Chapter 4 Vocabulary - Last Best Hope

CHAPTER 4VOCABULARY (Vol. I)AMERICA: THE LAST BEST HOPEabominable–adjective1. repugnantly hateful; detestable; loathsome: an abominable crime.2. very unpleasant; disagreeable: The weather was abominable last week.3. very bad, poor, or inferior: They have abominable taste in clothes.avarice–nouninsatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.breach–noun1. the act or a result of breaking; break or rupture.2. an infraction or violation, as of a law, trust, faith, or promise.3. a gap made in a wall, fortification, line of soldiers, etc.; rift; fissure.4. a severance of friendly relations.caulker–noun1. a person who caulks the seams of boats or the like.2. a caulking tool or device.cede–verb (used with object), ced ed, ced ing.to yield or formally surrender to another: to cede territory.chandler–noun1. a person who makes or sells candles and sometimes other items of tallow or wax, as soap.2. a dealer or trader in supplies, provisions, etc., of a specialized type: a ship chandler.3. a retailer of provisions, groceries, etc.chauvinism–noun1. zealous and aggressive patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory.2. biased devotion to any group, attitude, or cause.coalition–noun1. a combination or alliance, esp. a temporary one between persons, factions, states, etc.2. a union into one body or mass; fusion.

contentious–adjectiveAMERICA: THE LAST BEST HOPE1. tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome: a contentious crew.2. causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy: contentious issues.3. Law. pertaining to causes between contending parties.copious–adjective1. large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful: copious amounts of food.2. having or yielding an abundant supply: a copious larder; a copious harvest.3. exhibiting abundance or fullness, as of thoughts or words.demigod–noun1. a mythological being who is partly divine and partly human; an inferior deity.2. a deified mortal.disdain–verb (used with object)1. to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn.2. to think unworthy of notice, response, etc.; consider beneath oneself: to disdain replying to aninsult.–nouna feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn.disunion–noun1. a severance of union; separation; disjunction.2. lack of unity; dissension.empathy–noun1. the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudesof another.2. the imaginative ascribing to an object, as a natural object or work of art, feelings or attitudespresent in oneself: By means of empathy, a great painting becomes a mirror of the self.emancipation–noun1. the act of emancipating.2. the state or fact of being emancipated.emancipate–verb (used with object), -pat ed, -pat ing.1. to free from restraint, influence, or the like.

2. to free (a slave) from bondage.3. Roman and Civil Law. to terminate paternal control over. AMERICA: THE LAST BEST HOPEexecrable–adjective1. utterly detestable; abominable; abhorrent.2. very bad: an execrable stage performance.extinction–noun1. the act of extinguishing.2. the fact or condition of being extinguished or extinct.3. suppression; abolition; annihilation: the extinction of an army.faction–noun1. a group or clique within a larger group, party, government, organization, or the like: a faction infavor of big business.2. party strife and intrigue; dissension: an era of faction and treason.fidelity–noun, plural -ties.1. strict observance of promises, duties, etc.: a servant’s fidelity.2. loyalty: fidelity to one’s country.3. conjugal faithfulness.4. adherence to fact or detail.5. accuracy; exactness: The speech was transcribed with great fidelity.foreclosure–noun Law.the act of foreclosing a mortgage or pledge.formidable–adjective1. causing fear, apprehension, or dread: a formidable opponent.2. of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating: a formidable problem.3. arousing feelings of awe or admiration because of grandeur, strength, etc.4. of great strength; forceful; powerful: formidable opposition to the proposal.impassioned–adjectivefilled with intense feeling or passion; passionate; ardent.impeach–verb (used with object)

shipwright–noun Shipbuilding.AMERICA: THE LAST BEST HOPEa person who builds and launches wooden vessels or does carpentry work in connection with thebuilding and launching of steel or iron vessels.sine qua non–nounan indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential: Her presence was the sine quanon of every social event.sully-verb, -lied, -ly ing, noun, plural -lies.–verb (used with object)1. to soil, stain, or tarnish.2. to mar the purity or luster of; defile: to sully a reputation.–verb (used without object)to become sullied, soiled, or tarnished.–nounobsolete. a stain; soil.tumultuous–adjective1. full of tumult or riotousness; marked by disturbance and uproar: a tumultuous celebration.2. raising a great clatter and commotion; disorderly or noisy: a tumultuous crowd of students.3. highly agitated, as the mind or emotions; distraught; turbulent.unanimity–nounthe state or quality of being unanimous; a consensus or undivided opinion: The unanimity of thedelegates was obvious on the first ballot.unequivocal–adjective1. not equivocal; unambiguous; clear; having only one possible meaning or interpretation: anunequivocal indication of assent; unequivocal proof.2. absolute; unqualified; not subject to conditions or exceptions: The cosigner of a note givesunequivocal assurance that it will be paid when due.