SSAT Deck 10

abacus

a simple device for calculating, consisting of a frame with rows of wires or grooves along which beads are slid.

adobe

a kind of clay used as a building material./a building constructed from adobe clay or bricks.

aggress

attack or behave aggressively towards; initiate a conflict with.

alchemy

a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.

amethyst

a purple stone, type of quartz, that is used to make jewelry

apocryphal

(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.

apse

a large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof and typically at the church's eastern end.

asperation

the act of asperating; a making or becoming rough

automaton

a moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being.

bacchus

Roman god of wine

bauble

a small, showy trinket or decoration.

belfry

the part of a bell tower or steeple in which bells are housed.

bellwether

the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck.

bibliophile

a person who collects or has a great love of books.

bibulous

excessively fond of drinking alcohol.

bilk

obtain or withhold money from (someone) unfairly or by deceit; cheat or defraud.

bough

a main branch of a tree.

browbeat

intimidate (someone), typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words.

capon

a castrated male chicken fattened for eating.

chaff

the husks of corn or other seed separated by winnowing or threshing.

charlatan

a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill.

chattel

(in general use) a personal possession.

cobbler

a person who mends shoes as a job.

contiguous

sharing a common border; touching./next or together in sequence.

contumelious

(of behavior) scornful and insulting; insolent.

crank

turn the crankshaft of (an internal combustion engine) in order to start the engine.

credenza

a sideboard or cupboard.

cozen

(of a mark or sign) serving to indicate different pronunciations of a letter above or below which it is written.

diacritical

trick or deceive.

din

a loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise.

dominion

the territory of a sovereign or government.

draftee

a person conscripted for military service.

dross

something regarded as worthless; rubbish.

eclat

brilliant display or effect.

elegy

(in modern literature) a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

emissary

a person sent as a diplomatic representative on a special mission.

epilogue

a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened.

epoch

a particular period of time in history or a person's life.

expurgate

remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a text or account).

faction

a small organized dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics.

filament

a slender threadlike object or fibre, especially one found in animal or plant structures.

fledgling

a young bird that has just fledged.

florid

having a red or flushed complexion./excessively intricate or elaborate.

flotsam

the wreckage of a ship or its cargo found floating on or washed up by the sea.

fuselage

the main body of an aircraft.

galley

a low, flat ship with one or more sails and up to three banks of oars, chiefly used for warfare or piracy and often manned by slaves or criminals.

gaunt

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

gingham

lightweight plain-woven cotton cloth, typically checked in white and a bold colour.

girder

a large iron or steel beam or compound structure used for building bridges and the framework of large buildings.

gorge

a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it./eat a large amount greedily; fill oneself with food.

grotto

a small picturesque cave, especially an artificial one in a park or garden.

guffaw

a loud and hearty laugh.

hackneyed

(of a phrase or idea) having been overused; unoriginal and trite.

hamlet

a small settlement, generally one smaller than a village, and strictly (in Britain) one without a church.

harangue

a lengthy and aggressive speech.

headstrong

energetically wilful and determined.

hearth

the floor of a fireplace.

hew

chop or cut (something, especially wood or coal) with an axe, pick, or other tool.

hidebound

unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention.

hoary

greyish white./overused and unoriginal; trite.

holly

a widely distributed evergreen shrub, typically having prickly dark green leaves, small white flowers, and red berries.

hovel

a small squalid or simply constructed dwelling.

iconoclastic

criticizing or attacking cherished beliefs or institutions.

impinge

have an effect, especially a negative one.

impute

represent (something, especially something undesirable) as being done or possessed by someone; attribute.

incandescent

emitting light as a result of being heated.

incontrovertible

not able to be denied or disputed.

indefatigable

(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.

indigent

poor; needy.

infidel

a person who has no religion or whose religion is not that of the majority.

inveigle

persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery.

irascible

having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.

jettison

throw or drop (something) from an aircraft or ship.

kiln

a furnace or oven for burning, baking, or drying, especially one for calcining lime or firing pottery.

knoll

a small hill or mound.

lachrymose

tearful or given to weeping.

lagoon

a small freshwater lake near a larger lake or river.

lathe

a machine for shaping wood, metal, or other material by means of a rotating drive which turns the piece being worked on against changeable cutting tools.

levee

an embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river.

lugubrious

looking or sounding sad and dismal.

lummox

a clumsy, stupid person.

maelstrom

a powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river.

mendacity

untruthfulness.

mercurial

subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.

miff

annoy./a petty quarrel or fit of pique.

miller

a person who owns or works in a corn mill.

miter

a tall headdress worn by bishops and senior abbots as a symbol of office, tapering to a point at front and back with a deep cleft between./a joint made between two pieces of wood or other material at an angle of 90°, such that the line of junction bisects this angle.

morass

an area of muddy or boggy ground./a complicated or confused situation.

mosaic

a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small pieces of stone, tile, glass, etc.

nadir

the lowest or most unsuccessful point in a situation.

obdurate

stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.

obstreperous

noisy and difficult to control.

ore

a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be extracted profitably.

outmoded

old-fashioned.

paisley

a distinctive intricate pattern of curved feather-shaped figures based on an Indian pine-cone design.

pallor

an unhealthy pale appearance.

panegyric

a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.

papyrus

a material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant, used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing or painting on and also for making articles such as rope.

parchment

a stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, usually a sheep or goat, and used as a durable writing surface in ancient and medieval times.

patrician

an aristocrat or nobleman.