Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know (MCQ Test + PDF) Week 11 - Day 1
NEW WORDS
- poignant [poi´ nyənt]
“Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward through every fiber of his body and limbs.” Ambrose Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
- inundate [in´ un dāt]
“We do know that the moon’s surface has not been eroded by wind or rain or ice or snow and has not been inundated by oceans, lakes or rivers.” Lee A. DuBridge, “Sense and Nonsense About Space”
- fruitless [früt´ lis]
“Since launching a diplomatic shuttle, the Russian envoy had spent dozens of fruitless hours with the Yugoslav dictator.” Johanna McGeary, “Why He Blinked,” TIME, 6/14/99
- garbled [gär´ bəld]
“A garbled account of the matter that had reached his colleagues led to some gentle ribbing.” H. G. Wells, “The Man Who Could Work Miracles”
- sanguine [sang´ gwən]
“I’m not sanguine about the Knicks’ chances to upset the San Antonio Spurs.” Telephone caller to WFAN Sports Radio Program, 6/8/99
TODAY’S IDIOM
to feather one’s nest—grow rich by taking advantage of circumstances
While working as the tax collector, he adroitly* feathered his own nest.
