Fiske WordPower Vocabulary Stage 1

Flashcards covering essential vocabulary terms and definitions from the first stage of Fiske WordPower.

ape

The action of attempting an overly exact imitation and ending up with negative or laughable results.

dun

To insist on the payment of a debt; also refers to a brownish gray color.

fop

A man who is too concerned with his looks and his clothes.

gad

To move about or travel, usually in an aimless way.

hex

An evil spell or the act of putting an evil spell on someone.

ken

Your understanding or the limits of your knowledge.

pox

A rather old-fashioned noun meaning bad luck; also used for viral diseases like smallpox.

sow

As a verb, to plant a seed literally or figuratively; as a noun, the female pig.

vex

To annoy or perplex, often used for small matters.

vie

A verb meaning to compete or contend.

amalgamation

To mix or combine into a unified whole.

admixture

A noun that means the same as mixture; to mix with.

eclectic

Made up from a variety of sources.

catholic

Comprehensive, universal, or of broad scope.

motley

Composed of a variety of sources; heterogeneous; or having many colors.

corroborate

To bring in new evidence to strengthen or support an idea or argument.

asunder

Apart or into separate pieces.

diaspora

The dispersion of a people from their original homeland or the dispersion of a language or culture.

cleave

To split, cut, or penetrate; also means to stick to or be faithful to.

disseminate

To scatter widely or to disperse, as in sowing seed.

aphrodisiac

Food or drugs that allegedly make men and women feel more amorous.

chthonic

Related to forces from the underworld.

hector

To bully or try to force someone to do something.

hermetic

Completely sealed so that no air can get in; also describes pseudo-sciences that are sealed off to outsiders.

junoesque

Describing a woman who is unusually tall, stately, and beautiful so as to seem divine.

mercurial

Describes someone whose moods change very rapidly; volatile.

mnemonic

Relating to memory; a device used to assist the memory.

muse

To lose yourself in your thoughts, perhaps awaiting inspiration.

bemused

Passively reaching a state of unfocused thinking.

odyssey

A long journey of the literal sort, or a journey of the intellect or spirit.

saturnine

Gloomy or even bitterly sarcastic and mocking.

magnanimous

Extremely generous and forgiving; courageously noble in mind and heart.

parsimonious

Excessively stingy; the opposite of magnanimous.

prodigal

Extremely wasteful or extravagant; lavishly abundant.

penurious

Stingy, unwilling to spend money, or poverty-stricken and destitute.

eleemosynary

Contributing to charity or dependent upon charity.

frugal

Extremely economical; thrifty.

munificent

Very generous in giving.

avaricious

Greedy or desirous of gain; wanting something too much.

mean

Miserly and stingy; low in value.

indulgent

Lenient or willing to gratify.

equine

Bearing the characteristics of horses, asses, or zebras.

bovine

Relating to the characteristics of cows, oxen, or buffaloes; sluggish and dull.

lupine

Ravenous, extremely hungry, or rapacious; having the characteristics of a wolf.

ursine

Bear-like.

porcine

Resembling a swine or a pig, either physically or behaviorally.

simian

Anyone who resembles an ape or a monkey.

serpentine

Snake-like in behavior (sly and tempting) or physically resembling a snake.

pachyderm

Large, thick-skinned, hoofed animals including elephants, rhinoceroses, and hippopotamuses.

avian

Having the characteristics of birds.

herpetology

The study of reptiles and amphibians.

laconic

Saying little; concise.

taciturn

Silent; implying a grudging conversational style.

lapidary

Precision of wording, usually in writing; jewel-like phrasing.

pithy

A style of word use that is both brief and forceful.

succinct

Concise speaking or writing; words are 'belted' tightly.

terse

Brief and to the point; 'cleansed' of unnecessary words.

garrulous

Talking a great deal; going on and on.

prattling

Meaningless chatter.

glib

Speaking effortlessly but without enough thought or sincerity.

prolix

A pouring forth of too many words and phrases; wordiness.

maundering

To keep going in a rambling, wandering, or negative way.