Words 6 (WIP)

Words and Definitions

Vagabond

a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job.

having no settled home.

wander about from place to place without a home or job.

Incredulous

(of a person or their manner) unwilling or unable to believe something.

Calamity

an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster.

Insidious

proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.

treacherous; crafty.

Unscrupulous

having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair.

Fervor

intense and passionate feeling.

Fortuitous

happening by accident or chance rather than design.

happening by a lucky chance; fortunate.

Conscientious

(of a person) wishing to do what is right, especially to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.

relating to a person's conscience.

Tact

adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.

Adroitness

cleverness or skill.

Panopticon

a design of institutional building with an inbuilt system of control, originated by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century.

Sumac

a shrub or small tree of the cashew family, with compound leaves, fruits in conical clusters, and bright autumn colors.

Collocation

the habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance.

the action of placing things side by side or in position.

Gaunt

(of a person) lean and haggard, especially because of suffering, hunger, or age.

(of a building or place) grim or desolate in appearance.

Comedogenic

tending to cause blackheads by blocking the pores of the skin.

Xerography

a technique of printing and photocopying. Originally called electrophotography, it was renamed to emphasize that it uses no liquid chemicals, unlike reproduction techniques then in use such as cyanotype.

Pearlescent

having a luster resembling that of mother-of-pearl.

Pompous

affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important.

Bourgeoisie

the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.

(in Marxist contexts) the capitalist class who own most of society's wealth and means of production.

Demure

reserved, modest, and shy (typically used of a woman).

(of clothing) giving a modest appearance.

Debased

reduced in quality or value.

Worldly

(of a person) experienced and sophisticated.

of or concerned with material values or ordinary life rather than a spiritual existence.

Mores

the essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a community.

Ire

anger.

Ubiquitous

present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Vacuous

having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless.

Doctrine

a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group.

a stated principle of government policy, mainly in foreign or military affairs.

Pervade

(especially of a smell) spread through and be perceived in every part of.

(of an influence, feeling, or quality) be present and apparent throughout.

Pedantry

excessive concern with minor details and rules.

Satisfice

accept an available option as satisfactory.

Deference

humble submission and respect.

Moreover

as a further matter; besides.

Precipitous

dangerously high or steep.

(of an action) done suddenly and without careful consideration.

Precipice

a very steep rock face or cliff, especially a tall one.

Obstinate

stubbornly holding to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion.

not easily controlled, remedied, or removed.

Maxim

Overtly

without concealment or secrecy; openly.

Conscientious

(of a person) wishing to do what is right, especially to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.

relating to a person's conscience.

Fluorescence

the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation.

Transhumanism

a philosophical movement that advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies to enhance longevity, cognition, and well-being.

Fraternity

a group of people sharing a common profession or interests.

the state or feeling of friendship and mutual support within a group.

Hazing

the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation.

humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, especially as imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority.

Abacus

a hand-operated calculating tool which was used from ancient times.

Caveat

a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations.

a notice, especially in a probate, that certain actions may not be taken without informing the person who gave the notice.

Proviso

a condition attached to an agreement.

Probate

the official proving of a will.

establish the validity of (a will).

Reciprocity

the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to another.

Laissez Faire

a policy or attitude of letting things take their own course, without interfering.

abstention by governments from interfering in the workings of the free market.

Splendor

magnificent and splendid appearance; grandeur.

magnificent features or qualities.

Haughty

arrogantly superior and disdainful.

Curb

restrain or keep in check.

Indignant

feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.

Prostrate

lying stretched out on the ground with one's face downward.

(of distress, exhaustion, or illness) reduce (someone) to extreme physical weakness.

Inept

having or showing no skill; clumsy.

Homeostasis

the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.

Interdependent

(of two or more people or things) dependent on each other.

Sneer

a contemptuous or mocking smile, remark, or tone.

smile or speak in a contemptuous or mocking manner.

Contempt

the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.

disregard for something that should be taken into account.

the offense of being disobedient to or disrespectful of a court of law and its officers.

Incur

become subject to (something unwelcome or unpleasant) as a result of one's own behavior or actions.

Appraise

assess the value or quality of.

(of an official or expert) set a price on; value.

Turbid

(of a liquid) cloudy, opaque, or thick with suspended matter.

confused or obscure in meaning or effect.

Reprieve

cancel or postpone the punishment of (someone, especially someone condemned to death).

a cancellation or postponement of a punishment.

Backflow

the movement of liquid or air back in the direction it was flowing from.

Probe

an investigation into a crime or other matter.

seek to uncover information about someone or something.

Postulate

suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of (something) as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief.

a thing suggested or assumed as true as the basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief.

Insubordinate

defiant of authority; disobedient to orders.

Duddy

ragged; tattered.

Leisure

free time.

Disenfranchised

deprive (someone) of the right to vote.

deprive (someone) of a right or privilege.

Perpetuate

make (something, typically an undesirable situation or an unfounded belief) continue indefinitely.

Academite

a member of an academy.

Perspicacious

having a ready insight into and understanding of things.

Malevolent

having or showing a wish to do evil to others.

Stagnant

(of a body of water or the atmosphere of a confined space) having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence.

Unfilial

not having or showing the qualities associated with a son or daughter.

Resonance

the quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating.

Vigilant

keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties.

Mettle

a person's ability to cope well with difficulties or to face a demanding situation in a spirited and resilient way.

Resigned

having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about.

Node

a point at which lines or pathways intersect or branch; a central or connecting point.

Vermilion

a brilliant red pigment made from mercury sulfide (cinnabar).

Exult

feel or show triumphant elation or jubilation.

Covet

yearn to possess or have (something).

Sordid

involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt.

dirty or squalid.

Squalid

(of a place) extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect.

showing or involving a contemptible lack of moral standards.

Cabal

a secret political clique or faction.

Concurrent

existing, happening, or done at the same time.

Particularism

a theory in normative ethics that runs counter to the idea that moral actions can be determined by applying universal moral principles.

Dichotomy

a division or contrast between two things that are, or are represented as being, opposed or entirely different.

repeated branching into two equal parts.

Tapestry

a piece of thick textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by weaving colored weft threads or by embroidering on canvas, used as a wall hanging or furniture covering.

used in reference to an intricate or complex combination of things or sequence of events.

Presuppose

(of an action, process, or argument) require as a precondition of possibility or coherence.

tacitly assume at the beginning of a line of argument or course of action that something is the case.

Precondition

a condition that must be fulfilled before other things can happen or be done.