Word list 14
Group 1
| Abrasion | 1. damage to skin caused by scraping; 2. process of scraping or rubbing [abrade (v)] |
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| Adumbrate | outline; indicate |
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| Cognitive | concerned with thinking or perceiving [cognition (n)] |
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| Deign | condescend |
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| Fervid | passionate |
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| Gall | 1. bitterness (bad feeling); 2. confidence; 3. abnormal growth on a plant |
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| Levee | 1. raised bank of a river; 2. morning reception held by a monarch |
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| Preternatural | unnatural; abnormal |
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| Quell | suppress |
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| Score (n) | written form of music |
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Group 2
| Abut | to adjoin |
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| Consternation | worry and concern |
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| Gavel | judge’s hammer |
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| Lien | right to sell property held as a security; legal hold on job etc. |
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| Parenthesis | remarks deviating from the main point [parentheses are round brackets in punctuation] |
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| Sinewy | vigorous; having well-developed muscles [a sinew is a tendon] |
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| Steep (v) | to soak in water |
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| Tamp | to plug; press loose matter down tightly (e.g. pack explosives into a hole) |
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| Venturing | 1. hazarding; risking; putting forward; 2. going somewhere [venturesome means courageous or willing to take risks] |
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| Wry | 1. twisted or bent to one side; 2. dryly humorous |
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Group 3
| Arduous | hard |
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| Decimated | kill or destroy a large part of (originally one tenth) |
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| Fledge | 1. grow feathers; 2. leave nest [fledgling (n) = an inexperienced person or a baby bird] |
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| Gouge | cut or dig out |
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| Picayune | insignificant; of little value |
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| Riveting | fascinating [to rivet literally means to fix metal plates using metal pins] |
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| Soliloquy | solo speech |
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| Supplicant | person who requests or begs for something [supplicate (v)] |
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| Transcendental | supernatural; going beyond normal experience [transcendent (a)] |
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| Veritable | true; genuine [verity (n)] |
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Group 4
| Condescension | talking down to someone [condescending (a)] |
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| Divest | remove; take off |
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| Eddy | circular current |
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| Epaulet | shoulder decoration |
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| Fallacy | wrong idea [fallacious (a)] |
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| Fringe | 1. decorative border with tassels (n); 2. to form an edge (v) |
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| Leaven | to make light; modify; cause bread to rise using yeast etc. |
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| Patronize | 1. to talk down to; condescend; 2. to be a customer of |
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| Prominent | 1. eminent; 2. protruding; 3. obvious |
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| Statute | law [statutory (a)] |
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Group 5
| Antipathy | hatred |
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| Aver | affirm |
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| Expatiate | speak or write at great length |
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| Flag (v) | 1. to lose energy; 2. to signal |
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| Flail | 1. tool used to thresh grain; 2. to thresh (separate grain from chaff); 3. to wave arms about wildly |
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| Indicted | accused (of crime) |
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| Loll | laze around; hang out (when used of the tongue) |
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| Malign | slander |
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| Secure (v) | 1. to fix firmly; 2. to obtain |
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| Talon | long pointed nail or claw |
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Group 6
| Abeyance | state of inactivity; disuse |
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| Disarm | 1. take away weapons; 2. win over to one’s side [disarming (a)] |
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| Elaborate | 1. complex and detailed (a); 2. to expand on (v) |
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| Foment | 1. stir up; 2. bathe with hot liquids (medical) |
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| Jockeying | maneuvering; struggling to get ahead of others [jockey (v)] |
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| Minutiae | small details |
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| Rue | regret [rueful (a)] |
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| Somatic | concerned with the body |
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| Stinting | holding back; limiting the supply (of supplies/money etc.) [stint (v)] |
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| Temperate | moderate |
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Group 7
| Allure | 1. attraction (n); 2. to attract (v) |
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| Caulk | treat with substance such as tar to make water-tight |
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| Conscript | 1. person enlisted compulsorily into the armed forces; 2. (v) to enlist compulsorily |
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| Desultory | aimless; inconsistent in effort |
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| Elegy | poem concerned with death; praise of a dead person |
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| Fallow | uncultivated |
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| Forbearing | tolerant [forbear (v); forbearance (n)] |
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| Hegemony | political domination; complete authority |
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| Improbity | lack of honesty or integrity |
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| Qualm | hesitation or fear |
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Group 8
| Assay | 1. try; 2. assess purity |
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| Chauvinist | someone excessively patriotic [chauvinism (n)] |
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| Discrete | separate; discontinuous (not to be confused with discreet - prudent; diplomatic] |
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| Enlist | 1. sign up for the army; 2. obtain |
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| Fabricated | made up; false; manufactured [fabricate (v); fabrication(n)] |
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| Fulminate | 1. attack loudly in words; denounce thunderously; 2. explode noisily |
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| Hawser | thick rope or cable |
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| Jibe | agree with; complement; match up with (in British usage jibe means mock) |
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| Peer | 1. an equal; 2. to stare at; 3. nobleman |
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| Stickler | one who is strict about rules or details |
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Group 9
| Cloture | closure; terminating a debate by voting |
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| Congruent | matching [congruency (n)] |
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| Dally | waste time; flirt |
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| Dissemble | avoid the truth |
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| Dote | be excessively fond of [doting (a)] |
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| Errant | 1. wandering; 2. wrong; 3. straying from accepted standards |
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| Fervent | passionate |
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| Stomach (v) | to tolerate |
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| Synapse | junction between two nerve cells |
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| Undercutting | offering a lower price; undermining |
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Group 10
| Arson | deliberate, criminal starting of fires |
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| Carrion | dead flesh; carcasses |
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| Intelligible | can be understood |
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| Ironclad | cannot be altered; firm |
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| Lint | fluff; soft material used to cover wounds |
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| Pretension | assumed attitude of superiority; arrogance |
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| Pundit | expert |
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| Pyre | ceremonial fire |
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| Sate | satisfy |
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| Syncopation | type of musical rhythm with missed beats |
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