01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Vocab
17
ascetic
adj/n tending to deny the pleasures of the flesh,
one who denies the flesh in order to free the spirit. Often said of holy figures
in strict religious orders. The monk grew to love the ascetic lifestyle of a
hermit—getting up a dawn, praying for two hours, and working in the fields all
day with only a bowl of rice to eat.
assignation
n
a
meeting or a tryst, generally of a secretive nature The two lovers contrived
to get together for a secret assignation in the forest.
clairvoyant
n/adj one who knows things not generally open to view, the quality of having
such knowledge—not strictly a fortune-teller The famous clairvoyant claimed
to be able to tell what our most secret desires were, merely by handling an
object we had touched.
copious
adj existing
in very great quantities I knew that I might fall asleep during the overnight
drive, so I drank copious amounts of espresso in an effort to stay awake.
effete
adj lacking vitality or force, worn out and
sterile. Also effeminate. Cedric prided himself on his learning, but he was a
rather effete scholar, as he neither wrote nor taught; he merely studied his
books from dawn to dusk without contributing anything to mankind.
enumerate
v
to
count off one by one, to number When we undertook to enumerate the many ways
in which he had helped us, we simply lost count and had to give up.
exude
v
to give off or to radiate, to exhibit in
abundance His personality just exuded good will, and one could not help but
be charmed by him.
galvanize
v
to
shock suddenly into action, to electrify (from Nicholas Galvin, who conducted
early experiments in electricity) The unexpected cry of “FIRE” in the
crowded theater galvanized us into sudden action, and we rushed out in a horde.
immutable
adj incapable
of change, literally “not mutable” We expect that the laws of physics are
immutable, and that gravity will work exactly the same in distant galaxies as it
does here.
languor
n
lack
of physical or mental energy, listlessness and tiredness / a dreamy, lazy mood
or quality There was a sweet and lazy languor about the late summer
afternoon; we all just drifted about the lawn and dozed in armchairs.