Set 3 (Spring): Words 51-75

Angst

A feeling of anxiety or apprehension

Baroque

Extravagant, complex, or bizarre, especially in ornamentation

Bravado

A show of bravery or defiance, often intended to make an impression or mislead someone

Cacophony

Jarring, discordant sound

Catch-22

A situation where a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain b/c contradict. rules/cond.

Déjà vu

An impression of having seen or experienced something before

Élan

Enthusiastic vigor and liveliness; distinctive style or flair

Equivocate

To use vague or ambiguous language to avoid committing oneself to a position or to deceive

Fastidious

Possessing or displaying meticulous attention to detail; excessively scrupulous or sensitive, esp. in taste

Freudian slip

A verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion

Hedonist

A person who is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure, especially to the pleasure of the senses

Indelicate

Marked by a lack of good taste or consideration for the feelings of others; tactless or improper

Lugubrious

Exaggerated gloominess or mournfulness

Nanotechnology

The science of building devices from atoms and molecules

Notarize

To certify a signature as a notary of the public

Orthography

The study of correct spelling; the letters and sequences in words

Parameter

Math: a constant in an equation; a limit or boundary

Plasma

Clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood; blood from which all cells are removed & used in transfusion

Quotidian

Commonplace or ordinary; every day experiences

Respiration

The act or process of inhaling and exhaling; breathing

Suffragist

An advocate of the extension of political voting rights, especially to women

Tectonic

The forces involved in forming the geological features, such as mountains, continents, and oceans; the process of plate tectonics, such as mountain building, are tectonic events

Unctuous

Exaggerated, or insincere earnestness; having the quality or characteristics of oil or ointment; slippery

Vortex

A spiral motion of fluid, especially a whirling mass of water or air that sucks everything near it to its center

Yeoman

An attendant, servant, or lesser official in a royal or noble household