomfog

that part of a (political) speech or monograph that reiterates stereotypical brotherhood and religious platitudes for the purpose of patronizing the intended audience

Bowdlerize

to expurgate a book by changing or eliminating passages that may be considered offensive or indelicate

Bureaucratese

a depersonalized style of language often used by (governmental) bureaucrats and characterized by excessive abstraction, jargon, circumlocution and euphemism

Dynapolis

a planned town or city intended for orderly growth along one or more major traffic arteries

Erotica

tasteful art and literature treating the subject of sexual love

Gasohol

a blend of gasoline and alcohol, usually containing only about 10% ethyl alcohol and 90% unleaded gasoline

Hooliganism

general rowdiness and thievery by a group of ruffians

Jawbone

to (attempt to) convince or persuade through the use of pressure arising from the power of a high position

Maverick

one who belongs to no established (political) group; a dissenter

Moped

a lightweight motorbike that can also be pedaled

Grunt

originally, an unflattering designation for an American foot soldier serving in Vietnam; by extension any person employed in routine, unglamorous, physical work

Lethargy

a condition of sluggishness, dullness or torpidity

Martinet

a very strict disciplinarian, a stickler for regulations

Nonperson

an individual who, usually after having done something very bad, is regarded as nonexistent, or as never having existed

Awol

absent without official permission.  a person who is supposed to be at a specific place but isn’t

Billingsgate

very foul, vulgar language

Condominium

a housing complex in which each living unit is owned individually; an individual living unit within such a complex

Glitterati

the universally known and admired members of society, although not necessarily for their education or scholarship, the beautiful people

Rodomontade

language which is arrogantly boastful and blustering

Slumlord

an absentee landlord who rents slum dwellings in urban areas, usually at inflated rates, and makes little effort to maintain the residence

Acrolect

the most prestigious dialect of a given language or a language spoken in a specific region or country

Benchmark

anything that establishes a standard by which others (of a similar category) may be measured

Cobol

a standardized computer language employing English words and used primarily in business applications

Derrick

a towerlike framework (apparatus) for lifting and moving heavy objects or for supporting machinery

Gerrymander

to divide a voting area so as to give one political party an electoral majority in as many districts as possible; to manipulate any social or political situation in order to gain an edge

Glitch

a sudden, brief (unwanted) surge of electrical power, a false or incorrect electrical signal; a malfunction or minor problem causing a temporary setback

Odyssey

an extended journey or long period spent wandering about

Oxbridge

the English universities Oxford and Cambridge viewed as a single entity; the sometimes affected acrolect spoken by graduates of Oxbridge

Platonic

related to that which is mental or spiritual rather than physical or sensual

Slurb

a poorly planned suburban area with cheapy constructed and often grimly uniform housing, and little space devoted to parks and recreation

Boycott

to join in a group and refuse to do business with someone. an instance of taking such action

Cola

a periodic adjustment in wages or other benefits based upon fluctuations in the cost of living

Cyborg

a human being modified (permanently or temporarily) by linkage to one or more mechanical devices for life in the non-Earth environment.

Malapropism

a word (humorously) misused for another word

Navicert

a document certifying that a friendly or neutral ship may pass through a naval blockade exempt from search or seizure

Neophilia

a love of or infatuation with all things new or novel

Pollyanna

a person persistently, excessively, and blindly optimistic

SIDS

the unexplained death of an apparently well infant, usually occurring during sleep and most often in the third or fourth month of life

Spoonerism

the inadvertent, often humorous transposition of word beginnings

Underwhelm

to fail to stimulate or impress; to fall short of expectations; to disappoint

Aegis

a protection or sponsorship

AIDS

a condition caused by a virus, which is transmitted through the exchange of body fluids, destroying the victim’s ability to resist infection and disease

Bionics

the technology that designs implements, instruments, or entire systems imitating the form of living organisms

Gargantuan

enormous, gigantic, prodigious

Lilliputian

a tiny in both physical size and mental outlook; narrow-minded and petty; a small narrow-minded person

Novantique

new and old at the same time; an idea or object that is simultaneously modern and yet old or from the past

Solon

a wise lawmaker-often ironically

Ufologist

a person who has made a careful study of UFO’s, especially one who thinks they come from outer space

Unflappable

possessing strong self-assurance and self-control; always remaining cool and calm

Videot

a person who has become passive and narrow-focused through over-immersion in television watching or other video activities

Aerobics

(n) a system of physical exercise designed to increase the intake of oxygen for the purpose of improving the circulatory system, especially the heart and lungs

Amerind

(n) an American Indian or Eskimo; (a) related in any way to native American or Eskimo culture

Gentrification

(n) the conversion of older urban areas as by the remodeling of run-down dwellings into neighborhoods for more affluent middle-class people thus increasing property values and displacing the poor

Laser

(n) a device that produces a very narrow and intense beam of light (of only a single wavelength) going in one direction

Nemesis

(n) anything that constantly frustrates one; appropriate punishment or retribution

Quisling

(n) a traitor or collaborator

Sitcom

(n) a television series treating current social themes or situations in a generally light and humorous fashion

Stonewall

(v) to act in an uncooperative and obstructive manner, as when protecting one’s interests under severe challenge or questioning

Wasp

(n) a person of white northern European and usually Protestant stock whose members are held to make up a privileged influential and conservative class in United States society

Yahoo

(n) a crude, coarse, or degraded person

Academese

(n) a style of writing (or speech) characteristic of people in academic life; writing that is sometimes too attentive to scholarship and elevation of style and thus difficult to understand

Cafetorium

(n) a large open area (especially in public schools) designed for feeding people cafeteria-style at specific times and for seating for various assemblies and performances at other times

Cremains

(n) the ashes of a cremated human body intended for burial or some commemorative ceremony

Draconian

(n) a harsh and rigorous person

Networking

(n) the development of extensive contacts with other people in the same occupation or with similar interests for the purpose of mutual support or the exchange of information

Quixotic

(a) extravagantly romantic idealistic and chivalrous

Snafu

(n) a characteristic confusion often on a large scale; any chaotic or confused situation

Stentorian

(n) a person who always talks too loudly

Titian

(n) a reddish golden brown (a) auburn

Yuppie

(n) a young professional person stereotypically materialistic upscale ambitious faddish

Bedlam

any place or situation of total confusion

Bedlamite

an insane person or one who exists in an insane environment

Cardigan

a knitted sweater (jacket) that opens down the front

Chortle

to chuckle and snort at the same time, as with delight

Credentialism

excessive emphasis upon official or institutional credentials, such as college degrees, as a prerequisite for employment-often to the exclusion of people who are otherwise more capable

De-escalate

to reverse an escalation, as of (military) hostilities; to lesson or reduce in magnitude, scope or intensity

Mentor

a wise (personal) teacher or coach

Natalism

a policy or general attitude that encourages population growth, often in the face of limited resources

Pretean

able to take on a variety of forms or characters; versatile

REM

the occasional rapid and intense movement of the eyeballs under closed lids during the dreaming stage of sleep

Stagflation

an economic situation combining a downturn in production (nationwide) and rising prices for the consumer

Antifeminist

opposed or hostile to the basic tenets of feminism-that women should enjoy the same social, political and economic right as men: a person who holds such views

Chauvinism

excessive devotion to one’s own country, group, tribe or gender, fanatical patriotism

Flextime

a scheduling system allowing employees some choice in their working hours, although usually not in the total number of hours

Gimlet

excessive and overblown showiness or ornamentation, often with the intent of hiding a lack of basic substance

Palimony

money paid like alimony to one member of an unmarried couple that has lived together for an extended period of time and then separated

Serendipity

a lucky aptitude for making fortunate discoveries quite by accident

Sisyphean

requiring endless toil to no particular end; uselessly difficult

Sonar

a means of detecting the existence and location of an underwater object by means of soundwaves bounced off the object

Sunbelt

that part of the southern and southwestern United States with mild winters and , in recent years, enjoying substantial population and economic growth