GRE Vocabulary 2018

acne

n. a condition characterized by red pimples on the face, prevalent chiefly among teenagers.

Unwashed brushes are the ideal camp for acne-causing bacteria to set up in. To avoid breakouts, be sure that everything that comes into contact with your cheeks is regularly cleaned – your makeup, your phone, your pillow cases.

anarchist

n. a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power

A nude statue of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump without testicles was taken down on Thursday after causing quite the stir in New York’s Union Square. An anarchist group erected the statue, titled The Emperor Has No Balls.

aquifer

n. a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater

Farmers struggling to nourish thirsty crops are digging more wells, draining centuries-old aquifers, so that the Tigris and Euphrates basins lost 144 cubic kilometres of fresh water from 2003 to 2010.

arbiter

n. a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter

Friday's change is notable, however, given Facebook's fear of being perceived as an arbiter of news quality.

arch

n. a structure, consisting of a curved top on two supports, that holds the weight of something above it

The McDonald’s in Sedona, Arizona, has the world’s only turquoise arches—the owners were told that they needed to make the location more in keeping with the distinct desert environment.

backburner

n. a state of inaction or suspension; a position of relatively little importance.

This was on their backburner and not likely to get fixed anytime soon, and we were hoping to get some additional leverage to make them bump up the priority on their end.

bias

n. prejudice in favor of or against one thing, usually in a way considered to be unfair

For a long time, I bought into this anti-circle bias; and while I often strayed from the straight and narrow, I always chalked up my circuitous path to personal shortcomings.

bipartisan

n. of or involving the agreement of two parties that usually oppose each other's policies

Key senators reach bipartisan health-care subsidy deal; the compromise help offset deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers.

Bodhisattva

n. in Buddhism, a person who is able to save suffering beings

Beneath a lustrous 33-metre bronze statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of mercy, a young monk tallies the cash donated by visiting faithful.

bootleg

n. illegal musical recording, especially one made at a concert

Star Wars was banned in the Soviet Union until 1990, although a thriving black market bootleg video exchange meant many Soviet citizens had in fact seen the films during the 1980s.

bound

v. walk or run with leaping strides

When the occupants of Snow Panda House were first allowed to play in the open air in mid-February, they bounded out and rolled in the white stuff.

bust

v. break, split, or burst (something).

A young municipal utility worker has become a viral sensation after an image of him submerged in a puddle from a busted pipeline was shared around the country.

canon

n. a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine

Scholars have long argued about the inspiration for Shakespeare's canon; now a piece of software, used for detecting plagiarism among university students, may have the answer.

capably

ad. ably, aptly, competently

It listens to customer-service calls and assigns an empathy score based on how compassionate agents are and how fast and how capably they settle complaints.

catastrophic

a. extremely unfortunate or unsuccessful

Global public-health authorities vowed to learn from previous catastrophic foul-up; a fresh outbreak of Ebola will reveal whether they have done so.

chill

n. an unpleasant feeling of coldness in the atmosphere

In the chill of deep space, bacteria somehow shielded from cosmic radiation might survive dormant for millions of years.

circuitous

a. of a route or journey longer than the most direct way

For a long time, I bought into this anti-circle bias; and while I often strayed from the straight and narrow, I always chalked up my circuitous path to personal shortcomings.

clamber

v. climb, move, or get in or out of something in an awkward and laborious way

On the campaign trail before a general election, Mr Hariri has clambered atop cars, posed with fans and cuddled up to children in search of the best snap of himself.

cuddle

v. hold close in one's arms as a way of showing love or affection

On the campaign trail before a general election, Mr Hariri has clambered atop cars, posed with fans and cuddled up to children in search of the best snap of himself.

deductible

n. a specified amount of money that the insured must pay before an insurance company will pay a claim

Key senators reach bipartisan health-care subsidy deal; the compromise help offset deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers.

deform

v. distort the shape or form of; make misshapen

The seismic waves from a nearby earthquake will deform the cable minutely, leaving the returning light slightly out of phase with the light emitted by the laser.

defunct

a. no longer existing or functioning.

The ransomware Locky once considered almost defunct, however, its variant was touted by over 23 million emails with the malware to the US workforce in just 24 hours on August 28.

desalination

n. the process of removing salt from seawater

In Gaza, where the seepage of saltwater and sewage into underground raises the risk of disease, a blockade by Israel and Egypt has made it harder to build and run desalination plants.

destine

v. intend or choose for a particular purpose or end

Little did he know when he was sworn in as chief minister of the Indian state of Karnataka on May 17th, but his tenure was destined to be brief.

divergent

a. tending to be different or develop in different directions

People of different ages have very divergent working styles, priorities, and needs; but how can your business accommodate these unique needs, while still enabling effective collaboration and productivity?

doorstop book

n. a large, boring book, generally considered a classic

Publishers are producing a cascade of books on his life and thought, from doorstop book Das Kapital, to slim pamphlet Communist Manifesto.

dormant

n. having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time

In the chill of deep space, bacteria somehow shielded from cosmic radiation might survive dormant for millions of years.

dotard

n. an old person, especially one who has become weak or senile.

North Korean leader lobbed insults at U.S. President on Friday, calling him a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" and hinting at frightening new weapons tests.

drain

v. cause the water or other liquid in something to run out

Farmers struggling to nourish thirsty crops are digging more wells, draining centuries-old aquifers, so that the Tigris and Euphrates basins lost 144 cubic kilometres of fresh water from 2003 to 2010.

duly

ad. in accordance with what is required or appropriate

The Senate duly approved Mr Rajoy’s request to apply Article 155 of the constitution; it grants the government wide powers to compel a region to obey the constitution.

dwindle

v. diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength

In the past, companies with sloppy approaches have been able to count on their customers' lack of interest in cybersecurity which has dwindled over the years despite a succession of hacking scandals.

empathy

a. ability to understand and share the feelings of another

It listens to customer-service calls and assigns an empathy score based on how compassionate agents are and how fast and how capably they settle complaints.

encore

n. a repeated or additional performance of an item at the end of a concert

CBC says it will edit the encore broadcast of ice dance competition to eliminate images of a French skater's breast that was exposed due to a costume malfunction.

evolution

v. he gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form

Perhaps alien worlds could be seeded deliberately with terrestrial micro-organisms that might take hold there, jump-starting evolution on those planets.

exodus

n. a mass departure of people, especially emigrants

They've fled violence in Myanmar and sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh; the amount of people is just unfathomable, and U.N. called the exodus as the fastest growing refugee crisis.

franchise

n. an authorization granted to carry out specified commercial activities

That franchise was told that the blue was chosen to echo the sky, and the building is more orange and red to resemble the surrounding terrain.

gondola

n. a light flat-bottomed boat used on Venetian canals
an enclosed cabin suspended from an overhead cable to transport passengers

While the breathtaking scenery remains the same, pretty much everything else has changed at Whistler Blackcomb, including the gondola.

haphazard

n. lacking any obvious principle of organization.

Davi was born without fully developed limbs but he's not been discouraged, despite the haphazard nature of facilities in Brazil; "Sport is my life because without sport I'm not Davi, " he said, brimming with confidence.

heretic

n. a person who differs in opinion from established religious dogma

The pursuit of purity involved vicious factional fights as real Marxists drove out renegades, revisionists and heretics.

homily

n. a religious discourse that is intended primarily for spiritual edification, sermon

It is a computer-tweaked facsimile, into whose mouth has been put a not-entirely serious homily about Belgium's carbon emissions.

hurtle

v. move or cause to move at a great speed, typically in a wildly uncontrolled manner

Muons are produced when cosmic rays - high-speed atom fragments that hurtle through space - smash into the atmosphere; they carpet bomb Earth at a rate of 10,000 per square meter per minute.

impart

v. make information known; communicate

The most fabulously wealthy real-estate developer in New York would search for a young pupil to whom he could impart his boundless wisdom.

incumbent

n. the holder of an office or post

The party locked arms with the third force, a regional outfit called the Janata Dal-Secular; the pairing of two parties thus claimed the right to replace the incumbent from them as chief minister.

indigenous

a. originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native

There is outrage in Indigenous communities over the recent acquittal of a Saskatchewan farmer of all charges relating to the shooting death of young Colten Boushie.

ingrained

a. firmly fixed or established; difficult to change

This year, following the fall of one of the festival's most high-profile regulars, Harvey Weinstein, the event’s ingrained sexism was scrutinised and criticised more intently than ever.

insight

n. the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing.

The revelation gives more insight into what may have caused Prince's overdose. There are two likely possibilities: Either a pharmaceutical manufacturer mislabeled the pills, or the pills were illegally manufactured.

intently

ad. with earnest and eager attention

This year, following the fall of one of the festival's most high-profile regulars, Harvey Weinstein, the event’s ingrained sexism was scrutinised and criticised more intently than ever.

intervention

n. interposition or interference of one state in the affairs of another.

Our study shows that the pregnancy prevention programme delivered in Western Australia, which involves an infant simulator, does not reduce the risk of pregnancy. In fact, the risk of pregnancy is actually increased compared to girls who didn't take part in the intervention.

lob

v. throw or hit (a ball or missile) in a high arc.

North Korean leader lobbed insults at U.S. President on Friday, calling him a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" and hinting at frightening new weapons tests.

makeshift

a. serving as a temporary substitute; sufficient for the time being

I'm hovering in a makeshift kitchen, watching one of Italy's most eminent marine biologists gleefully playing chef.

malfunction

n. a failure to function in a normal or satisfactory manner

CBC says it will edit the encore broadcast of ice dance competition to eliminate images of a French skater's breast that was exposed due to a costume malfunction.

manifesto

n. a public declaration of policy and aims

Publishers are producing a cascade of books on his life and thought, from doorstop book Das Kapital, to slim pamphlet Communist Manifesto.

mighty

a. possessing great and impressive power or strength

It's a bizarre concept that Alaskan volcanoes were screwing up the Nile watershed, causing the flow of one of the world’s mightiest rivers to slow.

militarisation

n. the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence

Any tentative move towards re-militarisation would trigger alarm bells in China given Japan's history of military aggression in the region.

mitigate

v. make less severe, serious, or painful.

It's important to have a multilayered, deep defensive posture and not to rely on a single perimeter approach to mitigate risk.

money-grubbing

n. someone does anything possible to get money

The government wants to promote faiths that it views as indigenous, including Buddhism and Taoism, and to tamp down on those seen as foreign and money-grubbing.

monsoon

n. a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia;

The company has built 500 burners on Himalayan ridges in the path of the monsoon, and is testing a system to loft particles of silver iodide from the machines into the atmosphere.

motto

n. a short sentence or phrase chosen as encapsulating the beliefs or ideals guiding an individual, family, or institution.

Felix remains as gracious and humble as ever in spite of incredible success and worldwide recognition. Her motto: “Medals are won in training.”

muon

n. an unstable subatomic particle of the same class as an electron, but with a mass around 200 times greater

Muons are produced when cosmic rays - high-speed atom fragments that hurtle through space - smash into the atmosphere; they carpet bomb Earth at a rate of 10,000 per square meter per minute.

nullification

n. cancelling something;
when one thing overcomes or overrides another

The lead-up to the trial itself sparked suspicions: secret jury deliberation can lead to jury nullification, when the jury renders a verdict based purely on its prejudices.

occupant

n. a person who resides or is present in a house

When the occupants of Snow Panda House were first allowed to play in the open air in mid-February, they bounded out and rolled in the white stuff.

outfit

n. a group that works as a team

The party locked arms with the third force, a regional outfit called the Janata Dal-Secular; the pairing of two parties thus claimed the right to replace the incumbent from them as chief minister.

overhaul

v. take apart in order to examine it and repair it if necessary

The move comes roughly a week after Facebook announced it would overhaul its core News Feed product to focus more on engaging content from friends and family rather than passive low-quality news.

panther

n. a leopard, especially a black one

This weekend is merely the calm before the proverbial marvel-powered storm as 'Black Panther' is poised to leap into theaters with potentially record-breaking results.

perceive

v. become aware or conscious of; come to realize or understand

Friday's change is notable, however, given Facebook's fear of being perceived as an arbiter of news quality.

pinch

v. grip something tightly and sharply between finger and thumb

I worked at McDonald's and they taught me how to pinch the fry carton just right while putting the fries into them so that it looked full, but actually wasn't.

plagiarism

n. the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own

Scholars have long argued about the inspiration for Shakespeare's canon; now a piece of software, used for detecting plagiarism among university students, may have the answer.

plume

n. a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display

Satellites track typhoons, monitor volcanic-ash plumes and catalogue the changing ways in which human beings use the land.

projectile

n. a missile designed to be fired from a rocket or gun.

They overlook two gun mounts that resemble cannon barrels; the Zumwalt’s powerful new gun system can unload 600 rocket-powered projectiles on targets more than 70 miles away.

proverbial

a. of a word or phrase referred to in a proverb or idiom

This weekend is merely the calm before the proverbial marvel-powered storm as 'Black Panther' is poised to leap into theaters with potentially record-breaking results.

ransomware

n. a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

The ransomware Locky once considered almost defunct, however, its variant was touted by over 23 million emails with the malware to the US workforce in just 24 hours on August 28.

renegade

n. a person who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles

The pursuit of purity involved vicious factional fights as real Marxists drove out renegades, revisionists and heretics.

resurrection

n. the act of rising from the dead

Jesus taught that life does not end after our bodies die. He made this startling claim: I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.

reveal

v. make previously secret information known to others

Global public-health authorities vowed to learn from previous catastrophic foul-up; a fresh outbreak of Ebola will reveal whether they have done so.

revelation

n. a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.

The revelation gives more insight into what may have caused Prince's overdose. There are two likely possibilities: Either a pharmaceutical manufacturer mislabeled the pills, or the pills were illegally manufactured.

riddle

v. make many holes in someone or something, especially with gunshot

The soldier shot multiple times while defecting to the South is in a stable condition but riddled with parasites that could complicate his chances of survival.

run along

v. be in line with; form a line along

He unveiled a plan to rebuild southern Damascus, including areas that run along the camp's edge; some suggest relocating the Palestinians to distant scrubland.

rye

n. grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop

Families tuck in to hearty meals of sausages and rye bread, and men play cards over glasses of locally brewed beer.

schism

n. a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties

This debate often represents a schism in American political ideology that claims to champion the same goals but attempts to meet those goals through different methods.

scoff

v. speak to someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way.

"Who does he think he is? I am no American puppet. I am the president of a sovereign country and I am not answerable to anyone except the Filipino people," Duterte scoffed in a speech Monday. "Son of a bitch, I will swear at you."

scrubland

n. land consisting of scrub vegetation

He unveiled a plan to rebuild southern Damascus, including areas that run along the camp's edge; some suggest relocating the Palestinians to distant scrubland.

seepage

n. the slow escape of a liquid or gas through porous material or small holes

In Gaza, where the seepage of saltwater and sewage into underground raises the risk of disease, a blockade by Israel and Egypt has made it harder to build and run desalination plants.

seismic

a. of or relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of the earth and its crust

The seismic waves from a nearby earthquake will deform the cable minutely, leaving the returning light slightly out of phase with the light emitted by the laser.

silver iodide

n. a yellow insoluble powder, used in photography and artificial rainmaking

The company has built 500 burners on Himalayan ridges in the path of the monsoon, and is testing a system to loft particles of silver iodide from the machines into the atmosphere.

sloppy

a. casual and loose-fitting

In the past, companies with sloppy approaches have been able to count on their customers' lack of interest in cybersecurity which has dwindled over the years despite a succession of hacking scandals.

Soviet Union

n. a single-party Marxist-Leninist state, existed from 1922 until 1991

Star Wars was banned in the Soviet Union until 1990, although a thriving black market bootleg video exchange meant many Soviet citizens had in fact seen the films during the 1980s.

surveillance

n. close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal

Factory workers have long clocked in and out; but AI makes ubiquitous surveillance worthwhile, because every bit of data is potentially valuable.

swear someone in

v. administer an oath to someone who then officially begins in office

Little did he know when he was sworn in as chief minister of the Indian state of Karnataka on May 17th, but his tenure was destined to be brief.

tally

v. calculate the total number of

Beneath a lustrous 33-metre bronze statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of mercy, a young monk tallies the cash donated by visiting faithful.

terrain

n. a stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features

That franchise was told that the blue was chosen to echo the sky, and the building is more orange and red to resemble the surrounding terrain.

terrestrial

a. of, on, or relating to the earth

Perhaps alien worlds could be seeded deliberately with terrestrial micro-organisms that might take hold there, jump-starting evolution on those planets.

testicle

n. either of the two oval organs that produce sperm in men and other male mammals, enclosed in the scrotum behind the penis.

A nude statue of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump without testicles was taken down on Thursday after causing quite the stir in New York’s Union Square. An anarchist group erected the statue, titled The Emperor Has No Balls.

tuck in

v. push, fold so as to hide them;
eat food heartily

Families tuck in to hearty meals of sausages and rye bread, and men play cards over glasses of locally brewed beer.

turquoise

n. a greenish-blue color

The McDonald’s in Sedona, Arizona, has the world’s only turquoise arches—the owners were told that they needed to make the location more in keeping with the distinct desert environment.

tweak

v. improve system by making fine adjustments to it

It is a computer-tweaked facsimile, into whose mouth has been put a not-entirely serious homily about Belgium's carbon emissions.

typhoon

n. a tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans

Satellites track typhoons, monitor volcanic-ash plumes and catalogue the changing ways in which human beings use the land.

ubiquitous

a. present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Empty seats have been as ubiquitous at the Rio Olympics venues as Brazilian flags and yellow soccer kits; the organizers donated a massive amount of tickets to less-populated events to underprivileged children even makes things worse.

undergird

v. secure or fasten from the underside, especially by a rope or chain passed underneath

Such mega-events have undergirded determination in government and the public alike to move on longstanding issues of housing and infrastructure; a flood of public-works projects have accelerated a profound reshaping of Rio de Janeiro, often in ways that reanimate bitterness over racial and class divisions.

unfathomable

a. incapable of being fully explored or understood

They've fled violence in Myanmar and sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh; the amount of people is just unfathomable, and U.N. called the exodus as the fastest growing refugee crisis.

verdict

n. a decision on a disputed issue in a civil or criminal case or an inquest

The lead-up to the trial itself sparked suspicions: secret jury deliberation can lead to jury nullification, when the jury renders a verdict based purely on its prejudices.

viral

n. an image, video, advertisement, etc., that is circulated rapidly on the Internet

A young municipal utility worker has become a viral sensation after an image of him submerged in a puddle from a busted pipeline was shared around the country.

watershed

n. an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers

It's a bizarre concept that Alaskan volcanoes were screwing up the Nile watershed, causing the flow of one of the world’s mightiest rivers to slow.

windfall

n. an apple or other fruit blown down from a tree or bush by the wind.

It was agreed without further argument that the milk and the windfall apples should be reserved for the pigs alone.

abdication

n. the act of giving up or renouncing a right, office, or position of power etc.  

abuzz

a. in a buzz; buzzing; characterized by excessive gossip or activity  

aflutter

a. In a state of excited anticipation or confusion  

afoul

a. in a state of entanglement or conflict with  

algae

n. plural of a type of aquatic life form, such as seaweed; any of many aquatic photosynthetic organisms, whose size ranges from a single cell to giant kelps and whose form is very diverse  

algorithm

n. precise step-by-step plan for solving a problem  

archipelago

n. a large group of islands; a sea, containing a large number of scattered islands  

arsenal

n. a store or supply of anything; a stock of weapons; a military establishment for the storage, development, manufacturing, testing, or repairing of weapons and war material  

assail

v. to trouble; to attack verbally; to attack violent  

assonant

a. having successive similar vowel sounds, having a resemblance of sounds  

atrial

a. of or pertaining to an atrium, especially the upper chambers of the heart  

austerity

n. quality of being simple and plain, without excess ; a severe and rigid economy.  

avert

v. to turn aside or away  

backhoe

n. piece of excavating equipment consisting of a digging bucket or scoop on the end of an articulated arm; drawn backwards to move earth  

batter

v. hit heavily and repeatedly with violent blows  

benchmark

n. a standard by which something is evaluated or measured  

bonanza

n. a mine rich with gold or silver or other valuable yields  

broadsheet

n. newspaper having pages of standard dimensions (as opposed to a tabloid), especially one that carries serious treatment of news.  

buoyant

a. light; able to float; not sinking  

cachet

n. a mark or quality, as of distinction, individuality, or authenticity  

calamity

n. an event resulting in great loss  

canter

n .gait of a horse between a trot and a gallop, consisting of three beats and a "suspension" phase, where there are no feet on the ground  

capitalize

v. to use something to one's benefit for advantage  

cardiovascular

n. relating to, or involving the heart and the blood vessels disease  

charismatic

a. having extraordinary personal charm or magnetism  

circumscribed

a. enclosed in or subject to limits  

commission

v. to place an order for, to officially charge someone to do something  

confetti

n. small pieces of colored paper generally thrown about at festive occasions  

conflate

v. to bring things together and fuse them into a single entity; to mix together different elements  

consumerism

n. an attachment to materialistic positions; economic theory that increased consumption is beneficial to a nation's economy in the long run  

conveyor

n. a person or thing that conveys, transports or delivers  

convoke

v. to call together; to cause to assemble for a meeting  

cornice

n. horizontal architectural element of a building, projecting forward from the main walls, originally used as a means of directing rainwater away from the building's walls  

coronary

a. of or relating to the heart  

culpable

a. deserving condemnation, censure or blame, especially as something wrong, harmful or injurious; blameworthy  

cultivation

n. act or practice of tilling land and preparing it for crops; the agricultural management of land; husbandry in general  

curator

n. one who manages or oversees, usually as an administrator in a museum or library  

curtail

v. to limit or restrict, to shorten or abridge; to truncate  

dereliction

n. willful neglect of one's duty; act of abandoning something  

descend

v. to make an attack, or incursion, as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence; to pass from a higher to a lower place; to move downwards  

dismantle

v. to take apart, disassemble  

dividend

n. a payment of money by a company to its shareholders, usually made periodically  

doom

n. fate, especially a tragic or ruinous one; inevitable destruction or ruin; decision or judgment  

down to the wire

ad. to the very end, as in a race or contest  

doyenne

n. the senior, or eldest female member of a group  

drone

n. male bee, especially a honeybee  

embattled

a. subject to or troubled by battles, controversy or debate  

embrace

v. accept, include (idea or principle); hug, put arms around  

embroiled

a. involved or drawn into a situation  

epidemic

n. a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population  

equinox

n. either of the two times during a year when the when the length of day and night are equal; anything equal; an equal measure  

equity

n. ownership, especially in terms of net monetary value of some business; ownership interest in a company as determined by subtracting liabilities from assets  

evangelist

n. person marked by extreme enthusiasm for or support of any cause, particularly with regard to religion  

exemption

n. the state of being immune or exempt; freedom from a defect, weakness, or restriction  

exploit

v. to use for one’s own advantage; to draw illegitimate profits from  

farce

n. a situation abounding with ludicrous incidents  

feckless

a. without skill, ineffective, incompetent; lacking purpose  

fibrillation

n. muscular twitching involving individual muscle fibers acting without coordination  

frustrate

v. to hinder or thwart; to disappoint or defeat  

funnel

v. to direct (money or resources); to proceed through a narrow gap or passageway akin to a funnel  

gendarme

n. armed policeman in France; French policeman  

glitz

n. brilliant showiness  

grainy

a. resemble grains; granular; coarsely ground or gritty  

gratifying

a. pleasing to the mind or feeling; giving personal satisfaction  

hedge fund

n. a professionally-managed investment fund that seeks to maximize profits, usually by pursuing unconventional strategies  

illicit

a. not sanctioned by custom or law; unlawful  

in line

a. suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules  

intermittent

a. stopping and starting at intervals; alternately containing and empty of water  

interstellar

a. between the stars; among the stars  

introspection

n. the act or process of self-examination, or inspection of one's own thoughts and feelings; reflection  

intuitively

ad. done with skill, but without special training or planning; instinctively  

kingpin

n. the most important person in a group or undertaking; bolt that provides a steering joint in a motor vehicle  

lantern

n. decorative casing for a light, often of paper  

leverage

n. any influence which is compounded or used to gain an advantage; a force compounded by means of a lever rotating around a pivot  

lily

n. any of various plants of the genus Lilium, having variously colored, often trumpet-shaped flowers  

liquidity

n. the degree to which it can be easily converted into cash; an asset's property of being able to be sold without affecting its value  

loiter

v. to stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly; to linger; to hang around  

magnanimous

a. noble and generous in spirit  

magnitude

n. the absolute or relative size; extent or importance of something  

menace

n. perceived threat or danger  

mentality

n. quality or state of mind, a way of thinking  

murk

a. partially or totally dark; gloomy  

nondescript

a. lacking distinguishing qualities or characteristics; unexceptional  

nostalgic

a. showing a bittersweet yearning for the past  

obsolescence

n. state of being no longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected  

overhaul

n. examination; inspection; repair  

pellet

n. bullet or piece of small shot  

pepper

v. to be covered with lots of (something made up of small things); to add (something) at frequent intervals  

perish

v. to die; to decay and disappear  

permaculture

n. system of sustainable agriculture that renews natural resources and enriches local ecosystems  

pirouette

v. to perform a whirl on the toes, like a dancer, usually in ballet  

plausible

a. seemingly or apparently valid, likely, or acceptable; credible  

plexus

n. a network or interwoven mass, especially (anatomy) of nerves, blood vessels, or lymphatic vessels  

pragmatic

a. dealing or concerned with facts or actual occurrences; concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not just theory  

prosaic

a. straight-forward; plain and simple to the point of boring  

putative

a. supposed, reputed, generally regarded as such  

quintessential

a. having properties of being the most perfect example of its type or the most perfect embodiment of something  

raft

n. a large but unspecified number  

rag-tag

a. made up of different people or things and not organized well  

ramshackle

a. in disrepair or disorder; poorly maintained; lacking upkeep, usually of buildings or vehicles  

reimbursement

n. the act of compensating someone for an expense  

reinforce

v. give more force or effectiveness to; strengthen; increase the number or amount of  

resumption

n. the act of resuming or starting something again  

resurgent

a. rising again; undergoing a resurgence; experiencing renewed vigor or vitality  

revamp

v. renovate, revise, improve or renew; to patch  

sabotage

v. to destroy or damage something in order to prevent it from being successful  

scion

n. heir or descendant  

scrabble

v. move something about by making rapid movements back and forth with the hands or paws; to scrape or scratch powerfully with hands or claws  

security

n. property temporarily relinquished to guarantee repayment of a loan; something that secures the fulfillment of an obligation or law  

shoestring

n. small sum of money; capital that is barely adequate  

solidify

v. make solid, compact, or hard; make strong or united  

sphinx

n. mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of an animal  

stamp out

v. end or extinguish by forceful means; get rid of  

stewardship

n. office or rank of one who manages another's property and affairs  

strain

n. kind or sort; a particular breed or race of animal, microbe etc  

stricken

a. removed or rubbed out; disabled or incapacitated by something; struck by something  

suave

a. smoothly agreeable and courteous; charming, confident and elegant  

subsidize

v. to aid or promote a private enterprise with public money (e.g. government grants)  

supplant

v. to take the place of; to replace, to supersede  

surreptitious

a. stealthy, furtive, well hidden, covert  

swath

n. (or swathe) a broad sweep or expanse  

synod

n. an ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters  

topographic

a. having detailed graphic representation of the surface features of a place or object  

tricolor

n. a flag having three colors  

trumpeting

n. publishing by or as by sounding a trumpet; resounding call, as that of the elephant  

vigilant

a. watchful, especially for danger or disorder; alert  

vigorous

a. physically strong and active  

weld

v. to bind together very closely or inseparably; to join two materials (especially two metals) together by applying heat, pressure and/or filler  

whiff

n. a slight sign of something; a brief, gentle breeze; an odour carried briefly through the air  

wobbly

a. unsteady; not firm, solid, or securely in place; unstable  

wrest

v. obtain by pulling or violent force; to seize; to pull or twist violently  

yardage

n. measurement or amount in yards; use or convenience of a yard or inclosure, as in receiving, lading, or unlading cattle, etc., from railroad-cars