English 11H Vocab 11 & 12 (definitions)

battery

A beating or pounding, especially an unlawful beating as in assault or battery; Guns or heavy artillery; A group od similar things used together

battlement

A defense wall with alternating high and low sections (often used in plural forms)

abate

To reduce in quantity or intensity, to subside, to diminish

bellicose

Warlike, eager to fight

belligerent

A country or persons engaged in warfare or hostile action; Behaving in a hostile or aggressive manner, engaged in combat

daunt

To intimidate, to discourage or dishearten

indomitable

Unconquerable

forte

A person’s strong point; In music loudly/forcefully

fortitude

Courage in enduring pain or trouble

carte blanche

Unrestricted power to act at one’s discretion, unconditional permission or authority

cartel

An organisation of firms in the same industry for the purple of regulating productions, pricing, and marketing of goods and decreasing competition; A coalition of political or special-interest groups to achieve a common good

cartographer

A maker of maps or charts

pugilist

A fistfighter especially a professional boxer

pugnacious

Quarrelsome, eager to fight

impugn

To oppose or attack as false, to seek or discredit

cadence

A rhythmic flow of sound, as in poetry or oratory, of movement as in marching or dancing

casuistry

The use of marals to reason what is right or wrong in everyday situations; Subtle but misleading or false application of reasoning, evasive way of making difficult decisions

decadent

Declining or decaying (applying to condition, things or people); A person who is decaying mentally or morally; (usually capitalized) A member of a group of 19th century French and English artists who were inspired by artificial and morbid things

occident

(capitalized) The parts of the world that like west of Asia, especially the countries of Europe and the western hemisphere

recidivism

A relapse into a former habit, especially criminal or antisocial behavior

cede

To yield or surrender rights or possessions, usually offically

accede

To consent, to agree (used with to); To take office or become a ruler

concession

An act of granting or yielding; Permission by authority for special use, especially the privilege of setting up a business in a certain place, or the place itself

intercede

To act on another’s behalf; To mediate in a dispute, to seek to reconcile differences

predatory

Preying on other animals; Plundering, exploiting or victimizing others

depredation

Destruction, plunder

punctilious

Precise, scrupulous, attentive to details, especially etiquette

pungent

Having a strong, biting taste or smell

compunction

Uneasiness caused by guilt, remorse, scruples

expunge

To omit, to delete, to obliterate