Tuesday, August 14, 2012

< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (156)


Passionate (noun) 
fired with intense feeling
It is mentioned in many history books that Abigail Adams was a wise, learned, strong
willed, passionate, and patriotic woman.
 
Pastorate (noun) 
office in which a priest or minister is in charge of a church or a congregation
Rejecting offers for academic positions, King decided while completing his Ph. D.
requirements to return to the South and accepted the pastorate of Dexter Avenue
Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
 
Pasture (noun) 
grassland suitable for grazing
The settlers to the new world called the New World "Vinland," an Old Norse term for
grassland or pasture.

Patriarchal (adjective) 
relating to system of society or government ruled by men
Some decry marriage as a sexist and patriarchal institution that should be avoided at
all costs.

Patron (adjective) 
a person chosen, named, or honored as a special guardian, protector, or supporter 
Some authorities believe the Romans named the month for Juno, the patron goddess of
marriage. 

Payload (noun)  
the load carried by a vehicle exclusive of what is necessary for its operation; especially: the 
load carried by an aircraft or spacecraft consisting of things such as passengers or 
instruments necessary to the purpose of the flight 
Scientists have worked for years to harness the power that viruses have to invade cells,
replacing unwanted elements of herpes and other viruses with disease-fighting genes in
hopes the new genetic payload would correct a targeted illness. 

Peak (noun) 
the highest point of a mountain
The western side of the valley is defined by the Panamint Range, with Telescope Peak its
highest spot at an elevation of 11,049 feet.

Peasant (noun) 
small farmer or agricultural worker
Sterling observed only a small number of cases in which a man married more than one
wife in the Turkish peasant villages he studied.

Pebble (noun) 
a small smooth stone worn by the action of water
The 3 mile wide comet will not be destroyed or knocked from its orbit. It's like if you
throw a pebble at a moving car. You're not going to knock the car off course, unless you
frighten the driver. 

Peculiarity (noun) 
peculiar behavior; a distinctive element
Demographic peculiarities reveal a pattern of upward marriage or hyper gamy which
is quite different from endogamy and reflects an acknowledged status difference among
communities.

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