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23-24 Vocabulary PT1
23-24 UIL Vocabulary (a fortiori-chasmogamous)
Term | Definition |
---|---|
a fortiori | For a still stronger reason; all the more. |
ab initio | From the beginning. |
abscission | The act of cutting off. |
acquittal | Judgment, as by a jury or judge, that a defendant is not guilty of a crime as charged. |
acrodont | Having teeth attached to the edge of the jawbone without sockets. |
ad valorem | In proportion to the value: ad valorem duties on imported goods. |
adipocere | A brown, fatty, waxlike substance that forms on dead animal tissues in response to moisture. |
aiguille | A sharply pointed mountain peak, especially one of several on a larger massif |
akimbo | In or into a position in which the hands are on the hips and the elbows are bowed outward. |
alcazar | A Spanish palace or fortress, originally one built by the Moors. |
alpha privative | The prefix a- or an- before vowels, used in Greek and in English words borrowed from Greek to express absence or negation. |
amalgamation | The act of amalgamating or the condition resulting from this act. |
ametropia | An eye abnormality, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, resulting from faulty refractive ability of the eye. |
anaglyph | An ornament carved in low relief. |
anecdotal | Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis. |
anemochory | Dispersal of seeds, fruits, or other plant parts by wind. |
animadvert | To remark or comment critically, usually with strong disapproval or censure. |
anosmic | Loss of the sense of smell. |
anthrax | A serious infectious disease of mammals caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, and can be transmitted to humans by handling infected animals or contaminated animal products, by ingesting contaminated meat, or by inhaling bacterial spores. |
ao dai | A long-sleeved, usually full-length garment with sides slit up to the hips, traditionally worn by Vietnamese women over loose trousers. |
aphonia | Loss of the voice resulting from disease, injury to the vocal cords, or various psychological causes, such as hysteria. |
apparatchik | An unquestioningly loyal subordinate, especially of a political leader or organization. |
appreciable | Possible to estimate, measure, or perceive. |
Arikara | A member of a Native American people formerly inhabiting the Missouri River valley from Kansas into the Dakotas and now located in western North Dakota. Traditional Arikara life was based on agriculture and trade with the Plains Indians to the west. |
assigned | Selected for a duty or office; appointed. |
bagasse | The dry, fibrous residue remaining after the extraction of juice from the crushed stalks of sugarcane, used as a source of cellulose for some paper products. |
balmacaan | A loose, full overcoat with raglan sleeves, originally made of rough woolen cloth. |
baronial | Suited for or befitting a baron; stately and grand. |
barratry | 1. The act or practice of bringing a groundless lawsuit or lawsuits. 2. An unlawful breach of duty on the part of a ship's master or crew resulting in injury to the ship's owner. 3. Sale or purchase of positions in church or state. |
bazooka | A shoulder-held weapon consisting of a long metal smoothbore tube for firing armor-piercing rockets at short range. |
bdellium | An aromatic gum resin similar to myrrh, produced by certain Asian and African shrubs or trees of the genus Commiphora. |
beccafico | Any of various small songbirds that are eaten as a delicacy in Italy and France. |
bicephalous | Having two heads. |
Bloemfontein | A city of central South Africa east-southeast of Kimberley. It is unofficially called the judicial capital of the country because the appellate division of the national supreme court sits here. |
bodhisattva | An enlightened being who, out of compassion, forgoes nirvana in order to save others. (Buddhism) |
brevet | A commission promoting a military officer in rank without an increase in pay. |
breviary | A book containing the hymns, offices, and prayers for the canonical hours. (Ecclesiastical) |
cachexia | Weight loss, wasting of muscle, loss of appetite, and general debility that can occur during a chronic disease. |
calenture | A tropical fever once believed to be caused by the heat. |
calvados | A French brandy made from apples. |
capacitance | The property of a circuit element that permits it to store charge. |
castanet | A percussion instrument consisting of a pair of slightly concave shells of ivory or hardwood, held in the palm of the hand by a connecting cord over the thumb and clapped together with the fingers. |
casuistic | Of or relating to casuists or casuistry. |
catastasis | The intensified part of the action directly preceding the catastrophe in classical tragedy. |
catchword | 1. A well-known word or phrase, especially one that exemplifies a notion, class, or quality. 2. The first word of a page printed in the bottom right-hand corner of the preceding page. |
causerie | An informal discussion or chat, especially of an intellectual nature. |
ceilidh | A social gathering with traditional Irish or Scottish music, dancing, and storytelling. |
centesimal | Relating to or divided into hundredths. |
cerotype | The process of preparing a printing surface for electrotyping by first engraving on a wax-coated metal plate. |
chasmogamous | Of or relating to a flower that is pollinated after it opens. |