What Does It All Really Mean? 

Test your vocabulary by guessing the correct definition of the following words. 
 

1.   abjure, verb, a. recant, b. disagree, c. dismiss

2.  abscond, verb, a. to leave and hide, b. to steal, c. to borrow

3.  acerbate, verb, a. to make a situation worse, b. to exasperate, c. to set a trap

4.  bellwether, noun, a. a musical instrument, b. a weather warning, c. one who takes the lead

5.  calumniate, verb, a. to add columns to a structure, b. to slander, c. to shed light upon

6.  cruet, noun, a. a small bottle, b. a mean person, c. a young crew member

7.  disoblige, verb, a. to dislodge, b. to be disobedient, c. to go against someone’s wishes

8.  eleemosynary, adj., a. charitable, b. merciless, c. preachy

9.  gloze, verb, a. to add a thin sauce, b. to flatter, c. to make something seem okay

10.  intromit, verb, a. to insert, b. to intervene, c. to send a message

11.  inveigle, noun, a. to wiggle, b. to entice, c. to invite

12.  kith, noun, a. close friends, b. show of affection, c. a type of pot

13.  madding, adj., a. whimsical, b. frenzied, c. giddy

14.  nebulous, adj., a. uncertain, b. dishonest, c. indistinct

15.  philology, noun, a. the study of literature, b. the study of love, c. the study of baking

16.  platitude, noun, a. an aquatic mammal found in Australia, b. a trite remark, c. insincere wishes

17.  preconcerted, adj., a. conscientious, b. agreed upon in advance, c. worried

18.  schiemiel, noun, a. an unlucky bungler, b. a dollop of cream cheese, c. a comedienne

19.  similitude, noun, a. an idiot, b. someone who smiles a lot, c. similarity

20.  usurer, noun, a. someone who is overconfident, b. a moneylender, c. a user

To find out the answers, go to the Answer Page.