AP Lang Vocabulary Test 1

nominal

nominal

adj.

1. Existing in name or form only and not in reality.

2. So small as to be unimportant; insignificant

nomenclature

n.

1. A name or designation, the act of naming.

2. A system of terms or symbols used in biology, where Latin names are given to kinds and groups of animals and plants.

ignominious

adj.

Marked with shame or disgrace; dishonorable; humiliating or degrading

misnomer

n.

A wrong name or the use of a wrong name

patrician

n.

A person of high birth or of good breeding and cultivation; an aristocrat

patriarchy

n.

A family, group, or government controlled by a man or group of men

paternalistic

adj.

Tending to supply the needs of or regulate the activities of those under one's control

expatriate

n.

A person who has moved to a foreign land

legate

n.

An official representative, such as an ambassador

legacy

n.

Something handed down by an ancestor or predecessor or received from the past

delegation

n.

A group of people chosen to represent the interests or opinions of others

relegate

v.

1. To remove or assign to a less important place.

2. To refer or hand over for decision or for carrying out

aggregate

n.

A collection or sum of units or parts

congregation

n.

A gathering of people, especially for worship or religious instruction

egregious

adj.

Standing out, especially in a bad way; flagrant

segregate

v.

To separate from others or from the general mass; isolate

affluence

n.

An abundance of wealth

effluent

n.

Polluting waste material discharged into the environment

confluence

n.

A coming or flowing together at one point

mellifluous

adj.

Flowing like honey; sweetened as if with honey

prehensile

adj.

Adapted for grasping, especially by wrapping around

aprehend

v.

1. Arrest, seize.

2. Understand

comprehend

v.

To grasp the meaning of; understand

reprehensible

adj.

Deserving stern criticism or blame

temper

v.

To dilute, qualify, or soften by adding something more agreeable; moderate

temperance

n.

1. Moderation in satisfying appetite or passions.

2. The drinking of little or no alcohol

distemper

n.

A highly contagious and usually fatal viral disease, especially of cats and dogs, marked by the destruction of white blood cells

intemperate

adj.

Not moderate or mild; excessive, extreme

purge

v.

To free of something unwanted or considered impure

expurgate

v.

To cleanse of something morally harmful or offensive; to remove objectionable parts from

purgative

adj.

1. Cleansing or purifying, especially from sin.

2. Causing significant looseness of the bowels

purgatory

n.

According to Roman Catholic doctrine, the place where the souls of those who have died in God's grace must pay for their sins through suffering before ascending to heaven; a place or state of temporary suffering or misery

millefleur

adj.

Having a pattern of small flowers and plants all over

millenarianism

n.

1. Belief in the 1,000 year era of holiness foretold in the Book of Revelation.

2. Belief in an ideal society to come, especially one brought about by a revelation

millepede

n.

Any of a class of many-footed arthropods that have a cylindrical, segmented body with two pairs of legs on each segment, and, unlike centipedes, no poison fangs

millisecond

n.

One thousandth of a second

semicolon

n.

The punctuation mark used chiefly to separate elements such as independent clauses

semitone

n.

The tone at a half step

hemiplegia

n.

Total or partial paralysis of one side of the body that results from disease of or injury to the motor centers of the brain

semiconductor

n.

A solid that conducts electricity like a metal at high temperatures and insulates like a nonmetal at low temperatures

NOM

comes from the Latin word for "name"

PATER/PATR

comes from both the Greek and Latin word for "father"

LEGA

from the Latin legare, meaning "to appoint" or "to send as a deputy" 

GREG

from the Latin grex, "herd" or "flock"

FLU

from the Latin verb fluere, "to flow"

PREHEND/PREHENS

from the Latin verb prehendere, "to seize"

TEMPER

from the Lating verb temperare, "to moderate or keep within limits" or "to mix"

MILL

from Latin meaning either "a thousand" or "a thousandth"