Vocab Unit 2 Level G DEFINITIONS

Accost

(v) approach and speak to first; confront in a challenging or aggressive way

Animadversion

(n) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

Avid

(adj) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

Brackish

(adj) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

Celerity

(n) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

Devious

(adj) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhand way

Gambit

(n) in chess and opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

Halcyon

(n) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

Histrionic

(adj) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic S: affected, stagy

Incendiary

(adj) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to sir up strife or rebellion; (n) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who cases strife

Maelstrom

(n) whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

Myopic

(adj) nearsighted, lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

Overt

(adj) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is not easily recognized

Pejorative

(adj) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

Propriety

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

Sacrilege

(n) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

Summarily

(adv) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

Suppliant

(adj) asking humbly and earnestly (n) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

Talisman

(n) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

Undulate

(v) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form