Lang Unit 1-3 Defintions

acquisitive

able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring great wealth or property

arrogate

to claim or take without right

banal

hackneyed, trite, commonplace

belabor

to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

carping

tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way

coherent

holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

congeal

to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

emulate

to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eschew

to avoid, shun, keep away from

germane

relevant, appropriate, fitting

insatiable

so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

intransigent

uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate

invidious

malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative

largesse

liberality, bounty

reconnaissance

exploration

substantiate

confirm, validate, authenticate

taciturn

tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic

temporize

dillydally, procrastinate

tenable

defensible, justifiable, maintainable

accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or agressive way

animadversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

avid

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

brackish

having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

celerity

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

devious

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way

gambit

in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage

halcyon

calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

histrionic

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

incendiary

deliberately setting up or causing fires; one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist

maelstrom

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

myopic

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

overt

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

perjorative

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

propriety

the state of being proper; standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

sacrilege

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

summarily

without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

talisman

an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers

suppliant

one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

undulate

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