SAT Vocab Lesson 7-8

adroit

skillful; clever

macroscopic

visble to the naked eye

fatuous

foolish; inane

bovine

pertaining to cows or cattle

ferret

to search or drive out

affectation

a phony attitude; pose

knell

sound made by a bell, often rung slowly for a death or funeral

dichotomy

division into two parts

callow

young and inexperienced

laconic

using few words; short; consise

quiddity

an essential quality

patent

evident or obvious

peccadillo

a minor offense; a misdeed

sagacious

wise; having keen perception and sound judgement

rationalize

to make excuse for

deride

to ridicule; to mock

censure

to criticize sharply

gambol

to frolic; to romp about playfully

immolate

to kill someone as a sacrificial victim, usually by fire

recondite

difficult to understand; profound

martinet

a strict disciplinarian; taskmaster

quagmire

a swamp; a difficult or inextricable situation

gibe

to scoff; to ridicule

agape

open-mouthed; surprised, agog

carcinogen

causing cancer

olfactory

pertaining to smell

imperious

domineering; haughty

grotesque

absurd; distorted

neologism

new word or expression

hackneyed

commonplace; overused