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GREwordlist

This wordlist is generally used by students preparing for GRE.

Page No.

preempt

Short Definition : prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others; supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. preempt any attempts; ADJ. preemptive

Definition
(noun) a high bid that is intended to prevent the opposing players from bidding Definition
(verb) acquire for oneself before others can do so Definition
(verb) take the place of or have precedence over
Synonyms : displace
Example Sentence
  • live broadcast of the presidential debate preempts the regular news hour
  • discussion of the emergency situation will preempt the lecture by the professor
Definition
(verb) gain possession of by prior right or opportunity, especially so as to obtain the right to buy (land) Definition
(verb) make a preemptive bid in the game of bridge
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for preempt

PRE+EMPTY = force to empty a place in order to occupy a prior right to buy.

PREEMPTIVE MEASURES :measures taken b4 sth gets worse or to prevent mishap

divide it like - PRE(means BEFORE) + EMPT(EMPTY)......IMAGINE YOU get the news that there is a bomb in your room.... you EMPTY the ROOM WITHOUT DETECTING IT ..so as to PREVENT, in advance, any kind of mishap.

(pre+attempt) attempt(empt) and acquire land or something earlier(pre)inorder to prevent others from acquiring it. You can also imagine that after buying u have replaced the earlier landlord.That counts for another meaning.

Preemptive sounds like preventive

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preempt = pre + empt = pre + employ = employ or act in advance

basically it is taken from praeemere means to buy before others comes and purchase it...SO YOU buy IN ADVANCE INORDER to prevent COMPETITION, YOU DISPLACE others by buying that land.

preen

Short Definition : make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction or pride; (of a bird) smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak; Ex. preen oneself on; CF. prune

Definition
(verb) clean with one's bill
Synonyms : plume
Example Sentence
  • The birds preened
Definition
(verb) pride or congratulate (oneself) for an achievement
Synonyms : congratulate
Definition
(verb) dress or groom with elaborate care
Synonyms : dress plume primp
Example Sentence
  • She likes to dress when going to the opera
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for preen

preen sounds like prince.....he couldnt help preening himself on his good looks

Preen ~ Rin; commonly used detergent bar in India used for cleaning clothes.. hence preening clothes.

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Queen queens are generally trim

To become a QUEEN you have to PREEN! Simple

prince keeps him tidy in appearance to impress the pricess

prefatory

Short Definition : introductory; of a preface

Definition
(adj) serving as an introduction or preface
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for prefatory

you can find the Preface in every book , which is the introductory part, PREFAtory.

"Pre" (Before) "Fat" -> Before making you fat every food provides an introduction about its amount of calories, only if you read.

prefigure

Short Definition : be a sign of; foreshadow

Definition
(verb) imagine or consider beforehand
Example Sentence
  • It wasn't as bad as I had prefigured
Definition
(verb) indicate by signs
Example Sentence
  • These signs bode bad news
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for prefigure

pre+figure = figure out before hand.

pre-before, figure-make out

prehensile

Short Definition : capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around); Ex. prehensile tails

Definition
(adj) adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
Example Sentence
  • a monkey's prehensile tail
Definition
(adj) having a keen intellect
Example Sentence
  • poets--those gifted strangely prehensile men
Definition
(adj) immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
Example Sentence
  • they are avaricious and will do anything for money
  • casting covetous eyes on his neighbor's fields
  • a grasping old miser
  • grasping commercialism
  • greedy for money and power
  • grew richer and greedier
  • prehensile employers stingy with raises for their employees
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for prehensile

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PRE(before)+HENS+ILE before the hens can escape we have to grasp & hold them.

From comprehensible to get hold of idea or concept.Prehensile is get hold or grasp things.

PreHensile..Concentrate on Hensile.. Sounds like Tensile..Now Tensile means Capable of Being stretched, similarly lets say hensile means capable of being held or grasped..!

Root word prehend/ /prehens/ /preg/ = to grasp; to take; to seize e.g. comprehensible

PREHENSILE sounds like PENCIL. Hands are PREHENSILE because they can grab PENcILs.

PREHENSILE=UTENSIL. UTENSILs are used to GRAB food.

pre+hens+ile(read ill). Before hens get ill we have to grasp and hold them to cure.

pre(before) + H (harvest) + en (ensure) + sle (selling) means more greedy to get hold of money.

prehensile

prehend-means to arrest...so prehensile means to grasp or similar to arrest

prelate

Short Definition : church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop)

Definition
(noun) a senior clergyman and dignitary
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for prelate

church bishops are always late.

Pri-est relat-ive i.e church dignatory

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bishops come late because they start the prayer after everyone gather

Pre+Late : Before it is too late, you have to be a priest!!! now!!!

prelude

Short Definition : introduction; introductory performance or event; forerunner

Definition
(noun) something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
Synonyms : overture preliminary
Example Sentence
  • training is a necessary preliminary to employment
  • drinks were the overture to dinner
Definition
(noun) music that precedes a fugue or introduces an act in an opera Definition
(verb) serve as a prelude or opening to Definition
(verb) play as a prelude
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for prelude

CONCLUDE will be in the end, PRELUDE - beginning / introduction

PRE + LEADER (runner), forerunner

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prelude = pre + elude; thinking previously.

premeditate

Short Definition : plan in advance; Ex. premeditated murder

Definition
(verb) consider, ponder, or plan (an action) beforehand
Example Sentence
  • premeditated murder
Definition
(verb) think or reflect beforehand or in advance
Example Sentence
  • I rarely premeditate, which is a mistake
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for premeditate

pre+meditate = think before planning something.

pre-before meditate-think over carefully

premise

Short Definition : assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based

Definition
(noun) a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
Synonyms : assumption premiss
Example Sentence
  • on the assumption that he has been injured we can infer that he will not to play
Definition
(verb) set forth beforehand, often as an explanation
Example Sentence
  • He premised these remarks so that his readers might understand
Definition
(verb) furnish with a preface or introduction
Example Sentence
  • She always precedes her lectures with a joke
  • He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution
Definition
(verb) take something as preexisting and given
Synonyms : premiss
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for premise

(Pre)- Before + (Mise)- Muse = think. You think something before knowing about that it, means that you are making an ASSUMPTION.

premise= premiss= PRE(old)+ MISSIVE(letter). hence an old letter is produced in court,ON THE BASIS of which court announced the verdict.

promise is the basic assumption in praim (love)

premise = premi (lover) + se... now u can fabricate a host of mnemonics

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pre(before)+mise(wise): so so it means guessing before hand only.

"Premise" == "promise" you 'assume' that you can keep the promise so you made it ,,, 'assume','postulate'

premise-> ESIM(sounds like ASUMption)

promise yaar sahi bol ra hun, go make the argument now

prepare a miss for the master. i ASSUME he is in a lustful mood

precise=exact wer as premise=assumption

premonition

Short Definition : forewarning; presentiment; foreboding

Definition
(noun) a feeling of evil to come
Example Sentence
  • a steadily escalating sense of foreboding
  • the lawyer had a presentiment that the judge would dismiss the case
Definition
(noun) an early warning about a future event
Synonyms : forewarning
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for premonition

pre(before hand) + monition (remember adMONISH, which means to warn)...so warning which is before hand is premonition

pre+monition(monitor). Monitor before to give warning in advance

pre+monitor a monitor warns us if there is a fault

pre(b4)+moni(who warns about the future)

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