List 12 Flashcards

plural noun a. protection or support; patronage. b. A portent, omen, or augur, especially when based on the action of birds. (From the Latin words avis, meaning \"bird,\" and specere) Example: The project to clean up the river was begun under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Agency.

adjective Attended by favorable circumstances. (From the Latin word auspicium, meaning \"augury from birds\") Example: The Romans often looked to the skies to determine whether it was an auspicious day for an important undertaking

adjective Headful of circumstances or consequences; prudent. (From the Latin circum-, meaning \"around,\" and specere) Example: The circumspect overseas representative carefully observed the customs and laws of all the countries in which he transacted business.

adjective Deserving of scorn or contempt; vile. (From the Latin de-, meaning \"down,\" and specere) Example: The despicable woman stole money from her relatives.

adjective Self-examining; thinking about one's own thoughts and feelings. (From the Latin words intro, meaning \"within,\" and specere) Example: In her rare introspective moments, the busy woman considered herself to be fortunate.

Noun a. The quality of being clearly expressed or easily understood. B. the ability to perceive or understand keenly. (From the Latin per-, meaning \"through,\" and specere) Example: The perspicuity of the text allowed students to grasp the highly technical subject.

Adjective a. Likely to become or be; a prospective client. B. likely to happen; epected. (From the Latin pro-, meaning \"forward,\" and specere) Example: The admissions officer interviewed the prospective college student.

Adjective Having the ring of truth but actually false: a specious statemnt. (From the Latin word species, meaning \"appearance\") Example: The scientific paper was filled with specious arguments; therefore, many people were against the acceptance of its theory.

Noun a. A phantom; apparition. B. A threatening or haunting possibility: the terrible specter of nuclear war. (From the Latin word specere) Example: In the stories of Edgar Allen Poe, the main characters often see specters and hear imagined sounds.

Noun a. A broad sequence or range of related qualities, ideas, or activities: the whole spectrum of twentieth-century thought. B. A Range of values of a quantity or set of related quantities. (From the Latin word specere) Example: The actress showed that she was capable of portraying the entire spectrum of human emotions.