10th Class English Word Meanings Word Meanings

 

Word Meanings

 

Generally we come across words which are easy to understand for example eat, sleep, etc. But sometimes we see some words which are uncommon, i.e., esoteric, Spartan, etc, Wherever these are written, it is very difficult to understand the meaning of these types of words. Here, we are giving some unpopular/uncommon words which we find tough to understand. This exercise will help you to understand the meaning of sentences containing these words and especially unseen comprehensions.

 

A

 

1.            Aquiline- (Adj.) Curved, hooked

For example- He can be recognized by his aquiline nose, curved like the beak of the eagle.

 

2.            Ardent- (Adj.) Intense, passionate, zealous

For example- He is an ardent supporter of that party.

 

3.            Asunder- (Adv.) Into parts, apart

For example- A fierce quarrel split the partnership asunder.

 

4.            Augury- (N.) Omen, prophecy

For example- He interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil.

 

B

 

1.            Befuddle- (V.) Confuse thoroughly

For example- His attempts to clarify the situation succeeded only in befuddling her further. 

                                                                     

2.            Bigotry- (N.) Stubborn intolerance

For example- Brought up in a democratic atmosphere, the student was shocked by the bigotry and narrowness expressed by several of his classmates.              

 

3.            Blase- (Adj.) Bored with pleasure or dissipation

For example- Although Beth was as thrilled with the idea of a trip to Paris as her classmates were, she tried to act super cool and blasé, as if she?d been abroad hundreds of times.

 

4.            Blithe- (Adj.) Gay, joyous, headless

For example- Shelley called the skylark a ?blithe spirit? because of its happy song.

 

C

 

1.            Caprice- (N.) Sudden, unexpected fancy, whim

For example- On a caprice, Jack tried drag-racing, but paid the price, his father took his Chevy Caprice away from him.

2.            Cede- (V.) Yield (title, territory) to, surrender formally

For example- Eventually the descendants of England's Henry II were forced to cede their French territories to the King of France.

 

3.            Cleft- (N.) Split

For example- Trying for a fresh handhold, the mountain, climber grasped the edge of a cleft in the sheer rockface.

 

4.            Congeal- (V.) Freeze, coagulate

For example- His blood congealed in his veins as he saw the dread monster rush towards him.

 

D

 

1.            Debunk- (V.) Expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.

For example- Pointing out that he consistently had voted against strengthening anti-pollution legislation, reporters debunked the candidate's claim that he was a fervent environmentalist.

 

2.            Dirge- (N.) Lament with music

For example- The funeral dirge stirred us to tears.

 

3.            Dissent- (V.) Disagree

For example- In the recent Supreme Court decision, Justice O?Connor dissented from the majority opinion.

 

4.            Dross- (N.) Waste matter, worthless impurities

For example- Many methods have been devised to separate the valuable metal from the dross.

 

E

 

1.            Efface-(V.) Rub out

For example- The coin had been handled so many times that its date has been effaced.

 

2.            Effigy- (N.) Dummy

For example- The mob showed its irritation by hanging the judge in effigy.

 

3.            Engross- (V.) Occupy fully

For example- John was so engrossed in his studies that he did not hear his mother call.

 

4.            Epitaph- (N.) Inscription in memory of a dead person

For example- In his will, he dictated the epitaph he wanted to be placed on his tombstone.

 

F

 

1.            Fecundity- (N.) Fertility, fruitfulness

For example- The fecundity of his mind is illustrated by many vivid images in his poems.

 

2.            Feral- (Adj.) Not domestic, wild

For example- Abandoned by their owners, dogs may revert to their feral state, roaming the woods in packs.

 

3.            Fleck-(V.) Spot

For example- Her cheeks, flecked with tears, were testimony to the hours of weeping.

 

4.            Floe- (N.) Mass of floating ice

For example- The ship made slow progress as it battered its way through the ice floes.

 

G

 

1.            Garnish- (V.) Decorate

For example- Parsley was used to garnish the boiled potato.

 

2.            Gawk- (V.) Stare foolishly, look in open-mouthed awe

For example- The country boy gawked at the skyscrapers and neon lights of the big city.

 

3.            Glib- (Adj.) Fluent, facile, slick

For example- Keeping up a steady pattern to entertain his customers, the kitchen gadget salesman was a glib speaker, never at a loss for a word.

 

4.            Gruff- (Adj.) Rough-mannered

For example- Although he was blunt and gruff with most people, he was always gentle with children.

 

H

 

1.            Heresy- (N.) Opinion contrary to popular belief, opinion contrary to accepted religion

For example- Galileo?s assertion that the earth moved around the sun directly contradicted the religious teachings of his day; as a result, he was tried for heresy.

 

2.            Hiatus- (N.) Gap, interruption in duration or continuity, pause

For example- During the summer hiatus, many students try to earn enough money to pay their tuition for the next school year.

 

3.            Hoax-(N.) Trick, practical joke

For example- Embarrassed by the hoax, he reddened and left the room.

 

4.            Holster- (N.) Pistol case

For example- Even when he was not in uniform, he carried a holster and pistol under his arm.

 

5.            Hone- (V.) Sharpen

For example- To make shaving easier, he honed his razor with great care.

 

6.            Hue- (N.) Colour, aspect

For example- The aviary contained birds of every possible hue.

 

I

 

1.            Illicit- (Adj.) Illegal

For example- The defense attorney maintained that his client had never performed any illicit action.

 

2.            Impiety- (N.) Irreverence, lack of respect for God

For example- When members of the youth group draped the church in toilet paper on Halloween, the minister reprimanded them for their impiety.

 

3.            Inept- (Adj.) Lacking skill, unsuited, incompetent

For example- The inept glove-maker was all thumbs.

 

4.            Infidel- (N.) Unbeliever

For example- The Saracens made war against the infidels.

 

J

 

1.            Jaded- (Adj.) Fatigued, surfeited

For example- He looked for exotic foods to stimulate his jaded appetite.

 

2.            Jingoist- (N.) Extremely aggressive and militant patriot, warlike chauvinist

For example-Always bellowing ?America first!? the congressman was such a jingoist you could almost hear the sabers rattling as he marched down the halls.

 

3.            Jovial- (Adj.) Good-natured, merry

For example- A frown seemed out of place on his invariably jovial face.

 

4.            Junta- (N.) Group of men joined in political intrigue, cabal

For example- As soon as he learned of its existence, the dictator ordered the execution of all of the members of the junta.

 

K

 

1.             Knave- (N.) Untrustworthy person, rogue, scoundrel

For example- Not all politicians have the reputation of being knave.

 

2.             Knoll- (N.) Little round hill

For example- Robert Louis Stevenson's grave is on a knoll in Samoa, to reach the grave site, you must climb uphill and walk a short distance along a marked path.

 

L

 

1.            Lewd- (Adj.) Lustful

For example- They found his lewd stories objectionable.

 

2.            Lexicon- (N.) Dictionary

For example- I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library.

 

3.            Loath- (Adj.) Reluctant, disinclined

For example- Romeo and Juliet were both loath for him to go.

 

4.            Lout- (N.) Clumsy person

For example- That awkward lout dropped my priceless vase!

 

M

 

1.            Madrigal- Pastoral song

For example- His programme of folk songs included several madrigals which he sang to the accompaniment of a lute.

 

2.            Marred- (Adj.) Damaged, disfigured

For example- She had to refmish the marred surface of the table.

 

3.            Milieu- (N.) Environment, means of expression

For example- Although he has produced excellent oil paintings and lithographs, his proper milieu is watercolor.

 

4.            Munificent- (Adj.) Very generous

For example- Shamelessly fawning over a particularly generous donor, the dean kept on referring to her as ?our munificent benefactor.?

 

N

 

1.            Nadir- (N.) Lowest point

For example- Although few people realized it, the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an upward surge.

 

2.            Negate- (V.) Cancel out, nullify, deny

For example- A sudden surge of adrenalin can negate the effects of fatigue; there?s nothing like a good shock to wake you up.

 

3.            Nostalgia- Homesickness, longing for the past

For example- My grandfather seldom spoke of life in the old country, he had little patience with nostalgia.

 

4.            Novice- (N.) Beginner

For example- Even a novice at working with computers can install Barren?s Computer Study Programme for the US by following the easy steps outlined in the user?s manual.

 

O

 

1.            Oaf- (N.) Stupid, awkward person

For example- ?Watch what you?re doing, you clumsy oaf!? Bill shouted at the waiter who had drenched him with iced coffee.

 

2.            Ogle- (V.) Look at amorously, make eyes at

For example- At the coffee house, Walter was too shy to ogle the pretty girls openly instead, he peeked out at them from behind a rubber plant.

 

3.            Onerous- (Adj.) Burdensome

For example- He asked for an assistant because his work load was too onerous.

 

4.            Ossify- (V.) Change or harden into bone

For example- When he called his opponent a ?bonehead?, he implied that his adversary?s brain had ossified to the point that he was incapable of clear thinking.

 

P

 

1.            Pariah- (N.) Social outcast

For example- If everyone ostracized singer Mariah Carey, would she then be Mariah the pariah?

 

2.            Perturb- (V.) Disturb greatly

For example- The thought that electricity might be leaking out of the empty light bulb sockets perturbed my aunt so much that at night she crept about the house screwing fresh bulbs in the vacant sports.

 

3.            Pithy- (Adj.) Concise, meaningful, substantial, meaty

For example- While other girls might have gone on and on about how uncool Elton was, Liz summed it up in one pithy remark: ?He?s bogus!?

 

4.            Prate- (V.) Speak foolishly, boast idly

For example- Let us not prate about our good qualities; rather, let our virtues speak for themselves.

 

Q

 

1.            Quay- (N.) Dock, landing place

For example- Because of the captain?s carelessness, the ship crashed into the quay.

 

2.            Quibble- (N.) Minor objection or complaint

For example- Aside from a few hundred teensy-weensy quibbles about the set, the script, the actors, the director, the costumes, the lighting, and the props, the hypercritical critic loved the play.

 

3.            Quip- (N.) Taunt

For example- You are unpopular because you are too free with your quips and sarcastic comments.

 

4.            Quixotic- (Adj.) Idealistic but impractical

For example- Constantly coming up with quixotic, unworkable schemes to save the world, Simon has his heart in the right place, but his head somewhere in the clouds.

 

R

 

1.            Ramify- (V.) Divide into branches or subdivisions

For example- When the pant begins to ramify, it is advisable to nip off most of the new branches.

 

2.            Regale- (V.) Entertain

For example- John regaled us with tales of his adventures in Africa.

 

3.            Revile- (V.) Attack with abusive language, vilify

For example- Though most of his contemporaries reviled Captain Kidd as a notorious, bloody-handed pirate, some of his fellow merchant-captains believed him innocent of his alleged crimes.

 

4.            Ruffian- (N.) Bully, scoundrel

For example-The ruffians threw stones at the police.

 

S

 

1.            Scad- (N.) a great quantity

For example- Refusing Dave?s offer to lend him a shirt, Phil replied, ?No, thanks, I?ve got scads of clothes.?

 

2.            Simian- (Adj.) Monkeylike

For example- Lemurs are nocturnal mammals who have many simian characteristics, although they are less intelligent than monkeys.

 

3.            Slothful- (Adj.) Lazy

For example- Lying idly on the sofa while others worked, Reggie denied he was slothful: ?I just supervise better lying down.?

 

4.            Spate- (N.) Sudden flood or strong outburst, a large number or amount

For example- After the spate of angry words that came pouring out of him. Mary was sure they would never be reconciled.

 

T

 

1.            Thrive- (V.) Prosper, flourish

For example- Despite the impact of the recession on the restaurant trade, Philip?s cafe thrived.

 

2.            Thwart- (V.) Baffle, frustrate

For example- He felt that everyone was trying to thwart his plans and prevent his success.

 

3.            Toady- (N.) Servile flatterer

For example- Never tell the boss anything he doesn?t wish to hear: he doesn?t want an independent adviser, he just wants a toady.

 

4.            Tawdry- (Adj.) Cheap and gaudy

For example- He won a few tawdry trinkets in Coney Island.

 

U

 

1.            Ubiquitous- (Adj.) Being everywhere, omnipresent

For example- That Christmas ?The Little Drummer Boy? seemed ubiquitous; David heard the tune everywhere.

 

2.            Uncanny- (Adj.) Strange, mysterious

For example- You have the uncanny knack of reading my innermost thoughts.

 

3.            Upbraid- (V.) Severely scold, reprimand

For example- Not only did Miss Minchin upbraid Ermengarde for her disobedience, but she hung her up by her braids from a coat rack in the classroom.

 

4.            Usurp- (V.) Seize another^ power or rank

For example- The revolution ended when the victorious rebel general succeeded in his attempt to usurp the throne.

 

V

 

1.            Vagrant- (N.) A homeless wanderer

For example- Because he was a stranger in town with no visible means of support, Martin feared he would be jailed as a vagrant.

 

2.            Veneer- (Ne) Thin layer, cover

For example- Casual acquaintances were deceived by his veneer of sophistication and failed to recognize his fundamental shallowness.

 

3.            Verve- (N.) Enthusiasm, liveliness

For example- She approached her studies with such verve that it was impossible for her to do poorly.

 

4.            Vie- (V.) Contend, compete

For example- Politicians vie with one another, competing for donations and votes.

 

3.             Vogue- (N.) Popular fashion

For example- Jeans became the vogue on many college campuses.

 

W ? Z

 

1.            Warble- (V) Sing, babble

For example- Every morning the birds warbled outside her window.

 

2.            Whet- (V.) Sharpen, stimulate

For example- The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite; I will be ravenous by the time the meal is served.

 

3.            Wrath- (N.) Anger, fury

For example- She turned to him, full of wrath, and said, ?What makes you think I?ll accept lower pay for this job than you get??

 

4.            Wry- (Adj.) twisted, with a humorous twist

For example- We enjoy Dorothy Parker's verse for its wry wit.

 

5.            Yore- (N.) Time past

For example- He dreamed of the elegant homes of yore, but gave no thought to their inelegant plumbing.

 

6.            Zany- (Adj.) Crazy, comic

For example- I can watch the Marx brothers' zany antics for hours.

 

7.            Zephyr- (N.) Gentle breeze, west wind

For example- When these zephyrs blow, it is good to be in an open boat under a full sail.