AP Eng Lang Vocab 3&4

evolve

to develop or achieve gradually

immutable

unchangeable; not subject or susceptible to change

inveterate

a) firmly established and having existed for a long time; deep-rooted

b) habitual; repeatedly acting according to an ingrained habit

malleable

a) capable of being shaped or formed, as by hammering or pressure

b) easily controlled or influenced

metamorphosis

a marked change in form, character or function; transformation

modulate

to adjust or adapt to a certain level or proportion; to regulate

protean

readily taking on different forms, characteristics, or meanings

sporadic

a) scattered; occuring at irregular intervals; having no regular patterns

b) isolated; infrequent

transmute

to change from one form to another; to transform

volatile

a) tending to vary often or widely, as in price; subject to change

b) tending toward violence; explosive

c) evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures

abstruse

difficult to understand

acumen

quickness and keenness of insight and judgement

ascertain

to discover or determine with certainty, especially through examination or experimentation

cerebral

a) of or relating to the brain

b) appealing to or requiring the use of intellect; intellectual

faculty

a) a natural power or ability

b) a division of a university or a group of teacher

obfuscate

a) to make difficult to understand

b) to darken; to make dim or difficult to see

ruminate

a) to think deeply about; to turn a matter over and over in one’s mind

b) to chew cud, or partially digested food

stymie

to prevent from making progress; to frustrate or thwart efforts

surmise

a) to guess; to draw a conclusion without sufficient evidence

b) a guess; a conclusion drawn without sufficient evidence

tenet

a principle or belief held by a person or an organization