Vocabulary #4 – Period 5

1.  /moribund [mawr-uh-buhnd, mor-]

–adjective

1. / in a dying state; near death.

2. 

2. / on the verge of extinction or termination.

3. 

3. / not progressing or advancing; stagnant: a moribund political party.

Origin: 1715–25; < L

2. / nefarious[ni-fair-ee-uhs]
–adjective
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.
Origin: 1595–1605; < L

3. calcified/ kal-suh-fahy]

–verb

1. / Physiology. to make or become calcareous or bony; harden by the deposit of calcium salts.
2. / Geology. to harden by deposition of calcium carbonate.
3. / to make or become rigid or intransigent, as in a political position.

Origin: 1830–40

4.clairvoyance[klair-voi-uhns]
–noun
1. the supernatural power of seeing objects or actions removed in space or time from natural viewing.
2. quick, intuitive knowledge of things and people; sagacity.
Origin: 1840–50; < F
]

5. trangression [trans-gresh-uhn, tranz-]

–noun

an act of transgressing; violation of a law, command, etc.; sin.

Origin: 1400–50; late ME < L

6. crinoline (krĭn'ə-lĭn)
noun

1.  A coarse stiff fabric of cotton or horsehair used especially to line and stiffen hats and garments.

2.  A hoop skirt.

[French,

7. demagogue
[dem-uh-gog, -gawg]
–noun
1. a person, esp. an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people.
Origin: 1640–50

8. malign muh-lahyn] Spell

verb/adjective

1.to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame:

to malign an honorable man.

2.evil in effect; pernicious; baleful; injurious:

The gloomy house had a malign influence upon her usually good mood.

3.having or showing an evil disposition; malevolent; malicious.

9. nuance

noo-ahns,] Spell
noun,
a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.

10. griot/0. 10 / [gree-oh, gree-oh, gree-ot]

–noun

a member of a hereditary caste among the peoples of western Africa whose function is to keep an oral history of the tribe or village and to entertain with stories, poems, songs, dances, etc.

Origin: 1955–60; F