Vocabulary Words from "Fugitive," by Phillip Margolin

This is a vocabulary challenge based on vocabulary words from Fugitive , a crime drama by Phillip Margolin. If you enjoy word challenges or learning new words, in context, then take a minute to complete this word challenge.

very effort has been made to pull salient words from the text, in particular words that often appear on the SAT will often be a part of these vocabulary quizzes.

Test your vocabulary on a few of the words from Phillip Margolin's work, Fugitive.
Each vocabulary word will be presented with three alternative definitions. Try to choose the best definition. To make the quiz a little easier a quoted passage from Fugitive, by Phillip Margolin, follows each vocabulary word.

Answers are at the end of the vocabulary quiz. Some of these words are challenging, but some of them you may find familiar. The definitions will remain very basic for the sake of simplicity. Good luck.

1. temerity (noun) - A) reckless boldness, B) fettered courage, C) meekness
"Charlie scanned the chosen few and found they included Nathan Tuazama; Alfonse (who could barely keep his eyes open); Madam O'Doulou, the child's nanny; a justice of the Batangan Supreme Court who'd had the temerity to dissent in a case Baptiste wanted decided in a certain way; and an army general who was rumored to have criticized his commander-in-chief." p 12

2. cadaverous (adj) - A) gaunt and sallow, B) evil, C) brutal and fierce
"The cadaverous black man's head rotated slowly in Charlie's direction at the same time Charlie turned toward him, as if Tuazama had read his mind." p 11

3. ferret (verb) - A) annihilate, B) bury, C) discover
"But Nathan is working on this problem and I have complete confidence that he will ferret out the identity of the foul person who tempted my beloved Bernadette into breaking her marriage vows." p 16

4. pontificate (verb) - A) appear, B) express opinions, C) offer condolences
"How many world-class lawyers have you seen turn into fools as soon as they were given a chance to pontificate on national television."

5. imperiously (adv) - A) with condescension, B) intensely compelling, C) with affection
"Yes, you did, but you can save yourself by setting me loose at once," Mikhailov said imperiously. p 255

6. insolent (adj) - A) contemptuous, B) imperious, C) careless
"Before this evening, Charlie would have reported the soldier for being insolent and would have demanded a car, but he was too upset and frightened to argue." p 18

7. concave (adj) - A) falling, B) curved outward, C) curved inward
"The executive mansion was a six-story, concave monstrosity that resembled a stereo speaker." p 17

8. pensive (adj) - A) thoughtful, B) scared, C) apprehensive
"Thank God for that." Day paused. He looked pensive. p 279

9. august (adj) - A) marked by dignity and grandeur, B) noted for historic significance, C) marked by age and stability
"It's a privilege to be invited to speak at this august institution," Charlie brown-nosed. p 144

10. abject (adj) - A) condition from which one could rise, B) condition by choice, C) lowest condition
"Its president was a maniac and most of its citizens lived in fear and abject poverty." p 19

11. in flagrante (adv) - A) with nothing else on one's mind, B) caught in the act of a sexual misdeed, C) escaping the scene of a crime
"Frank studied the pictures of Marsh and his client in flagrante." p165

12. emaciated (adj) - A) virulent and strong, B) thin and wasted away, C) hungry
"Packs of emaciated feral dogs roaming the streets in search of food growled at the rare passerby." p 22

13. moxie (noun) - A) flagrant actions B) defiant attitude, C) air of confidence
" The cop on the door took a quick look at the ID tag and I was in. Charlie liked my moxie." p 304

14. perfunctory (adj) - A) routine, B) official, C) personal
"But when it was his turn, a bored customs inspector asked him a few perfunctory questions before stamping his passport and waving him on." p 51

15. epiphany (noun) - A) spiritual momentum, B) obsession, C) sudden perception of meaning
" 'Yeah,' she answered, still distracted by her epiphany." p 366

16. malevolent (adj) - A) evil, B) gracious, C) confused
"Senior flashed a malevolent smile." p 359

17. culpability (noun) - A) innocence, B) guilt, C) moral turpitude
"That didn't mean that Amanda wasn't curious about her client's culpability as she was about the contents of the box he'd given her." p 235

18. harangue (noun) - A) rant, B) involuntary confession, C) clandestine meeting
"During this harangue, Burdett referred to Sally Pope as a gold digger, a black widow, a harlot, and a harridan." p 170

19. mollify (verb) - A) irritate, B) soothe, C) taunt
" 'Of course, and I'll try to keep you in the loop as much as possible," she said, to mollify Levy, "but Mr. Marsh is my priority."

20. solicitous (adj) - A) questioning, B) careful, C) requesting
"Since then Baptiste had been very solicitous of Tuazama's well-being and Tuazama had done everything he could to encourage Baptiste in the belief that he would stay alive as long as the chief of his secret police was well cared for." p 68

Answers: 1-A, 2 -A, 3-C, 4-B, 5-B, 6 -A, 7-C, 8-A, 9-A, 10-C, 11-B, 12-B, 13-C, 14-A, 15-C, 16-A, 17-B, 18-A, 19-B, 20-B

How did you do on the vocabulary quiz?
If you got 18 - 20 correct you are word wise.
15 -17 correct answers means you have an astute understanding of vocabulary.
If you got 10-15 answers correct, take heart, you are resourceful and learning well.
If you got 8-10 correct you are a good student of vocabulary.
If you got 5 - 7 correct, at least you can read.
1 or 4 correct, why not study the words and give yourself a do-over.