GRE Unit3

to make larger or greater

One of the concerns of the framers of the U.S. Constitution was that one branch of the governement would try to aggrandize itself at the expense of others.

amounting to a whole; total

The aggregate wealth of a country includes private as well as public resources and possessions.

cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed

The football coach was please to see the team get to work on the task of improving its tacking skills with alacrity.

medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seeming magical power or process of transmutation.

Alchemy was the forerunner of the modern science of chemistry.

to lessen; ease; soothe

Improvements in antivirus software have allayed many people's fears of having their computers "infected" with malicious software.

to relieve; improve partially

the social order dominated by the property-owning class. The term is associated with Marxism, the political and economic philosophy of Karl MArx and Friedrich Engels, but today it is often used disparagingly to suggest materialism and philistinism (an unenlightened and smug attitude toward culture).

a combination; a mixture of two or more metals

Scientists formulate alloys to create properties that are not possessed by natural metals or other substances.

to power to entice by charm

Political groups in the United States often lobby Congress to use the allure of America's vast market as an incentive for countries to pursue policies in accordance with American policies.

to combine into a unified whole

In early 1999, six municipalities were amalgamated into an enlarged city of Toronto, Canada.

unclear or doubtful in meaning

The gender of the Mahayana Buddhist deity Avalokitesuara, the god of infinite mercy, is ambiguous in both China and Japan, where the god is sometimes called a goddess.