Lesson 33

showing your contempt by derision

a collection of nests that a bird colony, such as rooks build for breeding

the money, estate, or goods brought by a bride or her family to her husband or his family on their marriage

the condition of dying without a valid will, leaving the distribution of one's estate to be determined by the laws of intestate succession rather than specific instructions in a will

In the absence of a will, the deceased's estate will be subject to intestacy, and the distribution will follow legal guidelines.

the act of stealing something from someone, especially without breaking into a building

a form of government in which the absolute power is held by a single person

a general lack of interest, concern, or enthusiasm toward things in life

The student's apathy towards his studies was evident in his consistently low grades.

something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting

a political system in which a small group of high-powered people control a country or organization

An oligarchy is a form of government where power is concentrated in the hands of a small group of individuals or families.

something clearly established

a person who performs a certain official purpose or duty, especially in government offices

the government of Roman Catholic Church

the use of clever or dishonest schemes to mislead others

The company's advertising relied on chicanery to boost sales.

the people from whom a person is descended

She traced her ancestry back to the 16th century.

the specific number of waves that pass a point every second

In physics, frequency is measured in hertz, which represents the number of waves passing a point per second.

(phonetics) a subdivision of phonetics dealing with stress and intonation

a place, such as a factory, where dairy products, including butter and cheese, are prepared or sold

a place used for storing grains or farm food

the whole of something, from beginning to end

a raised narrow mass of land that sticks out into the sea