Page 312 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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J – L: GRE Words
lever (LE vir) n. 1. a bar used to pry; 2. a simple machine, consisting of a bar on
a pivot (called a fulcrum), used to apply force upward on one end while the other
end is pushed downward —vt. to pry something up by the use of a lever
• Archimedes said that if he were given a long enough lever and a fulcrum to
rest it on, he could move the world.
• Probably the lever most adult Americans are familiar with today is in vot-
ing machines and is used to open and close the curtain.
[-ed, -ing, -age n.]
liberal (LIB oer il) adj. 1. freely giving; generous; 2. plentiful; abundant;
3. broadminded; 4. favoring reform; not orthodox
• Children need a liberal amount of love from their parents.
• Some people like to put a liberal amount of butter or jelly on an English
muffin.
• Scandinavian democracies tend to be more liberal than the United States
when providing medical benefits.
• Martin Luther would have been considered a liberal in his day.
[-ly adv.]

QUICK REVIEW #110

Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.

1. jamb a. thrash
2. jocular b. generous
3. laconic c. commending
4. lambaste d. drowsiness
5. laudable e. concise
6. laudatory f. pry
7. ledger g. pillar
8. lethargy h. praiseworthy
9. lever i. book

10. liberal j. witty
lien (LEEN) n. a claim on someone’s property as security for the payment of a
debt or loan
• When a car is purchased on a payment plan, a bank usually has a lien on it
until it is payed off.
• If a house has a mortgage, you can be certain the bank is holding a lien.
• An auto mechanic can get a lien in lieu of unpaid repair bills.