4000 CPE Vocabulary List

a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent
He was assiduous, working at this task for weeks before he felt satisfied with his results.

v. incorporate and absorb into mind; make similar; cause to resemble
How the United States could assimilate immigrants during the 19th and early 20th century will always be a source of pride to Americans.

n. help, especially money or resources that are given to people  
The government has pledged in return for IMF assistance to redouble its efforts to reform the economy.

v. ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease
Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream.

ad. in a way that causes something to be certain; undoubtedly
We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.

n. eye defect that prevents proper focus
As soon as his parents discovered that the boy suffered from astigmatism, they took him to the optometrist for corrective glasses.

a. amazed; very surprised
He looked upon his son and was again astonished at his beauty this day.

v. affect with wonder; surprise; shock
The past events dovetail into those of the present, with parallels that surprise, astound, shock and delight.

a. causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere
The juice from the last pressing, being very dark and astringent, is put with the inferior wine.

n. a physicist who studies astronomy
He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet--no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned.

n. branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole
The brightened comet in the constellation Virgo may even be visible to the naked eye, allowing members of the public worldwide to join in this historic moment in astronomy.

ad. into separate parts or pieces; apart
A fierce quarrel split the partnership asunder: the two partners finally sundered their connections because their points of view were poles apart.

a. not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
Because one eyebrow was set markedly higher than the other, William's face had a particularly asymmetric appearance.

n. resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; deformity returning after the passage of two or more generations
The doctors ascribed the child's deformity to an atavism.

a. displaying characteristics of previous cultural era or previous ancestral form
After spending three weeks on a desert island, Roger became a survivalist with atavistic skills that helped him endure.

a. denying existence of God; godless
His atheistic remarks shocked the religious worshippers.

n. art of training by athletic exercises; games and sports of athletes
Sarah is very keen on athletics and can trot out the names of all the leading runners and their record times.

n. air; a mixture of gases that surrounds any planet
The shuttle burned up while re-entering the earth's atmosphere on Saturday, and any debris will be important in finding out why.

n. a tiny piece of anything; the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
If any one of them can explain it, I'll give him sixpence. I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.

n. brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness
Unfortunately, the normal social reaction to atrocity is to banish it from our awareness.