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Vocab 24

armistice            n            A cessation of fighting, a truce. After the bloody battle had nearly wiped out both sides, the generals called for an armistice while the diplomats tried to work out a lasting peace.

assent                 v/n            To agree to, one's agreement. 1) I suppose I can assent to this deal; it seems to be as much to my advantage as yours. 2) Bathsheba gave her unwilling assent to the plan; she didn't like it, but she could think of nothing better.

charlatan            n              A faker, a pretender to knowledge. The hospital was completely fooled by the charlatan posing as a doctor; his papers seemed all in order, but they could not tell the documents had been forged.

defame               v            To damage the reputation, character, or good name of by slander or libel. Baldur sought to defame the reputation of the Elf King by calling him a coward in front of his men, but the King proved him a liar by defeating him in single combat.

emulate              v            To imitate or model oneself after another out of admiration. When I became a teacher, I tried to emulate the teaching style of my favorite instructor from high school.

eschew               v            To reject or turn one's back on, to reject. Howard tried to go on a diet, but when he found that he had to eschew hot fudge sundaes in favor of carrot sticks, he decided he didn't want to be skinny after all.

histrionic            adj          Tending to overacting or extreme displays of emotion. Her weeping and wailing and histrionic displays of grief embarrassed us; after all, it was only her goldfish that had died.

resplendent         adj           Shining and beautiful, making a glittering display. The Queen looked resplendent in her coronation gown of gold and diamonds.

sated                  adj            Thoroughly satisfied, filled up. Though we were starving before the Thanksgiving dinner, we were more than sated afterward; we could hardly stagger to the couch for the football game.

superfluous         adj            Extra, more than is needed. 1) Nuclear power plants have several superfluous safety systems; even if two fail, there's another backup. 2) Use enough words in your essay to say just what you mean; superfluous words just get in the way.