12th Grade Word List: Language Arts

Words for students of 12th Grade, the page is for arts words (Difficult Words 2), which are important supplementary words for 12th Grade academic classes.
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 12th Grade: 12th Grade Word List: Language Arts (Difficult Words 2)
adulation
Speak
n. excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise
androgyny
Speak
n. showing characteristics of both sexes
apogee
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n. the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited
attenuate
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v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of
betimes
Speak
ad. in good time; before the usual or expected time
billiards
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n. any of several games played on rectangular cloth-covered table in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory balls
bumptious
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a. offensively self-assertive; liable to give or take offense; forward; pushing
cajolery
Speak
n. flattery intended to persuade
caparison
Speak
n. stable gear consisting of a decorated covering for a horse, especially for a warhorse
chimerical
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a. fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative
coddle
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v. treat gently; cook in water just below boiling point
colloquy
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n. a conversation, especially a formal one
concatenate
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v. combine two strings to form a single one; add by linking or joining so as to form a chain or series
confederacy
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n. a league or compact for mutual support or common action; alliance
conspirator
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n. one who engages in a conspiracy; plotter
contrivance
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n. an artificial or unnatural arrangement of details or parts; inventive skill; skill to bring something about or create something
corollary
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n. natural consequence or effect; result
cosmogony
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n. the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe
debilitate
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v. make weak; enfeeble; impair the strength of
degeneracy
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n. moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
dendrology
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n. the scientific study of trees
derogation
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n. a communication that belittles somebody or something; a partial repeal or abolition of a law
desultory
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a. aimless; haphazard; at random; not connected with subject
didactic
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a. instructive, especially excessively
disavowal
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n. denial of any connection with or knowledge of
disputation
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n. a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
dissonant
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a. not in accord; lacking in harmony; characterized by musical dissonance
diversity
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n. point or respect in which things differ; difference
divination
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n. successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck; the art or gift of prophecy by supernatural means
ductile
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a. easily influenced; flexible; pliable
eccentricity
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n. oddity; departure from that which is stated, regular, or usual; deviation from center
effluvium
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n. a foul-smelling outflow or vapor, especially a gaseous waste
elide
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v. omit a vowel, consonant, or syllable in pronunciation; leave or strike out
emulate
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v. be a match or counterpart for; eager to equal or excel
encomium
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n. high praise; formal expression of praise; tribute
epicycle
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n. a circle that rolls around inside or outside another circle; generates an epicycloid or hypocycloid
eulogize
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v. praise formally and eloquently
execration
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n. hate coupled with disgust; an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone; the object of cursing
expeditious
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a. marked by speed and efficiency
extrude
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v. force or push out; drive away; displace or remove, as a person from a place or office
fervid
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a. extremely hot; eager; impassioned; burning
flay
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v. strip off the skin or outer covering of
freethinker
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n. a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it
gelid
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a. very cold, icy, or frosty
hacienda
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n. the main house on a ranch or large estate
immunosuppressant
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n. a drug that lowers the body's normal immune response
inexpedient
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a. not appropriate to the purpose; not suitable or advisable
interlocutor
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n. one who speaks in dialogue or takes part in conversation
introspect
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v. reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings
involution
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n. the shrinkage of an organ in old age or when inactive; the act of sharing in the activities of a group; the action of enfolding something
irrefrangible
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a. not to be broken or violated; inviolable; incapable of being refracted
jocular
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a. humorous, amusing or joking; sportive; not serious
lariat
Speak
n. a long noosed rope used to catch animals
lethargy
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n. inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy
liege
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n. a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service; a person holding a fief
lithograph
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n. a flat surface, of stone or metal, is treated to absorb or repel ink in the desired pattern; a print produced by lithography
luminescent
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a. emitting light not caused by heat
mandibular
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a. relating to the lower jaw, either the upper or lower part of the bill of a bird
merino
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n. white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality
microscopy
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n. research with the use of microscopes
missal
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n. a book containing all the prayers and responses needed to celebrate Mass throughout the year; any books of prayers or devotions
monocracy
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n. a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator, not restricted by a constitution, laws or opposition
muffle
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n. bare end of nose between nostrils
nasalization
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n. the act of nasalizing; the utterance of sounds modulated by the nasal resonators
neopaganism
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n. a modern religious movement that seeks to incorporate beliefs or ritual practices from traditions outside the main world religions
nostrum
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n. patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable; quack medicine
obstreperous
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a. noisily aggressive; making great noise or outcry
opprobrium
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n. state of disgrace resulting from public abuse; state of extreme dishonor
outrigger
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n. a stabilizer for a canoe; spars attach to a shaped log or float parallel to the hull
pariah
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n. social outcast; person who is rejected from society or home
pedant
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n. one who is overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning
pentameter
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n. a verse line having five metrical feet
perspicacious
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a. having keen insight; mentally perceptive; astute
pestilential
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a. tending to produce infectious disease; destructive
planisphere
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n. a representation of the circles of the sphere on a plane surface, such as a polar projection of the celestial sphere onto a chart
prattle
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v. speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly; talk artlessly and childishly
prehension
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n. the act of gripping something firmly with the hands or the tentacles
pseudonymity
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n. the fact or state of being signed with a pseudonym
rejuvenescence
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n. a renewal of youthfulness or vigor
repugnance
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n. extreme dislike or aversion; opposition; conflict; resistance, in a physical sense
runnel
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n. a small stream, brook, rivulet; a small channel, as for water
saponaceous
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a. resembling or having the qualities of soap
sinuosity
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n. having curves; a turn, curve, or intricacy
submersible
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n. a warship designed to operate under wate; capable of being immersed in water or functioning while submerged
unmitigated
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a. unrelieved or immoderate in intensity or severity; without exception; absolute
vociferate
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v. utter in a very loud voice