John Wiley And Sons Webster''s New World - Essential vocabulary_Q-R

Q – R
quaff (KWAHF) vt. to drink deeply with gusto —n. 1. the act of quaffing; 2. the
drink that is quaffed
• Quaffing beer while eating pizza is a well-established sport in some
households.
• Harry quaffed his brew from a frozen mug.
• Sally stopped into the tavern for a pint of quaff.
[-ed, -ing]
quiescent (kwee ES int) adj. quiet and still; inactive
• After hours of standing uncovered, a carbonated drink loses its fizz and
becomes quiescent.
•A quiescent pond is a good place to look for tadpoles.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. latent]
quixotic (kwik SOT ik) adj. foolishly idealistic; visionary; impractical
• Tilting at windmills is the ultimate in quixotic behavior.
• Some say that draft-card burning is a quixotic act, while others call it heroic.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. impractical]
raconteur (RAK ahn TUR) n. a person who is very skilled at telling stories
• Aesop was a raconteur whose fables always ended in a moral.
• Hans Christian Anderson was a Danish raconteur of great skill.
radiate (RAY dee ayt) vt. 1. to send out rays of heat, light, and so on; 2. to
spread out in rays; 3. to branch out from a center as spokes; 4. to spread happiness
and good fortune
• In a hot-water or steam heating system, heat radiates outward from a (what
else?) radiator.
• As light radiates outward from its source, its intensity diminishes.
• Spokes radiate outward from the hub of a bicycle wheel.
• It’s the job of grandparents to radiate love and presents and to shower
them on their grandchildren.
[-d, radiating]
rapacious (ruh PAY shis) adj. 1. using force to conquer; looting; 2. taking all

one can get; voracious; 3. predacious
• Genghis Khan’s Golden Horde had a reputation, well deserved or not, for
being rapacious.
• Lumbermen have been rapacious with the tropical rain forests of South
America.
• The cross-country railroad builders were rapacious toward the herds of
American bison.
[-ly adv.]
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rationale (RA shuh NAL) n. 1. the fundamental reasons or logical basis for
something; 2. a statement of the reasons for something’s being done or having
been done
• The rationale for building a bridge is to ford a stream or river.
• Paying off the bonds that raised the money to build a bridge or road is the
rationale for charging tolls to use it.
• A modern recasting of the saying “the ends justify the means” might be
“Just do it, whatever it is, and come up with your rationale later.”
reagent (ree AY jint) n. a chemical substance used to detect the presence of
another or to react so as to change one substance to another
• The reagent on a piece of litmus paper turns from blue to red when an acid
is present.
• Luminol is a reagent that glows when it comes in contact with blood.
recalcitrant (ri KAL si trint) adj. 1. refusing to obey authority, custom, and so
on; defiant; 2. hard to handle; difficult —n. a person with the preceding qualities
• Most of today’s criminals started out as yesterday’s recalcitrant children.
• Recalcitrant Israelites rebelled against Rome in
A
.
D

. 67.
• Many a recalcitrant has been sent to the principal’s office.
[-ly adv., recalcitrance n.] [Syn. defiant]
recede (ri SEED) vt. 1. to move back; draw away from; 2. to distance oneself
from; 3. to slope backward; 4. to become less; diminish
• Flood waters almost always recede.
• Looking out the rear window of a car, you can watch landmarks recede into
the distance.
• Most men and women do not appreciate being the owners of a receding
hairline.
• During the Clinton administration, the national debt receded temporarily.
[-d, receding]
QUICK REVIEW #118
Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.
324 Essential Vocabulary
1. quaff
2. quiescent
3. quixotic
4. raconteur
5. radiate
6. rapacious
7. rationale
8. reagent
9. recalcitrant
10. recede
a. drink
b. predatory
c. withdraw
d. spread out

e. reasons
f. defiant
g. impractical
h. chemical
i. latent
j. storyteller
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receptor (ri SEP toer) n. 1. a receiver; 2. a sense organ; a group of nerve endings
specializing in receiving impulses
• A radar antenna is both a sender for putting out radio waves and a receptor
for receiving the signals when they bounce off something.
• The nose contains the receptors for smell, while the taste buds are receptors
on the tongue.
• Rods and cones are light receptors on the retina of the eye.
[Syn. receiver]
recitation (RES i TAY shin) n. 1. a public speaking of some memorized verse or
prose; 2. a gathering at which this occurs
• Memorization and recitation of the works of Homer were the main pillars of
a classical Greek education.
• Many tickets were sold for tonight’s Keats’ recitation at the Town Hall.
recluse (rik LOOS) n. one who lives a life of solitude and seclusion by choice
• Howard Hughes chose to spend the last years of his life as a recluse.
•A recluse can be considered an antisocial individual.
[reclusive adj., reclusively adv.] [Syn. hermit]
recondite (REK uhn dyt) adj. very profound; beyond the grasp of a normal
human mind; obscure; abstruse
• Rocket science is as recondite as, well, rocket science.
• Brain surgery is quite recondite but less so than rocket science.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. abstruse]
redemptive (ri DEMP tiv) adj. 1. serving to redeem or get back, as in trading

paper money for silver or gold, or trading stamps; 2. serving to save one’s life or
soul by the sacrifice of paying a ransom
• Richard made a redemptive effort with his silver certificates but was told the
time for cashing them in for metal had passed.
• In the biblical narrative of Abraham’s sacrifice of his son Isaac, God
provides a ram as a redemptive substitute for Isaac’s life.
[-ly adv., redemption n.]
refractory (ri FRAK toer ee) adj. 1. hard to handle; stubborn (said about an
animal or person); 2. heat resistant; hard to work or melt (said about metal ore);
3. resistant to disease
• A mule is a very refractory animal and must be handled with care.
• The iron age came about rather late in history because of the refractory
nature of the metal’s ore.
• Botanists have worked for decades to produce refractory strains of corn and
tomatoes.
[refractorily adv., refractoriness n.]
Q – R: GRE Words 325
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relapse (ri LAPS for v., REE laps for n.) vi. 1. to fall back into bad habits or evil
ways; 2. to have a recurrence of a disease one had recovered from or was in the
process of recovering from —n. a falling back into
• It is easy for seemingly reformed criminals to relapse into their evil ways.
• Just when Gloria seemed to be getting better, she relapsed into her illness.
• Ralph was expected to return to work shortly, but that was before his
relapse.
[-d, relapsing]
relentless (ri LENT lis) adj. 1. not easing up or slackening; pitiless; harsh;
2. persistent; unremitting
• Sir Edwin Hillary was relentless in his attempt to be the first westerner to
reach Mt. Everest’s peak.

• The hurricane’s winds were relentless as they damaged many buildings in
the Carolinas.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. pitiless]
reparation (REP oer AY shuhn) n. 1. a making of amends for some wrong or
injury; 2. compensation paid by one country to another to make up for having
warred against them; 3. repairing of damage
• The embezzler was ordered by the court to pay reparations to the persons
he had swindled.
• After World War I, Germany was required to pay reparations to her former
enemies, which sent her economy into total ruin.
• Barney brought his torn trousers to the tailor for reparation.
[Syn. compensation]
repress (ri PRES) vt. 1. to hold down or keep back; restrain; 2. to subdue or put
down; 3. to control so strictly as to prevent natural development or expression (as a
child)
• It is sometimes difficult to repress a yawn, especially when someone else
yawns first.
• Stalin repressed almost all his country’s people but especially the minorities.
• By repressing a child, one can prevent his or her developing into a healthy
individual.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. subdue]
repulse (ri PULS) vt. 1. to repel or drive back; 2. to repel with coldness and lack
of courtesy; 3. to disgust and repel; to be disgusting
• The colonel left a rear guard to repulse any attempt to surprise his army
from behind.
• The new neighbor repulsed any attempt on the part of the older residents
to welcome him and his family.
• Jennifer was repulsed by the bowl of roasted grasshoppers that Allen placed
on the picnic table.
[-d, repulsing] [Syn. repel]

326 Essential Vocabulary
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resilient (ri ZIL yint) adj. 1. bouncing back from adversity; 2. springing back
into shape after having been distorted; 3. recovering strength, spirit, and good
humor
• Gary showed that he was resilient by hitting a home run after striking out
three consecutive times.
• Foam rubber is a very resilient material, and cushions made from it retain
their shape after being sat on hundreds of times.
• Ursala showed that she was resilient by joking with the paramedics only
moments after they pulled her from the rubble of the collapsed building.
[-ly adv., resilience n.] [Syn. elastic]
QUICK REVIEW #119
Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.
Q – R: GRE Words 327
1. receptor
2. recitation
3. recluse
4. recondite
5. redemptive
6. refractory
7. relapse
8. relentless
9. reparation
10. repress
11. repulse
12. resilient
a. repel
b. compensation

c. rescuing
d. receiver
e. subdue
f. pitiless
g. elastic
h. fall back
i. abstruse
j. gathering
k. difficult
l. hermit
resolve (ri ZOLV) vt. 1. to break up into constituent parts; to analyze; 2. to
change; 3. to cause; 4. to show the solution —n. firmness of purpose; determination
• A prism can resolve white light into the colors of a rainbow.
• The two sides tried for weeks to resolve their dispute.
• Einstein resolved the relationship between energy and matter.
• Edward expressed his resolve to find a solution.
[-d, resolving] [Syn. decide]
rhinestone (RYN stohn) n. a piece of colorless glass cut to look like a diamond
• Rhinestones were first created in Germany’s Rhine Valley.
• Since their creation, rhinestones have been popular in costume jewelry.
[Syn. fake gem, glass]
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rigid (RI jid) adj. 1. not flexible; unbending; stiff; 2. severe; exacting; strict
• Steel beams are rigid, which is why they are used in construction.
• Orthodox religions tend to be rigid in their interpretation of the right way
to live and worship.
• The rules for raising children should be consistent but not really rigid.
[-ly adv., -ity n.] [Syn. unbending]
rivet (RI vit) n. 1. a metal bolt with a head on one end (which is heated and put
through holes and then flattened on its straight end by hammering), used to fasten

metal girders or plates together; 2. something similar used to reinforce seams on
work clothes —vt. 1. to fasten with rivets; 2. to hold or fix (one’s attention, eyes,
and so on)
• Rivets are used to fasten steel beams together and to fasten an airplane’s
skin to its frame.
• Rivets are often used on blue jeans and coveralls.
• When parts are riveted together, they can’t be loosened the way they can
when screws are used.
• Roxane’s eyes were riveted by the sight of the jumbo jet coming in for a
landing.
[-ed, -ing]
rudder (RUHD er) n. 1. a flat board fixed to the back of a boat or ship and used
to steer; 2. a movable attachment to the vertical stabilizer of an aircraft; 3. a guide
or control
•A rudder seems to be a very effective way to steer a boat; it has been on
every watercraft except small, rowed boats since ancient times.
• An airplane’s rudder is almost always the rearmost part of the craft.
• The White House often tries to act as a rudder for public opinion.
ruminate (ROO min ayt) vt. 1. to chew cud, like a cow or other ruminant; 2. to
think over; consider; meditate
• Cattle, antelope, deer, buffalo, and giraffes all ruminate.
• Jerri ruminated over the job offer made to her by a competing company.
• Ian ruminated over which of the three universities’ offers of admission he
was going to accept.
[-d, ruminating] [Syn. meditate]
ruthless (ROOTH lis) adj. having no pity; pitiless; cruel
• Atilla the Hun was ruthless toward his opponents.
• Neil used to go out with a girl named Ruth, but since she ruthlessly left
him, he’s been Ruthless.
• Organized crime is looking for ruthless persons to work as enforcers.

[-ly adv., -ness n.] [Syn. cruel]
328 Essential Vocabulary
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QUICK REVIEW #120
Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.
Q – R: GRE Words 329
1. resolve
2. rhinestone
3. rigid
4. rivet
5. rudder
6. ruminate
7. ruthless
a. cruel
b. guide
c. decide
d. unbending
e. hold
f. glass
g. meditate
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S
salutary (SAL yoo TER ee) adj. 1. conducive to or promoting good health;
2. serving a good purpose in some way; beneficial
• Regular exercise has a salutary effect on one’s health.
• Over the years, the use of new materials in running shoes has had a
salutary effect on the speed of sprinters.
[salutarily adv.] [Syn. beneficial]
schematic (ski MAT ik) n. a drawing of an architect’s plan (blueprint) or a

drawing to show the layout of something, such as electrical wiring
• Schematic diagrams of a car’s wiring are in every automobile’s service manual.
• An architect’s version of a schematic is usually drawn in white on a blue
background and is known as a blueprint.
scrutiny (SKROO tin ee) n. 1. close examination; close inspection; 2. a long,
continuous watch; surveillance
• Legislative bodies should always be under the scrutiny of the electorate.
• After extensive scrutiny of the pros and cons, the New Jersey Nets’ new
owners decided to move the team to Brooklyn, New York.
• For decades, U.S. satellites and spy planes kept the Soviet Union under
scrutiny.
sedulous (SEJ oo lis) adj. 1. working steadily and hard; diligent; 2. persistent
• Mack was sedulous in his studies of Elizabethan poetry.
• Jeannie was sedulous in making sure that she got the best interest rate
available.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. busy]
sermon (SOER min) n. 1. a speech given as instruction on religious subject mat-
ter or morality by a clergyman during a religious service; 2. any speech on behav-
ior, especially a long-winded, boring one
• The subject of many a sermon has been that fools rush in where angels fear
to tread.
• It is not unusual for the giver of a sermon to be referred to as preachy.
sextant (SEKS tint) n. a navigational instrument used at sea to find the position
of a ship by sighting the horizon and a known star
• Navigators have used sextants to guide ships since the second half of the
eighteenth century.
• The sextant is named for its shape, which is a pie-shaped sixth of a circle.
shard (SHAHRD) n. 1. a broken fragment of pottery or glass; 2. (zoology) a hard
covering such as a shell, plate, or scale
• Shards of broken pottery can be packed into the bottom of a flowerpot to

provide drainage for plants.
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