MISCELLANEOUS VOCABULARY

Salient Features

The Objective English Syllabi of the various

Meaning

Competitive

Examples with explanatory Notes

exercises on synonyms, antonyms, idioms

Foreign Expressions and Their Usage

and one-word substitutions. Hence the

Collective Nouns

students make arduous efforts in learning

Words Denoting sounds

the list of synonyms, antonyms, idioms and

Young ones of Animals and Birds

one-word

substitutions.

Homes of Animals and Birds

knowledge

of

Words used for Different Living Places

miscellaneous vocabulary will also go a

Specific Words for Certain Places

long way to help the students in locating

Some Appropriate

the correct choice. Let us examine a few

Examinations

wide

include

precise

variety

of

questions to see how the knowledge of

miscellaneous vocabulary is indispensable.

EXAMPLES
1. Convent is to nuns as .. is to monks.
(a) Monastery

b. apiary

c. home

d. church

Here the answer is (A) because convent is a place where the nuns live while the monks live
in monastery. The Knowledge of the various places of living helps the students in locating
the correct choice.
2. The committee decided to adjourn the meeting..
b. laissez faire
(a) Sine quanon
c. tete-e-tete
d. sine die
(D) Is the right choice since the expression sine die means for an indefinite period. The
knowledge of foreign expressions thus becomes indispensable in answering such
questions.
3. The Milky Way is a broad luminous..of stars encircling the sky.
b. constellation
(a) Group
c. flock
d. cluster
(B) Is the most appropriate choice because Constellation is the right group term for stars.
Here the knowledge of group terms or collective nouns helps the students.
4. Kitten is to cat asis to dog.
b. Calf
a. Cub
c. Puppy
d. Bitch

Foreign Expressions
1. Ad hoc :

2. Ad interim:

(arranged for this purpose, temporary) After the suspension of the

managing committee of D. A. V. College, an ad hoc managing
committee has been set up to work.
(in between, in the meantime) The present Government has lost
the vote of confidence on the floor of the house and so it will work
as a care-taker Government ad interim.

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3. Alma mater:
4. Alumni:
5. Agent
provocateur:
6. Bona fide:
7. Carte blanche:
8. De jure:
9. De facto:
10. Dramatis
personae:
11. En route:
12. Ex officio:
13. Exparte:
14. Ipos facto:
15. Laissez faire:

16. Lingua franca:

17. Mala fide:
18. Magnum opus:
19. Modus operandi:
20. Par excellence:
21. Per Capita:
22. Prima facie:
23. Summum bonum:
24. Sine quanon:
25. Tete-e-tete:
26. Ultra vires:

27. Viva-Voce:

(name used for the university or school that a person attended) I

cannot forget my alma mater.
(old students of an institution) The alumni of St. Marys
celebrated the New year Eve.
(culprits in disguise) Pakistanies were the agent provocateur in
the Kargil war in Kashmir.
(genuine, sincere) Amartiya Sen was awarded the Bharat Rattan
for being the bona fide scholar of Economics.
(full authority or freedom) The manager is given carte blanche to
work independently.
(according to law) Ram was the de jure king of Ayodhaya.
(in fact, whether by right or not) Prosperos younger brother
became the de facto duke of his dukedom.
(characters in a drama) The dramatis personae should be
mentioned by the dramatist in order to understand a drama
properly.
(on the way) We stopped at Paris en route from Rome to
London.
(because of ones office or position) He is an ex officio member of
the admission committee.
(one-sided) It is an exparte statement.
(by that very fact) Being the only son of his father, he is the ipso
facto heir of his property.
(the state of being free from Governments control) The Indian
Government is going to introduce a laissez faire economic
policy.
(language adopted for local communication) Swahili is the lingua
franca in East Africa as Hindi is in India.
(with a bad intention) Though the mothers punish their children,
yet there is nothing mala fide in it.
(great literary undertaking) Hamlet is the magnum opus of
Shakespeare.
(the mode of working) The collectors modus operandi is different
from the Superintendent of Police.
(superb) Kalidas, the Sanskrit poet, was a poet par excellence.
(of one person) The Indian Government is trying hard to raise the
per capita income of the Indians.
(based on the first impression) He produced the prima facie
evidence against him.
(the chief good) Honesty is the summum bonum of my life.
(necessary condition) politeness is the sine quanon of the
Indians.
(informal talk) She had a tete-e-tete with Arbindo.
(beyond the powers or authority granted by law) The orders of the
Principal, to dismiss an employee, have been declared ultra virus
by the court.
(oral examination) A viva-voce is necessary for the completion of
Ph. D. degree.

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Collective Nouns
An army of soldiers

A litter of pigs, pups

An anthology of poems

A lock of hair

An assembly of people

A league of nations

A band of singers

A multitude of people

A basket of fruits

A mob of rioters

A board of Directors

A museum of art

A bench of judges

A muster of soldiers

A bunch of grapes

A nest of ants

A bunch of keys

A nursery of plants

A bouquet of flowers

A pack of hounds

A bundle of sticks

A pack of playing cards

A bevy of ladies or lasses

A packet of cigarettes

A caravan of travellers

A pair of shoes

A century of years

A panel of jurymen

A chain of mountains

A peal of bells

A choir of singers

A pile of books, wood or arms

A class of students

A pride of lions

A constellation or cluster of stars

A quiver of arrows

A concourse of people

A regiment of soldiers

A congregation of worshippers

A retinue of followers

A company of soldiers

A series of lectures

A crew of sailors

A school of thinkers

A drove of cattle

A school of whales

A fall of snow or rain

A set of articles

A fleet of ships

A sheaf of arrows

A flock of sheep

A shower of rain

A group of persons, islands

A stock of hay, goods

A gang of robbers, thieves

A string of camels

A garland of flowers

A suite of clothes, rooms

A gallery of pictures

A swarm of flies, bees, ants

A grove of trees

A squadron of cavalry

A heap of sand stone

A stud of horses

A heap of ruins

A staff of officials or servants

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A herd of cattle, deer, goals

A team of horses, players

A hive of bees

A team of oxen

A hoard of money

A train of followers

A horde of pirates

A throng of people

A host of men or angles

A troop of scouts, horses, artillery

A house of senators
A troupe of artists

A valley of stones, abuse

A tuft of grass

A wreath of flowers

A valley of shots, bullets

A yoke of oxen

Words Denoting Sounds

Apes

Gibber

Geese

Gabble

Arms

Clang

Goats

Bleat

Asses

Bray

Hawks

Scream

Aeroplanes

Zoom

Hens

Cluck

Bears

Growl

Horses

Snort, nigh

Bees

Hum, buzz

Hyenas

Laugh, scream

Beetles

Drone

Hands

Clap

Babies

Cry

Horns

Toot

Bells

Ring, lisp, tinkle

Jackals

Howl

Birds

Chirp, sing

Kittens

Mew

Bulls

Bellow

Lions

Roar

Brakes

Screech

Lambs

Bleat

Calves

Bleat

Larks

Warble, sing

Cats

Mew, purr

Mice

Squeak

Cows

Low

Monkeys

Chatter, gibber

Cockes

Crow

Metals

Ring

Crows

caw

Nuts

Crack

Camels

Grunt

Nightingales

Sing, warble

Chains

Clank

Owls

Screech, hoot

Coins

Jingle

Parrots

Talk

Cuckoos

Coo

Pigeons

Coo

Cattle

Low

Pigs

Squeal, grunt

Clocks

Tick

Puppies

Jeep

Clouds

Thunder

Ravens

Croak

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Deer

Bell

Rains

Patter

Dogs

Bark, growl

Serpents

Hiss

Doves

Coo

Sparrows

Twitter

Ducks

Quack

Swans

Cry

Dishes

Rattle

Sheep

Bleat

Door

Creak, bang

Squirrels

Squeak

Drums

Beat

Sails

Flap, flutter

Engines

Whistle

Silk

Rustles

Eagles

Scream

Teeth

Chatter

Elephants

Trumpet

Trains

Rumble

Flies

Buzz

Trumpets

Blare, bugle

Frogs

Croak

Tigers

Roar

Fire

Crackles

Turkeys

Gobble

Flags

Flutter

Trees

Crash

Thunder

Rumbles

Wolves

Howl

Wings

Flutter, flap

Wrens

Warble

Wind

Howls, sighs

Wood

Crackles

Whips

Crack

Whistles

Shriek

Waves

Ripple

Water

Ripples

Young ones of Animals and Birds

Bear

Cub

Hare

Leveret

Cat

Kitten

Horse

Colt, foal

Cow

Calf

Hen

Chicken

Deer

Fawn

Owl

Owlet

Dog

Puppy

Peacock

Pea chicken

Duck

Duckling

Pig

Piglet

Eagle

Eaglet

Lion

Cub

Elephant

Calf

Sheep

Lamb

Fish

Minnow

Swan

Signet

Frog

Tadpole

Tiger

Cub

Goat

Kid

Wolf

Cub

Goose

Gosling

Homes of Animals and Birds

Bee

Hive

Mouse

Hole

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Bird

Nest

Pig

Sty

Cow

Shed

Pigeon

Dove-cote

Dog

Kennel

Rabbit

Burrow

Eagle

Eyre

Sheep

Pen, fold

Fowl

Coop

Spider

Web

Fox

Earth

Squirrel

Dray

Hare

Farm

Tiger

Lair

Horse

Stable

Hen

Coop

Lion

Den

Words used for Different living places

Arab

Tent

Nun

Convent

Convict

Prison

Peasant

Cottage

Gipsy

Caravan

Prisoner

Cell

King

Palace

Savage

Hut

Lunatic

Asylum

Soldier

Barrack, camp

Man

House

Wild animals

Menagerie

Monk

Monastery

Young children

Nursery

Noble

Castle

Specific Words for Certain Places

Beer

Brewery

Ships

Dockyard

Bread

Bakery

Aero planes

Aerodrome

Bricks

Kiln

Birds

Cage

Butter

Dairy

Animals

Zoo

Films

Studio

Clothes

Wardrobe

Flour

Mill

Fishes

Aquarium

Food

Kitchen

Motor cars

Garage

Leather goods

Tannery

Weapons

Arsenal

Coins

Mint

Wares

go down

Some Appropriate Comparisons

As angry as a wasp

As dirty as a hog

As bald as an egg

As drunk as a lord

As bare as a stone

As dry as a biscuit

As big as a whale

As easy as ABC

As black as coal

As easy as a pie

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As black as a crow

As fair as a rose

As blind as a bat

As faithful as the dog

As blunt as a hammer

As firm as a rock

As bold as a lion

As fit as a fiddle

As brave as a lion

As foolish as a calf

As bright as day

As free as thought

As brittle as glass

As fresh as a rose

As busy as a bee

As gentle as a dove

As calm as death

As gloomy as night

As changeable as the moon

As graceful as a swan

As chaste as Diana

As green as grass

As cheerful as a lark

As hard as flint

As clear as crystal

As heavy as lead

As clear as daylight

As hollow as a drum

As cold as ice

As industrious as an ant

As cool as a cucumber

As meek as a lamb

As countless as the stars

As naked as a needle

As cowardly as a wild duck

As pale as death

As cross as two sticks

As proud as a peacock

As cruel as death

As red as a cherry

As cunning as a fox

As rich as Croesus

As dark as midnight

As round as a ball

As dead as a door-nail

As senseless as stone

As deaf as a post

As smooth as glass

As deep as a well

As sober as a judge

as soft as butter

As tame as a cat

As soft as silk

As vain as a peacock

As sour as vinegar

As wise as an owl

To spread like wild fire

As wise as Solomon

As still as a statue

As white as snow

As straight as an arrow

As white as a lily

As stupid as a donkey

As yellow as saffron

As sweet as honey

As yellow as saffron

As swift as an arrow

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