Montgomery Blair High School

//2011-08-29

allocate

(v) - to set apart for a particular purpose; assign or allot

//2011-08-30

allot

(v) - to divide or distribute by share or portion; distribute or parcel out; apportion

//2011-08-31

alloy

(n) - a substance composed of two or more metals, or of a metal or metals with a nonmetal, intimately mixed

//2011-09-01

allocation

(n) - the act of setting apart for a particular purpose; allotment

//2011-09-02

allocution

(n) - a formal speech, esp. one of an incontrovertible or hortatory nature

//2011-09-06

adjacent

(adj) - lying near, close, or contiguous; adjoining; neighboring

//2011-09-07

adhere

(v) - to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling

//2011-09-09

adjoin

(v) - to be close to or in contact with; abut on

//2011-09-12

abase

(v) - o reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade

//2011-09-14

abort

(v) - to fail, cease, or stop at an early or premature stage

//2011-09-15

abstain

(v) - 1. to hold oneself back voluntarily, esp. from something regarded as improper or unhealthy; 2. to refrain from casting one's vote

//2011-09-16

abhor

(v) - to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate

//2011-09-19

aberration

(n) - 1. the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course; 2. deviation from truth or moral rectitude

//2011-09-20

abjure

(v) - to renounce, repudiate, or retract, esp. with formal solemnity; recant

//2011-09-21

abdicate

(v) - to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, esp. in a formal manner

//2011-09-22

aberrant

(adj) - deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal

//2011-09-23

abscond

(v) - to depart in a sudden and secret manner, esp. to avoid capture and legal prosecution

//2011-09-26

antiestablishment

(adj) - opposed to or working against the existing power structure or mores, as of society or government

//2011-09-27

antiquated

(adj) - 1. no longer used; obsolete or obsolescent; 2. continued from, resembling, or adhering to the past; old-fashioned

//2011-09-28

antithesis

(n) - the direct opposite

//2011-09-29

antipathy

(n) - a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion

//2011-09-30

antiseptic

(adj) - 1. free from or cleaned of germs and other microorganisms; 2. exceptionally clean or neat

//2011-10-03

coagulate

(v) - to change from a fluid into a thickened mass; curdle; congeal

//2011-10-04

coalesce

(v) - to grow together or into one body

//2011-10-05

coerce

(v) - to compel by force, intimidation, or authority, esp. without regard for individual desire or volition

//2011-10-06

collusion

(n) - a secret agreement, esp. for fraudulent or treacherous purposes; conspiracy

//2011-10-07

cohere

(v) - to stick together; be united; hold fast, as parts of the same mass

//2011-10-10

anarchist

(n) - a person who promotes disorder or excites revolt against any established rule, law, or custom

//2011-10-11

anomaly

(n) - a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form

//2011-10-12

anathema

(n) - 1. a person or thing detested or loathed; 2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction

//2011-10-13

annul

(v) - to make void or null; abolish; cancel; invalidate

//2011-10-14

anemia

(n) - 1. the deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness; 2. a lack of vigor or vitality

//2011-10-17

philosophy

(n) - the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct

//2011-10-18

sophisticated

(adj) - 1. altered by education, experience, etc., so as to be worldly-wise; not naive; 2. complex or intricate

//2011-10-19

sophomoric

(adj) - intellectually pretentious, overconfident, conceited, etc., but immature

//2011-10-20

sophism

(n) - any false argument; fallacy

//2011-10-24

amoral

(adj) - not involving questions of right or wrong; without moral quality; neither moral nor immoral

//2011-10-25

asocial

(adj) - avoiding social interaction; inconsiderate of or hostile to others

//2011-10-26

apolitical

(adj) - not interested or involved in politics

//2011-10-27

anonymity

(n) - a person or thing having no known name

//2011-10-28

anachronism

(n) - an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one

//2011-11-02

incognito

(adj) - having one's identity concealed, as under an assumed name, esp. to avoid notice or formal attentions

//2011-11-03

cognition

(n) - the act or process of knowing; perception

//2011-11-04

cognizant

(adj) - aware

//2011-11-07

commiserate

(v) - to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity

//2011-11-08

compliant

(adj) - 1. obeying, obliging, or yielding, esp. in a submissive way; 2. produced in accordance with a specified body of rules

//2011-11-09

complicit

(adj) - choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, esp. with others

//2011-11-10

communal

(adj) - used or shared in common by everyone in a group

//2011-11-11

commonwealth

(n) - group of persons or states united by some common interest

//2011-11-14

concede

(v) - 1. to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit; 2. to acknowledge before it is officially established

//2011-11-15

concord

(n) - 1. agreement between persons, groups, nations, etc; 2. mutual fitness; harmony

//2011-11-16

confide

(v) - to impart secrets trustfully; discuss private matters or problems

//2011-11-17

conspire

(v) - to agree together, esp. secretly, to do something wrong, evil, or illegal

//2011-11-18

congregation

(n) - an assembly of persons brought together, esp. for common religious worship

//2011-11-21

inquisition

(n) - an official investigation, esp. one of a political or religious nature, characterized by lack of regard for individual rights

//2011-11-22

query

(n/v) - 1. (n) a question; an inquiry; 2. (v) to ask or inquire about

//2011-11-23

inquisitive

(adj) - given to inquiry, research, or asking questions; eager for knowledge; intellectually curious

//2011-11-28

debacle

(n) - 1. a general breakup or dispersion; sudden downfall or rout; 2. a complete collapse or failure

//2011-11-29

debase

(v) - 1. to reduce in quality or value; adulterate; 2. to lower in rank, dignity, or significance

//2011-11-30

demean

(v) - to lower in dignity, honor, or standing; debase

//2011-12-01

defile

(v) - 1. to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase; 2. to make impure for ceremonial use; desecrate

//2011-12-02

debunk

(v) - to expose or excoriate (a claim, assertion, sentiment, etc.) as being pretentious, false, or exaggerated

//2011-12-05

depravity

(n) - the state or an instance of moral corruption

//2011-12-06

defer

(v) - to put off (action, consideration, etc.) to a future time

//2011-12-07

delegate

(n) - a person designated to act for or represent another or others; deputy; representative, as in a political convention

//2011-12-08

deface

(v) - to mar the surface or appearance of; disfigure

//2011-12-09

denounce

(v) - to condemn or censure openly or publicly

//2011-12-12

disavow

(v) - to disclaim knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for; disown; repudiate

//2011-12-13

discordant

(adj) - 1. being at variance; disagreeing; incongruous; 2. disagreeable to the ear; dissonant; harsh

//2011-12-14

discrepancy

(n) - an instance of difference or inconsistency

//2011-12-15

disdain

(v) - to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn

//2011-12-16

dispel

(v) - to drive off in various directions; disperse; dissipate

//2011-12-19

veracity

(n) - conformity to truth or fact; accuracy

//2011-12-20

verify

(v) - to prove the truth of, as by evidence or testimony; confirm; substantiate

//2011-12-21

veritable

(adj) - being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary; often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor

//2011-12-22

verity

(n) - the state or quality of being true; accordance with fact or reality

//2012-01-05

encumber

(v) - to impede or hinder; hamper; retard

//2012-01-06

enervate

(v) - to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.

//2012-01-07

enamor

(v) - to inspire with love; captivate; charm

//2012-01-08

enthrall

(v) - 1. to captivate or charm; 2. to put or hold in slavery; subjugate

//2012-01-09

entail

(v) - to bring about or impose by necessity; have as a necessary consequence

//2012-01-12

excursion

(n) - a short trip or outing to some place, usually for a special purpose and with the intention of a prompt return

//2012-01-13

exasperate

(v) - to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely

//2012-01-14

exonerate

(v) - to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame

//2012-01-15

extricate

(v) - to free or release from entanglement; disengage

//2012-01-16

expunge

(v) - to strike or blot out; erase; obliterate

//2012-01-27

pugnacious

(adj) - inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative

//2012-01-28

pugilist

(n) - a person who fights with the fists; a boxer, usually a professional

//2012-01-29

repugnant

(adj) - distasteful, objectionable, or offensive

//2012-01-30

pugilism

(n) - the art or practice of fighting with the fists; boxing

//2012-02-02

impeccable

(adj) - faultless; flawless; irreproachable

//2012-02-03

impertinent

(adj) - 1. rude; insolent; impudent; 2. irrelevant or inappropriate

//2012-02-04

impervious

(adj) - not capable of being affected or disturbed

//2012-02-05

impetuous

(adj) - liable to act without consideration; rash; impulsive

//2012-02-06

implicit

(adj) - 1. implied, rather than expressly stated; 2. unquestioning or unreserved; absolute

//2012-02-09

inane

(adj) - 1. lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly; 2. empty; void

//2012-02-10

inarticulate

(adj) - unable to express oneself fluently or clearly; incoherent

//2012-02-11

incorrigible

(adj) - 1. bad beyond correction or reform; 2. impervious to constraints or punishment; willful; unruly; uncontrollable

//2012-02-12

inept

(adj) - generally awkward or clumsy; haplessly incompetent

//2012-02-13

indolent

(adj) - disliking work or effort; lazy; idle

//2012-02-16

speculate

(v) - 1. to engage in thought or reflection; meditate; 2. to indulge in conjectural thought

//2012-02-17

inauspicious

(adj) - boding ill; ill-omened; unfavorable

//2012-02-18

prospect

(n) - 1. a chance for future success; 2. expectation; 3. a potential buyer, project, etc

//2012-02-19

spectacle

(n) - a public show or display, esp. on a large scale

//2012-02-20

spectator

(n) - a person who looks on or watches; onlooker; observer

//2012-02-24

conjecture

(n) - the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence; guess

//2012-02-25

project

(v) - to throw, cast, or impel forward or onward

//2012-02-26

inject

(v) - 1. to force (a fluid) into a passage, cavity, or tissue; 2. to introduce (something new or different)

//2012-02-27

dejection

(n) - depression or lowness of spirits

//2012-03-01

oblique

(adj) - 1. neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given line or surface; slanting; sloping; 2. not straight or direct

//2012-03-02

oblivious

(adj) - 1. unmindful; unconscious; unaware; 2. forgetful; without remembrance or memory

//2012-03-03

obscure

(adj/v) - 1. (adj) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain; 2. (v) to conceal

//2012-03-04

obstinate

(adj) - firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty

//2012-03-05

obsolete

(adj) - 1. no longer in general use; fallen into disuse; 2. of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date

//2012-03-08

paradox

(n) - a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth

//2012-03-09

paragon

(n) - a model of excellence

//2012-03-10

pariah

(n) - 1. an outcast; 2. any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided

//2012-03-11

parody

(n) - a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing

//2012-03-12

partisan

(n) - an adherent or supporter of a person, group, or cause, esp. a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance

//2012-03-15

permeate

(v) - to pass into or through every part of

//2012-03-16

pernicious

(adj) - causing harm or ruin; injurious; hurtful

//2012-03-17

perpetual

(adj) - continuing or enduring forever; everlasting

//2012-03-18

persevere

(v) - to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement

//2012-03-19

persist

(v) - to continue steadfastly or firmly in some purpose or course of action, esp. in spite of opposition

//2012-03-22

preclude

(v) - to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of; make impossible

//2012-03-23

preponderance

(n) - the quality of being greater in weight, force, influence, etc

//2012-03-24

presume

(v) - to take for granted, assume, or suppose

//2012-03-25

presumptuous

(adj) - unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward

//2012-03-26

pretext

(n) - something that is put forward to conceal a true purpose or object; an ostensible reason; excuse

//2012-03-29

recollect

(v) - to recall to mind; recover knowledge of by memory; remember

//2012-03-30

reciprocate

(v) - to give or feel in return

//2012-03-31

rectify

(v) - to make, put, or set right; remedy; correct

//2012-04-02

rescind

(v) - to annul; revoke; repeal

//2012-04-05

synonym

(n) - a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another in the language

//2012-04-06

anonymous

(adj) - 1. of unknown name; whose name is withheld; 2. lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction

//2012-04-07

acronym

(n) - a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words

//2012-04-08

pseudonym

(n) - a fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name

//2012-04-09

homonym

(n) - one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning

//2012-04-12

transgression

(n) - a breach of a law, etc; sin or crime

//2012-04-13

transient

(adj) - lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary

//2012-04-14

transact

(v) - to carry on or conduct business, negotiations, etc.

//2012-04-15

transcend

(v) - to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.; surpass; excel

//2012-04-16

transform

(v) - to undergo a change in form, appearance, or character

//2012-04-27

revert

(v) - to return to a former habit, practice, belief, condition, etc.

//2012-04-28

reiterate

(v) - to say or do again or repeatedly

//2012-04-29

retract

(v) - 1. to draw back or in; 2. to withdraw or revoke (a decree, promise, etc.)

//2012-04-30

rebuttal

(v) - to refute or disprove, esp by offering a contrary contention or argument

//2012-05-03

uncanny

(adj) - having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal

//2012-05-04

unabridged

(adj) - not reduced in length by condensing

//2012-05-05

undaunted

(adj) - undiminished in courage or valor; not giving way to fear; intrepid

//2012-05-06

unfavorable

(adj) - 1. contrary; adverse; 2. unfortunate; undesirable; disadvantageous

//2012-05-07

unassuming

(adj) - modest; unpretentious

//2012-05-10

invocation

(n) - the act of calling upon some agent for assistance

//2012-05-11

provocative

(adj) - inciting, stimulating, irritating, or vexing

//2012-05-12

provoke

(v) - 1. to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex; 2. to incite or stimulate (a person, animal, etc.) to action

//2012-05-13

revoke

(v) - to take back or withdraw; annul, cancel, or reverse; rescind or repeal

//2012-05-14

vocation

(n) - a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling

//2012-05-17

tentative

(adj) - unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant

//2012-05-18

tenable

(adj) - capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute

//2012-05-19

détente

(n) - a relaxing of tension, especially between nations, as by negotiations or agreements

//2012-05-20

tenacious

(adj) - 1. holding or grasping firmly; forceful; 2. stubborn or persistent

//2012-05-21

tendency

(n) - an inclination, bent, or predisposition to something

//2012-05-24

sedentary

(adj) - accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise

//2012-05-25

sedate

(adj) - calm, quiet, or composed; undisturbed by passion or excitement

//2012-05-26

sediment

(n) - the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; lees; dregs

//2012-05-27

session

(n) - the meeting of a court, legislature, judicial body, etc, for the execution of its function or the transaction of business

//2012-05-28

sedative

(adj) - tending to calm or soothe

//2012-06-01

hypocrisy

(n) - a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious principles that one does not really possess

//2012-06-02

hypodermic

(adj) - 1. introduced under the skin; 2. pertaining to parts under the skin

//2012-06-03

hypothetical

(adj) - 1. assumed or thought to exist; 2. existing only as an idea or concept

//2012-06-04

hypotension

(n) - decreased or lowered blood pressure

//2012-06-07

hyperbole

(n) - obvious and intentional exaggeration

//2012-06-08

hypercritical

(adj) - excessively or severely critical; carping; captious

//2012-06-09

hypertension

(n) - abnormally high blood pressure

//2012-06-10

hyperactive

(adj) - unusually or abnormally active