Barron's 3500 List 1.3

V. obtain; get. Frederick Douglass was determined to acquire an education despite his master's efforts to prevent his doing so.

N. deliverance from a charge. His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty. acquit,V.

ADJ. sharp; bitterly pungent. The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the pistol had been fired.

ADJ. bitter in words or manner. The candidate attacked his opponent in highly acrimonious terms. acrimony,

N. fear of heights. A born salesman, he could convince someone with a bad case of acrophobia to sign up for a life membership in a sky-diving club.

ADJ. calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics. According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago.

V. motivate. I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily.

N. sharpness. In time his youthful acuity of vision failed him, and he needed glasses.

N. mental keenness. His business acumen helped him to succeed where others had failed.

ADJ. quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe. The acute young doctor realized immediately that the gradual deterioration of her patient's once acute hearing was due to a chronic illness, not an acute one.

N. wise saying; proverb. There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their money.

ADJ. hard; inflexible. Bronson played the part of a revenge-driven man, adamant in his determination to punish the criminals who destroyed his family. adamancy, N.

V. alter; modify. Some species of animals have become extinct because they could not adapt to a changing environment.

N. an addition or supplement. As an addendum to the minutes, let me point out that Susan moved to appoint Kathy and Arthur to the finance committee.

N. compulsive, habitual need. His addiction to drugs caused his friends much grief.

V. muddle; drive crazy; become rotten. This idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone. addled,ADJ.

V. direct a speech to; deal with or discuss. Due to address the convention in July, Brown planned to address the issue of low-income housing in his speech.

ADJ. expert at. She was adept at the fine art of irritating people. also N.

V. stick fast. I will adhere to this opinion until proof that I am wrong is presented. adhesion, N.

N. supporter; follower. In the wake of the scandal, the senator's one-time adherents quickly deserted him.

ADJ. adjoining; neighboring; close by. Philip's best friend Jason lived only four houses down the block, close but not immediately adjacent.

N. something added on or attached (generally nonessential or inferior). Although I don't absolutely need a second computer, I plan to buy a laptop to serve as an adjunct to my desktop model.

V. warn; reprove. He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways. admonition, N.

N. warning. After the student protesters repeatedly rejected Chairman Deng's admonitions, the government issued an ultimatum: either the students would end the demonstration at once or the soldiers would fire on the crowd.

V. decorate. Wall paintings and carved statues adorned the temple. adornment, N.

ADJ. skillful. His adroit handling of the delicate situation pleased his employers.