AP Lit Vocab 1-3

adjunct

(n.) something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic; (adj.) added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity

bellwether

(n.) the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends

caterwaul

(v.) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; (n.) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket

chimerical

(adj.) absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible

effete

(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date

fait accompli

(n.) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action

hidebound

(adj.) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative

hierarchy

(n.) any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.

Laissez-faire

(adj.) a philosophy or practice characterized by a usually deliberate abstention from direction or interference, especially with individual freedom of choice and action

liturgy

(n.) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship

morass

(n.) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand

noisome

(adj.) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious

oblivious

(adj) forgetful; unaware

Syn: insensible

Ant: aware cognizant, mindful, alert

poltroon

(n) a base coward

Syn: craven, dastard. "chicken"

Ant: stalwart, gallant

proselyte

(n) a convert; a disciple

Syn: novice, neophyte

Ant: master, teacher, guide, guru

quasi

(adj.) resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely

raillery

(n) good-humored ridicule; teasing

Syn: persiflage

ribald

(adj.) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language

supine

(adj.) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive

vignette

(n.) a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter

aegis

(n.) protection; patronage; sponsorship

SYNONYM: auspices

apprise

(v.) to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice

bibulous

(adjective)

fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent

syn: inebrious

ant: abstemious, temperate

claque

(n.) a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat

deracinate

(v.) to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of

syn: extirpate, eradicate, expunge

ant: implant, nurture, foster, instill

exegesis

(n.) an explanation of a text; a critical interpretation

indigenous

originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

lachrymose

(adj.) given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious

lexicon

(n.) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium

melee

(n.) a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling

microcosm

a miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system

miniscule

(adj.) very small, tiny; (n.) a lowercase letter

obfuscate

(v.) to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder

paternalism

(n.) the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children

polarize

(v.) to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern

purview

(n.) the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute

sanguine

(adj.) Having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook

solecism

(n.) a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake

vassal

(n.) a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant; (adj.) subservient

verisimilitude

(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable

ancillary

(adj) subordinate or supplementary

syn: auxiliary, accessory

ant: central, key, primary, principal, main

bowdlerize

(v.) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)

syn: purge, expurgate

condescend

(v.) to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner

cozen

(v) to trick; to cheat or swindle

syn: dupe, deceive, beguile, inveigle

enclave

(n.) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character

forte

(n.) a persons strong point; what a person does best

syn:gift, aptitude, specialty

ant:weakness, foible

gratis

(adj.) free; (adv.) without charge

icon

(n.) a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion

interstice

(n.) a small, narrow space between things or parts of things

macrocosm

(n.) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something

mountebank

a trickster or swindler; a charlatan

syn- impostor, quack

ant- "mark", "pigeon"

paean

(n) a song of praise, joy, or triumph

syn: ode, anthem

ant: dirge, elegy, threnody

persiflage

(n.) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing

syn: banter, jesting, badinage

plethora

(n). overfullness; superabundance; superfluity

SYN: surplus, surfeit, glut, excess

ANT: shortage, paucity, dearth, scarcity

pragmatic

(adj.) concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions

quizzical

(adj.) puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal

rapacity

(n.) inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder

syn: avarice, cupidity, voraciousness

ant: liberality, altruism

schism

(n.) a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions

therapeutic

(adj.) having the power to heal or cure; beneficial

virtuoso

(n.) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj.) masterly or brilliant