| abacus |
frame
with balls used for calculating |
| abate |
to
lessen, subside |
| abdication |
formal relinquishing of power or authority; resignation |
| aberration |
straying
away from what is natural or normal; deviation |
| abet |
to help, encourage
someone in wrongdoing |
| abeyance |
suspended
action; temporary inactivity |
| abhor |
to
hate, detest |
| abide |
to be
faithful; to endure |
| abjure |
to promise
or swear to give up |
| abraded |
rubbed
off, worn away by friction |
| abrogate |
to repeal
or annul by authority |
| abscond |
to
go away suddenly (to avoid arrest) |
| abstruse |
difficult
to comprehend; obscure |
| abut |
to border
on |
| abysmal |
bottomless; profoundly, extremely bad
|
| acarpous |
effete; worn out; sterile;
no longer fertile |
| acclaimed |
welcomed
with shouts and approval |
| accolade |
praise,
approval |
| accretion |
the
growing of separate things into one; an addition |
| adamant |
kind
of stone; inflexible |
| admonitory |
containing a
warning; tending to admonish |
| adorn |
add
beauty to; decorate |
| adulteration |
making impure or poorer in quality |
| affable |
polite
and friendly |
| affinity |
a natural liking for something; an inherent similarity |
| aggravate |
to make
worse; to irritate |
| agile |
active,
quick-moving, well-coordinated |
| agog |
eager/excited |
| ail |
to cause pain or trouble to;
to be ill |
| alacrity |
eager
and cheerful readiness |
| alcove |
recessed part of a room; partially
enclosed space |
| allegiance |
duty,
support, loyalty |
| alleviate |
to make
(pain) easier to bear |
| alloy |
to
debase by mixing with something inferior; a mixture of two or more metals |
| aloof |
reserved,
seemingly indifferent |
| amalgamate |
mix,
combine, unite |
| ambidextrous |
able
to use the left hand and the right equally well |
| ambiguous |
doubtful,
uncertain; having several possible meanings or explanations |
| ambivalent |
having
both of two contrary desires; uncertain; unable to make a decision |
| ameliorate |
to improve,
make better |
| amortize |
to end
(a debt) by making periodic payments |
| anguish |
severe
suffering |
| animosity |
strong
dislike |
| antidote |
medicine
used against a poison or a disease |
| antithetical |
directly
opposed; opposite |
| apartheid |
brutal
racial discrimination |
| aplomb |
self-confidence |
| apostate |
one
who abandons long-held religious or political convictions |
| apotheosis |
deification,
glorification of a person to the rank of a God; the highest point of something |
| appease |
to make
quiet or calm; to soothe, pacify |
| apprehensive |
anxious or nervous about future happenings; perceptive |
| apprise |
to give
notice; to inform |
| approbation |
approval |
| apropos |
appropriate
to the situation, apt, pertinent |
| apt |
well-suited;appropriate; able to learn quickly |
| arabesque |
a
complex, ornate design; a ballet pose; a short musical piece |
| arboreal |
of or having to do with trees |
| ardor |
enthusiasm; passion; great warmth |
| arduous |
requiring much exertion; laborious; difficult to climb |
| argot |
jargon
slang |
Chapter 2a: Section A : Vocabulary 
