═══ 1. ally - antecede ═══ 1. ally N. one united with another, such as through a treaty. In the time of trouble he had numerous allies. 2. aloft ADV. high in the air. The blimp stayed aloft for 2 weeks. 3. aloof ADJ. to keep one's distance; uninterested. As the crisis developed, the others remained aloof. 4. altercation N. noisy quarrel. The onlookers tried to stop the altercation in the alley. 5. altruism N. unselfish devotion to the interest of others. He covered his diabolical scheme with a guise of altruism. 6. amalgamate V. to blend; to combine. The Indian sub-continent has amalgamated different ethnic groups throughout its history. 7. amass V. to accumulate for oneself. She amassed a large stamp collection. 8. amazon N. (Greek Myth.) an aggressive female warrior. She was branded as an amazon, because of her shrewd and outright mean dealings with others. 9. ambidextrous ADJ. ability to use both hands equally well. The ambidextrous baseball player could bat left-handed as well as right-handed. 10. ambience N. entire surrounding environment; mood. As he walked through the building, he realized the unique ambience of the Mexican restaurant. 11. ambiguous ADJ. capable of having more than one interpretation; unclear. The proposed legal document was rejected because it was too ambiguous. 12. ambivalent ADJ. strongly holding on to two opposing things. He was ambivalent, because he wanted to eat a lot of cake, but was determined to lose weight. 13. amble N. to walk as a horse with two legs moving together; stroll. They ambled through the shopping mall window shopping. 14. ambrosia N. food and drink of the Greco-Roman gods. Ambrosia was placed on the altar as a sacrifice. 15. ambulatory ADJ. having to do with walking. The bird occasionally displays its ambulatory ability. 16. ameliorate V. to make better; improve. She ameliorated her vocabulary. 17. amenable ADJ. ready to answer; agreeable. With an amenable glance he gave his assurance. 18. amend V. to correct or improve. According to the senator, amending the bill was unnecessary. 19. amenities N. pleasant manners; agreeableness. The people of that region were known for their amenities. 20. amiable ADJ. friendly disposition. The amiable Ted offered to have lunch at his place. 21. amicable ADJ. politely friendly disposition. The ambassadors made amicable proposals. 22. amiss ADV. improperly; wrongly. He went amiss by failing to file his income tax form for five years. 23. amity N. friendship, especially between nations. The peacemaker hoped to establish amity between warring nations. 24. amnesia N. abnormal memory loss. After the car accident he could not identify any of his friends because of amnesia. 25. amnesty N. a pardon, especially by the government. The government granted amnesty to the terrorist, because he demonstrated a penitent heart. 26. amok N. depression followed by a murderous inclination. run amok. After hearing the bad news, he became amok. 27. amoral ADJ. without a sense of right or wrong. He was labelled amoral, because he did not even feel guilty about hurting others. 28. amorous ADJ. inclined to love, especially sexually. Their relationship, originally intended to be a platonic one, turned amorous. 29. amorphous ADJ. without a defined shape. The earth was amorphous before God said, "Let there be light." 30. amortization N. the reducing of a debt, especially through periodic payments. Through amortization, Frank hoped to take charge of his mortgage. 31. amphibian ADJ.,N. aquatic creatures that mature into terrestrial creatures. The amphibian tadpole lives in the water, but turns into a frog, which lives on land. 32. amphitheater N. a stage with tiered stairs surrounding it. The governor delivered his address from the amphitheater. 33. ample ADJ. at least an adequate amount. She received ample compensation for her injuries suffered. 34. amplify V. to make larger. They needed the radio signal to be amplified in order to receive it properly. 35. amputate V. to cut off a part of the body. After gangrene had set in, they had no other alternative but to amputate. 36. amulet N. an ornament worn to protect from evil. She wore the amulet to overcome her fears. 37. anachronism N. someone or something assigned to the wrong time period. Astronauts in medieval Europe is an anachronism. 38. anaerobic ADJ. living without free oxygen. The organism was able to exist on anaerobic respiration. 39. anagram N. the transposing of letters in a word to form another word. Shore is an anagram for horse. 40. analects N. selected passages of literature. The Far East literary scholar frequently referred to the analects of Confucius. 41. analgesic ADJ. reduces pain. The analgesic effects of the drug outweigh the known risks of using the it. 42. analogous ADJ. corresponding in some way. Height may be analogous to weight. 43. analogy N. a similarity between two different objects. He illustrated an analogy between the fruit production of plants to the fruits of living a spiritual life. 44. anarchist N. someone who advocates the elimination of government. As an anarchist, he thought society would be better off not only without a king, but without any kind of governing body. 45. anarchy N. a nation without a government. The punk rock artist protested for anarchy. 46. anathema N. an ecclesiastical solemn curse. The anathema was pronounced on the heretic. 47. anchor V. to be fixed firmly. The eccentrics were anchored in their convictions. 48. ancillary ADJ. auxiliary. He had ancillary plans along side his primary plans. 49. andirons N. a pair of metal supports to hold up firewood. The andirons were covered with soot. 50. anecdote N. a short story usually of a humorous nature. The newscaster told an anecdote at the end of the broadcast to release the tension that had been building up. 51. anemia N. deficiency of hemoglobin in blood. His fatigue and drop in performance was due to anemia. 52. anesthetic N. a substance that produces loss of bodily sensation. The anesthetic was administered before surgery. 53. angst N. anxiety. He communicated his angst in response to the recent tragedy. 54. anguish N. extreme pain or suffering. The victim's mother spent days in anguish after the tragic event. 55. anhydrous ADJ. with water removed. When the chemistry researcher brought the anhydrous material forward, after inspection it turned out to be nothing but dried coffee. 56. animadversion N. a critical remark. His animadversion in passing stirred up enmity for months to follow. 57. animated ADJ. having life. His animated personality and charisma naturally attracted numbers of people. 58. animosity N. ill-will which tends to direct conduct. The two rival teams have developed quite an animosity over the years. 59. animus N. a feeling of hostility and resentment. After the famous person heard about the person who tried to murder him, he held deep animus for many years, which was damaging to his health. 60. annals N. chronological historical records, often yearly. The consultation of the annals corrected the common misperception of the king's conduct. 61. anneal V. to heat material to relieve stress. Parts of the vehicle were annealed to obtain maximum strength, while maintaining a low weight. 62. annexation N. the adding on of a smaller item to a bigger item. The official annexation of the property adjacent to the hospital complex commenced last month. 63. annihilate V. to destroy to the point of non-existence. They were sent on a mission to annihilate the rebel forces. 64. annotate V. to layout with explanatory notes. The Bible passages were annotated with the interpretations of modern scholars. 65. annuity N. income systematically deposited over a long term to receive later. His commitment to an annuity reduced his paycheck, but increased his savings for an uncertain future. 66. annul V. to eliminate an existing law or entity. Due to a change in the public's attitude, the handed down city ordinance was annulled. 67. anodyne N. a pain reliever. The herbal plant is used as an anodyne in some medical treatment. 68. anoesis N. frame of mind of all emotion lacking any reasoning. The frenzied crowd in anoesis turned to looting the city instead of dealing with the problem in a more sensible manner. 69. anoint V. to pour oil onto. They waited for the time in the ceremony when the new high priest was anointed for his term of service. 70. anomalous ADJ. deviating from norm. In the collection of meteorological data it is expected that there will be some anomalous data due to local terrestrial variations. 71. anomaly N. a deviation from the statistical norm. The student who diligently studied vocabulary was an unusual anomaly in the high range compared to other students of his caliber. 72. anonymous ADJ. of unknown authorship. The newspaper made a new policy not to publish anonymous articles in the political opinion section. 73. anorexia N. prolonged loss of appetite due to abnormal psychological attitudes. The impressionable girl, who envied the slender appearance of models, went to extremes to lose weight, not acknowledging she was suffering from anorexia in her pursuit. 74. antagonist N. opponent; one in hostile opposition. He was known to be an antagonist in any and every situation. 75. antecede V. to precede in time or position. The statehood of Delaware anteceded that of New Jersey.