Grade 12 Word of the Day

Yokemate noun — A companion or partner: someone who shares a yoke or burden with another.

Yarboroum noun — "A variant spelling of ""Yarborough, "" referring to a hand in bridge or whist containing no card above a nine".

Arbitrate verb — To reach an authoritative judgment or settlement.

Connoisseur noun — An expert judge in matters of taste.

Disparate adjective — Essentially different in kind: not allowing comparison.

Erudition noun — Knowledge acquired by study, research, or learning.

Gustatory adjective — Having to do with taste or eating.

Repudiate verb — Refuse to accept or be associated with.

Terrestrial adjective — Of, on, or relating to the earth.

Esoteric adjective — Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people.

Voluptuous adjective — Sensuously pleasing or gratifying to the senses: characterized by luxury, indulgence, or sensual pleasure.

Xylology noun — The scientific study or examination of wood and its properties, structure, uses, and distribution.

Calamitous adjective — Disastrous.

Acidulous adjective — Having a sour or sharp taste or character.

Conspicuous adjective — Standing out so as to be clearly visible.

Contentious adjective — Causing or likely to cause an argument: controversial.

Potentate noun — A monarch or ruler, especially an autocratic one.

Sybaritic adjective — Fond of luxury or pleasure-seeking: indulgent in luxury.

Untenable adjective — Not able to be maintained or defended: indefensible. (Indefensible: incapable of being defended or justified.)

Vehemence noun — Intensity or forcefulness of expression: fervor or passion.

Vigilance noun — Watchfulness or alertness, especially to danger or trouble.

Accolade noun — An award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit.

Desolate adjective — (Of a place) deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness.

Sinecure noun — A position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit.

Equanimous adjective — Even, balanced.

Munificent adjective — Lavish, generous.

Transitory adjective — Not permanent.

Conducive adjective — Making a certain situation or outcome likely or possible.

Emolument noun — A salary, fee, or profit from employment or office.

Irascible adjective — Having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.

Lapidary noun — Relating to the engraving, cutting, or polishing of precious stones or the person who does it.

Xenogamy noun — The fertilization of a flower by pollen from a different plant, often of a different species.

Benevolent adjective — Well-meaning and kindly.

Frugality noun — The quality of being economical with money or food: thriftiness. (Thriftiness: frugality in the expenditure of money or resources.)

Inculcate verb — To instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction.

Lassitude noun — A state of physical or mental weariness: lack of energy.

Collateral noun — Additional but subordinate: secondary.

Effrontery noun — Insolent or impertinent behavior.

Incendiary adjective — Inflammatory, spontaneously combustible, hot.

Abactinal adjective — Relating to the underside or lower surface of a sea urchin.

Coagulate verb — To change from a liquid to a semi-solid state: to clot.

Debutante noun — A young upper-class woman making her first appearance in fashionable society.

Exculpate verb — To show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.

Ineffable adjective — Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Mellifluous adjective — (of a voice or words) Sweet or musical: pleasant to hear.

Vindicate verb — To clear of blame or suspicion: to justify or prove right.

Cachinnate verb — To laugh loudly or immoderately. (Immoderately: without moderation; in an immoderate manner.)

Cognizance noun — Knowledge or awareness of something.

Diligently adjective — With great care and perseverance.

Masquerade verb — A false show or pretense.

Ubiquitous adjective — Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Chicanery noun — The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose.

Composure noun — The state or feeling of being calm and in control of oneself.

Panegyric noun — A public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.

Acrostical adjective — Pertaining to or forming an acrostic. (Acrostic: a puzzle where you fill a square grid with words reading the same down as across.)

Implacable adjective — Unable to be appeased or placated.

Arbitrary adjective — Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

Venerable adjective — Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.

Xanthophyll noun — A yellow pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants and essential for photosynthesis.

Peccadillo noun — A small, relatively unimportant offense or sin.

Resilience noun — The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

Complaisant adjective — Willing to please others or to accept what they do or say without protest.

Credulity noun — A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true.

Desiccate verb — To remove the moisture from (something, especially food), typically in order to preserve it.

Expurgate verb — To remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a book or account).

Yarborough noun — A hand in bridge or whist containing no card above a nine: a hand in card games with no high-ranking cards.

Iconoclast noun — A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

Vulnerable adjective — Susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm.

Diplomacy noun — The profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country's representatives abroad.

Xenophile noun — A person who is attracted to or has an affinity for foreign cultures or customs.

Pulchritude noun — Physical beauty.

Aerophobia noun — Fear of flying or fear of travel by air.

Disheveled adjective — (Of a person's hair, clothes, or appearance) untidy: disordered.

Meticulous adjective — Showing great attention to detail: very careful and precise.

Pathogenic adjective — (Of a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism) causing disease.

Profligate adjective — Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

Variegated adjective — Exhibiting different colors, especially as irregular patches or streaks.

Xenization noun — The act of making strangers or foreigners feel welcome.

Animistic adjective — Relating to animism, the belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a spirit or soul.

Byzantine adjective — (Of a system or situation) excessively complicated and typically involving a great deal of administrative detail.

Compunction noun — A feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows the doing of something bad.

Xerophyte noun — A plant adapted to survive in dry or desert-like conditions: a plant with specialized water-conserving features.

Approbation noun — Approval or praise.

Belligerent adjective — Hostile and aggressive.

Callipygian adjective — Having well-shaped buttocks.

Imprecation noun — A spoken curse.

Legislation noun — Laws, considered collectively. (Collectively: in conjunction with; combined.)

Abnegation noun — The act of renouncing or rejecting something: self-denial or refusal.

Accubation noun — The act of reclining or lying down, especially for meals.

Cumbersome adjective — Large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use.

Governance noun — The action or manner of governing a state, organization, etc.

Ostensible adjective — Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

Vindictive adjective — Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.

Monopsony noun — A market situation in which there is only one buyer of a particular product, service, or resource.

Machination noun — A plot or scheme.

Conjecture noun — An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information.

Presumptuous adjective — Failing to observe the limits of what is appropriate or polite.

Voluminous adjective — Occupying or containing much space: large in volume, size, or extent.

Commodity noun — A raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee.

Dichotomy noun — A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Clandestine adjective — Kept secret or done secretively.

Flumadiddle noun — Nonsense, foolish talk or ideas.

Impecunious adjective — Having little or no money.

Proclivity noun — A tendency to choose or do something regularly: an inclination or predisposition.

Xylophone noun — A musical instrument consisting of a series of wooden bars of different lengths that are struck to produce tones.

Intractable adjective — Hard to control or deal with.

Reluctantly adjective — In an unwilling and hesitant way.

Convoluted adjective — (especially of an argument, story, or sentence) Extremely complex and difficult to follow.

Cartography noun — The science or practice of drawing maps.

Ingratiate verb — To bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them.

Vociferous adjective — Loud, noisy, or vehement in making one's feelings or opinions heard: clamorous or outspoken.

Xerography noun — A process of photocopying or reproducing images using electrostatic charges on a special surface.

Plurality noun — The number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority.

Ruminative adjective — Contemplative. (Contemplative: deeply or seriously thoughtful.)

Crepuscular adjective — Of, resembling, or relating to twilight: dim, indistinct.

Demagogue noun — A political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument.

Inveterate adjective — Habitual, persistent.

Parsimonious adjective — Frugal, restrained.

Acrimonious adjective — (Typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter.

Enumerate verb — To mention (a number of things) one by one.

Legerdemain noun — Skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks.

Misanthrope noun — A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Numismatics noun — The study or collection of coins, banknotes, and medals.

Obfuscation noun — The action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

Perfunctory adjective — Carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.

Xerophilous adjective — Thriving in a dry environment: adapted to arid conditions.

Yaffingale verb — An obsolete term for a loud, raucous or boisterous person or thing: a noisy, garrulous individual.

Conscientious adjective — Wishing to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.

Forbearance noun — Patient self-control: restraint and tolerance in the face of provocation.

Dilettante noun — A person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.

Propitiate verb — Win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.

Pejorative adjective — Expressing contempt or disapproval.

Vicariously adjective — Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another.

Jeopardize verb — Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.

Xylography noun — The art or practice of engraving or printing on wood: the process of making woodcuts or wood engravings.

Debilitate verb — Make (someone) weak and infirm.

Inexorable adjective — Impossible to stop or prevent.

Complacency noun — A feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

Peremptory adjective — (especially of a person's manner or actions) Insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way.

Philistine noun — A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them.

Calisthenics noun — Gymnastic exercises to achieve bodily fitness.

Interregnum noun — A period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes.

Ambidextrous adjective — Able to use both hands equally well.

Defamatory adjective — Damaging the good reputation of someone: slanderous.

Magnanimous adjective — Very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself.

Multifarious adjective — Many and of various types: having great variety.

Partisanship noun — Prejudice in favor of a particular cause: bias.

Preposterous adjective — Contrary to reason or common sense: utterly absurd.

Anachronism noun — A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists.

Malediction noun — A magical word or phrase uttered with the intention of bringing about evil or destruction.

Franchise noun — A type of license that a party (franchisee) acquires to allow them to have access to a business's (franchisor) proprietary knowledge, processes, and trademarks in order to allow the party to sell a product or provide a service under the business's name.

Rebarbative adjective — Irritating, repellent.

Arbitrage noun — The simultaneous buying and selling of securities, currency, or commodities in different markets or in derivative forms in order to take advantage of differing prices for the same asset.

Recalcitrant adjective — Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline.

Vituperate verb — Blame or insult (someone) in strong or violent language.

Capitulate verb — Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand: surrender.

Exacerbate verb — To make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Pertinacious adjective — Holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action.

Commentator noun — A person who comments on events or on a text, especially as a political analyst or sportscaster.

Exonerate verb — To absolve (someone) from blame for a fault or wrongdoing, especially after due consideration of the case.

Subsidiary noun — A company controlled by a holding company, also known as a parent or umbrella company, which holds a majority of the subsidiary's voting stock.

Unequivocal adjective — Leaving no doubt: unambiguous.

Indubitable adjective — Impossible to doubt or question.

Unabashedly adjective — Not embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed. (Disconcerted: having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion.)

Adjudicate verb — Make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter.

Incarnadine adjective — A bright crimson or pinkish-red color.

Syncopation noun — A displacement of the beat or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa.

Grandiloquent adjective — Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner.

Consternation noun — Feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.

Peregrinate verb — To travel or wander around from place to place.

Perspicacious adjective — Having a ready insight into and understanding of things.

Constituency noun — A body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.

Abecedarian adjective — A person who is learning the alphabet or the basics.

Confrontation noun — A hostile or argumentative meeting or situation between opposing parties.

Corroborate verb — To confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

Investiture noun — The action of formally investing a person with honors or rank.

Volubility noun — The quality or state of being fluent, talkative, or garrulous: the ability to speak easily and at length.

Ablutophobia noun — Fear of bathing or washing.

Yellow-bellied adjective — Cowardly: lacking courage or determination.

Conflagration noun — An extensive fire that destroys a great deal of land or property.

Controversial adjective — Giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement.

Megalomania noun — Obsession with the exercise of power, especially in the domination of others.

Serendipity noun — The occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Philanthropy noun — The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.

Vicissitude noun — A change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

Commensurate adjective — Corresponding in size or degree: in proportion.

Conciliatory adjective — Intended or likely to placate or pacify.

Derivative noun — A financial contract whose value is derived from the performance of underlying market factors, such as assets, indices, or interest rates.

Xenogenesis noun — The production of offspring that are markedly different from either parent species due to hybridization.

Rhadamanthine adjective — Harshly strict.

Amalgamation noun — The action, process, or result of combining or uniting.

Peripatetic adjective — Traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.

Xerophthalmia noun — Abnormal dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye, with inflammation and thickening of the conjunctiva. (Dryness: the condition of not containing or being covered by a liquid.)

Notwithstanding adjective — In spite of, despite.

Idiosyncrasy noun — A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual.

Quintessential adjective — Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.

Vociferously adjective — In a loud, clamorous, or vehement manner: with noisy insistence or outcry. (Clamorous: conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry.)

Onomatopoeia noun — The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

Imperturbable adjective — Unable to be upset or excited: calm.

Platitudinous adjective — Resembling or full of dull or banal comments.

Pusillanimous adjective — Showing a lack of courage or determination: timid.

Interlocution noun — A conversation or dialogue between two or more people.

Intransigence noun — Unwillingness to change one's views or to agree about something.

Unconscionable adjective — Not right or reasonable.

Sesquipedalian adjective — Given to using long words.

Vituperative adjective — Bitter and abusive in speech.

Recrudescence noun — The recurrence of an undesirable condition: the revival of an unpleasant situation or feeling.

Circumlocution noun — The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.

Discombobulate verb — To confuse or disconcert: upset or frustrate. (Disconcert: cause to feel embarrassment.)

Commoditization noun — The process by which goods or services become relatively indistinguishable from similar products or services in the market, leading to reduced pricing power and profitability.

Xenodocheionology noun — The practice of staying in hotels: the study of hotel management or hospitality.