All you needed to know for the fall 2011 final exam.
Terms : Hide Images
| 272670581 | abash | (vt) to destroy (someone's) confidence; to shame, humiliate, humble, abase, degrade | |
| 272670582 | aberration | [L. ab=from + errare=to wander] (n) a departure from what is proper, right, expected, or normal; a lapse from a sound mental state | |
| 272670583 | abeyance | [MFr. abaer-to expect] (n) a state of being temporarily inactive, suspended, or set aside | |
| 272670584 | abortive | [L. aboriri=miscarry] (adj) failing to accomplish an intended aim or purpose; only partially/imperfectly developed | |
| 272670585 | abstruse | (adj) difficult to comprehend; recondite | |
| 272670586 | ad hoc | [L. ad=for + hoc=this] (adj.) for this special purpose; improvised; (adv) concerning this | |
| 272670587 | adjunct | [L. ad= to + jungere=to join] (n) something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant/helper; a valuable quality or characteristic (adj) added or connected in a subordinate or auxiliary capacity | |
| 272670588 | aegis | [Gk. aigis=goatskin] (n) a shield or breastplate, made of goatskin, emblematic of majesty used by Zeus or Athena; protection, patronage, or sponsorship | |
| 272670589 | affinity | [L. affinis-adjacent] (n) a natural attraction to a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection | |
| 272670590 | ambivalent | [L. ambi-both + valere-to be strong] (adj) having opposite and conflicting feelings, torn | |
| 272670591 | apprise | [Fr. apprendre= to learn, teach] (vt) to give notice to; to tell; to inform of; to make someone aware | |
| 272670592 | auspicious | (adj) propitious, promising, encouraging, favored by fortune, likely to turn out well, boding good things (ant.: ominous) | |
| 272670593 | bane | [OE bana=killer] (n) the source or cause of death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself | |
| 272670594 | bathos | [Gk. "depth"] (n) grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; trite material presented in an elevated tone; the lowest phase, nadir; an anticlimax, comedown | |
| 272670595 | beleaguer | [be-about + Du. leger-camp] (vt) to set upon from all sides; to surround with an army; to trouble, harass | |
| 272670596 | bellwether | (n) the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends | |
| 272670597 | bibulous | [L. bibere=to drink] (adj) fond of drinking alcohol; absorbent | |
| 272670598 | bilious | [L. bilis-bile] (adj) peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant | |
| 272670599 | bilk | (vt) to defraud, to cheat (someone) out of something valuable; to evade payment of or to; to slip away from; to block the development of; to frustrate | |
| 272670600 | bruit | [Fr. bruire=to roar] (vt) to spread news reports or unsubstantial rumors; to spread the dirt | |
| 272670601 | cantankerous | (adj) ill-tempered; quarrelsome; difficult to get along with | |
| 272670602 | caprice | (n) whim; vagary; a sudden unpredictable change of one's mind; the tendency to change one's mind without apparent or adequate motive | |
| 272670603 | carte blanche | [Fr. "white card"-blank but for king's signature] (n) full freedom or authority to act at one's own discretion | |
| 272670604 | casuistry | [L. casus=case] (n) deceptive, over-subtle, or false reasoning; the determination of right and wrong in specific questions of conduct by the application of general ethical principles | |
| 272670605 | cataclysm | [Gk. kata-down + klyzein-to wash] (n) a disaster, tragedy; a sudden, violent, or devastating upheaval; a surging flood, deluge | |
| 272670606 | caterwaul | [Gr. kater=male alley cat + wrawen=to howl] (vi) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel (n) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket | |
| 272670607 | chimerical | [Gk. mythology: Chimera=a fire-breathing she-monster w/ a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail] (adj) imaginary; absurd; wildly fantastic or improbable; impossible | |
| 272670608 | cognate | [L. co-with, gnasci-to be born] (adj) closely related in origin, essential nature or function (n) such a person or thing | |
| 272670609 | commensurate | [L. com-with + mensurare-to measure] (adj) equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards | |
| 272670610 | congenial | (adj) pleasant, agreeable; well-suited, compatible | |
| 272670611 | contumelious | [L. con=with + tumere=to swell] (adj) insolent/rude in speech or behavior; insultingly abusive; humiliating | |
| 272670612 | corollary | [L. corona-crown] (n) a proposition that follows one already proven; a natural consequence or result (adj) resultant or consequent | |
| 272670613 | corpulent | [L. corpus=body] (adj) having a large, bulky body; obese; fat | |
| 272670614 | corroborate | [L. cor=together + robur=strength] (vt) to confirm or give support to (a statement, theory/finding) | |
| 272670615 | cul-de-sac | [Fr. "bottom of the sack/bag"] (n) a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse | |
| 272670616 | de facto | [L. "of the fact"] (adj) actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned (adv) in reality, actually | |
| 272670617 | debauch | [Fr. débaucher-to deprave] (vt) to seduce or corrupt; to lead away from duties (vi) to indulge in dissipation(n) an uninhibited spree or party | |
| 272670618 | denizen | [denz=within] (n) inhabitant, resident, dweller, one admitted to residence/citizenship | |
| 272670619 | depredation | [L. praedari= to plunder/rob] (n) the act of preying upon or plundering | |
| 272670620 | deracinate | [L. de=from + racine=rock] (vt) to pull up from the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of | |
| 272670621 | derring-do | [OE durran-to dare] (n) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroes) | |
| 272670622 | diaphanous | [L. dia-through + phanes-appearing] (adj) very sheer and light, almost completely transparent | |
| 272670623 | dictum | [L.dicere=something said] (n) a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; maxim; a short saying (i.e."might makes right") | |
| 272670624 | discursive | [L. dis=away + currere=to run] (adj.) 1. digressing from subject to subject; rambling. 2. (of speech or writing) fluid and expansive rather than formulaic or abbreviated. 3. related to discourse (any lengthy exploration of a topic in speech/writing) | |
| 272670625 | divination | [L. divinus-to see what is made by God] (n) the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge | |
| 272670626 | éclat | [Fr. brilliance] (n) dazzling or conspicuous or acclaim; great brilliance (of performance or achievement); elaborate display, pomp | |
| 272670627 | edifice | (n) a building, especially one of large size or imposing appearance; any large, complex system or organization | |
| 272670628 | effete | [L. ex=out + fetus=fruitful] (adj) weak, lacking wholesome vigor/energy; having lost character, vitality, or strength; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date | |
| 272670629 | eleemosynary | [Gk. eleos= pity] (adj) charitable; dependent upon or supported by a charity; derived from or provided by charity | |
| 272670630 | elixir | [Arabic: al-ikser] (n) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea, a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines | |
| 272670631 | eminence | [L.eminere-to stick out] (n) high station, rank, or repute; outstanding reputation; distinction, renown; high elevation; a title of honor for cardinals (not to be confused with imminence) | |
| 272670632 | emolument | [L. e-out + molere-to grind (miller's fee)] (n) payment; profit derived from an office or employment; a fee or salary | |
| 272670633 | empathy | [Gk. en=in + pathos=emotion] (n) a sympathetic understanding of or identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of someone or something else | |
| 272670634 | ensconce | [en=in + sconce=a small fort] (vt) to settle (someone or oneself) comfortably and firmly in position; to put/hide in a safe place | |
| 272670635 | ephemeral | [Gk. epi=upon + hemera= a day] (adj) transient, fleeting, evanescent, brief; lasting one day/very short time | |
| 272670636 | epicure | (n) a person devoted to sensuous pleasure and luxurious living; a person with refined taste, especially in food/wine | |
| 272670637 | epitomize | (vt) to be a perfect example | |
| 272670638 | euphonious | [Gk. eu=good + phone=sound] (adj) pleasing to the ear | |
| 272670639 | explicit | [L. ex-out + plicare-to fold] (adj) fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; having nothing merely implied; unequivocal; definite and unreserved in expression; having sexual acts or nudity clearly depicted | |
| 272670640 | fait accompli | [Fr.] (n) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action, presented with no option but to accept | |
| 272670641 | fastidious | [L. fastus- pride + taedium-tedium/tedious] (adj) excessively careful in regard to details, meticulous; overly demanding or hard to please; easily disgusted | |
| 272670642 | folderol | [OE fal-deral=a meaningless refrain] (n) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle | |
| 272670643 | gambol | [It. gamba-leg] (vi) frolic; to jump or skip playfully | |
| 272670644 | gamut | [L. gamma + ut: the lowest to highest notes on Guido d' Arezzo's musical scale] (n) an entire range or series | |
| 272670645 | harbinger | (n) a sign that something is coming; a portent, herald (vt) to indicate the approach of | |
| 272670646 | hedonism | (n) the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim; devotion to or pursuit of pleasure | |
| 272670647 | hegemony | [Gk. hegemon-leader] (n) predominant influence exercised by one nation over others; aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination | |
| 272670648 | hidebound | [OE "to be bound in one's own skin"] (adj) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative | |
| 272670649 | hoi polloi | [Gk. "the many"] (n) the common people, the masses | |
| 272670650 | iconoclastic | [Gr. eikon=image + knla=to break] (adj) attacking or seeking to overthrow popular or traditional beliefs, ideas, or institutions | |
| 272670651 | ignominy | [L. ig-not + nomen-name] (n) shame, disgrace; dishonor, degradation | |
| 272670652 | imbibe | [L. bibere-to drink] (v) to drink | |
| 272670653 | imbue | [L. imbuere- to wet, drench] (vt) to instill feelings, opinions, etc. profoundly; to soak or stain thoroughly | |
| 272670654 | immure | [L. in + murus-a wall] (vt) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate | |
| 272670655 | in medias res | [L. in the middle of things] (adv) in/into the middle of the plot | |
| 272670656 | incendiary | (adj) tending to arouse strife; inflammatory; pertaining to the criminal setting on fire of property (n) a person who stirs up strife; an agitator | |
| 272670657 | inchoate | [L. inchoare-to begin] (adj) just beginning; not fully shaped or formed | |
| 272670658 | incredulous | [L. in-not + credere-to believe] (adj) skeptical, doubtful, unwilling or unable to believe; showing disbelief (ant.: credulous: gullible, willing to believe) | |
| 272670659 | indict | (vt) to charge (one) with committing a crime; to accuse, castigate, criticize | |
| 272670660 | ineffable | [L. in-not + ex-out + fari-to speak] (adj) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered | |
| 272670661 | inquiry | [L. quaerere-to ask] (n) a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge; an investigation, as into an incident; charges; a question; query | |
| 272670662 | insouciant | [Fr. in-not + soucier-to care] (adj) carefree, happy-go-lucky, blithely indifferent or unconcerned | |
| 272670663 | internecine | [L. inter=between + necare=to kill] (adj) mutually destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed | |
| 272670664 | lachrymose | [L. lacrima=tear] (adj) tearful; prone to weeping; mournful; tear-inducing | |
| 272670665 | lackluster | (adj) lacking brilliance or vitality; dull | |
| 272670666 | laconic | [Gk. Laconicus Sparta= from the Spartan reputation for terseness] (adj) using a minimum of words; terse; concise to the point of being rude/ mysterious | |
| 272670667 | lampoon | (n) a harsh satire, usually directed against a person/institution. (vt) to make (someone) the subject of a _______ ; to ridicule | |
| 272670668 | lexicon | [Gk. lexis=word] (n) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium, inventory | |
| 272670669 | lucubration | [L. lucubráre-to work by candlelight] (n) laborious study or thought especially at night; the result of such work | |
| 272670670 | maladroit | (adj) lacking skill or dexterity; lacking tact perception or judgement | |
| 272670671 | malcontent | [Fr. mal=bad + content, satisfied] (adj) dissatisfied with or in open defiance of prevailing conditions (n) a person who is malcontent | |
| 272670672 | malleable | [L. malleus-hammer] (adj) moldable, shapeable, adaptable; capable of being shaped by hammering or pressure | |
| 272670673 | maudlin | (adj) excessively or effusively sentimental; sappy; corny | |
| 272670674 | melee | [OF mesler=to mix, jumble] (n) a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling | |
| 272670675 | mellifluous | [L. mel=honey + fluere=to flow] (adj) flowing sweetly or smoothly; honeyed | |
| 272670676 | microcosm | [Gk. micros-small + kosmos-universe] (n) a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system; a miniature world or universe | |
| 272670677 | mien | (n) demeanor, air, manner, deportment, or bearing; the affect created by one's behavior and appearance | |
| 272670678 | mnemonic | [Gk. mnemon-mindful] (adj) relating to or designed to assist memory (n) a device to aid the memory | |
| 272670679 | modulate | (v) to change/vary in pitch/intensity of | |
| 272670680 | morass | [Gk. merse=swamp, moor, or bog] (n) a patch of soft, wet ground; a swamp; a quagmire; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand | |
| 272670681 | nepotism | [L. nepos=nephew or grandson] (n) unethical favoritism to or excessive patronage of one's relatives | |
| 272670682 | noisome | [ME noy=annoyance, from OE "enui"] (adj) offensive to the senses; disgusting; foul-smelling; noxious, harmful | |
| 272670683 | obfuscate | [L. fuscus=dark] (vt) to render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible; bewilder | |
| 272670684 | obloquy | [L. ob-against + loqui-to speak] (n) public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment | |
| 272670685 | obsequies | [L. ob-upon + sequi-to follow] (n) funeral rites or ceremonies | |
| 272670686 | panache | [L. penna-feather] (n) a confident and stylish manner; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display | |
| 272670687 | pander | [Gr. Pandarus, the pimp who procured Gressidafer from Troilus] (v prep) to cater to or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others (vt) in law, to sell or distribute by pandering (n) a person who panders; a pimp | |
| 272670688 | parameter | [Gk. para-beside + metron-a measure] (n) determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary | |
| 272670689 | peccadillo | [Sp. pecado=sin + -illo=diminutive] (n) a minor sin or offense; a trifling fault or shortcoming | |
| 272670690 | penitent | (adj) repentant, contrite, remorseful, sorry for having sinned and seeking atonement (n) a person who confesses sin and submits to a penance | |
| 272670691 | peremptory | (adj) leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative, dictatorial, decisive, authoritative, bossy, demanding | |
| 272670692 | persona | [L. a face mask used by actors; hence, a character] (n) the outward character or role that a person assumes | |
| 272670693 | philippic | [Gk. Philip, king of Macedon, denounced in several of Demosthenes's speeches] (n) a bitter verbal attack | |
| 272670694 | philistine | (adj) lacking in, hostile to, or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinements (n) such a person | |
| 272670695 | physiognomy | [Gk. physio-natural order + gnomon-interpreter] (n) the "science" (popular at various times throughout history; now disproven) of determining a person's character from the physical features of his/her face or body; a person's face, when used as an index to his/her character | |
| 272670696 | pièce de résistance | [Fr.] (n) an outstanding accomplishment; the best part of something excellent; the main dish of a meal; the main event, incident, or item | |
| 272670697 | polarize | [L. polus=pole] (vt) to break up into opposing factions or groupings, to cause to concentrate around two conflicting/ contrasting positions ("polar opposites"); to cause light to vibrate in a pattern | |
| 272670698 | poltroon | [OIt. poltro=foal] (n) a base coward (adj) characterized by complete cowardice | |
| 272670699 | portentous | [L. por=forth + tendere=stretch] (adj.) foreshadowing an event to come; having future significance; causing wonder or awe; pompous, done in an overly solemn manner as to impress | |
| 272670700 | premise | [L. pre-before + mittere-to send] (n) a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds; a proposition supporting a conclusion; a tract of land including its buildings (vt) to set forth beforehand, as by way of introduction or explanation | |
| 272670701 | prescience | [L. prae=before + scire= to know] (n) knowledge of events/actions before they happen; foresight | |
| 272670702 | progenitor | [L. pro-forth, before + gen-to create] (n) ancestor; precursor, that which originates something and serves as a model | |
| 272670703 | proselyte | [Gk. proselytos=newcomer] (n) a convert; a disciple | |
| 272670704 | prowess | (n) skill or expertise in a particular activity or field; bravery in battle | |
| 272670705 | prurient | [L. prurire=itching, longing] (adj.) having or inspiring an excessive interest in sexual matters | |
| 272670706 | pundit | [Sanskrit: pandita-a learned man, a critic, a teacher] (n) a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions | |
| 272670707 | purport | (v) to claim or profess, to present the appearance of being; to convey, express, or imply (n) the meaning, import, or sense; a purpose or intention | |
| 272670708 | quid pro quo | (n) "something for something" | |
| 272670709 | raillery | [OF railler=to mock] (n) banter, good-natured ridicule, teasing | |
| 272670710 | refractory | [L. re-again + frangere- to break] (adj) stubborn, intractable, obstinate; difficult to manage; not responsive to treatment or cure | |
| 272670711 | rejoinder | [OF re-again + joindere-to join] (n) a comeback; an answer to a reply; a quick reply (especially a witty or critical one) to a question or remark | |
| 272670712 | remand | [L. re=again + mandare=to entrust] (vt) to send or order back; in law, to send back to jail or lower court | |
| 272670713 | repudiate | [L. re-again + pudere-to shame] (v) to reject as having authority or binding force; to cast off or disown | |
| 272670714 | rescind | (vt) to cancel, repeal, annul, make void | |
| 272670715 | retribution | (n) vengeance, revenge, payback, justice, requital of evil acts; in theology, the distribution of rewards and punishments in an afterlife | |
| 272670716 | risible | [L. ridére-to laugh] (adj) pertaining to laughter; able to or inclined to laugh; laughable | |
| 272670717 | sacrosanct | [L. sacer-sacred + santus-holy] (adj) very sacred, extremely holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack | |
| 272670718 | salubrious | [L. salus=health] (adj.) conducive to health | |
| 272670719 | sanguine | [L. sanguis-blood] (adj) having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook | |
| 272670720 | saturnalian | [L. saturnalia: ancient Roman festival of Saturn the god of agriculture] (adj) characterized by wild, riotous, unrestrained partying, revelry, licentiousness | |
| 272670721 | savoir-faire | [Fr. knowing how to do] (n) the ability to say and do the right thing in any situation; social competence, tact | |
| 272670722 | semantics | [Gk. sema-sign] (n) the study of meaning; the meaning or the interpretation of meaning, of a word, sentence, etc. | |
| 272670723 | sojourn | [Fr. jour-day] (n) a temporary stay (not necessarily one day) (vi) to stay somewhere temporarily | |
| 272670724 | solecism | [Gk. Soloi, a city where a nonstandard form of Attic Greek was spoken] (n) a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage (like "unflammable" or "they was"); a breach of manners or etiquette, faux-pas, gaffe; any error, impropriety, or inconsistency | |
| 272670725 | superfluous | [L. super-over + fluere-to flow] (adj) excessive, extra, unnecessary; being more than what is needed | |
| 272670726 | supine | (adj) lying flat on one's back; listless, lazy, lethargic; apathetic or passive | |
| 272670727 | symptomatic | [Gk. syn-with + piplein-to fall] (adj) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease | |
| 272670728 | syndrome | [L. syn=with + dramein= to run] (n) a group of symptoms or signs that collectively characterize or indicate a disease, disorder, abnormality, etc. | |
| 272670729 | tacit | [L. tacere-to be silent] (adj) understood without being openly expressed, implied, implicit; silent; unspoken | |
| 272670730 | tendentious | [L. tendere-to stretch] (adj) intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan | |
| 272670731 | touchstone | (n) a means of testing worth or genuineness | |
| 272670732 | traumatic | [Gk. trauma=wound] (adj) emotionally distressing | |
| 272670733 | urbane | [L. urbs=city] (adj) sophisticated, polished, refined, and elegant in manner; marked by worldly knowledge arising from urban life and wide travel; cosmopolitan | |
| 272670734 | vacuous | [L. vacuus=empty] (adj.) having/showing lack of thought or intelligence; mindless | |
| 272670735 | verisimilitude | [L. verus- true + similis- like] (n) the state of being lifelike, appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable | |
| 272670736 | vicissitude | [L. vicis-a turn] (n) a change, variation, or alteration; pl.--successive changing phases, "ups and downs" | |
| 272670737 | vitiate | (vt) to spoil or impair the quality of (something); weaken, debase, corrupt, adulterate | |
| 272670738 | vivify | [L. vivere-to live] (v) to give live to, animate; to enliven, brighten | |
| 272670739 | volte-face | [It. voltare-to turn + faccia-face] (n) an about face; a complete reversal | |
| 272670740 | waggish | (adj) fond of making jokes; characteristic of a joker; playfully humorous or droll (having a wonderful sparkling wit) | |
| 272682556 | allusion | an indirect reference to another work of literature or art | |
| 272682557 | anadiplosis | the repetition of a word at the end of a clause at the beginning of another | |
| 272682558 | anaphora | the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginnings of successive clauses | |
| 272682559 | anthimeria | the substitution of one part of speech for another, often turning a noun into a verb | |
| 272682560 | anticlimax | the arrangement of words in order of decreasing importance | |
| 272682561 | antimetabole | the repetition of words in successive clauses, in reverse order (a chaismus in which the exact words, not just the syntax, are flipped | |
| 272682562 | antithesis | the juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideas | |
| 272682563 | aposiopesis | when the speaker or writer deliberately stops short and leaves something unexpressed, but yet obvious, to be supplied by the imagination | |
| 272682564 | apostrophe | when a speaker or writer breaks off and directs speech to an absent person, inanimate object, or abstract quality or idea | |
| 272682565 | apposition | the placing of two elements side by side, in which the second defines the first | |
| 272682566 | asyndeton | omission of conjunctions between related clauses | |
| 272682567 | chaismus | reversal of grammatical structures in successive clauses | |
| 272682568 | climax | the rearrangement of words in increasing importance (do not confuse with the literary element meaning point of greatest tension in a plot) | |
| 272682569 | epistrophe | the repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses | |
| 272682570 | hyperbole | use of exaggerated terms for emphasis | |
| 272682571 | isocolon | use of parallel structures of the same length in successive clauses | |
| 272682572 | litotes | a form of understatement (meiosis) that emphasizes the magnitude of a statement by denying its opposite | |
| 272682573 | meiosis | understatement (opposite of hyperbole) | |
| 272682574 | metonymy | replacing an idea with an associated idea | |
| 272682575 | oxymoron | the juxtaposition of two contradictory terms | |
| 272682576 | paradox | the use of apparently contradictory ideas to point out some underlying truth | |
| 272682577 | parallelism | repetition of syntactic structure in two or more clauses | |
| 272682578 | personification | describing something nonhuman in metaphorical human terms | |
| 272682579 | polysyndeton | repetition of conjunctions | |
| 272682580 | rhetorical question | asking a question not for the sake of getting an answer but for asserting something | |
| 272682581 | synecdoche | replacing a part with a whole, or a whole with a part | |
| 272682582 | zeugma | when two or more parts of a sentence are syntactically governed by a single common verb or noun, which may change meaning with respect to the other words it modifies | |
| 272800022 | analysis | demonstrates what strategies the writer used to achieve his/her purpose; articulates how a masterful writer affects the reader | |
| 272800023 | summary | explains what a passage or quotation means; assumes that original text is difficult to understand and must be explained/reworded | |
| 272800024 | Steps in Analysis | 1. Identify the rhetorical strategies [explain what the quotation is] 2. Explain the rhetorical effect [explain what the quotation does] 3. Link the rhetorical effect to the purpose [explain why the author would want that effect] | |
| 272800025 | diction | rhetorical choice; word choice (connotations, euphemisms, associations) | |
| 272800026 | syntax | rhetorical choice; word order (sentence structure) | |
| 272800027 | imagery | rhetorical choice; appeals to the five senses | |
| 272800028 | figurative language | rhetorical choice; refers to words, and groups of words, that exaggerate or alter the usual meanings of the component words | |
| 272800029 | structure | rhetorical choice; organization of sentences, paragraphs, and the entire piece | |
| 272800030 | tone | the attitude conveyed by the writer's rhetorical choices | |
| 272800031 | ethos | credibility; ethical appeal; convincing by the character of the author [believe people you trust/respect] | |
| 272800032 | pathos | emotional; means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions | |
| 272800033 | logos | logical; means persuading by the use of reasoning, i.e. inductive and deductive reasoning, avoiding logical fallacies in writing, etc. | |
| 272800034 | analogy | an extended comparison based on the like features of two unlike things: one familiar, the other unfamiliar, abstract, or complicated | |
| 276110775 | concession | an admission; a compromise; a yielding | |
| 276110776 | counterargument | an argument offered in opposition to another argument | |
| 276110777 | euphemism | a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term | |
| 276110778 | fallacy | an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief | |
| 276110779 | premise | assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based | |
| 276110780 | Puritanism | 1600s/17th C.; decisions based on God and Church, faith; strict rules; very conservative ; work and prayer; we have poetry from them, journals looked back on as evidence of whether God liked them; nosy, judgmental [Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Johnathon Edwards] | |
| 276110781 | Enlightenment | 1700s/18th C.; decisions based on logic, reason, rationality, thought, faith; Deism; Ben Franklin; inventions; Thomas Paine; Thomas Jefferson; Industrial Revolution--the city; wisdom comes w/ age and education; Progress--forward-thinking, emphasis on future | |
| 276110782 | Romanticism | 1800s/19th C.; decisions based on ALL emotions/intuition over reason; "back to nature", beauty and spirituality in wilderness; purity in the youth/older people corrupted by society; individuality/freedom; longing for the past (as in castles, not 17th or 18th C.); supernatural; inspiration in myth and legend. [Transcendentalism (Light/ "Nature's Beautiful!"): Emerson, Thoreau] [Anti-transcendentalism (Dark/Gothic Romantic): Melville, Poe, and the Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne] | |
| 276110783 | Contemporary | 1930s on; experiments with nontraditional forms and allows for multiple meanings; lines between real and imaginary are often blurred; cultural diversity and playful self-consciousness [modern-The grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck];[postmodern-The Crucible by Arthur Miller] |
