Pulchritude (n): puhl-kri-tood
physical beauty
Catherine’s pulchritude took my breath away
Pundit (n): puhn-dit
A pundit is a person who knows a lot about a subject and is often asked to give information or opinions about it to the public = expert
He is considered a pundit in mathematics and has written many books on the subject
Pungency (n): puhn-juhnt
Something that is pungent has a strong, sharp smell or taste which is often so strong that it is unpleasant
The pungency of the cigarette smoke mademe cough
Purgatory (n): pur-guh-tawr-ee
Purgatory is the place where Roman Catholics believe the spirits of dead people are sent to suffer for their sins before they go to heaven
Getting up at four o’ clock every morning is sheer purgatory
Purport (n): per-pawrt (1155)
If you say that someone or something purports to do or be a particular thing, you mean that they claim to do or be that thing, although you may not always believe that claim = intention, meaning
I don’t understand the purport of your remarks
Purveyor (n): per-vey-er
A purveyor of goods or services is a person or company that provides them = supplier, caterer
Purveyors of gourmet foods will be seen in this locality everywhere
Purview (n): pur-vyoo
The purview of something such as an organization or activity is the range of things it deals with
Union-state relations come within the purview of the Supreme Court
Pyromaniac (n): pahy-ruh-mey-nee-uh
Person with an insane desire to set things on fire
The detectives are in search of the pyromaniac who set fire to the jungle
Quack (n): kwak
If you call someone a quack or a quack doctor, you mean that they claim to be skilled in medicine but are not = charlatan, mountbank, imposter
Rural India is filled with quacks pretending to be qualified doctors
Quadruped (n): kwod-roo-ped (1160)
A quadruped is any animal with four legs = four-footed animal
Most mammals are quadrupled
Quagmire (n): kwag-mahyuhr, kwog-
A quagmire is a difficult, complicated, or unpleasant situation which is not easy to avoid or escape from = quandary, dilemma
His people had fallen further and further into a quagmire of confusion
Qualm (n): kwahm
If you have no qualms about doing something, you are not worried that it may be wrong in some way
The selectors have no qualms about dropping players who do not perform consistently
Quandary (n): kwon-duh-ree
If you are in a quandary, you have to make a decision but cannot decide what to do = dilemma, perplexity
Lalitha was in a quandary - should she go or shouldn’t she ?
Quarantine (n): kwawr-uhn-teen
If a person or animal is in quarantine, they are being kept separate from other people or animals for a set period of time, usually because they have or may have a disease
All the Swine-flu patients are safely quarantined
Quay (n): kee (1165)
A quay is a long platform beside the sea or a river where boats can be tied up and loaded or unloaded = dock; landing place
Jack and Stephen were waiting for them on the quay
Quietude (n): kwahy-i-tood
Quietude is quietness and calm = tranquillity
He was impressed by the air of quietude and peace that pervaded the valley
Quintessence (n): kwin-tes-uhns
The quintessence of something is the most perfect or typical example of it = paragon
The house was the quintessence of an English manor house
Quip (n): kwip
A quip is a remark that is intended to be amusing or clever = taunt
The boy is quite unpopular because of his quips and sarcastic remarks
Quirk (n): kwurk
A quirk is something unusual or interesting that happens by chance = startling twist, caprice
By a quirk of fate, he found himself working for the man whom he had discharged years before
Quorum (n): kwawr-uhm (1170)
A quorum is the minimum number of people that a committee needs in order to carry out its business officially When a meeting has a quorum, there are at least that number of people present
The Speaker asked for a roll call of MPs to determine whether a quorum was present
Raconteur (n): rak-uhn-tur
A raconteur is someone, usually a man, who can tell stories in an interesting or amusing way = storyteller
He spoke eight languages and was a noted raconteur
Raiment (n): rey-muhnt
Raiment is clothing = clothing, attire
I want nothing but raiment and daily bread
Ramification (n): ram-uh-fi-key-shuhn
The ramifications of a decision, plan, or event are all its consequences and effects, especially ones which are not obvious at first = branching out; subdivision
We must examine all the ramifications of this problem
Rampart (n): ram-pahrt
The ramparts of a castle or city are the earth walls, often with stone walls on them, that were built to protect it
From the ramparts we watched as the fighting continued
Rancour (n): rang-ker (1175)
Rancour is a feeling of bitterness and anger = spite
She learned to accept criticism without rancour
Realm (n): relm
You can use realm to refer to any area of activity, interest, or thought = kingdom, sphere
The realm of possibilities for the new invention was endless
Recession (n): ri-sesh-uhn
A recession is a period when the economy of a country is doing badly, for example because industry is producing less and more people are becoming unemployed = withdrawl; retreat
The government is trying hard to pull the country out of the current recession
Recidivism (n): ri-sid-uh-viz-uhm
A recidivist is someone who has committed crimes in the past and has begun to commit crimes again, for example after a period in prison This behavious is called recidivism
Prison reformers in the United States are disturbed by the high rate of recidivism
Recluse (n): rek-loos
A recluse is a person who lives alone and deliberately avoids other people = ascetic
His widow became a virtual recluse for the remainder of her life
Reconnaissance (n): ri-kon-uh-suhns (1180)
Reconnaissance is the activity of obtaining military information about a place by sending soldiers or planes there, or by the use of satellites = surveillance
The helicopter was returning from a reconnaissance mission
Recrudescence (n): ree-kroo-des-uhns
Reopening of a wound or sore
There has been an unwelcome recrudescence of bomb scares in the town
Rectitude (n): rek-ti-tood
Rectitude is a quality or attitude that is shown by people who behave honestly and morally according to accepted standards = integrity, honesty, uprightness
Mahatma Gandhi is considered as an austere man of unquestioned rectitude
Recusant (n): rek-yuh-zuhnt
A person who refuses to comply
In that religious community, the recusant was shunned as a pariah
Ragamuffin (n): rag-uh-muhf-in
A ragamuffin is someone, especially a child, who is dirty and has torn clothes
They looked like little ragamuffins
Ramp (n): ramp (1185)
A ramp is a sloping surface between two places that are at different levels = slope, inclined plane
She was coming down the ramp from the museum
Rapprochement (n): rap-rohsh-mahn
A rapprochement is an increase in friendliness between two countries, groups, or people, especially after a period of unfriendliness = reconciliation
There have been growing signs of a rapprochement with Pakistan
Ratiocination (n): rash-ee-os-uh-ney-shuhn
The process of logical reasoning and act of drawing conclusions from premises
Rebate (n): ree-beyt
A rebate is an amount of money which is paid to you when you have paid more tax, rent, or rates than you needed to = refund, discount
You may be entitled to a tax rebate
Recipient (n): ri-sip-ee-uhnt
The recipient of something is the person who receives it = receiver
He is a recipient of Arjuna Award
Recourse (n): ree-kawrs (1190)
If you achieve something without recourse to a particular course of action, you succeed without carrying out that action
Surgery may be the only recourse
Recreant (n): rek-ree-uhnt
A coward; betrayer of faith = unfaithful, disloyal
Recrimination (n): ri-krim-uh-neyt
Recriminations are accusations that two people or groups make about each other = countercharges
The recriminations have finally ended the relationship
Redress (n): ree-dres
Redress is money that someone pays you because they have caused you harm or loss = compensation, remedy
They are continuing their legal battle to seek some redress from the government
Refection (n): ri-fek-shuhn
A slight refreshment = A light meal
Refectory (n): ri-fek-tuh-ree (1195)
A refectory is a large room in a school, university, or other institution, where meals are served and eaten = canteen, dinning hall
Refraction (n): ri-frak-shuhn
If glass or water refracts light, the light changes direction when it passes through the glass or water
The refraction of the light on the dancing waves is amazing
Refutation (n): ref-yoo-tey-shuhn
A refutation of an argument, accusation, or theory is something that proves it is wrong or untrue
He prepared a complete refutation of the Republicans' most serious charges
Regatta (n): ri-gat-uh
A regatta is a sports event consisting of races between yachts or rowing boats = boat or yacht race
Regeneration (n): ri-jen-uh-rey-shuhn
An act of regrow
Vitamin B assists in red-blood-cell regeneration
Regicide (n): rej-uh-sahyd (1200)
Regicide is the act of killing a king
He had become the czar through regicide
