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Sat Vocabulary (4994 Cards)
5000 SAT vocabulary words
Source: http://www.freevocabulary.com/
Creator: gfreckleton
| abase v | To lower in position, estimation, or the like; degrade |
| abbess n | The lady superior of a nunnery |
| abbey n | The group of buildings which collectively form the dwelling-place of a society of monks or nuns |
| abbot n | The superior of a community of monks |
| abdicate v | To give up (royal power or the like) |
| abdomen n | In mammals, the visceral cavity between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor; the belly |
| abdominal n | Of, pertaining to, or situated on the abdomen |
| abduction n | A carrying away of a person against his will, or illegally |
| abed adv | In bed; on a bed |
| aberration n | Deviation from a right, customary, or prescribed course |
| abet v | To aid, promote, or encourage the commission of (an offense) |
| abeyance n | A state of suspension or temporary inaction |
| abhorrence n | The act of detesting extremely |
| abhorrent adj | Very repugnant; hateful |
| abidance n | An abiding |
| abject adj | Sunk to a low condition |
| abjure v | To recant, renounce, repudiate under oath |
| able-bodied adj | Competent for physical service |
| ablution n | A washing or cleansing, especially of the body |
| abnegate v | To renounce (a right or privilege) |
| abnormal adj | Not conformed to the ordinary rule or standard |
| abominable adj | Very hateful |
| abominate v | To hate violently |
| abomination n | A very detestable act or practice |
| aboriginal adj | Primitive; unsophisticated |
| aborigines n | The original of earliest known inhabitants of a country |
| abrade v | To wear away the surface or some part of by friction |
| abrasion n | That which is rubbed off |
| abridge v | To make shorter in words, keeping the essential features, leaning out minor particles |
| abridgment n | A condensed form as of a book or play |
| abrogate v | To abolish, repeal |
| abrupt adj | Beginning, ending, or changing suddenly or with a break |
| abscess n | A Collection of pus in a cavity formed within some tissue of the body |
| abscission n | The act of cutting off, as in a surgical operation |
| abscond v | To depart suddenly and secretly, as for the purpose of escaping arrest |
| absence n | The fact of not being present or available |
| absent-minded adj | Lacking in attention to immediate surroundings or business |
| absolution n | Forgiveness, or passing over of offenses |
| absolve v | To free from sin or its penalties |
| absorb v | To drink in or suck up, as a sponge absorbs water |
| absorption n | The act or process of absorbing |
| abstain v | To keep oneself back (from doing or using something) |
| abstemious adj | Characterized by self denial or abstinence, as in the use of drink, food |
| abstinence n | Self denial |
| abstruse adj | Dealing with matters difficult to be understood |
| absurd adj | Inconsistent with reason or common sense |
| abundant adj | Plentiful |
| abusive adj | Employing harsh words or ill treatment |
| abut v | To touch at the end or boundary line |
| abyss n | Bottomless gulf |
| academic adj | Of or pertaining to an academy, college, or university |
| academician n | A member of an academy of literature, art, or science |
| academy n | Any institution where the higher branches of learning are taught |
| accede v | To agree |
| accelerate v | To move faster |
| accept v | To take when offered |
| access n | A way of approach or entrance; passage |
| accessible adj | Approachable |
| accession n | Induction or elevation, as to dignity, office, or government |
| accessory n | A person or thing that aids the principal agent |
| acclaim v | To utter with a shout |
| accommodate v | To furnish something as a kindness or favor |
| accompaniment n | A subordinate part or parts, enriching or supporting the leading part |
| accompanist n | One who or that which accompanies |
| accompany v | To go with, or be associated with, as a companion |
| accomplice n | An associate in wrong-doing |
| accomplish v | To bring to pass |
| accordion n | A portable free-reed musical instrument |
| accost v | To speak to |
| account n | A record or statement of receipts and expenditures, or of business transactions |
| accouter v | To dress |
| accredit v | To give credit or authority to |
| accumulate v | To become greater in quantity or number |
| accuracy n | Exactness |
| accurate adj | Conforming exactly to truth or to a standard |
| accursed adj | Doomed to evil, misery, or misfortune |
| accusation n | A charge of crime, misdemeanor, or error |
| accusatory adj | Of, pertaining to, or involving an accusation |
| accuse v | To charge with wrong doing, misconduct, or error |
| accustom v | To make familiar by use |
| acerbity n | Sourness, with bitterness and astringency |
| acetate n | A salt of acetic acid |
| acetic adj | Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of vinegar |
| ache v | To be in pain or distress |
| Achillean adj | Invulnerable |
| achromatic adj | Colorless, |
| acid n | A sour substance |
| acidify v | To change into acid |
| acknowledge v | To recognize; to admit the genuineness or validity of |
| acknowledgment n | Recognition |
| acme n | The highest point, or summit |
| acoustic adj | Pertaining to the act or sense of hearing |
| acquaint v | To make familiar or conversant |
| acquiesce v | To comply; submit |
| acquiescence n | Passive consent |
| acquire v | To get as one's own |
| acquisition n | Anything gained, or made one's own, usually by effort or labor |
| acquit v | To free or clear, as from accusation |
| acquittal n | A discharge from accusation by judicial action |
| acquittance n | Release or discharge from indebtedness, obligation, or responsibility |
| acreage n | Quantity or extent of land, especially of cultivated land |
| acrid adj | Harshly pungent or bitter |
| acrimonious adj | Full of bitterness |
| acrimony n | Sharpness or bitterness of speech or temper |
| actionable adj | Affording cause for instituting an action, as trespass, slanderous words |
| actuality n | Any reality |
| actuary n | An officer, as of an insurance company, who calculates and states the risks and premiums |
| actuate v | To move or incite to action |
| acumen n | Quickness of intellectual insight, or discernment; keenness of discrimination |
| acute adj | Having fine and penetrating discernment |
| adamant n | Any substance of exceeding hardness or impenetrability |
| addendum n | Something added, or to be added |
| addle v | To make inefficient or worthless; muddle |
| adduce v | To bring forward or name for consideration |
| adhere v | To stick fast or together |
| adherence n | Attachment |
| adherent adj | Clinging or sticking fast |
| adhesion n | The state of being attached or joined |
| adieu inter | Good-by; farewell |
| adjacency n | The state of being adjacent |
| adjacent n | That which is near or bordering upon |
| adjudge v | To award or bestow by formal decision |
| adjunct n | Something joined to or connected with another thing, but holding a subordinate place |
| adjuration n | A vehement appeal |
| adjutant adj | Auxiliary |
| administrator n | One who manages affairs of any kind |
| admissible adj | Having the right or privilege of entry |
| admittance n | Entrance, or the right or permission to enter |
| admonish v | To warn of a fault |
| admonition n | Gentle reproof |
| ado n | unnecessary activity or ceremony |
| adoration n | Profound devotion |
| adroit adj | Having skill in the use of the bodily or mental powers |
| adulterant n | An adulterating substance |
| adulterate v | To make impure by the admixture of other or baser ingredients |
| adumbrate v | To represent beforehand in outline or by emblem |
| advent n | The coming or arrival, as of any important change, event, state, or personage |
| adverse adj | Opposing or opposed |
| adversity n | Misfortune |
| advert v | To refer incidentally |
| advertiser n | One who advertises, especially in newspapers |
| advisory adj | Not mandatory |
| advocacy n | The act of pleading a cause |
| advocate n | One who pleads the cause of another, as in a legal or ecclesiastical court |
| aerial adj | Of, pertaining to, or like the air |
| aeronaut n | One who navigates the air, a balloonist |
| aeronautics n | the art or practice of flying aircraft |
| aerostat n | A balloon or other apparatus floating in or sustained by the air |
| aerostatics n | The branch of pneumatics that treats of the equilibrium, pressure, and mechanical properties |
| affable adj | Easy to approach |
| affect v | To act upon |
| affectation n | A studied or ostentatious pretense or attempt |
| affiliate n | Some auxiliary person or thing |
| affirmative adj | Answering yes; to a question at issue |
| affix v | To fasten |
| affluence n | A profuse or abundant supply of riches |
| affront n | An open insult or indignity |
| afoot adv | In progress |
| aforesaid adj | Said in a preceding part or before |
| afresh adv | Once more, after rest or interval |
| afterthought n | A thought that comes later than its appropriate or expected time |
| agglomerate v | To pile or heap together |
| aggrandize v | To cause to appear greatly |
| aggravate v | To make heavier, worse, or more burdensome |
| aggravation n | The fact of being made heavier or more heinous, as a crime , offense, misfortune, etc |
| aggregate n | The entire number, sum, mass, or quantity of something |
| aggress v | To make the first attack |
| aggression n | An unprovoked attack |
| aggrieve v | To give grief or sorrow to |
| aghast adj | Struck with terror and amazement |
| agile adj | Able to move or act quickly, physically, or mentally |
| agitate v | To move or excite (the feelings or thoughts) |
| agrarian adj | Pertaining to land, especially agricultural land |
| aide-de-camp n | An officer who receives and transmits the orders of the general |
| ailment n | Slight sickness |
| airy adj | Delicate, ethereal |
| akin adj | Of similar nature or qualities |
| alabaster n | A white or delicately tinted fine-grained gypsum |
| alacrity n | Cheerful willingness |
| albeit conj | Even though |
| albino n | A person with milky white skin and hair, and eyes with bright red pupil and usually pink iris |
| album n | A book whose leaves are so made to form paper frames for holding photographs or the like |
| alchemy n | Chemistry of the middle ages, characterized by the pursuit of changing base metals to gold |
| alcohol n | A volatile, inflammable, colorless liquid of a penetrating odor and burning taste |
| alcoholism n | A condition resulting from the inordinate or persistent use of alcoholic beverages |
| alcove n | A covered recess connected with or at the side of a larger room |
| alder n | Any shrub or small tree of the genus Alumnus, of the oak family |
| alderman n | A member of a municipal legislative body, who usually exercises also certain judicial functions |
| aldermanship n | The dignity, condition, office, or term of office of an alderman |
| alias n | An assumed name |
| alien n | One who owes allegiance to a foreign government |
| alienable adj | Capable of being aliened or alienated, as lands |
| alienate v | To cause to turn away |
| alienation n | Estrangement |
| aliment n | That which nourishes |
| alkali n | Anything that will neutralize an acid, as lime, magnesia, etc |
| allay v | To calm the violence or reduce the intensity of; mitigate |
| allege v | To assert to be true, especially in a formal manner, as in court |
| allegory n | The setting forth of a subject under the guise of another subject of aptly suggestive likeness |
| alleviate v | To make less burdensome or less hard to bear |
| alley n | A narrow street, garden path, walk, or the like |
| alliance n | Any combination or union for some common purpose |
| allot v | To assign a definite thing or part to a certain person |
| allotment n | Portion |
| allude v | To refer incidentally, or by suggestion |
| allusion n | An indirect and incidental reference to something without definite mention of it |
| alluvion n | Flood |
| ally n | A person or thing connected with another, usually in some relation of helpfulness |
| almanac n | A series of tables giving the days of the week together with certain astronomical information |
| aloof adv | Not in sympathy with or desiring to associate with others |
| altar n | Any raised place or structure on which sacrifices may be offered or incense burned |
| alter v | To make change in |
| alteration n | Change or modification |
| altercate v | To contend angrily or zealously in words |
| alternate n | One chosen to act in place of another, in case of the absence or incapacity of that other |
| alternative n | Something that may or must exist, be taken or chosen, or done instead of something else |
| altitude n | Vertical distance or elevation above any point or base-level, as the sea |
| alto n | The lowest or deepest female voice or part |
| altruism n | Benevolence to others on subordination to self-interest |
| altruist n | One who advocates or practices altruism |
| amalgam n | An alloy or union of mercury with another metal |
| amalgamate v | To mix or blend together in a homogeneous body |
| amateur adj | Practicing an art or occupation for the love of it, but not as a profession |
| amatory adj | Designed to excite love |
| ambidextrous adj | Having the ability of using both hands with equal skill or ease |
| ambiguous adj | Having a double meaning |
| ambitious adj | Eagerly desirous and aspiring |
| ambrosial adj | Divinely sweet, fragrant, or delicious |
| ambulance n | A vehicle fitted for conveying the sick and wounded |
| ambulate v | To walk about |
| ambush n | The act or state of lying concealed for the purpose of surprising or attacking the enemy |
| ameliorate v | To relieve, as from pain or hardship |
| amenable adj | Willing and ready to submit |
| Americanism n | A peculiar sense in which an English word or phrase is used in the United States |
| amicable adj | Done in a friendly spirit |
| amity n | Friendship |
| amorous adj | Having a propensity for falling in love |
| amorphous adj | Without determinate shape |
| amour n | A love-affair, especially one of an illicit nature |
| ampere n | The practical unit of electric-current strength |
| ampersand n | The character &; and |
| amphibious adj | Living both on land and in water |
| amphitheater n | An edifice of elliptical shape, constructed about a central open space or arena |
| amplitude n | Largeness |
| amply adv | Sufficiently |
| amputate v | To remove by cutting, as a limb or some portion of the body |
| amusement n | Diversion |
| anachronism n | Anything occurring or existing out of its proper time |
| anagram n | The letters of a word or phrase so transposed as to make a different word or phrase |
| analogous adj | Corresponding (to some other) in certain respects, as in form, proportion, relations |
| analogy n | Reasoning in which from certain and known relations or resemblance others are formed |
| analyst n | One who analyzes or makes use of the analytical method |
| analyze v | To examine minutely or critically |
| anarchy n | Absence or utter disregard of government |
| anathema n | Anything forbidden, as by social usage |
| anatomy n | That branch of morphology which treats of the structure of organisms |
| ancestry n | One's ancestors collectively |
| anecdote n | A brief account of some interesting event or incident |
| anemia n | Deficiency of blood or red corpuscles |
| anemic adj | Affected with anemia |
| anemometer n | An instrument for measuring the force or velocity of wind |
| anesthetic adj | Pertaining to or producing loss of sensation |
| anew adv | Once more |
| angelic adj | Saintly |
| Anglophobia n | Hatred or dread of England or of what is English |
| Anglo-Saxon n | The entire English race wherever found, as in Europe, the United States, or India |
| angular adj | Sharp-cornered |
| anhydrous adj | Withered |
| animadversion n | The utterance of criticism or censure |
| animadvert v | To pass criticism or censure |
| animalcule n | An animal of microscopic smallness |
| animate v | To make alive |
| animosity n | Hatred |
| annalist n | Historian |
| annals n | A record of events in their chronological order, year by year |
| annex v | To add or affix at the end |
| annihilate v | To destroy absolutely |
| annotate v | To make explanatory or critical notes on or upon |
| annual adj | Occurring every year |
| annuity n | An annual allowance, payment, or income |
| annunciation n | Proclamation |
| anode n | The point where or path by which a voltaic current enters an electrolyte or the like |
| anonymous adj | Of unknown authorship |
| antagonism n | Mutual opposition or resistance of counteracting forces, principles, or persons |
| Antarctic adj | Pertaining to the south pole or the regions near it |
| ante v | In the game of poker, to put up a stake before the cards are dealt |
| antecede v | To precede |
| antecedent n | One who or that which precedes or goes before, as in time, place, rank, order, or causality |
| antechamber n | A waiting room for those who seek audience |
| antedate v | To assign or affix a date to earlier than the actual one |
| antediluvian adj | Of or pertaining to the times, things, events before the great flood in the days of Noah |
| antemeridian adj | Before noon |
| antemundane adj | Pertaining to time before the world's creation |
| antenatal adj | Occurring or existing before birth |
| anterior adj | Prior |
| anteroom n | A room situated before and opening into another, usually larger |
| anthology n | A collection of extracts from the writings of various authors |
| anthracite n | Hard coal |
| anthropology n | The science of man in general |
| anthropomorphous adj | Having or resembling human form |
| antic n | A grotesque, ludicrous, or fantastic action |
| Antichrist n | Any opponent or enemy of Christ, whether a person or a power |
| anticlimax n | A gradual or sudden decrease in the importance or impressiveness of what is said |
| anticyclone n | An atmospheric condition of high central pressure, with currents flowing outward |
| antidote n | Anything that will counteract or remove the effects of poison, disease, or the like |
| antilogy n | Inconsistency or contradiction in terms or ideas |
| antipathize v | To show or feel a feeling of antagonism, aversion, or dislike |
| antiphon n | A response or alteration of responses, generally musical |
| antiphony n | An anthem or other composition sung responsively |
| antipodes n | A place or region on the opposite side of the earth |
| antiquary n | One who collects and examines old things, as coins, books, medals, weapons, etc |
| antiquate v | To make old or out of date |
| antique adj | Pertaining to ancient times |
| antiseptic n | Anything that destroys or restrains the growth of putrefactive micro-organisms |
| antislavery adj | Opposed to human slavery |
| antispasmodic adj | Tending to prevent or relieve non-inflammatory spasmodic affections |
| antistrophe n | The inversion of terms in successive classes, as in "the home of joy and the joy of home" |
| antitoxin n | A substance which neutralizes the poisonous products of micro-organisms |
| antonym n | A word directly opposed to another in meaning |
| anxious adj | Distressed in mind respecting some uncertain matter |
| apathy n | Insensibility to emotion or passionate feeling |
| aperture n | Hole |
| apex n | The highest point, as of a mountain |
| aphorism n | Proverb |
| apiary n | A place where bees are kept |
| apogee n | The climax |
| apology n | A disclaimer of intentional error or offense |
| apostasy n | A total departure from one's faith or religion |
| apostate adj | False |
| apostle n | Any messenger commissioned by or as by divine authority |
| apothecary n | One who keeps drugs for sale and puts up prescriptions |
| apotheosis n | Deification |
| appall v | To fill with dismay or horror |
| apparent adj | Easily understood |
| apparition n | Ghost |
| appease v | To soothe by quieting anger or indignation |
| appellate adj | Capable of being appealed to |
| appellation n | The name or title by which a particular person, class, or thing is called |
| append v | To add or attach, as something accessory, subordinate, or supplementary |
| appertain v | To belong, as by right, fitness, association, classification, possession, or natural relation |
| apposite adj | Appropriate |
| apposition n | The act of placing side by side, together, or in contact |
| appraise v | To estimate the money value of |
| appreciable adj | Capable of being discerned by the senses or intellect |
| apprehend v | To make a prisoner of (a person) in the name of the law |
| apprehensible adj | Capable of being conceived |
| approbation n | Sanction |
| appropriate adj | Suitable for the purpose and circumstances |
| aqueduct n | A water-conduit, particularly one for supplying a community from a distance |
| aqueous adj | Of, pertaining to, or containing water |
| arbiter n | One chosen or appointed, by mutual consent of parties in dispute, to decide matters |
| arbitrary adj | Fixed or done capriciously |
| arbitrate v | To act or give judgment as umpire |
| arbor n | A tree |
| arboreal adj | Of or pertaining to a tree or trees |
| arborescent adj | Having the nature of a tree |
| arboretum n | A botanical garden or place devoted to the cultivation of trees or shrubs |
| arboriculture n | The cultivation of trees or shrubs |
| arcade n | A vaulted passageway or street; a roofed passageway having shops, etc, opening from it |
| archaic adj | Antiquated |
| archaism n | Obsolescence |
| archangel n | An angel of high rank |
| archbishop n | The chief of the bishops of an ecclesiastical province in the Greek, Roman, and Anglican church |
| archdeacon n | A high official administrator of the affairs of a diocese |
| archaeology n | The branch of anthropology concerned with the systematic investigation of the relics of man |
| archetype n | A prototype |
| archipelago n | Any large body of water studded with islands, or the islands collectively themselves |
| ardent adj | Burning with passion |
| ardor n | Intensity of passion or affection |
| arid adj | Very dry |
| aristocracy n | A hereditary nobility |
| aristocrat n | A hereditary noble or one nearly connected with nobility |
| armada n | A fleet of war-vessels |
| armful n | As much as can be held in the arm or arms |
| armory n | An arsenal |
| aroma n | An agreeable odor |
| arraign v | To call into court, as a person indicted for crime, and demand whether he pleads guilty or not |
| arrange v | To put in definite or proper order |
| arrangement n | The act of putting in proper order, or the state of being put in order |
| arrant adj | Notoriously bad |
| arrear n | Something overdue and unpaid |
| arrival n | A coming to stopping-place or destination |
| arrogant adj | Unduly or excessively proud, as of wealth, station, learning, etc |
| arrogate v | To take, demand, or claim, especially presumptuously or without reasons or grounds |
| artful adj | Characterized by craft or cunning |
| Arthurian adj | Pertaining to King Arthur, the real or legendary hero of British poetic story |
| artifice n | Trickery |
| artless adj | Ingenuous |
| ascendant adj | Dominant |
| ascension n | The act of rising |
| ascent n | A rising, soaring, or climbing |
| ascetic adj | Given to severe self-denial and practicing excessive abstinence and devotion |
| ascribe v | To assign as a quality or attribute |
| asexual adj | Having no distinct sexual organs |
| ashen adj | Pale |
| askance adv | With a side or indirect glance or meaning |
| asperity n | Harshness or roughness of temper |
| aspirant n | One who seeks earnestly, as for advancement, honors, place |
| aspiration n | An earnest wish for that which is above one's present reach |
| aspire v | To have an earnest desire, wish, or longing, as for something high and good, not yet attained |
| assailant n | One who attacks |
| assassin n | One who kills, or tries to kill, treacherously or secretly |
| assassinate v | To kill, as by surprise or secret assault, especially the killing of some eminent person |
| assassination n | Murderer, as by secret assault or treachery |
| assay n | The chemical analysis or testing of an alloy ore |
| assent v | To express agreement with a statement or matter of opinion |
| assess v | To determine the amount of (a tax or other sum to be paid) |
| assessor n | An officer whose duty it is to assess taxes |
| assiduous adj | Diligent |
| assignee n | One who is appointed to act for another in the management of certain property and interests |
| assimilate v | To adapt |
| assonance n | Resemblance or correspondence in sound |
| assonant adj | Having resemblance of sound |
| assonate v | To accord in sound, especially vowel sound |
| assuage v | To cause to be less harsh, violent, or severe, as excitement, appetite, pain, or disease |
| astringent adj | Harsh in disposition or character |
| astute adj | Keen in discernment |
| atheism n | The denial of the existence of God |
| athirst adj | Wanting water |
| athwart adv | From side to side |
| atomizer n | An apparatus for reducing a liquid to a fine spray, as for disinfection, inhalation, etc |
| atone v | To make amends for |
| atonement n | Amends, reparation, or expiation made from wrong or injury |
| atrocious adj | Outrageously or wantonly wicked, criminal, vile, or cruel |
| atrocity n | Great cruelty or reckless wickedness |
| attache n | A subordinate member of a diplomatic embassy |
| attest v | To certify as accurate, genuine, or true |
| attorney-general n | The chief law-officer of a government |
| auburn adj | Reddish-brown, said usually of the hair |
| audacious adj | Fearless |
| audible adj | Loud enough to be heard |
| audition n | The act or sensation of hearing |
| auditory adj | Of or pertaining to hearing or the organs or sense of hearing |
| augment v | To make bigger |
| augur v | To predict |
| aura n | Pervasive psychic influence supposed to emanate from persons |
| aural adj | Of or pertaining to the ear |
| auricle n | One of the two chambers of the heart which receives the blood from the veins |
| auricular adj | Of or pertaining to the ear, its auricle, or the sense of hearing |
| auriferous adj | Containing gold |
| aurora n | A luminous phenomenon in the upper regions of the atmosphere |
| auspice n | favoring, protecting, or propitious influence or guidance |
| austere adj | Severely simple; unadorned |
| autarchy n | Unrestricted power |
| authentic adj | Of undisputed origin |
| authenticity n | The state or quality of being genuine, or of the origin and authorship claimed |
| autobiography n | The story of one's life written by himself |
| autocracy n | Absolute government |
| autocrat n | Any one who claims or wields unrestricted or undisputed authority or influence |
| automaton n | Any living being whose actions are or appear to be involuntary or mechanical |
| autonomous adj | Self-governing |
| autonomy n | Self-government |
| autopsy n | The examination of a dead body by dissection to ascertain the cause of death |
| autumnal adj | Of or pertaining to autumn |
| auxiliary n | One who or that which aids or helps, especially when regarded as subsidiary or accessory |
| avalanche n | The fall or sliding of a mass of snow or ice down a mountain-slope, often bearing with it rock |
| avarice n | Passion for getting and keeping riches |
| aver v | To assert as a fact |
| averse adj | Reluctant |
| aversion n | A mental condition of fixed opposition to or dislike of some particular thing |
| avert v | To turn away or aside |
| aviary n | A spacious cage or enclosure in which live birds are kept |
| avidity n | Greediness |
| avocation n | Diversion |
| avow v | To declare openly |
| awaken v | To arouse, as emotion, interest, or the like |
| aye adv | An expression of assent |
| azalea n | A flowering shrub |
| azure n | The color of the sky |
| Baconian adj | Of or pertaining to Lord Bacon or his system of philosophy |
| bacterium n | A microbe |
| badger v | To pester |
| baffle v | To foil or frustrate |
| bailiff n | An officer of court having custody of prisoners under arraignment |
| baize n | A single-colored napped woolen fabric used for table-covers, curtains, etc |
| bale n | A large package prepared for transportation or storage |
| baleful adj | Malignant |
| ballad n | Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form |
| balsam n | A medical preparation, aromatic and oily, used for healing |
| banal adj | Commonplace |
| barcarole n | A boat-song of Venetian gondoliers |
| barograph n | An instrument that registers graphically and continuously the atmospheric pressure |
| barometer n | An instrument for indicating the atmospheric pressure per unit of surface |
| barring prep | Apart from |
| baritone adj | Having a register higher than bass and lower than tenor |
| bask v | To make warm by genial heat |
| bass adj | Low in tone or compass |
| baste v | To cover with melted fat, gravy, while cooking |
| baton n | An official staff borne either as a weapon or as an emblem of authority or privilege |
| battalion n | A body of infantry composed of two or more companies, forming a part of a regiment |
| batten n | A narrow strip of wood |
| batter n | A thick liquid mixture of two or more materials beaten together, to be used in cookery |
| bauble n | A trinket |
| bawl v | To proclaim by outcry |
| beatify v | To make supremely happy |
| beatitude n | Any state of great happiness |
| beau n | An escort or lover |
| becalm v | To make quiet |
| beck v | To give a signal to, by nod or gesture |
| bedaub v | To smear over, as with something oily or sticky |
| bedeck v | To cover with ornament |
| bedlam n | Madhouse |
| befog v | To confuse |
| befriend v | To be a friend to, especially when in need |
| beget v | To produce by sexual generation |
| begrudge v | To envy one of the possession of |
| belate v | To delay past the proper hour |
| belay v | To make fast, as a rope, by winding round a cleat |
| belie v | To misrepresent |
| believe v | To accept as true on the testimony or authority of others |
| belittle v | To disparage |
| belle n | A woman who is a center of attraction because of her beauty, accomplishments, etc |
| bellicose adj | Warlike |
| belligerent adj | Manifesting a warlike spirit |
| bemoan v | To lament |
| benediction n | a solemn invocation of the divine blessing |
| benefactor n | A doer of kindly and charitable acts |
| benefice n | A church office endowed with funds or property for the maintenance of divine service |
| beneficent adj | Characterized by charity and kindness |
| beneficial adj | Helpful |
| beneficiary n | One who is lawfully entitled to the profits and proceeds of an estate or property |
| benefit n | Helpful result |
| benevolence n | Any act of kindness or well-doing |
| benevolent adj | Loving others and actively desirous of their well-being |
| benign adj | Good and kind of heart |
| benignant adj | Benevolent in feeling, character, or aspect |
| benignity n | Kindness of feeling, disposition, or manner |
| benison n | Blessing |
| bequeath v | To give by will |
| bereave v | To make desolate with loneliness and grief |
| berth n | A bunk or bed in a vessel, sleeping-car, etc |
| beseech v | To implore |
| beset v | To attack on all sides |
| besmear v | To smear over, as with any oily or sticky substance |
| bestial adj | Animal |
| bestrew v | To sprinkle or cover with things strewn |
| bestride v | To get or sit upon astride, as a horse |
| bethink v | To remind oneself |
| betide v | To happen to or befall |
| betimes adv | In good season or time |
| betroth v | To engage to marry |
| betrothal n | Engagement to marry |
| bevel n | Any inclination of two surfaces other than 90 degrees |
| bewilder v | To confuse the perceptions or judgment of |
| bibliomania n | The passion for collecting books |
| bibliography n | A list of the words of an author, or the literature bearing on a particular subject |
| bibliophile n | One who loves books |
| bibulous adj | Fond of drinking |
| bide v | To await |
| biennial n | A plant that produces leaves and roots the first year and flowers and fruit the second |
| bier n | A horizontal framework with two handles at each end for carrying a corpse to the grave |
| bigamist n | One who has two spouses at the same time |
| bigamy n | The crime of marrying any other person while having a legal spouse living |
| bight n | A slightly receding bay between headlands, formed by a long curve of a coast-line |
| bilateral adj | Two-sided |
| bilingual adj | Speaking two languages |
| biograph n | A bibliographical sketch or notice |
| biography n | A written account of one's life, actions, and character |
| biology n | The science of life or living organisms |
| biped n | An animal having two feet |
| birthright n | A privilege or possession into which one is born |
| bitterness n | Acridity, as to the taste |
| blase adj | Sated with pleasure |
| blaspheme v | To indulge in profane oaths |
| blatant adj | Noisily or offensively loud or clamorous |
| blaze n | A vivid glowing flame |
| blazon v | To make widely or generally known |
| bleak adj | Desolate |
| blemish n | A mark that mars beauty |
| blithe adj | Joyous |
| blithesome adj | Cheerful |
| blockade n | The shutting up of a town, a frontier, or a line of coast by hostile forces |
| boatswain n | A subordinate officer of a vessel, who has general charge of the rigging, anchors, etc |
| bodice n | A women's ornamental corset-shaped laced waist |
| bodily adj | Corporeal |
| boisterous adj | Unchecked merriment or animal spirits |
| bole n | The trunk or body of a tree |
| bolero n | A Spanish dance, illustrative of the passion of love, accompanied by caste nets and singing |
| boll n | A round pod or seed-capsule, as a flax or cotton |
| bolster v | To support, as something wrong |
| bomb n | A hollow projectile containing an explosive material |
| bombard v | To assail with any missile or with abusive speech |
| bombardier n | A person who has charge of mortars, bombs, and shells |
| bombast n | Inflated or extravagant language, especially on unimportant subjects |
| boorish adj | Rude |
| bore v | To weary by tediousness or dullness |
| borough n | An incorporated village or town |
| bosom n | The breast or the upper front of the thorax of a human being, especially of a woman |
| botanical adj | Connected with the study or cultivation of plants |
| botanize v | To study plant-life |
| botany n | The science that treats of plants |
| bountiful adj | Showing abundance |
| Bowdlerize v | To expurgate in editing (a literary composition) by omitting words or passages |
| bowler n | In cricket, the player who delivers the ball |
| boycott v | To place the products or merchandise of under a ban |
| brae n | Hillside |
| braggart n | A vain boaster |
| brandish v | To wave, shake, or flourish triumphantly or defiantly, as a sword or spear |
| bravado n | An aggressive display of boldness |
| bravo interj | Well done |
| bray n | A loud harsh sound, as the cry of an ass or the blast of a horn |
| braze v | To make of or ornament with brass |
| brazier n | An open pan or basin for holding live coals |
| breach n | The violation of official duty, lawful right, or a legal obligation |
| breaker n | One who trains horses, dogs, etc |
| breech n | The buttocks |
| brevity n | Shortness of duration |
| bric-a-brac n | Objects of curiosity or for decoration |
| bridle n | The head-harness of a horse consisting of a head-stall, a bit, and the reins |
| brigade n | A body of troops consisting of two or more regiments |
| brigadier n | General officer who commands a brigade, ranking between a colonel and a major-general |
| brigand n | One who lives by robbery and plunder |
| brimstone n | Sulfur |
| brine n | Water saturated with salt |
| bristle n | One of the coarse, stiff hairs of swine: used in brush-making, etc |
| Britannia n | The United Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Briticism n | A word, idiom, or phrase characteristic of Great Britain or the British |
| brittle adj | Fragile |
| broach v | To mention, for the first time |
| broadcast adj | Disseminated far and wide |
| brogan n | A coarse, heavy shoe |
| brogue n | Any dialectic pronunciation of English, especially that of the Irish people |
| brokerage n | The business of making sales and purchases for a commission; a broker |
| bromine n | A dark reddish-brown, non-metallic liquid element with a suffocating odor |
| bronchitis n | Inflammation of the bronchial tubes |
| bronchus n | Either of the two subdivisions of the trachea conveying air into the lungs |
| brooch n | An article of jewelry fastened by a hinged pin and hook on the underside |
| brotherhood n | Spiritual or social fellowship or solidarity |
| browbeat v | To overwhelm, or attempt to do so, by stern, haughty, or rude address or manner |
| brusque adj | Somewhat rough or rude in manner or speech |
| buffoon n | A clown |
| buffoonery n | Low drollery, coarse jokes, etc |
| bulbous adj | Of, or pertaining to, or like a bulb |
| bullock n | An ox |
| bulrush n | Any one of various tall rush-like plants growing in damp ground or water |
| bulwark n | Anything that gives security or defense |
| bumper n | A cup or glass filled to the brim, especially one to be drunk as a toast or health |
| bumptious adj | Full of offensive and aggressive self-conceit |
| bungle v | To execute clumsily |
| buoyancy n | Power or tendency to float on or in a liquid or gas |
| buoyant adj | Having the power or tendency to float or keep afloat |
| bureau n | A chest of drawers for clothing, etc |
| bureaucracy n | Government by departments of men transacting particular branches of public business |
| burgess n | In colonial times, a member of the lower house of the legislature of Maryland or Virginia |
| burgher n | An inhabitant, citizen or freeman of a borough burgh, or corporate town |
| burnish v | To make brilliant or shining |
| bursar n | A treasurer |
| bustle v | To hurry |
| butt v | To strike with or as with the head, or horns |
| butte n | A conspicuous hill, low mountain, or natural turret, generally isolated |
| buttress n | Any support or prop |
| by-law n | A rule or law adopted by an association, a corporation, or the like |
| cabal n | A number of persons secretly united for effecting by intrigue some private purpose |
| cabalism n | Superstitious devotion to one's religion |
| cabinet n | The body of men constituting the official advisors of the executive head of a nation |
| cacophony n | A disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or combination of sounds or tones |
| cadaverous adj | Resembling a corpse |
| cadence n | Rhythmical or measured flow or movement, as in poetry or the time and pace of marching troops |
| cadenza n | An embellishment or flourish, prepared or improvised, for a solo voice or instrument |
| caitiff adj | Cowardly |
| cajole v | To impose on or dupe by flattering speech |
| cajolery n | Delusive speech |
| calculable adj | That may be estimated by reckoning |
| calculus n | A concretion formed in various parts of the body resembling a pebble in hardness |
| callosity n | The state of being hard and insensible |
| callow adj | Without experience of the world |
| calorie n | Amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree centigrade |
| calumny n | Slander |
| Calvary n | The place where Christ was crucified |
| Calvinism n | The system of doctrine taught by John Calvin |
| Calvinize v | To teach or imbue with the doctrines of Calvinism |
| came n | A leaden sash-bar or grooved strip for fastening panes in stained-glass windows |
| cameo n | Any small engraved or carved work in relief |
| campaign n | A complete series of connected military operations |
| Canaanite n | A member of one of the three tribes that dwelt in the land of Canaan, or western Palestine |
| canary adj | Of a bright but delicate yellow |
| candid adj | Straightforward |
| candor n | The quality of frankness or outspokenness |
| canine adj | Characteristic of a dog |
| canon n | Any rule or law |
| cant v | To talk in a singsong, preaching tone with affected solemnity |
| cantata n | A choral composition |
| canto n | One of the divisions of an extended poem |
| cantonment n | The part of the town or district in which the troops are quartered |
| capacious adj | Roomy |
| capillary n | A minute vessel having walls composed of a single layer of cells |
| capitulate v | To surrender or stipulate terms |
| caprice n | A whim |
| caption n | A heading, as of a chapter, section, document, etc |
| captious adj | Hypercritical |
| carcass n | The dead body of an animal |
| cardiac adj | Pertaining to the heart |
| cardinal adj | Of prime or special importance |
| caret n | A sign (^) placed below a line, indicating where omitted words, etc, should be inserted |
| caricature n | a picture or description in which natural characteristics are exaggerated or distorted |
| carnage n | Massacre |
| carnal adj | Sensual |
| carnivorous adj | Eating or living on flesh |
| carouse v | To drink deeply and in boisterous or jovial manner |
| carrion n | Dead and putrefying flesh |
| cartilage n | An elastic animal tissue of firm consistence |
| cartridge n | A charge for a firearm, or for blasting |
| caste n | The division of society on artificial grounds |
| castigate v | To punish |
| casual adj | Accidental, by chance |
| casualty n | A fatal or serious accident or disaster |
| cataclysm n | Any overwhelming flood of water |
| cataract n | Opacity of the lens of the eye resulting in complete or partial blindness |
| catastrophe n | Any great and sudden misfortune or calamity |
| cathode n | The negative pole or electrode of a galvanic battery |
| Catholicism n | The system, doctrine, and practice of the Roman Catholic Church |
| catholicity n | Universal prevalence or acceptance |
| cat-o-nine-tails n | An instrument consisting of nine pieces of cord, formerly used for flogging in the army and navy |
| caucus n | A private meeting of members of a political party to select candidates |
| causal adj | Indicating or expressing a cause |
| caustic adj | Sarcastic and severe |
| cauterize v | To burn or sear as with a heated iron |
| cede v | To pass title to |
| censor n | An official examiner of manuscripts empowered to prohibit their publication |
| censorious adj | Judging severely or harshly |
| census n | An official numbering of the people of a country or district |
| centenary adj | Pertaining to a hundred years or a period of a hundred years |
| centiliter n | A hundredth of a liter |
| centimeter n | A length of one hundredth of a meter |
| centurion n | A captain of a company of one hundred infantry in the ancient Roman army |
| cereal adj | Pertaining to edible grain or farinaceous seeds |
| ceremonial adj | Characterized by outward form or ceremony |
| ceremonious adj | Observant of ritual |
| cessation n | Discontinuance, as of action or motion |
| cession n | Surrender, as of possessions or rights |
| chagrin n | Keen vexation, annoyance, or mortification, as at one's failures or errors |
| chameleon adj | Changeable in appearance |
| chancery n | A court of equity, as distinguished from a common-law court |
| chaos n | Any condition of which the elements or parts are in utter disorder and confusion |
| characteristic n | A distinctive feature |
| characterize v | To describe by distinctive marks or peculiarities |
| charlatan n | A quack |
| chasm n | A yawning hollow, as in the earth's surface |
| chasten v | To purify by affliction |
| chastise v | To subject to punitive measures |
| chastity n | Sexual or moral purity |
| chateau n | A castle or manor-house |
| chattel n | Any article of personal property |
| check v | To hold back |
| chiffon n | A very thin gauze used for trimmings, evening dress, etc |
| chivalry n | The knightly system of feudal times with its code, usages and practices |
| cholera n | An acute epidemic disease |
| choleric adj | Easily provoked to anger |
| choral adj | Pertaining to, intended for, or performed by a chorus or choir |
| Christ n | A title of Jesus |
| christen v | To name in baptism |
| Christendom n | That part of the world where Christianity is generally professed |
| chromatic adj | Belonging, relating to, or abounding in color |
| chronology n | The science that treats of computation of time or of investigation and arrangement of events |
| chronometer n | A portable timekeeper of the highest attainable precision |
| circulate v | To disseminate |
| circumference n | The boundary-line of a circle |
| circumlocution n | Indirect or roundabout expression |
| circumnavigate v | To sail quite around |
| circumscribe v | To confine within bounds |
| circumspect adj | Showing watchfulness, caution, or careful consideration |
| citadel n | Any strong fortress |
| cite v | To refer to specifically |
| claimant n | One who makes a claim or demand, as of right |
| clairvoyance n | Intuitive sagacity or perception |
| clamorous adj | Urgent in complaint or demand |
| clan n | A tribe |
| clandestine adj | Surreptitious |
| clangor n | Clanking or a ringing, as of arms, chains, or bells; clamor |
| clarify v | To render intelligible |
| clarion n | A small shrill trumpet or bugle |
| classify v | To arrange in a class or classes on the basis of observed resemblance’s and differences |
| clearance n | A certificate from the proper authorities that a vessel has complied with the law and may sail |
| clemency n | Mercy |
| clement adj | Compassionate |
| close-hauled adj | Having the sails set for sailing as close to the wind as possible |
| clothier n | One who makes or sells cloth or clothing |
| clumsy adj | Awkward of movement |
| coagulate v | To change into a clot or a jelly, as by heat, by chemical action, or by a ferment |
| coagulant adj | Producing coagulation |
| coalescence n | The act or process of coming together so as to form one body, combination, or product |
| coalition n | Combination in a body or mass |
| coddle v | To treat as a baby or an invalid |
| codicil n | A supplement adding to, revoking, or explaining in the body of a will |
| coerce v | To force |
| coercion n | Forcible constraint or restraint, moral or physical |
| coercive adj | Serving or tending to force |
| cogent adj | Appealing strongly to the reason or conscience |
| cognate adj | Akin |
| cognizant adj | Taking notice |
| cohere v | To stick together |
| cohesion n | Consistency |
| cohesive adj | Having the property of consistency |
| coincide v | To correspond |
| coincidence n | A circumstance so agreeing with another: often implying accident |
| coincident adj | Taking place at the same time |
| collaborate v | To labor or cooperate with another or others, especially in literary or scientific pursuits |
| collapse v | To cause to shrink, fall in, or fail |
| collapsible adj | That may or can collapse |
| colleague n | An associate in professional employment |
| collective adj | Consisting of a number of persons or objects considered as gathered into a mass, or sum |
| collector n | One who makes a collection, as of objects of art, books, or the like |
| collegian n | A college student |
| collide v | To meet and strike violently |
| collier n | One who works in a coal-mine |
| collision n | Violent contact |
| colloquial adj | Pertaining or peculiar to common speech as distinguished from literary |
| colloquialism n | Form of speech used only or chiefly in conversation |
| colloquy n | Conversation |
| collusion n | A secret agreement for a wrongful purpose |
| colossus n | Any strikingly great person or object |
| comely adj | Handsome |
| comestible adj | Fit to be eaten |
| comical adj | Funny |
| commemorate v | To serve as a remembrance of |
| commentary n | A series of illustrative or explanatory notes on any important work |
| commingle v | To blend |
| commissariat n | The department of an army charged with the provision of its food and water and daily needs |
| commission v | To empower |
| commitment n | The act or process of entrusting or consigning for safe-keeping |
| committal n | The act, fact, or result of committing, or the state of being |
| commodity n | Something that is bought and sold |
| commotion n | A disturbance or violent agitation |
| commute v | To put something, especially something less severe, in place of |
| comparable adj | Fit to be compared |
| comparative adj | Relative |
| comparison n | Examination of two or more objects with reference to their likeness or unlikeness |
| compensate v | To remunerate |
| competence n | Adequate qualification or capacity |
| competent adj | Qualified |
| competitive adj | characterized by rivalry |
| competitor n | A rival |
| complacence n | Satisfaction with one's acts or surroundings |
| complacent adj | Pleased or satisfied with oneself |
| complaisance n | Politeness |
| complaisant adj | Agreeable |
| complement v | To make complete |
| complex adj | Complicated |
| compliant adj | Yielding |
| complicate v | To make complex, difficult, or hard to deal with |
| complication n | An intermingling or combination of things or parts, especially in a perplexing manner |
| complicity n | Participation or partnership, as in wrong-doing or with a wrong-doer |
| compliment v | To address or gratify with expressions of delicate praise |
| component n | A constituent element or part |
| comport v | To conduct or behave (oneself) |
| composure n | Calmness |
| comprehensible adj | Intelligible |
| comprehension n | Ability to know |
| comprehensive adj | Large in scope or content |
| compress v | To press together or into smaller space |
| compressible adj | Capable of being pressed into smaller compass |
| compression n | Constraint, as by force or authority |
| comprise v | To consist of |
| compulsion n | Coercion |
| compulsory adj | Forced |
| compunction n | Remorseful feeling |
| compute v | To ascertain by mathematical calculation |
| concede v | To surrender |
| conceit n | Self-flattering opinion |
| conceive v | To form an idea, mental image or thought of |
| concerto n | A musical composition |
| concession n | Anything granted or yielded, or admitted in response to a demand, petition, or claim |
| conciliate v | To obtain the friendship of |
| conciliatory adj | Tending to reconcile |
| conclusive adj | Sufficient to convince or decide |
| concord n | Harmony |
| concordance n | Harmony |
| concur v | To agree |
| concurrence n | Agreement |
| concurrent adj | Occurring or acting together |
| concussion n | A violent shock to some organ by a fall or a sudden blow |
| condensation n | The act or process of making dense or denser |
| condense v | To abridge |
| condescend v | To come down voluntarily to equal terms with inferiors |
| condolence n | Expression of sympathy with a person in pain, sorrow, or misfortune |
| conduce v | To bring about |
| conducive adj | Contributing to an end |
| conductible adj | Capable of being conducted or transmitted |
| conduit n | A means for conducting something, particularly a tube, pipe, or passageway for a fluid |
| confectionery n | The candy collectively that a confectioner makes or sells, as candy |
| confederacy n | A number of states or persons in compact or league with each other, as for mutual aid |
| confederate n | One who is united with others in a league, compact, or agreement |
| confer v | To bestow |