Group 12 - Riffle Glossary

Words

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adamant adj.1) unshakable in purpose, determination, or opinion; unyielding. 2) a less common word for adamantine 1). ;n.3) any extremely hard or apparently unbreakable substance. 4) a legendary stone said to be impenetrable, often identified with the diamond or loadstone. ;

adept adj.1) very proficient in something requiring skill or manual dexterity. 2) skilful; expert. ;n.3) a person who is skilled or proficient in something. ;

adhere vb. (intr). 1) (usually foll by to) to stick or hold fast. 2) (foll by to) to be devoted (to a political party, cause, religion, etc.); be a follower (of). 3) (foll by to) to follow closely or exactly. ;

admonish vb. (tr). 1) to reprove firmly but not harshly. 2) to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution. ;

adorn vb. (tr). 1) to decorate. 2) to increase the beauty, distinction, etc., of. ;

adroit adj.1) skilful or dexterous. 2) quick in thought or reaction. ;

adulation n.obsequious flattery or praise; extreme admiration ;

adumbrate vb. (tr). 1) to outline; give a faint indication of. 2) to foreshadow. 3) to overshadow; obscure. ;

adverse <No meaning yet.>

aerial adj.1) of, relating to, or resembling air. 2) existing, occurring, moving, or operating in the air. 3) ethereal; light and delicate. 4) imaginary; visionary. 5) extending high into the air; lofty. 6) of or relating to aircraft. ;n.7) Also called: antenna. ;

aesthetic adj. also aesthetical or sometimes US esthetical. 1) connected with aesthetics or its principles. 2). a) relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations. b) artistic or relating to good taste. ;n.3) a principle of taste or style adopted by a particular person, group, or culture. ;

affable adj.1) showing warmth and friendliness; kindly; mild; benign. 2) easy to converse with; approachable; amicable. ;

affinity n., pl -ties. 1) (foll by with or for) a natural liking, taste, or inclination towards a person or thing. 2) the person or thing so liked. 3) a close similarity in appearance or quality; inherent likeness. 4) relationship by marriage or by ties other than of blood, as by adoption. 5) similarity in structure, form, etc., between different animals, plants, or languages. 6) chemistry. a) the tendency for two substances to combine; chemical attraction. b) a measure of the tendency of a chemical reaction to take place expressed in terms of the free energy change. 7) biology a measure of the degree of interaction between two molecules, such as an antigen and antibody or a hormone and its receptor. ;

affluent adj.1) rich; wealthy. 2) abundant; copious. 3) flowing freely. ;n.4) archaic a tributary stream. ;

affront n.1) a deliberate insult. ;vb. (tr). 2) to insult, esp openly. 3) to offend the pride or dignity of. 4) obsolete to confront defiantly. ;

aggrandize or A .ggrandise. ;vb. (tr). 1) to increase the power, wealth, prestige, scope, etc., of. 2) to cause (something) to seem greater; magnify; exaggerate. ;

aggregate adj.1) formed of separate units collected into a whole; collective; corporate. 2) (of fruits and flowers) composed of a dense cluster of carpels or florets. ;n.3) a sum or assemblage of many separate units; sum total. 4) geology a rock, such as granite, consisting of a mixture of minerals. 5) the sand and stone mixed with cement and water to make concrete. 6) a group of closely related biotypes produced by apomixis, such as brambles, which are the Rubus fruticosus aggregate. 7). ;vb.8) to combine or be combined into a body, etc. 9) (tr) to amount to (a number). ;

aggrieved <No meaning yet.>

agile adj.1) quick in movement; nimble. 2) mentally quick or acute. ;

agnostic n.1) a person who holds that knowledge of a Supreme Being, ultimate cause, etc., is impossible. 2) a person who claims, with respect to any particular question, that the answer cannot be known with certainty. ;adj.3) of or relating to agnostics. ;

agriculture n.the science or occupation of cultivating land and rearing crops and livestock; farming; husbandry ;

aisle n.1) a passageway separating seating areas in a theatre, church, etc.; gangway. 2) a lateral division in a church flanking the nave or chancel. 3). ;

alias adv.1) at another time or place known as or named. ;n., pl -ases. 2) an assumed name. ;

allay vb.1) to relieve (pain, grief, etc.) or be relieved. 2) (tr) to reduce (fear, anger, etc.). ;

allege vb. (tr; may take a clause as object). 1) to declare in or as if in a court of law; state without or before proof. 2) to put forward (an argument or plea) for or against an accusation, claim, etc. 3) archaic to cite or quote, as to confirm. ;

alleviate vb. (tr). to make (pain, sorrow, etc.) easier to bear; lessen; relieve ;

allocate vb. (tr). 1) to assign or allot for a particular purpose. 2) a less common word for locate 2). ;

aloof adj.distant, unsympathetic, or supercilious in manner, attitude, or feeling ;

altercation n.an angry or heated discussion or quarrel; argument ;

amalgamate vb.1) to combine or cause to combine; unite. 2) to alloy (a metal) with mercury. ;

ambiguous adj.1) having more than one possible interpretation or meaning. 2) difficult to understand or classify; obscure. ;

ambivalence or A .mbivalency. ;n.the simultaneous existence of two opposed and conflicting attitudes, emotions, etc ;

amenable adj.1) open or susceptible to suggestion; likely to listen, cooperate, etc. 2) accountable for behaviour to some authority; answerable. 3) capable of being or liable to be tested, judged, etc. ;

amenity n., pl -ties. 1) (often plural) a useful or pleasant facility or service. 2) the fact or condition of being pleasant or agreeable. 3) (usually plural) a social courtesy or pleasantry. ;

amiable adj.having or displaying a pleasant or agreeable nature; friendly ;

amicable adj.characterized by friendliness ;

amorous adj.1) inclined towards or displaying love or desire. 2) in love. 3) of or relating to love. ;

amorphous adj.1) lacking a definite shape; formless. 2) of no recognizable character or type. 3) (of chemicals, rocks, etc.) not having a crystalline structure. ;

anachronistic <No meaning yet.>

analgesic adj.1) of or causing analgesia. ;n.2) a substance that produces analgesia. ;

analogous adj.1) similar or corresponding in some respect. 2) biology (of organs and parts) having the same function but different evolutionary origin. 3) linguistics formed by analogy. ;

anarchist n.1) a person who advocates the abolition of government and a social system based on voluntary cooperation. 2) a person who causes disorder or upheaval. ;

anathema n., pl -mas. 1) a detested person or thing. 2) a formal ecclesiastical curse of excommunication or a formal denunciation of a doctrine. 3) the person or thing so cursed. 4) a strong curse; imprecation. ;

anecdote n.a short usually amusing account of an incident, esp a personal or biographical one ;

anesthesia n.the usual US spelling of anaesthesia ;

anguish n.1) extreme pain or misery; mental or physical torture; agony. ;vb.2) to afflict or be afflicted with anguish. ;

animated adj.1) full of vivacity and spirit; lively. 2) characterized by movement and activity. 3) possessing life; animate. 4) moving or appearing to move as if alive. 5) pertaining to cinematographic animation. ;

annul vb. -nuls, -nulling, -nulled (tr). to make (something, esp a law or marriage) void; cancel the validity of; abolish ;

anomalous adj.deviating from the normal or usual order, type, etc.; irregular, abnormal, or incongruous ;

anomaly n., pl -lies. 1) something anomalous. 2) deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc.; irregularity. 3) astronomy. a) Also called: true anomaly. b) Also called: eccentric anomaly. c) Also called: mean anomaly. 4) geology. a) Also called: gravity anomaly. b) Also called: magnetic anomaly. ;

anonymous adj.1) from or by a person, author, etc., whose name is unknown or withheld. 2) having no known name. 3) lacking individual characteristics; unexceptional. 4) (often capital) denoting an organization which provides help to applicants who remain anonymous. ;

antagonism n.1) openly expressed and usually mutual opposition. 2) the inhibiting or nullifying action of one substance or organism on another. 3) physiology the normal opposition between certain muscles. 4) biology the inhibition or interference of growth of one kind of organism by another. ;

antecedent n.1) an event, circumstance, etc., that happens before another. 2) grammar a word or phrase to which a pronoun refers. In the sentence "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," people is the antecedent of who. 3) logic the hypothetical clause, usually introduced by "if", in a conditional statement: that which implies the other. 4) mathematics an obsolescent name for numerator 1). 5). ;adj.6) preceding in time or order; prior. ;

antediluvian adj.1) belonging to the ages before the biblical Flood (Genesis 7, 8). 2) old-fashioned or antiquated. ;n.3) an antediluvian person or thing. ;

anthology n., pl -gies. 1) a collection of literary passages or works, esp poems, by various authors. 2) any printed collection of literary pieces, songs, works of art, etc. ;

antipathy n., pl -thies. 1) a feeling of intense aversion, dislike, or hostility. 2) the object of such a feeling. ;

antiquated adj.1) outmoded; obsolete. 2) aged; ancient. ;

antithesis n., pl -ses [-ˌsi:z]. 1) the exact opposite. 2) contrast or opposition. 3) rhetoric the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, phrases, or words so as to produce an effect of balance, such as my words fly up, my thoughts remain below. 4) philosophy the second stage in the Hegelian dialectic contradicting the thesis before resolution by the synthesis. ;

anxiety n., pl -ties. 1) a state of uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible future misfortune, danger, etc.; worry. 2) intense desire; eagerness. 3) psychology a state of intense apprehension or worry often accompanied by physical symptoms such as shaking, intense feelings in the gut, etc., common in mental illness or after a very distressing experience. ;

apathetic adj.having or showing little or no emotion; indifferent ;

apocryphal adj.1) of questionable authenticity. 2) (sometimes capital) of or like the Apocrypha. 3) untrue; counterfeit. ;

appalling adj.causing extreme dismay, horror, or revulsion ;

appease vb. (tr). 1) to calm, pacify, or soothe, esp by acceding to the demands of. 2) to satisfy or quell (an appetite or thirst, etc.). ;

appraise vb. (tr). 1) to assess the worth, value, or quality of. 2) to make a valuation of, as for taxation purposes. ;

apprise or A .pprize. ;vb. (tr; often foll by of). to make aware; inform ;

approbation n.1) commendation; praise. 2) official recognition or approval. 3) an obsolete word for proof. ;

appropriate adj.1) right or suitable; fitting. 2) rare particular; own. ;vb. (tr). 3) to take for one's own use, esp illegally or without permission. 4) to put aside (funds, etc.) for a particular purpose or person. ;

arable adj.1) (of land) being or capable of being tilled for the production of crops. 2) of, relating to, or using such land. ;n.3) arable land or farming. ;

arbiter n.1) a person empowered to judge in a dispute; referee; arbitrator. 2) a person having complete control of something. ;

arbitrary adj.1) founded on or subject to personal whims, prejudices, etc.; capricious. 2) having only relative application or relevance; not absolute. 3) (of a government, ruler, etc.) despotic or dictatorial. 4) mathematics not representing any specific value. 5) law (esp of a penalty or punishment) not laid down by statute; within the court's discretion. ;

arbitration n.1) law the hearing and determination of a dispute, esp an industrial dispute, by an impartial referee selected or agreed upon by the parties concerned. 2) international law the procedure laid down for the settlement of international disputes. ;

arboreal adj.1) of, relating to, or resembling a tree. 2) living in or among trees. ;

arcane adj.requiring secret knowledge to be understood; mysterious; esoteric ;

archetypal or A .rchetypical [ˌɑ:kɪˈtɪpɪkəl]. ;adj.1) perfect or typical as a specimen of something. 2) being an original model or pattern or a prototype. 3) psychoanal of or relating to Jungian archetypes. 4) constantly recurring as a symbol or motif in literature, painting, etc. ;

ardor <No meaning yet.>

arrogate vb.1) (tr) to claim or appropriate for oneself presumptuously or without justification. 2) (tr) to attribute or assign to another without justification. ;

artifact n.a variant spelling of artefact ;

artisan n.1) a skilled workman; craftsman. 2) obsolete an artist. ;

artless adj.1) free from deceit, guile, or artfulness; ingenuous. 2) natural, without artifice; unpretentious. 3) without art or skill. ;

ascertain vb. (tr). 1) to determine or discover definitely. 2) archaic to make certain. ;

ascetic n.1) a person who practises great self-denial and austerities and abstains from worldly comforts and pleasures, esp for religious reasons. 2) (in the early Christian Church) a monk. ;adj. also as'cetical. 3) rigidly abstinent or abstemious; austere. 4) of or relating to ascetics or asceticism. 5) intensely rigorous in religious austerities. ;

ascribe vb. (tr). 1) to credit or assign, as to a particular origin or period. 2) to attribute as a quality; consider as belonging to. ;

aspersion n.1) a disparaging or malicious remark; slanderous accusation (esp in the phrase cast aspersions (on)). 2) the act of defaming. 3) rare the act of sprinkling, esp of water in baptism. ;

aspire vb. (intr). 1) (usually foll by to or after) to yearn (for) or have a powerful or ambitious plan, desire, or hope (to do or be something). 2) to rise to a great height. ;

assail vb. (tr). 1) to attack violently; assault. 2) to criticize or ridicule vehemently, as in argument. 3) to beset or disturb. 4) to encounter with the intention of mastering. ;

assess vb. (tr). 1) to judge the worth, importance, etc., of; evaluate. 2) (foll by at) to estimate the value of (income, property, etc.) for taxation purposes. 3) to determine the amount of (a fine, tax, damages, etc.). 4) to impose a tax, fine, etc., on (a person or property). ;

assiduous adj.1) hard-working; persevering. 2) undertaken with perseverance and care. ;

assuage vb. (tr). 1) to soothe, moderate, or relieve (grief, pain, etc.). 2) to give relief to (thirst, appetite, etc.); satisfy. 3) to pacify; calm. ;

asylum n.1) a safe or inviolable place of refuge, esp as formerly offered by the Christian Church to criminals, outlaws, etc.; sanctuary (often in the phrase give asylum to). 2) shelter; refuge. 3) international law refuge afforded to a person whose extradition is sought by a foreign government. 4) obsolescent an institution for the shelter, treatment, or confinement of individuals, esp a mental hospital (formerly termed lunatic asylum). ;

atrophy n., pl -phies. 1) a wasting away of an organ or part, or a failure to grow to normal size as the result of disease, faulty nutrition, etc. 2) any degeneration or diminution, esp through lack of use. ;vb. -phies, -phying, -phied. 3) to waste away or cause to waste away. ;

attain vb.1) (tr) to achieve or accomplish (a task, goal, aim, etc.). 2) (tr) to reach or arrive at in space or time. 3) (intr; often foll by to) to arrive (at) with effort or exertion. ;

attenuate vb.1) to weaken or become weak; reduce in size, strength, density, or value. 2) to make or become thin or fine; extend. 3) (tr) to make (a pathogenic bacterium, virus, etc.) less virulent, as by culture in special media or exposure to heat. ;adj.4) diluted, weakened, slender, or reduced. 5) botany tapering gradually to a point. ;

attribute vb.1) (tr; usually foll by to) to regard as belonging (to), produced (by), or resulting (from); ascribe (to). ;n.2) a property, quality, or feature belonging to or representative of a person or thing. 3) an object accepted as belonging to a particular office or position. 4) grammar. a) an adjective or adjectival phrase. b) an attributive adjective. 5) logic the property, quality, or feature that is affirmed or denied concerning the subject of a proposition. ;

audible adj.1) perceptible to the hearing; loud enough to be heard. ;n.2) American football a change of playing tactics called by the quarterback when the offense is lined up at the line of scrimmage. ;

augment vb.1) to make or become greater in number, amount, strength, etc.; increase. 2) (tr) music to increase (a major or perfect interval) by a semitone. 3) (tr) (in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) to prefix a vowel or diphthong to (a verb) to form a past tense. ;n.4) (in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) a vowel or diphthong prefixed to a verb to form a past tense. ;

austere adj.1) stern or severe in attitude or manner. 2) grave, sober, or serious. 3) self-disciplined, abstemious, or ascetic. 4) severely simple or plain. ;

autonomous adj.1) (of a community, country, etc.) possessing a large degree of self-government. 2) of or relating to an autonomous community. 3) independent of others. 4) philosophy. a) acting or able to act in accordance with rules and principles of one's own choosing. b) (in the moral philosophy of Kant, of an individual's will) directed to duty rather than to some other end. 5) biology existing as an organism independent of other organisms or parts. 6) a variant spelling of autonomic 3). ;

avenge vb. (usually tr). to inflict a punishment in retaliation for (harm, injury, etc.) done to (a person or persons); take revenge for or on behalf of ;

aver vb. avers, averring, averred (tr). 1) to state positively; assert. 2) law to allege as a fact or prove to be true. ;

ballad n.1) a narrative song with a recurrent refrain. 2) a narrative poem in short stanzas of popular origin, originally sung to a repeated tune. 3) a slow sentimental song, esp a pop song. ;