American Lit Vocabulary Weeks 6-9

(n.) a type of game bird; a complaint (v.) to complain, grumble

(adj.) founded upon involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical

A historian may point out that the _____ of two events does not necessarily indicate a cause-and-effect relationship.

(v.) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

A vision of an oasis is a common _____ of the imagination of those lost in the desert.

It was hard to _____ any specific details from my parents about my Christmas gift.

Many visionary writers have echoed Thomas More's _____ ideas in different forms.

—(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness.

Students' perennial _____ is "We have too much homework!"

The game of bridge seems to have a(n) _____ vocabulary that only those who play can understand.

Blaming the victim is a _____ response to human suffering and deprivation.

(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end.

A person with a(n) _____ personality is not likely to be popular with those he criticizes.

Only a truly _____ mind could have conceived such an evil and perverted scheme.

Falstaff was the mischievous, _____ pal of young Prince Hal in Shakespeare's Henry IV.

During the final seconds of the basketball game, our fans grew _____ with excitement when John scored the winning point.

(v.) to imprison, confine, jail

Dictators like Hitler and Stalin ruled by _____ and fear.

(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character

The movie _____ millions at the box office and five Academy Awards to boot.

(n.) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away

Endless bureaucratic red tape can _____ the most enthusiastic of entrepreneurs.

(n.) disorder, confusion (v.) to throw into disorder

Pediatricians emphasize that _____ infants breathe best when placed on their backs.

(n.) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

Many Irish songs recall the _____ landscape of that rainy isle.

People of all religions and cultures find ways to _____ the memory of their ancestors.

The economic activity of an area tends to _____ when a key business located there leaves.

Expert witnesses at trials are usually paid for their services, so they may have a _____ motive for testifying.

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

Instead of much-needed action, they have offered us an endless flow or meaningless _____.

The general devised a clever _____ to take the city, but unfortunately it backfired in our faces.

(n.) Nearness in place or time; kinship

(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

—(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment

Movie audiences enjoy seeing _____ villains like Darth Vader outwitted by the hero.

(adj.) developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stages; fundamental

—(v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use

(adj.) ridiculous, laughable, absurd

The Garden of Eden was a _____ paradise full of wonderful fruit and flowers.

The defendants were considered too dangerous to be released on bail, so they remained __ in the local pokey until trial

(adj.) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

—(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

In times of crisis, people often show _____ courage and kindness to their neighbor.

Drivers searched the _____ waters for hours before finally recovering the body of the drowning victim

The map the teacher drew for the children _____ all of the buildings and landmarks of their community.

Due to an upset stomach, Paul had no interest in sampling the curries, chilies, and other _____ dishes on the buffet.

—(adj.) intended for or understood by only a secret few, private secret

(adj.) frenzied, highly agitated

(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

(adj.) obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken for

(n. often plural) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality; lacking in easy movement or fluidity

Paramedics are trained to respond to any _____ quickly and efficiently.

—(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

—(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of

The hurricane reduced all of the boats in the marina to mere _____.

The glaze was not as _____ as I expected, so it dried rather quickly.

A preservationist group might see itself as a(n) _____ against the destruction of precious landmarks.

The terms of a _____ drawn up after a war are usually dictated by the victor and accepted grudgingly by the vanished.

(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

(n.) A state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection

—(n.) A fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

Interning is a requirement _____ on many future professions.

(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

No one will believe the _____ denials of a thief who's been caught stealing on camera.

(n.) a fortified place; stronghold

Some birds have such remarkable _____ of vision that they can spot small prey from hundreds of feet in the air.

(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

Many in the press consider it their job to _____ public officials into revealing what they would prefer to keep hidden.

—(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

(adj.) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

The office was in such _____ that he couldn't decide whom to trust.

War may evoke a(n) _____ urge to defend one's home and family.

—(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

The word of artist M.C. Escher displays a _____ mastery of detail.

(adj.) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking