D debilitating (di BIL i TAYT ing) adj. weakening; making weak and feeble; ennervating • Lou Gehrig was a great baseball player before developing the debilitating disease, ALS, which carries his name. • When Dylan was 2 years old, he developed a debilitating temper that caused him to bang his head on things. [-ly adv.] [Syn. weakening] decimate (DE sim ayt) vt. to kill or destroy a large part of the population • The city officials are hoping that by spraying in swamps they will be able to decimate the mosquito population. • Every seven years or so, locusts decimate the crops in some farm areas. [-d, decimating] defamation (DEF im AY shin) n. an injuring of someone’s character by making false statements about him or her; slandering; maligning • Defamation of character is an offense that one can sue for in a civil court. • The judge ruled that the false statements Girard made about Ruth consti- tuted defamation. [Syn. slander] deficiency (di FISH in see) n. the state of lacking in some essential quality or element; incompleteness; shortage; deficit • Mark’s intellectual deficiency leaves him two cans short of a six-pack. • When Violet bought the car, she found there was a deficiency in the rear seat belt. [Syn. shortage] degenerate (di JEN er it for adj. and n., di JEN er AYT for v.) adj. 1. sunken below a former normalcy of condition or character; 2. morally corrupt —n. a degenerate person, especially one who is sexually perverse —vi. to decline morally, culturally, and so on • Helen’s degenerate lifestyle was the result of a difficult childhood. • Does reading degenerate magazines corrupt one, or must one be degenerate to buy such magazines? • Helen, mentioned above, is a degenerate. • As one ages, one’s sense of humor tends to degenerate, and the jokes get racier. [-ly adv.] [Syn. depraved] demise (dim YZ) vt. 1. to transfer an estate by lease (especially for a fixed amount of time); 2. to transfer sovereignty by abdication or death —n. 1. a transfer of an estate by lease (for a fixed term); 2. the transfer of sovereignty by death or abdicating; 3. death •“Demising an apartment” is not a phrase you’ll see or hear every day. • The “demise of a monarch” is a much more likely use of the word, even though there are few monarchs left today. • “Death” is the most commonly used meaning of the term, so let this be the demise of this discussion. [-d, demising] [Syn. death] 268 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 268 demographic (DEM uh GRA fik) n. a vital statistic of human population, such as age, income, sex, and so on, used mainly for marketing research • Demographics are a major concern to businesses. • Before McDonald’s picks a location for a restaurant, they need to know that the demographics are such that there are many young couples with children that have enough money to eat out a couple times a week. denigrate (DEN ig RAYT) vt. 1. to blacken; 2. to defame; to disparage the char- acter of • During an election campaign, it has become customary for one candidate to attempt to denigrate the other’s reputation. • Negative advertising consists of denigrating one’s competitor’s product. [-d, denigrating] [Syn. defame, disparage] derelict (DER il ikt) adj. 1. deserted by the owner; forsaken; abandoned; 2. remiss in performance of duty; neglectful of duty; negligent —n. 1. an aban- doned property; 2. a destitute person with no home or job • The derelict boat bobbed up and down in the waves, just waiting to be swamped. • The reason the burglars gained access was because the gate guard was derelict in his duty. • The derelict building was an eyesore and a haven for a swarm of rats. • It is not unusual to see a derelict sleeping in a cardboard hovel by the side of a building on the Bowery. [-ion n.] [Syn. remiss, negligent] desiccant (DES ik int) adj. drying —n. a substance that attracts water and is packed with some goods to prevent water from damaging them • Silica gel is a desiccant often packaged with pills in a plastic, ventilated tube so that water doesn’t damage the pills. • Desiccants are sometimes packed with clothing or paper goods in little cloth bags. [Syn. dryer] desiccate (DES ik ayt) vt. 1. to completely dry; 2. to preserve food by freeze- drying, or just drying it • Cranberries are completely washed and then dessicated before they are packaged for shipping. • Coffee dessicated by freeze-drying is as popular as the brewed type in most homes in the United States. [-d, desiccating] desultory (dis UHL ter ee) adj. 1. lacking connection; aimless; random; 2. lack- ing in relevance • The professor’s lecture seemed desultory, having no connection to anything the class was studying. • When Francine went to get her blood drawn for the test, the nurse’s asking her to step on the scale seemed to be desultory. [Syn. random] D: GRE Words 269 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 269 detest (di TEST) vt. to intensely dislike; to abhor; to hate • President George H. W. Bush shocked many growers when he announced that he detested broccoli. • Most people detest having to visit the dentist’s office. [-ed, -ing] [Syn. hate] deuterium (doo TEAR ee uhm) n. an isotope of hydrogen (atomic weight of 2.014, symbol D) used in nuclear reactors • Deuterium oxide is known as heavy water. • Regular hydrogen has a single proton in its nucleus; deuterium’s nucleus has a proton and a neutron. deviance (DEE vee ins) n. a turning away from what is usual or what is accepted as being normal • Pouring orange juice over your breakfast cereal would definitely be consid- ered a deviance from the norm. • Deviance is not necessarily a negative thing, as proven by the Wright broth- ers at Kitty Hawk in 1903. [Syn. variance] QUICK REVIEW #97 Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most nearly the same thing. 270 Essential Vocabulary 1. debilitating 2. decimate 3. defamation 4. deficiency 5. degenerate 6. demise 7. demographic 8. denigrate 9. derelict 10. desiccant 11. desiccate 12. desultory 13. detest 14. deuterium 15. deviance a. hydrogen b. depraved c. preserve d. hate e. slander f. variance g. statistic h. dryer i. negligent j. death k. random l. disparage m. weakening n. shortage o. destroy 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 270 diatribe (DY i TRYB) n. an abusive, bitter, ranting criticism or denouncing • Fidel Castro is renowned for his long diatribes against the U.S. government. • Diatribes tend to cause the listener to close his or her ears and mind after a short length of time. [Syn. denunciation] diffidence (DIF i dins) n. lack of self-confidence marked by hesitation in speech • Stuttering is often an expression of diffidence. • Diffidence in speech can often be overcome by overpreparing. [Syn. shyness] digress (di GRESS) vi. to momentarily or temporarily stray from the main subject • Max Schulman’s Dobie Gillis is famous for straying from his subject and then going back to it with the phrase “but I digress.” • While explaining to her class how to find the areas of different quadrilaterals, Mrs. Green digressed and told how much she had enjoyed that day’s lunch. [-ed, -ing] [Syn. deviate] diminutive (di MIN yoo tiv) adj. small of stature; much smaller than average; tiny —n. 1. a very small person; 2. a word formed from another by adding a suffix indicating smallness • Gail was diminutive, with the top of her head barely reaching Michael’s chest. • The diminutive of kitchen is kitchenette. [-ly adv.] [Syn. small] dirge (DOERJ) n. a slow, sad, funereal hymn or poem expressing grief; a lament • Dirges are customary as part of certain religions’ funeral ceremonies. • An elegy is a type of dirge without music. [Syn. lament] disabuse (dis uh BYOOZ) vt. to get rid of false ideas; to set straight; to free from misconception • Part of growing up is to disabuse ourselves of the notion that whatever we need will be given to us. • It is just as important to disabuse ourselves of the idea that good deeds are always rewarded. [-d, disabusing] [Syn. correct] disburse (dis BOERS) vt. to pay out; to expend (a sum of money) • Inez disbursed $23.47 at the grocery store. • On payday, your employer disburses your salary in the form of a paycheck. [-d, dispersing] [Syn. expend] discontent (DIS cuhn TENT) n. a dissatisfaction with a person, thing, or state of affairs; a desire for something more or different —vt. to make discontent • Now is the winter of our discontent after having shoveled all that snow. • After 10 days of eating steak and potatoes, one becomes discontent with that diet. D: GRE Words 271 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 271 disinter (dis in TER) vt. 1. to dig up from the grave; to exhume; 2. to bring to light something that had been hidden • The medical examiner sometimes has to disinter a body from the grave in order to perform an autopsy on it. • It is only with the passage of time that the actual tape recordings of Lyndon Johnson’s White House conversations were disinterred. [-red, -ring] [Syn. exhume] disinterestedness (dis IN trist id niss) n. a lack of caring, involvement, or concern • When asked whether she would like to go to the Dodgers game, Maria expressed a total disinterestedness. • Joel’s disinterestedness in getting his schoolwork done on time led to his failing grades. [Syn. indifference] disputatious (DIS pyoo TAY shis) adj. fond of arguing; contentious; eager to dispute • Allen’s disputatious nature made him a likely candidate for the debating team. • Whenever Daphne was accused of being disputatious, she would retort “That’s debatable.” [-ly adv.] dissonance (DIS uh nins) n. 1. inharmonious sounds; chords containing clash- ing sounds; 2. a lack of harmony or agreement; discord; incongruity • If you want to learn the true meaning of dissonance, go listen to an ele- mentary school band concert. • The later works of Igor Stravinsky are famous for their deliberate use of dissonance. QUICK REVIEW #98 Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most nearly the same thing. 272 Essential Vocabulary 1. diatribe 2. diffidence 3. digress 4. diminutive 5. dirge 6. disabuse 7. disburse 8. discontent 9. disinter 10. disinterestedness 11. disputatious 12. dissonance a. contentious b. denunciation c. exhume d. shyness e. indifference f. discord g. deviate h. correct i. lament j. dissatisfaction k. small l. expend 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 272 distillation (DIS til AY shin) n. 1. a process by which a liquid is vaporized, and the vapor is cooled to form a purer or more highly concentrated substance; 2. a purifying or refining by distillation • Alcoholic spirits are removed from fermented mash by means of distillation. • Distillation is used to separate gasoline from crude oil. [Syn. concentration, purification] diversity (di VERS i tee) n. the quality or state of being different or varied • The diversity of its people is thought to be one of the great strengths of the United States. • An interesting menu in a restaurant should offer the customers a diversity of choices. [Syn. variety] divest (di VEST) vt. 1. to strip of clothing or rank; 2. to get rid of unwanted things • For failing to follow orders, the sergeant was divested of his stripes. • Given the recent performance of the stock market, now seems like a pretty good time to divest your portfolio of poor performers. [-ed, -ing] [Syn. strip] divulge (di VULJ) vt. to make known, disclose, reveal • You must promise never to divulge the location of the hidden treasure, or else! • Unless you pay to see my hand, I do not have to divulge which cards I was holding when I won that hand. [-d, divulging] [Syn. reveal] dogmatic (dawg MAT ik) adj. 1. of or like dogma; 2. accepted without proof; 3. stating an opinion with arrogance • In the early part of the twentieth century, the story about a young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree was dogmatic. • The scientific community encourages its members to question everything and to avoid being dogmatic. • Dr. Jackson tends to be dogmatic when he hands out his diagnoses to the medical students. [-ally adv.] [Syn. dictatorial] dolt (DOHLT) n. stupid, slow-witted person; blockhead • The way that man slipped into the bus seat before the pregnant woman could take it marks him as a dolt. • Who but a dolt goes out of the house wearing his or her shoes on the wrong feet? [-ish adj., -ishly adv., -ishness n.] D: GRE Words 273 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 273 dormant (DAWR mint) adj. 1. asleep; 2. as if asleep; resting; 3. inactive; inoperative • The night watchman was dormant on the job. • While the cat may appear dormant, it is aware of everything going on around it. •A dormant volcano might not have erupted in the last 100 years, yet it is still alive. • Most of the volcanoes in the Cascades are considered to be dormant. [-ly adv., dormancy n.] [Syn. latent] dross (DRAWSS) n. 1. a scum that forms on the surface of molten metal; 2. waste material; worthless stuff; rubbish • In a steel mill or foundry, dross ends up on the rubbish heap. • Good garage-sale shoppers learn to separate treasure from dross. dubious (DOO bee is) adj. 1. causing doubt; vague; ambiguous; 2. of doubtful value; questionable; shady; 3. skeptical; hesitating • Valerie was rather dubious about whether she was coming to the basketball game. • That premium-brand watch being offered by the street salesperson for $30 is of dubious quality. dynamo (DY ni MOH) n. 1. a forceful, energetic person; 2. an electrical generator • The chairman of the company was a human dynamo, constantly on the go. • In hydroelectric plants, falling water turns the dynamo that generates the electricity. • That weight lifter is strong as a dynamo. dysfunctional (dis FUNK shi nuhl) adj. 1. unable to perform normally or properly; 2. showing impaired or abnormal psychosocial functioning • A person with dysfunctional kidneys has to make use of a dialysis machine. • Serial killers are among the most dysfunctional personalities in the world. 274 Essential Vocabulary 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 274 QUICK REVIEW #99 Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most nearly the same thing. D: GRE Words 275 1. distillation 2. diversity 3. divest 4. divulge 5. dogmatic 6. dolt 7. dormant 8. dross 9. dubious 10. dynamo 11. dysfunctional a. rubbish b. purification c. generator d. variety e. abnormal f. latent g. doubtful h. reveal i. blockhead j. strip k. dictatorial 26_571656 ch21.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 275 E – F edify (ED i FY) vt. to instruct so as to enlighten or improve morally, intellectually, or spiritually • It might edify you to know that by the time Mozart was 13, he had been appointed honorary concertmaster at the Court of Salzburg. • Watching how a building is constructed can be a very edifying experience (no pun intended). • Edify means to build, but that usage is pretty much obsolete by now. [edified, -ing, edification n.] egalitarian (ee GAL i TER ee in) adj. advocating that people should all have equal social, economic, and political rights —n. one who so advocates • The so-called ERA, or Equal Rights Amendment, for women was supported by egalitarian groups. • Egalitarians supported the civil rights movement of the late 1960s. elegy (EL i gee) n. 1. a song or poem of praise for the dead; 2. any mournful song or poem • Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is an elegy that laments the loss of ordinary people. • Shelly’s “Adonais” is an elegy mourning the death of John Keats. elemental (EL im EN til) adj. 1. of or like natural forces; typical of the physical universe; 2. basic and powerful rather than subtle or refined; 3. of any of the four traditional elements (earth, air, fire, and water) traditionally thought to comprise all things • It is elemental that satellites orbit their planets. • The force of an erupting volcano is elemental in its power. • Hunger is an elemental drive; the urge to be entertained is not. [-ly adv.] [Syn. basic] elucidate (il OO si DAYT) vt. to clear up (especially something abstract); to explain • Please elucidate on the subject of why you did not come home last night until after midnight. • Mrs. Jones would appreciate your elucidating on Einstein’s theory of relativ- ity so that it is clear to her whether you understand it. [-ed, -ing] [Syn. explain] emaciate (im AY shee AYT) vt. to cause to grow excessively thin; to cause to waste away • Starvation emaciates the body. • People suffering from anorexia emaciate. [-d, emaciating, emaciation n.] [Syn. thin, waste away] 276 27_571656 ch22.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 276 emancipate (im AN si PAYT) vt. 1. to set free from bondage, slavery, serfdom, and the like; 2. to free from control or restraint • Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 did not emancipate the slaves living in the Union, only those in the Confederacy, where he had no power. • At age 18 in most states, a child can be emancipated from his or her parents’ control. [-d, emancipating, emancipation n.] [Syn. free] embezzle (em BEZ il) vt. to steal by fraud; to take money from someone on false pretense and then spend it on oneself • Several corporate executives spent the late 1990s embezzling their stockhold- ers’ money. • Con men are skilled in the art of embezzling. [-d, embezzling, -ment, -r n.] [Syn. steal] emit (ee MIT) vt. to send out; send forth; give off; utter; discharge • A transmitter’s antenna emits some kind of waves. • A speaker stands before an audience and emits words. • Old Faithful emits hot water at regular intervals. [-ted, -ting] [Syn. discharge] emollient (im AHL yint) adj. softening; soothing —n. a substance that has a softening effect when applied to the skin • Many medicinal preparations have an emollient effect. • Proper skin care requires replacing skin moisture every day by using emollients. encomium (in KOHM ee uhm) n. a formal expression of praise; a hymn or eulogy • “America the Beautiful” is an encomium to the natural beauty of the country. • “Adonais” is Shelly’s encomium to the poet John Keats. [Syn. tribute] enigmatic (EN ig MAT ik) adj. like a seemingly inexplicable matter (enigma); perplexing; baffling • Lightning must have been very enigmatic to everyone living prior to the eighteenth century. • Traveling faster than the speed of light is the stuff of science fiction but is enigmatic to today’s science. [-ally adv.] [Syn. obscure] enunciate (in UHN see AYT) vt. 1. to state in a systematic way; 2. to pronounce words clearly; 3. to announce • Einstein first enunciated his theory of relativity in 1905. • It is important to enunciate clearly to make your position understood by others. • Bob and Carol enunciated their engagement to each other. [-d, enuciating] [Syn. utter] E – F: GRE Words 277 27_571656 ch22.qxd 11/10/04 12:43 PM Page 277 [...]... or knife; 2 to shape something by chopping pieces away with an ax or knife • Marcia often hews trees to cut up and use for firewood • Native Americans hewed totem poles from tree trunks • Many native cultures make hewed pipes and knife handles from wood, bone, and ivory [-ed, -ing, -n adj., -er n.] [Syn hack] hieroglyphic (HY ruh GLIF ik) n 1 ancient Egyptian picture writing; 2 any picture writing —adj... bringing her umbrella to work, and she paid for it when the skies opened up E – F: GRE Words 283 • Allowing a five-year-old to walk alone near a busy street can only be described as feckless [-ly adv.] felon (FEL in) n a person guilty of a major crime (guilty of a felony, rather than a misdemeanor); a criminal • Petty larceny is a misdemeanor, while grand larceny is a felony, and one who commits it is... flourish precedes his appearance; interestingly that piece is known as “Ruffles and Flourishes.” [-ed, -ing] [Syn prosper] fluctuate (FLUHK tyoo ayt) vi 1 to move back and forth or up and down; 2 to be continuously varying —vt to cause to fluctuate • The ocean’s tides fluctuate with the effects from the pull of the sun and the moon • The heights of the threads in a shag rug fluctuate, often in a discernible... which sprays of steam and or boiling water gush into the air at intervals of time • Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park is probably the best-known geyser in the world • Giant, Grotto, Fountain, Castle, and Crested Pool are some other geysers in Yellowstone gist (JIST) n the main point or essence of an argument, article, and so on • The gist of the thing is the crux of the matter, and that just about says... part of the contract made Harvey extricable from it • A single rubber band is usually quite extricable from a ball of rubber bands [extricably adv.] [Syn escapable] extrovert (EKS tra VOERT) n an outgoing person; one who directs her attention away from herself and toward others • Francesco is quite an extrovert for a six-year-old and spends much of his time thinking up ways to get those around him to...278 Essential Vocabulary enzyme (EN zym) n any one of many proteins developed by plants and animals that act as catalysts in certain chemical reactions • Chlorophyll acts as an enzyme in green plants’ process of photosynthesis • Pepsin and retsyn are two enzymes that aid in human digestion epicure (EP ik yur) n a person who has an appreciation of fine food and drink, and enjoys consuming... equable [equably adv., equability n.] [Syn steady] equivalence (ik WIV il ens) n equality of value, meaning, force, grade, weight, and so on • The equivalence of 2.54 centimeters and 1 inch is a well-known relationship • A generic drug has the chemical equivalence of its brand-name cousin at a lower price equivocal (ik WIV ik il) adj 1 capable of being interpreted in more than one way; purposely vague;... wanted • Studying for the SAT test was a harrowing experience for Fred because so much depended on his doing well [-ed, -ing] 292 Essential Vocabulary haughty (HAW tee) adj having or showing great pride in oneself and disdain for others • Two of King Lear’s daughters were very haughty, and it was not until it was too late that he came to appreciate Cordelia • Politicians never act haughty in public... expensive) thing • Rubbed off patches of gold finish flawed the watchband’s appearance [-ed, -ing] [Syn defect] E – F: GRE Words 285 flora (FLOR uh) n the plants of a region, as distinguished from the animal life (fauna) • The flora of the tropics are varied and colorful • The further north one goes, the more bountiful the varieties of flora and fauna become, as long as you are south of the equator flourish... practically a full-time job for a punster • Vicki told Bill, “Don’t think I’m being facetious when I tell you you’re my best friend, but I am.” [-ly adv.] [Syn witty] facilitate (fa SIL i TAYT) vt to make possible, or to make it easier to do something • The hardened tips on shoelaces greatly facilitate lacing shoes and boots • Ramps being installed on most street corners facilitate getting on and off sidewalks . to find the areas of different quadrilaterals, Mrs. Green digressed and told how much she had enjoyed that day’s lunch. [-ed, -ing] [Syn. deviate] diminutive. Jackson tends to be dogmatic when he hands out his diagnoses to the medical students. [-ally adv.] [Syn. dictatorial] dolt (DOHLT) n. stupid, slow-witted person;