2016 Vocabulary #14 – Period 1
1.
middling
adjective
1. medium, moderate, oraverage in size, quantity, or quality: The returns on
such a large investment may be only middling.
2. mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; pedestrian: The restaurant's entrées are
no better than middling.
2.
raspy
[ras-pee, rah-spee]
–adjective,
1. harsh; grating; rasping.
2. easily annoyed; irritable.
Origin: 1830–40
3. ambuscade [am-buh-skeyd, am-buh-skeyd]
–noun
1. an ambush.
–verb
2. to attack from a concealed position; ambush.
Origin: 1575–85; < MF
4.
betwixt
[bi-twikst]
–preposition, adverb
1. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.
Origin: Bef. 950; ME
BETWEEN
5.
stile
[stahyl]
–noun
1. a series of steps or rungs by means of which a person may pass over a
wall or fence that remains a barrier to sheep or cattle.
2. a turnstile.
Origin: bef. 900; ME
6.
Pragmatic
adjective,
prag-mat-ik] Spell
of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
7.
ominous
adjective
1.portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious:an ominous
bank of dark clouds.
2.indicating the nature of a future event, for good or evil; having the
significance of an omen; being a portent:Some of these events were
immediately ominous, while others only later revealed themselves as such.
Origin: 1580-90; < Latin
8.
mellifluous
[muh-lif-loo-uh s]
–adjective
1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: a mellifluous voice;
mellifluous tones.
2. flowing with honey; sweetened with or as if with honey.
Origin: 1375–1425; late ME < LL
9.
innocuous
[i-nok-yoo-uh s]
–adjective
1. not harmful or injurious; harmless: an innocuous home remedy.
2.
not likely to irritate or offend; inoffensive; an innocuous remark.
3.
not interesting, stimulating, or significant; pallid; insipid: an innocuous
novel.
Origin: 1590–1600; < L
10. ubiquitous [yoo-bik-wi-tuh s]
–adjective
existing or being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresent:
ubiquitous fog; ubiquitous little ants.
Origin: 1830–40;