| A | B |
|---|
| adiron | one of a pair of metal supports used for holding up logs in a fireplace |
| androcentric | centered or focused on men, often to the neglect of women |
| androgynous | having both female and male characteristics, hermaphroditic; being neither distinguishably male or female in dress or behavior |
| android | (adj) posessing human features; (noun) an automaton tha tis created from biological materials and resembles a human (humanoid) |
| anemia | a pathological deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood |
| anemic | lacking vitality, listless and weak "an a____ attempt to hit the baseball" |
| anemometry | measurement of wind force and velocity |
| anent | regarding, concerning "this question remains a vital consideration a____ the debate over the possibility of..." |
| aneroid | not using liquid |
| anfractuous (anfractuosity) | full of twists and turns, tortuous |
| angioplasty | the surgical repair of a blood vessel |
| angst | anxiety or apprehension often accompanied by depression |
| angular | lacking grace or smoothness, awkward "an a____ gait" ; rigid, stiff, and unyielding in character or disposition "the cold, a____ brand of materialism" |
| anhedonia | the absence of pleasure of the ability to experience it |
| anile | of or like an old woman; senile |
| anima | the inner self of an individual; the soul |
| animadversion | strong criticism; a critical remark "entertained serious a____s concerning the U.S.S.R. and its behavior" |
| animalism | enjoyment of vigorous health and physical drives; indifference to all but the physical appetites |
| animatism | a belief that all animate and inanimate objects are infused with a common life force |
| animism | the belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects |
| animus | an attitude that informs one's actions, disposition; a feeling of animosity, ill will |
| anneal | (latin on + oelan = to kindle) to strengthen or harden "the time she needed for opinion to a____ her policy" |
| annex | to attach to a larger or more significant thing; to incorporate into an existing territory |
| annuity | the annual payment of an income, the right to receive this payment or obligation to pay; a contract or agreement by which one receives fixed payments on an investment for a lifetime or for a specified number of years |
| annular (annulus) | shaled like or forming a ring |
| anthropocentric | regarding humans as the central element of the universe |
| anthropogenesis (anthropogenic) | the scientific study of the origin and development of humans |
| anthropomorphism | attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena |
| anthropophagus | a person who eats human flesh, a cannibal |
| anthroposophy | a system of beliefs and practice based on theachings of Rudolph Steiner and maintaing tha tby correct training and personal discipline one can attain experience of the spiritual world |
| antinome (an tih GNOME) (antinomy) | one that is contradictory or contrary to another, an opposite |
| antiphon | a response, reply "it would be truer to see conservation as an a____ to the modernization of the 1950's" |
| antiphrasis (an TIFF ruh sis) | the use of a word or phrase in a sense contrary to its normal meaning for ironic effect, e.g. "a mere babe of 40 years" |
| antipodal | on opposite sides of the earth; diametrically opposed |
| antipodes | any two places or regions that are on diametrically opposite sides of the earth |
| antiquate (antiquated) | to make obsolete or old-fashioned |
| antithesis | direct contrast, opposition; the opposite |
| antonomasia | the substitution of a title or epithet for a proper name, e.g. "your majesty" ; the substitution of a personal name for a common noun to designate a member of a group, e.g. calling a traitor a "Benedict Arnold" |
| antre | a cavern; a cave |
| anuresis | inability to urinate |
| aperient | gently stimulating evacuation of the bowels, laxative |
| apéritif | an alcoholic drink taken as an appetizer before a meal |
| aperture | an opening, a hole or gap |
| aphasia | partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language resulting from damage to the brain caused by injury or disease |
| aphorism | a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; a brief statement of principle |
| apiarist | one who keeps bees |
| apish | slavishly or foolishly imitative "my performances were a____ imitations of Olivier's stirring cadences" |
| aplastic | lacking form |
| aplomb | self-confident assurance, poise |
| apodictic | necessarily or demonstrably true, incontrovertible |
| apogee | the farthest or highest point, the apex |
| apologetic (apologetics) | offering or expressing an apology or excuse; serving as or containing a formal justification or defense |
| apologue | a moral fable, especially one having animals or inanimate objects as characters |
| apophasis | allusion to something by denying that it will be mentioned, as in "I will not bring up my opponent's questionable financial dealings" |
| apoplexy (apoplectic) | a fit of extreme anger, rage |
| aporia | a figure of speech in which the speaker expresses doubt about a question; an insoluble contradiction or paradox in a text's meanings |
| aposiopesis (ap uh SIGH uh PEE sis" | a sudden breaking off of a thought in the middle of a sentence, as though the speaker were unwilling or unable to continue |
| apostasy | abandonment of one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, a cause |
| apothegm | a terse, witty, instructive saying, a maxim |
| apotheosis | exaltation to divine rank or stature, deification; elevation to a preeminent position; an exalted or glorified example "their leader was the apotheosis of courage" |
| apotropaic | intended to ward off evil |
| appanage | a source of revenuegiven by a sovereign for the maintenance of a member of the ruling family; something extra offered to or claimed by a party as due, a perquisite"the leaders of the opposition party agreed to accept another government's a____s, and in so doing became an officially paid agency of a foreign power." |
| appellate | having the power to hear court appeals and to review court decisions |
| appellation | a name or title; the act of naming |
| appendant | accompanying, attendant "faith and its a____ hope" |
| apperceive | to become aware of in terms of past experience |
| apperception | conscious perception with full awareness |
| appertain | pertain |
| appetence | a strong craving or desire; a tendency or propensity; a natural attraction |
| apportion | to divide and assign according to a plan, allot |
| appose (apposition) | to place in proximity, juxtapose |
| appraise | to evaluate; to estimate the quality of |
| appurtenance | something added to another, more important thing;an appendage |
| apraxia | total or partial loss of the ability to perform coordinated movements or manipulate objects in the absence of motor or sensory impairment |
| après | after (often used in combination) e.g. "an a____-dinner entertainment" or "a concert a____ dinner) |
| a priori | proceeding from a known or assumed cause to a necessarily related effect, deductive;knowable without appeal to particular experience; made before or without examination, not supported by factual study |
| apropos | being at once opportune and to the point; incidentally "A____, where were you yesterday?" ; with regard to, concerning "A____ our date for lunch, I can't go" |
| aquiline | curved or hooked like an eagle's beak "an a____ nose" |
| arbit | one chosen to judge a disputed issue; an arbitrator |
| arbitrage | the purchase of securities on one market for immediate resale on another market in order to profit from a price discrepancy |
| arboreal | relating to or resembling a tree |
| arcane (arcanum) | known or understood by only a few "a____ economic theories" |
| archon | a high official; an authoritative figure "an a____ of cultural modernism" |
| ardor | fiery intensity of feeling; strong enthusiasm; intense heat or glow, as of fire |
| arête | a sharp, narrow mountain ridge or spur |
| argentic | of or containing silver |
| argil | clay, especially a hite clay used by potters |
| argosy | a rich source or supply "an a____ of adventure lore" |
| argot | a specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group "thieves' a____" |
| arhat | (buddhism) one who has attained enlightenment |
| aria | a solo vocal piece with instr. accompaniment |
| arid | lacking interest or feeling " atechnically perfect but a____ musical performance" |
| armoire | a large cabinet or wardrobe |
| arraign | to call before a court to answer the charge made against him or her by indictment or complaint; to call to account, accuse |
| arrant | completely such, thoroughgoing "an a____ fool" |
| arras | a wall hanging, a tapestry |
| arrears | an unpaid, overdue debt or an unfilled obligation |
| arrière-pensèe | a mental reservation, as about the validity of something |
| arris | the sharp edge or ridge formed by two surfaces meeting at an angle |
| arriviste | a person who has recently attainted a high position but not general acceptance; a social climber |
| arrogate | to take or claim for oneself without right; appropriate "presidents who have a____d the power of Congress to declare war" |
| arthro- | joint |
| articulate | to fit together into a coherent whole |
| artifice (artificer) | an artful expedient, a stratagem; subtle but base deception, trickery; clerverness or skill, ingenuity |
| askance | with disapproval, suspicion or distrust "the area is so dirty that merchants report the tourists are looking a____" ; with a sideways glance; obliquely |
| asperate | to make uneven, roughen |
| asperity | roughness or harshness "the a____ of northern winters" ; a slight projection from a surface, a point or bump ; harshness of manner, ill temper |
| asperse | to spread false or damaging charges or insinuations against |
| aspirant | one who desires advancement, honors, or a high position |
| asquint | with a sidelong glance |
| assay | an analysis or examination |
| assent | agree, accede, acquiesce, consent, concur, subscribe |
| asseverate | to declare seriously or positively; affirm |
| assibilate | to pronounce with a hissing sound |
| assimilate | to incorporate and absorb into the mind; to make similar, cause to resemble; to absorb (immigrants) into the prevailing culture |
| assonance | resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words, as in "that dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea" ; the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, especially in stressed syllables ; rough similarity approximate agreement |
| assort | to separate into groups, classify; to supply with; to associate with others, keep company |
| assuasive | soothing calming |
| assurgent | rising or tending to rise |
| astatic | unsteady, unstable |
| asthenia (asthenic) | loss or lack of bodily strength, weakness, debility |
| asthenic | having a slender, lightly muscled physique |
| astral | of, relating to, or resembling the stars |
| astringent | sharp or penetrating, pungent or severe "a____ remarks" |
| asunder | into separate parts or pieces "broken a____" ; apart from each other in position or in direction "the curtains had been drawn a____" (always an adverb) |
| atavism (AT uh VIZ uhm) | the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence, usually caused by the chance recombination of genes |
| atelier | a workshop or studio, esp. for an artist or designer |
| atemporal | independent of time, timeless |
| athenaeum | an institution, such as a literary club, for the promotion of learning ; a place, such as a library, where printed materials are availabe for reading |
| athwart | from side to side, crosswise or transversely; so as to obstruct or oppose; contrary to, against |
| atman | (in hinduism) the individual soul or essence |
| atonic | not accented "an a____ syllable" ; a word that is unaccented |
| atrophy | a wasting away, deterioration, or diminution |
| attaint | to impart stigma to, disgrace |
| attenuate | to make slender, fine, small; to reduce in force or amount, weaken; to lessen the density of |
| attune | to bring into a harmonious or responsive relationship |
| atwitter | being in a state of nervous excitement |
| au courant (OH koo RAHN) | informed on current affairs; fully familiar, knowledgeable |
| Aufklärung | The Enlightenment |
| Augean | exceedingly filthy from long neglect; requiring heroic efforts of correction "the a____ task of reforming the bureaucracy" |
| au gratin | covered with bread crumbs and sometimes butter and grated cheese, and then browned in an oven |
| augur | (noun)a seer or prophet ; (verb) to predict, esp. from signs or omens |
| auld lang syne | the times gone past, the good old days |
| au naturel | nude; in a natural state |
| aural | of, relating to, or perceived by the ear |
| aureate | of a golden color; inflated and pompous in style |
| auriferous | containing gold; gold-bearing |
| aurora | the dawn |
| auscultation | the act of listening |
| auspice | a sign indicative of future prospects |
| auspices | protection or support, patronage |
| austral | of or coming from the south |
| autarchy | absolute rule or power, autocracy |
| autodidact | a self-taught person |
| autoerotism | self-satisfaction of sexual desire, as by masturbation |
| autogenous | produced from within |
| autochthonous (aw TAHK thuh nuhss" | originating where found, indigenous "an a____ people" |
| autologous | derived or transferred from the same individual's body "a____ blood donation, an a____ bone marrow transplant" |
| autonomic | resulting from internal stimuli, spontaneous |
| autonym | a name by which a people or social group refers to itself |
| auxiliary | giving assistance, helping; acting as a subsidiary, supplementary; held in or used as a reserve "a____ troops" ; |
| avail | to be of use or advantage to "nothing could a____ the dying patient" |
| aver | to affirm positively, declare |
| avian | relating to birds |
| avocation | an activity taken up in addition to one's regular work, usually for enjoyment; one's regular work or profession |
| avouch | to declare the provable truth or validity of; to corroborate or confirm, vouch for; to accept responsibility for, confess |
| avow | to acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly, confess "a____ guilt" |
| avulsion | the forcible tearing away of a body part by trauma or surgery |
| awl | a pointed tool for making holes |
| awry | in a position that is turned or twisted toward one side, askew; away from the correct course, amiss |
| axilla | the armpit |
| azure | a light purplish blue; the blue sky |
| azygous | occurring singly, not of one pair |
