Vocabulary+Set+4


 * Printable Versions**

Propulsive (PROH pul siv) - the act or process of propelling; a propelling force
 * The first ship propelled by a propeller was invented by Isambard Brunel in 1844.
 * The champion hit his opponent, Ray Jackson, with a terrific right cross that propelled him right into the second row.
 * Modern submarines are propelled by nuclear energy.

Enrage (in RAGE) - to put in a rage; infuriate, anger
 * What enrages my wife is when I forget to wipe my feet before coming into the house.
 * Muriel's boss was enraged when he found out she had gone on her vacation to the Caribbean and left a lot of unfinished work on her desk.

Imagine an angry, red-faced cartoon with steam coming out of its ears.

Cranny (KRAN ee) - a small opening, as in a wall or rock face
 * The secret message was found stuffed into a small cranny in the courtyard wall next to the church.
 * Rock climbers look for any cranny where they can get a secure foothold.
 * We searched the house from top to bottom and never overlooked a single nook or cranny.

Cubism (KYOO biz um) - a style of art in which the subject matter is portrayed by geometric forms, especially cubes = =
 * Cubism is a style of art that stresses abstract structure at the expense of other pictorial elements by fragmenting the form of those objects that are to be depicted.
 * Pablo Picasso did not originate the cubism style of painting, but he is credited with popularizing it.

Askew (uh SKEW) - to one side; crooked; awry; a sidelong look of contempt
 * After the flood receded, the bridge was found to be askew of the road which connected to it.
 * The tire wouldn't fit on the car because in the accident the axle had been bent askew.
 * The speaker looked askew at the heckler at every interruption.

Girth (girth) - the distance around something; to encircle; to secure with a band that encircles the body of an animal = =
 * Jonathan placed the saddle on top of the horse and fastened the girth.
 * Before crawling into a sewer pipe, it is first wise to measure the girth.
 * The Girth of the planet Earth is about twenty-five thousand miles.

Ambiance (AM bee uns) - mood, feeling; general atmosphere
 * The ambiance of the locker room after the team lost the championship was depressing.
 * For their daughter's birthday party, the Jeffersons created an ambiance of gaiety, decorating the garden with bright balloons and ribbons.
 * The ambiance in the Italian restaurant was delightful. There was soft music, candlelight and singing waiters.

Which picture has an ambiance of romance?

Ballistics (buh LISS ticks) - the study of the dynamics or flight characteristics of projectiles
 * //Ballistics// is a noun, while //ballistic// is an adjective which means "of projectiles."
 * Most naval warships carry ballistic missiles.
 * Detective Culleton specializes in ballistics and is always called to a crime scene whenever a firearm is involved.

Coterie - a circle of close associates or friends (KOH tuh ree)
 * Today's tennis stars rarely travel alone, but with a coterie of managers and coaches.
 * Rock stars have a coterie of fans who follow them around like leeches.
 * You have to be a member of Daisy's coterie, or you don't count at all, in the opinion of Daisy.

Lassitude - listlessness; torpor, weariness (LAS uh tood)
 * After eating three servings of Thanksgiving dinner, George succumbed to a feeling of lassitude and fell asleep on the couch.
 * Having worked for the cannery for twenty years without a raise, Charles became discouraged with his employers and approached his daily work with unenthusiastic lassitude.