Daily Wordlist

impregnable [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. unassailable, invincible or unconquerable 2. capable of being impregnated
	USAGE :
	A weekend poll giving the Conservatives a 7% lead over Labour and their best showing since before Black Wednesday merely illustrates what we already knew: that the floating voters of the English marginals want to be reassured that their expensive homes are as impregnable against the tax collector as any castle. The Herald, Simple steps to regain trust
insurrection [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	a rebellion, uprising or revolt against authority
	USAGE :
	The imprisoned East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao has called for a popular insurrection against Indonesia. BBC, World: Asia-Pacific Timorese leader calls for 'rebellion', April 5, 1999
mawkish [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. sentimental, emotional or mushy 2. Having an insipid or nauseating taste
	USAGE :
	"Friendship is like a China cup, precious rich and rare, once broken can be mended, but the crack is always there" goes a piece of maudlin prose that has found its way into many autograph books. Mawkish, but no less true for that. THE TIMES OF INDIA, Circle of friends, 26 Aug 2007
obsequy [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	a funeral or ceremony after one passes away
	USAGE :
	When Powell died, in March of last year, at the age of ninety-four, the New York Times Book Review devoted a "Bookend" column to the obsequy, written by Ferdinand Mount, the editor of the Times Literary Supplement and Powell's nephew by marriage. The Atlantic, An Omnivorous Curiosity, by Christopher Hitchens
perdition [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	1. destruction, damnation or ruin 2. Hell
	USAGE :
	In it, he saw a train carrying innumerable people to perdition, and its meaning was unveiled to him as representing the Nazis," it says. abc News, Catholic Church Beatifies WWII Objector, Catholic Church Beatifies WWII Objector, October 26, 2007

CAT Question of the Day

Each of the questions below contains a number of sentences. Each sentence has pairs of word(s)/phrases that are highlighted. From the highlighted word(s)/phrase(s), select the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) to form correct sentences. Then, from the options given, choose the best one.

The atmosphere in the office was (A) taut/taught (B) and the employees were (A) tetchy/touchy (B). They were in a complaining mood, feeling agitated about the latest company policy. This (A) tortuous/torturous (B) new policy outlined more number of working hours and less compensation. The (A) substantive/substantial (B)elements of the policy outlined more stringent rules for both managers and subordinates and greater cost-cuts. Worse, the policy was to be executed (A) write-off/right off (B).

OPTIONS
	1)	BABBB
	2)	AABAB
	3)	ABBAB
	4)	ABABB
	5)	AAABA

CAT Word List

Daily Wordlist

Previous Wordlists

importune [ intransitive verb, transitive verb ]
	MEANING :
	1. (tr. v.) to beg, urge or demand repeatedly 2. (intr. v.) to immorally request or make advances
	USAGE :
	But there was no question ever of the Centre or the state government engaging its spokesmen or despatching interlocutors to importune them for meetings. The Times of India, THE LEADER ARTICLE: Valley's New Voice: Hurriyat Doesn't Represent Kashmiri Aspirations, Anand K Sahay, 7 Dec 2004
insurgent [ noun, adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. (adj.) rebellious, opposed to authority or mutinous 2. (n.) one who indulges in insurgent activities or one who revolts against authority
	USAGE :
	Yet on Thursday, on Thai television a man claiming to represent 11 insurgent groups announced an immediate ceasefire. BBC, Thai insurgents 'call ceasefire' , By Jonathan Head, 17 July 2008
maudlin [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. tearfully or weakly emotional 2.mawkish or sentimental especially under the influence of alcohol
	USAGE :
	One of the best impassioned outcries comes from a maudlin columnist in the Salt Lake City Tribune. Chronicles magazine, Suleymen the Murderer, by Thomas Fleming
obloquy [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	1. condemnatory, derogatory or abusive language 2. disgrace or denunciation suffered due to abuse
	USAGE :
	Imagine the obloquy which would have been heaped on the Metropolitan police if it had not involved the CPS at an early stage. BBC, UK: The toughest case, April 26, 2002
pensive [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	thoughtful especially when sad or gloomy
	USAGE :
	Suresh Nanda told TOI that the incident had made his son pensive over the years. The Times of India, My son lost his youth in trial, Smriti Singh, 6 Sep 2008

CAT Word list

impolitic [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	unwise, imprudent or not expedient
	USAGE :
	Mr Mori was infamous for such impolitic remarks during his 2000-2001 leadership. BBC, Japan's gaffe-prone politicians, 4 June, 2004
insolent [ noun, adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. proud, disrespectful or impudent 2. overbearing or arrogant 3. one who is insolent
	USAGE :
	"Bush, the dwarf, has surprised us again with his insolent statement, accusing countries which have suffered from the aggressive, arrogant policy of his country," said Babel, run by President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday. Telegraph, Iraqi press throws insults at Bush, 02 Feb 2002
malodorous [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	having a foul, offensive or bad smell
	USAGE :
	Eddie Ortega, the director of Del Rio's Community Health Service Center, said there's an unusually high number of the malodorous creatures running around these days. abcNEWS, Texas Border Town Faces Skunk Infestation, DEL RIO, Texas July 31, 2008
niggardly [ adjective, adverb ]
	MEANING :
	1. (adj.) miserly, stingy or petty when spending 2. (adv.) like a niggard
	USAGE :
	India might get its own poor law—a prospect the niggardly Victorians could not “contemplate without serious apprehension”. Economist, Employment guarantees in India, Jan 27th 2005
pejorative [ noun, adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. (adj.) derogatory, insulting or belittling 2. (adj.) worsening or declining 3. noun an expression or word that is pejorative or derogatory in nature
	USAGE :
	When governments are described as pursuing populist policies the adjective is often intended to be pejorative. The Herald, A punishing schedule, August 23 2007

CAT Question of the Day

The question below contains a paragraph followed by alternative summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the text.

The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology, a deistic treatise written by eighteenth-century British radical and American revolutionary Thomas Paine, critiques institutionalized religion and challenges the inerrancy of the Bible. Published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807, it was a bestseller in America, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. British audiences, however, fearing increased political radicalism as a result of the French revolution, received it with more hostility. The Age of Reason presents common deistic arguments; for example, it highlights the corruption of the Christian Church and criticizes its efforts to acquire political power. Paine advocates reason in the place of revelation, leading him to reject miracles and to view the Bible as an ordinary piece of literature rather than as a divinely inspired text. The Age of Reason is not atheistic, but Deistic: it promotes natural religion and argues for a creator-God.

OPTIONS
	1)	Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason criticizes institutionalized religion and challenges the usefulness of the Bible. The book was very popular in America but less so in Britain. The book promotes a rational belief in the existence of God.
	2)	The Age of Reason, a book written by Thomas Paine in the 18th century, criticizes institutionalized religion and the beliefs written in the Bible. It was a bestseller in America but was less well received in Britain where people were more God fearing. The book is essentially deistic in nature, i.e. it promotes a rational belief in God.
	3)	The Age of Reason, a book written by Thomas Paine, who was an 18th century radical and revolutionary, challenges institutionalized religion and the writings in the Bible. It was a bestseller in America, but less so in Britain due to its increased political radicalism. The book highlights the corruption of the church and its efforts to acquire political power.
	4)	Thomas Paine’s, The Age of Reason is a book which criticizes institutionalized religion, challenges the inerrancy of the Bible, and promotes deism. It was a bestseller in America but was less well received in Britain.
	5)	Thomas Paine’s, The Age of Reason is a book which criticizes the authority of institutionalized religion and people’s belief in the Bible. It was a bestseller in America but was less well received in Britain which feared that the book may incite a wave of political radicalism. The book also highlights the corruption of the church and its efforts to acquire power.

CAT Wordlist

imperturbable [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	composed, calm or impassive
	USAGE :
	Nor have the wild gyrations of Amazon’s share price over the past year caused its founder and chief executive to lose sleep. Mr Bezos manages to be simultaneously both bouncy and imperturbable. The Economist, Amazon’s delta, Nov 18th 1999
pedagogue [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	a strict or formal educator or teacher
	USAGE :
	All claim of having teaching staff with high pedagogue skills. The Times of India, Educational opportunities open up, Swati Khanwalkar,TNN, 28 Nov 2003
nether [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. lower, below or under 2. positioned below or under the surface of the earth 3. infernal
	USAGE :
	This nether world runs just below the surface of the world of bedecked and manipulative brides, and is defined by superstition, black magic, occult, witchcraft, planchette, rebirth and evil spirits. The Times of Inda, Dark deeds of another worls invades TV, Piali Banerjee, Nov 30, 2003
malcontent [ noun, adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. (n.) a disgruntled or displeased person 2. (adj.) disgruntled, displeased or dissatisfied
	USAGE :
	That bothers Rich "Downtown" Brown, a wiry chain-smoking malcontent. National Geographic, ZipUSA: 33856, By Melba Newsome
innocuous [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. not harmful or injurious 2. inoffensive, insipid, uninspiring or not stimulating
	USAGE :
	By using an innocuous virus derived from HIV, scientists at the California Institute of Technology have developed a new way of giving animals genes from other organisms to produce specific traits. National Geographic, Fluorescent Mice Herald Gene-Transfer Breakthrough, D.L. Parsell, January 11, 2002

CAT Question of the Day

The question consists of a paragraph in which the first and last sentences are fixed and the sentences in between are jumbled. Choose from among the options the most logical order of the intermediate sentences.

I. On the surface and along the banks of the river alligators play sport; mocason snakes twist their way along, and scouring kingfishers croak in the balmy air.
A. He will not approach disguised; he will politely give us warning.
B. At present it only presented a few beds rank with weeds.
C. We emerged from the mossy walk and reached a slab fence, dilapidated and broken, which enclosed an area of an acre of ground, in the centre of which stood the mansion: the area seemed to have been a garden, which, in former days, may have been cultivated with great care.
D. If a venerable rattlesnake warn us, we need not fear- being an honourable snake partaking of the old southerner's affected chivalry.
II. We were told the gardener had been dismissed in consideration of his more lucrative services in the corn-field.

OPTIONS
	1)	CBDA
	2)	CBAD
	3)	DACB
	4)	DBCA
	5)	DABC

CAT Word List

inimical [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	adverse, harmful, unfriendly or hostile
	USAGE :
	There's no better or more immediate evidence supporting the Darwinian theory than this process of forced transformation among our inimical germs. National Geographic, Was Darwin Wrong?, By David Quammen
malapropism [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	misuse of words, especially similar sounding ones, to create humour
	USAGE :
	The president had been practicing, and the malapropism just slipped out ahead of schedule. abcNEWS, Bush Loosens Up With Press, By Ann Compton, W A S H I N G T O N, March 29
neophyte [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	1. a novice, amateur or beginner 2. someone newly baptized or converted
	USAGE :
	McCain regained some of the buzz with his choice of Sarah Palin, 44, a maverick Republican neophyte who was not even on the shortlist of candidates that at one time included the Indian-American governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal. The Times of India, McCain picks Sarah Palin, little known Alaska governor, as VP running mate, Chidanand Rajghatta, Aug 30, 2008
peccadillo [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	an insignificant or trivial sin, flaw or mistake
	USAGE :
	"Part of the problem now is that people seem to be more aware of his peccadilloes than any actions that he has taken to make the city better since he was elected." Los Angels Times, Villaraigosa affair may not be one to remember, By Steve Hymon and Duke Helfand, July 7, 2007
impertinent [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. insolent, disrespectful or brash 2. inappropriate or irrelevant
	USAGE :
	That’s the trouble: the millions of people who want to look at the pictures of Miss Middleton and engage in impertinent speculations about whether she will one day be Queen of England. Telegraph, A Royal fate, By Andrew Gimson, 11/01/2007

CAT Question of the Day

x and y are positive integers. How many pairs of (x, y) satisfy the following relation?

OPTIONS
	8
	11
	3
	1
	None of these

Puzzle of the day..The Fake Diamonds - Take Two

King of Einsteinia wanted to marry off his daughter and he devised the 27 diamond challenge to find the most worthy suitor for his daughter. Out of the hundreds of suitors for the princess ten got the correct answer. To find the smartest of the shortlisted suitors, the king devised another challenge.

He got three real diamonds of the same shape, size and weight - one each of blue, pink and white colour. Then he got three fake diamonds of the same colours and mixed them up with the real diamonds. You could not tell the real diamonds from the fake ones by looking at them. All three fake diamonds are of the same weight but a bit lighter than the real diamonds. The new challenge was to separate the real and fake diamonds into two piles using only a simple pan balance. What is the minimum number of weighings required to separate the diamonds? Provide a detailed explanation with your answer.

CAT Preparation

With CAT just a few days away i thought it would be great if i post a puzzle and wordlist everyday for last minute preparation..not that it would increase your chances of getting a seat in IIM's [:D] but most definitely it will keep your grey cells on the Job [:p]

CAT Question of the Day

The question below contains a paragraph with a missing sentence. Choose an option that best fits the context.

There are vast amounts of water on earth. Unfortunately, over 97% of it is too salty for human consumption and only a fraction of the remainder is easily accessible in rivers, lakes or groundwater. Climate change, droughts, growing population and increasing industrial demand are straining the available supplies of fresh water. More than 1 billion people live in areas where water is scarce, according to the United Nations, and that number could increase to 1.8 billion by 2025. _________________. Its appeal is obvious. The world’s oceans, in particular, present a virtually limitless and drought-proof supply of water.

OPTIONS
	1)	However, there are now 13,080 desalination plants in operation around the world, producing expensive but desalinated potable water.
	2)	But desalination requires large amounts of energy and can cost several times as much as treating river or groundwater.
	3)	One time-tested but expensive way to produce drinking water is desalination: removing dissolved salts from sea and brackish water.
	4)	As more parts of the world face prolonged droughts or water shortages, desalination seems to be the only way out.
	5)	However, apart from being expensive, a large desalination plant can suck up enough electricity in one year to power more than 30,000 homes.

Tip of the Day

A line joining mid-points of two sides in a triangle is parallel to the third side and half of the third side.

Daily Wordlist

imperious [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	dominant, domineering or haughty
	USAGE :
	If he was to cast an imperious gaze at the Department of Trade and Industry he might note its failure to galvanise the regions of England in sharing proportionately in the nation's wealth. BBC, Kilfoyle: Time to reward the faith, Peter Kilfoyle MP, 1 March, 2001
patrician [ noun, adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. (n.) an aristocrat or a person belonging to a noble family, especially in ancient Rome 2. (n.) a well-bred person who has good tastes and manners 3. (adj.) aristocratic4. (adj.)charasteristic or a pertaining to a noble or patrician
	USAGE :
	The great nothingness that the great patrician signifies in today's Phulpur is best symbolised by the ruins of Vaidji's house that Nehru made his home here. The Times of India, Nehru's Phulpur fails to keep its tryst, Gautam Siddharth,TNN, 10 Aug 2008
natal [ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. accompanying or pertaining to one's birth 2. related to one's birthplace or time of birth 3. native
	USAGE :
	Reipurth figures the star is a relative newborn, deeply embedded in its own natal cloud. CNN, Amateur finds new nebula with small telescope, By Robert Roy Britt, February 23, 2004
machination [ noun ]
	MEANING :
	1. a cunning plot or scheme an instance of plotting
	USAGE :
	This steep increase in land value is not the machination of realtors, but a negative land price hike effected by the stamps and registration department. THE TIMES OF INDIA, Land rate up 3000 per cent, 24 Mar 2008, S Kushala,TNN
ingratiate [ transitive verb ]
	MEANING :
	1. to curry favor by pleasing or flattering
	USAGE :
	To the best that one can figure out, he seems to have only used his power to further ingratiate himself to the political power structure in the country. The Times of India, LEADER ARTICLE: Cast In Our Likeness, Harsh V Pant, 21 May 2008