British Literature Vocab Weeks 1-4

abjure (v.)

to reject, or give up a belief

ex. She chose to abjure from her life of luxury and live simply.

abrogate (v.)

to formally cancel

ex. The Supreme Court voted to abrogate the outdated law.

abstemious (adj.)

showing restraint, especially in food and drinks

ex. He was abstemious at the party and ate a small amount of food.

acumen (n.)

ability to make good judgements, especially in a particular area

ex. Her business acumen helped her make smart decisions for the company.

antebellum (adj.)

occuring before a war, especially American Civil War

ex. The museum displayed several antebellum homes.

auspicious (adj.)

showing signs that something will be successful or favorable

ex. The sunny weather was a auspicious start to the outdoor event.

belie (v.)

to give a false impression of something or contradict

ex. His calm expression belied how nervous he actually felt.

bellicose (adj.)

aggressive and eager to fight or argue

ex. The bellicose player started a argument with the referee.

bowdlerize (v.)

to remove parts of a book, movie, or other work considered inappropriate.

ex. The publisher decided to bowdlerize the novel by removing some pages.

chicanary (n.)

dishonest or trickery behavior to acheive a goal

ex. The polititian was accused of chicanary to gain advantage over the election.

chromosome (n.)

structure in a cell that contains genetic information

ex. Humans normally have 46 chromosomes in each body cell.

churlish (adj.)

rude, unfriendly, or bad-tempered

ex. His churlish response made everyone uncomfortable.

circumlocution (n.)

using more words than necessary instead of speaking directly

ex. Instead of simply saying no, she used circumlocution to avoid giving a clear answer.

circumnavigate (v.)

to travel completely around something

ex. The sailors hoped to circumnavigate the globe.

deciduous (adj.)

describing a tree or plant that loses its leaves during a certain season

ex. The maple is a deciduous tree that loses its leaves in the fall.

deleterious (adj.)

causing harm or damage

ex. Too much stress can have deleterious effects on your health.

diffident (adj.)

shy or lacking confidence

ex. The diffident student was nervous about speaking to the class

enervate (v.)

to weaken, drain, or reduce someones energy.

ex. The long hike began to enervate the tired hikers.

enfranchise (v.)

to give someone the right to vote

ex. The law helped enfranchise more citizens.

epiphany (n.)

sudden realization

ex. I had a epiphany when I finally understood the math problem.