Practice Round
latrinalia type of deliberately inscribed marking made on latrines; graffiti in restrooms
squee |skwē| informal exclam. used to express great delight or excitement: Got a photo with him
and he signed my book. Squee!
greeble a fine detailing added to the surface of a larger object that makes it appear more complex,
and therefore more visually interesting. It usually gives the audience an impression of increased
scale. Greebles are often present on models or drawings of fictional spacecraft or architectural
constructs in science fiction and are used in the movie industry (special effects).
shittimwood:the wood, probably acacia, of which the ark of the covenant andvarious parts of the ta
bernacle were made.
luau |ˈlo͞oˌou| noun a Hawaiian party or feast, especially one accompanied by entertainment.
mnemonic |nəˈmänik| noun a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists
in remembering something.
Pirouette noun chiefly Ballet an act of spinning on one foot, typically with the raised foot touching
the knee of the supporting leg.
• a movement performed in advanced dressage and classical riding, in which the horse makes a
circle by pivoting on a hind leg while cantering.
queue |kyo͞o|noun 1 chiefly Brit. a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be
attended to or to proceed.embarrass |emˈbarəs|
verb [ with obj. ]cause (someone) to feel awkward, self-conscious, or ashamed: she wouldn't
embarrass either of them by making a scene.
reminiscence |ˌreməˈnisəns| noun a story told about a past event remembered by the narrator: his
reminiscences of his early days in Washington.
aplomb |əˈpläm, əˈpləm|noun
self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation: Diana passed the test with
aplomb.
pterodactyl |ˌterəˈdaktəl| noun a pterosaur of the late Jurassic period, with a long slender head and
neck and a very short tail.
mortgage |ˈmôrgij| noun the charging of real (or personal) property by a debtor to a creditor as
security for a debt (especially one incurred by the purchase of the property), on the condition that it
shall be returned on payment of the debt within a certain period.
assiduous |əˈsijəwəs|adjective showing great care and perseverance: she was assiduous in
pointing out every feature.
auspicious |ôˈspiSHəs| adjective conducive to success; favorable: it was not the most auspicious
moment to hold an election.
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fastidious |fasˈtidēəs| adjective very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail: he
chooses his words with fastidious care.
accommodate |əˈkäməˌdāt|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 (of physical space, especially a building) provide lodging or sufficient space for: the cabins
accommodate up to 6 people.
2 fit in with the wishes or needs of: any language must accommodate new concepts.
vivacious |vəˈvāSHəs, vī-| adjective (especially of a woman) attractively lively and animated.
ectoplasm |ˈektəˌplazəm| noun 1 Biology the more viscous, clear outer layer of the cytoplasm in
ameboid cells. Compare with endoplasm.
2 a supernatural viscous substance that is supposed to exude from the body of a medium during a
spiritualistic trance and form the material for the manifestation of spirits.
acknowledge |akˈnälij| verb
1 [ reporting verb ] accept or admit the existence or truth of: [ with obj. ] : the plight of the refugees
was acknowledged by the authorities | [ with clause ] : the government acknowledged that the tax
was unfair | [ with direct speech ] : “That's true,” she acknowledged.
2 [ with obj. ] (of a body of opinion) recognize the fact or importance or quality of: the art world has
begun to acknowledge his genius | he's generally acknowledged to be the game's finest coach.
echidna |əˈkidnə| noun a spiny insectivorous egg-laying mammal with a long snout and claws,
native to Australia and New Guinea.
intrinsic |inˈtrinzik, -sik| adjective belonging naturally; essential: access to the arts is intrinsic to a
high quality of life.
epigrammatic |ˌepigrəˈmatik| adjective of the nature or in the style of an epigram; concise, clever,
and amusing: an epigrammatic style.
elucidate |iˈlo͞osiˌdāt| verb [ with obj. ]make (something) clear; explain: work such as theirs will help
to elucidate this matter | [ with clause ] : in what follows I shall try to elucidate what I believe the
problems to be | [ no obj. ] : they would not elucidate further.
Round 1
apprentice |əˈprentis| noun a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed
to work for a fixed period at low wages: [ as modifier ] : an apprentice electrician.
champagne |SHamˈpān| noun a white sparkling wine associated with celebration and regarded as a
symbol of luxury, typically that made in the Champagne region of France.
rhetorical |rəˈtôrikəl|adjective of, relating to, or concerned with the art of rhetoric: repetition is a
common rhetorical device.
• expressed in terms intended to persuade or impress: the rhetorical commitment of the government
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to give priority to primary education.
• (of a question) asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit
information.
gesticulate |jeˈstikyəˌlāt| verb [ no obj. ] use gestures, especially dramatic ones, instead of speaking
or to emphasize one's words: they were shouting and gesticulating frantically at drivers who did not
slow down.
deracinate |diˈrasəˌnāt| verb [ with obj. ] literary tear (something) up by the roots.
eponymous |əˈpänəməs| adjective (of a person) giving their name to something: the eponymous
hero of the novel.
• (of a thing) named after a particular person: Roseanne's eponymous hit TV series.
triathlon |trīˈaTHlən, -ˌlän| noun an athletic contest consisting of three different events, typically
swimming, cycling, and long-distance running.
melancholia |ˌmelənˈkōlēə| noun deep sadness or gloom; melancholy: rain slithered down the
windows, encouraging a creeping melancholia.
stertorous |ˈstərtərəs| adjective (of breathing) noisy and labored.
equipoise |ˈekwəˌpoiz| noun balance of forces or interests: this temporary equipoise of power.
• a counterbalance or balancing force: capital flows act as an equipoise to international imbalances
in savings.
incipient |inˈsipēənt| adjective in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop: he could feel
incipient anger building up | an incipient black eye.
gibbous |ˈgibəs| adjective (of the moon) having the observable illuminated part greater than a
semicircle and less than a circle.
ambivalence |amˈbivələns| noun the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about
something or someone: the law's ambivalence about the importance of a victim's identity |
government ambivalence toward the arts.
balustrade |baləˈstrād| noun a railing supported by balusters, especially an ornamental parapet on a
balcony, bridge, or terrace.
treacherous |ˈtreCHərəs| adjective guilty of or involving betrayal or deception: a treacherous
Gestapo agent | memory is particularly treacherous.
• (of ground, water, conditions, etc.) hazardous because of presenting hidden or unpredictable
dangers: a vacationer was swept away by treacherous currents.
piebald |ˈpīˌbôld| adjective (of a horse) having irregular patches of two colors, typically black and
white.
punctilio |ˌpəNGkˈtilēˌō| noun (pl. punctilios) a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure.
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raconteur |ˌrakˌänˈtər, -ən-| noun a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.
implacable |imˈplakəbəl| adjective unable to be placated: he was an implacable enemy of Ted's.
• relentless; unstoppable: the implacable advance of the enemy.
kohlrabi |kōlˈräbē| noun (pl. kohlrabies) a cabbage of a variety with an edible turniplike swollen
stem.
amanuensis |əˌmanyo͞oˈensis |noun a literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes
dictation or copies manuscripts.
a literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.
matrilineal |ˌmatrəˈlinēəl, ˌmā-| adjective of or based on kinship with the mother or the female line.
bailiwick |ˈbāləˌwik| noun 1 (one's bailiwick) one's sphere of operations or particular area of
interest: you never give the presentations—that's my bailiwick.
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