8天攻克8000词汇教材修订

写8天攻克8000词汇词汇魔鬼
位词汇魔鬼训练营学员家：
三点容需强调：
第点然感谢家工作支持魔鬼训练营成长程中受数世俗阻碍丝毫没影响整事态发展道理简单世界数愚蠢做事情数反时候两种成功失败根常识判断出件事情失败必然会获极成功现实已予魔鬼训练营成功充分定义
第二点希家够严守训练营规魔鬼训练营规实简单严格禁止迟早退旷课违反中条者拒绝承认魔鬼训练营成员资格诸位加入训练营应该遵守规事情想达预期效果需遵循中游戏规然点严格服级命令训练组服组长传达命令组长服训练营长命令
点绝重词汇魔鬼训练营基础培训课程考试没绝直接联系事实8000词汇学英语考试块取代基石具体某项考试必条件非充分条件
关教材家会发现页中文外教材中没中文字符原英文学程中实际纯英语语言环境重家会强迫英文思维开始惯训练14会觉鱼水
教材分四块1利词根词缀进行词汇量拓展2根词源加强家西方文化思维模式理解3精选英美典例句意学员制造侧面接触语言环境4采取美国先进词汇测试试题学员词汇水进行客观中肯测试


词汇魔鬼训练营营长 许建军
200471





INDEX
PART I ROOT 3
LESSON ONE 3
LESSON TWO 5
LESSON THREE 8
LESSON FOUR 12
LESSON FIVE 16
LESSON SIX 21
LESSON SEVEN 26
LESSON EIGHT 30
LESSON NINE 35
LESSON TEN 40
LESSON ELEVEN 44
LESSON TWELVE 49
LESSON THIRTEEN 55
LESSON FOURTEEN 60
PART II ORIGIN 65
Part III SENTENCE 118
Part IV QUIZ 237
QUIZ ONE 237
QUIZ TWO 238
QUIZ THREE 240
QUIZ FOUR 241
QUIZ FIVE 243
QUIZ SIX 244
QUIZ SEVEN 246
QUIZ EIGHT 248 QUIZ NINE 250
QUIZ TEN 252 QUIZ ELEVEN 254
QUIZ TWELVE 256
QUIZ THIRTEEN 258
QUIZ FOURTEEN 259

















PART I ROOT
LESSON ONE
BELL rebel rebellious rebellion belligerent belligerence bellicose antebellum
PACTPEASE compact compactly compactness compactor impact impacted impaction pacify pacifist pact appease
HOSPHOST hostage hospice hostel inhospitable
AMIM amateur amatory amiable amity amorist amorous enemy enmity amicable enamored inimical paramour
CRIM crime criminal criminate recriminate criminology decriminalize incriminate recrimination
PROBPROV prove proof probable probably probability probate probation probationary probationer probative probe probing approbate approbatory approve approvable approval disapproval disproof improve improvement reprobation reprove reproof reprieve approbation disprove probity reprobate
GRAV grave gravitation gravimeter aggravate aggravation grief grieve aggrieve gravid gravitas gravitate gravity
LEV lever leverage levy levitate levitation alleviation elevation elevator relevance relieve relief alleviate elevate leavening levity
ACT action actionable activate activation activator active activity actual actuality actualize actually actuate enact enactment exact exacting exaction exactitude exactly inaction inactive interact react reactor reaction transact transaction agency agent agile agility agitate agitation agitator agony cogent cogitate exigent prodigal
AGOGUE demagogue pedagogue synagogue
ALOL UL aliment alimental alimentary alimentation alimony adolescence adolescent prolific prolificacy proliferate adult adulthood adultness
ALT altar altimeter altitude exalt exaltation
ALTERALI alter alteration altercate altercation alternate alternation alternative alternator altruism altruistic alien alienable alienate alienation alias alibi adulterate adultery
ANG anger angry anguish anxiety anxious
ANGLANGUL angle angular equiangular rectangle triangle triangular










LESSON TWO
AG agitate litigate prodigal synagogue
VENVENT adventitious adventure adventurous venture venturous misadventure circumvent circumvention contravene contravention convene convention conventional conventioneer convenient convenience event eventful eventual eventuate invent invention inventor prevent prevention preventive intervene intervenient supervene avenue revenue souvenir advent provenance venturesome venue
CAPCEPCIP capable capacious capacity caption captivate captivating captive captivity captor capture accept acceptable acceptance acceptation accepted conceive conceivable concept conception deceive deceivable deceit deception deceptive except exception exceptionable exceptional inception inceptive intercept interception interceptor perceive percept perception perceptive precept preceptor receive receiver receivable receipt receptacle receptive recipient susceptibility susceptive anticipate anticipation participate participation participle emancipate emancipation reception incipient perceptible susceptible
FIN fine final finale finalize finance financial finish finitude infinite infinitive infinitude confine confinement define definite definition indefinite refine refined refinement affinity definitive infinitesimal finite
JACJEC abject abjection deject eject ejection inject injection interject interjection object objection objective objectivity project projectile projector reject rejection subject subjection subjective ejaculate ejaculation subjacent adjacent conjecture dejected trajectory
TRACT trace track tract tractable traction tractor trail trailer train trait treat treatment treatise treatment abstract abstraction attract attraction contract contractile contraction contractor contractual detraction distract distraction extract extraction extract extraction extractor protract protraction protractor retrace retract retractile subtract subtraction entreaty maltreat portray portrait retreat subtrahend detract protracted retraction intractable
DUC abduct adduct conduce conduct conductor deduce deducible deduct deductive ductile ductility educate education educe inducement induct induction inductive introduce introduction oviduct produce producer product production productive reduce reduced reduction seduce seducer semiconductor subdue traduce viaduct conducive deduction induce seduction
SECSEQU sequel sequence sequent sequential consequence consequent
subsequence subsequent consecution consecutive executive executor persecute
persecution prosecute prosecution prosecutor sue ensue pursue pursuance pursuit suit
suitable suite consequential execute obsequious sequential
AMBIAMPHI ambidextrous ambient ambiguous ambition ambivalent
amphibian amphitheater ambiguous ambient ambivalent amphitheater
EPEPI epic epidemic epigram epigraph epilogue episode epitome epoch ephemeral epiphyte epitaph epithet
HYPOHYP hypocrisy hypostasis hypothecate hypothermia hypothesis hypochondriac hypocrisy hypothermia hypothetical
THERMTHERMO thermal thermocouple thermonuclear thermocline
AQU aquamarine aquatic aqueduct aquifer
ARM arms armada armament armed armistice armory army alarm disarm disarmament
AUG auction auctioneer audacity augment augmentative august author authority authoritative authorize authentic authenticity
AVI avian aviary aviate aviation aviator aviatrix aviculture auspice auspicious inauspicious augur augury inaugurate inauguration
BANDBOND band bandage bond bondage contraband bound boundary
BAR barrage barrel barricade barrier barring barrister debar embargo embarrass embarrassment embarrassing
BAT baton battalion batter battered battery battle battlement abate combat combative debate
BATBAS acrobat acrobatic acrobatics aerobatic aerobatics
BREV breviary brevity brief briefly abbreviate abbreviation abridge abridgement
CALC calcify calcium calculate calculable calculation calculator calculus chalk
CAMP campaign campfire campsite campus encamp encampment
CAND candle candid candidate candidacy incandescent incandescence












LESSON THREE
POLY polycentric polychrome polygamy polygon polyhedron polymorphous polysyllable polytheism polychromatic polyglot polymer polyphony
PRIM prime primer primeval primitive primitivism primogenitor primrose primus primacy primary primarily primate prince principal principle premier primal primogeniture primordial primiparous
HOMHOMO homocentric homodont homograph homophile homosexual homonym homogeneous homologous homophone
DIS disable disadvantage disagree disannul disapprove disband disbelieve discard discern disconsolate discontinue discord discourage discourse discreet discrepancy discrete discriminate disease disembark disfavor disfigure disfranchise disgorge disguise disgust dishearten disincline disintegrate dismember dismiss dispersion displace display dispose disregard disrupt dissolve distract distribute dispatch dessert digest dilapidate dilute dimension diminish diverge differ difficult diffident diffuse spend stain diffraction dissension disseminate dissipate
VOR voracity carnivore devour devouringly herbivore insectivore insectivorous omnivore carnivorous herbivorous omnivorous voracious
CARN carnage carnal carnation carnival carnivore carnivorous incarnate incarnation carrion discarnate carnage carnal carnival incarnation
CRED credential credible credit creditor credo credulous accredit discredit discreditable credence creditable credulity creed
FID fidelity faith faithful confide confidant confidence confident confidential
diffidence infidel infidelity defy defiance defiant perfidious affidavit diffident fiduciary
perfidy
CURRCURS current currently currency concur concurrence curriculum cursive
excursion excursive incur incursion incursive occur occurrence recur recurrence
recurrent succor course concourse discourse intercourse recourse concurrent cursory
discursive precursor
PED pedal pedestal pedicure pedometer biped centipede quadruped tripod expedition expeditionary expeditious expedience impede expedient expedite impediment pedestrian
FLECFLEX flexible flexibility flexion circumflex inflexible inflexibility deflection inflect reflect reflection reflective reflex reflexive deflect flexor genuflect inflection
POST postdate postdoctoral posterity postern postgraduate postlude postmeridian postnatal postnuptial postpone postscript posterior posthumous postmodern postmortem
CAR career cargo carry carriage carrier cart carter charge discharge chariot
CAST broadcast forecast outcast overcast telecast
CAV cave cavern cavernous cavity concave excavate excavator
CELER celerity accelerate acceleration accelerator decelerate
CERNCRET concern concerning concernment discern discernable discernment discreet discrete discretion excrete excrement secret secretary secrete secretion
CERT ascertain certain certainty certify certifiable certificate certification certitude concert disconcert
CITE citable citation excite excitable excitant excitement incite incitement recite recital recitation resuscitate resuscitator solicit solicitation solicitor solicitous solicitude
CLIN acclivity decline declension declination declivity declivous incline inclination disincline disinclination proclivity recline climax
COCT concoct concoction decoct decoction precocious precocity
COGNIS agnostic cognition cognitive cognizable cognizance cognizant diagnose diagnosis ignore ignorance ignorant incognito prognosis prognosticate recognize recognizable recognizance recognition
COMMUN commune communal communalize communicate communication communion communism communist community
COUNT countdown counter account accountable discount recount
COVER coverage covert discover discovery recover uncover
CRUC crucial crucify cruciform crucifix crusade cruise crux excruciate
CULT cultivable cultivate cultivated cultivation culture cultural acculturate agriculture agricultural apiculture aquiculture aviculture floriculture sericulture colony colonial colonist colonize
CUSS concuss concussion discuss discussion percussion repercussion quash
DEBDU debt debtor indebted due duty dutiful
DEI deify deific deification deiform deism deist deity
DENT dental dentate dentist dentition denture edentate edentulous indent
DERM dermatology dermatologist epidermis hypoderm pachyderm
DIGN dignity dignify dignitary indignity indignant dainty disdain disdainful
DIVIDDIVIS divide dividend division divisive divisor individual individualism individuality indivisible subdivide
DON donate donation donor anecdote antidote condone pardon dose dosage dower dowry endow
DORM dormancy dormant dormitory dormouse
DOX dogma dogmatic dogmatism doxology orthodox paradox paradoxical
DRAW drawback drawer indrawn outdraw overdraw redraw withdraw
DROM aerodrome hippodrome syndrome
DUR durable durance duration endure endurance indurate nondurable obdurate perdurable
ECO ecology economy economic economical economics economist economize
EGO egocentric egoism egoist egomania egotism egotist
ELECTR electric electrical electrician electricity electrify electrocute electrochemistry electrode electrolysis electron electronics
EMEMPT example exemplar exemplify exempt preempt prompt promptitude promptly redeem redeemer redemption ransom
EQU equable equal equalitarian equality equanimity equate equation equator equinox equinoctial equipoise equiponderate equity equitable equivalent equivocal adequate adequacy
ESSEST essence essential interest interesting disinterested uninterested quintessence
FAFABLFABUL fable fabulous affable affability confabulate ineffable nefarious prefatory











LESSON FOUR
MAL maladjustment maladministration maladroit malady malaise malcontent malediction malefactor maleficent malfeasance malformation malfunction malice malignant malinger malnutrition maltreat malevolent malicious malign malnourished
CATA catalogue catapult cataract catastrophe category cataclysm catacomb catalyst
catatonic
PROTPROTO protoplast protozoan protagonist protocol protoplasm prototype
ANTE antebellum antecedent antediluvian antemeridian anticipate ancient ancestor antechamber antedate anterior ante meridiem
ORTHORTHO orthodoxy orthogonal orthographic orthopedic orthopedist orthopsychiatry orthodontics orthodox orthopedics orthography
RECT rectal rectangle rectifiable rectifier rectum correct correction correctitude corrective corrector direct direction directive director directory erect erectile erection erectness erector escort incorrect indirect rectitude rectify rectilinear rector
EU eugenics eulogy eupepsia euphony euthanasia evangel eugenic euphemism euphoria evangelism
DYS dysfunctional dyslexia dyspeptic dystrophy
ROG rogation abrogation arrogance arrogant arrogation derogate interrogate
interrogation interrogative interrogator interrogatory abrogate arrogate derogatory
prerogative
QUIS query quest question questionable questionnaire acquire acquirement acquisition conquer conqueror conquest disquisition exquisite inquire inquiry inquest inquisitive require requirement requisite prerequisite request sequester inquisition perquisite acquisitive requisition
PLE ply pliable pliers apply appliance applicable applicant application imply implicate implication implicit reply replica replicate replication complicate complicated complicity complex complexion complexity explicate explicable explication explicit exploit perplex perplexed perplexity supplicate supplicant deploy deployment display employ employee employer employment simple simpleton
simplicity simplify duple duplex duplicate duplicator duplicity diploma diplomatic diplomacy diplomatist triple triplicate quadruple quadruplicate multiple multiplex multiply multiplicity multiplicative plait pleat plight complement deplete implement replete
METR meter metrology metronome aerometer anemometer barometer centimeter chronometer chronometry diameter dynamometer geometry hydrometer hygrometer perimeter seismometer symmetry thermometer trigonometry voltmeter metric odometer symmetrical tachometer
FACFRONT façade facet facial facelift deface efface ineffaceable interface preface superficial surface front frontier affront confront effrontery
FALLFALS fallacy fallacious fallible infallible false falsehood falsify falsification falsity fault faulty default
FAM fame famous infamy infamous defame defamation defamatory fate fatal infant infancy infanticide infantine
FARE farewell thoroughfare warfare welfare
FENDFEST fend fence defend defendant defense defensive offend offense offensive infest infestation manifest manifestation manifesto
FERV fervid fervidity fervent fervency fervor effervescent perfervid
FESS confess confession profess profession professional professor
FEST festal festive festival festivity festoon
FICTFIG fictile fiction fictional fictitious fictive feign feint figment
FIRM firmament affirm affirmative confirm confirmation confirmed disaffirm infirm infirmary infirmity
FIX fixate fixation fixity fixture affix infix prefix suffix transfix transfixion
FLAMFLAGR flame flammable flamboyant inflame inflammable inflammation inflammatory flagrant conflagration effulgent
FLAT flatulent flatulence conflate conflation deflate deflation inflate inflation
FLICT afflict affliction afflictive conflict inflict infliction
FLOR flora floral florist florescent floret floriferous efflorescence flourish
FOLI foliage foliate folio defoliate exfoliate portfolio trifoliate
FORT forte fortify fortification fortifier fortress fortitude force forcible comfort comfortable discomfort effort enforce enforcement reinforce reinforcement perforce
GAM bigamy bigamist bigamous monogamy monogamist monogamous polygamist polygamous
GERGEST gestate gestation gesticulate gesture congest congestion digest digestion exaggerate exaggeration indigestion ingest suggest suggestion
GRAMGRAPH grammar grammarian cryptogram diagram epigram monogram parallelogram program programmer telegram gramophone graph graphic autograph biography autobiography cacography calligraphy dictograph geography lexicography lithography orthography phonograph photograph stenography telegraph topography
GRAND grandeur grandiloquent grandiose grandiosity aggrandize aggrandizement
HABHIBIT habit habitual habitant habituate habitude habitat habitation cohabit inhabit inhabitation inhabitant exhibit exhibition inhibit inhibition prohibit prohibition
HAP mishap happen happening haphazard perhaps
HELIO heliocentric heliogram heliograph heliotherapy heliotropism helium
HER heir heiress heirloom coheir heredity hereditary heritage heritable inherit inheritance inheritor disinherit
HERB herbivorous herb herbage herbal herbalist herbicide
HORR horrible horrid horrify horrific horrification horror abhor abhorrent abhorrence
HUM posthumous human humane humanism humanitarian humanity humanize humankind homicide homage humble humiliate humiliation humility humus exhume inhume
HYPNO hypnotic hypnotist hypnotism hypnotize hypnosis hypnotherapy
IDIO idiographic idiom idiomatic idiomorphic idiopathic idiosyncrasy
INSUL insular insularity insulate insulation insulator island isle islet isolate isolation peninsula
IT itinerant itinerary itinerate ambit ambition ambitious circuit circuitous coition initiate initiation initiative initiator initial perish perishable transit transition transitive transitory transient
JOIN adjoin conjoin disjoin rejoin subjoin junction juncture adjunct adjunction conjunct conjunction disjunction injunction subjunctive
JOURN Journal journalism journey adjourn sojourn diary diurnal
JUD judge judgment judicature judicatory judicial judiciary judicious adjudicate prejudice
JUSTJURIS just justice justify adjust adjustment injustice unjust unjustifiable juridical jurisdiction jurisprudence jury jurist juror injure injurious injury
LABOR laboratory labored laborer laborious belabor collaborate elaborate
LAPS lapse collapse collapsible elapse relapse

LESSON FIVE
AUD audible audience audiometer audiovisual auditorium obedient obey disobedient auditor auditory audition inaudible
SON sonant sonorous sonority consonant consonance dissonance resonant resonate resonator subsonic supersonic unison unisonant unisonous dissonant resonance sonic ultrasound
ERR error erratum aberrance aberration inerrant inerratic aberrant errant erratic erroneous
CEDCES abscess access accessible accession antecede antecedence cede cessation cession concede concessive exceed exceeding exceedingly excess excessive incessant intercede intercession intercessor precede precedence preceding precession proceed proceeding proceeds process procession recede recess recession recessive retrocede retrocession secede secession succeed success successful succession successive successor accede antecedent concession precedent
VIDVIS visa visible vision visit visitant visitor visor vista visual visualize advise advisement adviser advisory advice devise device envisage envision envy invidious evident evidence improvise invisible prevision provident providential providence provision provisory prudent prudence prudential purvey purveyance purveyor revise revision supervise supervision supervisor supervisory surveillance survey surveyor televise television interview interviewee purview review visage visàvis visionary visitation
SPICSPEC spy espy espionage espial species special specialist specialty specimen spice specify specific specious spectacle spectacular spectator spectral specter spectrum speculate speculator speculum scope auspice frontispiece perspicuous transpicuous despise despicable despite aspect circumspect conspectus expect expectant expectancy expectation inspect inspection inspector introspect perspective prospect prospective respect respectable respectful respective retrospect retrospective suspect suspicion suspicious auspicious conspicuous introspection perspicacious
VOCVOK vocal vocalist vocalize vocabulary vocation vociferate vouch advocate advocacy avouch avow convoke convocation equivocal equivoque evoke evocation invoke invocation provoking provocation revoke revocation irrevocable equivocate irrevocable provoke vociferous
PHON phoneme phonemics phonetic phonetician phonic phonics phonogram
phonograph phonology cacophonous euphony euphonious gramophone homophone
interphone megaphone microphone telephone xylophone blaspheme euphemism
prophecy prophesy prophet cacophony phonetic polyphonic symphony
CUR accurate accuracy cure curer curious curiosity curio curate curator manicure
pedicure procurable procurator procurement secure security curative curator procure
sinecure
PERI pericardium perigee perihelion period periphery periscope perimeter periodontal peripatetic peripheral
SENTSENS sense sensibility sensible sensitive sensitivity sensory sensual sensate sensation sentience sentimental sentimentality sentence sententious assent consent consentient consensus dissent dissenter dissentient dissension extrasensory insensate insensible insensitive nonsense presentiment resent resentful resentment scent sensational sentient sentiment sensuous
SOPH sophism sophist sophistic sophisticate sophistication sophomore philosophy philosopher philosophic sophistry sophisticated sophomoric theosophy
LATER lateral latitude bilateral collateral equilateral multilateral quadrilateral unilateral
LAV lave lava lavatory lavish launder laundress laundry deluge dilute
LAXLYSE lax laxative laxity relax relaxation release analyze analysis analytic paralyze paralysis palsy
LECTLEG lectern lection lecture lecturer collect collection elect election elector electorate intellect intellectual neglect neglectful recollect recollection select selection legend legendary legible legion diligent diligence elegant elegance eligible intelligent intelligence intelligible negligent negligence negligible sacrilege
LEG legal legislate legislation legislative legislator legislature legist legitimate litigate litigation allege allegation allegiance privilege
LIBER liberal liberalism liberalist liberality liberalize liberalization liberate liberation liberator liberty libertarian libertine
LIBRLIB library librarian libretto librettist libel libelous
LIC license licensee licenser licentiate licentious illicit
LIG legate ligament ligature oblige obligate obligation obligatory religion religious league colleague colligate liable liability ally alliance allied rally
LINGU lingual linguist linguistic linguistics bilingual monolingual multilingual sublingual trilingual language
LIQU liquate liquefy liquefaction liquid liquidity liquidize liquor
LITER literal literalism literally literary literate literature alliterate illiteracy illiterate obliterate preliterate transliterate
LOC local locale localism locality localize locate location allocate collocate collocation dislocate dislocation relocate relocation translocation locus lieu
LONG longevity longitude longitudinal along belong elongate elongation length lengthen lengthy oblong prolong prolongation
LUMIN luminance luminary luminescence luminosity luminous illuminate illumine
LUSTLUC luster lustrous illustrate illustration illustrious lucent lucid lucidity Lucifer luculent elucidate pellucid translucent
MAGNMAJMAX
magnanimous magnanimity magnate magnify magnificent magnificence magnifier magniloquent magniloquence magnitude majesty majestic major majority maxim maximal maximum climax anticlimax
MANMANU manacle manage management manager manicure manifest manipulate manipulation manual manufacture manumit manuscript emancipate emancipation
MARK marked markedly marker demarcate demarcation remark remarkable
MECHAN mechanic mechanical mechanics mechanism mechanize
MED medic medical medicate medication medicine remedy remediable remedial irremediable
MEDI medium medial median mediate mediation mediator mediocre mediaeval Mediterranean immediate intermediate intermediation intermediary
MELAN melancholia melancholic melancholy melanin melanoma
MEMOR memorable memorial memory memorize memorandum memoir memento commemorate commemoration remember remembrance
MENT mental mentalist mentality mention amentia comment commentary demented dementia vehement mind remind reminder reminiscent reminiscence
MERC mercantile mercenary mercer merchandise merchant market marketing mercy merciful merciless commerce commercial
MERG merge mergence merger emerge emergence emergency emergent emersion immerge immerse immersion submerge submergence submersion submersible
MIGR migrate migrant migration migratory emigrate emigrant emigration immigrant immigration transmigrate transmigration
MILIT militant militancy military militarize militarism militate militia demilitarize demilitarization remilitarize remilitarization
MIN eminent eminence imminent imminence preeminent preeminence prominent prominence
MIN minify minim minimal minimize minimum minor minority minus minuscule minute minutia mince minister ministry administer administration administrative comminute diminish diminution diminutive miniature manikin
MIR admire admirer admiration admirable miracle miraculous mirage mirror marvel marvelous



























LESSON SIX
TENDTENT tend tendency tender tendon tense tensile tension tent attend attendance attendant attention attentive contend distensible distension extend extensible extensile extension extensive extensor extent hypertension intend intended intendance intendment intense intensify intensification intension intensity intensive intent intention intentional ostensible ostensive ostentation ostentatious portent portentous pretend pretentious pretence pretension superintend superintendence superintendent tenuous attenuate attenuation attenuator extenuate extenuation contentious distend portend tendentious
PENDPENS pendant pending pendulous pendulum append appendix appendicitis compendious compendium depend dependant dependence dependency expenditure expense expensive impend impending independence independency independent interdependent interdependence perpendicular spend suspend suspenders suspense suspension suspensor pension pensive compensate compensation dispense dispensable indispensable dispensary dispenser dispensation recompense poise counterpoise ponder ponderous preponderate preponderant appendage expend propensity stipend
PAN panAmerican panchromatic panorama pantheism pantheon pantomime panacea pandemonium panegyric panoply
EXTRA extracurricular extrajudicial extramural extraordinary extrasensory extreme extremity extravagant extramundane extrapolate extrovert extraneous
PHOSPHOT photochemistry photocomposition photoconduction photocopy photocopier photocurrent photoelectric photogenic photography photograph photographer photometer photophobia photosensitive photosynthesis phototherapy phototube phosphorescent photogenic photon photosynthesis
LUC elucidate lucent lucubration translucent
MORMORT mortal mortality immortal mortification mortuary morbid morbidity mortgage postmortem immortality moribund mortician mortify
NECNICNOX nocuous noxious innocent innocence obnoxious internecine
necrosis noxious pernicious
HERHES adhere adherence adhesion adhesive cohere coherence coherent
cohesive inhere inherence inhesion hesitate hesitation hesitant adherent cohesion
incoherent inherent
FUG fugacious febrifuge refuge refugee centrifuge fugitive fugue subterfuge
COSM cosmic cosmogony cosmonaut microcosm cosmetic cosmology cosmopolitan cosmos
SCI science scientific scientist conscience conscious consciousness subconscious unconscious nescient nescience omniscient prescience conscientious omniscience prescient unconscionable
JUNCT join adjoin conjoin disjoin rejoin subjoin junction juncture adjunction conjunct conjunction subjunctive adjunct disjunction injunction junta
PART parting partake partial partiality participate participant participation participator particle particular particularity particulate partition partner partnership apart apartment compartment counterpart depart department departure impartation impartiality impartment parcel portion apportion proportion proportional impart impartial participle partisan
MITMIS missile mission missionary message messenger admit admission admittance commit commitment committee commission commissioner compromise demise demission dismiss dismissal emit emission intermit intermittence intermittent intermission manumit omit omission omissible permit permission premise pretermission promise promising promissory remiss remit remitter remittent remission submit submission submissive surmise transmit transmission emissary manumission missive remittance
PELPULS pulse pulsate pulsation compulsion compulsive compulsory dispel expellant expulsion expulsive impellent impulse impulsion impulsive propel propellant propeller propulsion propulsive repel repellent repulse repulsive peal appeal appealing appellant appellation appellative repeal compel expel impel repulsion
MIX mixer mixture admix admixture intermix intermixture premix
MOD mode modal model moderate moderation moderator modern modernize modest modesty modify modification modifier modish modulate modulation commodity commodious commode accommodate accommodation outmoded
MONSTR monster monstrous demonstrate demonstration remonstrate remonstrative remonstrance remonstrant
MOR moral morale moralist morality moralize moralization amoral demoralize demoralization immoral unmoral
MOUNT mountain mountainous dismount paramount promontory remount surmount surmountable
MOVMOBMOT move movement movable remove removable mob mobile mobilize mobilization automobile demobilize motion motivate motivation motive motif motor motorize commotion demote emotion emotional locomotion locomotive promote promoter promotion remote remoteness moment momentary momentous momentum mutiny mutinous
MUR mural muralist extramural immure immurement intramural
MYST mystery mysterious mystic mystical mysticism mystify myth
NAUNAV nausea nauseate nauseous nautical aeronaut aeronautics astronaut navy naval navigate navigation navigator navigable circumnavigate circumnavigation
NECRO necrology necromancy necromancer necropolis necrosis
NECTNEX connect connection connective connector disconnect disconnected interconnect interconnection annex annexation nexus
NEURNEURONERV neural neuralgia neurasthenia neuritis neurobiology neurochemistry neurology neurological neurosis neurotic nervous enervate innervate unnerve
NEUTR neuter neutral neutralism neutralist neutrality neutralize neutron
NIHIL nihilism nihilist nihilistic nihility annihilate annihilation annihilator
NOCTNOX nocturnal equinox equinoctial
NORM normal normalize normalization normality normally abnormal abnormality enormity enormous subnormal supernormal
NOT note noted notable notary notarize notarization notation notice noticeable notify notification notion notorious annotate annotation connote connotation denote denotation
NOUNCE announce announcement annunciate denounce denunciation enunciate enunciation pronounce pronouncement pronunciation renounce renouncement renunciation
NOV novel novelette novelist novelty novice novitiate innovate innovation innovator renovate renovation
NULNULL null nullify nullification nullity annul annulment
NUMBER numberless numerable numeral numerate numerical enumerate enumeration innumerable
NUTRI nutrient nutriment nutrition nutritious nutritive innutrition malnutrition
OCUL ocular oculist binocular inoculate inoculation monocular
ONYM homonym onomatopoeia acronym anonym anonymous antonym cryptonym metonymy patronymic pseudonym synonym
OPER opera operable operant operate operatic operation operational operative operator cooperate cooperative cooperator
OPT optimism optimist optimum opt option optional adopt adoption adoptive
OPTOPTO optic optical optician optics optometrist myopia myopic
ORA oral orate oration orator oratorical oratorio oratory oracle oracular adoration inexorable inexorability perorate peroration
ORDERORDIN primordial order orderly ordinal ordinance ordinary ordinarily ordinate ordination coordinate coordination coordinator disorder extraordinary extraordinarily inordinate subordinate subordination
ORI orient oriental orientate orientation origin original originality originate originative originator aboriginal abortion disorient disorientation reorient reorientation
ORN ornament ornamental ornamentation ornate adorn adornment
OSSOSTEO ossify ossification ossuary osteoarthritis osteopathy
PAN pantry company companion companionship accompany
PAR pare parade apparatus prepare preparation preparatory repair reparable reparation reparative separate separation
PAR parity compare comparable comparability comparative comparison disparate disparity imparity pair peer peerage peerless umpire
PAR appear appearance apparent apparition transparent
PAR parent parental parentage oviparous viviparous







LESSON SEVEN
PUT compute computer computerize computation depute deputation deputy dispute disputable disputation imputation indisputable repute reputable disreputable disrepute amputate disputatious impute putative reputed
LOG catalogue dialogue prologue epilogue logic logical apology apologia apologist apologue apologize analogy analogous anthropology biology chronology entomology etymology eulogize geology meteorology mineralogy mythology neology pathology philology phrenology physiology psychology theology trilogy zoology colloquial colloquy eloquent eloquence loquacious loquacity obloquy soliloquy locution circumlocution elocution interlocution prolocutor eulogy monologue neologism genealogy
TERR terrace terrain terrene territory territorial exterritorial extraterritorial inter interment disinter disinterment Mediterranean parterre subterranean terrarium terrestrial
MAR marine submarine transmarine ultramarine aquamarine marina mariner maritime
PATH passion passionate passive passivism compassion compassionate dispassion dispassionate patient impatient compatible compatibility incompatible pathos pathetic antipathy antipathetic apathy neuropathy sympathize sympathy apathetic empathy pathology sociopath
PENPUN penalize penalty penitence penitent penitentiary repent repentance repentant punish punishment impunity penal penance punitive
MATRMETR maternal matriarchy matricide matrimony matrix matron maternity matriculate matrilineal metropolitan
MONI monition monument monumental monumentalize admonition admonitory
premonitory summon admonish monitory monitor premonition
CANT canticle recant chant enchant enchantment accent accentuate cantata
incantation cantor descant
LUDLUS allusion collude delude delusion elude elusion elusive illusion disillusion interlude postlude allude collusion ludicrous prelude
PHANPHEN phantom phase fantasy fantasia fantastic fancy fancied fanciful phenomenal diaphanous emphasize emphasis emphatic phantasm phantasmagoria phenomenon diaphanous
VER very veridical verifiable verification verily verisimilitude veritable veracious veracity verdict aver verify verisimilar verity
TURB turbidity turbulence disturb disturbance perturbation trouble troublesome troublous perturb turbine turbulent turbid
VOLUVOLV volume voluminous volute convolve convolution devolve evolve evolutionism involve involvement involution revolve revolver revolution revolutionary revolt devolution evolution voluble convoluted
FACFECFIC fact factor factory faction factional factious factitious factotum facture benefactor malefactor manufacture facilitate facility facsimile faculty difficult difficulty affect affectation affection affectionate confect confectionary confectionery defect defection effect effective effectual infect infection infectious disinfect perfect perfection imperfect prefect prefecture refection refectory deficient deficiency efficacy efficient efficiency magnificent magnificence proficiency profit profitable office official sacrifice suffice sufficient affair feat defeat feature feasible counterfeit forfeit forfeiture surfeit confection facile olfactory proficient
UTUS usufruct usury utilitarian utility
PASS passage passenger passerby Passover passport pastime bypass compass impasse overpass surpass trespass trespasser underpass
PED pedagogue pedagogic pedagogy pedant pedantic pedantry pediatrician pediatrics pedophilia
PERI peril perilous empirical empiricism empiricist experience experiment experimental experimentation expert expertise imperil
PET petition petitioner appetite appetitive appetizer appetizing appetent compete competition competitive competitor competence competent incompetent impetus impetuous repeat repetition centripetal
PETRPETRO petrify petrography petroleum petroliferous petrology
PICT pictograph pictorial picture depict depiction
PLAIN plaint plaintiff plaintive plaintiveness complain complainant complaint
PLANT plantation planter plantlet implant implantation transplant transplantable transplantation
PLAUD applaud applause applausive plaudit plausible plausibility explode explosion explosive implode
PLEN plenary plenipotentiary plentitude plenty plenteous plentiful plenum ample amplify complete completeness completion complement complementary comply compliance compliant compliment complimentary deplete expletive implement impletion replenish replenishment replete repletion supply supple supplement supplemental supplementary accomplish accomplishment
PLORE deplore deplorable explore exploration explorer implore imploration
PORT portable portage porter portfolio portly comport comportment deport deportee deportation deportment disport export exporter import important importance importation importer purport report reportage sport sportive sporty support supportable supporter transport transportation portal portcullis porter portico porch importune importunity opportune opportunist opportunity passport
POTENT potentate potential potentiality impotent impotence omnipotent omnipotence
PREC precarious precariousness deprecate deprecation deprecatory imprecate imprecation imprecatory
PRECI precious preciousness appreciate appreciable appreciably appreciation appreciative appreciator depreciate depreciation praise appraise appraisal
PREDA predacious predator predatory prey depredate depredation
PRESS pressing pressure compress compressed compressible compression compressive compressor depress depressant depressed depressing depression express expressage expression expressionism expressionist expressive expressly impress impression impressionable impressionism impressionist oppress oppression oppressive oppressor repress repression repressible repressive repressor suppress suppressible suppression suppressor
PRIV private privacy privately privation privative privatize privilege privileged privy deprive deprived deprivation
PROACH approach approachable approachability approximate approximately proximity reproach reproachful reproaching
PSYCHPSYCHO psyche psychiatry psychiatric psychiatrist psychic psychics psychoanalysis psychoanalyze psycholinguistics psychology psychological psychologist psychoneurosis psychopath psychosis psychosomatic psychotherapy psychotherapist
PUGN pugnacious pugnacity impugn repugnance repugnant
PUR pure purify purification purism puritan puritanical purity impure impurity
QUER quarrel quarreler quarrelsome querulous
QUIQUIET quiet quietness quietude quietus inquietude unquiet quiescence quiescent acquiesce acquiescence acquiescent
QUIT quittance quitter acquit acquittal requite requital unrequited

LESSON EIGHT
UMBR umbra umbrageous umbral umbrella adumbration somber adumbrate penumbra umber umbrage
VEST vest vestment vesture divestiture divestment invest investment investor divest investiture transvestite travesty
THETHEO theism theist theocrat theocratic theology theologian theologize apotheosize atheism atheist monotheism monotheist pantheism pantheist pantheon polytheism polytheist apotheosis atheistic pantheistic theocracy
DEDIV debase debate decadence decapitate decay decease deceive decide decipher declaim declare decrepit decry deduce defect defer deflate deflower deform deliberate delinquency deluge demarcation demerit demolish demonstrate depict deprave derelict derive despise despoil detail detain dethrone detonate devastate devour debark decamp decode deface defer deficit defrost defy dehydrate denude descant detach detour detrimental deity dues ex machine divinatory divinity
DEMO demagogue democracy democrat democratic democratize demography epidemic demographic endemic pandemic demotic
POPUL popular popularity popularize populate population public publicity publish publication depopulate depopulation overpopulated overpopulation republic republican republish republication populist populace populous vox populi
POLISPOLIT cosmopolitan metropolis metropolitan necropolis acropolis megalopolis politic politicize
CIRCUCIRCUM circumambulate circumcise circumfuse circumjacent
circumlocution circumlunar circumpolar circumstance circle circular circulate
circulation circuit circus encircle semicircle cycle cyclist cyclone bicycle tricycle
encyclopedia circuitous circumference circumspect circumvent
CORD accordance according accordingly cordiality core concord concordant
courage courageous discord discordant discourage encourage encouragement record
accord concordance cordial discordant
CULP culprit culpable inculpation culpable exculpate inculpate mea culpa
DIC abdicate abdication dedicate dedication indicate indication index predicate prediction diction dictionary dictate dictation dictator dictum benediction condition contradict contradiction contradictious indict interdict predict sedition valedictory verdict vindicate edict interdiction jurisdiction malediction
GNIGNO agnostic cognition cognizable cognizance cognizant diagnose ignore ignorance ignorant prognosticate recognize recognizable recognition cognitive diagnosis incognito prognosis
APTEPT apt aptness adapt adaptable adaptive inapt inaptitude adaptation aptitude adept inept
ART artist artistic artless artificial artful artifact artifice artisan
CADCIDCAS cadence decadence accident accidental deciduous incidence incident incidental coincide coincidence coincident Occident cascade case casual occasion occasional cadaver casualty decadent recidivism
CIS concision decide decision decisive excision fratricide incise incision insecticide matricide patricide precise suicide concise excise incisive precision
RADRAS abrade abrasion abrasive erase erasable eraser erasure raze razor
RADI radical radicalism radicalize radicalization radicand radish radix eradicate eradicable eradication eradicator
RADI radium radius radial radiate radiation radiator radiant radio radioactive radioactivity radiology radiotelephone radiotherapy irradiate irradiation irradiant irradiance
RAPRAV rape rapist rapacious rapacity rapid rapidity rapt rapture enrapt enrapture rapturous raptorial ravage raven ravening ravish ravishment
RATRATIO ratify ratio ratiocinate ratiocination ration rational rationale rationalism rationalist rationality rationalize rationalization
irrational irrationality
REG regal regalia regality regent regency regicide regime regiment Regina regius region realm regnant reign regular regularity regulate regulation irregular royal royalty rigid rigidity rigor rigorous
REPT reptile reptilian surreptitious
RIDRIS ridicule ridiculous risible risibility deride derision derisive derisory
RODROS rodent corrode corrosion corrosive erode erosion erosive
ROT rotary rotate rotation rotational rotator rotor rotund rotunda rotundity dextrorotatory levorotatory
RUD rude rudiment rudimental rudimentary erudite erudition
RUPT rupture abrupt abruption bankrupt bankruptcy corrupt corruption disrupt disruption erupt eruption incorrupt incorruptible interrupt interruption irrupt irruption route routine
RURRUS rural rustic rusticate rustication rusticity
SAL salad salary salaried saline salinity salt salted desalt desalination
SALSUL salient salience sally salmon assail assault desultory exult exultation insult resilient resilience result
SALSAN salute salutatory salutation salubrious salutary sane sanity insane insanity sanative sanatorium sanitary sanitation sanitarian
SANGUI sanguine sanguinary sanguineous sanguinity consanguine consanguinity ensanguine
SAT sate satiate satiation satiable satiety insatiable insatiability insatiate satire satisfy satisfaction satisfactory dissatisfy dissatisfaction dissatisfactory saturation soil
SECT sectarian sectary section sectional sectionalism sectionalize bisect bisection dissect dissection dissector insect insecticide insectivorous intersect intersection
vivisection secant segment
SEDSESSSID sedate sedative sedentary sediment sedimentation sedulous sessile session assess assessor assiduity dissidence dissident insidious obsess obsessive possess possessed possession dispossess prepossess repossess preside president presidency presidium reside residence resident residential residual residue subside subsidence subsidize subsidy subsidiary supersede siege besiege consult consultant consultation exile
SEMIN disseminate seminal seminar seminary dissemination inseminate insemination
SEN senate senator senatorial senescent senescence senile senility senior seniority
SERT series serial seriate serried assert assertion assertive concert desert deserted desertion dissertation exert exertion insert insertion reassert reassertion
SINU sinuate sinuous sinuosity sinus sinusitis insinuate insinuation insinuative
SISTSTIUTSTAST assist assistance assistant consist consistent consistence exist existent existence insist insistent insistence persist persistent persistence resist resistant resistance irresistible subsist subsistence constitute constituent constitution constitutional destitute destitution institute institution prostitute restitute restitution solstice substitute substitution superstition superstitious stable stabilize stabilization stability establish establishment stage contrast obstacle obstetric obstinate obstinacy stance state stately statement static station stationary stationer stationery statistics statue stature status statute estate stead steady steadfast circumstance circumstantial circumstantiate constant constancy destine destiny destination distant distance extant instant instance instantaneous substance substantial substantiate restore restoration stall install installation installment apostasy apostate ecstasy ecstatic metastasis system
SOCI sociable sociability social socialism socialist socialite socialize socialization society sociology sociologist associate associable associated association associative consociate consociation dissociate dissociable dissociation
SOL sole solely solitary solitude solo soloist solemn solemnity soliloquy solid solidity solidify consolidate console consolation solace desolate desolation solar solarium circumsolar insolate parasol turnsole
SOM somnambulate somnambulism somnambulist somniferous somnolent somnolence insomnia insomniac
SORT sorter assort assorted assortment consort consortium resort
SPER desperado desperate desperately desperation despair despairing prosper prosperity prosperous
SPERS asperse aspersion disperse dispersal dispersed dispersion dispersive intersperse interspersion sparse
SPIR spirit dispirit inspirit spiritual spiracle sprightly aspire aspirant aspiration conspire conspirator expire expiration expiry inspire inspiration perspire perspiration respire respiration respiratory suspire transpire
SPLEND splendid splendiferous splendor resplendent resplendence


















LESSON NINE
CRYPTCRYPH apocryphal cryptic cryptography crypt
ABABS abdicate abduct abject abnormal abominate abortion abrade abrupt absolve absorb abuse abscess abstain abstract abundant abscond abstemious abstraction abstruse
PED pedagogue pedagogic pedantic pedantry pediatrics pedophilia pedagogy encyclopedic pediatrician pedant
NASCNATNAI nation national nationality nationalize nationalization native naïve nature natural naturalism naturalize agnate agnatic agnation cognation connate connatural denature denaturalize neonate postnatal prenatal cognate innate nascent renaissance
FER ferry ferriage fertilize afferent circumference confer conference conferment conifer coniferous defer deference deferment differ different difference differentiate efferent indifferent infer inferable inferential odoriferous offer prefer preferable preference preferential proffer refer referable reference referential somniferous suffer sufferable sufferance suffering transfer transferor transferee transference deferential fertile inference proliferate
TRANS transaction transducer transfer transfigure transform transgress transit translate transmit transmute transparent transport tradition traitor traverse tranquil transcend transcribe transpire travesty trespass transfiguration transfuse transient transcendent
PONPOS compound exponent expound opponent postpone postponement posit position positive post postage postal posture apposite apposition compose composedly composer composite compositor composition compost composure decompose depose deposit deposition depositor depository discompose discomposure dispose disposable disposal expose exposure exposition impose imposing imposition imposture indispose indisposition interpose juxtapose oppose opposite opposition predispose predisposition preposition prepositional propose proposal proposition purpose repose reposeful reposition superposition suppose supposedly supposition presuppose presupposition transpose transposition paus
e component disposition repository superimpose
TENTINTAIN tenacity tenancy tenant tendril tenement tenet tenor tenure
abstain abstention appertain contain container containment content contented
contentment continence continental continue continual continuance continuation
continuity continuous countenance detain detainee detention entertain entertainer
entertainment impertinent impertinence lieutenant maintain maintenance obtain
pertain pertinence pertinent pertinacious pertinacity retain rein retention retentive
retinue sustain sustainable sustentation sustentative abstinence tenacious sustenance
tenable
MONO monochrome monocracy monocycle monogamy monogram monolingual
monologue monopoly monopolize monosyllable monotonous monotony monarch
monk monogamous monograph monolithic monotheism
UNI unicorn uniform union unique unit unite unity universal unanimous unicameral
unilateral unison Unitarian
TERM terminable terminate termination terminative terminator terminus
conterminous determine determinable determinant determinate determination
determined determiner determinism determinist exterminate extermination
exterminator predetermination indeterminate interminable terminal terminology
VINCVICT victor victorious victory vanquish convince convincible convincing conviction convict evince invincible provincial victimize
SPHER sphere spheroid spherule atmosphere atmospheric hemispheric stratosphere biosphere hemisphere spherical
VERTVERS verse versed versify versification version vertex vertigo vertiginous vortex adverse adversary adversity advert advertence advertise advertiser advertisement animadvert anniversary averse aversion controvert controversy controversial converse conversant conversation convert convertible divers diverse diversity diversify diversion divorce extrovert inadvertent inadvertences introvert introversion invert inverse inversion obvert obverse pervert perversion perversity retroversion revert reversion reverse reversal reversible subvert subversion subversive tergiversation transverse traverse universe universal university divert perverse avert versatile
MORPH morphology morphological isomorphic polymorphic amorphous anthropomorphic metamorphosis morphology
FORM formal formalism informal informality formation formula formulate conformance conformation conformist conformity deform deformity inform information informative informed malformation perform performance reform reformation reformatory reformer transform transformation uniform multiform conform formality formative format
DOCDOCT docent doctor doctoral doctorate doctrinarian document documentation didactic didacticism didactics disciple discipline indoctrination doctrine docile doctrinaire indoctrinate
TUTTUI intuition tuition tutelage tutorial
DIDUO dilemma diphthong diploma duodecimal duologue dodecagon dozen double doubt dual dubious duel duet duplicate dichotomy diplomatic duplex duplicity
BIBIN bicameral biennial bifurcated bigamy bilingual bimonthly binocular bipod bipolar bisexual biweekly bipartisan bipolar
SPONDSPONS sponsor despond despondent despondence respond response responsible responsibility responsive correspond correspondent correspondence
STELL stellar constellate constellation interstellar
STILL distill distillate distillation distiller distillery instill instillation
STINCTSTING sting stingy distinguish distinguished distinct distinction distinctive extinguish extinguisher extinct extinction instinct instinctive instigate instigation instigator stimulate stimulant stimulation stimulus stigma stigmatic
SUADE suasion dissuade dissuasion dissuasive persuade persuasion persuasive
SUMESUMPT sumptuary sumptuous assume assuming assumption assumptive consume consumer consumerism consumption consumptive presume presumable presuming presumption presumptive presumptuous reassume resume resumption unassuming
SUMM summary summarily summarize summarization summation summit consummate consummation
SUR assure assured assurance assuring ensure insure insurable insurance insurant insurer reassure reassurance reassuring reinsure reinsurance
SURGESURRECT surge insurgency insurgent insurrection resurge resurgence resurgent resurrect resurrection source resource
TACTIC tacit taciturn taciturnity reticence reticent
TAIL tailor tailoring detail detailed entail retail retailer
TECHN technical technicality technically technique technocracy technocrat technological technologist technology
TECT detect detectaphone detection detective protect protection protectionism protective protector protégée tegument
TEMPTTENT tempt temptation tempter tempting temptress attempt attempted tentative tentacle
TEST testament testamentary testate testator testatrix testify testimony testimonial attest attestation attester contest contestant contestation detest detestable protest protestant protestation
THESTHET hypothetical thesis antithesis antithetic hypothesis hypothesize hypothetic parenthesis parenthesize synthesis synthesize synthetic
TIM timid timidity timorous intimidate intimidation intimidator
TON tone tonal tonality atonal atonality diatonic intone intonation monotone monotonous monotony semitone undertone
TOUR tourism tourist tournament attorney contour detour
TOX toxic toxicant toxicity toxicology toxicologist toxin antitoxic antitoxin detoxify intoxicate intoxicant intoxicated intoxication
TRIBUT tribute tributary attribute attribution attributive contribute contribution contributor distribute distribution retribution retributive
TROP tropic tropical tropism heliotrope heliotropism hydrotropism subtropical subtropics
TRUDTRUS abstruse detrude extrude extrusion extrusive intrude intruder intrusion intrusive obtrude obtrusion obtrusive obtrusiveness protrude protrusion
TUM tumefaction tumescent tumescence tumid tumor contumacious contumacy contumely
ULTIM ultimate ultimately ultimatum ultimo penultimate antepenultimate
URB urban urbane urbanism urbanite urbanity urbanize urbanization conurbation exurb exurban exurbia interurban suburb suburban suburbanite suburbia
VACVANVOID vacant vacancy vacate vacation vacuum vacuity vacuous evacuate evacuation vain vanity vanish evanesce evanescence evanescent voidance avoid avoidance devoid inevitable vainglorious
VADE evade evasion evasive invade invader invasion invasive pervade pervasion wade waddle
VAGA vagabond vagary vagarious vagrancy vagrant vague divagate divagation extravagant extravagance extravaganza
VARI vary variable variability variance variant variation varicolored varied variegate variegation variety
VELOP develop development envelope envelop envelopment



LESSON TEN
TOP topical topiary topography ectopic
CENTRCENTER central centralism centralization centrifugal centripetal anthropocentric concentrate concentration decentralize eccentricity heliocentric eccentric epicenter egocentric ethnocentric
DOM dome domestic domesticate domesticity domical dominant dominate domineer domain daunt dauntless predominate predominance kingdom predominant domicile domination dominion
HABITHIBIT habit habitant habituate habitude habitat cohabit inhabitation inhabitant exhibit exhibition inhibit inhibition prohibit prohibition exhibitionist habitation habitual inhibit
PRO precaution precede precept precinct precipice preclude precocious predecessor predict predilection prefabricate preface prefer pregnant prehistoric prejudice preliminary prelude premature premium preoccupy prepare preponderate preposterous prerequisite presage prescribe present preserve preside presume pretend prevail prevent preview previous problem proceed proclaim procure prodigal produce profane profess proficient profit profligate profound profuse program progress prohibit project prologue prolong promenade prominent promiscuous promise promote promulgate pronoun pronounce propel prophecy proportion propose propound prorogue prosecute prospect prostitute prostrate protect protest protrude provide provoke purchase purport purpose pursue purvey proffer prudent procrastinate prodigious prophylaxis propitious
RETRO retroact retroflex retrograde retrospect retroactive retrofit retrogress retrospective
TEMPOR temporal temporary temporize tempest contemporary extempore extemporize extemporization contemporary extemporaneous temporal temporize
CHRON Chronicle chronological chronometer chronoscope isochronal
synchronize anachronism chronic chronology synchronous
TRI triangle tribe tribune tricycle trigonometry trilateral trio tripartite triple tripod
trisection triceratops tricolor trident trilogy trimester trinity triptych trivial
ANIM animal animalcule animalism animate animation animator animus equanimity magnanimity reanimate unanimity unanimous animated magnanimous animosity inanimate
FIG figure figuration disfigure prefigure transfigure configuration effigy figment figurative
ANNENN annals anniversary annual biannual biennial centennial superannuate superannuated annuity millennium perennial
EV coeval longevity medieval primeval
CORP corps corpse corporality corporation corpus corpuscle incorporation corset corporeal corpulent corporal incorporate
TANGTACT tangency tangent tact tactful tactics tactician tactual contact contagion contagious contiguity contiguous contingency contingent intangible integer integral integrant integrate integration integrity attain attainment attaint taint intact tactile tangential tangible
CODICODE codex codicil codify decode
SIGN signal signature signify significant significance signification assign assignee assigner assignment consign consignation consignee consigner consignment countersign countersignature design designed designer designate designation ensign insignia resigned resignation assignation resign signatory signet
QUADRQUART
quadripartite quadriplegia quadruped quadruple quadrille quadriplegic quartile
TESSARTETR
tetragon tetrahedron tetrarch tetracycline tetrahedron
VENGE vengeance vengeful avenge avenger revenge revengeful
VENT ventilate ventilation ventilator
VERG verge converge convergence convergent diverge divergence divergent
VI via viable viaduct voyage convey conveyance convoy deviate deviant deviation devious envoy invoice obviate obvious pervious impervious previous trivia trivial triviality
VIG vigil vigilance vigilant vigor vigorous invigorate invigoration invigorator vegetate vegetation vegetable
VOL voluntary involuntary volunteer voluptuous volition volitional benevolence malevolence
VULSE avulsion convulse convulsion convulsive revulsion
A
1adown afresh akin anew
2aback abed ablaze aboard abroad afar afloat afoot aground ahead alive aloof asleep away
3abide alike aloud amaze arise arouse ashamed athirst await awake
4abadaon abase abate abridge achieve amass ameliorate amenable amount avenge avenue avow
5avert avocation
6 abash amend avoid
7abyss achromatic Amazon amnesty amoral apathy aphasia asylum asymmetry atheism atom
atypical
ADadvent abbreviate accede accelerate accept acclimate accomplice accost accumulate accustom acknowledge acquire adapt addict adduce adhere admire adorn advent adverse advocate affiliate affirm afflict affront aggress aggrieve align allay allocate allot alloy allude allure annex annihilate appease append appertain apply appraise apprise approbate arrest arrogant ascertain assert assuage assume attach attain attract attune
ALalmighty almost alone
ANanemia anesthetic anarchy anecdote ambrosia
ANA anachronism analogy
ARCHarchangel archbishop archenemy archetype architect
BEbelabor befool befoul befriend beguile belittle benumb betroth becloud bedew befog become befall behold bemoan beset bespeak because bequeath beside befit beloved bereave besiege bethink
BENEbenediction benefaction benefactor beneficent beneficial beneficiary benefit benevolent benign benignant bonus boon bounteous bountiful bounty
BIbicameral biennial bifurcated bigamy bilingual bimonthly binocular bipod bipolar bisexual biweekly
COMcombat combine comfort commemorate commend commensurate commingle commiserate commotion commute compatriot compile compose coalesce coalition coeducation coerce coeval coexist cohabitation cohere coincide cooperate collaborate collapse colleague collide collinear collusion combustion concave conceit concentrate conclude concord concourse condense condescend condole confederate confer configuration confiscate confront congeal conglomerate conjunction consent consume contaminate correct correlate corroborate corrugate corrupt council counsel










LESSON ELEVEN
CAPIT cape capital capitalist capitalize capitally captain cabbage decapitation precipitate precipitous capitalism capitulate decapitate recapitulate
ANTHROP anthropocentric anthropography anthropoid anthropomorphism anthropomorphous misanthrope misanthropy philanthropist anthrop anthropology misanthropic philanthropy
CUMBCUB cumber cumbersome concubine decumbence decumbent encumbrance incubus procumbent incumbent incubate recumbent succumb
DYNAM dynast dynastic dynamism dynamite dynamometer hydrodynamics thermodynamics dynamic dynamo dynasty hydrodynamic
GRAD grade gradient gradual graduation degradation postgraduate undergraduate upgrade ingredient aggress aggression congress digress digressive egress ingress progress progressive regression retrogress transgress degrade gradation graduate retrograde
LAT ablation dilate dilatable dilatation elate illation oblate relate relation relative superlative translate translation translator ventilate ventilation delay collate prelate relativity correlate
CRIT criterion critic critical criticism criticize hypocritical criterion hypercritical critique hematocrit
JUR judge judgment judicature judicatory judicial judiciary judicious adjudicate
prejudice sub abjuration adjure adjuration conjure conjuration perjure just justice
justify adjust injustice unjust unjustifiable juridical jurisdiction jury jurist juror injure
injurious injury abjure perjury jurisprudence objurgate
PENT pentagon pentathlon Pentateuch pentameter pentagram
QUINT quintessential quintet quintile
BIO biochemistry biography biographer biology biometry autobiography autobiographical antibiotic biodegradable bionic biopsy symbiosis
GEN gender gene genealogy general generality generalize generate generation generator degenerate engender regenerate generous genesis genetics genial biogenesis endogenous exogenous homogeneity genital congenital pathogenic primogenitor progenitor progeny genius ingenious ingenuous genocide genteel gentile gentle genuine genus eugenics pregnant cognate hydrogen nitrogen oxygen eugenic carcinogenic congenial indigenous generic
FUNGFUNCT malfunction functionary fungible perfunctory
MUT mutable mutability mutate mutation mutual mutuality commutate commute permute transmutation commutation immutable permutation transmute
FRAGFRACT fraction fracture fragile fragility fragment fragmentation frail frailty diffract diffraction infract infraction refrain suffrage fractious fragmentary infraction refraction
TELE telecommunication telegram telegraph telepathy telephone telescope television teleological telemetry telepathic telegenic
PHIL philatelist philology philter oenophile
NEG negate negation negative neglect neglectful negligence negotiate negotiation negatron abnegate renegade abnegation negligible renegade renege
DEC decade decagon decigram deciliter decimal decimeter Decalogue decathlon decibel decimate
CENT centenarian centennial centimeter centipede centuple centuplicate century percent percentage centenary centigrade centimeter centurion
DEMI demigod
DIdilemma diphthong diploma
DIAdiacritical diagnosis diagonal diagram dialect dialogue diameter diatribe
DUOduodecimal duologue dodecagon dozen double doubt dual dubious duel duet duplex duplicate duplicity
Eescalade escort especial espouse espy esquire establish estrange evaporate
ENenamored enact enamor encase enclose encompass encounter encourage encroach encumber endeavor endorse energy enfold engage engrave enhance enjoin enlarge enlighten enlist enrage enrapture enrich enroll enshrine enshroud enslave ensnare entangle enthrall entitle entrench entrust envelop environment envelope embank embark embarrass embed embellish emblem embody embrace empower
EXexacerbate exact exaggerate example exasperate exceed excel except excerpt exchange exclude excruciate execute exempt exert exhale exhaust exhibit exhilarate exhort exhume exit exonerate exorcise exotic expand expect expel expire explain explicit expose expound exquisite exterior exterminate external extinguish extirpate extol extort extradite extricate extrinsic extrude exuberant exude ebullient edit educate egress eject elaborate elapse elect elide eliminate elite elocution elope emaciate emanate emancipate erudite eruption event evident evince evoke eccentric eclipse ecstasy efface effete effort effuse escape sample
FORforbid forget forgive forgo forlorn forsake forswear
FOREforearm forebear foredoom forefather forefinger forefront foregoing foregone foreground forehead foreknowledge foreman foresee foreshadow foresight forestall foretaste foretell forethought foretime forewarn foreword forward
FORTHforthcoming forthright forthwith
HECTOhectogram hectograph hectoliter hectometer
HETEROheteroclite heterocyclic heterodox heterogeneous heteronym
HEXA hexagon hexagram hexameter hexangular hexapod
INincriminate inbeing inborn inbreathe incarcerate incarnate incense incentive inceptive incident incipient incise incline include income increase incriminate incubate incur incurve indoor induce indulge infatuate infect infiltrate inflame inflate influence infringe infuriate infuse ingrained inhale inherit inhibit inject injunction inlet innate innovate inquire inroad inscribe insect insert insight inspect inspirit intake intoxicate intricate intrigue intuition inundation inure invade inveigle invest investigate
involve illation illuminate illusion illustrate imbibe immanent immerge immigrate impair impale impart impeach impediment impenetrate impersonate impinge implant implement implicate imply import impose impound impoverish imprecate impregnate imprint imprison irradiate irrigate irruption
INinaccessible inadequate inaudible incautious incomparable inconsistent indecisive indigestion indispensable inequality infallible infamous innutrition invaluable invulnerable enemy ignoble ignominy ignorant illegal illegitimate illiberal illicit illiterate illogical immaculate immature immeasurable immediate immense immodest immortal immutable impalpable imparity impartial impecunious impenetrable impenitent impious implacable impotent imprudent irrational irredeemable irregular irrelative irrelevant irreligious irresistible irresolute irresponsible
INTERintercept interchange interfere interfuse interim interior interjacent interlace interlude intermingle intermit intermix international interplay interpolate interpose interpret interrupt intersect intersperse interstellar interstice intervene intertwine interval interweave enterprise entertain intellect intelligence
INTRAINTRO intrapersonal intraschool intravenous introduce introspect introvert
ISOisobar isochronal isogloss isomer isometric isotherm isotope
KILOkilobyte kilocalorie kilocycle kilogram kilohertz kilolitre kilometer kiloton kilovolt kilowatt
MACRO macrobiotics macrocosm macroeconomics macroengineering macromolecule macroscopic
MEGE megalith megalomania megaphone megaton megavolt megawatt
MICROmicroanalysis microbe microbiology microcosm microeconomics micrometeorology microphone microscope microwave
MISmisaddress misadvise misapply misapprehend misarrange misbelieve mischance mischief misconduct misdate misdeed misfortune mislead misogynist misplace mispronounce misstate misstep mistrust misunderstand
MULTI multicolor multifarious multiform multilingual multiply multipurpose multitude
NEnefarious nescience neuter naught nay neither never none null negotiate
NEOneoclassicism neocolonialism neoimpressionism neologism neonatal neophyte NONnonaggression nonaligned noncombatant noncombustible noncommittal nondurable nonentity nonessential nonmember nonpartisan nonsectarian nonverbal
OBobdurate obedient obfuscate obituary object objurgate oblige oblique oblong obscene obstacle obstinate obstruct obtain obvious omit occasion occult occupy occur offend offer opponent oppress ostentation
OCTAoctagon octahedron octave octavo October octopus
OMNIomnibus omnipotent omnipresent omniscient omnivorous
OUT outbreak outdo outgrow outlandish outlaw outline outlive outnumber outpace outrage outrival outrun outwear outwit
OVERoveract overbear overburden overcast overcoat overcome overcrowd overdo overeat overestimate overflow overhang overhaul overhear overlap overlay overload overlook overnight overpay overpower overrate overseas overset oversight oversleep overtake overthrow overturn overwhelm
PENpeninsula penultimate penumbra

LESSON TWELVE
NOM nominate nomination nominative nominator nominee denominate denomination denominative denominator ignominy renown ignominious misnomer nomenclature nominal
PATERPATR paternal paternity patriarch patricide patriot patriotic patriotism patron patronage patronize compatriot repatriate repatriation expatriate paternalistic patrician patrimony
LEGA legation legatee delegate delegacy relegation delegation legacy legate relegate
GREG gregarious aggregation congregate segregation aggregate congregation egregious segregate
FLUFLUCT fluent fluency fluid fluidity flume flush fluctuate flood affluent circumfluent circumfluence confluent confluence effluence influent influence influential superfluous superfluity inflow overflow reflow flux fluxion afflux conflux efflux influx reflux affluence effluent fluctuation mellifluous
PREHENDPREHENS prison prisoner imprison imprisonment apprise comprise enterprise enterprising reprisal surprise surprisingly prize apprehend apprehensible apprentice apprenticeship comprehensible comprehension comprehensive misapprehend misapprehension reprehend reprehension apprehensive comprehend prehensile reprehensible
TEMPER temperament temperamental temperature tempered distemper intemperate temper tempera temperance
PURG purgation compurgation expurgation expurgator expurgatory expurgate
purgative purgatory purge
MILL milligram milliliter millimeter millennial mille fleur millenarianism millipede
millisecond
HEMISEMIhemicycle hemisphere semiannual semicircle semiconscious
semifinal semimonthly semiofficial semiprofessional semitropical semitone semicolon
semiconductor
SUB subcutaneous subdivide subdue subjacent subject subjunctive sublime submarine submerge submit subscribe subside subsist substance substitute subsume subterfuge subtitle suburb subway succeed succinct suffer suffice suffocate suffuse suggest summon support suppress suppurate surrogate susceptible suspect sustain subconscious subjugate subliminal subversion
HYPER hyperacidity hyperborean hypercriticism hyperinflation hypersensitive hypersonic hypertrophy hyperactive hyperbole hypertension hyperventilate
PRE precaution precede precinct precipice preclude predecessor predict predilection prefabricate preface prefer pregnant prehistoric prejudice preliminary prelude premature premium preoccupy prepare preponderate preposterous presage prescribe present preserve preside presume pretend prevail prevent preview previous problem proceed proclaim procure prodigal produce profane profess proficient profit profligate profound profuse program progress prohibit project prologue prolong promenade prominent promiscuous promise promote promulgate pronoun pronounce propel prophecy propitious proportion propose propound prorogue prosecute prospect prostitute prostrate protect protest protrude provide provoke purchase purport purpose pursue purvey proffer prudent precept precocious predispose prerequisite
PARA parable parachute paragraph parallel parallelogram paralyze paramount paranoid paraphrase paraplegia parasite parasol paratyphoid parenthesis parody palsy paradigm paradox paragon parameter
META metamorphosis metaphor metaphysical metastasis meteor method metabolism metaphorical metaphysics metonymy
PER perambulate perceive percussion perennial perfect perfidy perforate perform perfume perfunctory perish permanent permit pernicious perpendicular perpetual perplex persecute persist perspective perspiration persuade pertinent peruse pervade pervert parboil pardon pellucid pilgrim percolate peremptory permeate persevere
ANTANTI anticommunist antagonist antigen antipathy antithesis
CONTRA contradict contraposition contrary contrast controvert counter counteract counterattack counterbalance counterfeit countermeasure counterpart contraband contraindication contravene contretemps
QIASIquasicholera quasicontract quasijudicial quasiofficial quasiwar
RErebate rebel rebound rebuke rebut recalcitrant recall recant recapitulate recede receive reciprocate recite reclaim recline recognize recoil reconcile recondite reconnaissance record recreation recruit recur reduce redundant refer reflect reform refraction refresh refrigerator refuge refurbish refuse regress rehearse reimburse reinforce reiterate reject rejuvenate relax relevant relic relieve relinquish reluctant remedy reminiscence remit remonstrate remorse renaissance renew renounce repast repeat repel repent reply report reprisal reproach repugnant repute require requite rescind research resemble resist respect resplendent restore restrain resume resurrection retaliate retard reticent retire retort retract retrench retrieve return reunion reveal revenue reverberate revere revise revive revoke revolt redeem redintegrate render
SEsecede seclude secret secrete secure seduce segregate select separate sequester sever
SEPT September septennial
SEXsexcentenary sexpartite sextuple
STPEStepbrother stepchild stepdaughter stepfather stepmother stepparent stepsister stepson
SUPERsuperabundant superb supercharge supercilious superficial superfluous superimpose superintend superior supernal supernatural supernumerary supersonic superstition superstructure supervene supervise supreme supremacy soprano sovereign surcharge surface surfeit surmise surmount surname surpass surplus surrender surround surveillance survey survive
SYNsynagogue synchronism syndicate syndrome synonym synopsis syntax synthesis system syllable syllogism symbiosis symbol symmetry sympathy symphony symposium symptom
TWItwice twig twilight twill twin twine twist
ULTRAultra ultramarine ultramodern ultramontane ultrasonic ultraviolet
UNunarm unbind unbuckle unburden unbury unbutton uncap uncase unclose uncork uncover undo undress unearth unfold unhinge unload unlock unmask unpack unroll unseal unsettle unshackle untangle untie unveil unwind unwrap unwrinkled unabashed unabridged unalterable unambiguous unapproachable unashamed unattainable unattended unauthorized unbelief unbiased unblemished uncertainty unchangeable unchaste uncivilized uncomely uncomfortable unconditional unconformity unconscious uncontrollable uncultivated undecided undefined undesirable undue unexhausted unfeasible unfeigned unfinished unfortunate ungenerous unintentional unknowingly unlicensed unmanned unmerciful unmistakable unorthodox unparalleled unprecedented unquestionable unreliable unrest unsanitary unseasonable unsophisticated unsuitable unsystematic untidy untimely unutterable unverifiable unwarrantable unwholesome unwilling unwitting unwonted unworldly unyielding
UNDERunderage undercurrent underdeveloped underemployment underestimate undergo undergraduate underground underlie underline undermine underpass underrate understand undertake undertone
UPupend uphold upland uplift upright uproar uproot upset upstairs upsurge upturn
VICEvicechairman vicechancellor viceconsul vicegovernor viceminister vicepresident viceprinciple viceregent viscount
WITHwithdraw withhold withstand
AIN captain chaplain villain AIRE billionaire millionaire
ANIANEAN pedestrian American German Mohammedan barbarian magician musician pedestrian physician European
ANT assistant descendant emigrant immigrant inhabitant servant tenant
AR beggar burglar liar scholar ARDART coward drunkard sluggard Spaniard steward braggart
ARY adversary contemporary functionary lapidary secretary
ATE advocate apostate candidate delegate magnate pirate
EE committee devotee employee examinee nominee referee trainee trustee
EER auctioneer engineer mountaineer pioneer profiteer volunteer
EN citizen heathen warden
ENT agent correspondent opponent president resident student
ER baker commander customer gardener leader Londoner manufacturer mariner messenger miller murderer owner philosopher prisoner producer
ESE Chinese Japanese Portuguese ESS actress baroness empress hostess princess stewardess
EUR amateur connoisseur HERD cowherd shepherd IER cashier cavalier financier premier soldier
IFF plaintiff sheriff
IST communist defeatist dogmatist florist novelist oculist ornithologist sophist specialist tourist typist violinist
ITE cosmopolite Israelite laborite Tokyoite –IVE captive fugitive native operative relative
MANSMAN chairman fisherman postman salesman sportsman statesman stuntman
ON champion companion matron patron
OROUR ambassador conqueror counselor governor inspector neighbor savior successor tailor tutor
STER gamester gangster minister songster spinster youngster
YYER enemy lady lawyer sawyer





























LESSON THIRTEEN
ACERBACRI acid acidify acidity acidulate acidulous acrimonious acerbic acrid acrimony exacerbate
STRINGSTRICT string stringency straight strain strait straiten strangle strangulate stress stretch strict strictness stricture astringency constringe constrain constrained constraint constriction constrictive constrictor distress distressful district overstrain restrain restraint restrict restriction restrictive astringent constrict prestigious stringent
STRUSTRUCT structure structural construct construction reconstruct reconstruction construe destroy destruct destructible destruction destructive instruct instruction instructive instructor instrument instrumentality misconstrue misconstruction obstruct obstruction obstructive substructure superstructure deconstruction infrastructure construe instrumental
PROPPROPRI proper property proprietor proprietorship appropriation appropriator expropriation impropriety misappropriate misappropriation appropriate expropriate proprietary propriety
TORTTORS torture torturer tortuous tortoise torment torch contort contortion contortionist distort distortion extortion retort tort extort torsion tortuous
VIV victual viand vital vitality vitalize vivacity vivid vivify vivisect devitalize revitalize revive revivification reviviscence survive survival survivor convivial revivify vivacious vivisection
SERV serve servant service servility serf serfdom sergeant conserve conservancy conservation conservative conservatory deserve disserve disservice observe observance observation observatory preserve preservation preservative reserve reserved reservation reservoir serviceable servile servitude subservient
CLUDCLUS close closet closure conclude conclusion conclusive disclose
disclosure enclose exclude exclusion exclusionism exclusive include inclusion
inclusive occlude preclusion reclusion reclusive seclude secluded claustrophobia
occlusion preclude recluse seclusion
TEXT textile textual texture contextual contexture intertexture subtle subtlety tissue context pretext subtext textual
PLACPLAIS placate placatory placid complacency please pleased pleasing pleasant pleasantry pleasure complaisance displease displeasing displeasure unpleasant complaisant placebo placidity implacable
AUTAUTO autobiography autocracy autoinfection autonym authentic automaton autodidact autonomy autism
GRAT grateful ungrateful gratification ingrate ingratitude gratis grace graceful gracious disgrace disagree agree agreeable agreement congratulate congratulation ingratiation gratify gratuity gratuitous ingratiate
CLAMCLAIM claim claimant clamorous acclaim declamation exclaim exclamation exclamatory proclaim proclamation reclaim reclaimable acclamation clamor declaim reclamation
CRACCRAT aristocrat autocratic bureaucrat plutocracy
PUNGPUNC pungency punctuate punctilio punctual punctuality punctuate punctuation puncture acupuncture compunctious expunction pounce punch poignant point appoint appointment disappoint disappointment compunction expunge punctilious pungent
PLIC implicit explicate replicate supplication
CLE article follicle icicle miracle particle speckle vehicle
ELLE damsel model vessel bottle bundle pebble riddle
ENIN chicken kitten maiden bulletin elfin violin
ETETTE banquet blanket bouquet cabinet islet tablet ticket cigarette gazette novelette
KIN cannikin lambkin manikin napkin pumpkin
LET booklet bullet cutlet fillet hamlet leaflet pamphlet rivulet streamlet
LING darling duckling gosling seedling underling yearling
OCK bullock hillock paddock (C)ULE animalcule globule granule minuscule molecule
IEY auntie birdie Billy daddy kitty pony Tommy ACE grimace menace solace
ADE ambuscade arcade blockade cannonade crusade decade escapade lemonade masquerade orangeade renegade stockade
AGE courage marriage passage shortage shrinkage usage wreckage
AL approval arrival betrayal denial refusal survival trial withdrawal
ANCEENCE provenance absence appearance confidence decency forbearance hindrance innocence insolvency utterance vacancy
CY aristocracy bankruptcy fallacy intimacy prophecy DOM freedom martyrdom wisdom
HOODHEAD boyhood childhood falsehood likelihood livelihood manhood neighborhood godhead maidenhead
IC(S)aerobatics aesthetics arithmetic classics ethics logic magic mathematics metaphysics phonetics physic physics skeptic stoic
ICEISE avarice caprice cowardice justice service treatise
ING aging bearing blessing calling clothing thanksgiving
ION reception addition civilization coronation exaggeration extension invitation protection quotation submission
ISMASM antagonism aphorism barbarism Buddhism communism existentialism exoticism hedonism heroism Marxism modernism optimism passivism pessimism enthusiasm
ITUDE altitude aptitude decrepitude fortitude gratitude latitude magnitude multitude solitude
(I)UM aluminum ammonium barium magnesium petroleum
MENT banishment fulfillment lineament movement treatment
MONY ceremony harmony matrimony testimony
NESS adhesiveness abrasiveness consciousness friendliness goodness happiness kindness likeness madness wordiness
O(U)R ardor behavior endeavor favor humor odor savor splendor valor
RY artistry bravery bribery luxury mystery pedantry penury rivalry robbery slavery
SHIP citizenship fellowship friendship hardship landscape partnership relationship scholarship workmanship worship
TTH flight gift restraint thrift weight breadth death growth stealth warmth width
TYETYITY bounty certainty cruelty loyalty novelty poverty anxiety propriety variety absurdity elasticity familiarity fixity futurity hilarity hospitality immensity maturity originality proximity rapidity reality sagacity singularity stupidity
URE censure creature departure disclosure exposure failure furniture legislature literature mixture pressure seizure
Y agony delivery discovery flattery folly honesty jealousy modesty treaty tyranny
AGE baronage foliage peerage plumage –ARY dictionary vocabulary
RY cavalry gentry machinery poultry scenery ACE furnace terrace
AGE anchorage cottage village ARY apothecary granary library seminary
DOM dukedom filmdom kingdom stardom ERY bakery brewery cemetery gallery
ORY dormitory factory laboratory observatory territory
UM aquarium auditorium gymnasium museum sanatorium
Y abbey balcony county treasury






















LESSON FOURTEEN
MANDMEND command commander commandment countermand demand commend recommend recommendation commendation mandate mandatory remand
UND inundate redound redundancy undulant
SACRSANCT sacred sacrifice sacrilegious sacrament sacramental sanctify sanctification sanctimony sanctimonious consecrate consecration desecrate desecration execrate execration execrable n saint sanction sacrilege sacrosanct sanctuary
LOCLOQU circumlocution elocution colloquial loquacious
VIR triumvirate virago virility virtuosity
VAL valence valiant valid validation validity valor value valuable valuation avail available convalesce convalescence convalescent countervail devaluate devaluation evaluate invalid invalidate invalidity invaluable multivalent prevail prevalence prevailing undervalue undervaluation equivalent prevalent valorous validate
CRECRET accrue create creation creative creator creature concrete concretion decrepit decrease increase procreate recreate recreate recreation accretion crescent excrescence increment
FUNDFUS fuse fusible fusion found foundry confound circumfuse circumfusion
confuse confusion diffusion diffusive effuse effusion infuse infusion interfuse perfuse
profuse refuse suffusion transfuse futile refute diffuse effusive profusion suffuse
VERB verbal verbalism verbalize verbosity adverb adverbial verbose proverb verbatim verbiage
SIMILSIMUL similar similarity similitude simultaneous simultaneity assimilation dissimilate dissimulate semblance assemble assemblage assembly dissemble facsimile resemble resemblance verisimilar verisimilitude assimilate simile simulacrum simulate
SCANDSCEND scan scansion ascend ascent ascension ascendant descend descent condescension transcendent transcendence transcendental scale escalade escalator transcend condescend descendant ascendancy
TENTENU attenuate extenuating tenure tenuous
SCRIBSCRIP scribe scribble scrip script scripture scrivener ascribe ascription circumscription conscribe conscript describe description descriptive indescribable inscribe manuscript nondescript postscript prescribe prescript prescription prescriptive proscription subscribe subscriber subscript subscription superscription transcribe transcription conscription circumscribe inscription proscribe
MENS commensurate dimension immensity
SOLVSOLU solve solute solution solvable solvent absolution absolute dissolve dissoluble dissolute dissolvable dissolvent insolvable insolvency insolvent resolvable resolute resolution absolve dissolution resolve soluble
HYDR hydrant hydrate hydrogen hydrogenate hydrophobia hydrotherapy hydrotropism dehydrate hydraulic hydroelectric hydroponics
ABLE inhospitable amenable available changeable culpable desirable imponderable innumerable irritable noticeable reasonable unforgettable contemptible horrible incredible negligible
ALIAL prodigal brutal federal literal mortal Occidental punctual regal aerial cordial genial racial
AN European republican suburban veteran agrarian Christian Egyptian Parisian
ANTENT incipient brilliant buoyant defiant indignant luxuriant radiant triumphant ardent fluent insolent obedient proficient prudent quiescent
AR circular familiar muscular poplar popular similar vulgar
ARY customary dilatory elementary exemplary imaginary temporary voluntary
ATEETEUTE accurate affectionate considerate fortunate obstinate ornate passionate temperate complete obsolete absolute minute
ED dejected aged bearded crowned gifted landed moneyed ringed talented
EN brazen earthen golden leaden wooden woolen
ERN eastern northern southern western modern
ESE Chinese Japanese Portuguese
FOLD manifold twofold tenfold
FUL dreadful fruitful graceful merciful mournful regretful scornful shameful thoughtful
IAC cardiac demoniac insomniac maniac
IC polychromatic academic angelic arctic athletic calorific carbonic diplomatic domestic emphatic enigmatic exotic fantastic gigantic idiotic lunatic patriotic rustic scenic soporific
ICAL botanical chemical methodical physical radical surgical theatrical tropical zoological
ID languid limpid placid rapid solid splendid stupid timid vivid
ILE ductile facile fertile fragile hostile juvenile puerile sterile versatile
INE divine feminine genuine masculine sanguine
ING agonizing astonishing charming cunning daring lasing promising refreshing striking trying willing
IOR inferior junior senior superior
IQUEESUQE antique arabesque grotesque oblique picturesque
ISH bookish brownish childish feverish selfish yellowish
ITE finite exquisite favorite infinite opposite polite
IVE definitive exclusive exhaustive imaginative initiative massive representative respective talkative
LESS aimless groundless helpless odorless priceless reckless restless senseless shapeless
LIKE businesslike childlike ladylike sportsmanlike warlike womanlike
LY bodily costly cowardly earthly fortnightly friendly leisurely monthly stately timely worldly
MOST almost foremost innermost utmost
ORY compulsory contradictory obligatory obligation preparatory satisfactory
OUS ambiguous covetous envious furious glorious gorgeous industrious laborious perilous righteous spacious strenuous tremulous vicious virtuous
PROOF airproof bombproof bulletproof fireproof rainproof soundproof waterproof weatherproof
SOME venturesome burdensome irksome meddlesome quarrelsome tiresome troublesome wearisome
wholesome
WARD awkward downward eastward homeward onward seaward wayward
Y bloody bushy cloudy clumsy dreamy dusky foggy greedy icy plumy scanty spicy tardy worthy
ENCE hence thence whence darkling sideling headlong
LY absolutely actually barely heartily invariably literally readily roughly shortly steadily
violently
S besides needs nowadays sometimes
WARD(S)afterwards backwards downwards homewards inwards northwards outwards southwards sunwards upwards
WAY(S)WISE always anyway endways sideways someway straightway crosswise likewise otherwise sidewise
ATE agitate accommodate assassinate congratulate fascinate isolate navigate nominate originate speculate vibrate
EN darken fasten hasten heighten lengthen moisten redden sharpen strengthen threaten weaken worsen
ER batter chatter flicker flutter glitter loiter patter quiver shiver totter twitter waver
ESCE acquiesce coalesce convalesce deliquesce effloresce evanesce incandesce obsolesce
FY pacify classify edify fortify fructify identify justify liquefy mollify nullify personify petrify purify qualify satisfy signify simplify stupefy vilify
ISH admonish banish blemish blush cherish demolish diminish embellish famish flourish furnish garnish languish publish punish
IZEISE cauterize civilize dramatize generalize organize pulverize specialize symbolize utilize victimize
LE chuckle dazzle dwindle scribble sparkle sprinkle startle trickle twinkle





PART II ORIGIN
1 Where Words About Human Beings Come From
ACHIEVE：to come to a head
This seems like a simple wordbut its history is extremely complicatedThe word achieve derivesif you can believe itfrom the Latin phrase ad caputvenirewhich literally meantto come to a headSometimes the Romans used it in the gloomy meaningto dieLater on Old French took over the phrase adcaputto a head and built on it the verb acheverto finishand this passed into English as achieveIn Chaucer’s dayand even up to the time of Queen Elizabethachieve could still meanto dieorto killShakespeare used it in this sense in one of his playsasBid them achieve(kill)me and then sell my bonesAlong with achieve the Old French developed the word mescheverin English mischiefwhich in the beginning meant to overwhelm with destructionand both of these words still have in them the original sense of the Latin caputorheadFor when you have achieved somethingyou havebrought it to a headhaven’t youBut should you get into mischiefthings have beenbrought to a bad head(Latin misbad)and those who perpetrated the mischief are apt to come to grief Thuswhen Merlinthe wise man of Arthurian legendsaidSynne draweth bothe man and woman to myschebouse endshe was using the word in its early and stronger sense
ADEPToriginally an alchemist
Are you adeptthat ishighly skilled at some particular thingThen you should know the secret of the philosopher’s stone that transformed base metals into goldIn the Middle Ages the alchemists who claimed to have this secret called themselves adeptusa Latin word that meansattainedfrom the verb adipiscorfrom adtoand apiscorattainThat isthe alchemists hadattainedtheir goalLaterin the 17th centuryadeptus became a title of honor that was applied only to alchemists of recognized reputationBut when alchemy finally fell into disreputethe word became a general term of skillNow you can be adept at cooking or tennis or such But if you are ineptyou havenot(Latin innot)attained your goalYou are inexpert and awkward and you are apt to say things that are unbecoming and inappropriate to the occasion
AMBLEjust walking around
According to the dictionary when you ambleyoumoverideor walk at an easy and careless paceThe derivation is from the Latin ambulowalkYou can also easily detect this same term ambulo in our word ambulance oras the French used to call this vehicle at the time of the Crimean Warhospital ambulantwalking hospitalThe English soon left off the hospital part and just called it an ambulanceAnd there is the perambulatortoothat we push the baby around inand that also takes walking to do
ANTICSoriginally fantastic images
On the walls of the Baths of the Roman Emperor Titus some old and fantastic images were carvedrepresenting people and animals and flowers all running together in the most grotesque fashion possibleThe Italians applied their word anticooldto these curious carvingsbut because of the weird posturings of the figure antico came also to mean bizarreand so gave us our word anticThuswhen a person cuts up with some anticsit means that he is going through a lot of queer capers like those weir Roman figuresor like a clown in a circusThis Italian word antico derives from the Latin antiquusand from this latter term through the French we received out word antiqueAntiquus meantvenerableand so excelling in worth and valuewhich is what we hope for when we buy antiques
ASSASSIN once a drugfiend
Some 800 years ago there was an East Indian sheik who was colorfully known as The Old Man of the Mountains He was the supposed head of an early version of Murder Inc and his fanatical followers made it their business to slaughter the Christian Crusaders who were on their way to the Holy Land The murderers got themselves into the proper frenzy for their job by chewing hashish an Eastern variety of hemp that could produce a fine state of intoxication in any teetotalling Mohammedan Today cifarettes called reefersare made out of this hemp and are smoked by marihuana addicts In the ancient days of India word hashshashin entered Medieval Latin as assassinus and so into English as our word assassin which still retains its murderous history in its meaning
BANDIT under summons
A bandit is bannedor outlawed Our word comes originally from the Germanic root bann meaning a summons proclamation This entered Late Latin as bannire which meant to proclaim and then was absorbed into Italian as bandito or outlawed that isa proclamation against something Old English already had the word as bann command interdict So when anyone was put under a ban he was told he couldn’t do something Thismeaning is implied in bandit and also is involved in the word banish With the banns of marriage we return to the original meaning of proclamation
DANGER ruled by a master
A word that has strangely changed its meaning Danger now means to be exposed to harm or injury but in olden days it meant to be in someone else’s power As a pensioner wrote in 1461 to his patron I am gretly yn your danger and dette for my pension This subservience to others is explained by the history of the word It traces back by many changes of spelling to the Latin dominium power lordship which in turn derives from dominus master In early England any whim of his master put a serf in danger
DISASTER the stars are evil
If you are faced with disaster the stars are against you for the word disaster is from the Latin dis against and astrum star In their investigations of the cycle theory scholar seem to have proved that our lives are influenced by such things as the climate the sun spots and the stars Apparently the ancient astrologers (astrum star and logos knowledge) had an idea by the tail Our fortunes can sometimes be considered illstarred And then again with the word consider we are dealing with astrology for consider is thought to be from the Latin cum with and sidus star When the ancients considered a matter in an effort to come to a decision they consulted with the stars
EARL opposite of churl
If a man is churlish in his manner he is acting like a surly illbred boor In the English of another day a churl or a ceorl as it was then spelled was at the bottom of the social ladder in the very lowest rank of the freeman When titles came to be conferred the word eorl was used to distinguish a man of noble rank from the ceorl The spelling went to erl and finally to earl During the Norman period an earl was the equivalent of the French count and the word count traces to the Latin comes or companion so a count was a sometime companion to a king Among the other title that the Normans brought across the channel was duke which eventually goes back to the Latin dux leader Next below the duke is the marquis borrowed from the French and once spelled marchis This man controlled a march which was a tract of borderland Naturally all of these lesser title follow the prince since he is actually and etymologically first in the land the ruler And princeps is derived from primus first and capio take So whatever it is the prince takes it first
EMANCIPATE remove the hand
According to Roman law there were prescribed ceremonies for the purchase and liberation of slaves When they were bought the new master laid his hand upon them in token of possession This act was called mancipium possession by the hand Our word emancipate has the opposite meaning and is from the Latin emancipatus e away manus hand and capio take So when our slaves were emancipated the owners took away their hands
ETIQUETTE a ticket
In 16thcentury French etiquette meant a ticket or label As a matter of fact we get our word ticket from this Also buying things on tick The first rules of etiquette were tacked up in conspicuous places in the army posts The list gave the rules of the day The Old French word was estiquette from estiquer to stick The rules were stuck up on the walls Perhaps we could say that etiquette is a ticket to polite society
FAME what they say
When you are talked about enough you are famous or infamous perhaps for fame is from the Latin fama report which is related to the Greek phemi speak Thus fame is what they say about you Reputation however lasts longer for your reputation is not what they say but what they think about you From the Latin reputo from re again and puto think that is to think over again to consider
FOIBLE originally a fencing term
One of the rules of the game of fencing is to receive your enemy’s foible with your own forte two French borrowings His foible is the weak part of his foil from the middle to the tip Your forte is the strong part from the middle to the hilt So the foibles of a human being are his weak points and his moral frailties while his forte is his strong point that in which he excels
FOOL tonguewagger
Let those who talk too much take care for the Latin word follis which gave us fool means a windbag And yet there is a more innocent way than this to get the reputation of being foolish The ancient Greeks called those who didn’t hold public office idiots whence our word idiots and this may be what our politicians think of us today
FREE once beloved
The word free ties into the Old English freo a close relative lf the German word frei which meant loving or beloved In meant agreeable or beloved In the ancient Sanskrit language priya diatantly related to freemeant agreeable or beloved If you had been a patrician in those olden days your loved ones who would have been free and your slaves Or if your should have been slaves enough you would probably have bought his liberty and made him free too so finally our Old English word fero evoluted into the modern word free that is not slave and freond loving one grew into friend
HERMAPHRODITE originally a god’s name
Biologically today a hermaphrodite is a living being having both male and female organs This highly technical word however has a romantic history Hermaphroditos was the son of the Greed god Hermes and of Aphrodite goddess of love and was supposed to have not only the names but the beauty of both his parents On a certain occasion a susceptible nymph Saimacis by name saw the handsome son bathing in her pool and she immediately fell head over heels in love with him To her horror he turned her down But she was a resourceful girl and prayed to the gods for an indissoluble union with him The gods answered her prayer and arranged that the body of the nymph and the body of Hermaphroditos should grow together as one Our biological name hermaphrodite was taken from this story and was applied quite logically to bisexual individuals
HOTTENTOT just gibberish
The musical comedy stage has made the savage Hottentots familiar to us They were a native tribe of the Cape of Good Hope When the Dutch landed there they couldn’t understand the native dialect at all since it was full of clicks and jerks and sounded like so much stammering The only syllables that the Dutch sailors could understand were hot and tot and so the mariners named the people just that hotentot for en is and in Dutch
IMPEDE putting your foot in it
When you are impeded that is when there are obstacles in your way that hinder you from doing what you wish it means that your foot is in something from the Latin imin and pes pedis foot That is your foot is entangled in something and your can’t get it out You have really put your foot in it or more literally you have something in the way of your foot That’s why we call heavy baggage impedimentait tangles up our feet But when someone expedites matters for you (ex out and pes pedis foot) he gets your foot out of its entanglement so that you can do what you want to without hindrance
INCUBUS once an obscene spirits
This word and its sister succubus have morbid and obscene origins Incubus is from the Latin incubolie upon and in the beginning referred to an evil spirit who would lie with the ladies when they were asleep and for no good purpose A succubus Latin succumbo lie beneath was a female domon who in turn was reputed to have sexual connection with men in their sleep Both sexes apparently were well taken care of In its later history the word incubus has come to mean a handihapping burden of some sortas His career was held back by the incubus of povertyA succubushowevernever changed and is still a strumpet
INVESTIGATElooking for footprints
When detectives investigate a murderit is likely today that they will first look for fingerprintsAnd yet if the crime had been committed on a snowy night they would search for foot prints tooAnd here we have the sealedin picture of investigateLatin ininand vestigofollow a footprint from vestigium footprintThis latterof coursegives us our word vestige asThere is not a vestige of truth in the statementT hat isnot a trace or a footprint of truth
LUNATIC moonstruck
There are many people today who would feel uncomfortable if they had to sleep with the moon shining in their facesThey probably wouldn’t believe that this act would turn then into lunaticsbut the shadow of that superstition still remains in the race Down through the centuries there has been a widespread notion that madness is related to the moonand that the violence of madness changes with the phases of the moonIn Roman mythology luna was the moon goddessand it was her name that gave us lunatic because she was supposed to create this condition
MAIMknocking out a front tooth
An early statute says that you have maimed a man if you knock out his front tooth but that he is not maimed if you knock out one of his grindersbecause with a front tooth he can bite and tear at the enemywhile with a grinder he can only masticate his foodAnother amusing law in 1641 says that The cutting off of an eareor nose or breaking of the hinder teethor such like is no maihemNow of course the words maim and mayhem apply to any willful mutilation
MAROONtake to the wilds
When pirates of old took a dislike to one of their fellow buccaneersthey would set him ashoreor maroon himon some farlff island and simply sail awayIn the beginning though maroon was a moun and maroons were the Negroes who lived in Dutch Guiana and the West IndiesThe word is from the French term marron a short form of the Spanish word cimarronmeaning wild and untamedLater on maroon changed to mean one left in the wilds
MOBfrom a Latin phrase
The English have often accused us Americans of being lazy with our languageWe won’t botherthey sayto call a man a baseball fanaticWe clip this to a baseball fanBut if we turn back the pages of history we discover that the British had this same habit around the beginning of the 18th centuryTheytoo were coining new words by snipping bits off old onesThe essayist Joseph Addisonwas quite haughty about it all He refers to the practice asThis Humour of speading no more than we needs must which has so miserably curtailed some of our Wordsand he cites the new vulgarism mob as an exampleBefore the reign of Charles II folks never said such a slang word as mob They used the Latin phrase mobile vulgusthe fickle crowdBut to Addison’s horror they soon shortened this to mobile Then to the mob which we still have with us
MOUNTEBANKon a bench
The history of mountebank ties in to those barkers who talk you into sideshows at the circus and to the oldtime fakers who stepped up on a soapbox and sold Indian snake oil curesThe derivation of the word proves the point Mounteband comes from the Italian montambanco a contraction of the phrase montainbanco that reads in translationmountonbenchIn Italian montambancoa contraction of the phrase montainbanco that reads in translation mountonbenchIn Italy the montambanco was a quack who customarily perched on a bench to hawk his fraudulent waresand gathered a crowd around him with his jokes and juggling
NEIGHBORyour friend on the next farm
Literallythe farmer who lives near youfrom the Old English neshgebur which meant nearby farmerNeah appears in modern German as nahe and in English as nigh both of which meannearGebur is related to Bauer farmer or peasantin modern German and entered our languang from Dutch as boor no longer a farmer or peasant but a city person’s idea of someone with the awkward and clumsy manners of a peasant This same Dutch word boer gave us the Boer War in which the English fought the Dutch farmers in South Africa
NICKNAME an added name
In days long past a nickname was an ekename and eke meant added a name added to your given name At that time an ekename was a surname and even in surname we have the same meaning in the French sur which means over or above a name over and above your first name the Middle English word ekename finally absorbed the n from an and became a ekename and later with us a nickname Once again a name added to those you already have
OPPORTUNE the ship is at the harbor
Each year on August 17th the romans had a feast in honor of Portunus the general god who protected the ports and harbors His name is derived from portus the Latin words for harbor Our word opportune traces to the Latin words obbefore and portus port or before the port When a ship is at the harbor mouth it is an opportune moment or a happy fitting and suitable time for many things
PALLIANTE cover with a garment
The traditional garb of the Greek philosophers was a rectangular woolen cloak draped over the left shoulder and around the body called by the Romans a pallium By some strange coincidence and just as a passing piece of gossip this was also the popular garment of the hetaerae those charming and cultural entertainers and courtesans of the day From the term pallium cloak the Latins derived the word palliates which meant covered with a cloak and in this circuitous way we get our word palliate with some of the original meaning left When we palliateour sins for instance we attempt to cover them as with a cloak so that they will not be so easily seen and will seem less offensive When we palliate pain we reduce its severity and make it less obvious Again in a sense we are cloaking it
PARAGON a testing stone
In order to test the purity of gold it is often rubbed against a finegrained dark stone like jasper in order to see what kind of a mark it leaves This testing stone is called a touchstone Ourword paragon comes through Old French from the Italian word paragone which originally meant a touchstone and hence paragon came finally to be a standard of true worth so that we can now say he is a paragon of virtue
PECULIAR related to cattle
The story of the word peculiar has a peculiar history In the beginning of Rome when there were as yet no minted coins cattle called pecus in Latin took the place of money From pecus the word peculium was finally formed and it meant private property This grew into the word peculiaris which applied to possessions that were one’s own The term entered Old French as peculiar and English as peculiar with the meaning of property belonging exclusively to someone and not owned by others or it often could refer to characteristics that were quite distinct from those of other individuals As the poet Robert Browning said Yes this in him was the peculiar grace Now more and more peculiar has taken on the meaning of characteristics that are odd and queer
PEDIGREE foot of a crane
Perhaps you take just pride in your family tree Like a blooded horse you are proud of you pedigree But you may not know that when you boast of your pedigree you are really speaking of a crane’s foot for pedigree seems to have been our way of pronouncing the French phrase pied de grue which means the foot of a crane In those very old documents that recorded a family tree the threeline graph of lineal descent looked for all the world like the imprints of a crane’s foot and suggested the picturesque name The Latin ancestors of the word pedigree are pes foot de of and grus crane
PERNICIOUS deathdealing
A pernicious practice is a harmful one that will work evil but even though the word still implies a threat it has weakened in power through the centuries The Latin perniciosus gave it to us and this splits into per through and through and nex necis death
PERSON first was a mask
Actors in Roman and Greek dramas often had to take more than one part in a single performanceand for each chanracter that they portrayed they would wear a different maskthe name of such a mask in latin was
personaand sincein a fashionwe are all actorsthe word persona came to mean the part that anyone plays in the worldand finally it designated an individualityoras of todaya personby a similar figure of speechif we impersonate anotherwe put on his mask
POSTMANreminder of romance
when the postman rings our doorbell on his daily roundshe gives little hint of the romance of his beginningsthe first postman were royal couriers who rode postand a post was one of a chain of stations that furnished a relay of fresh men and horses to carry the king`s messages to some distant pointlater on these postriders carried the mailsthe word post itself came up from the latin positaplacedfor the original posts were placedat intervalsalong a communication route
PRECARIOUSobtained by prayer
when we are in a precarious positiomnoursituation is uncertain and often dangerousthe whole thing started out with the idea of prayerfor precarious is based on the latin word prexprecis prayerit looks as though the romans thought when you got anything by prayer or entreatyit was a pretty uncertain piece of businessfor their same word precarious meant riskyin the begings of the English language precarious meant supplicationand in 1656 the English lexicographer Blount defined precarious as something granted to one by prayer and entreatyto use as long as it pleases the party and no longerNow the word more nearly means dependent on chance or hazard
PRECOCIOUS halfbaked
Latin praebeforeand coquereto cookwere combined to form praecoquereto cook beforehandorripen beforehandin the latter sense the word applied to fruits that ripened earlyFrom this was derived the English word precocious originally applied to plants and trees with the meaning flowwering or fruiting early or before the usual time early or prematurely ripe or edvelopedWe speak of a precocious child as one who is unusually forward and mature He is cooked aheador if he happpens to be a brat you don＇t like you might prefer to say he is halfbaked
PRESTIGEmeant magic
When we say that a man has gained great prestige we intend it as a compliment but the French word prestige that we have borrowed is allied to prestidigitation and originally meant juggling tricks or illusion So the prestige that has been won by some of our political leaders may sometimes have something to do with sleight of hand As one 17thcentury writer put itI am not deceived by the prestiges of the impostor
PUNTYborn later
The word puny has meant many things down through the years asinferior in rank a puny officermore recent in time a puny date a juniorhe left his money to the older children none to the puniesa novice or tyroI see you are but a puny in your studiesAnd now puny just means small and feebleThe word is directly trom the 12thcentury French puisnefrom puis laterand nebornand its meaning of small growth or weak simply refers to the fact that babies and younger children born later have less strength than the older onesif you bive the French pronunciation to puisne the sound is almost identical with puny
ROBOTa slave
A long familiar word but brought into wide notice by the play RUR(Rossum＇s Universal Robots)written by Karel Capek in 1929 In his play these manmade mechanical robots overpower human beingsThe term robot is from the Czech word robotnik slave which goes back to the term robota work
ROBUSTlike an oak
That robust man with the magnificent build is literally strong as an oak for our descriptive word comes from the Latin robustus oaken If you wish to make a statement that is strong and powerful you coroborate it or make it like an oak from the Latin cor an intensive and robur a very hard oak
SCAVENGERFORMERLY A TAXCOLLECTOR
When England was young scavenger was spelled scavager and meant a taxcollector or inspector Later on an n found its way into the word and by this time the scavenger had become a supervisor of street cleaning which comes close to our modern meaning The word derives from AngloFrench scawager ultimately from Old French escauverinspectIn the reign of Henry VIII Leonard Skevington a lieutenant of the Tower invented a dreadful instrument of torture that squeezed the body until blood flowed from the ears and noseThis was namedthe scavenger’s daughtera revolting little tale that shows how the taxcollector has been loved through the agesOf course a scavenger now is an animal that feeds on a dead o r decaying carcass
SCINTILIATE gives out sparks
Some fifty years ago a lady named Ellen TFowler dashed off a relatively deathless line My wit she wroteis all of the Pmvariety and never scintillates in the moringAs a matter of fact the only thing that ever scintillates is witfor the English language seems to have found no other use for the aordIn its special connectionhoweverscintillate is a highly descriptive wordas it meansto gtive off sparksit is based on the Latin scintilla which meant sparkAnd that sparkling tinsel on the Christmas tree comes from the identical Latin source but in passing into French scintilla became etincelleWe English dropped the initiale and turned tincelle into tinsel
SIMPLICITY has nothing to hide
Simplicity is single in purpose and has nothing to conceal It comes from a hypothetical Latin prefix semone and plicofoldThat is opened upunfoldedlaid out flat The word duplicity however is from the Latin duo two and plicofoldIn this case the paper is folded overtwiceand can hide something in to Those who practice duplicity are doubledealing the opposite of simple or single dealing They are trying to fool you With the word diplomat we turn to the Greek word diploma a paper folded twice which diplomats took along as their credentials and which college students now receive as their reward
STEWARD watched the pigs
A steward in one of our exclusive clubs might not be pleased to know that his name used to signify keeper of the pigs The word steward recalls the days when a man’s chief treasure really was his pigsty To guard the valuable herd from robbers and wild beasts a special watchman was appointed who was called a steward from stigsty and weardwardenorguardianLater on wealth expanded from herds of swine to herds of cattle and to lands and the job of the steward was now to watch over all of theseIn feudal timesthe steward rose to great powerbecoming a sort of agent for the lord of the manorHe leased lands and collected rentsIn some cases he became a magistratesttling disputes and suchThusin Great Britainuntil 1849the Lord Steward of the Household even had judicial powers and was a minister of the British Cabinet
THUG an ancient gangster
From the Hindustani word thagcheat which in turn derives from the Sanskrit sthagacheatfrom sthagconcealThese East Indian thugs operated until about 100 years ago Like modern gangsters they had their finger men who spotted the victim When these thugs were in formed by their spies that a man of property was about to take a journey they followed him until he arrived at some lonely spot and then like our modern muggers they strangled and robbed him It was all presumed to be done in honor of their goddess Kali but this ancient murder syndicate profited handsomely by this service to their faith And their brutality gave us our word thug
TROUBLE full of commotion
When a person is in trouble his mind is ill at ease The Latin parent of the word trouble indicates just that for turbo meant disturb It came to us first with the spelling turble then truble finally trouble This same Latin word turbo has given us turbulent full of commotion disturb throw into complete disorder and turbid that is a turbid stream which is all muddied up
VIRILITY for men only
All of the words deriving from the Latin word virman are flattering Virtus in Latin meant strength courage excellence all of which describe our word virility And to be virtuous of course is to have the traits of a man And should you be able

2 Sources of the Words of Attitudes and Emotions
AMUCK murderous frenzy
The famous 18thcentury British navigatorCaptain Jamer Cookwho was certainly a traveled gentlemanclaimed that when a man amuck it was all because of his jealousy of a womanWhether this be true or not our exotix word is borrowed from the MalayIn the Malay language the term amoqsometimes spelled amokis the term for a mental disease similar morbid depression into a state of murderous frenzy in which he will attack anyone in his pathThis description contains the sense in which we use our word amuck
ASTONISHthunderstruck
With changes in spelling from the French estonerwhich is derived from the Latin exoutand tonareto thunderWhen one is astonishedhe is literallythunderstruckAnd a similar picture is behind our word thunderwhich derives from the same source as thorthe god of Norse mythology called the Thundererwho was supposed to hurl lighting bolts at the earthIn olden days when one was astonishedhe was atunned as by a blow and in a tranceI astonysshe with a stroke upon thehead writes a longago authorNowadays astonished doesn not mean much more than surprised
BEDLAMis really Bethlehem
This is a British corruption of the word BethlehemThe priory of StMary of Bethlehem was founded in 1242But any londoner of this day would have called itin his disalectStMary＇of BedlamIn 1402 the priory was turned into a hospital for the insaneand from the reign of Henry VIII it has been a royal foundation for lunaticsSo when the Londoners spoke of the Holy City of Bethlehem they were careful to pronounce it the way we now do to distinguish it from the asylumbedlamBut when our hourse is a perfect bedlamit still soundswith its noise and confusionlike the inside of old lunatic asylum
BIGWIGfine feathers
Even tody we occasionally speak of who ranks himself overimportantly as a bigwigIn the England of the 18th centrury a man of distinction was spotted by his largepowdered wigAn august judge bacame more august by this symbol of authorityThere were nouns thennow unfamimilar to usthat were once a part of the languagelike wiglomeration that meant the pomp
and fuss of legal proceedingdIn our times a bigwig is more apt to be a stuffed shirt
BUGBEARa bogy
TO us a bugbear is a thing of appreciable dreadBut in Wales it represented a phantom that was used to scare the naughty childrenand the bug part is said to have come from theto us unpronounceable Welsh word bwgspecterThis word passed into English as buggethen bugand gave us bugbeara goblinanimal of some kindOur bogyman really a goblinman is also to be Welsh And bugaboo is probably just the same goblin with a frightening boo on the end
DISMALmerely bad days
The Egyptians believed in unluckly daysand apparently these socalled Egyption dayscame into Rome and then on into the Europe of the Middle AgesIn France two such days were marked on the calendar each month and were called the dis malfrom the Latin dies malithe evil daysDis mal was transferred into Middle English as the adjective dismale which descriped these unluckly days when it was wise to be very carefulsince misfortune lurked at every tune Now dismal just means gloomy and depressing
MAWKISH
meant simply without appetite inclined to be sickly Now it’s something that makes you feel sicklike the actions of an oversentimental and mawkish lover
MELANCHOLY black bile
The Greeks defined melancholia as the black bile that produces temperament and they believed that it was the presence of too much black bile in the systemmelas black and chole bile that caused the blues This notion went down through the centuries The Elizabethans thought that sullen and gloomy people were suffering from this disease which was very fashionable at that time among the ultrarefined The favorite dose for depressed and fainting females was melancholywater
MISOGAMIST the hater
Many an old bachelor is a misogamista misogynist and a misanthrope The inspiration for the word misogamist is the Greek miso hating and gamos marriage A misogynist is a hater of women again miso hate and gyne woman While the word misanthrope comes from the Greek word for hate plus anthropos which means mankindso this chap hates everybody Again in Greek philo means love and so a philanthropist for his part loves all people
NAUGHTY goodfornothing
In the days of Miles Standish they spoke of the naughty canoesand this gives an idea of the original meaning of the word worthless of bad quality or just goodfornaught This was merely a stronger way of saying naught which is derived from the Old English nawiht that is no whit or nothing Later on naughty came to signify evil or corrupt as a naughty pack that is a woman of bad character Not until fairly modern times did naughty come to describe a child’s mischief as it does now
NICE formerly meant ignorant
In the Middle Ages nice meant foolish or ignorant for it comes from the Latin word nescio which is made up of ne not and scio to know Then because ignorant people are often silent its meaning changed to shy or coy Sometimes shy folks get the reputation of being a little uppish because of their offish ways so the meaning of the word shifted until it meant hard to please precise exacting We use it today in that sense when we say That is a nice (exacting) problem Finally it became general in its meaning and is now applied to many things such as people of good taste and disposition
ORDEAL first with boiling water
When a girl says that her day of shopping was quite an ordeal she is using the word in a somewhat softer sense than it originally had In the England of another day this term spelled ordal in Old English and meaning judgment was most often used in the phrase trial by ordeal a phrase that recalls a legal practice of our ancestral British courts If a degendant in this original ordeal could carry a redhot iron without being burned he was innocent If he flinched at plunging his hand in boiling water he was guilty It was as simple as thatthough the tests varied from time to time And now an ordeal can be a severe test of character or just a trying experience
OSTRACIZE reminiscent of Greek democracy
When society ostracizes a person today it is recalling one of the quainter aspects of Greek democracy From time to time the Athenians would make up their minds that the influnence of a certain public man was dangerous and unwholesome On such an occasion the citizens would assemble in the market place and vote as to whether fellow should be banished They simply wrote the name of the undesirable man down on a tile or potsherd called an ostrakon There was no special accusation before the vote no redress after the votes were taken If 6000 ostrakons were cast the victim just kept out of the state for 5 or 10 year That was all From this custom and from the Greek term osirakon came our word ostracize with its present and somewhat less brutal significance
ROUÉ once a criminal
From the French word rouer that meant to break on the wheel or torture on the rack this word came to us from the Duke of Orleans who was Regent of France around the turn of the 18th century while Louis XV was still a minor and after whom our city of New Orleans was named The Duke liked ribaldry and revelry and so surrounded himself with dissolute and most disreputable people And quite as in these days when a man will affectionately call another you old bastard you the Duke addressed these dissipated companions as his dear roués there wasn’t one of them who shouldn’t have been jailed or stretched on the rack
SAVAGE forest dweller
We move from the Latin silva forest and silvaticus also salvaticus (man) of the forest through the Old French sauvage to our word savage The dwellers in towns looked upon the men of the woods as wild men and so the word savage gradually took on its presentday meanings of brutality and cruelty
SILLY originally meant happy
When silly was spelled sœlig it meant blessed or happy Then innocent plain rustic simple By the 17th century silly conveyed the notion that the person socalled was weak harmless and deserving pity as this silly aged king And about this date we arrived at modern meaning foolish
SKEPTIC examine carefully
The Greek philosopher Pyrrho started a new school of thought some three or four centuries before Christ and he and his followers are regarded as the first skeptics The epithet skeptic was innocent enough at the beginning It was taken from the Greek word skeptomai which merely meant to look at something carefully and examine and consider it Pyrrho felt that our physical senses were admittedly unreliable and that we could therefore never know the true nature of things With this in mind he taught his pupils to look out upon the world with an unruffled indifference and to more or less permanently suspend judgment With the passing of time the name skeptic was applied to anyone who questioned things too much notably to anyone who had doubts about the Christian religion
STIGMA literally a brand
While a stigma with us is an unpleasant mark of disgrace it used to be a lot more painful than that When the officials stigmatized a petty criminal in 17th –century England they actually branded him with a redhot iron The Newgate Calendar tells of a hangman who was so ignorant that he could only burn the letter T for thief on the palm of the culprit this being the only letter of the alphabet he knew The word stigma in Greek meant a brand made by a pointed instrument
SUPERCILIOUS lifted eyebrows
Those who wish to be snooty and lift their noses in the air are acting out a slang word Those however who prefer to be supercilious and express their disdain by merely raising their eyebrows are portraying a word that is neither touched nor tainted by slang Our word supercilious is a direct descendant of the Latin supercilium haughtiness which splits into super above and cilium eyelid Raise your eyebrows and there you are the picture of disdain
THRILL to bore a hole in
The words thrill and nostril are close cousins When you are thrilled about a play for example the play has actually pierced you with emotion because the Middle English word thrillen meant at first to pierce And similarly our word Nostril used to be spelled nosthirl that is a hole drilled in the nose
TOADY first a toadeater
When we use the verb toady as He toadied to the wealthy we are using a word with a somewhat comic history You see it was once the custom of charlatans to have attendants who ate or pretended to eat toads The toad was regarded for many years as poisonous so after the attendant had apparently swallowed the toad the charlatan would appear to save his life by getting rid of the poison The word toady originally stood for toadeater but in modern usage it is applied to a flatterer who will do distasteful and nauseating things to please his patron He will toady to people with great names and great wealth
TORTURE to twist
In the days of the Spanish Inquisition victims were tortured by twisting and stretching them on the rack The word torture come from the Latin tortus a derivation of torqueo which means turn or twist A tortuous road is a twisting and winding one When a robber or blackmailer extorts (Latin ex from) money from persons he twists or wrests it from them by physical or mental violence If a face is distorted (Latin dis away) it is twisted away from its normal shape and a contorted (Latin con with) body is twisted with or upon itself While a retort (Latin re back) is a remark twisted or turned back upon the challenger And even our word torch seems to have come from a twisted wick
TRIVIAL three ways
The Romans were human and they knew that where their road crossed would be the spot where the women would meet and gossip on the way back from market The words for this in Latin would be tri three and via way that is trivia which in our language means trifles The word trivial comes straight from the Latin trivialis which means in translation of the crossroads That is crossroads small talk Just gossip
VILLAIN only a farmer
The villain whom we used to hiss on the stage started as a quite honest son of the soil The word villa in Latin stood for a farm Or house This entered Old French as vilein and Middle English as vyleyn and until that time this villain of ours was just a rustic fellow half serf and bound to the country estate or villa of some lord Of course he was of low birth and hence to the aristocrats was a person of low morals and villainy in general Shakespeare employed the word villain in both its ancient and modern uses but after him the bad sense of the term took over
ZANY began as a nickname
You have probably seen a group of people acting like fools at a cocktail party If so you could properly call them zanies At its beginning the Italian word Zani was a Venetian dialect from equivalent to Gianni a shortened form of the proper name Giovanni which equals our John It was a nickname applied to porters and other servants Thus in the Commedia dell’ Arte a clowning servant was a Zani His role was to mimic and make fun of his master By the time zany reached the English language it meant any silly person

3 Romance Behind Business Terms
BUCKET SHOP originally a bucket of beer
In the 1870’s this was applied to a lowdown drinking establishment where patrons could come with a small bucket and carry away an evening’s supply of beer About ten years later the name was transferred to a brokerage establishment that operates illegally speculating against its customers failing to execute their commands and pocketing profits thus accrued The Oxford English Dictionary claims that the first application of this term was in Chicago on the grain marker In 1882 the Chicago Board of Trade refused to allow transactions of less than 5000 bushels so an Open Board began to trade in small lots in an alley If trade on the legitimate board was slack members are supposed to have said I’ll send down and get a bucketful pretty soon
BUDGET just a little bag
French merchants of the Middle Ages carried their money around in a bougette or little bag a word that descended from the Latin bulga a leather bag The English word bulge comes from the same source Belly is a very distant relative too although that’s not so obvious but they all have the idea of swelling in them When a storekeeper made up his budget in those days he opened his bag to find out his resources and counted the cash
BUTCHER slaughtered the goats
The original occupation of the butcher seems to have been the slaying of hegoats Our word comes from the early French bocher butcher derived from boc goat An old French ordinance states that the bocher shall not cast the blood of goats in public ways nor slaughter the goats in the streets In olden times the butcher was of the very elite of tradesmen as is evidenced by a 14thcentury writer who reports A woman that was queen of Fraunce by eritage wedded a bocher for his fairness
CALCULATE suggests pebbles
When a shopkeeper calculates his accounts he is apt to use an adding machine But in Rome 2000 years ago the merchant figured his profit and loss in a more primitive way He used what he called calcui or little stones as his counters So the Latin term calculus pebble not only gave us our word calculus which we apply to one of most complicated forms of modern mathematics
CANCEL a lattice of ink
The word for lattice in Latin is cancelli In a business sense when a clerk in the Post Office cancels a stamp he makes a lattice of ink marks right across it Cancel is from the same source as the chancel of a churchoriginally the lattice division that separated the choir from the navenow the part of the church so separated And the word cancellarius usher of the law court who was so named because he stood ad cancellos at the lattice
CAPITAL from the human head
The word capital in the sense of wealth comes ultimately from the Latin caput head The Latin root of caput appears in scores of English words in various forms depending upon whether it came to us through the French or directly from the Latin Both of our words capital and cattle for example are from caput for in the earliest days a man’s wealth or capital was reckoned in cattle and we still speak of a herd of a thousand head A chattel mortgage is really a cattle mortgage and up to the 16th century the English spoke of goods and cattals instead of goods and chattels
CHARGE from a Roman chariot
When you charge a customer for a purchase you owe a debt to Rome for the term you are using The Latin word for the fourwheeled baggage wagon that Julius Caesar used in his campaigns was carrus In later Latin carrus developed the verb Carricare which meantto load on a wagonand the French took this over as chargier A charge account of course loads a person with the obligation of paying We charge or burden a man with his crime You charge or load your mind with a responsibility And in the olden days they used to charge a musket with powder and sot They loaded it and when they discharged it they unloaded it Beyond this the Roman chariot carrus gave other words Our car came up through the North French word carre and the carriage we used to ride in came through the Old Norman French cariage Cargo is another greatgrandchild of carricare to load Cargo is loaded on a cart But most curiously of all we inherit the word caricature from carricare which sometimes meant to overload and so o exaggerate as caricaturists are supposed to do
CHAUFFEUR stoked the fire
A French word that used merely to mean a fireman or stoker and that eventually goes back to the Latin calificare to make hot Around the year 1900 in the first days of the automobile when it often was a steamdriven vehicle the French gave the bantering name of chauffeur of stoker to the professional who drove the car The term chauffeur derives from chauffer to heat and this contributed another word to English The Old French form chaufer went into English as chaufen to warm which finally changed into our present word chafe which used to mean to make warm by rubbing but now is most commonly used by us in the sense of making the skin sore or sensitive by rubbing The chafingdish is the only modern use that retains the original meaning of heat And the chauffeur is no longer a fireman
COAL first a glowing ember
The word coal spelled col in Old English meant at one time a piece of carbon glowing without flame Later coal took on its modern meaning and confusingly enough the word charcoal means something that has been charred and so reduced to coal One of the earliest mentions of coal is found in the Saxon Chronicle of the abbey of Petersborough in the England of 852 AD The abbot had let some land to a certain Wulfred who was to send to the monastery in return among other things 60 loads of wood 12 loads of coal and 6 loads of peat The type of hard coal known as anthracite owes the beginning of its name history to the Greek word anthrax meaning coal which was described by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus in a script he wrote on Stones aboyt 371 BC Bituminous or soft coal got its name from he Latin word bitumen a mineral pitch found in Palestine and Babylon that was used for mortar In the Douay Bible of 1609 we read Thou shalt pitch it (the arke) within and without with bitumen The coal called lignite is so imperfectly formed that it still has the brown look of decayed wood Hence its name from he Latin lignum wood
COBALT a devil
A tough steelgray metallic element valuable to certain steel alloys and useful in some of its compounds as a pigment Its lustrous sheen often made the miners think they had discovered a more precious meal Because of this and also because the arsenic and sulphur it often contains was harmful to those working over it this meal was regarded as the demon of the mines and was nicknamed from the German Kobalt a variant of Kobold meaning a goblin The miners chose a similar name for nickel In German it used to be Kupfernickel copper demon because this tricky ore looks copper and isn’t We took the word nickel from he Swedish kopparnickel dropping the first half of the name in transit Nickel then is just a bit of he Old Nick
COMPANY eats bread with you
The term company corresponds to companion and this in turn derives from he Latin words cum with and panis bread A companion then is one who eats bread with you a messmate and when you have company at your house they share your hospitality In its business use he romantic associations of the word company are drained off
4 Word Histories of Your Garden
MISTLETOE
It’s too bad to rob the mistletoe of any of its delightful associations but the beginnings of the word are anything but romantic When we trace mistletoe back to its origin we find it spelled mistiltan and mistily comes of all things from a word meaning dung and tan means twig So here we have a twig of dung This all grew out of the popular belief that this plant sprang from bird droppings In a 17thcentury essay we read that mistletoe come onely by the mewting of birds which feed thereupon and let it passé through their body The ancient Druids thought that the mistletoe of the oak was a cure for the various ailments of old age and William Bullein writing in 1562 in his Bulwarke of Defence Against All Sickness and Woundes said The miseln groweth upon the tree through the dounge of byrdes We regard the plant as an invitation to a kiss but the American Indians being on the practical side didn’t trifle with it in this way They chewed the stuff for toothache
NARCISUS
The history of this flowername leads us into an involved love story of the Grecian gods which eventually contrituted three useful words to the English language Echo daughter of air and earth was an attendant on Gera queen of the heavens She happened to offend her mistress however and for punishment was deprived of all spech save the power to repeat such word echo In spite of her handicap she fell hopelessly in love with the beautiful youth Narcissus son of a river god but he spurned her love and as a result Echo faded away until only her bone and her voice were left In order to punish Narcissus for his crime Nemeses goddess of vengence made the youth fall in love with his own reflection in the waters of a fountain and since such love as this could never be consummated Narcissus pined away and finally changed into a flowerSo from this we have our word echo the Freudian term narcissism and narcissus itself with its handsome and usually white or yellow flowers
NASTURTIUM
The pungent smell of these flowers caused them to be nicknamed nosetwisters by the ancients You see the word nasturtium was made up of the Latin words nasus nose and torqueo twist It was the Roman naturalist Pliny who said in the 1st century that this flower received its name from tormenting the nose And if you chew one of the seeds the bitter taste will make the meaning of the name more obvious
ORCHID
The lovely and expensive orchid holds in its name the Greek word for testicle orchis Even Pliny the Elder Roman author and naturalist saidthese 2000 years ago that the orchid was remarkable in that with its double roots it resembles the testicles These are his Latin words Mirabilis est orchis herba sive serapias gemina radice testiculis simili The word orchis now survives in English only as a botanical and medical term The meaning proper has disappeared along with the study of Greek from the general ken
PANSY
Some poetic mind fancied that this dainty flower had a thoughtful face and so named it pensee French for thoughtful which turned easily into our word pansy
PASSION FLOWER
So named because its parts resemble the instruments of Christ’s passion The corona is the crown of thorns the flower the nails or wounds The five sepals and five petals are the ten apostles Peter and Judas were not counted
PEONY
These striking heavyheaded plants so characteristic of early summer wereonce widely used in medicine so they were named after Paion a personage of Greek mythology who was the physician of the gods
PETUNIA
The botanists saw a resemblance between this small tropical plant with its white and violet flowers and the tobacco plant so they took the American Indian word petun tobacco and put a Latin sounding ia on the end
PHILODENDRON
A tropical Amirican plant that likes to climb trees among other things and so takes its name from the Greek philodendros from philos loving and dendron tree that is a treeloving plant
PHLOX
The solid and variegated colors of the phlox glow like flames Why shouldn’t they since phlox in Greek means flame
POINSETTIA
The Honorable Joel Roberts Poinsett of Charleston South Carolina was adistinguished diplomat Secretary of War in President Martin Van Buren’s cabinet author congressman authority on military science Union leader in the Civil War but for all that he would probably gave been forgotten had he not been appointed as a special minister to Mexico It was while there that he became attracted to the large flaming flowers that we now know so well He brought some of the plants back to the States and his name Poinsett gave us poinsettia
RHODODENDRON
A rose treefrom the Greek rhodon rose and dendron tree
SALVIA
The oldsters knew something of the mystical healing powers of sage tea This idea is contained in the Latin name salvia which is from salvus meaning sound or in good health In Old French this same Latin word became sauge which eventually gave us sage But the scarlet variety of sage is an ornamentai plant and it retains its stylish Latin name of salvia
SCABIOSA
A thoroughly unromantic Latin name a derivation of scabies the itch from scabo scratch which is what you do when you have the itch The plant was called this because it used to be thought of as a cure for certain skin diseases
SHAMROCK
From the Irish seamrog the diminutive of seamar which means clover Therefore the shamrock is a little clover The plant was used by StPatrick to illustrate the Trinity because of its three leaves and it became his symbol It is for this reason that it comes in order on StPatrick ’s day to drown the shamrock by way of a drinking celebration
SYRINGA
This ornamental shrub with its sweetscented white flowers got its name from the Greek syrinx syringes which meant reed This name is said to have been chosen because the stems of the plant were used a good deal in the manufacture of pipes
TRILLIUM
This flower of many colors with its whorl of three green leaves derives its name from the Latin tri which means three
TULIP
Again among the descriptive names is the tulip which with its showy colors and velvet texture has somewhat the appearance of a turban The word comes to us through the obsolete French word tulipan from tulbend the Turkish way of sayingturban
VERBENA
To us the verbena is a fragrant perennial with spikes of broad flat clusters of white red and lilac flowers but to the Romans the word verbena meant sacred bough and applied to the sacred boughs of myrtle cypress and whatnot carried by the heralds who declared war demanded redress for wrongs grievances and all
WISTERIA
A highclimbing shrub with flowers that run the gamut of white pink and violet a plant that is especially popular in Japan and in the southern United States It also grows in the northern states but southerners usually refuse to recognize this fact These flowers were named wisteria in 1818 for Caspar Wistar who was onetime professor of anatomy midwifery and surgery at what was then the College of Pennsylvania
ZINNIA
A plant with striking highly colored but rather coarse blooms Native toMexico and the Southwest but for some reason adopted as the state flower of Indiana The name zinnia comes from that of JGZinn an obscure 18thcentury German botanist who seems to have no other claim to fame than this
5 Word Stories About Your Dining Table
BREAD merely a fragment
If you had gone into an English bakery around 700 AD and had asked for a loaf then meant bread and their word bread meant a little piece a fragment So when you spoke of a loaf of bread the clerk would have understood you to have said a bread of fragments than which nothing could have sounded sillier Finally however bread came to mean a piece of bread later broken bread and in the end bread and loaf took on their present meanings
CANDY broken bits
Until quite recent times we said not just candy but sugar candy and the derivation of these words indicates that our confection must have always been on the hard side for candy is ultimately from the Sanskrit khanda which meant a piece of something or lump sugar These two words sarkara khanda are represented in Italian to form zucchero candi our familiar sugar candy
CAROUSE bottoms up
Sometimes a party that starts innocently and pleasantly will end in a wild carouse When we pronounce this word carouse we are coming as near as we can to saying gar aus which is the German word for completely finished When a celebrant is drinking in a tavern and his glass is gar aus or completely finished it is empty and if it is gar aus too often he is starting to carouse And when we drink we are usually hobnobbing with other people that is we are chatting socially and being convivial But in the 12th century when the English cried habbannabban they were saying have have not which was a sort of take or leave it invitation to a drink
CEREAL named for a goddess
When you are eating your morning cereal you are paying a small tribute to an ancient goddess In 496 BC the Roman countryside was cursed by a terrible drouth The priests of the day turned to the Sibylline oracle for help As a result of this divine consultation The priests reported that a new goddess Ceres must be adopted and they recommended that immediate sacrifices be made to her so that she would bring rain to the land In the end Ceres became the protector of the crops The caretakers of her temple were the overseers of the grain market which however the goddess controlled since it was her influence that determined the harvest and to insure a good harvest the first cuttings of the corn were always sacrificed to her The Latin adjective cerealis which meant of Ceres gave us our word cereal
CHARTREUSE from a monastery’s name
The name derives from La Grande Chartreuse an old Carthusian monastery where this cordial was originally made In the early 17th century the Marechal d’Estréss gave the monks a recipe for the liqueur which consisted of fine herbs and brandy But in 1880 the Order was expelled from
France and they set up their distillery in Spain at Terragona Connoisseurs claim that the cordial is not right now because the herbs are gathered in an alien spot It is reported that the monks are using legal action to get back to their original spot so that the cognoscenti can have their chartreuse with the right flavor
CHOWDER named after a pot
In the little villages of Brittany on the north coast of France it has long been the custom for each fisherman to toss a bit of his catch into a common mess of fish and biscuit that cooks in a community pot or chaudière This dish was so good that its fame spread to Newfoundland and so to the east coast of the United States and the name of the pot was soon applied to the contents and the spelling chaudière was restyled as chowder
COFFEE decoction of berries
It is said that back somewhere in the year 850 a goatherd named Kaldi became puzzled at the strange way his flock was acting He noticed that they were nibbling on certain berries so he decided to try the berries himself He did and was so excited at the feeling of exhilaration he got that he rushed off to tell the other goatherds about the bush The Arabs soon learned how to dry and boil the berries and they called the brew qahwe Its use immediately stirred up a great ruction among the orthodox MohammedansSome of the faithful drank their qahwe to keep
awake during the interminable religious servicesbut for that reason others thought that qahwe should be barred as an intoxicantTurkey took up the brew qahweand this gave France her cafehence our word coffee
COGNACnamed for a town
When guess sip their after dinner cognacthey are tasting a liquor that has been in the world for more than 400 yearsThe name cognac is short for Eau de Vie de Cognacwater of life of Cognaca town in southwest France where brandymarking is the main industryIt was a Dutchman who discovered brandy they saya sharp businessman who was worried because more grapewine was being produced in Cognac than they could ship outSohe thought if he distilled the water from the wine there would be less bulk and more of the product could be transported The idea was that the customer could pour the water back in when he received the stuffIt was a good idea at thatbut for some reason it didn＇t workBrandy as we know it seems to havebeen introduced into France from Italy at the time HenryⅡthen Duke of Orleansmarried Catherine de MediciThis was in 1533and soon after cognac became one of the most famous Frence brandies
COLLATIONbegan with the monks
In the Benedictine monasteries the monks used to gather in the evening and read aloud from the Collationsor lives of the saintsThen they would talk about these things and eat a light meal the while Later this came to be called a collationor a light meal that was eaten on fast days in place of supperFinally in later daysand with the laityit was used to mean a mealand sometimes an elaborate one
COOKjust means cook
The word cook itself holds little inerest for usIt traces back to the Latin word cocus or coquusfrom coquocookBut the derivatives from it may be worth our attentionA biscuitfor instanceis twicecookedorbakedout of the French bis twiceandcuitcookedwhich is similar to zwiebackfrom the German zwietwiceand backenbakeIf you should concoct a story or a soupyou cook the ingredients together(Latin contogether)until you＇ve made up a good oneBoth of the words kitchen and cake come by different routes from coquo
CORDIALclose to the heart
Should you ever in your life have sipped a cordialit warmed your heartdidn＇t it And it properly shouldfor the word cordial comes from the Latin term corcordisheartLikewise a cordialhandshake is a heartyhandshakeWhen we are in accord(Latin acto)with a neighborour heartsand minds are in harmonyBut should there be discord(disawayuote )our hears and minds are apartA man of courage is a man of heartfor courage comes to us though French from the Latin corAgainthe record that is kept divides into reagainand corcordisheartbecause in former timeswhen writing was not such a simple artthe records were often passed on by word of mouth and had to be leaned byheart
DATElike a finger
The fruit of the date palm was once thought toresemble the human fingerand hence our word date comes ultimately from dactylusthe Latin term forfingerAs all Bible readers know the date palm was common in the Mediterranean region long agoIts introduction into America was due to the efforts of Spanish missionaries in the 18th century who started seedlings in Mexico and elsewhere
DISTILLdrop at a time
When a substance is distilled it is vaporized in a retortpassed into a receiverand condensed drop by dropThe Latin term distillo suggests this process when we split the word up into dedownand stillaadropAnd when we instill the young with wisdomthattoo is pouredintotheir mindsdrop bydrop
EGGS BENEDICTresulted from a hangover
In the year1894 a certain Samuel Benedictmanabouttown and member of New York＇s cafe societycame into the old WaldorfAstoria on 34th Street with a wicked hangoverHe knew precisely what he wanted for his breakfastHe ordered bacon butter toasttwopoached eggsand a hooker of hollandaiseOscarfamous maitre d＇hotel ofthe Waldorf was impressed with the dishand put ham and a toasted English muffin in place of the bacon and toastand christened the whole affair Eggs Benedict in honor of the genial rake
EPICUREshould be moderate
If you are a lover of good food and wine and if you take a fastidious and sensuous delight in your pleasuresit would be correct to call you an epicurealthough the use of the word in this sense is a gross slander on the hight in your pleasureit would be correct to call you an epicurealthough the use of the word in this sense is a gross slander on the original EpicureansTheGreek philosopherEpicrueans
taught moderation in all thingsPleasurehe advisedis acertain quota of painand so he instructed his pupils in temperanceWhen the Englishspeaking people took over the wordhoweverthey seized upon the single idea ofpleasureandand now the words epicure and epicurus and his followers so deplored
GOUTjust a drop
This diseasedown through the yearshas been the honored ailment of oldgentlemen who lived high and drank large quantities of port after dinnerThere may now be a medical doubt about the causeas today gout is ranked under the vague and general term of rheumatismButbe that as it maygout goes back thourgh Frech to the Latin guttadrop The notion was that morid matterdroppedfrom the blood and settled about the jointsand so caused them to swell and become painfulIn the 19th century folks had gout stools that were made to hold one foot
GRAPE a hook for gathering fruit
The original Old English word for this was winberige form the Germanic winvineand berigeberryliterallyberry of the vine But in the 11th century William of Normandy conquered England and with his victory the fancier Frech words came in at a great paceIt is true that the humble farmer went on saying winberigebut his lords were now saying grappewhich really meant a cluster of fruit growing togetherand this latter word ultimately comes form grapethe vine hook with which they gathered the grapesBy this route the word grape came to usand also the lusty word grapple that you use when you grapple with a problem
HERMETICALLY a godgiven name
When a housewife hermetically seals her jars of preservesshe would hardly guess that she was dealing with the magic of a Greek God Hermesan Olympian god was a messenger like the Roman god Mercurya god of magicalchemyand the occultOur word hermetically is formed form the name of Hermespossibly because the process of sealing wounds or jars hermetically seems to have to do with the mystic and magical powers of the gods
INTOXICATEpoisoned arrows
The modern meaning of this word came about in a simple and logical fashionThe Greek word toxon meantbowThe poison with which the soldiers tipped their arrows was calld toxikon(pharmakon) which led to the Latin toxikuma more general word covering any poisonWe then turn to the late Latin intoxicatus from the verb intoxicopoisonthe base of our word intoxicaleAnd so we have taken a trip down through the centuries from the Greek warrior who poisoned his arrows to the intoxicated chap who saysName your poison Of course in our medical word toxic we have retained the ancient meaning

JULEPmerely rosewater
Here is a name poetic as a Kentucky colonel The origin lies in the Arabic word julab which meantrosewaterThis innocent potion became alcoholic in the good old USAAs early as 1787 records show that the landlords of Virginia started the day at six in the morning with a julep as an eyeopener
JUNKEToriginally a basket
We have here a strange tieup between a rush basket and the pleasure junket that a group of congressmen takewe＇ll say to the Philippines and the junket that we feed to childrenIn old France the custard that was made there ofcreamrose waterand sugarwas taken to market in the jonquetteor basket of rushesand this custard soon took on the name of the basket in which it was carried and was respelled junketThese baskets suggested a picnic and the junkets the congressmen go on certainly have the character of a picnicand received their name because of thisSo there we areexcept that this all stems from the juncus of the Romans which was their word for rush
LUNCHEONa lump of food
The origin of this common word is so old that it has become somewhat cloudedLunch first meanta lumpand lunshinan English dialect wordmeanta lump of foodBut there also existed the dialect word nonschench which splits into anonnoonand schencha drinkHigh authorities claim that these two words nonschench and lunshin blended to form the word luncheon which could then roughly meana lump of food with a noon drink Of coursewhen you have breakfastyou merelybreak the fastDinner is from the French dinerto dineand supper isto supwhich is really to sipeither food or drinkAnd a morsel is alittle bitesince it comes from the Latin term morsumbitten
MANHATTANorigin unknown
Of course the name Manhattanwhether applied to the drink or the citybelonged to the tribe of Indians who originally inhabited Manhattan IslandThe Manhattan cocktail came into vogue toward the end of the last centuryand the year 1894 is the earliest recorded use of the namebut as yet there is no further explanation of the originThe history of the martini is equally
obscure
NAPKIN first a little tablecloch
The tiny paper napkins that we use at times would never have done in the old days when knivesand spoons were limitedor nonexixtentThen you needed a tremendous linen square to mop up withThese enormous napkins were a sign of elegance long after flat sliver came inand even in the 1890＇s large napkins were an important part of any topdrawer dinnerWe have the word napery now for table linenand in this term is buried another wordnapewhich once meant tableclothIn our language when we say napkin we mean a little napewhich is an Old French wordand so a little tableclothIn Old French the derivative of nape was naperonThis was borrowed into Middle English as naperon and an apron was first called a napronbut by error the initial n became joined to the a and an apron took the place of a napronIn similar fashion the snakean adderused to be calleda nadderAnd all of this finally derives from the Latin word mappa which also meant napkin orcloth
OMELETTEoriginally a thin blade
The history of this word is just as mixed up as a modern omeletteThe term came to us by a series of absurd blundersThe Latin word lamellaa thin plateentered French as la melleand later the word was reinterpreted as l＇alemelleBut the French already had a word alemette which meant the thin blade of a swordand before we know it l＇alemelle is being spelled l＇alemetteand later onomeletteSoif you have followed through this labyrinthyou will see that an omelette is really a thin blade and has practically nothing to do with eggsAnd while on the subject of omelette the word yolk comes quite understandably form its colorIt is a derivative of the Middle English word yolke through Old English geolcafrom geoluyellow
ONIONrelated to a pearl
In Latin there is a word union which is translated as onenessorunionThe word onion is derived form this Latin termIt rates its name because it consists of a number of united layersThere is also another interesting analogy between union and onionThe rustics about Rome not only used the word unio to mean onionbut they also thought it a suitable desigation for a pearlAnd even today a cook will speak of pearl onionswhen she means the smallsliverywhite variety
ORGYmeant secret rites
Dionysius was a god and giver of the grape and the wineThe grateful Greek held night festivals in his honorand these often turned into drunken parties where the boys and girls danced and sang and violated all the sex lawsThe Greek called
6 Political Terms and Their Origins
BALLOT why we cast a ballot
The ballot we cast and the bullet we shoot were both balls at the beginning but are descended from widely different parents Bullet comes down to us through the French boulette a small ball from the Latin bulla a bubble boss or stud while ballot traces to the Italian ballota a little ball a word of Germanic origin With us a ballot is sheet of paper we put a cross on and drop in a box on election day unless we are dealing with voting machines But the ancient Greek dropped a white ball of stone or metal or shell in a container when he favored a candidate a black ball when he was againstwhich explains why the undesirable are still blackballed in our clubs The ball we throw and bat around in our games has a closely related parentage as it comes from the same Germanic source as the Italian ballotta
BALLYHOO from county cork Ireland
When you raise a lot of ballyhoo you are making a general fuss and pother This all is thought to have grown out of a village called Ballyhooly that lies east of Mallow in Cork County Ireland As the congressional Record of March 1934 says The residents engage in most strenuous debate a debate that is without equal in the annals of parliamentary or ordinary discussion and from the violence of these debates has sprung forth a word known in the English language as ballyhoo
BRIBE a piece of bread
Many of the words that concern themselves with the idea of companionship or conciliation (including these two words themselves) have to do with the sharing of food Bribe is such a word In modern French and in the plural bribes means bits odds ends and leavings but in Old French it meant a lump of bread or as an oldentime author said A peece lumpe or cantill of bread given unto a beggar The development of bribe seems to have been along the following lines first a piece of bread then begging then living by beggary then theft and finally blackmail and bribery in the modern sense
BUNK a speech for Buncombe County
Around the year 1820 a debate was in progress in the House of Representatives on the complicated question of the Missouri Compromise In the middle of the discussion a member from Buncombe County North Carolina arose and started a long dull and completely irrelevant talk Many members walked out Others called for the question Finally the speaker apologized with the now famous statement I’m talking for buncombe which meant of course for his constituents in Buncombe which was a county in his district According to the Niles’ Weekly Register published in Philadelphia from 1811 to 1849 the phrase talking to (or for) Bunkum was wellknown in 1828 We clipped the word to bunk which now means inflated and empty speech or pretentious humbuggery A colorful and expressive derivative of this word is debunk which came into use in the early
1920’s The debunkers were first a school of historians in the years between Wars I and II who were popular for the straightforward and outspoken ways in which they stripped some of our heroic figures
CANDIDATE clad in white
When a Roman politician went campaigning he took care that his toga was immaculately white so that he could make the best impression possible The Latin word candidates first simply meant a person dressed in white but later it took on the meaning that our word candidate has a seeker after office The root of candidates can be recognized in our word incandescent which means white and glowing and in candid for a candid person in the figurative sense is white and pure and therefore frank and honest
CARTEL originally a chart
Here is a word that has gone through dramatic changes of meaning It originated in the Latin term charta which meant paper and gave us our English word chart A cartel was originally a written challenge to a fight Then later it meant a libelous statement in writing By the 17th century it was an agreement concerning the exchange of prisoners in a war And now it has the dignified meaning of an agreement in restraint of trade or one of those international combines that makes such an agreement about the fixing of prices and output
FASCISM based on a bundle
If you will look on the back of the American dime you will see the mark of the Fascist The term Fascism comes from the Italian Fascismo and this in turn is built on the Latin fascis which meant a bundle usually a bundle of sticks or rods This bundle with the ax protruding was the symbol of official power that was carried before all Roman magistrates Benito Mussolini resurrected it ofr his own use
FILIBUSTER once a freebooter
The buccaneers who infested the West Indies and the SpanishAmerican Coast in the 17th century were called filibusters and freebooters The word freebooter come from the Danish vrijbuiter vrij free and buit booty but vrijbuiter gave us another word by another route It passed into French as filibuster then into Spanish as filibustero and so into English as filibuster The word came to mean anyone who waged an irregular sort of warfare for his own gain And now a filibuster is conducted by a sometimes irregular sort of congressman who speaks interminably to delay legislation
GERRYMANDER child of a salamander
Coined around 1812 and infrequently used except in politics At that time the Massachusetts legislature ingeniously contrived to rearrange the shape of Essex County so as the better to control elections When they got through with their redistribution it was noticed that this county resembled a salamander The governor of the state at that time was Elbridge Gerry and a smart newspaper editor used his surname and the last half of salamander to create gerrymander Such a redistribution of boundaries today for the purposes of political advantages is still called gerrymandering
GOVERNOR he directed a ship
When we speak of the ship of state we are more accurate than we know for to the Greeks their word kybernao meant to direct a ship and also even in those days it had the figurative meaning to direct the ship of state Kybernao isn’t too far in sound from governor The Romans borrowed the word as guberno passed it on to the French then it crossed the channel to England as governor The president of the United States however is actually a presiding officer for the word president comes from the Latin praesideo sit in front of or protect and the Premier of England should really be the first and topmost citizen of his country because Premier is from the Latin word primaries which means belonging to the first rank The Czar is another story for it traces back to the old Slavic word cesare which obviously owes its beginning to Caesar the name of the Roman emperors The title Tsar was first used in Russia in the 15th century and was adopted as his official title by Ivan the Terrible in 1547
INAUGURATE they studied the birds first
In modern days when we inaugurate a president we induct him into office with solemn and suitable ceremonies But in olden times such important affairs were not left to chance The Latin Word inauguratus splits up into in in and augur diviner The augurs and prophets of those days studied the flights and habits of birds and from their findings told the emperors and governors what the future held in store And the advice of the soothsayers was usually followed The Emperor Claudius however became impatient during the Punic Wars When the sacred birds refused to come out of their cage he tossed them into the sea declaring If they won’t eat they must drink In modern days our presidents and governors receive no help from the diviners when they are inaugurated and are forced to take their own chances
LOBBY began as an arbor
The word lobby that describes the operations of the political pressure groups in Washington shows us that some words have moved from German to Latin to English We are wont to believe that Latin is always original in its contributions In Old High German lauba meant a shelter of foliage This term entered the Latin of the Middle Ages as lobia and in the 16th century was adopted by English as lobby a cover ed walk which meaning was modified to a passage or anteroom In 1640 it was first applied to the anteroom of the House of Commons and here the lobby began and the lobbyist went to work
MACHIAVELLIAN from a stateman’s name
In the days of the wicked Lucrezia Borgia there lived a famous statesman and diplomat by the name of Niccola Machiavelli Even the characteristics of his face and manner suggested his practices He was thinlipped with an aquiline nose his was vulgar in his humor feverishly active in his ways and acidly sarcastic Machiavelli had a mind that was startling in its brilliance and keen in its analytical powers and he was thought of as the idea man for the politicians of early 16
thcentury Florence In time he lost favor with the ruling Medici family For this reason he was forced to stop his active practice of politics and started to write down his theories about them instead Through his book Il principe he has become known as the founder of political science Unfair critics have maligned him claiming that he believed a ruler to be justified in using any means no matter how unscrupulous to maintain his power For this reason a machiavellian policy now means a policy of craft cunning and bad faith
MUGWUMP great man
In 1884 there was a split in the Republican party and a large number of members refused to support James G Blaine for president They were accused by the regulars of assuming a superior attitude and such epithets as Pharisees and mugwumps were hurled at them Apparently mugwump or mugquomp as it was spelled in one of the Massachusetts dialects was an Algonquian Indian word meaning great man or even chief Today the word is applied to anyone who takes a position independent of the party line Albert J Engel is reported to have said in the House of Representatives in April 1936 that a mugwump has his mug on one side of the political fence and his wump on the other although this joke is thought to be older than Engel
PLATFORM it’s flat
In French plat means flat so a platform is really a flatform Since the 1800’s the word platform in the political argot of the United States has signified the basis of a party’s appeal to the public The party leaders carry on endless arguments about the planks that are to be put in the platform and these planks take us right back to the broad pieces of sawed lumber that make up the familiar speaker’s platform
POLL first a human head
Poll is a term that has a meaning quite different from the one it began with In Middle English the word was spelled polle and meant head or more particularly the top of the head for that was the part of a person that could be seen above the crowd when a count of heads was being taken In this way the word came to mean the registering of votes A poll tax of course is a head tax
PROTOCOL first concerned glue
We are familiar with the sharp protocol of diplomacy that determines what official shall call on whom first and where the ambassador’s wife shall sit at a formal dinner party The word protocol itself travels back finally to the Greek term protokollon Which was the first leaf glued to the front of a manuscript with an index of the contents written on it The elements of the word are protos first and kolla glue Our word protocol from which an official treaty or document was eventually drawn Then the meaning was extended to the rules of etiquette of the diplomatic corps and others
RADICAL to the root of things
This word now is not much more than a general term of abuse although it started off innocently enough It comes directly from the Latin radicalis from radix root This same word radix gave us the name of our homely vegetable the radish which is nothing more than an edible root Therefore a radical essentially is merely a person who likes to go to the root of a matter In its original sense radical meant fundamental or primary But around the end of the 18th century a group of English politicos came to be known as radical reformers because they wanted to go right to the root of things and revamp the existing political setup No one called them reds however because their special badge happened to be a white hat They were soon a hated crew for folks don’t like change and the word radical eventually became a name of low reproach
SENATE a group of old men
Our sometime comment about the nine old men of the Supreme Court indicates that our young nation doesn’t look upon old age with as much respect as the Romans did For their word senatus senate derived from the Latin senex an old man and their senate thus was a revered council of elders We Americans are more apt to look upon old age as senile which also is a derivative of senex
TAMMANY an Indian saint
Tammany Hall was founded in New York City as a private social club in 1789 It was said to have been sharpened into a political weapon by Aaron Burr and with its new power practically swung the political election to Thomas Jefferson People were indignant and complained about a private club playing politics So Tammany split up One half took out a charter as a social and benevolent outfit bought a meetingplace called The Hall and rented the space to the other and political half They borrowed the name for their association from a Delaware Indian chief of the 17th to 18th centuries called Tammany or Taminy Chief Tammany was described as a friend of George Washington and may have been the Indian with whom William Penn had his famous negotiations for the land which became Penn’s woods or Pennsylvania Later on the Delaware chief was facetiously canonized as the patron saint of the republic and so for more than 160 years New York City has often been ruled by the loyal Sons of Saint Tammany
7 War Words and Their Histories
ADMIRALa Saracen chief
Originally an admiral was an amir or a Saracen chief The amiralbahr was commander of the seaAmircommander althe bahrseaThis was his official title in the early days of Spain and SicilyThe first tow parts of the Arabic word were taken into French as amiral which was later reinterpreted as admiral due to the equivalence of Old French aand Latin adThis word passed into English and was associated with the navy as early as the 13th centuryLatera flagship was called the Admiral which led to the word＇s application in modern English to a sea commander
ALARM to arms＇
If we are alarmed at any time we should spring to arms for that is what the Italian cry all＇arme meantIn later years the Italians combined the two word s into allarme and the meaning was extended from the military command itself to the emotion was fright that had been felt on hearing it shoutedNowvery often alarm has only to do with the warning of the morning alarm clockThe word had even reached this low point at the time of Samuel Pepys who noted in his Diary on July 151665 after a hard day at the ExchequerAnd so to bedto be up betimes by the helpe of a larum watchwhich by chance I borrowed of my watchmaker today which my owne is mending
AMNESTYloss of memory
When a lawyer begs amnesty for his client he is actually asking the judge to have and attack of amnesiaThe first person in history to grant amnesty was reported to have been a Greek general who said that he would forgive his enemies and not remember(Greek anotmnasthaito remember)their misdeedsAnd from this we inherited our two English words amnesialoss of memory and amnesty a pardon for offenses
ANNOYonce a military term
In the 16th century the English had a Jury of Annoyances to deal with such public nuisances as the slaughter of bestes within the cyteThe word annoy was much stronger thenAn attacking enemy would annoy a townThis term ternm traces back by changes of spelling to the Latin phrase in odio which meant in hatredThe French took the Latin word over in the derived form enuierdispleaseand from this term we inherited in English the tow words annoy and ennuithe fist meaning to displeaseand the secondthe act of being bored by unpleasantnessor just boredom in generalAnother useful English word comes from the same Latin parentageThe word could have been annoysome but we reduced this to the less awkward word noisomemeaningdisgusting offensivewhich is the extremity of annoyance
BASINa soldier＇s helmet
You dont＇t have to tell a soldier that his helmet is often his only wsbasin or soup bowl This word basin started in Roman days with the Late Latin term bachinusan eating lowlIn the Middle Ages the knights of Charlemagne king of the Franks wore coneshaped metal caps or helmetsThis word for this helmet was bacin actually a bowl for the head Bacin slipped into Englishthen became basin These words of ours proiferate and before long we had bassinet orlittle basin that beriboned crib in which we put babies
BESIEGEsitting by a towm
This word traces through the Old French siegerto situltimately from the Latin sedeoplus the English prefix be byWhen the enemy besieges a townit sits byit until somebody sives upOr it used to at leastin the days before atomic fissionThe Lation roots sedsid and sessform sedeo came to us directlywithout the changes incurred by passing through the French languageTherefore we have the session of Congress during which our legislators sitand those sedate paople who sitgravely in their chairs Then there is the sediment that sits on the bottom and the sedentary jobs of the clerksOr a nice fat subsidy that lets you sit for the test of your life
BOOTYyour share
The modern word booty comes from the Middke Low German word bute which meant a distribution or a sharing When bute entered our language it began to mean booty as we understand itsomething takenillegally and then sharedin the fashion of the pirates and freebooters of those daysIts spelling was influenced by the English word boot which meant profit or advantage This we now use in such an expression asHe sold him his camera and then gave him a couple of films to botthat is something besides or in addition tothe article boughBut the word boot that applies to the covring that yu wear on your foot is merely a corruption of the Hindustani word lutmeaning something plundered
8 Terms of Science and the Professions
ACADEMY named for a Greek farmer
This is a pleasant story about a Greek farmer It seems that a Spartan maiden named Helen was kidnapped by the legendary hero Theseus Her twin brothers Castor and Pollux who are now in our heavens as two bright stars searched for their sister without success until they met the farmer Akademos who seems to have given them some hint as to the whereabouts of the kidnapper and his victim As a reward for his alertness the grove of Akademos was eternally watched over by the gods It was in this grove that the great philosopher Plato held his classes The grove was called Academeia and for many years after his death his pupils and followers met in this same spot for their discussions Plato never did verify the story of the farmer but he gave us the word academy that now means a place of learning
ALGEBRA bonesetting
The ancients had to borrow a medical term to christen this branch of mathematics They took the Arabic words al jebr with the meanings al the and jebr reuniting what is broken Sometimes these words were used to mean bonesetting Out of this they built a really impressive phrase for the new science ilm aljebr wa’lmupabalah which meant reduction and comparison by equations The Italians mercifully took the second and third words of this phrase and combined them to form algebra Even as late as the 17th century the word algebra kept its original Arabic meaning and still referred to surgical treatment For instance we read in the historian Halle This Araby worde Algebra sygnifyeth as well fractures of bones as sometime the restauration of the same But to the schoolchild today it’s just a mathematical headache
ANESTHESIA no feeling
Sir Humphry Davy first accomplished artificial anesthesia in 1800 and in that period medical men would have had enough Greek to know that Plato used the word anaisthesia to mean insensibility from an not and aesthesis feeling
CHEMISTRY a search for gold
The early alchemists spent most lf their time trying to find a way to turn baser metals into gold and atomic fission is showing Us that they weren’t as stupid as we thought When the Arabs invaded Europe they brought with them the idea for their type of research and also introduced the name of it alkimia which eventually became alchemy The word chemist was coined by shortening alchemist and the term chemistry followed
DEAN he led ten
The dean of your university is a descendant of the Roman decanus who was a commander of a division of ten Late on this became a church term and was the title of the ecclesiastic who was at the head of ten monks in a monastery By the time the colleges borrowed the title
decanus it was spelled dean and now he can be the head of as many as he wants Decanus is derived from decem the Latin word for ten’
DISSECT cut it apart
When a biologist dissects a frog he dis apart’ and seco cut’ or cuts’ it apart ’ In geometry we bisect a circle or cut’ it in two ’ A road that intersects another cuts’ in between ’ And a section is something cut off ’
ELECTRICITY the beaming sun
The Greeks knew that when you rubbed amber it would become magnetic and begin to draw feathers and strings and other light objects to it Little more than this was known about electricity until comparatively recent times The ancients used to make love amulets out of amber and guaranteed that the wearing of one would attract a lover Since friction can make amber give off sparks the Greeks named it electron from elektor the beaming sun’ This word into Latin as electrum was turned into the adjective electritcus whence our electric and electricity
ELIXIR of magic powers
With us an elixir is usually a panacea or lifegiving potion as The book is full of a veritable elixir of spiritual vitality’ In the earliest days Eastern alchemists continually tried to turn base metals into goldThere was an imaginary substance that they thought would do the trick and they called it aliksir literally the dry power’ This entered Medieval Latin as elixirstill a word of magic for in medieval times the boys were looking for an elixir vitae or elixir of life’ that would bring eternal youth Ponce de Leon sought the elixir in Florida and Faust searched for this imaginary cordial in his laboratory Even today elixir retains a magic meaning
ENTOMOLOGY cut up
This is the branch of zoology that treats of insects The word is based on the Greek entomos which means cut up’ If we examine an ant or a similar insect we will see that their bodies are indented and appear to be cut up’ in to sections The word insect’ from the Latin insectum cut up’ is simply a Roman rendering of the Greek idea
INOCULATE a gardening term
When the doctor inoculates you he plants’ in your body a small seedling of the virus or germ that causes the disease in order to make your immune to attack But at first the word inoculate was a purely horticultural term and meant to insert an eye or bud in a plant for propagation It came form the Latin in into’ and oculus eye’ Its present use dates form the time of the first inoculate against smallpox
LAW something laid down
When we lay down the law to someone we are almost saying the same thing twice over In the early days of our language law was spelled lagu in the pural and lagu is so closelyrelated to the word lay’ we can safely say the law was something laid down’ A statute on the other hand is quite the opposite The grandparent of this word is the Latin
statutes which simply means something set up’ We set up’ laws on the books
NAUSEA derived from a ship
In the dim and distant days folks weren’t any better sailors than we are They too got that type of nausea that we call seasickness and that the French speak of as mal de mer or sickness of the sea ’The Greeks were the ones who invented the world nausia and they took it straight from their word naus ’ship ’ the vehicle that produced the condition The Roman satirist Juvenal points out with some bitterness in his Legend of Bad Women that wives are always seasick but that a mistress remains healthy and goodtempered during the whole voyage
This word nausea that in those days meant seasickness has taken on a broader meaning in English
PANACEA named from a goddness
A panacea is a cure for all ills and comes by its meaning in all honesty If you look at the front of a modern physician’s car you will usually see a metal piece representing a serpent twined medicine The serpent was taken to represent medicine because he is the symbol of the renewing of youth and eternal life from the fact that he gets a new skin every year The mythical Asclepius had a daughter with the happy name of Panakecia the allhealing and from her name was derive our word panacea
PEDAGOGUE he led the children
An instructor of young people is a schoolmaster and the history of the word demands that he should be for this term comes from the identical Greek word pedagogue which divides into pais paidos child and ago lead Originally and quite literally the slave who led the child to school and home again by the hand Little attention was paid to the education of girls in ancient Greek days but the sons were taught by the pedagogues who were slaves in the families of the rich A demagogue by the way leads the people(demos) in other directions
PUPIL just a doll
When we see a group of young pupils sitting in a classroom they look a bit like little dolls and that’s why the word pupil came from the Latin term pupilla a little doll And then we have the other English word pupil the pupil of your eye When we look another person in the eye we often see a minute image of ourself reflected there and this miniature picture also reminded the Romans of a pupilla or little doll And so pupilla contributed the word pupil to us with a second meaning the pupil of your eye And it is interesting to know that the Jews were drawn to this same figure of speech The Hebrew word for the pupil of the eye were eshon ayin or little man of the eye
QUARANTINE forty days
The length of time that a ship is now held in quarantine varies with the nature of the contagious disease that is suspected of being aboard but years ago the quarantine was for a flat forty days The word quarantine comes eventually from the Latin quadraginta forty and this magic number forty has several uses in our language Quarentena for instance was the Medieval Latin name giben to the desert where Christ fasted for forty days and in the early Rome Catholic Church a quarantine was a penance or fast lasting for the same period of time Now it is an indulgence corresponding to such a penance In common law we have the window’s quarantine which permits the bereaved woman to live in her deceased husband’s house for a period of forty days after his death It would seem that there is a bit of religious significance in this mystic number forty
QUINSY choked a dog
The Greeks called a sore throat kynanche from kyon dog and anchochoke This word illustratesin its career the dramatic shifts in spelling that can occur In Medieval Latin kynanche became quinancia which entered Middle English as quinesye later quinsy the quinsy sore throat that we have today
SCHOLAR leisure to study
To be a true scholar one must have leisure for reading research meditation and intelligent discussions So it isn’t strange to find that our word scholar is from the Greek word schole which means leisure Later when philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato taught groups of young men the early classes were termed schole This passed into Latin as schola school and so gave us school scholar and all the related words But the word school as used in the phrase a school of fish is from an entirely different source It comes down to us from the Dutch word school which is related to the Old English term scolu which meant a band of people
SCOTLAND YARD palace of the kings
This place made famous by detective story writers was so called because it stands on the site of a palace where the Scottish kings once lived when they visited England The last of the Scottish Royal Family to stay there was Margaret Queen of James VI
ZODIACmeant animal
The zodiac is that imaginary belt of animals that supposed by the ancients to encircle the heavensThe twelve parts were named for taurusthe bullpiscesthe fishand such Each division is important to astrology for reading the character of those born under these signsIf we follow this word zodiac back far enough we will find its ancestor in the Greek word zoionanimal





9 Romantic Stories of Words about Women
ALIMONY eating money
We have in English the word aliment that menas foof This traces to the Latin alo norish So the way the most of our divorce laws are written now if a wife sues for release from her bonds she expects alimony which etymologically is reallyeating money
ALLURING from falconry
When falconry was at its height in Englang and on the continent allure was a device used by hunters to call back their hawks It consisted of a bunch of feathers with a long cord attached It was from this contraption that the hawk wasd fed during his training period hence the attraction So when a girl purposely allures a man she is using the deceptive methods of a hunter We have inherited the word from Old French allure a toand lure bait
AMAZONS they had only one breast
The Amazons were a race of female warriors who were alleged by the Greek historian Herodotus to live in Scythia These manlike women fought many battles with the Greeks and the famous hero Achilles was presumed to have slain their queen penthesilea when the Amazons were trying to heop the besieged Trojans These mythical women were said to have cut off their right breasts so that they could draw their bows more easily The Greeks invented this fable to connect the word Amazon with a withoutand mazosbreastThese Scythian women were responsible for the name of our south American river the amazon This river was called by its discoverer Rio Santa Maria de la Mar Dulce But when the Spanish explorer Orellana made the first descent of the river from the Andes to the sea he was engaged in battle by a savage tribe in which he believed that women fought beside the men and it is the accepted story that he then techristened the mighty river Amazonas So when we call a modern woman an amazon we mean that she is masculine powerful and inclined to give battle
AUBURN blong to red
Lots of mistakes have occurred in the making of our languageFor example the Latin word alburnus meant fairhairedliterallylike shitefor alba meantwhiteAlbunus passed over into Old French and Middle English as auburne and then of all things got confused with the native word vroune which meant brown So the alburnus or fair –haired girls of ancient rome –and the Roman clubmen loved their blondes –became The auburnor reddishbrownhaired girls of today
AVOIRDUPOIS sold by weight
In our weightconscious country the United States avoirdupois is a polite way of speaking of wxcess fat but its Old French ancestor aveir de peis meantgoods sold by weightsuch as woolLter on in Englishspeaking countries avoidupois became the standard system of weights for goods other than gems metals and drugsAdiose is another polite and pet word of the overweight but its derivation is more blunt The Latin adeps adipis is the source and this just means greaseor fatand
nothing nicer
BEVY merely a drinking copany
The Latin word bibere meantto drink This became beivre in Old French One of its derivatives came into our language as beveragethat which is drunk By the same path bevee seems to have entered Old English with the meaninga group of drinkersand then changed to signify a small group of birds animals or peoplethe people usually being women In the late Middle Ages a bevy was a company of roes larks quailsor ladies The Latin term bibere perhaps also contributed the baby’s bib to our langyage for after all a bib does have to imbibethe moisture that the baby spills
BLUESTOCKING affectedly literary
this is a word that was more familiar to Washington Irving than it is to us but there are parts of the countru where an affectedly studious and literary woman is still called a bluestocking It all began with Elizabeth Montagu a famous leader of London society in the 1700’s who introducedliterary evenings in her home as a substitute for the frivolous cardplaying parties of the day She is said to have adopted blue stockingsdeliberately as a badge of her ideas The ladies who had a taste for such gatherings were dubbed Bluestockings by a certain Admiral Buscawen and his epithet still lives
BOUDOIR at one time a poutingroom
With us of course an elegantly furnished room to which a lady can retire to alone or to receive her intimate friends But in the middle Ages a young lady was sent to her boudoir to get over the sulks Our word comes from the French verb bouderto poutSo a lady s boudoir is really her poutingroom
BRIDAL the toast that was drunk
At modern wedding receptions of the welltodo the bride is usually toasted in champagne This is not at all in tune with the history of word Tht drink should really be a tankard of that homely brew ale for the word bridal is formed of two old English words bruyd bride and ealuale and our bridal ceremony takes its name from the traditional bride’s ale that was always drunk at the time Brydealu changed to bridale then bridal The bridegroom is another story He should be called a bridegoomliterally a bridemanBut somebody down the line got confused and substituted groom for goom so now a bride has married a man who takes care of horses
BUXOM once meant obedient
When we call a girl buxom we mean that she is fat But when a bitish bride of early times promised to be buxom and bonnyhto her husbandshe didn’t mean that she was going to put on a few extra poundsThe word buxom or buhsum as it was then spelled seems to have come from bugan meaning bendand therefore pliant pleasant and kindlylIt was customaryin that erato talk of being buxomthat isobedientto the judges or even buxom to the popeThen later the meaning
turned to blithe and gaystill later to full of health and vigorBut now the original bend has gone into the curves of her figure and a buxom girl is just pleasingly plump
CAPRICE liKe a goat
One hundred years ago the British author Thomas De Quincey wrote somewhat superciliouslyEerywhere I observe in the feminine mind something of a beautiful caprice a floral esuberande of that charming willfulness which characterizes our dear human sisters Ifear through all the world This lefthanded compliment makes women seem attractively feminine and yet when a girl is capricious her actions are reminiscent of the lowly billy goat The word caprice comes through the Itaian capriccio from the Latin caper goatSo when a girl is capricious and cuts up capersshe is imitating the frixsky playful antics of the male cousin of a sheep
CHARM formerly a danger word
If a girl were called charming 14thcentury England you could be pretty sure that she was headed for the torture chamber or to a horrifying trial by ordeal The charm that is now courted by every woman would be sure at that timem to bring complete social ostracismwe inherited this word from the French charme which found its source in the Latin Carmen song usually a wicked chant or incantation of magic power lide that of the notorious Lorelei And there was also the charm that was worn to ward off evil the progenitor of the innocent charm bracelet that has been worn by women since the 1860’sEven as late as the 16th century we uncover the quotationThe serpent stoppeth his eares with hir taile to the end that she may not heare the charmes and sorceries of the inchanterBut by shakespeare’s time the word carried a good deal less weight and now it is a high compliment to tell a girl that she has charm
COQUETTE once applied to men
Men used to habe a share in this word but the girls finally took over Coquette comes from the French coqcock and first referred to someone who behaved like a barnyard cock with his strutting gait and amorous habits Later the word went completely feminine and we discover the coquette defined in 17th century dictionary as a frisking and fliperous minx The nearest male counterpart for this word is cocky
COURTESAN formerly a perfect lady
In the beginning this lady as her name implies was merely a perfectly proper member of the court circle but since her morals were often no better than they should be she turned into a court mistress The term courtesan is rarely used of a prostitute There is a nice distinction here that was aptly pointed out by a 17thcentury writer named sharpham Your whorehe saysis for euery rascallbut your curtizan is for your courtierAnd it is entertaining to know in this connection that court plaster was sonamed because the xourtesans and other ladies of the court cut bits of plaster into fancy shapes and wore these black patches on the face or shoulders
DAMASK soft as a rose
This fine patterned fabric was named for the city of Damascus and the damask cheeks of the English ladies to which the romantic poets paid such high tribute were so called because they resembled the fine pink roseknown as damask rose which was also named for thsyrian city of Damascus
ENCHANTbegan as sorcery
An enchantress can be a bewitching and fascinating womanor in history she could be a sorceress who practiced magic and the Eeil artsIn the earliest days of England enchant had only the sinister meaning of witchcraft but by the 14thcentury it had taken on the sense of win over as illustrated by the phrase enchant to charityThis meaning was inherited from its ancestral grandparentthe Latin incantarebuilt upon in overand cantare to singthat is to singsomeone overto your side
FAINTonce meant pretend
When a fencer feints he makes a false motion with intent to deceibe This is just what the Victorian lady did when she would faint for these wesk sisters could always solve any dilemma by swooning away The French words faint and feint both meant pretended or feigned and they came from feindri which meant be cowardly avoid one’s duty pretend So when a girl faints she may be feintging
GLAMOURmade by word magic
It’s strange to find that the glamour girl of today was named after the full Latin grammar that we thumbed our way through in school Yor see all through the ages there has been a mystery attached to words The ancient Egyptian priests for the sake of power kept the art of reading and writing as a secret of the templem and the people looked upon these skills with superstitious awe Even in 16thcentury Englang the ability to read and write was regarded with a fishy eye and this special knowledge was associated with black magicIn that day latin was the language of the cultured few Books were written in this dead speech and the intellectuals conversed in Latin A famous German professor was actually unfrocked because he dared to deliver a lecture in EnglishBut the illiterate masses accredited occult and devilish powers to those who were fluent in Latinand in Latin grammar As the years went by the letter rin the mysterious word grammar changed to I as r often does in the mutations of language Other modifications ctept in and a new word glamour was born that first carried with it the same cabalistic overtones that had attached to Latin grammar for the word glamour originally meant magica spell or charmNow the meaning has been modified and the Hollywood starlet who has glamour casts a spell over men instead of over Latin grammar
10 Your Favorite Sports and Their Word Histories
BACKGAMMON back game
The beautifully inlaid 5000yeatold backgammon board of Queen Shubad was found in her tomb during the excavation of the ancient capital of Babylonia Ur of the Chaldees Backgammon and its blood cousin checkers were known throughout the East thousands of years ago From a date far back before the time of Christ comes a representation of a lion and an antelope at play over a draughts board As a point of information the lion is in the act of grabbing the stakes Roughly speaking the game of backgammon as we know it is usually dated form the 10th century since the board was more or less standardized at that time The word gamen in early English meant game Hence backgammon really means back game because the pieces are often sent back to reenter the board
BADMINTON named for an estate
The Duke of Beaufort had a tidy bit of property ten miles in circumference in Gloucestershire England This estate of his called Badminton was apparently the scene of several innovations in English living in the late 19th century A claret and soda drink was named badminton after it but that has long since been forgotten Everyone however knows of the game badminton which was first played in England in 1873 The game itself was imported from India by the British
BLINDFOLD meant a blow
In the children’s game of blindman’s buff one of the players is blindfolded and this sounds as though a handerchief were folded around the victim’s eyes but the word blindfold means nothing of the kind The Middle English word blindfellen meant strike blind and fellen meant strike but blindfelled the form of the past tense was eventually altered to blindfold And by the way the buff in blindman’s buff means a blow that was struck during the game
BOWLING kings forbade it
This game has a romantic history although the derivation of the word bowling is simple It is originally from the Latin bulla bubble Bulla finally became bowl which at first meant either the ball itself or the active cast or delivery of the ball Modern keglers may be interested to know that the complete equipment for playing their game was discovered by Sir Flinders Petrie the British archaeologist in an Egyptian tomb dating back to 5200 BC And these same keglers may be surprised to learn that bowling was forbidden in England by Edward | | | Richard｜｜and other monarchs because it was thought to be too harmless a sport and one that provided no training for war such as archery did Henry V| | | also forbade bowling but he had a fine alley laid out at Whitehall so that he might amuse himself between executions But in spite of all this the Dutch brought a variety of this game over and taught it to us on Bowling Green those acres that lie in New York’s financial district
]BRIDGE first a man’s game
The earlier name for this was biritch The game was enthusiastically taken up by the British in the lush 1880’s Women were at first excluded and it was as much of a man’s game as poker but the turn of the century changed that and women’s clubs became more common than men’s The story that card were invented to amuse a feebleminded king seem not to be quite accurate It is true however that the first record of playing cards in Europe appears in the household accounts of Charles VI in 1392 or 1393 But since his mental illness didn’t appear until 1393 it would seem doubtful that the game of cards could suddenly be invented for his sake Little is known of their actual beginning although some writers say that a Chinese by the name of Seunho who lived around 1120 AD devised the game for the amusement of his concubines In Egypt cards were connected with religious ideas At the least we know that by 1483 Europe took to playing cards with such a passion that the first sermon was preached against them by Saint Bernardion of Siena at Bologna Italy His congregation was so stirred that they rushed home and made a bonfire of every pack that they had Germany was an early center of card manufacturing These cards had images of bell hearts leaves and acorns representing the nobility clergy landowners and laborers The Spanish went in for swords batons cups and money Our own symbols came directly from the French but the names are a mixture The club is a translation of the Spanish basto baton but the figure is the French trefoil that is threeleaved really a clover Spade is from the Spanish espada or sward which comes ultimately from the Greek spathe which meant wooden sword The French word carreau really means a pane of glass or a tile but when they use it in cards it identifies what we call a diamond The heart is simply a conventional drawing of the human heart In card games the word discard is often used An earlier spelling of this term was decard from de away and card card which first meant to reject a card from your hand Now discard is used in other ways than card playing
CHESS the king is dead
When chess plays call check as a warning to an opponent they are really saying Mind your king he’s in danger Both the words check and chess originated in the Far East back somewhere in the dim ages and both come from the Persian word shah or king The term shah worked down through Arabic into Old French as eschec into Middle English as chek finally to check which first only signified check as it is used in a chess game but later logically came to mean a stop loss or hindrance as it does in modern English The companion word chess entered Middle English as ches from the Old French word eschecs which is merely the plural form of eschec that gave us the word check That is chess is simply a series of check When a Persian in ancient days had his opponent’s king hopelessly cornered he announced shahmat that is the king is dead If you pronounce those Persian words you will not be very far away from the modern chess player’s phrase checkmate
CUE first a tail
The long tapering stick that we use in billiards takes its name from the Latin cauda tail The spelling form is greatly changed but this is natural for the game of billiards was popular and played by all classes and the name of the stick that is used in the game passed through dozens of dialects before it emerged as coe then cue Our word queue is exactly the same term but its form was adopted from the modern French spelling Its common meaning of course is pigtail But other thing can be long and tapering too like the queue that waits for the second show at the movies
FORFEIT originally a crime
With us a forfeit is not much more than a penalty in games As Augustin Daly said in one of his plays back in the 8o’s I wish to gracious we could have one of those oldfashion forfeit games where kissing comes in But in Old English days a forfaite was a crime as was a forfait in Old French If you were discovered committing a forfait you were arrested This French word is a compound of the Old French words fors outside and fait done hence it literally meant done outside or beyond and thus beyond the bounds of the law This led to the original meaning of transgression and transgress itself simply means to step across that is across the legal line A sister word of forfeit is counterfeit from the French word contrefaire imitate or make parallel with
GOLF named from a club
It is unfortunate that the origin of the name of such a popular game cannot be traced with absolute surety The majority of the scholars claim that it came from the Dutch word kolf the term for a club that was used in such games as hockey and croquet This might indicate that golf began in Holland It is true that most of the early accounts of the game are out of Scotland but the records show nevertheless that the Scotch imported their best golf balls from the Dutch The game grew to such popularity in Scotland that the government became disturbed Golf was crowding out archery as a sport and practice in archery was important to war So in March1457 the Scottish Parliament decreed that golf be utterly cryit doun and nochtusit A few years later James I forbade it entirely as he had done with bowling yet the accounts of the Lord High Treasurer for 15031506 still show that the Crown’s money was going for golf balls As s side light Mary Stuart Queen of Scots was a golf fiend and played a few rounds several days after the murder of her husband However as students of history will recall the girl came to no good end
GYMNASTICS in the nude
It is easy to see the resemblance between our word gymnastics and its Greek parent gymnazo which means train naked and comes from gymnos meaning just plain naked In ancient Greece exercises were often performed in the nude by both boys and men and at one period the famous Olympic track meets were run off in the nude The Greeks of the time believed that nudity was conducive to health just as our passionate sunbathers do today The great Greek physician Hippocrates claimed that the sun was health and soothing to the nerves of the back As an amusing side note our mineral gymnite is so called because it is found at
Bare Hills Maryland With us modern gymnastics are usually performed in a gymnasium while the term athletics generally applies to outdoor contests The word athletics descends to us from the Greek athlon the prize that the winning athlete received
HAZARD the die is cast
At one time hazard simply meant a dice game as is indicated by the Arabic origin of the word al the and zahr die But since the cast of the dice is uncertain the Arabic word alzahr came into Spanish as azar meaning an unexpected accident This entered French as hasard English as hazard Hazard is still a gambling game but the word now also means exposure to the chance of loss or injury
MARATHON recalls an ancient battle
Nearly two and onehalf millenniums ago a little band of 10000 Athenians defeated 100000 Persians at the battle of Marathon A courageous runner brought the news of the thrilling victory to the city of Athens that lay some 26miles away When the Olympic Games were revived for the first time in 1869 a long distance race was planned to cover the same ground that the earlier runner had traversed almost 2400 years before Quite properly a Greek won this event Now the word marathon can
11Terms of PlaceTime Shape and Size and their Origins
FATHOM
Fathom is now six feetAnd since sailors are primarily interested in depthwe finally devised the abstract verb fathom which meant to get to the bottom of as of a problem or mystery
FURLONGas long as a furrow
The modern fancier of race horses calls this measure of distance a furlongbut there was a period in England when the word was spelled furlangfurh for the furrowthat the farmer turns with his plowand lang for longThat isa furlong was just as long as a furrowand in those days a furrow was reasonably constant in length because a furrow was thought of as existing in a field of ten acresBut this measure was still a little elastic for accuracy and by the 9th century the wise men decided to call a furlong an eighth of a mile and let it go at thatToday a furlong is 220 yards
GEYSER a gusher
In Iceland in an area of about two square miles there are approximately a hundred hot springs that have been a source of wonder to men for centuries The Icelandic name for such a spring is hverThe largest of the grouphowever has been named the geysirand from this came our word geyser The literal meaning of geysir in Iceland is gusher
HALCYONstarted as a kingfisher
Halcyon days are days of peace and calm when the skies are clear and the winds are stillThese days had an actual place on the ancient calendar and were the fourteen days at about the time of the winter solstice It was during this period that the halcyonor kingfisherwas supposed to sit on her nest as it floated in the seaShe was believedyou seeto have a magic power to calm the winds and waves so that her nest would be secure Halcyon is a Latin word that came from the Grddk termalcyonor kingfisher
JOURNEY a day’s mileage
This word is basedwith several shifts of sound and derivation on the Latin word diurnumdayA journey used to mean the distance covered in a dayand that journal of yours is what you have written in a daySo is a diary (from dies another Latin word for day)When we sojourn we spend the dayand when we adjourn we have finished those thingsbelonging to the dayOr should we adjourn sine dieLatin for without a dayour meeting is adjourned indefinitelyAnd you could guess that a journeyman plumber is really a day laborer
MILESTONE a thousand paces
It seems that Augustusfirst of the Roman emperorsset up a central stone in the Forum called a milliarium from which all distances were reckoned The mane of this key stone was derived from the Latin word mille which meant a thousandfor the Roman mile was calculated as a thousand paces with each pace equalling five feet Under the imperial regimethe roads were systematically marked off every mille passuumor thousand pacesand a stoneor milliariumwas set up with the mane of the emperor carved on itthe date the place from which the distance was measuredand usually the name of the roadmakerIn forming our word milestonewe took the first half from the Latin word millebut for the second half we adopted the simple native word stannow stone
ORIENT towards the sunrise
We speak of Japan as the land of the rising sunand we correctly call all of the far eastern countries the Orientfor the word Orient comes from th Latin term oriensorientiswhich means risingTo the Europe of the early days the Orient was where the sun roseThe East signified luck to the ancient soothsayersthe sunrise represented life and the beginning of things These old time prophets judged the future by the flight of birdsIf the sacred birds flew east when the priests released them from their cagesit meant good fortuneThis superstition was taken over by the Christians and it was the traditional plan of the architecture of the early churches to place the chief altar at the eastern end of the edifice In these ancient Roman augurshoweverif the sacred birds happened to fly west it presaged disasterfor the early fathers associated the setting sun with death and destructionIn the Latin language the verb occido meant set as the sunbut it also meant dieOf course it was Latin occidensoccidentisfalling setting that gave to the Europeans and to us the name Occidentals in contradistinction to the Orientals for we live in the land of the setting sun
PLUMB began with lead
When you try to plumb the depths of a philosopher you are in a poetic sense letting down a piece of lead on a line in an attempt to fathom his meaning This verb plumb of course comes from the Latin word plumbum which means lead and a plummet is a lead on the end of the line Since a weighted string hangs straight the term plumb itself took on the meaning of straight as He is going plumb to Hell Therefore anything out of plumb is off the perpendicular Also when you plumment down you are going down in the most direct fashion possible With all of this there is no mystery about where the name plumber come from This is the handyman who fixed your bathroom pipes when they were only made of plumbum or lead
SHAPE it came through many spellings
This simple word has appeared in many forms the Old Norse skap Old English gesceap Middle English schap and a host of other spellings in between up to just plain shape as we use it All of these words have the idea of creation in them of shaping with the hands And from shape in the form of ship we have such words as friendship penmanshiphorsemanship And worship which simply means worthy shape
TAPER grow thinner
Tapering fingers are like a taper candle which is shaped so that it diminishes in diameter at one end In similar fashion if we taper off in eating or drinking our consumption gradually grows less and less like the narrowing cylinder of a candle The word taper itself seems to come by many intermediate shifts in spelling from the Latin word papyrus which meant taper or wick for the wicks in those days were made from the pith of the papyrus plant a plant native to
Egypt
TIDE AND TIME first meant the same thing
There is the old familiar phrase Time and tide wait for no man The history of tidy will be easier to trace if we first take a glance at tide and time Originally these two words had almost identical meanings We still preserve the first sense of tide in such an expression as Christmastide which really means Christmas time and it wasn’t until the 14th century that tide applied to the ebb and flow of the ocean which is of course connected with time Once upon a time our word tidy meant timely too They would speak of a tidie happening meaning opportune or timely Finally tidy came to mean neat clean and in good order
TRAVEL was once suffering
If you don’t like to travel you have a historical reason for your feeling Travel in the old days could be bitterly uncomfortable and highly dangerous what with bandits beasts and barbarians and the memories of its perils are still held in many terms The word travel itself for example is from precisely the same source as travail which means extreme agony They are both derived from the French term travailler which means to work hard and this word has as its remote ancestor the Late Latin trepalium which was a device for torturing When we say farewell we are actually saying travel well And even our word peril comes from the Latin periculum which meant the danger of going forth to travel
ZENITH over your head
We call the zenith that point in the sky directly overhead The word zenith derives from the term samt in the Arabic phrase samt arras way over the head which is just what we mean by the word a millennium or two later It would seem impossible that the spelling samt would ever end up as zenith but here’s the story that will show how these spellings can wander around The word samt had a variant form semt and then in Medieval Latin days some fellow must have mistaken the form and he miscopied it as cenit This version popped into the French of that day as cenith and into English as senyth The stretch from senyth to zenith is easy for an imagination to cover This may help us to understand the wide variation in form that often exists between the original word and its modern version The point in the celestial sphere right under your two feet is called the nadir and this comes directly from the Arabic nazir opposite for in this case its spelling wasn’t monkeyed with much
Probably the most important units of time that govern our lives are the months of the year and the days of the week Here are their stories
Months of the Year
JANUARY
When the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve and December
Passes into January we say farewell to the year just gone and we hail the New Year ahead It is fitting that first month should be called January for the Roman god Janus who gave this month its name was always represented with two faces one that gazed at the past and one that looked to the future However before the name January was adopted in English this month was called WulfMonath or wolfmonth because at this time of the year the bitter cold brought wolves into the villages to forage for food
FEBRUARY
The middle of the month of February was marked in ancient Rome for a religious ceremony in which women were beaten for barrenness This was called the festival of Lupercalia and was held in a cave by the river Tiber Two youths were selected to play the leading role in the celebration After the goats were sacrificed thongs were cut from their hides and given to the youthsthese thongs were called februa or instruments of purification and should they strike a women she would no longer be barren The two young men in question would run around the city with the sacred thongs and give smart and curative slaps to any barren girls they saw No one knows just how they knew whom to hit although the barrenness of a women would probably be common knowledge in any village However this may be the magic power of the thongs came from Juno whose epithet as the goddess of fertility was Februaria and from this word we took the name of our month February had 29 days but the Roman Senate took one away and gave it to August so that August would not be inferior to July It’s a long step down from all this romance to the original native name for February The factual English simply called it SProtekalemonath because the cabbages were sprouting
MARCH
Before the time of Julius Caesar the Roman New Year began with the month of Marth This was not only the beginning of the year but was the open spring season for the waging of war so the month was dedicated to mars the god of war and was named sfter him Its Old English name was HlydMonath that is boisterousmonth because of the winds And by the way the expression mad as a March hare comes from the fact that March is the mating season for hares and are supposedly full of whimsy all month
APRIL
This was the month of the first flowers in ancient Italy as it is with us and the opening spring buds gave the month its name The Rome name was Aprilis based on the Latin word aperio with means open The early Britons on the other hand lacked the poetry of the Mediterrancen They rather flatfootedly called April EasterMonath or Eastermonth Of course April brings in April Fool’s Day and this recalls the festivities held by all ancient peoples at the vernal equinox beginning on their New Year’s Day March 25th and ending on April 1st It was not until the 18th century in Great Britain that April Fool’s Day as we know it was created The theory about this day traces the tradition back to the medieval miracle plays that used to represent the sending of Christ from Pilate to Herod
MAY
This is when the time of the singing birds is come and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land Sir Thomas Malory called it the lusty moneth of May It is strange that the romantic time of May has always been considered unlucky for marriage The Romans objected to it for the quite understandable reason that it contained the feast in honor of Bona Dea who was the goddess of chastity Also the festival of the unhappy dead fell in the month of May The name May in Latin Maius is believed by many to have come from Maia who was the mother of the god Hermes The native English had a less romantic but much more practical name for the month They called it Thrimilce because in the long spring days the cows could be milked three time between sunrise and evening
JUNE
This name is probably form Junius the name of Latin family to which the murderers of Julius Caesar belonged Some scholars believe however that the name June came form the goddess Juno who was the protectress of women since June has been the favorite month for marriages all the way down form earliest Rome It can be that the ancient taboos against May marriages are responsible for our modern June rush to the altar The English name for June was SereMonath or drymonth
JULY
The name of this month was proposed by Mark Antony the Roman general and famous lover of Cleopatra Antony suggested that this birthday month of Caius Julius Casesar be named Julius in his honor and the name came into use the year of Caesar’s assassination In English the spelling became first Julie then July But before the English adopted the Latin name they had called the month MadMonath or meadowmonth since the meadows were in bloom and the cattle were in pasture
AUGUST
Octavian the first Roman emperor was the nephew of Julius Caesar and longed to gain the fame and power of his uncle He wanted among other things to have a month named after him His birthday was in September but he selected what is now known as August for this particular month had been a fortunate one in his career The Senate had given Octavian the official title of Augustus in honor of his distinguished sercices to the state so the month he had chosen became Augistus which we have shortened to August The prosy and downright English had called this the WeodMonath or weedmonth although in fairness the word weed yhen applied to greenery in general
SEPTEMBER
Inasmush as the Roman year originally started in March September was their seventh month and the name is taken from the Latin word septem which meant seven When the calendar was changed and September became the ninth month the name was not altered Charlemagne who was Emperor of the West at the beginning of the 9th century refused to accept the Roman name and called September the harvestmonth
England followed suit and for a long time September was konwen as HarfestMonath The harvest then was largely barley which the thirsty English promptly converted into ale
OCTOBER
This is the season when the smoke of burning leaves is apt to be in the air Even the Roman poet Martial called October fumosus or smoky because the time for lighting fires was at hand Officially though the name remained October from the Latin octo eight for this month was the eighth on the list before the calendar was altered The Roman general Germanicus Caesar wanted the month named after him but he never got very far with his wish The English first gave the name WinMonath or winemonth to October and probably a little elderberry wine and such were concocted but the real preoccupation was the Brown October Ale that we still sing about today
NOVEMBER
Since the Emperor Augustus had his month and Julius Caesar his the polite and politic Romans thought it only proper to propose that November be renamed for the Emperor Tiberius But Tiberius objected and said rather wittily What will you do if you have eleven Caesars So the name remained Novernber from the Latin novem nine To the forthright English November was the BlotMonath or sacrificemonth as it was the time when the heathen AngloSaxons sacrificed cattle to their gods Sometimes they also called it the WindMonath for obvious reasons
DECEMBER
Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Emperor of Rome toward the end of the 2nd century once asked his mistress how she would like to see her name on the calendar Amazonius was the name the emperor had in mind since the lady had once been painted as an Amazon but the Senate was not sympathetic and apparently told him to gao watch the gladiators and lions instead So December went on being called by its old name from decem ten since December was originally the tenth month The common name among the English for December was MidWinterMonath although the Christians of the day called it HalighMonath or HolyMonth because of birth of Christ
MONDAY
In mythology the moon was the wife of the sun and so had to have her day in the week which in Old English was Monandag or moon day a translation of the Latin lunae dies day of the moon In the superstitious England of theose times people believed that the phases of the moon affected crops and disthe potency medicine and they were sure too that bacon killed on the old of the moon would shrivel in the pan
TUESDAY
In Norse mythology there was a god named Tyr A wolf spirit called Fenrir was troubling the world and Tyr volunteered to bind him He used a chain made of strange substances the footstep of a cat the beards of women the roots of stones the breath of fishes Tyr put his hand in Fenrir’s mouth and bound him but his hand in the was bitten off In Old English the god’s name Tyr appears as Tiw He was really a Germanic deity one very much like Mars the Roman god of war and his name gave us the Old English word Tiwesdag the day of Tiw OUR Tuesday which is a rendering of the Latin dies martis day of Mars
WEDNESDAY
In Old English Wednesday was spelled Wodnesdag which was the day of the great Germanic god Woden who corresponded to the Roman divinity Mercury Both were swift in movement and noted for their eloquence Woden was the father of Tyr who gave us the name Tuesday and was the god of storms He welcomed brave warriors to the heaven of Valhalla and treated them to the pleasures that they most loved on earth He also slew Chaos and created earth from his body his flesh making the dry land his bones the mountains his blood the sea his Mercurii dies the day of Mercury and the French took this over as Mercredi their name for Wednesday
THURSDAY
Thor was the strongest and bravest of the Norse deities and corresponded in the heavenly hierarchy to the Roman god Jupiter who also handled the lightning bolts Thor you see was the god of thunder which he made with a chariot drawn by hegoats across the sky Thor owned a massive hammer which the giant Thrym once stole from him and refused to give up unless Freya the goddess of love would marry him Thor dressed up in her clothes wheedled the hammer from Thrym and then slugged his host It was the name of this same Thor that formed the Old English word thuresdag or Thursday the day of Thor which equals the Roman dies jives or day of Jupiter
FRIDAY
In Old English Friday was frigedag the day of the Norse goddess Frigg wife of Woden and the goddess Venus and her day Friday was like the Latin dies Veneris or day of Venus Wednesday and Thursday had been named for her husband Woden and her son Thor so Friday was assigned to her as appeasement The Norsemen regarded Friday as their luxky day but not so the Christians since the Crucifixion took place on Friday
SATURDAY
In Old English saternesdag merely Saturn’s day is halftranslation and halfadoption of the Latin Saturni dies or day of Saturn the Roman god of sowing
SUNDAY
Sunday replaced Saturday as the Sabbath because the Resurrection took place on a Sunday It was around the 4th century that the church made it a holiday and forebade anyone to work In old English it was spelled sunnandag literally the sun’s day a translation of the Latin dies solis or day of the sun
PART III SENTENCE
1 abbreviate shorten
* Because we were running out of time the lecturer had to abbreviate her speech
2 abate subside or moderate
* Rather than leaving immediately they waited for the storm to abate
3 absolute complete totally unlimited certain
* Although the King of Siam was an absolute monarch he did not want to behead his unfaithful wife without absolute evidence of her infidelity
4 abstract theoretical not concrete nonrepresentational
* To him hunger was an abstract concept he had never missed a meal
5 abusive coarsely insulting physically harmful
* An abusive parent damages a child both mentally and physically
6 accelerate move faster
* In our science class we learn how falling bodies accelerate
7 accessible easy to approach obtainable
* We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on foot
8 abscond depart secretly and hide
* The teller absconded with the bonds and was not found
9 aberrant abnormal or deviant
* Given the aberrant nature of the data we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment
14 adulterate make impure by mixing with baser substances
* It is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer
15 adversity poverty misfortune
* We must learn to meet adversity gracefully
16 abase lower degrade humiliate
* Anna expected to have to curtsy to the King of Siam when told to cast herself down on the ground before him however she refused to abase herself
17 abash embarrass
* He was not at all abashed by her open admiration
18 abdicate renounce give up
* When Edward VII abdicated the British throne he surprised the entire world
20 abject wretched lacking pride
* On the streets of New York the homeless live in abject poverty huddling in doorways to find shelter from the wind
21 abjure renounce upon oath
* He abjured his allegiance to the king
24 abominate loathe hate
* Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he abominated the custom
25 abrasive rubbing away tending to grind down
* Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish abrasive remarks can wear away a listener＇s patience
26 abrogate abolish
* He intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor
27 absolve pardon (an offense)
* The father confessor absolved him of his sins
28 abstain refrain withhold from participation
* After considering the effect of alcohol on his athletic performance he decided to abstain from drinking while he trained for the race
31 accede agree
* If I accede to this demand for blackmail I am afraid that I will be the victim of future demands
32 acclimate adjust to climate or environment
* One of the difficulties of our present air age is the need of travelers to acclimate themselves to their new and often strange environments
33 acclivity sharp upslope of a hill
* The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear
35 accord agreement
* She was in complete accord with the verdict
36 accost approach and speak first to a person
* When the two young men accosted me I was frightened because I thought they were going to attack me
38 accretion growth increase
* The accretion of wealth marked the family＇s rise in power
39 accrue come about by addition
* You must pay the interest that has accrued on your debt as well as the principal sum
40 acidulous slightly sour sharp caustic
* James was unpopular because of his sarcastic and acidulous remarks
42 acquiesce assent agree passively
* Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer＇s suggestions I could tell she had reservations about the changes he wanted made
43 acquittal deliverance from a charge
* His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty
45 acrimonious stinging caustic
* His tendency to utter acrimonious remarks alienated his audience
47 actuate motivate
* I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily
53 adherent supporter follower
* In the wake of the scandal the senator＇s onetime adherent quietly deserted him
54 adjunct something attached to but holding an inferior position
* I will entertain this concept as an adjunct to the main proposal
55 adjuration solemn urging
* Her adjuration to tell the truth did not change the witnesses＇ testimony
57 admonish warn reprove
* He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways
58 adorn decorate
* Wall paintings and carved statues adorned the temple
61 advent arrival
* Most Americans were unaware of the advent of the Nuclear Age until the news of Hiroshima reached them
62 adventitious accidental casual
* He found this adventitious meeting with his friend extremely fortunate
63 adversary opponent enemy
* Batman struggled to save Gotham City from the machinations of his wicked adversary the Joker
64 adverse unfavorable hostile
* adverse circumstances compelled him to close his business
65 advert refer to
* Since you advert to this matter so frequently you must regard it as important
66 advocate urge plead for
* The abolitionists advocated freedom for the slaves
68 affable courteous
* Although he held a position of responsibility he was an affable individual and could be reached by anyone with a complaint
74 affix attach or add on fasten
* First the registrar had to affix his signature to the license then he had to affix his official seal
75 affluence abundance wealth
* Foreigners are amazed by the affluence and luxury of the American way of life
76 affront insult offend
* Accustomed to being treated with respect Miss Challoner was affronted by
Vidal＇s offensive behavior
80 aggrandize increase or intensify raise in power wealth rank or honor
* The history of the past quarter century illustrates how a President may aggrandize his power to act aggressively in international affairs without considering the wishes of Congress
81 aggregate sum total
* The aggregate wealth of this country is staggering to the imagination
83 agility nimbleness
* The agility of the acrobat amazed and thrilled the audience
84 agitate stir up disturb
* Her fiery remarks agitated the already angry mob
85 agnostic one who is skeptical of the existence of knowability of a god or any ultimate reality
* The agnostic demanded proof before she would accept the statement of the minister
87 agrarian pertaining to land or its cultivation
* As a result of its recent industrialization the country is gradually losing its agrarian traditions
91 alias an assumed name
* John Smith＇s alias was Bob Jones
92 alienate make hostile separate
* Her attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith in each other
93 alimentary supplying nourishment
* The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occurs there
94 alimony payments make to an exspouse after divorce
* Because Tony had supported Tina through medical school on their divorce he asked the court to award him 500 a month in alimony
95 allay calm pacify
* The crew tried to allay the fears of the passengers by announcing that the fire had been controlled
96 allege state without proof
* It is alleged that she had worked for the enemy
98 alleviate relieve
* This should alleviate the pain if it does not we shall have to use stronger drugs
100 alloy mixture as of metals
* alloy of gold are used more frequently than the pure metal
101 allude refer indirectly
* Try not to allude to this matter in his presence because the topic annoys him
102 allure entice attract
* allured by the song of the sirens the helmsman steered the ship toward the reef
103 allusion indirect reference
* the allusions to mythological characters in Milton＇s poems bewilder the reader who has not studied Latin
105 aloof apart reserved
* Shy by nature she remained aloof while all the rest conversed
107 altercation noisy quarrel
* Throughout the altercation not one sensible word was uttered
108 altruistic unselfishly generous concerned for others
* In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships to hundreds of economically disadvantaged youths Eugene Lang performed a truly altruistic deed
109 amalgamate combine unite in one body
* The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body
110 amass collect
* The miser＇s aim is to amass and hoard as much gold as possible
111 Amazon female warrior
* Ever since the days of Greek mythology we refer to strong and aggressive women as amazons
112 ambidextrous capable of using either hand with equal ease
* A switchhitter in baseball should be naturally ambidextrous
114 ambiguous unclear or doubtful in meaning
* His ambiguous instructions misled us we did not know which road to take
117 ambrosia food of the gods
* ambrosia was supposed to give immortality to any human who ate it
119 ameliorate improve
* Many social workers have attempted to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slums
120 amenable readily managed willing to be led
* He was amenable to any suggestions that came from those he looked up to he resented advice from his inferiors
121 amend correct change generally for the better
* Hoping to amend his condition he left Vietnam for the United States
123 amiable agreeable lovable
* His amiable disposition pleased all who had dealings with him
124 amicable friendly
* The dispute was settled in an amicable manner with no harsh words
126 amity friendship
* Student exchange programs such as the Experiment in International Living were established to promote international amity
127 amnesia loss of memory
* Because she was suffering from amnesia the police could not get the young girl to identify herself
128 amnesty pardon
* When his first child was born the king granted amnesty to all in prison
129 amoral nonmoral
* The amoral individual lacks a code of ethics he should not be classified as immoral
130 amorous moved by sexual love loving
* Don Juan was known for his amorous adventures
131 amorphous shapeless vague indeterminate
* John was subject to panic attacks that left him prey to vague amorphous fears he knew he was terrified but could neither define nor explain the cause of his terror
132 amphibian able to live both on land and in water
* Frogs are classified as amphibian
133 amphitheater oval building with tiers of seats
* The spectators in the amphitheater cheered the gladiators
134 ample abundant
* He had ample opportunity to dispose of his loot before his police caught up with him
135 amplify enlarge
* Her attempts to amplify her remarks were drowned out by the jeers of the audience
136 amputate cut off part of body prune
* When the doctors had to amputate Ted Kennedy＇s leg to prevent the spread of cancer he did not let the loss of his leg keep him from participating in sports
137 amok in a state of rage
* The police had to be called in to restrain him after he ran amok in the department store
139 anachronism something or someone misplaced in time
* Shakespeare＇s reference to clocks in Julius Caesar is an anachronism no clocks existed in Caesar＇s time
141 analogous comparable
* She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that we do the same
142 analogy similarity parallelism
* Your analogy is not a good one because the two situations are not similar
144 anarchy absence of governing body state of disorder
* The assassination of the leaders led to a period of anarchy
149 anecdote short account of an amusing or interesting event
* Rather than make concrete proposals for welfare reform President Raegan told anecdotes about poor people who became wealthy despite their impoverished backgrounds
152 anguish acute pain extreme suffering
* Visiting the site of explosion Premier Gorbachev wept to see the anguish of the victims and their families
153 angular sharpcornered stiff in manner
* His features though angular were curiously attractive
156 animosity active enmity
* He incurred the animosity of the ruling class because he advocated limitations of their power
157 animus hostile feeling or intent
* The animus of the speaker became obvious to all when he began to indulge in sarcastic and insulting remarks
158 annals records history
* In the annals of this period we find no mention of democratic movements
162 annuity yearly allowance
* The annuity he set up with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits so that he can live very comfortably without working
163 annul make void
* The parents of the eloped couple tried to annul the marriage
170 antecede precede
* The invention of the radiotelegraph anteceded the development of television by a quarter of a century
172 antediluvian antiquated ancient
* The antediluvian customs had apparently not changed for thousands of years
173 anthropoid manlike
* The gorilla is the strongest of the anthropoid animals
176 anticlimax letdown in thought or emotion
* After the fine performance in the first act the rest of the play was an anticlimax
177 antipathy aversion dislike
* His extreme antipathy to dispute caused him to avoid argumentative discussions with his friends
179 antiseptic substance that prevents infection
* It is advisable to apply an antiseptic to any wound no matter how slight or insignificant
180 antithesis contrast direct opposite of or to
* This tyranny was the antithesis of all that he had hoped for and he fought it with all his strength
182 apathetic indifferent
* He felt apathetic about the conditions he had observed and did not care to fight against them
183 apathy lack of caring indifference
* A firm believer in democratic government she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote
187 aphasia loss of speech due to injury or illness
* After the automobile accident the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or could only mumble incoherently
188 aphorism pithy maxim
* An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific
193 apogee highest point
* When the moon in its orbit is furthest away from the earth it is at its apogee
195 apostate one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs
* Because he switched from one party to another his former friends shunned him as an apostate
196 apothecary druggist
* In Holland apothecaries still sell spices as well as ointments and pills
198 apotheosis deification glorification
* The Roman empress Livia envied the late emperor his apotheosis she hopedthat on her death she too would be exalted to the rank of a god
200 apparition ghost phantom
* Hamlet was uncertain about the identity of the apparition that had appeared and spoken to him
201 appease pacify soothe
* We have discovered that when we try to appease our enemies we encourage them to make additional demands
202 appellation name title
* He was amazed when the witches hailed him with his correct appellation
203 append attach
* I shall append this chart to my report
204 application diligent attention (secondary meaning) apply
* Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence Aunt Polly praised him for his application
205 apposite appropriate fitting
* He was always able to find the apposite phrase the correct expression for every occasion
206 appraise estimate the value of
* It is difficult to appraise old paintings it is easier to call them priceless
207 appreciate be thankful for increase in worth be thoroughly conscious of
* Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks ave her w
hose value appreciated considerably over the years
208 apprehend arrest ( a criminal) dread perceive
* The police will apprehend the culprit and convict him before long
209 apprehensive fearful discerning
* His apprehensive glances at the people who were walking in the street revealed his nervousness
210 apprise inform
* When he was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions he decided to postpone his trip
211 approbation approval
* Wanting her parents＇ regard she looked for some sign of their approbation
212 appropriate acquire take possession of for one＇s own use
* The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside
for the Indians＇ use
215 aptitude fitness talent
* The counselor evaluated his aptitudes before advising him about the careerhe should follow
222 arcade a covered passageway usually lined with shops
* The arcade was popular with shoppers because it gave them protection from the summer sun and the winter rain
223 arcane secret mysterious
* What was arcane to us was clear to the psychologist
226 archetype prototype primitive pattern
* The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Island and New Jersey
229 ardor heat passion zeal
* Katya＇s ardor was contagious soon all her fellow demonstrators were busily making posters and handing out flyers inspired by her ardent enthusiasm for the cause
232 aria operatic solo
* At her Metropolitan Opera audition Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma
233 arid dry barren
* The cactus had adapted to survive in an arid environment
234 aristocracy hereditary nobility privileged class
* Americans have mixed feelings about hereditary aristocracy
235 armada fleet of warships
* Queen Elizabeth＇s navy was able to defeat the mighty armada that threatened the English coast
236 aromatic fragrant
* Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from China to Europe
241 arrogance pride haughtiness
* The arrogance of the nobility was resented by the middle class
246 artisan a manually skilled worker
* Artists and artisans alike are necessary to the development of a culture
247 artless without guile open and honest
* Red Riding Hood＇s artless comment ＼Grandma what big eyes you have＼ indicates the child＇s innocent surprises at her ＼grandmother＇s＼ changed appearance
248 ascendancy controlling influence
* President Marcos failed to maintain his ascendency over Philippines
251 ascribe refer attribute assign
* I can ascribe no motive for her acts
258 aspersion slanderous remark
* Do not cast aspersions on her character
259 aspirant seeker after position or status
* Although I am as aspirant for public office I am not willing to accept the dictates of the party bosses
260 aspiration noble ambition
* Youth＇s aspirations should be as lofty as the stars
261 assail assault
* He was assailed with questions after his lecture
263 assent agree accept
* It gives me great pleasure to assent to your request
264 assert state strongly or positively insist on or demand recognition of (rightsclaims etc)
* When Jill asserted that nobody else in the junior class had such an early curfew her parents Asserted themselves telling her that if she didn＇t get home by nine o＇clock she would be grounded for the week
266 assiduous diligent
* It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son
267 assimilate absorb cause to become homogenous
* The manner in which the United States was able to assimilate the hordes of immigrants during the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth centuries will always be a source of pride
268 assuage ease lessen(pain)
* Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering
269 assumption something taken for granted the taking over or taking possession of
* The young princess made the foolish assumption that the regent would not object to her Assumption of power
270 assurance promise or pledge certainty selfconfidence
* When Gutherie gave Guiness his assurance that rehearsals were going wellhe spoke with such assurance that Guiness was convinced
274 astringent binding causing contraction harsh or severe
* The astringent quality of unsweetened lemon juice made swallowing difficult
278 asylum place of refuge or shelter protection
* The refugees sought asylum from religious persecution in a new land
279 asymmetric not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
* Because one eyebrow was set markedly higher than the other William＇s face had a particularly asymmetric appearance
281 atheistic denying the existence of God
* His atheistic remarks shocked the religious worshippers
285 attenuate make thin weaken
* By withdrawing their forces the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines
286 attest testify bear witness
* Having served as a member of a grand jury I can attest that our system of indicting individuals is in need of improvement
287 attribute essential quality
* His outstanding attribute was his kindness
288 attribute ascribe explain
* I attribute her success in science to the encouragement she received from her parents
292 augment increase
* How can we hope to augment our forces when our allies are deserting us
293 augury omen prophecy
* He interpreted the departures of the birds as an augury of evil
294 august impressive majestic
* Visiting the palace at Versailes she was impressed by the august surroundings in which she found herself
297 auspicious favoring success
* With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail
302 authoritative having the weight of authority dictatorial
* We accepted her analysis of the situation as authoritative
308 avarice greed for wealth
* King Midas＇s avarice has been famous for centuries
309 aver state confidently
* I wish to aver that I am certain of success
310 averse reluctant
* He was averse to revealing the sources of his information
311 aversion firm dislike
* Their mutual aversion was so great that they refused to speak to one another
312 avert prevent turn away
* She averted her eyes from the dead cat on the highway
313 aviary enclosure for birds
* The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds
315 avocation secondary or minor occupation
* His hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation and concentrated on his avocation
316 avow declare openly
* I must avow that I am innocent
338 bantering goodnaturedly ridiculing
* They resented his bantering remarks because they misinterpreted his teasing as sarcasm
342 baroque highly ornate
* Accustomed to the severe angular lines of modern skyscrapers they found the flamboyance of baroque architecture amusing
343 barrage barrier laid down by artillery fire overwhelming profusion
* The company was forced to retreat through the barrage of heavy canyons
344 barrister counseloratlaw
* Galsworthy started as a barrister but when he found the practice of law boring turned to writing
346 bask luxuriate take pleasure in warmth
* basking on the beach she relaxed so completely that she fell asleep
358 beguile amuse delude cheat
* I beguiled himself during the long hours by playing solitaire
362 belabor explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree assail verbally
* The debate coach warned her student not to bore the audience by belaboring his point
366 belittle disparage depreciate
* Parents should not belittle their children＇s early attempts at drawing but should encourage their efforts
367 bellicose warlike
* His bellicose disposition alienated his friends
368 belligerent quarrelsome
* Whenever he had too much to drink he became belligerent and tried to pick fights with strangers
370 benediction blessing
* The appearance of the sun after the many rainy days was like a benediction
371 benefactor gift giver patron
* Scrooge later became Tiny Tim＇s benefactor and gave him a benediction
372 beneficent kindly doing good
* The overgenerous philanthropist had to curb his beneficent impulses before he gave away all his money and left himself with nothing
373 beneficiary person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy
* You may change your beneficiary as often as you wish
374 benevolent generous charitable
* His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him
375 benign kindly favorable not malignant
* The old man was well liked because of his benign attitude toward friend and stranger alike
378 bequeath leave to someone by means of a will hand down
* In his will Father bequeathed his watch to Phillip the bequest meant a great deal to the boy
383 beset harass trouble
* Many problems beset the American public school system
387 betroth become engaged to marry
* The announcement that they had become betrothed surprised their friends who had not suspected any romance
389 bicameral twochambered as a legislative body
* The United States Congress is a bicameral body
391 biennial every two years
* The group held biennial meetings instead of annual ones
392 bifurcated divided into two branches forked
* With a bifurcated branch and a piece of elastic rubber he made a crude but effective slingshot
418 boon blessing benefit
* The recent rains that filled our empty reservoirs were a boon to the whole
community
421 bountiful generous showing bounty
* She distributed gifts in a bountiful and gracious manner
427 braggart boaster
* Modest by nature she was no braggart preferring to let her accomplishments speak for themselves
430 brazen insolent
* Her brazen contempt for authority angered the officials
432 breadth width extent
* We were impressed by the breadth of her knowledge
433 brevity conciseness
* brevity is essential when you send a telegram or cablegram you are charged for every word
459 cacophony discord
* Some people seem to enjoy the cacophony of an orchestra that is tuning up
462 cadence rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds) beat
* Marching down the road the troops sang out following the cadence set by the sergeant
469 calorific heatproducing
* Coal is much more calorific than green wood
474 candor frankness
* The candor and simplicity of his speech impressed all it was all clear he held nothing back
478 cant pious phraseology jargon of criminals
* Angry that the president had slashed the education budget we dismissed his speech on the importance of education as mere cant
484 capacious spacious
* In the capacious areas of the railroad terminal thousands of travelers lingered while waiting for their train
487 caprice whim
* She was an unpredictable creature acting on caprice never taking thought of the consequences
489 caption title chapter heading text under illustration
* I find the captions that accompany these cartoons very clever and humorous
499 carnage destruction of life
* The carnage that can be caused by atomic warfare adds to the responsibilities of our statesmen
500 carnal fleshly
* The public was more interested in carnal pleasures than in spiritual matters
501 carnivorous meateating
* The lion is a carnivorous animal
504 carrion rotting flesh of a dead body
* Buzzards are nature＇s scavengers they eat the carrion left behind by other predators
506 cascade small waterfall
* We could not appreciate the beauty of the many cascades as we made detours around each of them to avoid getting wet
509 casualty serious or fatal accident
* The number of automotive casualties on this holiday weekend was high
510 cataclysm deluge upheaval
* A cataclysm such as the French Revolution affects all countries
511 catalyst agent that brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged
* Many chemical reactions cannot take place without the presence of a catalyst
512 catapult slingshot hurling machine
* Airplanes are sometimes launched from battleships by catapults
513 cataract great waterfall eye abnormality
* She gazed with awe at the mighty cataract known as Niagara Falls
514 catastrophe calamity
* The Johnstown flood was a catastrophe
524 cauterize burn with hot iron or caustic
* In order to prevent infection the doctor cauterized the wound
526 cavalier casual and offhand arrogant
* Sensitive about having her ideas taken lightly Marcia felt insulted by Mark＇s cavalier dismissal of her suggestion
528 cede transfer yield title to
* I intend to cede this property to the city
529 celerity speed rapidity
* Hamlet resented his mother＇s celerity in remarrying within a month after his father＇s death
534 censure blame criticize
* He was censured for his inappropriate behavior
536 centigrade denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius)
* On the centigrade thermometer the freezing point of water is zero degrees
537 centrifugal radiating departing from the center
* Many automatic drying machines remove excess moisture from clothing by centrifugal force
539 centripetal tending toward the center
* Does centripetal force or the force of gravity bring orbiting bodies to the earth＇s surface
544 cessation stopping
* The workers threatened a cessation of all activities if their demands were not met
545 cession yielding to another ceding
* The cession of Alaska to the United States is discussed in this chapter
552 champion support militantly
* Martin Luther King Jr won the Nobel Peace Prize because he championed the oppressed in their struggle for equality
573 chronic long established as a disease
* The doctors were finally able to attribute his chronic headaches and nausea a to traces of formaldehyde gas in his apartment
574 chronicle report record (in chronological order)
* The gossip columnist was paid to chronicle the latest escapades of the socially prominent celebrities
580 circuitous roundabout
* Because of the traffic congestion on the main highways she took a circuitous route
581 circumlocution indirect or roundabout expression
* He was afraid to call spade a spade and resorted to circumlocutions to avoid direct reference to his subject
582 circumscribe limit confine
* Although I do not wish to circumscribe your activities I must insist that you complete this assignment before you start anything else
583 circumspect prudent cautious
* Investigating before acting she tried always to be circumspect
584 circumvent outwit baffle
* In order to circumvent the enemy we will make two preliminary attacks in other sections before starting our major campaign
586 cite quote commend
* She could cite passages in the Bible from memory
590 clamor noise
* The clamor of the children at play outside made it impossible for her to take a nap
595 claustrophobia fear of being locked in
* His fellow classmates laughed at his claustrophobia and often threatened to lock him in his room
609 coalesce combine fuse
* The brooks coalesce into one large river
615 coeval living at the same time as contemporary
* coeval with the dinosaur the pterodactyl flourished during the Mesozoic era
617 cogent convincing
* She presented cogent arguments to the jury
618 cogitate think over
* cogitate on this problem the solution will come
619 cognate related linguistically allied by blood similar or akin in nature
* The English word ＼mother＼ cognate to the Latin word ＼mater＼ whose influence is visible in the words ＼maternal＼ and ＼maternity＼
620 cognitive having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental precesses
* Though Jack was emotionally immature his cognitive development was admirable he was very advanced intellectually
621 cognizance knowledge
* During the election campaign the two candidates were kept in full cognizance of the international situation
622 cohere stick together
* Solids have a greater tendency to cohere than liquids
623 cohesion tendency to keep together
* A firm believer in the maxim ＼Divide and conquer＼ the emperor by lies and trickery sought to disrupt the cohesion of the free nations
626 coincident occurring at the same time
* Some people find the coincident events in Hardy＇s novels annoyingly improbable
628 collaborate work together
* Two writers collaborated in preparing this book
630 collate examine in order to verify authenticity arrange in order
* They collated the newly found manuscripts to determine their age
631 collateral security given for loan
* The sum you wish to borrow is so large that it must be secured by collateral
633 colloquial pertaining to conversational or common speech
* Your use of colloquial expressions in a formal essay such as the one you have presented spoils the effect you hope to achieve
634 colloquy informal discussion
* I enjoy our colloquies but I sometimes wish that they could be made more formal and more searching
635 collusion conspiring in a fraudulent scheme
* The swindlers were found guilty of collusion
646 commensurate equal in extent
* Your reward will be commensurate with your effort
647 commiserate feel or express pity or sympathy for
* Her friends commiserated with the widow
648 commodious spacious and comfortable
* After sleeping in a small roadside cabins they found their hotel suite commodious
649 communal held in common of a group of people
* When they were divorced they had trouble dividing their communal property
650 compact agreement contract
* The signers of the Mayflower Compact were establishing a form of government
651 compact tightly packed firm brief
* His short compact body was better suited to wrestling than to basketball
652 compatible harmonious in harmony with
* They were compatible neighbors never quarreling over unimportant matters
654 compendium brief comprehensive summary
* This text can serve as a compendium of the tremendous amount of new material being developed in this field
657 complacent selfsatisfied
* There was a complacent look on his face as he examined his paintings
658 complaisant trying to please obliging
* The courtier obeyed the king＇s orders in a complaisant manner
659 complement complete consummate make perfect
* The waiter recommended a glass of port to complement the cheese
660 compliance conformity in fulfilling requirements readiness to yield
* The design for the new school had to be in compliance with the local building code
661 compliant yielding
* He was compliant and ready to go along with his friends＇ desires
662 complicity participation involvement
* You cannot keep your complicity in this affair secret very long you would be wise to admit your involvement immediately
663 component element ingredient
* I wish all the components of my stereo system were working at the same time
664 comport bear one＇s self behave
* He comported himself with great dignity
665 composure mental calmness
* Even the latest work crisis failed to shake her composure
666 compound combine constitute pay interest increase
* The makers of the popular cold remedy compounded a nasal decongestant with an antihistamine
667 comprehensive thorough inclusive
* This book provides a comprehensive review of verbal and math skills for the SAT
668 compress close squeeze contract
* She compressed the package under her arm
669 comprise include consist of
* If the District of Columbia were to be granted a statehood the United States of America would comprise fiftyonestates not just fifty
670 compromise adjust endanger the interests or reputation of
* Your presence at the scene of the dispute compromises our claim to neutrality in this matter
671 compunction remorse
* The judge was especially severe in this sentencing because he felt that the criminal had shown no compunction for his heinous crime
672 compute reckon calculate
* He failed to compute the interest so his bank balance was not accurate
674 concave hollow
* The backpackers found partial shelter from the storm by huddling against the concave wall of the cliff
675 concede admit hield
* Despite all the evidence Monica had assembled Mark refused to concede that she was right
676 conceit whimsical idea extravagant metaphor
* He was an entertaining companion always expressing himself in amusing conceits and witty turns of phrase
678 conception beginning forming of a idea
* At the first conception of the work he was consulted
680 concession an act of yielding
* Before they could reach an agreement both sides had to make certain concessions
682 concise brief and compact
* When you define a new word be concise the shorter the definition the easier it is to remember
684 conclusive decisive ending all debate
* When the stolen books turned up in John＇s locker we finally had conclusive evidence of the identity of the mysterious thief
685 concoct prepare by combining make up in concert
* How did the inventive chef ever concoct such strange dish
687 concord harmony
* Watching Tweediedum and Tweedledee battle Alice wondered why the two brothers could not manage to life in concord
688 concur agree
* Did you concur with the decision of the court or did you find it unfair
689 concurrent happening at the same time
* In America the colonists were resisting the demands of the mother country at the concurrent moment in France the middle class was sowing the seeds of rebellion
690 condescend bestow courtesies with a superior air
* The king condescended to grant an audience to the friends of the condemned man
693 condole express sympathetic sorrow
* His friends gathered to condole with him over his loss
694 condone overlook forgive give tacit approval excuse
* Unlike Widow Douglass who condoned Huck＇s minor offenses Miss Watson did nothing but scold
697 confidant trusted friend
* He had no confidants with whom he could discuss his problems at home
698 confiscate seize commandeer
* The army confiscated all available supplies of uranium
699 conflagration great fire
* In the conflagration that followed the 1906 earthquake much of San Francisco was destroyed
700 confluence flowing together crowd
* They built the city at the confluence of two rivers
701 conformity harmony agreement
* In conformity with our rules and regulations I am calling a meeting of our organization
702 confound confuse puzzle
* No mystery could confound Sherlock Holmes for long
703 congeal freeze coagulate
* His blood congealed in his veins as he saw the dread monster rush toward him
704 congenial pleasant friendly
* My father loved to go out for a meal with congenial companions
705 congenital existing at birth
* His congenital deformity disturbed his parents
708 conifer pine tree conebearing tree
* According to geologists the conifers were the first plants to bear flowers
709 conjecture surmise guess
* I will end all your conjectures I admit I am guilty as charged
711 conjure summon a devil proactive magic imagine invent
* He conjured up an image of a reformed city and had the voters completely under his spell
713 connoisseur person competent to act as judge of art ect a lover of an art
* She had developed into a connoisseur of fine china
714 connotation suggested or implied meaning of an expression
* Foreigners frequently are unaware of the connotations of the words they use
716 consanguinity kinship
* The lawsuit developed into a test of the consanguinity of the claimant to the estate
717 conscientious scrupulous careful
* A conscientious editor checked every definition for its accuracy
718 conscript draftee person forced into military service
* Did Rambo volunteer to fight in Vietnam or was he a conscript drafted against his will
719 consecrate dedicate sanctify
* We shall consecrate our lives to this noble purpose
720 consensus general agreement
* The consensus indicates that we are opposed to entering into this pact
721 consequential pompous selfimportant
* Convinced of his own importance the actor strutted about the dressing room with a consequential air
722 conservatory school of the fine arts (especially music or drama)
* A gifted violinist Maria was selected to study at the conservatory
723 consign deliver officially entrust set apart
* The court consigned the child to her paternal grandmother＇s care
724 consistency absence of contradictions dependability uniformity degree of thickness
* Holmes judged puddings and explanations on their consistency he liked his puddings without lumps and his explanations without improbabilities
725 console lessen sadness or disappointment give comfort
* When her father died Marius did his best to console Cosette
726 consonance harmony agreement
* Her agitation seemed out of consonance with her usual calm
727 consort associate with
* We frequently judge people by the company with whom they consort
728 consort husband or wife
* The search for a consort for the young Queen Victoria ended happily
729 conspiracy treacherous plot
* Brutus and Cassius joined in the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar
730 constituent supporter
* The congressman received hundreds of letters from angry constituents after the Equal Rights Amendment failed to pass
731 constraint compulsion repression of feelings
* There was a feeling of constraint in the room because no one dared to criticize the speaker
732 construe explain interpret
* If I construe your remarks correctly you disagree with the theory already advanced
733 consummate complete
* I have never seem anyone who makes as many stupid errors as you do you must be a consummate idiot
734 contagion infection
* Fearing contagion they took drastic steps to prevent the spread of the disease
735 contaminate pollute
* The sewage system of the city so contaminated the water that swimming was forbidden
737 contend struggle compete assert earnestly
* In Revolt of the Black Athlete sociologist Harry Edwards contends that young black athletes have been exploited by some college recruiters
738 contentious quarrelsome
* We heard loud and contentious noises in the next room
739 contest dispute
* The defeated candidate attempted to contest the election results
740 context writings preceding and following the passage quoted
* Because these lines are taken out of context they do not convey the message the author intended
741 contiguous adjacent to touching upon
* The two countries are contiguous for a few miles then they are separated by the gulf
742 continence selfrestraint sexual chastity
* She vowed to lead a life of continence
743 contingent conditional
* The continuation of this contract is contingent on the quality of your first output
745 contraband illegal trade smuggling smuggled goods
* The coast guard tries to prevent contraband in US waters
746 contravene contradict oppose infringe on or transgress
* Mr Barrett did not expect his frail daughter Elizabeth to contravene his will by eloping with Robert Browning
749 controvert oppose with arguments contradict
* To controvert your theory will require much time but it is essential that we disprove it
750 contumacious disobedient resisting authority
* The contumacious mob shouted defiantly at the police
754 convention social or moral custom established practice
* Flying in the face of convention George Sand (Amandine Dudevant) shocked her contemporaries by taking lovers and wearing men＇s clothes
755 conventional ordinary typical
* His conventional upbringing left him wholly unprepared for his wife＇s eccentric family
756 converge come together
* Marchers converged on Washington for the great Save Our CitiesSave Our Children March
757 conversant familiar with
* The lawyer is conversant with all the evidence
758 converse opposite
* The inevitable converse of peace is not war but annihilation
759 convert one who has adopted a different religion or opinion
* On his trip to Japan though the President spoke at length about the merits of American automobiles he made few converts to his beliefs
760 convex curving outward
* He polished the convex lens of his telescope
761 conveyance vehicle transfer
* During the transit strike commuters used various kinds of conveyances
762 conviction strongly held belief
* Nothing could shake his conviction that she was innocent
763 convivial festive gay characterized by joviality
* The convivial celebrators of the victory sang their college songs
764 convoke call together
* Congress was convoked at the outbreak of the emergency
765 convoluted coiled around involved intricate
* His argument was so convoluted that few of us could follow a it intelligently
768 cordial gracious heartfelt
* Our hosts greeted us at the airport with a cordial welcome and a hearty hug
769 cordon extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress
* The police cordon was so tight that the criminals could not leave the area
773 corporeal bodily material
* He was not a churchgoer he was interested only in corporeal matters
774 corpulent very fat
* The corpulent man resolved to reduce
776 corroborate confirm
* Unless we find a witness to corroborate your evidence it will not stand up in court
777 corrosive eating away by chemicals or disease
* Stainless steel is able to withstand the effects of corrosive chemicals
779 cosmic pertaining to the universe vast
* cosmic rays derive their name from the fact that they bombard the earth＇s atmosphere from outer space
781 countenance approve tolerate
* He refused to countenance such rude behavior on their part
782 countenance face
* When Jose saw his newborn daughter a proud smile spread across his countenance
783 countermand cancel revoke
* The general countermand the orders issued in his absence
784 counterpart a thing that completes another things very much alike
* Night and day are counterparts
789 covert secret hidden implied
* She could understand the covert threat in the letter
790 covetous avaricious eagerly desirous of
* The child was covetous by nature and wanted to take the toys belonging to his classmates
797 craven cowardly
* When he saw the enemy troops advancing he had a craven impulse to run for his life
798 credence belief
* Do not place any credence in his promises
799 credo creed
* I believe we may best describe his credo by saying that it approximates the Goldren Rule
800 credulity belief on slight evidence
* The witch doctor took advantage of the credulity of the superstitious natives
801 creed system of religious or ethical belief
* In any loyal American＇s creed love of democracy must be emphasized
809 crux crucial point
* This is the crux of the entire problem
817 culpable deserving blame
* Corrupt politicians who condone the activities of the gamblers are equally culpable
818 culvert artificial channel for water
* If we build a culvert under the road at this point we will reduce the possibility of the road at this point we will reduce the possibility of the road＇s being flooded during the rainy season
819 cumbersome heavy hard to manage
* He was burdened down with cumbersome parcels
822 curator superintendent manager
* The members of the board of trustees of the museum expected the new curator to plan events and exhibitions that would make the museum more popular
824 cursive flowing running
* In normal writing we run our letters together in cursive form in printing we separate the letters
825 cursory casual hastily done
* A cursory examination of the ruins indicates the possibility of arson a more extensive study should be undertaken
837 daunt intimidate
* Your threats cannot daunt me
838 dauntless bold
* Despite the dangerous nature of the undertaking the dauntless soldier volunteered for the assignment
844 debase reduce to lower state
* Do not debase youself by becoming maudlin
851 decadence decay
* The moral decadence of the people was reflected in the lewd literature of the period
853 decapitate behead
* They did not hang Lady Jane Grey they decapitated her
854 decelerate slow down
* Seeing the emergency blinkers in the road ahead he decelerated quickly
855 deciduous falling off as of leaves
* The oak is a deciduous tree
857 decipher decode
* I could not decipher the doctor＇s handwriting
858 declivity downward slope
* The children loved to ski down the declivity
863 decrepitude state of collagse caused by illness or old age
* I was unprepared for the state of decrepitude in which I had found my old friend he seemed to have aged twenty years in six months
864 decry express strong disapproval of disparage
* The founder of the Children＇s Defense Fund Marian Wright Edelman strongly decries the lack of financial and moral support for children in America today
865 deducible derived byreasoning
* If we accept your premise your conclusions are easily deducible
866 deface mar disfigure
* If you deface a library book you will have to pay a hefty fine
867 defamation harming a person＇s reputation
* Such defamation of character may result in a slander suit
868 default failure to do
* As a result of her husband＇s failure to appear in court she was granted a divorce by default
869 defeatist resigned to defeat accepting defeat as a natural outcome
* If you maintain your defeatist attitude you will never succeed
870 defection desertion
* The children who had made him an idol were hurt most by his defection from our cause
871 deference courteous regard for another＇s wish
* In deference to his desires the employers granted him a holiday
872 defile pollute profane
* The hoodlums defiled the church with their scurrilous writing
873 definitive most reliable or complee
* Carl Sandburg＇s Abraham Lincoln may be regarded as the definitive work on the life of the Great Emancipator
874 deflect turn aside
* His life was saved when his cigarette case deflected the bullet
875 defoliate destroy leaves
* In Vietnam the army made extensive use of chemical agents to defoliate the woodlands
880 degenerate become worse deteriorate
* As the fight dragged on the champion＇s style degenerated until he could barely keep on his feet
881 degraded lowered in rank debased
* The degraded wretch spoke only of his past glories and honors
882 dehydrate remove water from dry out
* Vigorous dancing quickly dehydrates the body between dances be sure to drink more water than normal
883 deify turn into a god idolize
* Admire the rock star all you want just don＇t deify him
887 deliberate consider ponder unhurried
* Offered the new job she asked for time to deliberate before she made her decision
890 delta flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river
* His dissertation discussed the effect of intermittent flooding on the fertility of the Nile delta
891 delude deceive
* Do not delude yourself into believing that he will relent
892 deluge flood rush
* When we advertised the position we received a deluge of applications
893 delusion false belief hallucination
* This scheme is a snare and a delusion
896 demagogue person who appeals to people＇s prejudice false leader
* He was accused of being a demagogue because he made promises that aroused futile hopes in his listeners
899 demented insane
* She became increasingly demented and had to be hospitalized
900 demise death
* Upon the demise of the dictator a bitter dispute about succession to power developed
903 demoniac fiendish
* The Spanish Inquisition devised many demoniac means of torture
904 demotic pertaining to the people
* He lamented the passing of aristocratic society and maintained that a demotic society would lower the nation＇s standards
909 denotation meaning distinguishing by name
* A dictionary will always give us the denotation of a word frequently it will always give us its connotation
911 denounce condemn critcize
* The reform candidate denounced the corrupt city officers for having betray ed the public＇s trust
912 depict portray
* In this book the author depicts the slave owners as kind and benevolent masters
913 deplete reduce exhaust
* We must wait until we deplete our present inventory before we order replacements
914 deplore regret
* Although I deplore the vulgarity of your language I defend your right to express yourself freely
915 deploy move troops so that the battle line is extended at the expense of depth
* The general ordered the battalion to deploy in order to meet the offensive of the enemy
916 depose dethrone remove form office
* The army attempted to depose the king and set up a military government
917 deposition testimony under oath
* He made his deposition in the judge＇s chamber
919 deprecate express disapproval of protest against belittle
* A firm believer in oldfashioned courtesy Miss Post deprecated the modern tendency to address new acquaintances by their first names
920 depreciate lessen in value
* If you neglect this properly it will depreciate
921 depredation plundering
* After the depredations of the invaders the people were penniless
923 derelict neglectful of duty abandoned
* The corporal who fell asleep while on watch was thrown into the guardhouse for being derelict in his duty
924 deride scoff at
* The people derided his grandiose schemes
925 derision ridicule
* They greeted his proposal with derision and refused to consider it seriously
927 dermatologist one who studies the skin and its diseases
* I advise you to consult a dermatologist about your acne
928 derogatory expressing a low opinion
* I resent your derogatory remarks
930 desecrate profane violate the sanctity of
* The soldiers desecrated the temple
931 desiccate dry up
* A tour of this smokehouse will give you an idea of how the pioneers used to desiccate food in order to preserve it
932 desolate rob of joy lay waste to forsake
* The bandits desolated the countryside burning farms and carrying off the harvest
933 desperado reckless outlaw
* Butch Cassidy was a bold desperado with a price on his head
934 despicable contemptible
* Your despicable remarks call for no reply
935 despise scorn
* I despise your attempts at a reconciliation at this time and refuse to meet you
936 despoil plunder
* If you do not yield I am afraid the enemy will despoil the countryside
937 despondent depressed gloomy
* To the dismay of his parents he became more and more depondent every day
939 destitute extremely poor
* The costs of the father＇s illness left the family destitute
940 desultory aimless haphazard digressing at random
* In prison Malcolm X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary to him reading was purposeful not desultory
941 detached emotionally removed calm and objective indifferent
* A psychoanalyst must maintain a detached point of view and stay uninvolved with her patients＇ personal lives
942 determinate having a fixed order of procedure invariable
* At the royal wedding the procession of the nobles followed a determinate order of precedence
943 deterrent something that discourages hindrance
* Does the threat of capital punishment serve as a deterrent to potential killers
944 detonation explosion
* The detonation of the bomb could be heard miles away
945 detraction slandering aspersion
* He is offended by your frequent detractions of his ability as a leader
946 detrimental harmful damaging
* Your acceptance of her support will ultimately prove detrimental rather than helpful to your cause
947 deviate turn away from
* Do not deviate from the truth you must face the facts
948 devious going astray erratic
* Your devious behavior in this matter puzzles me since you are usually direct and straightforward
949 devoid lacking
* He was devoid of any personal desire for gain in his endeavor to secure improvement in the community
950 devolve deputize pass to others
* It devolved upon us the survivors to arrange peace terms with the enemy
951 devotee enthusiastic follower
* A devotee of the opera he bought season tickets every year
953 dexterous skillful
* The magician was so dexterous that we could not follow his movements as he performed his tricks
957 diaphanous sheer transparent
* They saw the burglar clearly through the diaphanous curtain
958 diatribe bitter scolding invective
* During the lengthy diatribe delivered by his opponent he remained calm and selfcontrolled
960 dictum authoritative and weighty statement
* She repeated the statement as though it were the dictum of the most expert worker in the group
961 didactic teaching instructional preaching or moralizing
* The didactic qualities of his poetry overshadow its literary qualities the lesson he teaches is more memorable than the lines
963 diffidence shyness
* You must overcome your diffidence if you intend to become a salesperson
964 diffusion wordiness spreading in all directions like a gas
* Your composition suffers from a diffusion of ideas try to be more compact
966 dilapidated ruined because of neglect
* We felt that the dilapidated building needed several coats of paint
967 dilate expand
* In the dark the pupils of your eyes dilate
968 dilatory delaying
* Your dilatory tactics may compel me to cancel the contract
969 dilemma problem choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives
* In this dilemma he knew no one to whom he could turn for advice
971 diligence steadiness of effort persisten hard work
* Her employers were greatly impressed by her diligence and offered her a partnership in the firm
972 dilute make less concentrated reduce in strength
* She preferred her coffee diluted with milk
973 diminution lessening reduction in size
* The blockaders hoped to achieve victory as soon as the diminution of the enemy＇s supplies became serious
981 disabuse correct a false impression undeceive
* I will attempt to disabuse you of your impression of my client＇s guilt I know he is innocent
986 disband dissolve disperse
* The chess club disbanded after its disastrous initial season
990 disclaim disown renounce claim to
* If I grant you this previlege will you disclaim all other rights
991 disclose reveal
* Although competitors offered him bribes he refused to disclose any information about his company＇s forthcoming product
994 disconcert confuse upset embarrass
* The lawyer was disconcerted by the evidence produced by her adversary
996 discordant inharmonious conflicting
* She tried to unite the discordant factions
997 discount disregard
* Be prepared to discount what he has to say about his exwife
998 discourse formal disscussion conversation
* The young Plato was drawn to the Agora to hear the philosophical discourse of Socrates and his followers
999 discredit defame destroy confidence in disbelieve
* The campaign was highly negative in tone each candidate tried to discredit the other
1000 discrepancy lack of consistency difference
* The police noticed some discrepancies in his description of the crime and did not believe him
1001 discrete separate unconnected
* The universe is composed of discrete bodies
1002 discretion prudence ability to adjust actions to circumstances
* Use your discretion in this matter and do not discuss it with anyone
1004 discursive digressing rambling
* They were annoyed and bored by her discursive remarks
1005 disdain treat with scorn or contempt
* You make enemies of all you disdain
1006 disembark go ashore unload cargo from a ship
* Before the passengers could disembark they had to pick up their passports from the ship＇s purser
1009 disfigure mar the appearance of spoil
* An ugly frown disfigured his normally pleasant face
1010 disgorge surrender something efect vomit
* Unwilling to disgorge the cash he had stolen from the pension fund the embezzler tried to run away
1012 dishearten discourage
* His failure to pass the bar exam disheartened him
1014 disinclination unwilingness
* Some mornings I feel a great disinclination to get out of bed
1016 disinter dig up unearth
* They disinterred the body and held an autopsy
1017 disinterested unprejudiced
* The only disinterested person in the room was the judge
1021 dismember cut into small parts
* When the Austrian Empire was dismembered several new countries were established
1022 dismiss eliminate from consideration reject
* Believing in John＇s love for her she dismissed the notion that he might be unfaithful
1024 disparate basically different unrelated
* It is difficult if not impossible to organize these disparate elements into a coherent whole
1025 disparity difference condition of inequality
* The disparity in their ages made no difference at all
1026 dispassionate calm impartial
* In a dispassionate analysis of the problem he carefully examined the causes of the conflict and proceeded to suggest suitable remedies
1027 dispatch speediness prompt execution message sent with all due speed
* Young Napoleon defeated the enemy with all possible dispatch he then sent a dispatch to headquarters informing his commander of the great victory
1028 dispel scatter drive away cause to vanish
* The bright sunlight eventually dispelled the morning mist
1029 disperse scatter
* The police fired tear gas into crowd to disperse the protesters
1031 disport amuse
* The popularity of Florida as a winter resort is constantly increasing each year thousands more disport themselves at Miami and Palm Beach
1032 disputatious argumentative fond of argument
* People avoided discussing contemporary problems with him because of his disputatious manner
1033 disquisition a formal systematic inquiry an explanation of the results of a formal inquiry
* In his disquisition he outlined the steps he had taken in reaching his conclusions
1034 dissection analysis cutting apart in order to examine
* The dissection of frogs on the laboratory is particularly unpleasant to some students
1035 dissemble disguise pretend
* Even though John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance we all knew there not to dance but to meet girls
1036 disseminate scatter (like seeds)
* The invention of the radio helped propagandists to disseminate their favorite doctrines very easily
1037 dissent disagree
* In a landmark Supreme Court decision Justice Marshall dissented from the majority opinion
1038 dissertation formal essay
* In order to earn a graduate degree from many of our universities a candidate is frequently required to prepare a dissertation on some scholarly subject
1039 dissident dissenting rebellious
* In the purge that followed the student demonstrations at Tianamen Square the government hunted down the dissident students and their supporters
1040 dissimulate pretend conceal by feigning
* She tried to dissimulate her grief by her exuberant attitude
1041 dissipate squander
* The young man quickly dissipated his inheritance and was soon broke
1042 dissolution disintegration looseness in morals
* The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula＇s Rome appall some historians
1043 dissonance discord
* Some contemporary musicians deliberately use dissonance to achieve certain effects
1044 dissuade advise against
* He could not dissuade his friend from joining the conspirators
1045 distant reserved or aloof cold in manner
* His distant greeting made me feel unwelcome from the start
1046 distend expand swell out
* I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins distend on his forehead
1047 distill purify refine concentrate
* A moon shiner distills mash into whiskey an epigrammatist distills thoughts into quips
1048 distortion twisting out of shape
* It is difficult to believe the newspaper accounts of this event because of the distortions and exaggerations of the reporters
1051 diurnal daily
* A farmer cannot neglect his diurnal tasks at any time cows for example must be milked regularly
1053 diverge vary go in different directionsfrom the same point
* The spokes of the wheel diverge from the hub
1054 divergent differing deviating
* The two witnesses presented the jury with remarkably divergent accounts of the same epi
sode
1055 diverse differing in some characteristics various
* There are diverse ways of approaching this problem
1056 diversion act of turning aside pastime
* After studying for several hours he needed a diversion from work
1057 diversity variety dissimilitude
* The diversity of colleges in this country indicates that many levels of ability are being served
1058 divest strip deprive
* He was divested of his power to act and could no longer govern
1059 divine perceive intuitively foresee the future
* Nothing infuriated Tom more than Aunt Polly＇s ability to divine when he was not telling the truth
1061 docile obedient easily managed
* As docile as he seems today that old lion was once a ferocious snarling beast
1063 doctrinaire unable to compromise about points of doctrine dogmatic unyielding
* Weng had hoped that the studentled democracy movement might bring about change in China but the repressive response of the doctrinaire hardliners crushed his dreams of democracy
1064 document provide written evidence
* She kept all the receipts from her business trip in order to document her expenses for the firm
1066 doff take off
* A gentleman used to doff his hat to a lady
1067 dogged determinedstubborn
* Les Miserables tells of Inspector Javert＇s long dogged pursuit of the criminal Jean Valjean
1069 dogmatic positive arbitrary
* Do not be so dogmatic about that statement it can be easily refuted
1072 dolt stupid person
* I thought I was talking to a mature audience instead I find myself addressing a pack of dolts
1075 don put on
* When Clark Kent had to don his Superman outfit he changed clothes in a convenient phone booth
1076 dormant sleeping lethargic torpid
* Sometimes dormant talents in our friends surprise those of us who never realize how gifted our acquaintances really are
1077 dormer window projecting from roof
* In remodeling the attic into a bedroom we decided that we needed to put in dormers to provide sufficient ventilation for the new room
1093 dubious doubtful
* He has the dubious distinction of being the lowest man in his class
1094 ductility malleability flexibility ability to be drawn out
* Copper wire has many industrial uses because of its extreme ductility
1097 duplicity doubledealing hypocrisy
* People were shocked and dismayed when they learned of his duplicity in this affair as he had always seemed honest and straightforward
1099 dutiful respectful obedient
* The dutiful child grew up to be a conscientious adult aware of his civic obligations
1100 dwindle shrink reduce
* They spent so much money that their funds dwindled to nothing
1101 dynamic active efficient
* A dynamic government is necessary to meet the demands of a changing society
1105 ebullient showing excitement overflowing with enthusiasm
* His ebullient nature could not be repressed
1106 eccentric odd whimsical irregular
* The comet passed close by the earth in its eccentric orbit
1107 eccentricity oddity idiosyncrasy
* Some of his friends tried to account for his rudeness to strangers as the eccentricity of genius
1110 eclipse darken extinguish surpass
* The new stock market high eclipsed the previous record set in 1985
1112 economy efficiency or conciseness in using something
* Reading the epigrams of Pope I admire the economy of his verse in few words he conveys worlds of meaning
1113 ecstasy rapture joy any overpowering emotion
* The announcement that the war had ended brought on an ecstasy that resulted in many uncontrolled celebrations
1115 edify instruct correct morally
* Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience many of his listeners were amused and not enlightened
1117 efface rub out
* The coin had been handled so many times that its data had been effaced
1118 effectual efficient
* If we are to succeed we must seek effectual means of securing our goals
1122 efficacy power to produce desired effect
* The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage
1123 effigy dummy
* The mob showed its irritation by hanging the judge in effigy
1125 effrontery shameless boldness
* She had the effrontery to insult the guest
1126 effusion pouring forth
* The critics objected to her literary effusion because it was too flowery
1128 egoism excessive interest in one＇s self belief that one should be interested in one＇s self rather than in others
* His egoism prevented him from seeing the needs of his colleagues
1129 egotism conceit vanity
* She thought so much of herself that we found her egotism unwarranted and irritating
1130 egregious notorious conspicuously bad shocking
* She was an egregious liar we all knew better than to believe a word she said
1131 egress exit
* Barnum＇s sign ＼To the Egress＼ fooled many people who thought they were going to see an animal and instead found themselves in the street
1132 ejaculation exclamation
* He could not repress an ejaculation of surprise when he heard the news
1140 eloquence expressiveness persuasive speech
* The crowds were stirred by Martin Luther King＇s eloquence
1141 elucidate explain enlighten
* He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article
1142 elusive evasive baffling hard to grasp
* His elusive dreams of wealth were costly to those of his friends who supported him financially
1144 emaciated thin and wasted
* His long period of starvation had left him emaciated
1145 emanate issue forth
* A strong odor of sulfur emanated from the spring
1146 emancipate set free
* At first the attempts of the Abolitioninst to emancipate the slaves were unpopular in New England as well as in the South
1147 embargo ban on commerce or other activity
* As a result of the embargo trade with colonies was at a standstill
1148 embark commence go on board a boat begin a journey
* In devoting herself to the study of gorillas Dian Fossey embarked on a course of action that was to cost her life
1149 embed enclose place in something
* Tales of actual historical figures like King Alfred have become embedded in legends
1150 embellish adorn
* My motherinlaw＇s stories about her journey from Russia made us laugh because she embellished the bare facts of her travels with humorous anecdotes
1157 eminent high lofty
* After his appointment to this emiment position he seldom had time for his former friends
1158 emissary agent messenger
* The secretary of State was sent as the President＇s special emissary to the conference on disarmament
1164 enamored in love
* Narcissus became enamored of his own beauty
1168 encompass surround
* Although we were encompassed by enemy forces we were cheerful for we were well stocked and could withstand a siege until our allies joined us
1170 encumber burden
* Some people encumber themselves with too much luggage when they take short trips
1172 endemic prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific are or country
* This disease is endemic in this part of the world more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or another affected by it
1173 endorse approve support
* Everyone waited to see which one of the rival candidates for the city council the mayor would endorse
1177 enervate weaken
* She was slow to recover from her illness even a short walk to the window enervated her
1178 enfranchise admit to the rights of citizenship (especially the right to vote)
* Although blacks were enfranchised shortly after the Civil War women did not receive the right to vote until 1920
1179 engage attract hire pledge oneself confront
* ＼Your case has engaged my interest my lord＼ said Holmes ＼You many engage my services＼
1180 engender cause produce
* To receive praise for real accomplishments engenders selfconfidence in a child
1182 enhance advance improve
* Your chances for promotion in this department will be enhanced if you take some more courses in evening school
1184 enigmatic obscure puzzling
* Many have sought to fathom the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa
1185 enjoin command order forbid
* The owners of the company asked the court to enjoin the union from picketing the plant
1186 enmity ill will hatred
* At Camp David President Carter labored to bring an end to the enmity that prevented Egypt and Israel from living in peace
1188 enormity hugeness (in a bad sense)
* He did not realize the enormity of his crime until he saw what suffering he had caused
1189 enrapture please intensely
* The audience was enraptured by the freshness of the voices and the excellent orchestration
1191 ensue follow
* The evils that ensued were the direct result of the miscalculations of the leaders
1192 enthrall capture enslave
* From the moment he saw her picture he was enthralled by her beauty
1193 entice lure attract tempt
* She always tried to entice her baby brother into mischief
1195 entomology study of insects
* I found entomology the least interesting part of my course in biology studying insects bored me
1196 entrance put under a spell carry away with emotion
* Shafts of sunlight on a wall could entrance her and leave her spellbound
1197 entreat plead ask earnestly
* She entreated her father to let her stay out till midnight
1200 enumerate list mention one by one
* Huck hung his head in shame as Miss Watson enumerated his many flaws
1201 enunciate speak distinctly
* How will people understand you if you do not enunciate
1203 eon long period of time an age
* It has taken eons for our civilization to develop
1205 ephemeral shortlived fleeting
* The mayfly is an ephemeral creature
1206 epic long heroic poem novel or similar work of art
* Kurosawa＇s film Seven Samurai is an epic portraying the struggle of seven warriors to destroy a band of robbers
1208 epigram witty thought or saying usually short
* Poor Richard＇s epigrams made Benjamin Franklin famous
1209 epilogue short speech at conclusion of dramatic work
* The audience was so disappointed in the play that many did not remain to hear the epilogue
1212 epitaph inscription in memory of a dead person
* In his will he dictated the epitaph he wanted placed on his tombstone
1213 epithet word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing
* So many kings of France were named Charles that modern students need epithets to tell them apart Charles the Wise for example was someone far different from Charles the Fat
1214 epitome perfect example or embodiment
* Singing ＼I am the very model of a modern MajorGeneral＼ in The Pirates of Penzance MajorGeneral Stanley proclaimed himself the epitome of an officer and a gentleman
1215 epoch period of time
* The glacial epoch lasted for thousands of years
1216 equable tranquil steady uniform
* After the hot summers and cold winters of New England he found the climate of the West Indies equable and pleasant
1217 equanimity calmness of temperament
* In his later years he could look upon the foolishness of the world with equanimity and humor
1221 equinox period of equal days and nights the beginning of spring and autumn
* The vernal equinox is usually marked by heavy rainstorms
1222 equipoise balance balancing force equilibrium
* The highwire acrobat used his pole as an equipose to overcome the swaying caused by the wind
1223 equitable fair impartial
* I am seeking an equitable solution to this dispute one which will be fair and acceptable to both sides
1224 equity fairness justice
* Our courts guarantee equity to all
1225 equivocal doubtful ambiguous
* Macbeth was misled by the equivocal statements of the witches
1226 equivocate lie mislead attempt to conceal the truth
* The audience saw through his attempts to equivocate on the subject under discussion and ridiculed his remarks
1227 erode eat away
* The limestone was eroded by the dripping water
1229 errant wandering
* Many a charming tale has been written about the knightserrant who helped the weak and punished the guilty during the Age of Chivalry
1230 erratic odd unpredictable
* Investors become anxious when the stock market appears erratic
1231 erroneous mistaken wrong
* I thought my answer was correct but it was erroneous
1232 erudite learned scholarly
* His erudite writing was difficult to read because of the many allusions which were unfamiliar to most readers
1233 escapade prank flighty conduct
* The headmaster could not regard this latest escapade as a boyish joke and expelled the young man
1235 esoteric hard to understand known only to the chosen few
* New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusions to obscure peoplee and events the implication is if you are in the incrowd you＇ll get the reference if you come from Cleveland you won＇t
1236 espionage spying
* In order to maintain its power the government developed a system of espionage that penetrated every household
1237 espouse adopt support
* She was always ready to espouse a worthy cause
1244 etymology study of word parts
* A knowledge of etymology can help you on many English tests
1247 eulogy praise
* All the eulogies of his friends could not remove the sting of the calumny
heaped upon him by his enemies
1248 euphemism mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
* The expression ＼he passed away＼ is a euphemism for ＼he died＼
1249 euphony sweet sound
* Noted for its euphony even when it is spoken the Italian language is particularly pleasing to the ear when sung
1251 euthanasia mercy killing
* Many people support euthanasia for terminally ill patients who wish to die
1252 evanescent fleeting vanishing
* For a brief moment the entire skyline was bathed in an orangered hue inthe evanescent rays of the sunset
1253 evasive not frank eluding
* Your evasive answers convinced the judge that you were witholding important evidence
1254 evince show clearly
* When he tried to answer the questions he evinced his ignorance of the subject matter
1256 evoke call forth
* He evoked much criticism by his hostile manner
1258 exacerbate worsen embitter
* This latest arrest will exacerbate the already existing discontent of the people and enrage them
1259 exacting extremely demanding
* The colonies rebelled against the exacting financial claims of the mother country
1260 exalt raise in rank or dignity praise
* The actor Alec Guinness was exalted to the rank of knighthood by the Queen he now is known as Sir Alec Guinness
1261 exasperate vex
* Johnny often exasperates his mother with his pranks
1262 excerpt selected passage (written or musical)
* The cinematic equivalent of an excerpt from a novel is a clip from a film
1264 excise cut away cut out
* When you excise the dead and dying limbs of a tree you not only improve its appearance but also enhance its chances of bearing fruit
1266 exculpate clear from blame
* He was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed
1267 execrable very bad
* The anecdote was in execrable taste and shocked the audience
1268 execrate curse express abhorrence for
* The world execrates the memory of Hitler and hopes that genocide will never again be the policy of any nation
1269 execute put into effect carry out
* The choreographer wanted to see how well she could execute a pirouette
1271 exemplary serving as a model outstanding
* Her exemplary behavior was praised at commencement
1272 exemplify show by example furnish an example
* Threetime winner of the Super Bowl Joe Montana exemplifies the ideal quarterback
1273 exertion effort expenditure of much physical work
* The exertion involved in unscrewing the rusty bolt left her exhausted
1274 exhort urge
* The evangelist will exhort all sinners in his audience to reform
1275 exhume dig out of the ground remove from a grave
* Because of the rumor that he had been poisoned his body was exhumed in order that an autopsy might be performed
1279 exodus departure
* The exodus from the hot and stuffy city was particularly noticeable on Friday evenings
1280 exonerate acquit exculpate
* I am sure this letter naming the actual culprit will exonerate you
1282 exorcise drive our evil spirits
* By incantation and prayer the medicine man sought to exorcise the evil spirits that had taken possession of the young warrior
1283 exotic not native strange
* Because of his exotic headdress he was followed in the streets by small children who laughed at his strange appearance
1285 expatriate exile someone who has withdrawn from his native land
* Henry James was an American expatriate who settled in England
1286 expedient suitable practical politic
* A pragmatic politician he was guided by what was expedient rather than by what was ethical
1287 expedite hasten
* We hope you will be able to expedite delivery because of our tight schedule
1288 expertise specialized knowledge expert skill
* Although she was knowledgeable in a number of fields she was hired for her particular expertise in computer programming
1290 expletive interjection profane oath
* The sergeant＇s remarks were filled with expletives that offended the new recruits
1291 explicate explain interpret clarify
* Harry Levin explicated James Joyce＇s novels with such clarity that even Finnegan＇s Wake seemed comprehensible to his students
1293 exploit deed or action particularly a brave deed
* Raoul Wallenberg was noted for his exploits in rescuing Jews from Hitler＇s forces
1294 exploit make use of sometimes unjustly
* Caesar Chavez fought attempts to exploit migrant farmworkers in California
1297 exposure risk particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements unmasking act of laying something open
* Exposure to sun and wind had dried out her hair and weathered her face
1298 expunge cancel remove
* If you behave I will expunge this notation from your record
1299 expurgate clean remove offensive parts of a book
* The editors felt that certain passages in the book had to be expurgated before it could be used in the classroom
1300 extant still in existence
* Although the authorities suppressed the book many copies are extant and may be purchased at exorbitant prices
1301 extemporaneous not planned impromptu
* Because his extemporaneous remarks were misinterpreted he decided to write all his speeches in advance
1302 extenuate weaken mitigate
* It is easier for us to extenuate our own shortcomings than those of others
1303 extirpate root up
* The Salem witch trials were a misguided attempt to extirpate superstitionand heresy
1304 extol praise glorify
* The astronauts were extolled as the pioneers of the Space Age
1305 extort wring from get money by threats etc
* The blackmailer extorted money from his victim
1309 extricate free disentangle
* He found that he could not extricate himself from the trap
1310 extrinsic external not inherent foreign
* Do not be fooled by extrinsic causes We must look for the intrinsic reason
1311 extrovert person interested mostly in external objects and actions
* A good salesperson in usually an extrovert who likes to mingle with people
1312 extrude force or push out
* Much pressure is required to extrude these plastics
1313 exuberant abundant effusive lavish
* His speeches were famous for his exuberant language and vivid imagery
1314 exude discharge give forth
* The maple syrup is obtained from the sap that the trees exude in early spring
1315 exult rejoice
* We exulted when our team won the victory
1317 facade front of the building
* The facade of the church had often been photographed by tourists because it was more interesting than the rear
1318 facet small plane surface (of a gem) a side
* The stonecutter decided to improve the rough diamond by providing it with several facets
1319 facetious humorous jocular
* Your facetious remarks are not appropriate at this serious moment
1320 facile easy expert
* Because he was a facile speaker he never refused a request to address an organization
1321 facilitate make less difficult
* He tried to facilitate repayment of the loan by getting a parttime job
1322 facsimilie copy
* Many museums sell facsimilies of the works of art on display
1323 faction party clique dissension
* The quarrels and bickering of the two small factions within the club disturbed the majority of the members
1324 factious inclined to form factions causing dissension
* Your statement is factious and will upset the harmony that now exists
1325 factitous artificial sham
* Hollywood actresses often create factitious tears by using glycerine
1326 factotum handyman person who does all kinds of work
* Although we had hired him as a messenger we soon began to use him as a general factotum around the office
1327 faculty mental or bodily powers teaching staff
* As he grew old he feared he might lose his faculties and become useless to his employer
1328 fallacious misleading
* Your reasoning must be fallacious because it leads to a ridiculous answer
1329 fallible liable to err
* I know I am fallible but I feel confident that I am right this time
1333 fancied imagined unreal
* You are resenting fancied insults No one has ever said such things about you
1335 fanciful whimsical visionary
* This is a fanciful scheme because it does not consider the facts
1337 fantastic unreal grotesque whimsical
* Your fears are fantastic because no such animal as you have described exists
1342 fatuous foolish inane
* He is far too intelligent to utter such fatuous remarks
1343 fauna animals of a period or region
* The scientist could visualize the fauna of the period by examining the skeletal remains and the fossils
1346 feasible practical
* This is an entirely feasible proposal I suggest we adopt it
1349 feign pretend
* Lady Macbeth feigned illness in the courtyard although she was actually healthy
1350 feint trick shift sham blow
* The boxer was fooled by his opponent＇s feint and dropped his guard
1355 ferment agitation commotion
* With the breakup of the Soviet Union much of Eastern Europe was in a state of ferment
1357 fervent ardent hot
* She felt that the fervent praise was excessive and somewhat undeserved
1358 fervid ardent
* Her fervid enthusiasm inspired all of us to undertake the dangerous mission
1359 fervor glowing ardor
* Their kiss was full of the fervor of first love
1362 festive joyous celebratory
* Their wedding in the park was a festive occasion
1369 fictitious imaginary
* Although this book purports to be a biography of George Washington many of the incidents are fictitious
1370 fidelity loyalty
* A dog＇s fidelity to its owner is one of the reasons why that animal is a favorite household pet
1371 figment invention imaginary thing
* That incident never took place it is a figment of your imagination
1372 figurative not literal but metaphorical using a figure of speech
* ＼To lose one＇s marbles＼ is a figurative expression if you＇re told Jack has lost his marbles no one expects you to rush out to buy him a replacement set
1378 finale conclusion
* It is not until we reach the finale of this play that we can understand the author＇s message
1387 flagrant conspicuously wicked
* We cannot condone such flagrant violations of the rules
1390 flamboyant ornate
* Modern architecture has discarded the flamboyant trimming on buildings and emphasizes simplicity of line
1405 flourish grow well prosper make sweeping gestures
* The orange trees flourished in the sun
1408 fluency smoothness of speech
* He spoke French with fluency and ease
1412 flux flowing series of changes
* While conditions are in such a state of flux I do not wish to commit myself too deeply in this affair
1418 foliage masses of leaves
* Every autumn before the leaves fell he promised himself he would drive though the New England to admire the colorful fall foliage
1423 forbearance patience
* We must use forbearance in dealing with him because he is still weak from his illness
1428 foreshadow give an indication beforehand portend prefigure
* In retrospect political analysts realized that Yeltsin＇s defiance of the
attempted coup foreshadowed his emergence as the dominant figure of the new Russian republic
1429 foresight ability to foresee future happenings prudence
* A wise investor she had the foresight to buy land just before the current real estate boom
1430 forestall prevent by taking action in advance
* By setting up a prenuptial agreement the prospective bride and groom hoped to forestall any potential arguments about money in the event of a divorce
1431 forgo give up do without
* Determined to lose weight for the summer Ida decided to forgo dessert until she could fit into a size eight again
1432 formality adherence to established rules or procedures
* Signing this petition is a mere formality it does not obligate you in any way
1434 forsake desert abandon renounce
* No one expected Foster to forsake his wife and children and run off with another woman
1435 forswear renounce abandon
* The captured knight could escape death only if he agreed to forswear Christianity and embrace Islam as the one true faith
1436 forte strong point or special talent
* I am not eager to play this rather serious role for my forte is comedy
1437 forthright straightforward direct frank
* I prefer Jill＇s forthright approach to Jack＇s tendency to beat around the bush
1438 fortitude bravery courage
* He was awarded the medal for his fortitude in the battle
1441 founder fail completely sink
* After hitting the submerged iceberg the Titanic started taking in water rapidly and soon foundered
1442 founder person who establishes (an organization business)
* Among those drowned when the Titanic sank was the founder of the Abraham & Straus chain
1445 frailty weakness
* The doctor prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements for the sick old woman because of her frailty
1457 frigid intensely cold
* Alaska is in the frigid zone
1465 fugitive fleeting or transitory roving
* The film brought a few fugitive images to her mind but on the whole it made no lasting impression upon her
1475 fusion union coalition
* The opponents of the political party in power organized a fusion of disgruntled groups and became an important element in the election
1476 futile ineffective fruitless
* Why waste your time on futile pursuits
1497 garnish decorate
* Parsley was used to garnish the boiled potato
1505 gazette official publication
* He read the gazettes regularly for announcement of his promotion
1506 genealogy record of descent lineage
* He was proud of his genealogy and constantly referred to the achievements of his ancestors
1507 generality vague statement
* This report is filled with generalities you must be more specific in your statements
1508 generic characteristic of an entire class or species
* Sue knew so many computer programmers who spent their spare time playing fantasy games that she began to think that playing Dungeon & Dragons was a generic trait
1509 genesis beginning origin
* Tracing the genesis of a family is the theme of ＼Roots＼
1512 genteel wellbred elegant
* We are looking for a man with a genteel appearance who can inspire confidence by his cultivated manner
1514 gentry people of standing class of people just below nobility
* The local gentry did not welcome the visits of the summer tourists and tried to ignore their presence in the community
1521 gestate evolve as in prenatal growth
* While this scheme was being gestated by the conspirators they maintained complete silence about their intentions
1555 granary storehouse for grain
* We have reason to be thankful for our crops were good and our granaries are full
1556 grandeur impressiveness stateliness majesty
* No matter how often he hiked through the mountains David never failed to be struck by the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada range
1557 grandiloquent pompous bombastic using highsounding language
* The politician could never speak simply she was always grandiloquent
1558 grandiose imposing impressive
* His grandiose manner impressed those who met him for the first time
1560 graphic pertaining to the art of delineating vividly described
* I was particularly impressed by the graphic presentation of the storm
1563 gratify please
* Her parents were gratified by her success
1564 gratis free
* The company offered to give one package gratis to every purchaser of one of their products
1565 gratuitous given freely unwarranted uncalled for
* Quit making gratuitous comments about my driving no one asked you for your opinion
1566 gratuity tip
* Many service employees rely more on gratuities than on salaries for their livelihood
1567 gravity seriousness
* We could tell we were in serious trouble from the gravity of her expression
1571 grimace a facial distortion to show feeling such as pain disgust etc
* Even though he remained silent his grimace indicated his displeasure
1573 grotesque fantastic comically hideous
* On Halloween people enjoy wearing groteque costumes
1602 hap chance luck
* In his poem hap Thomas Hardy objects to the part chance plays in our lives
1603 haphazard random by chance
* His haphazard reading left him unaquainted with the authors of the books
1605 harangue long passionate and vehement speech
* In her lengthy harangue the principal berated the offenders
1617 headlong hasty rash
* The slave seized the unexpected chance to make a headlong dash across the border to freedom
1618 headstrong stubborn willful unyielding
* Because she refused to marry the man her parents had chosen for her every one scolded Minna and called her a foolish headstrong girl
1620 hedonism belief that pleasure is the sole aim in life
* hedonism and asceticism are opposing philosophies of human behavior
1622 hegemony dominance especially of one nation over others
* As one Eastern European nation after another declared its independence commentators marveled at the sudden breakdown of the once monolithic Soviet hegemony
1624 herbivorous graineating
* Some herbivorous animals have two stomachs for digesting their food
1631 heterodox unorthodox unconventional
* To those who upheld the belief that the earth did not move Galileo＇s theory that the earth circled the sun was disturbingly heterodox
1632 heterogeneous dissimilar
* In a heterogeneous group we have an unassorted assemblage while in a homogeneous group we have people or things that have common traits
1633 hew cut to pieces with ax or sword
* The cavalry rushed into melee and hewed the enemy with their swords
the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics
1640 hilarity boisterous mirth
* The hilarity is improper on this solemn day of mourning
1642 hindrance block obstacle
* Stalled cars along the highway are a hindrance to traffic that tow trucks should remove without delay
1652 homage honor tribute
* In her speech she tried to pay homage to a great man
1656 homogeneous of the same kind
* Many educators try to put pupils of similar abilities in the same class because they believe that his homogeneous grouping is advisable
1665 hubris arrogance excessive selfconceit
* Filled with hubris Lear refused to heed his friends＇ warnings
e and cry that the thief was captured
1668 humane kind
* His humane and considerate treatment of the unfortunate endeared him to all
1670 humid damp
* She could not stand the humid climate and moved to a drier area
1671 humility humbleness of spirit
* He spoke with a humility and lack of pride that impressed his listeners
1673 humus substance formed by decaying vegetable matter
* In order to improve his garden he spread humus over his lawn and flower beds
1678 hyperbole exaggeration overstatement
* This salesman is guilty of hyperbole in describing his product it is wise to discount his claims
1679 hypercritical excessively exacting
* You are hypercritical in your demands for perfection we all make mistakes
1681 hypocritical pretending to be virtuous deceiving
* I resent his hypocritical posing as a friend for I know he is interested only in his own advancement
1682 hypothetical based on assumptions or hypotheses
* Why do we have to consider hypothetical cases when we have actual case histories that we may examine
1687 idiom special usage in language
* I could not understand their idioms because literal translation made no sense
1688 idiosyncrasy peculiarity eccentricity
* One of his personal idiosyncrasies was his habit of rinsing all cutlery given him in a restaurant
1694 ignoble of lowly origin unworthy
* This plan is inspired by ignoble motives and I must therefore oppose it
1695 ignominious disgraceful
* The country smarted under the ignominious defeat and dreamed of the day when it would be victorious
1696 illicit illegal
* The defense attorney claimed that the police had entrapped his client that is they had elicited the illicit action of which they now accuse of him
1698 illuminate brighten clear up or make understandable enlighten
* Just as a lamp can illuminate a dark room a perceptive comment can illuminate a knotty problem
1699 illusion misleading vision
* It is easy to create an optical illusion in which lines of equal length appear different
1707 immaculate pure spotless
* The West Point cadets were immaculate as they lined up for inspection
1708 imminent near at hand impending
* Rosa was such a lastminute worker that she could never start writing a paper till the deadline was imminent
1711 immure imprison shut up in confinement
* For the two weeks before the examination the student immureed himself in his room and concentrated upon his studies
1712 immutable unchangeable
* Scientists are constantly seeking to discover the immutable laws of nature
1713 impair worsen diminish in value
* This arrest will impair her reputation in the community
1714 impale pierce
* He was impaled by the spear hurled by his adversary
1715 impalpable imperceptible intangible
* The ash is so fine that it is impalpable to the touch but it can be seen as a fine layer covering the window ledge
1716 impasse predicament from which there is no escape
* In this impasse all turned to prayer as their last hope
1717 impassive without feeling not affected by pain
* The Native American has been incorrectly depicted as an impassive individual undemonstrative and stoical
1718 impeach charge with crime in office indict
* The angry congressman wanted to impeach the President for his misdeeds
1720 impecunious without money
* Now that he was wealthy he gladly contributed to funds to assist impecunious and disbled persons
1721 impede hinder block
* The special prosecutor determined that the Attorney General though inept had not intentionally set out to impede the progress of the investigation
1722 impediment hindrance stumblingblock
* She had a speech impediment that prevented her from speaking clearly
1723 impending nearing approaching
* The entire country was saddened by the news of his impending death
1724 impenetrable not able to be pierced or entered
* How could the murderer have gotten into the locked room To Watson the mystery like the room was impenetrable
1725 impenitent not repentant
* We could see by his brazen attitude that he was impenitent
1729 impertinent insolent
* I regard your remarks as impertinent and I resent them
1731 impervious not penetrable not permitting passage through
* You cannot change their habits for their minds are impervious to reasoning
1732 impetuous violent hasty rash
* We tried to curb his impetuous behavior because we felt that in his haste he might offend some people
1733 impetus moving force incentive stimulus
* A new federal highway program would create jobs and five added impetus to our economic recovery
1735 impinge infringe touch collide with
* How could they be married without impinging on one another＇s freedom
1736 impious irreverent
* The congregation was offended by her impious remarks
1737 implacable incapable of being pacified
* Madame Defarge was the implacable enemy of the Evremonde family
1739 implement put into effect supply with tools
* The mayor was unwilling to implement the plan until she was sure it had the governor＇s backing
1740 implication that which is hinted at or suggested
* If I understand the implications of your remark you do not trust our captain
1741 implicit understood but not stated
* Jack never told Jill he adored her he believed his love was implicit in his deeds
1742 implore beg
* He implored her to give him a second chance
1743 imply suggest a meaning not expressed
* Even though your statement does not declare that you are at war with that country your actions imply that that is the actual situation
1744 impolitic not wise
* I think it is impolitic to raise this issue at the present time because the public is too angry
1745 imponderable weightless
* I can evaluate the data gathered in this study the imponderable items are not so easily analyzed
1746 import significance
* I feel that you have not grasped the full import of the message sent to us by the enemy
1747 importunate urging demanding
* He tried to hide from his importunate creditors until his allowance arrived
1748 importune beg persistently
* Democratic and Republican phone solicitors importuned her for contributions so frequently that she decided to give nothing to either party
1749 imposture assuming a false identity masquerade
* She was imprisoned for her imposture of a doctor
1750 impotent weak ineffective
* Although he wished to break the nicotine habit he found himself impotent in resisisting the craving for a cigarette
1751 imprecation curse
* Roused from the bed at what he considered an ungodly hour Roy muttered imprecations under his breath
1754 impropriety state of being inappropriate
* Because of the impropriety of his costume he was denied entrance into the dining room
1756 improvise compose on the spur of the moment
* She would sit at the piano and improvise for hours on themes from Bach and Handel
1757 imprudent lacking caution injudicious
* It is imprudent to exercise vigorously and become overheated when you are unwell
1758 impugn doubt challenge gainsay
* I cannot impugn your honesty without evidence
1760 impunity freedom from punishment
* The bully mistreated everyone in the class with impunity for he felt that no one would dare retaliate
1761 impute attribute ascribe
* If I wished to impute blame to the officers in charge of this program I would state my feelings definitely and immediately
1765 inanimate lifeless
* she was asked to identify the still and inanimate body
1766 inarticulate speechless producing indistinct speech
* He became inarticulate with rage and uttered sounds without meaning
1767 inaugurate begin formally install in office
* The candidate promised that he would inaugurate a new nationwide health care plan as soon as he was inaugurated as president
1768 incandescent strikingly bright shining with intense heat
* If you leave on an incandescent light bulb it quickly grows too hot to touch
1769 incantation singing or chanting of magical formula
* Uttering incantations to make the brew more potent the witch doctor stirred the liquid in the caldron
1771 incarcerate imprison
* The warden will incarcerate the felon after conviction
1772 incarnate endowed with flesh personified
* Your attitude is so fiendish that you must be a devil incarnate
1773 incarnation act of assuming a human body and human nature
* The incarnation of Jesus Christ is a basic tenet of Christian theology
1775 incense enrage infuriate
* Unkindness to children incensed her
1776 incentive spur motive
* Students who dislike school must be given an incentive to learn
1777 inception start beginning
* She was involved with the project from its inception
1778 incessant uninterrupted
* The crickets kept up an incessant chirping that disturbed our attempts to fall asleep
1780 incidence rate of occurrence particular occurrence
* Health professionals expressed great concern over the high incidence of infant mortality in major urban areas
1781 incidental not essential minor
* The scholarship covered his major expenses at college and some of his incidental expenses as well
1783 incisive cutting sharp
* His incisive remarks made us see the fallacy in our plans
1784 incite arouse to action
* The demagogue incited the mob to take action into its own hands
1786 incline slope slant
* The architect recommended that the nursing home＇s ramp be rebuilt because
its incline was too steep for wheelchairs
1788 inclusive tending to include all
* The comedian turned down the invitation to join the Player＇s Club saying any club that would let him in was too inclusive for him
1789 incognito with identity concealed using an assumed name
* The monarch enjoyed traveling throughthe town incognito and mingling with
the populace
1792 incompatible inharmonious
* The married couple argued incessantly and finally decided to separate because they were incompatible
1798 incorporate introduce something into a larger whole combine unite
* Breaking with precedent President Truman ordered the military to incorporate blacks into every branch of the armed services
1800 incorrigible uncorrectable
* Though Widow Douglass hoped to reform Huck Miss Watson pronounced him incorrigible and said he would come to no good end
1801 incredulity a tendency to disbelief
* Your incredulity in the face of all the evidence is hard to understand
1802 incredulous withholding belief skeptical
* When Jack claimed he hadn＇t eaten the jelly doughnut Jill took an incredulous look at his smeared face and laughed
1803 increment increase
* The new contract calls for a 10 percent increment in salary for each employee for the next two years
1804 incriminate accuse serve as evidence against
* The witness＇s testimony against the racketeers incriminates some high public officials as well
1805 incubate hatch scheme
* Inasmuch as our supply of electricity is cut off we shall have to rely on the hens to incubate these eggs
1806 incubus burden mental care nightmare
* The incubus of financial worry helped bring on her nervous breakdown
1807 incumbent officeholder
* The newly elected public official received valuable advice from the present incumbent
1808 incur bring upon oneself
* His parents refused to pay any future debts he might incur
1809 incursion temporary invasion
* The nightly incursions and hitandrun raids of our neighbors across the border tried the patience of the country to the point where we decided to retaliate in force
1813 indeterminate uncertain not clearly fixed indefinite
* That interest rates shall rise appears certain when they will do so however remains indeterminate
1814 indicative suggestive implying
* A lack of appetite may be indicative of a major mental or physical disorder
1815 indict charge
* If the grand jury indicts the suspect he will go to trial
1816 indifferent unmoved lacking concern
* Because she felt no desire to marry she was indifferent to his constant proposals
819 indignation anger ar an injustice
* He felt indignation at the illtreatment of the helpless animals
1820 indignity offensive or insulting treatment
* Although he seemed to accept cheerfully the indignities heaped upon him he was inwardly very angry
1822 indisputable too certain to be disputed
* In the face of these indisputable statements I withdraw my complaint
1824indite write compose
* Cyrano indited many letters for Christian
1828 induce persuade bring about
* After the quarrel Tina said nothing could induce her to talk to Tony again
1829 inductive pertaining to induction or preceeding from the specific to the general
* The discovery of the planet Pluto is an excellent example of the results that can be obtained from inductive reasoning
1832 ineffable unutterable cannot be expressed in speech
* Such ineffable joy must be experienced it cannot be described
1836 inequity unfairness
* In demanding equal pay for equal work women protest the basic inequity of a system that allots greater financial rewards to men
1837 inerrancy infallibility
* Jane refused to believe in the pope＇s inerrancy reasoning ＼All human beings are capable of error The pope is a human being Therefore he pope is capable of error
1839 inevitable unavoidable
* Death and taxes are both inevitable
1840 inexorable relentless unyielding implacable
* After listening to the pleas for clemency the judge was inexorable and gave the convicted man the maximum punishment allowed by law
1841 infallible unerring
* We must remember that none of us is infallible we all make mistakes
1842 infamous notoriously bad
* Jesse James was an infamous outlaw
1843 infantile childish infantlike
* When will he outgrow such infantile behavior
1844 infer deduce conclude
* We must be particularly cautious when we infer that a person is guilty on the basis of circumstantial evidence
1845 infernal pertaining to hell devilish
* They could think of no way to hinder his infernal scheme
1846 infidel unbeliever
* The Saracens made war against tne infidels
1847 infiltrate pass into or through penetrate (an organization) sneakily
* In order to infiltrate enemy lines at night without being seen the scouts darkened their faces and wore black coveralls
1848 infinitesimal very small
* In the twentieth century physicists have made their greatest discoveries about the characteristics of infinitesimal objects like the atom and its parts
1849 infirmity weakness
* Her greatest infirmity was lack of willpower
1850 inflated exaggerated pompous enlarged (with air or gas)
* His claims about the new product were inflated it did not work as well as he had promised
1851 influx flowing into
* The influx of refugees into the country has taxed the relief agencies severely
1852 infraction violation
* Because of his many infractions of school regulations he was suspended by the dean
1853 infringe violate encroach
* I think your machine infringes on my patent and intend to sue
1854 ingenious clever
* He came up with a use for Styrofoam packing balls that was so ingenious that his business school professors declared it was marketable
1855 ingenuous naive young and unsophisticated
* Although she was over forty the movie star still insisted that she be cast as an ingenuous sweet young thing
1856 ingrained deeply established firmly rooted
* Try as they would the missionaries were unable to uproot the ingrained superstitions of the natives
1857 ingrate ungrateful person
* That ingrate Bob sneered at the tie I gave him
1858 ingratiate become popular with
* He tried to ingratiate himself into her parents＇ good graces
1859 inherent firmly established by nature or habit
* His inherent love of justice compelled him to come to their aid
1860 inhibit prohibit restrain
* The child was not inhibited in her responses
1864 initiate begin originate receive into a group
* The college is about to initiate a program for reducing math anxiety among students
1865 injurious harmful
* Smoking cigarettes can be injurious to your health
1867 innate inborn
* His innate talent for music was soon recognized by his parents
1868 innocuous harmless
* Let him drink it it is innocuous and will have no ill effect
1871 inopportune untimely poorly chosen
* A rock concert is an inopportune setting for a quiet conversation
1872 inordinate unrestrained excessive
* She had an inordinate fondness for candy
1873 inquisitor questioner (specially harsh) investigator
* Fearing being grilled ruthlessly by the secret police Marsha faced her inquisitors with trepidation
1875 insatiable not easily satisfied greedy
* Welty＇s thirst for knowledge was insatiable she was in the library day and night
1877 insensate without feeling
* She lay there as insensate as a log
1878 insensible unconscious unresponsive
* Sherry and I are very different at times when I would be covered with embarrassment she seems insensible to shame
1879 insidious treacherous stealthy sly
* The fifth column is insidious because it works secretly within our territory for our defeat
1880 insinuate hint imply* What are you trying to insinuate by that remark
1881 insipid lacking in flavor dull
* Flat prose and flat ginger ale are equally insipid both lack sparkle
1882 insolence imprudent disrespect haughtiness
* How dare you treat me so rudely The manager will hear of you insolence
1883 insolvent bankrupt lacking money to pay
* When rumors that he was insolvent reached his creditors they began to press him for payment of the money due them
1884 insomnia wakefulness inability to sleep
* He refused to join us in a midnight cup of coffee because he claimed it gave him insomnia
1886 instigate urge start provoke
* I am afraid that this statement will instigate a revolt
1889 insularity narrowmindedness isolation
* The insularity of the islanders manifested itself in their suspicion of anything foreign
1891 insurgent rebellious
* We will not discuss reforms until the insurgent troops have returned to their homes
1892 insurrection rebellion uprising
* Given the current state of affairs in South Africa an insurrection seems unavoidable
1893 intangible not able to be perceived by touch vague
* Though the financial benefits of his Oxford post were meager Lewis was drawn to it by its intangible rewards prestige intellectual freedom the fellowship of his peers
1894 integral complete necessary for completeness
* Physical education is an integral part of our curriculum a sound mind and a sound body are complementary
1895 integrate make whole combine make into one unit
* She tried to integrate all their activities into one program
1896 integrity uprightness wholeness
* Lincoln whose personal integrity has inspired millions fought a civil war to maintain the integrity of the republic that these United States might remain undivided for all time
1897 intellect higher mental powers
* He thought college would develop his intellect
1899 inter bury
* They are going to inter the body tomorrow ar Broadlawn Cemetry
1900 interdict prohibit forbid
* Civilized nations must interdict the use of nuclear weapons if we expect out society to live
1901 interim meantime
* The company will not consider our proposal until next week in the interim let us proceed as we have in the past
1903 interminable endless
* Although his speech lasted for only twenty minutes it seemed interminable to his bored audience
1904 intermittent periodic on and off
* Our picnic was marred by intermittent rains
1906 interpolate insert between
* She talked so much that I could not interpolate a single remark
1908 interrogate question closely crossexamine
* Knowing that the Nazis would interrogate him about his background the secret agent invented a cover story that would help him meet their ques
tions
1909 intervene come between
* She intervened in the argument between her two sons
1911 intimidation fear
* A ruler who maintains his power by intimidation is bound to develop clandestine resistance
1912 intractable unruly refractory
* The horse was intractable and refused to enter the starting gate
1916 introspective looking within oneself
* We all have our introspective moments during which we examine our souls
1917 introvert one who is introspective inclined to think more about oneself
* In his poetry he reveals that he is an introvert by his intense interest in his own problems
1918 intrude trespass enter as an uninvited person
* She hesitated to intrude on their conversation
1919 intuition power of knowing without reasoning
* She claimed to know the truth by intuition
1920 inundate overflow flood
* The tremendous waves inundated the town
1921 inured accustomed hardened
* She became inured to the Alaskan cold
1922 invalidate weaken destroy
* The relatives who received little or nothing sought to invalidate the will by claiming that the deceased had not been in his right mind when he signed the document
1925 inveigle lead astray wheedle
* She was inveigled into joining the club after an initial reluctance
1926 inverse opposite
* There is an inverse ratio between the strength of light and its distance
1927 invert turn upside down or inside out
* When he inverted his body in a hand stand he felt the blood rush to his head
1929 invidious designed to create ill will or envy
* We disregarded her invidious remarks because we realized how jealous she was
1930 invincible unconquerable
* Superman is invincible
1932 invoke call upon ask for
* She invoked her advisor＇s aid in filling out her financial aid forms
1933 invulnerable incapable of injury
* Achilles was invulnerable except in his heel
1938 irksome annoying tedious
* He found working on the assembly line irksome because of the monotony of the operation he had to perform
1942 irrelevant not applicable unrelated
* This statement is irrelevant and should be disregarded by the jury
1943 irremediable incurable uncorrectable
* The error she made was irremediable she could see no way to repair it
1944 irreparable not able to be corrected or repaired
* Your apology cannot atone for the irreparable damage you have done to her reputation
1945 irrepressible unable to be restrained or held back
* Her high spirits were irrepressible
1946 irresolute uncertain how to act weak
* She had no respect for him because he seemed weakwilled and irresolute
1948 irrevocable unalterable
* Let us not brood over past mistakes since they are irrevocable
1949 isotope varying form of an element
* The study of the isotopes of uranium led to the development of the nuclear bomb
1951 itinerant wandering traveling
* He was an itinerant peddler and traveled through Pennsylvania and Virginia selling his wares
1952 itinerary plan of a trip
* Before leaving for his first visit to France and England he discussed his itinerary with people who had been there and with his travel agent
1953 intersperse scatter
* The molecules will intersperse throughout the space according to the second law of thermodynamics
1954 inquisitive unduly curious prying seeking knowledge
* We need more inquisitive students in this school lectures are dull
1958 jaunt trip short journey
* He took a quick jaunt to Atlantic City
1959 jaunty lighthearted animated easy and carefree
* In Singing in the Rain Gene Kelly sang and danced his way through the lighthearted title number in a properly jaunty style
1962 jingoism extremely aggressive and militant patriotism
* We must be careful to prevent a spirit of jingoism from spreading at this time
1970 judicious sound in judgment wise
* At a key moment in his life he made a judicious investment that was the foundation of his later wealth
1972 juncture crisis joining point
* At this critical juncture let us think carefully before determining the course we shall follow
1975 jurisprudence science of law
* He was more a student of jurisprudence than a practitioner of the law
1976 juxtapose place side by side
* Comparison will be easier if you juxtapose the two objects
1979 killjoy grouch spoilsport
* At breakfast we had all been enjoying our bacon and eggs until that killjoy John started talking about how bad animal fats and cholesterol were for our health
1980 kindle start a fire inspire
* Her teacher＇s praise kindled a spark a hope inside her
1993 laborious demanding much work or care tedious
* In putting together his dictionary of the English language Doctor Johnson undertook a laborious task
2006 languid weary sluggish listless
* Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid
2007 languish lose animation lose strength
* In stories lovelorn damsels used to languish and pine away
2008 languor lassitude depression
* His friends tried to overcome the languor into which he had fallen by taking him to parties and to the theater
2016 lateral coming from the side
* In order to get good plant growth the gardener must pinch off all lateral
shoots
2017 latitude freedom from narrow limitations
* I think you have permitted your son too much latitude in this matter
2020 lavish liberal wasteful
* The actor＇s lavish gifts pleased her
2021 lax careless
* We dislike restaurants where the service is lax and inattentive
2024 lectern reading desk
* The chaplain delivered his sermon from a hastily improvised lectern
2027 legacy a gift made by a will
* Part of my legacy from my parents is an album of family photographs
2028 legend explanatory list of symbols on a map
* The legend at the bottom of the map made it clear which symbols stood for rest areas along the highway and which stood for public camp sites
2035 levitate float in the air (especially by magical means)
* As the magician passed his hands over the recumbent body of his assistant she appeared to rise and levitate about three feet above the table
2036 levity lack of seriousness or steadiness frivolity
* Stop giggling abd wriggling around in the pew such levity is improper in church
2037 levy impose (a fine) collect (a payment)
* Crying ＼No taxation without representation＼ the colonists demonstrated against England＇s power to levy taxes
2041 liability drawback debts
* Her lack of an extensive vocabulary was a liability that she was able to overcome
2043 libelous defamatory injurious to the good name of a person
* He sued the newspaper because of its libelous story
2044 libertine debauched person roue
* Although she was aware of his reputation as a libertine she felt she could reform him and help him break his dissolute way of life
2046 libido emotional urges behind human activity
* The psychiatrist maintained that suppression of the libido often resulted
in maladjustment and neuroses
2047 libretto text of an opera
* The composer of an opera＇s music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto
2048 licentious wanton lewd dissolute
* The licentious monarch helped bring about his country＇s downfall
2055 limpid clear
* A limpid stream ran through his property
2058 linguistic pertaining to language
* The modern tourist will encounter very little linguistic difficulty as English has become an almost universal language
2065 litigation lawsuit
* Try to settle this amicably I do not want to start litigation
2072 loiter hang around linger
* The policeman told him not to loiter in the alley
2074 longevity long life
* When he reached ninety the old man was proud of his longevity
2076 loquacious talkative
* She is very loquacious and can speak on the telephone for hours
2078 low moo
* From the hilltop they could see the herd like ants in the distance they could barely hear the cattle low
2079 lucid easily understood clear intelligible
* Her explanation was lucid enough for a child to grasp
2082 ludicrous laughable trifling
* Let us be serious this is not a ludicrous issue
2087 luminary celebrity dignitary
* A leading light of the American stage Ethel Barrymore was a theatrical luminary whose name lives on
2088 luminous shining issuing light
* The sun is a luminous body
2089 lunar pertaining to the moon
* lunar craters can be plainly seen with the aid of a small telescope
2093 luster shine gloss
* The soft luster of the silk in the dim light was pleasing
2094 lustrous shining
* Her large and lustrous eyes gave a touch of beauty to an otherwise drab face
2095 luxuriant fertile abundant ornate
* Farming was easy in this luxuriant soil
2096 laxative facilitating evacuation of the bowels
* The effect of the constipation medicine is laxative it empties the bowels
2106 magnanimity generosity
* Noted for his magnanimity philanthropist Eugene Lang donated millions to charity
2107 magnate person of prominence or influence
* The steel magnate decided to devote more time to city politics
2108 magniloquent boastful pompous
* In their stories of the trial the reporters ridiculed the magniloquent speeches of the defense attorney
2109 magnitude greatness extent
* It is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of his crime
2111 maladroit clumsy bungling
* In his usual maladroit way he managed to upset the cart and spill the food
2112 malaise uneasiness distress
* She felt a sudden vague malaise when she heard sounds at the door
2114 malcontent person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs
* He was one of the few malcontents in the Congress he constantly voiced his objections to the Presidential program
2115 malediction curse
* The witch uttered maledictions against her captors
2116 malefactor criminal
* We must try to bring these malefactors to justice
2117 malevolent wishing evil
* We must thwart his malevolent schemes
2118 malfeasance wrongdoing
* The authorities did not discover the campaign manager＇s malfeasance until after he had spent most of the money he had embezzled
2120 malign speak evil of defame
* Because of her hatred of the family she maligns all who are friendly to them
2121 malignant having an evil influence virulent
* This is a malignant disease we must have to use drastic measures to stop its spread
2127 manacle restrain handcuff
* The police immediately manacled the prisoner so he could not escape
2128 mandate order charge
* In his inaugural address the President stated that he had a mandate from the people to seek an end to social evils such as poverty and poor housing
2129 mandatory obligatory
* These instructions are mandatory any violation will be severely punished
2132 manifest understandable clear
* His evil intentions were manifest and yet we could not stop him
2133 manifestation outward demonstration indication
* Mozart＇s early attraction to the harsichord was the first manifestation of his pronounced musical bent
2134 manifesto declaration statement of policy
* The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels proclaimed the principles of modern communism
2135 manifold numerous varied
* I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your manifold kindnesses
2136 manipulate operate with the hands control or change by artful means
* How do you manipulate these puppets
2138 manumit emancipate free from bondage
* Enlightened slave owners were willing to manumit their slaves and thus put an end to the evil slavery in the country
2140 maritime bordering on the sea nautical
* The maritime Provinces depend on the sea for their wealth
2141 marked noticeable targeted for vengeance
* He walked with a marked limp a souvenir of an old IRA attack As British
ambassador he knew he was a marked man
2149 materialism preoccupation with physical comforts and things
* By its nature materialism is opposed to idealism for where the materialist emphasizes the needs of the body the idealist emphasizes the needs of the soul
2150 maternal motherly
* Many animals display maternal instincts only while their offspring are young and helpless
2151 matriarch woman who rules a family or larger social group
* The matriarch ruled her gypsy tribe with a firm hand
2152 matrix point of origin array of numbers or algebraic symbols mold or die
* Some historians claim the Nile Valley was the matrix of the Western civilization
2159 maxim proverb a truth pithily stated
* Aesop＇s fables illustrate moral maxims
2164 meddlesome interfering
* He felt his marriage was suffering because of his meddlesome motherinlaw
2165 mediate settle a dispute through the services of an outsider
* Let us mediate out differences rather than engage in a costly strike
2166 mediocre ordinary commonplace
* We were disappointed because he gave a rather mediocre performance in this role
2170 megalomania mania for doing grandiose things
* Developers who spend millions trying to build the world＇s tallest skyscraper suffer from megalomania
2173 memento token reminder
* Take this book as a memento of your visit
2174 memorialize commemorate
* Let us memorialize his great contribution by dedicating this library in his honor
2175 mendacious lying false
* He was pathological liar and his friends learned to discount his mendacious stories
2179 mercantile concerning trade
* I am more interested in the opportunities available in the mercantile field than I am in those in the legal profession
2180 mercenary motivated solely by money or gain
* ＼I＇m not in this war because I get my kicks waving flags＼ said the mercenary soldier ＼I＇m in it for the dough＼
2181 mercurial fickle changing
* He was of a mercurial temperament and therefore unpredictable
2182 meretricious flashy tawdry falsely attractive
* Her jewels were inexpensive but not meretricious
2183 merger combination (of two business corporations)
* When the firm＇s president married the director of financial planning the office joke was that it wasn＇t a marriage it was a merger
2186 metamorphosis change of form
* The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life
2187 metaphor implied comparison
* ＼He soared like an eagle＼ is an example of a simile ＼He is an eagle in flight＼ is a metaphor
2188 metaphysical pertaining to speculative philosophy
* The modern poets have gone back to the fanciful poems of the metaphysical
poets of the seventeenth century for many of their images
2189 mete measure distribute
* He tried to be impartial in his efforts to mete out justice
2190 meteoric swift momentarily brilliant
* We all wondered at his meteoric rise to fame
2191 methodical systematic
* An accountant must be methodical and maintain order among his financial records
2193 metropolis large city
* Every evening this terminal is filled with the thousands of commuters who
are going from this metropolis to their homes in the suburbs
2196 microcosm small world
* In the microcosm of our rural village we find illustrations of all the evils that beset the universe
2197 migrant changing its habitat wandering
* These migrant birds return every spring
2198 migratory wandering
* The return of the migratory birds to the northern sections of this country is a harbinger of spring
2200 militant combative bellicose
* Although at this time he was advocating a policy of neutrality one could usually find him adopting a more militant attitude
2201 militate work against
* Your record of lateness and absence will militate against your chances of promotion
2202 millenium thousandyear period period of happiness and prosperity
* I do not expect the milennium to come during my lifetime
2205 mincing affectedly dainty
* YumYum walked across the stage with mincing steps
2207 minuscule extremely small
* Why should I involve myself with a project with so minuscule a chance for success
2208 minute extremely small
* The twins resembled one another closely only minute differences set them apart
2209 minutiae petty details
* She would have liked to ignore the minutiae of daily living
2210 mirage unreal reflection optical illusion
* The lost prospector was fooled by a mirage in the desert
2213 misadventure mischance ill luck
* The young explorer met death by misadventure
2214 misanthrope one who hates mankind
* We thought the hermit was a misanthrope because he shunned our society
2215 misapprehension error misunderstanding
* To avoid misapprehension I am going to ask all of you to repeat the instructions I have given
2217 mischance ill luck
* By mischance he lost his week＇s salary
2218 misconstrue interpret incorrectly misjudge
* She took the passage seriously rather than humorously because she misconstrued the author＇s ironic tone
2221 miserly stingy mean
* The miserly old man hoarded his coins not out of prudence but out of greed
2223 mishap accident
* With a little care you could have avoided this mishap
2224 misnomer wrong name incorrect designation
* His tyrannical conduct proved to all that his nickname King Eric the Just was a misnomer
2226 misogynist hater of women
* She accused him of being a misogynist because he had been a bachelor all his life
2227 missile object to be thrown or projected
* Scientists are experimenting with guided missiles
2232 mobile movable not fixed
* The mobile blood bank operated by the Red Cross visited our neighborhood today
2233 mode prevailing style
* She was not used to their lavish mode of living
2235 modish fashionable
* She always discarded all garments that were no longer modish
2236 modulation toning down changing from one key to another
* When we she spoke it was with quiet modulation of voice
2238 molecule the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the
properties of that substance
* In chemistry we study how atoms and molcules react to form new substances
2239 mollify soothe
* We tried to mollify the hysterical child by promising her many gifts
2241 molt shed or cast off hair or feathers
* The male robin molted in the spring
2243 momentous very important
* On this momentous occasion we must be very solemn
2244 momentum quantity of motion of a moving body impetus
* The car lost momentum as it tried to ascend the steep hill
2245 monarchy government under a single hereditary ruler with varying degrees of power
* England today remains a monarchy
2248 monochromatic having only one color
* Most people who are color blind actually can distinguish several colors some however have a truly monochromatic view of a world all in shades of gray
2250 monotheism belief in one God
* Abraham was the first to proclaim his belief in monotheism
2251 monotony sameness leading to boredom
* He took a clerical job but soon grew to hate the monotony of his daily routine
2252 monumental massive
* Writing a dictionary is a monumental task
2255 morbid given to unwholesome thought gloomy
* These morbid speculations are dangerous we must lighten our spirits by emphasizing more pleasant matters
2258 moribund at the point of death
* The doctors called the family to the bedside of the moribund patient
2260 mortician undertaker
* The mortician prepared the corpse for burial
2261 mortify humiliate punish the flesh
* She was so mortified by her blunder that she ran to her room in tears
2262 mosaic picture made of smell colorful inlaid tiles
* The mayor compared the city to a beautiful mosaic made up of people of every race and religion on earth
2264 motif theme
* This simple motif runs throughout the score
2272 multifarious varied greatly diversified
* A career woman and mother she was constantly busy with the multifarious activities of her daily life
2274 multilingual having many languages
* Because they are bordered by so many countries the Swiss people are multilingual
2275 multiplicity state of being numerous
* He was appalled by the multiplicity of details he had to complete before setting out on his mission
2277 munificent very generous
* The munificent gift was presented to the bride by her rich uncle
2283 mutable changing in form fickle
* His opinion were mutable and easily influenced by anyone who had any powers of persuasion
2286 mutinous unruly rebellious
* The captain had to use force to quiet his mutinous crew
2287 myopic nearsighted
* In thinking only of your present needs and ignoring the future you are being rather myopic
2292 naïveté quality of being unsophisticated
* I cannot believe that such naivete is unassumed in a person of her age and experience
2295 nascent incipient coming into being
* If we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state we would be able to eliminate serious trouble in later years
2298 nauseate cause to become sick fill with disgust
* The foul smells began to nauseate him
2299 nautical pertaining to ships or navigation
* The Maritime Museum contains many models of clipper ships logbooks anchors and many other items of a nautical nature
2301 necromancy black magic dealings with the dead
* Because he was able to perform feats of necromancy the natives thought he was in league with the devil
2302 nefarious very wicked
* He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds
2303 negation denial
* I must accept his argument since you have been unable to present any negation of his evidence
2304 negligence carelessness
* negligence can prove costly near complicated machinery
2305 negligible so small trifling or unimportant as to be easily disregarded
* Because the damage to his car had been negligible Michael decided he wouldn＇t bother to report the matter to his insurance company
2307 neologism new or newly coined word or phrase
* As we invent new techniques and professions we must also invent neologisms such as ＼microcomputer＼ and ＼astronaut＼ to describe them
2308 neophyte recent convert beginner
* This monuntain slope contains slides that will challenge esperts as well as neophytes
2312 nexus connection
* I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events
2317 nihilism denial of traditional values total skepticism
* nihilism holds that existence has no meaning
2319 nocturnal done at night
* Mr Jones obtained a watchdog to prevent the nocturnal raids on his chicken coops
2323 nominal in name only trifling
* He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee
2325 noncommittal neutral unpledged undecided
* We were annoyed by his noncommittal reply for we had been led to expect de
finite assurances of his approval
2326 nondescript undistinctive ordinary
* The private detective was a short nondescript fellow with no outstanding features the sort of person one would never notice in a crowd
2327 nonentity person of no importance nonexistence
* Don＇t dismiss John as a nonentity in his quiet way he＇s very important to the firm
2332 novelty something new newness
* The computer is no longer a novelty around the office
2333 novice beginner
* Even a novice can do good work if he follows these simple directions
2334 noxious harmful
* We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us
2338 nullify to make invalid
* Once the contract was nullified it no longer had any legal force
2342 nutrient nourishing substance
* As a budding nutritionist Kim has learned to design diets that contain foods rich in important basic nutrients
2344 obdurate stubborn
* He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints
2348 obfuscate confuse muddle
* Do not obfuscate the issues by dragging in irrelevant arguments
2349 obituary dealth notice
* I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper
2350 objective not influenced by emotions fair
* Even though he was her son she tried to be objective about his behavior
2352 obligatory binding required
* It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks
2353 oblique slanting deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line
* The sergeant ordered the men to march ＼oblique right＼
2354 obliterate destroy completely
* The tidal wave obliterated several island villages
2356 obloquy slander disgrace infamy
* I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation
2357 obnoxious offensive
* I find your behavior obnoxious please mend your ways
2358 obscure dark vague unclear
* Even after I read the poem a fourth time its meaning was still obscure
2359 obscure darken make unclear
* At times he seemed purposely to obscure his meaning preferring mystery to clarity
2360 obsequious slavishly attentive servile sycophantic
* Helen valued people who behaved as if they respected themselves nothing irritated her more than an excessively obsequious waiter or a fawning salesclerk
2361 obsequy funeral ceremony
* Hundreds paid their last respects at his obsequies
2362 obsession fixed idea continued brooding
* This obsession with the supernatural has made him unpopular with his neighbors
2364 obsolete outmoded
* ＼Hip＼ is an obsolete expression it went out with love beads and tiedye shirts
2365 obstetrician physician specializing in delivery of babies
* Unlike midwives who care for women giving birth at home obstetricians generally work in a hospital setting
2366 obstinate stubborn
* We tried to persuade him to give up smoking but he was obstinate and refused to change
2368 obtrusive pushing forward
* I found her a very obstrusive person constantly seeking the center of the stage
2370 obviate make unnecessary get rid of
* I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds
2371 occident the West
* It will take occident to understand the ways and customs of the orient
2372 occlude shut close
* A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart
2373 occult mysterious secret supernatural
* The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members
2374 oculist physician who specialized in treatment of the eyes
* In many states an oculist is the only one who may apply medicinal drops to the eyes for the purpose of examining them
2377 odoriferous giving off an odor
* The odoriferous spices stimulated her jaded appetite
2380 offensive attacking insulting distasteful
* Getting into street brawls is no minor offense for professional boxers who are required by law to restrict their offensive impulses to the ring
2387 omnipotent allpowerful
* The monarch regarded himself as omnipotent and responsible to no one for his acts
2388 omnipresent universally present ubiquitous
* On Christmas Eve Santa Claus is omnipotent
2389 omniscient allknowing
* I do not pretend to be omniscient but I am positive about this fact
2390 omnivorous eating both plant and animal food devouring everything
* Some animals including humans are omnivorous and eat both meat and vegetables others are either carnivorous or herbivorous
2392 onomatopoeia words formed in imitation of natural sounds
* Words like ＼rustle＼ and ＼gargle＼ are illustrations of onomatopoeia
2399 opportunist individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances
* Forget about ethics He＇s such an opportunist that he＇ll vote in favor of any deal that will give him a break
2402 optimist person who looks on the bright side
* The pessimist says the glass is halfempty the optimist says it is halffull
2403 optimum most favorable
* If you wait for the optimum moment to act you may never begin your project
2404 optional not compulsory left to one＇s choice
* I was impressed by the range of optional accessories for my microcomputer that were available
2405 optometrist one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects
* Although an optometrist is qualified to treat many eye disorders she may
not use medicinesor surgery in her examinations
2408 oracular foretelling mysterious
* Oedipus could not understand the oracular warning he received
2409 oratorio dramatic poem set to music
* The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital
2412 ordinance decree
* Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance
2413 ordination ceremony conferring holy orders
* The candidate for ordination had to meet with the bishop and the diocean officers before being judged ready to be ordained a deacon
2414 orient get one＇s bearings adjust
* Philip spent his first day in Denver orienting himself to the city
2417 ornate excessively or elaborately decorated
* Furniture of the Baroque period can be recognized by its ornate carvings
2418 ornithologist scientific student of birds
* Auduborn＇s drawings of American bird life have been of interest not only to the ornithologists but also to the general public
2419 orthodox traditional conservative in belief
* Faced with a problem he preferred to take an orthodox approach rather than shock anyone
2420 orthography correct spelling
* Many of us find English orthography difficult to master because so many of our words are written phonetically
2423 ossify change or harden into bone
* When he called his opponent a ＼bonehead＼ he implied that his adversary＇sbrain had ossified and that he was not capable of clear thinking
2424 ostensible apparent professed pretended
* Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands we are really interested in finding new markets for our products
2425 ostentatious showy pretentious trying to attract attention
* Trump＇s latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling place in the East it easily outglitters its competitors
2429 outmoded no longer stylish oldfahioned
* Unconcerned about keeping in style Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they were clean and unfrayed
2433 outwit outsmart trick
* By disguising himself as an old woman Holmes was able to outwit his pursuers and escape capture
2435 overbearing bossy arrogant decisively important
* Certain of her own importance and of the unimportance of everyone else Lady Bracknell was intolerably overbearing in manner ＼In choosing a husband＼ she said ＼good birth is of overbearing importance compared to that neither wealth nor talent
2436 overt open to view
* According to the United States Constitution a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for treason
2440 overhaul thoroughly examine the condition of and repair if necessary
* It is necessary for the engineers of NASA to overhaul the rocket everyday otherwise an incident similar to that of Challenger accident might happen
2441 pachyderm thickskinned animal
* The elephant is probably the bestknown pachyderm
2442 pacifist one opposed to force antimilitarist
* The pacifists urged that we reduce our military budget and recall our troops stationed overseas
2443 pacify soothe make calm or quiet subdue
* Dentists criticize the practice of giving fussy children sweets to pacify them
2445 painstaking showing hard work taking great care
* The new highfrequency word list is the result of painstaking efforts on the part of our research staff
2455 palpable tangible easily perceptible
* I cannot understand how you could overlook such a palpable blunder
2456 palpitate throb flutter
* As he became excited his heart began to palpitate more and more erratically
2457 paltry insignificant petty
* This is a paltry sum to pay for such a masterpiece
2458 pan criticize harshly
* Hoping for a rave review of his new show the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it unanimously
2459 panacea cureall remedy for all diseases
* There is no easy panacea that will solve our complicated international situation
2461 pandemic widespread affecting the majority of people
* They feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions
2462 pandemonium wild tumult
* When the ships collided in the harbor pandemonium broke out among the passengers
2466 pantomime acting without dialogue
* Because he worked in pantomime the clown could be understood wherever he appeared
2467 papyrus ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant
* The ancient Egyptians were among the first to write on papyrus
2469 paradigm model example pattern
* Pavlov＇s experiment in which he trains a dog to salivate on hearing a bell is a paradigm of the conditionedresponse experiment in behavioal psychology
2470 paradox statement that looks false but is actually correct a contradictory statement
* Wordworth＇s ＼The child is father to the man＼ is an example of paradox
2474 paramount foremost in importance supreme
* Proper nutrition and hygiene are of paramount importance in adolescent development and growth
2475 paramour illicit lover
* She sought a divorce on the grounds that her husband had a paramour in another town
2476 paranoia psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution
* Suffering from paranoia he claimed everyone was out to get him ironically his claim was accurate even paranoids have enemies
2478 paraphrase restate a passage in one＇s own words while retaining thought of author
* In 250 words or less paraphrase this article
2479 parasite animal or plant living on another toady sycophant
* The tapeworm is an example of the kind of parasite that may infest the human body
2482 parity equality close resemblance
* I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations
2486 parody humorous imitation travesty
* We enjoyed the clever parodies of popular songs that the chorus sang
2491 partial incomplete
* In this issue we have published only a partial list of contributors because we lack space to acknowledge everyone
2492 partial biased having a liking for something
* I am extremely partial to chocolate eclairs
2493 partiality inclination bias
* As a judge not only must I be unbiased but I must also avoid any evidence of partiality when I award the prize
2494 partisan onesided prejudiced committed to a party
* On certain issues of conscience she refused to take a partisan stand
2496 passive not active acted upon
* Mahatma Gandhi urged his followers to pursue a program of passive resistance as he felt that it was more effective than violence and acts of terrorism
2500 pathetic causing sadness compassion pity touching
* Everyone in the auditorium was weeping by the time he finished his pathetic tale about the orphaned boy
2501 pathological pertaining to disease
* As we study the pathological aspects of this disease we must not overlook the psychological elements
2502 pathos tender to sorrow pity quality in art or literature that produces these feelings
* The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degenerated into the maudlin or the overly sentimental
2505 patriarch father and ruler of a family or tribe
* In many primitive tribes the leader and lawmaker was the patriarch
2506 patrician noble aristocratic
* We greatly admired her wellbred patrician elegance
2507 patronize support act superior toward
* Experts in a field sometimes appear to patronize people who are less knowledgeable of the subject
2512 pedagogue teacher
* He could never be a stuffy pedagogue his classes were always lively and filled with humor
2513 pedagogy teaching art of education
* Though Maria Montessori gained fame for her innovations in pedagogy it took years before her teaching techniques became common practice in American schools
2514 pedant scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities
* Her insistence that the book be memorized marked the teacher as a pedant rather than a scholar
2515 pedantic showing off learning bookish
* Leaving his decisions with humorous downtoearth anecdotes Judge Walker was not at all pedantic legal scholar
2516 pedestrian ordinary unimaginative
* Unintentionally boring he wrote page after page of pedestrian prose
2517 pediatrician physician specializing in children＇s diseases
* The family doctor advised the parents to consult a pediatrician about their child＇s ailment
2520 pellucid transparent limpid easy to understand
* After reading these stodgy philosophers I find his pellucid style very enjoyable
2521 penance selfimposed punishment for sin
* The Ancient Mariner said ＼I have penance done and penance more will do＼to atone for the sin of killing the albatross
2523 pendant hanging down from something
* Her pendant earrings glistened in the light
2524 pendant ornament (hanging from a necklace etc)
* The grateful team presented the coach with a silver chain and pendant engraved with the school＇s motto
2525 pendulous hanging suspended
* The pendulous chandeliers swayed in the breeze as if they were about to fall from the ceiling
2526 penitent repentant
* When he realized the enormity of his crime he became remorseful and penitent
2527 pensive dreamily thoughtful thoughtful with a hint of sadness
* The pensive youth gazed at the painting for a long time and then sighed
2528 penumbra partial shadow (in an eclipse)
* During an eclipse we can see an area of total darkness and a lighter area which is the penumbra
2530 penury extreme poverty
* When his pension fund failed George feared he would end his days in penury
2532 perceptive insightful aware wise
* Although Maud was a generally perceptive critic she had her blind sports she could never see flaws in the work of her friends
2533 percussion striking one object against another sharply
* The drum is a percussion instrument
2536 peremptory demanding and leaving no choice
* From Jack＇s peremptory knock on the door Jill could tell he would not give up until she let him in
2537 perennial something longlasting
* Tese plants are hardy perennials and will bloom for many years
2538 perifidious treacherous disloyal
* When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him he reproached his perfidious friend
2539 perforate pierce put a hole through
* Before you can open the aspirin bottle you must first perforate the plastic safety seal that covers the cap
2540 perfunctory superficial not thorough lacking interest care or enthusiasm
* The auditor＇s perfunctory inspection of the books overlooked many errors
2541 perigee point of moon＇s orbit when it is nearest the earth
* The rocket which was designed to take photographs of the moon was launched as the moon approached its perigee
2542 perimeter outer boundary
* To find the perimeter of any quadrilateral we add the lengths of the four sides
2544 peripheral marginal outer
* We lived not in central London but in one of those peripheral suburbs that spring up on the outskirts of the great city
2545 periphery edge especially of a round surface
* He sensed that there was something just beyond the periphery of his vision
2546 perjury false testimony while under oath
* When several witnesses appeared to challenge his story he was indicted for perjury
2547 permeable porous allowing passage through
* Glass is permeable to light
2548 pernicious very destructive harmful
* He argued that these books had a pernicious effect on young and susceptible minds
2549 peroration conclusion of an oration
* The peroration was largely hortatory and brought the audience to its feet clamoring for action at its close
2551 perpetual everlasting
* Ponce de Leon hoped to find perpetual youth
2552 perquisite any gain above stipulated salary
* The perquisites attached to this job make it even more attractive than the salary indicates
2553 personable attractive
* The man I am seeking to fill this position must be personable since he will be representing us before the public
2554 perspicacious having insight penetrating astute
* The brillant lawyer was known for his perspicacious deductions
2555 perspicuity clearness of expression freedom from ambiguity
* One of the outstanding features of this book is the perspicuity of its author her meaning is always clear
2556 perspicuous plainly expressed
* Her perspicuous comments eliminated all posibility of misinterpretation
2558 pertinacious stubborn persistent
* He is bound to succeed because his pertinacious nature will not permit him to quit
2559 pertinent suitable to the point
* The lawyer wanted to know all the pertinent details
2560 perturb disturb greatly
* I am afraid this news will perturb him and cause him grief
2561 perusal reading
* I am certain that you have missed important details in your rapid perusal of this document
2562 pervasive spread throughout
* Despite airing them for several hours she could not rid her clothes of the pervasive odor of mothbals that clung to them
2563 perverse stubbornly wrongheaded wicked and unacceptable
* When Hannibal Lecter was in a perverse mood he ate the flesh of his victims
2564 perversion corruption turning from right to wrong
* Inasmuch as he had no motive for his crimes we could not understand his perversion
2565 pessimism belief that life is basically bad or evil gloominess
* The good news we have been receiving lately indicates that there is little reason for your pessimism
2568 petrify turn to stone
* His sudden and unexpected appearance seemed to petrify her
2572 phenomena observable facts subjects of scientific investigation
* We kept careful records of the phenomena we noted in the course of these experiments
2574 philanthropist lover of mankind doer of good
* As he grew older he became famous as a philanthropist and benefactor of the needy
2577 philology study of language
* The professor of philology advocated the use of Esperanto as an international language
2590 pinnacle peak
* We could see the morning sunlight illuminate the pinnacle while the rest of the mountain lay in shadow
2598 placate pacify conciliate
* The teacher tried to placate the angry mother
2600 placid peaceful calm
* After his vacation in this placid section he felt soothed and rested
2602 plaintive mournful
* The dove has a plaintive and melancholy call
2606 plauditory approving applauding
* The theatrical company reprinted the plauditory comments of the critics in its advertisement
2607 plausible having a show of truth but open to doubt specious
* Even though your argument is plausible I still would like to have more proof
2609 plenary complete full
* The union leader was given plenary power to negotiate a new contract with
the employers
2610 plenitude abundance completeness
* Looking in the pantry we admired the plenitude of fruits and pickles we had preserved during the summer
2612 pliable flexible yielding adaptable
* In remodeling the bathroom we replaced all the old rigid lead pipes with new pliable copper tubing
2620 poignancy quality of being deeply moving keenness of emotion
* Watching the tearful reunion of the longseparated mother and child the social worker was touched by the poignancy of the scene
2621 polarize split into opposite extremes or camps
* The abortion issue has polarized the country into prochoice and antiabortion camps
2623 politic expedient prudent well devised
* Even though he was disappointed he did not think it politic to refuse the offer
2624 polity form of government of nation or state
* Our polity should be devoted to the concept that the government should strive for the good of all citizens
2625 polygamist one who has more than one spouse at a time
* He was arrested as a polygamist when his two wives filed complaints about him
2626 polyglot speaking several languages
* New York City is a polyglot community because of the thousands of immigrants who settle there
2628 ponderous weighty unwieldy
* His humor lacked the light touch his jokes were always ponderous
2632 portend foretell presage
* The king did not know what these omens might portend and asked his soothsayers to interpret them
2633 portent sign omen forewarning
* He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil
2634 portly stout corpulent
* The salesclerk tactfully referred to the overweight customer as portly rather than fat
2637 posthumous after death (as of child born after father＇s death or book published after author＇s death)
* The critics ignored his works during his lifetime it was only after the posthumous publication of his last novel that they recognized his great talent
2639 posture assume an affected pose act artificially
* No matter how much Arnold boasted or postured I could not believe he was as important as he pretended to be
2640 potable suitable for drinking
* The recent drought in the Middle Atlantic States has emphasized the need for extensive research in ways of making sea water potable
2641 potent powerful persuasive greatly influential
* The jury was swayed by the highly potent testimony of the crime＇s sole eye witness
2642 potentate monarch sovereign
* The potentate spent more time at Monte Carlo than he did at home on his throne
2643 potential expressing possibility latent
* The juvenile delinquent is a potential murderer
2647 practicable feasible
* The board of directors decided that the plan was practicable and agreed to undertake the project
2648 practical based on experience useful
* He was a practical man opposed to theory
2649 pragmatic practical (as opposed to idealistic) concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
* This coming trip to France should provide me with a pragmatic test of thevalue of my conversational French class
2650 pragmatist practical person
* No pragmatist enjoys becoming involved in a game that he can never win
2653 preamble introductory statement
* In the preamble to the Constitution the purpose of the document is set forth
2654 precarious uncertain risky
* I think this stock is a precarious investment and advise against its purchase
2655 precedent something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action
* This decision sets a precedent for future cases of a similar nature
2656 precedent preceding in time rank etc
* Our discussions precedent to this event certainly did not give you any reason to believe that we would adopt your proposal
2657 precept practical rule guiding conduct
* ＼Love thy neighbor as thyself＼ is a worthwhile precept
2658 precipice cliff dangerous position
* Suddenly Indiana Jones found himself dangling from the edge of a precipice
2659 precipitate headlong rash
* Do not be precipitate in this matter investigate further
2660 precipitate throw headlong hasten
* The removal of American political support appeared to have precipitated the downfall of the Marcos regime
2661 precipitous steep overhasty
* This hill is difficult to climb because it is so precipitous one slip and our descent will be precipitous as well
2662 precise exact
* If you don＇t give me precise directions and a map I＇ll never find your place
2663 preclude make impossible eliminate
* This contract does not preclude my being employed by others at the same time that I am working for you
2664 precocious advanced in development
* By her rather adult manner of discussing serious topics the child demonstrated that she was precocious
2665 precursor forerunner
* Though Gray and Burns share many traits with the Romantic poets who followed them most critics consider them precursors of the Romantic Movement not true Romantics
2666 predatory plundering
* The hawk is a predatory bird
2667 predecessor former occupant of a post
* I hope I can live up to the fine example set by my late predecessor in this office
2668 predilection partiality preference
* Although the artist used various media from time to time she had a predilection for watercolors
2669 preeminent outstanding superior
* The king traveled to Boston because he wanted the preeminent surgeon in the field to perform the operation
2670 preempt head off forestall by acting first appropriate for oneself supplant
* Hoping to preempt any attempts by the opposition to make educational reform a hot political issue the candidate set out her own plan to revitalize the public schools
2673 prehensile capable of grasping or holding
* Monkeys use not only their arms and legs but also their prehensile tails in traveling through the trees
2675 prelude introduction forerunner
* I am afraid that this border raid is the prelude to more serious attacks
2677 premise assumption postulate
* Because Jack had based his argument upon a faulty premise his opponent cheerfully pointed out the holes in his logic
2679 premonitory serving to warn
* You should have visited a doctor as soon as you felt these premonitory chest pains
2680 preponderance superiority of power quantity etc
* The rebels sought to overcome the preponderance of strength of the government forces by engaging in guerrilla tactics
2681 preposterous absurd ridiculous
* When the candidate tried to downplay his youthful experiments with marijuana by saying he hadn＇t inhaled we all thought ＼What a preposterous excuse＼
2682 prerogative privilege unquestionable right
* The President cannot levy taxes that is the prerogative of the legislative branch of government
2683 presage foretell
* The vultures flying overhead presaged the discovery of the corpse in the desert
2684 prescience ability to foretell the future
* Given the current wave of Japanbashing it does not take prescience for me to foresee problems in our future trade relations with Japan
2685 presentiment premonition foreboding
* Hamlet felt a presentiment about his meeting with Laertes
2686 prestige impression produced by achievements or reputation
* The wealthy man sought to obtain social prestige by contributing to popular charities
2688 pretentious ostentatious ambitious
* I do not feel that your limited resources will permit you to carry out such a pretentious program
2689 preternatural beyond that which is normal in nature
* John＇s mother＇s total ability to tell when he was lying struck him as almost preternatural
2690 pretext excuse
* He looked for a good pretext to get out of paying a visit to his aunt
2691 prevail induce triumph over
* He tried to prevail on her to type his essays for him
2692 prevalent widespread generally accepted
* A radical committed to social change Reed had no patience with the conservative views prevalent in the America of his day
2694 prey target of a hunt victim
* In Stalking the Wild Asparagus Euell Gibbons has as his prey not wild beasts but wild plants
2696 primogeniture seniority by birth
* By virtue of primogeniture in some cultures the firstborn child has many privileges denied his brothers and sisters
2697 primordial existing at the beginning (of time) rudimentary
* The Neanderthal Man is one of our primordial ancestors
2700 privation hardship want
* In his youth he knew hunger and privation
2701 privy secret hidden not public
* We do not care for privy chamber of government
2702 probe explore with tools
* The surgeon probed the wound for foreign matter before suturing it
2703 probity uprightness incorruptibility
* Everyone took his probity for granted his defalcations therefore shocked us all
2704 problematic perplexing unsettled questionable
* Given the many areas of conflict still awaiting resolution the outcome of the peace talks remains problematic
2705 proclivity inclination natural tendency
* The cross old lady has a proclivity to grumble
2707 procurement obtaining
* The personnel department handles the procurement of new employees
2709 prodigal wasteful reckless with money
* The prodigal son squandered his inheritance
2711 prodigy highly gifted child marvel
* Menuhin was a prodigy performing wonders on his violin when he was barely eight years old
2712 profane violate desecrate
* Tourists are urged not to profane the sanctity of holy places by wearing improper garb
2713 profligate dissipated wasteful licentious
* In this profligate company she lost all sense of decency
2714 profound deep not superficial complete
* Freud＇s remarkable insights into human behavior caused his fellow scientists to honor him as a profound thinker
2715 profusion lavish expenditure overabundant condition
* Seldom have I seen food and drink served in such profusion as at the wedding feast
2716 progenitor ancestor
* The Roth family whose progenitors emigrated from Germany early in the nineteenth century settled in Peru Illinois
2717 progeny children offspring
* He was proud of his progeny but regarded George as the most promising of all his children
2718 prognosis forecasted course of a disease prediction
* If the doctor＇s prognosis is correct the patient will be in a coma for at least twentyfour hours
2719 prognosticate predict
* I prognosticate disaster unless we change our wasteful ways
2720 projectile missile
* Man has always hurled projectiles at his enemy whether in the form of stones or of highly explosive shells
2722 proliferate grow rapidly spread multiply
* Times of economic hardship inevitably encourage countless getrichquick schemes to proliferate
2723 prolific abundantly fruitful
* She was a prolific writer who produced as many as three books a year
2725 prolong extend draw out lengthen
* In their determination to discover ways to prolong human life doctors fail to take into account that longer lives are not always happier ones
2726 prominent conspicuous notable protruding
* Have you ever noticed that Prince Charles＇s prominent ears make him resemble the bigeared character in Mad comics
2727 promiscuous mixed indiscriminately haphazard irregular particularly sexually
* In the opera La Boheme we get a picture of the promiscuous life led by the young artists of Paris
2728 promontory headland
* They erected a lighthouse on the promontory to warn approaching ships of their nearness to the shore
2729 prompt cause provoke provide a cue for an actor
* Whatever prompted you to ask for such a big piece of cake when you＇re on a diet
2730 promulgate make known by official proclamation or publication
* As soon as the Civil Service Commission promulgates the names of the successful candidates we shall begin to hire members of our staff
2733 propellant substance that propels or drives forward
* The development of our missile program has forced our scientists to seek more powerful propellants
2734 propensity natural inclination
* Convinced of his own talent Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others
2735 prophetic having to do with predicting the future
* In interpreting Pharaoh＇s prophetic dream Joseph said that the seven fat cows eaten by the seven lean cows represented seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine
2737 propinquity nearness kinship
* Their relationship could not be explained as being based on mere propinquity they were more than relatives they were true friends
2739 propitious favorable kindly
* I think it is advisable that we wait for a more propitious occasion to ann
ounce our plans this is not a good time
2740 proponent person who supports or proposes (an idea)
* After the bill had been amended and reamended in committee even its original proponents didn＇t want to vote in its favor
2741 propound put forth for analysis
* In you discussion you have propounded several questions let us consider
each one separately
2742 propriety fitness correct conduct
* I want you to behave at this dinner with propriety don＇t embarass me
2743 propulsive driving forward
* The jet plane has a greater propulsive power than the enginedriven plane
2746 proscribe ostracize banish outlaw
* Antony Octavius and Lepidus proscribed all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar
2749 prosperity good fortune financial success physical wellbeing
* Promising to stay together ＼for richer for poorer＼ the newlyweds vowed to be true to one another in prosperity and hardship alike
2750 prostrate stretch out full on ground
* He prostrated himself before the idol
2752 protocol diplomatic etiquette
* We must run this state dinner according to protocol if we are to avoid offending any of our guests
2753 prototype original work used as a model by others
* The crude typewriter on display in this museum is the prototype of the elaborate machines in use today
2754 protract prolong
* Seeking to delay the union members＇ vote the management team tried to protract the negotiations endlessly but the union representatives saw through their strategy
2755 protrude stick out
* His fingers protruded from the holes in his gloves
2759 provident displaying foresight thrifty preparing for emergencies
* In his usual provident manner he had insured himself against this type of loss
2760 provincial pertaining to a province limited in outlook unsophisticated
* As provincial governor Sir Henry administered the Queen＇s law in his remote corner of Canada
2762 proviso stipulation
* I am ready to accept your proposal with the two proviso that you meet your obligations within the next two weeks
2763 provoke stir up anger cause retaliation
* In order to prevent a sudden outbreak of hostilities we must not provoke our foe
2764 proximity nearness
* The deer sensed the hunter＇s proximity and bounded away
2766 prude excessively modest or proper person
* The Xrated film was definitely not for prudes
2767 prudent cautious careful
* A miser hoards money not because he is prudent but because he is greedy
2769 pseudonym pen name
* Samuel Clemens＇ pseudonym was Mark Twain
2770 psychiatrist a doctor who treats mental diseases
* A psychiatrist often needs long conferences with his patient before a diagnosis can be made
2771 psychopathic pertaining to mental derangement
* The psychopathic patient suffers more frequently from a disorder of the nervous system than from a diseased brain
2772 psychosis mental disorder
* We must endeavor to find an outlet for the patient＇s repressed desires if we hope to combat this psychosis
2774 puerile childish
* His puerile pranks sometimes offended his more mature friends
2776 pugnacious combative disposed to fight
* As a child he was pugnacious and fought with everyone
2780 pulsate throb
* We could see the blood vessels in his temple pulsate as he became more angry
2781 pulverize crush or grind into very small particles
* Before sprinkling the dried herbs into the stew Michael first pulverized them into a fine powder
2783 punctilious laying stress on niceties of conduct or form precise
* We must be punctilious in our planning of this affair for any error may be regarded as a personal affront
2785 pungency sharpness stinging quality
* The pungency of the cigarette smoke made me cough
2786 punitive punishing
* He asked for punitive measures against the offender
2788 purchase firm grasp or footing
* The mountaineer struggled to get a proper purchase on the slippery rock
2789 purgatory place of spiritual expiation
* In this purgatory he could expect no help from his comrades
2790 purge clean by removing impurities clear of changes
* If you are to be purged of the charge of contempt of Congress you must be willing to answer the questions previously asked
2791 purport intention meaning
* If the purport of your speech was to arouse the rabble you succeeded admirably
2792 purveyor furnisher of foodstuffs caterer
* As purveyor of rare wines and viands he traveled through France and Italy every year in search of new products to sell
2797 pyre heap of combustible material esp for burning a corpse
* The mortician put pyre on the corpse before burning a corpse
2798 pest troublesome or annoying person
* He was a pest always bothering people
2799 prohibitive extremely high (of prices etc)
* The super computer＇s price was prohibitive
2801 quadruped fourfooted animal
* Most mammals are quadrupeds
2806 qualified limited restricted
* Unable to give the candidate full support the mayor gave him only a qualified endorsement
2812 quash subdue crush squash
* The authorities acted quickly to quash the student rebellion sending in tanks to cow the demonstrators
2816 querulous fretful whining
* His classmates were repelled by his querulous and complaining statements
2819 quiescent at rest dormant
* After this geyser erupts it will remain quiescent for twentyfour hours
2820 quietude tranquility
* He was impressed by the air of quietude and peace that pervaded the valley
2821 quintessence purest and highest embodiment
* Noel Coward displayed the quintessence of wit
2825 quiver case for arrows
* Robin Hood reached back and plucked one last arrow from his quiver
2829 quotidian daily commonplace customary
* To Philip each new day of his internship was filled with excitement he could not dismiss his rounds as merely quotidian routine
2836 ramble wander aimlessly (physically or mentally)
* Listening to the teacher ramble Judy wondered whether he＇d ever get to his point
2845 random without definite purpose plan or aim haphazard
* Although the sponsor of the raffle claimed all winners were chosen at random people had their suspicions when the grand prize went to the sponsor＇s brotherinlaw
2846 rankle irritate fester
* The memory of having been jilted rankled him for years
2848 rapacious excessively grasping plundering
* Hawks and other rapacious birds prey on variety of small animals
2852 ratify approve formally verify
* Before the treaty could go into effect it had to be ratified by the president
2853 ratiocination reasoning act of drawing conclusions from premises
* While Watson was a man of average intelligence Holmes was a genius whose gift for ratiocination made him a superb detective
2854 rationalization bringing into conformity with reason
* All attempts at rationalization at this time are doomed to failure tempers and emotions run too high for intelligent thought to prevail
2855 rationalize reason justify an improper act
* Do not try to rationalize your behavior by blaming your companions
2857 ravage plunder despoil
* The marauding army ravaged the countryside
2858 rave overwhelmingly favorable review
* Though critic John Simon seldom has a good word to say about contemporary
plays his review of All in the Timing was a total rave
2861 ravine narrow valley with steep sides
* Steeper than a gully less precipitous than a canyon a ravine is like them the product of years of erosion
2862 raze destroy completely
* The owners intend to raze the hotel and erect an office building on the site
2863 reactionary recoiling from progress retrograde
* His program was reactionary since it sought to abolish many of the social reforms instituted by the previous administration
2864 realm kingdom sphere
* The realm of possibilities for the new invention was endless
2866 rebate discount
* We offer a rebate of ten percent to those who pay cash
2867 rebuff snub beat back
* She rebuffed his invitation so smoothly that he did not realize he had been snubbed
2869 rebuttal refutation response with contrary evidence
* The defense lawyer confidently listened to the prosecutor sum up his case sure that she could answer his arguments in her rebuttal
2870 recalcitrant obstinately stubborn
* Donkeys are reputed to be the most recalcitrant of animals
2871 recant repudiate withdraw previous statement
* Unless you recant your confession you will be punished severely
2872 recapitulate summarize
* Let us recapitulate what has been said thus far before going ahead
2873 receptive quick or willing to receive ideas suggestions etc
* Adventureloving Huck Finn proved a receptive audience for Tom＇s tales of buried treasure and piracy
2874 recession withdrawal retreat time of low economic activity
* The slow recession of the flood waters created problems for the crews working to restore power to the area
876 recipient receiver
* Although he had been the recipient of many favors he was not grateful to his benefactor
2878 reciprocate repay in kind
* If they attack us we shall be compelled to reciprocate and bomb their territory
2879 recluse hermit
* The recluse lived in a hut in the forest
2880 reconcile correct inconsistencies become friendly after a quarrel
* Every time we try to reconcile our checkbook with the bank statement we quarrel However despite these monthly lovers＇ quarrels we always manage to reconcile
2881 recondite abstruse profound secret
* He read many recondite books in order to obtain the material for the scholarly thesis
2882 reconnaissance survey of enemy by soldiers reconnoitering
* If you encounter any enemy soldiers during your reconnaissance capture them for questioning
2883 recount narrate or tell count over again
* About to recount the latest adventure of Sherlock Holmes Watson lost track of exactly how many cases Holmes had solved and refused to begin his tale until he＇d recounted them one by one
2884 recourse resorting to help when in trouble
* The boy＇s only recourse was to appeal to his father for aid
2885 recrimination countercharges
* Loud and angry recriminations were her answer to his accusations
2886 rectify correct
* I want to rectify my error before it is too late
2887 rectitude uprightness
* He was renowned for his rectitude and integrity
2888 recumbent reclining lying down completely or in part
* The command ＼AT EASE＼ does not permit you to take a recumbent position
2890 recurrent occurring again and again
* These recurrent attacks disturbed us and we consulted a physician
2891 redolent fragrant odorous suggestive of an odor
* Even though it is February the air is redolent of spring
2892 redoubtable formidable causing fear
* During the Cold War period neighboring countries tried not to offend the Russians because they could be redoubtable foes
2894 redundant superfluous excessively wordy repetitious
* Your composition is redundant you can easily reduce its length
2896 refectory dining hall
* In this huge refectory we can feed the entire student body at one sitting
2897 refraction bending of a ray of light
* When you look at a stick inserted in water it looks bent because of the refraction of the light by the water
2898 refractory stubborn unmanageable
* The refractory horse was eliminated from the race when he refused to obey the jockey
2899 refrain v abstain from resist n chorus
* Whenever he heard a song with a lively chorus Sol could never refrain from joining in on the refrain
2900 refurbish renovate make bright by polishing
* The flood left a deposit of mud on everything it was necessary to refurbish our belongings
2901 refute disprove
* The defense called several respectable witnesses who were able to refute the false testimony of the prosecution＇s only witness
2902 regal royal
* Prince Albert had a regal manner
2903 regale entertain
* John regaled us with tales of his adventures in Africa
2905 regeneration spiritual rebirth
* Modern penologists strive for the regeneration of the prisoners
2906 regicide murder of a king or queen
* The beheading of Mary Queen of Scots was an act of regicide
2907 regime method or system of government
* When a Frenchman mentions the Old Regime he refers to the government existing before the revolution
2908 regimen prescribed diet and habits
* I doubt whether the results warrant our living under such a strict regimen
2910 reimburse repay
* Let me know what you have spent and I will reimburse you
2911 reiterate repeat
* He reiterated the warning to make sure everyone understood it
2913 rejuvenate make young again
* The charlatan claimed that his elixir would rejuvenate the aged and weary
2914 relegate banish consign to inferior position
* If we relegate these experts to minor posts because of their political persuasions we shall lose their valuable services
2916 relevant pertinent referring to the case in hand
* Teri was impressed by how relevant Virginia Woolf＇s remarks were to her as a woman writer it was as if Woolf had been writing with Teri＇s situation in mind
2917 relic surviving remnant memento
* Egypt＇s Department of Antiquities prohibits tourists from taking mummies and other ancient relics out of the country
2918 relinquish abandon
* I will relinquish my claims to this property if you promise to retain my employees
2920 remediable reparable
* Let us be grateful that the damage is remediable
2921 reminiscence recollection
* Her reminiscences of her experiences are so fascinating that she ought to write a book
2922 remiss negligent
* He was accused of being remiss in his duty when the prisoner escaped
2923 remission temporary moderation of disease symptoms cancellation of a debt forgiveness or pardon
* Though Senator Tsongas had been treated for cancer his symptoms were in r
emission and he was considered fit to handle the strains of a Presidential race
2925 remonstrance protest objection
* The authorities were deaf to the pastor＇s remonstrances about the lack of police protection in the area
2926 remorse guilt selfreproach
* The murderer felt no remorse for his crime
2929 render deliver provide represent
* He rendered aid to the needy and indigent
2932 renegade deserter traitor* Because he had abandoned his post and joined forces with the Indians his fellow officers considered the hero of Dances with Wolves a renegade
2934 renounce abandon disown repudiate
* Even though she knew she would be burned at the stake as a witch Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that her voices came from God
2935 renovate restore to good condition renew
* They claim that they can renovate worn shoes so that they look like new ones
2936 renown fame
* For many years an unheralded researcher Barbara McClintock gained international renown when she won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine
2938 reparable capable of being repaired
* Fortunately the damages we suffered in the accident were reparable and our car looks brand new
2939 reparation amends compensation
* At the peace conference the defeated country promised to pay reparations to the victors
2941 repeal revoke annul
* What would the effect on our society be if we decriminalized drug use by repealing the laws against the possession and sale of narcotics
2942 repellent driving away unattractive
* Mosquitoes find the odor so repellent that they leave any spot where this liquid has been sprayed
2943 repercussion rebound reverberation reaction
* I am afraid that this event will have serious repercussions
2945 repine fret complain
* There is no sense repining over the work you have left undone
2946 replenish fill up again
* Before she could take another backpacking trip Carla had to replenish her stock of freezedried foods
2947 replete filled to capacity abundantly supplied
* The book is replete with humorous situations
2948 replica copy
* Are you going to hang this replica of the Declaration of Independence in the classroom or in the auditorium
2949 replicate reproduce duplicate
* To the chagrin of the scientists they were unable to replicate the results of their controversial experiment
2950 repository storehouse
* Libraries are repositories of the world＇s best thoughts
2951 reprehensible deserving blame
* Your vicious conduct in this situation is reprehensible
2952 repress restrain crush oppress
* Anne＇s parents tried to curb her impetuosity without repressing her boundless high spirits
2953 reprieve temporary stay
* During the twentyfourhour reprieve the lawyers sought to make the stay of execution permanent
2955 reprisal retaliation
* I am confident that we are ready for any reprisals the enemy may undertake
2957 reproach blame censure
* I want my work to be above reproach and without error
2958 reprobate person hardened in sin devoid of a sense of decency
* I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is
2959 reprobation severe disapproval
* The students showed their reprobation of his act by refusing to talk with him
2960 reprove censure rebuke
* The principal reproved the students when they became unruly in the auditorium
2962 repugnance loathing
* She looked at the snake with repugnance
2963 repulsion act of driving back distaste
* The repulsion of the enemy forces was not accomplished bloodlessly many of the defenders were wounded in driving the enemy back
2964 reputable respectable
* If you want to buy antiques look for a reputable dealer far too many dealers today pass off fakes as genuine antiques
2965 reputed supposed
* He is the reputed father of the child
2967 requisite necessary requirement
* Many colleges state that a student must offer three years of a language as a requisite for admission
2968 requite repay revenge
* The wretch requited his benefactors by betraying them
2969 rescind cancel
* Because of public resentment the king had to rescind his order
2970 reserve selfcontrol formal but distant manner
* Although some girls were attracted by Mark＇s reserve Judy was put off by it for she felt his aloofness indicated a lack of openness
2971 residue remainder balance
* In his will he requested that after payment of debts taxes and funeral expenses the residue be given to his wife
2972 resignation patient submissiveness statement that one is quitting a job
* If Bob Cratchit had not accepted Scrooge＇s bullying with timid resignation he might have gotten up the nerve to hand in his resignation
2973 resilient elastic having the power of springing back
* Highly resilient steel makes excellent bedsprings
2974 resolution determination
* Nothing could shake his resolution to succeed despite all difficulties
2975 resolve determination
* Nothing could shake his resolve that his children would get the best education that money could buy
2976 resolve decide settle solve
* Homes resolved to travel to Bohemia to resolve the dispute between Irene Adler and the King
2977 resonant echoing resounding deep and full in sound
* The deep resonant voice of the actor James Earl Jones makes him particulary effective when he appears on stage
2978 respiration breathing exhalation
* The doctor found that the patient＇s years of smoking had adversely affected both his lung capacity and his rate of respiration
2980 resplendent brilliant lustrous
* The toreador wore a resplendent costume called a suit of lights
2981 responsiveness state of reacting readily to appeals order etc
* The audience cheered and applauded delighting the performers by its responsiveness
2982 restitution reparation indemnification
* He offered to make restitution for the window broken by his son
2984 restraint controlling force
* She dreamt of living an independent life free of all restraints
2985 resumption taking up again recommencement
* During the summer break Don had not realized how much he missed university life at the resumption of classes however he felt marked excitement and pleasure
2986 resurgent rising again after defeat etc
* The resurgent nation surprised everyone by its quick recovery after total defeat
2987 resuscitate revive
* The lifeguard tried to resuscitate the drowned child by applying artificial respiration
2988 retain keep employ
* Fighting to retain his seat in Congress Senator Foghorn retained a new manager to head his reelection campaign
2989 retaliate repay in kind (usually for bad treatment)
* Fear that we will retaliate immediately deters our foe from attacking us
2990 retentive holding having a good memory
* The pupil did not need to spend much time in study as he had a retentive mind
2991 reticent reserved uncommunicative inclined to silence
* Hughes preferred reticent employees to loquacious ones noting that the formers＇ dislike of idle chatter might ensure their discretion about his affairs
2992 retinue following attendants
* The queen＇s retinue followed her down the aisle
2993 retiring modest shy
* Given Susan＇t retiring personality no one expected her to take up public speaking surprisingly enough she became a star of the school debate team
2994 retort quick sharp reply
* Even when it was advisable for her to keep her mouth shut she was always ready with a retort
2995 retraction withdrawal
* He dropped his libel suit after the newspaper published a retraction of its statement
2996 retrench cut down economize
* If they were to be able to send their children to college they would have to retrench
2997 retribution vengeance compensation punishment for offenses
* The evangelist maintained that an angry deity would exact retribution from the sinners
2998 retrieve recover find and bring in
* The dog was intelligent and quickly learned to retrieve the game killed by the hunter
2999 retroactive taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax)
* Because the new pension law was retroactive to the first of the year even though Martha had retired in February she was eligible for the pension
3000 retrograde go backwards degenerate
* Instead of advancing our civilization seems to have retrograded in ethics and culture
3001 retrospective looking back on the past
* It is only when we become retrospective that we can appreciate the tremendous advances made during this century
3003 reverberate echo resound
* The entire valley reverberated with the sound of the church bells
3007 revoke cancel retract
* Repeat offenders who continue to drive under the influence of alcohol face having their driver＇s licenses permanently revoked
3008 revulsion sudden violent change of feeling negative reaction
* Many people in this country who admired dictatorships underwent a revulsion when they realized what Hitler and Mussolini were trying to do
3012 rider amendment or clause added to a legislative bill
* Senator Foghorn said he would support Senator Filibuster＇s tax reform bill only if Filibuster agreed to add an antipollution rider to the bill
3015 rig fix or manipulate
* The ward boss was able to rig the election by bribing people to stuff the ballot boxes with ballots marked in his candidate＇s favor
3016 rigid stiff and unyielding strict hard and unbending
* By living with a man to whom she was not married George Eliot broke Victorian society＇s most rigid rule of respectable behavior
3017 rigor severity
* Many settlers could not stand the rigors of the New England winters
3020 rivulet small stream
* As the rains continued the trickle of water running down the hillside grew into a rivulet that threatened to wash away a portion of the slope
3023 roil to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment to disturb
* Be careful when you pour not to roil the wine if you stir up the sediment you＇ll destroy the flavor
3028 rotunda circular building or hall covered with a dome
* His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Capitol
3029 rotundity roundness sonorousness of speech
* Washington Irving emphasized the rotundity of the governor by describing his height and circumference
3030 rousing lively stirring
* ＼And now let＇s have a rousing welcome for TV＇s own Roseanne Arnold who＇ll lead us in a rousing rendition of ＇The StarSpangled Banner＇＼
3035 rudimentary not developed elementary
* His dancing was limited to a few rudimentary steps
3042 rustic pertaining to country people uncouth
* The backwoodsman looked out place in his rustic attire
3043 rusticate banish to the country dwell in the country
* I like city life so much that I can never understand how people can rusticate in the suburbs
3045 relapse fall back or sink again
* The economy relapsed into a depression from the peak
3048 sacrilegious desecrating profane
* His stealing of the altar cloth was a very sacrilegious act
3049 sacrosanct most sacred inviolable
* The brash insurance salesman invaded the sacrosanct privacy of the office of the president of the company
3052 sagacious keen shrewd having insight
* He is much too sagacious to be fooled by a trick like that
3053 sage person celebrated for wisdom
* Hearing tales of a mysterious Master of All Knowledge who lived in the hills of Tibet Sandy was possessed with a burning desire to consult the legendary sage
3055 salient prominent
* One of the salient features of that newspaper is its excellent editorial page
3056 saline salty
* The slightly saline taste of this mineral water is pleasant
3058 salubrious healthful
* Many people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of August and September
3059 salutary tending to improve beneficial wholesome
* The punishment had a salutary effect on the boy as he became a model student
3061 sanctimonious displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness
* You do not have to be so sanctimonious to prove that you are devout
3062 sanction approve ratify
* Nothing will convince me to sanction the engagement of my daughter to such a worthless young man
3063 sanguinary bloody
* The battle of lwo Jina was unexpectedly sanguinary with many casualties
3064 sanguine cheerful hopeful
* Let us not be too sanguine about the outcome something could go wrong
3069 sate satisfy to the full cloy
* Its hunger sated the lion dozed
3070 satellite small body revolving around a larger one
* During the first few years of the Space Age hundreds of satellites were launched by Russia and the United States
3071 satiate surfeit satisfy fully
* The guests having eaten until they were satiated now listened inattentively to the speakers
3072 satire form of literature in which irony sarcasm and ridicule are employed to attack vice and folly
* Gulliver＇s Travels which is regarded by many as a tale for children is actually a bitter satire attacking human folly
3073 satirical mocking
* The humor of cartoonists Gary Trudeau often is satirical though the comments of the Doonesbury characters Trudeau ridicules political corruption and folly
3074 saturate soak
* Their clothes were saturated by the rain
3079 savor enjoy have a distinctive flavor smell or quality
* Relishing his triumph Costner especially savored the chagrin of the critics who had predicted his failure
3080 savory tasty pleasing attractive or agreeable
* Julia Child＇s recipes enable amateur chefs to create savory delicacies for their guests
3084 scale climb up ascend
* To locate a book on the top shelf of the stacks Lee had to scale an exceptionally rickety ladder
3085 scanty meager insufficient
* Thinking his helping of food was scanty Oliver Twist asked for more
3088 scenario plot outline screenplay opera libretto
* Scaramouche startled the other actors in the commedia troupe when he suddenly departed from their customary scenario and began to improvise
3108 seclusion isolation solitude
* One moment she loved crowds the next she sought seclusion
3109 secrete hide away or cache produce and release a substance into an organism
* The pack rat secretes odds and ends in its nest the pancreas secretes insulin in the islets of Langerhans
3110 sectarian narrowminded limited in scope
* As university chaplain she sought to address universal religious issues and not limit herself to mere sectarian concerns
3111 secular worldly not pertaining to church matters temporal
* The church leaders decided not interfere in secular matters
3112 sedate composed grave
* The parents were worried because they felt their son was too quiet and sedate
3113 sedentary requiring sitting
* Because he had a sedentary occupation he decided to visit a gymnasium weekly
3114 sedition resistance to authority insubordination
* His words though not treasonous in themselves were calculated to arouse
thoughts of sedition
3115 sedulous diligent
* The young woman was so sedulous that she received a commendation for her hard work
3122 semblance outward appearance guise
* Although this book has a semblance of wisdom and scholarship a careful examination will reveal many errors and omissions
3123 seminal germinal influencing future developments related to seed or semen
* Although Freud has generally been regarded as a seminal thinker who shaped the course of psychology his psychoanalytic methods have come under attack recently
3124 seminary school for training future ministers secondary school especially for young women
* Sure of his priestly vocation Terrence planned to pursue his theological training at the local Roman Catholic seminary
3125 senility old age feeble mindedness of old age
* Most of the decisions are being made by the junior members of the company because of the senility of the president
3126 sensual devoted to the pleasures of the senses carnal voluptous
* I cannot understand what caused him to drop his sensual way of life and become so ascetic
3127 sensuous pertaining to the physical senses operating through the senses
* He was stimulated by the sights sounds and smells about him he was enjoying his sensuous experience
3128 sententious terse concise aphoristic
* After reading so many redundant speeches I find his sententious style particulary pleasing
3132 sequester retire from public life segregate seclude
* Although he had hoped for a long time to sequester himself in a small community he never was able to drop his busy round of activities in the city
3138 servile slavish cringing
* Constantly fawning on his employer humble Uriah Heap was a servile creature
3139 servitude slavery compulsory labor
* Born a slave Douglass resented his wife of servitude and plotted to escape to the North
3141 severity harshness plainness
* The newspapers disapproved of the severity of the sentence
3145 shambles slaughterhouse scene of carnage
* By the time the police arrived the room was a shambles
3163 simile comparison of one thing with another using the word like or as
* ＼My love is like a red red rose＼ is a simile
3165 simplistic oversimplified
* Though Jack＇s solution dealt adequately with one aspect of the problem it was simplistic in failing to consider various complicating factors that might arise
3166 simulate feign
* He simulated insanity in order to avoid punishment for his crime
3171 sinuous winding bending in and out not morally honest
* The snake moved in a sinuous manner
3172 skeptic doubter person who suspends judgment until he has examined the evidence supporting a point of view
* In this matter I am a skeptic I want proof
3182 slake quench sate
* When we reached the oasis we were able to slake our thirst
3194 sluggard lazy person
* ＼You are a sluggard a drone a parasite＼ the angry father shouted at his lazy son
3195 sluggish slow lazy lethargic
* After two nights without sleep she felt sluggish and incapable of exertion
3205 sojourn temporary stay
* After his sojourn in Florida he began to long for the colder climate of his native New England home
3206 solace comfort in trouble
* I hope you will find solace in the thought that all of us share your loss
3209 solemnity seriousness gravity
* The minister was concerned that nothing should disturb the solemnity of the marriage service
3210 solicit request earnestly seek
* Knowing she needed to have a solid majority for the budget to pass the mayor telephoned all the members of the city council to solicit their votes
3211 solicitous worried concerned
* The employer was very solicitous about the health of her employees as replacements were difficult to get
3212 soliloquy talking to oneself
* The soliloquy is a device used by the dramatist to reveal a character＇s innermost thoughts and emotions
3213 solstice point at which the sun is farthest from the equator
* The winter solstice usually occurs on December 21
3214 solvent able to pay all debts
* By dint of very frugal living he was finally able to become solvent and avoid bankruptcy proceedings
3216 somber gloomy depressing
* From the doctor＇s grim expression I could tell he had somber news
3217 somnambulist sleepwalker
* The most famous somnambulist in literature is Lady Macbeth her monologue in the sleepwalking scene is one of the highlights of Shakespeare＇s play
3218 somnolent half asleep
* The heavy meal and the overheated room made us all somnolent and indifferent to the speaker
3219 sonorous resonant
* His sonorous voice resounded through the hall
3220 sophist teacher of philosophy quibbler employer of fallacious reasoning
* You are using all the devices of a sophist in trying to prove your case your argument is specious
3221 sophistication artificiality unnaturalness act of employing sophistry in reasoning
* Sophistication is an acquired characteristic found more frequently among city dwellers than among residents of rural areas
3222 sophistry seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning
* Instead of advancing valid arguments he tried to overwhelm his audience with a flood of sophistries
3223 sophomoric immature shallow
* Your sophomoric remarks are a sign of your youth and indicate that you have not given much thought to the problem
3224 soporific sleep producing
* I do not need a sedative when I listen to one of his soporific speeches
3234 specious seemingly reasonable but incorrect
* Let us not be misled by such specious arguments
3235 spectral ghostly
* We were frightened by the spectral glow that filled the room
3236 spectrum colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism
* The visible portion of the spectrum includes red at one end and violet at the other
3243 sportive playful
* Such a sportive attitude is surprising in a person as serious as you usually are
3260 static unchanging lacking development
* Nothing had changed at home things were static there
3261 statute law
* We have many statutes in our law books which should be repealed
3263 steadfast loyal unswerving
* Penelope was steadfast in her affections faithfully waiting for Ulysses to return from his wanderings
3264 stealth slyness sneakiness secretiveness
* Fearing detection by the sentries on duty the scout inched his way toward the enemy camp with great stealth
3266 stellar pertaining to the stars
* He was the stellar attraction of the entire performance
3271 stickler perfectionist person who insists things be exactly right
* The Internal Revenue Service agent was a stickler for accuracy no approximations or rough estimates would satisfy him
3273 stigma token of disgrace brand
* I do not attach any stigma to the fact that you were accused of this crime the fact that you were acquitted clears you completely
3281 stoic person who is indifferent to pleasure or pain
* The doctor called her patient a stoic because he had borne the pain of the examination without whimpering
3288 stricture critical comments severe and adverse criticism
* His strictures on the author＇s style are prejudiced and unwarranted
3290 stringent binding rigid
* I think these regulations are too stringent
3295 stupefy make numb stun amaze
* Disapproving of drugs in general Laura refused to take sleeping pills or any other medicine that might stupefy her
3300 subjective occurring or taking place within the mind unreal
* Your analysis is highly subjective you have permitted your emotions and your opinions to color your thinking
3301 subjugate conquer bring under control
* It is not our aim to subjugate our foe we are interested only in establishing peaceful relations
3303 sublime exalted noble uplifting
* Mother Teresa has been honored for her sublime deeds
3305 submissive yielding timid
* Crushed by his authoritarian father Will had no defiance left in him he was totally submissive in the face of authority
3308 subsequent following later
* In subsequent lessons we shall take up more difficult problems
3309 subservient behaving like a slave servile obsequious
* He was proud and dignified he refused to be subservient to anyone
3310 subside settle down descend grow quiet
* The doctor assured us that the fever would eventually subside
3311 subsidiary subordinate secondary
* This information may be used as subsidiary evidence but is not sufficient by itself to prove your argument
3312 subsidy direct financial aid by government etc
* Without this subsidy American ship operators would not be able to compete in world markets
3313 subsistence existence means of support livelihood
* In those days of inflated prices my salary provided mere subsistence
3314 substantiate verify support
* I intend to substantiate my statement by producing witnesses
3316 subsume include encompass
* Does the general theory of relativity contradict Newtonian physics or is Newton＇s law of gravity subsumed into Einstein＇s larger scheme
3317 subterfuge pretense evasion
* As soon as we realized that you had won our support by a subterfuge we withdrew our endorsement of your candidacy
3318 subtlety nicety cunning guile delicacy
* The subtlety of his remarks was unnoticed by most of his audience
3319 subversive tending to overthrow destructive
* At first glance the notion that Styrofoam cups may actually be more ecologically sound than paper cups strikes most environmentalists as subversive
3320 succinct brief terse compact
* His remarks are always succinct and pointed
3321 succor aid assistance relief
* We shall be ever grateful for the succor our country gave us when we were in need
3323 succumb yield give in die
* I succumb to temptation whenever it comes my way
3324 suffragist advocate of voting rights (for women)
* In recognition of her efforts to win the vote for women Congress authorized coining a silver dollar honoring the suffragist Susan B Anthony
3325 suffuse spread over
* A blush suffused her cheeks when we teased her about her love affair
3328 summation act of finding the total summary
* In his summation the lawyer emphasized the testimony given by the two witnesses
3329 sumptuous lavish rich
* I cannot recall when I have had such a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast
3332 superannuated retired or disqualified because of age
* The superannuated man was indignant because he felt that he could still perform a good day＇s work
3333 supercilious contemptuous haughty
* I prefer Jill＇s modesty to Jack＇s supercilious and arrogant attitude
3335 superficial trivial shallow
* Since your report gave only a superficial analysis of the problem I cannot give you more than a passing grade
3336 superfluous excessive overabundant unnecessary
* Please try not to include so many superfluous details in your report just give me the bare facts
3337 superimpose place over something else
* Your attempt to superimpose another agency in this field will merely increase the bureaucratic nature of our government
3338 supernumerary person or thing in excess of what is necessary extra
* His first appearance on the stage was as a supernumerary in a Shakespearean tragedy
3339 supersede cause to be set aside replace
* This regulation will supersede all previous rules
3341 supplant replace usurp
* Corazon Aquino supplanted Ferdinand Marcos as president of the Philippines
3342 supple flexible pliant
* The angler found a supple limb and used it as a fishing rod
3343 suppliant entreating beseeching
* He could not resist the dog＇s suppliant whimpering and he gave it some food
3344 supplicate petition humbly pray to grant a favor
* We supplicate Your Majesty to grant him amnesty
3345 supposition hypothesis surmise
* I based my decision to confide in him on the supposition that he would bediscreet
3346 supposititious assumed counterfeit hypothetical
* I find no similarity between your supposititious illustration and the problem we are facing
3347 surfeit satiate stuff indulge to excess in anything
* Every Thanksgiving we are surfeited with an overabundance of holiday treats
3348 surly rude cross
* Because of his surly attitude many people avoided his company
3349 surmise guess
* I surmise that he will be late for this meeting
3350 surmount overcome
* He had to surmount many obstacles in order to succeed
3351 surpass exceed
* Her SAT scores surpassed out expectations
3352 surreptitious secret
* News of their surreptitious meeting gradually leaked out
3353 surrogate substitute
* For a fatherless child a male teacher may become a father surrogate
3354 surveillance watching guarding
* The FBI kept the house under constant surveillance in the hope of capturing all the criminals at one time
3355 susceptible impressionable easily influenced having little resistance as to a disease
* He was a very susceptible young man and so his parents worried that he might fall into bad company
3356 sustain experience support nourish
* He sustained such a severe injury that the doctors feared he would be unable to work to sustain his growing family
3357 sustenance means of support food nourishment
* In the tropics the natives find sustenance easy to obtain because of all the fruit trees
3367 syllogism logical formula consisting of a major premise a minor premise and a conclusion deceptive or specious argument
* There must be a fallacy in this syllogism I cannot accept its conclusion
3369 symbiosis interdependent relationship (between groups species) often mutually beneficial
* Both the crocodile bird and the crocodile derive benefit from their symbiosis pecking away at food particles embedded in the crocodile＇s teeth the bird
derives nourishment the crocodile meanwhile derives proper dental hygiene
3370 symmetry arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained congruity
* The addition of a second tower will give this edifice the symmetry that it now lacks
3371 synchronous similary timed simultaneous with
* We have many examples of scientists in different parts of the world who have made synchronous discoveries
3373 synthesis combining parts into a whole
* Now that we have succeeded in isolating this drug our next problem is to plan its synthesis in the laboratory
3374 synthetic artificial resulting from synthesis
* During the twentieth century many synthetic products have replaced the natural products
3375 sedative calming drug or influence
* It is dangerous to drive after taking the sedative it brings drowsiness
3376 stygian literary dark
* The stygian room reminded him of an empty space
3377 tacit understood not put into words
* We have a tacit agreement based on only a handshake
3378 taciturn habitually silent talking a little
* New Englanders are reputedly taciturn people
3384 tangible able to be touched real palpable
* Although Tom did not own a house he had several tangible assetsa car a television a PCthat he could sell if he needed cash
3398 temper moderate tone down or restrain toughen (steel)
* Not even her supervisor＇s grumpiness could temper Nancy＇s enthusiasm for her new job
3399 temperament characteristic frame of mind disposition emotional excess
* Although the twins look alike they differ markedly in temperament Tod is calm but Rod is excitable
3400 temperate restrained selfcontrolled
* Noted for his temperate appetite he seldom gained weight
3402 temporal not lasting forever limited by time secular
* At one time in our history temporal rulers assumed that they had been given their thrones by divine right
3403 temporize avoid committing oneself gain time
* I cannot permit you to temporize any longer I must have a definite answer today
3404 tenacious holding fast
* I had to struggle to break his tenacious hold on my arm
3405 tenacity firmness persistency adhesiveness
* It is extremely difficult to overcome the tenacity of a habit such as smoking
3406 tendentious having an aim biased designed to further a cause
* The editorials in this periodical are tendentious rather than truthseeking
3407 tender offer extend
* Although no formal changes had been made against him in the wake of the recent scandal the mayor felt he should tender his resignation
3408 tenet doctrine dogma
* The agnostic did not accept the tenets of their faith
3409 tensile capable of being stretched
* Mountain climbers must know the tensile strength of their ropes
3410 tentative provisional experimental
* Your tentative plans sound plausible let me know when the final details are worked out
3411 tenuous thin rare slim
* The allegiance of our allies is held by rather tenuous ties let us hope they will remain loyal
3412 tenure holding of an office time during which such an office is held
* He was permanent tenure in this position and cannot be fired
3414 terminate to bring to an end
* When his contract was terminated unexpectedly he desperately needed a new job
3415 terminology terms used in a science or art
* The special terminology developed by some authorities in the field has done more to confuse laypersons than to enlighten them
3416 terminus last stop of railroad
* After we reached the railroad terminus we continued our journey into the wilderness on saddle horses
3417 terrestrial on or relating to the earth
* We have been able to explore the terrestrial regions much more thoroughly than the aquatic or celestial regions
3421 testator maker of a will
* The attorney called in his secretary and his partner to witness the signature of the testator
3425 theocracy government of a community by religious leaders
* Some Pilgrims favored the establishment of a theocracy in New England
3431 thrifty careful about money economical
* A thrifty shopper compares prices before making major purchases
3434 throng crowd
* Throngs of shoppers jammed the aisles
3440 timidity lack of selfconfidence or courage
* If you are to succeed as a salesperson you must first lose your timidity and fear of failure
3441 timorous fearful demonstrating fear
* His timorous manner betrayed the fear he felt at the moment
3447 title right or claim to possession mark of rank name (of a book film etc)
* Though the penniless Duke of Ragwort no longer held title to the family estate he still retained his title as head of one of England＇s oldest families
3454 topography physical features of a region
* Before the generals gave the order to attack they ordered a complete study of the topography of the region
3457 torrent rushing stream flood
* Day after day of heavy rain saturated the hillside until the water ran downhill in torrents
3459 tortuous winding full of curves
* Because this road is so tortuous it is unwise to go faster than twenty miles an hour on it
3460 touchstone stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys criterion
* What touchstone can be used to measure the character of a person
3461 touchy sensitive irascible
* Do not discuss this phase of the problem as he is very touchy about it
3462 tout publicize praise excessively
* I lost confidence in my broker after he touted some junk bonds that turned out to be a bad investment
3463 toxic poisonous
* We must seek an antidote for whatever toxic substance he has eaten
3464 tract pamphlet a region of indefinite size
* The King granted William Penn a tract of land in the New World
3465 tractable docile
* You will find the children in this school very tractable and willing to learn
3466 traduce expose to slander
* His opponents tried to traduce the candidate＇s reputation by spreading rumors about his past
3467 trajectory path taken by a projectile
* The police tried to locate the spot from which the assassin had fired the fatal shot by tracing the trajectory of the bullet
3468 tranquility calmness peace
* After the commotion and excitement of the city I appreciate the tranquillity of these fields and forests
3469 transcend exceed surpass
* This accomplishment transcends all our previous efforts
3470 transcribe copy
* When you transcribe your notes please send a copy to MrSmith and keep the original for our files
3471 transgression violation of a law sin
* Forgive us our transgressions we know not what we do
3472 transient momentary temporary staying for a short time
* Lexy＇s joy at finding the perfect Christmas gift for Phil was transient she still had to find presents for the cousins and Uncle Bob Located near the airport this hotel caters to the largely transient trade
3473 transition going from one state of action to another
* During the period of transition from oil heat to gas heat the furnace will have to be shut off
3475 translucent partly transparent
* We could not recognize the people in the next room because of the translucent curtains that separated us
3476 transmute change convert to something different
* He was unable to transmute his dreams into actualities
3477 transparent permitting to light to pass through freely easily detected
* Your scheme is so transparent that it will fool no one
3478 transpire be revealed happen
* When Austen writes the sentence ＼It had just transpired that he had left gaming debts behind him＼ her meaning is not that the debts had just been incurred but the the shocking news had just leaked out
3479 transport strong emotion
* Margo was a creature of extremes at one moment in transports of joy over a vivid sunset at another moment in transports of grief over a dying bird
3483 traverse go through or across
* When you traverse this field be careful of the bull
3484 travesty comical parody treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous
* The ridiculous decision the jury has arrived at is a travesty of justice
3485 treatise article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly
* He is preparing a treatise on the Elizabethan playwrights for his graduate degree
3488 tremulous trembling wavering
* She was tremulous more from excitement than from fear
3491 tribulation distress suffering
* After all the trials and tribulations we have gone through we need this rest
3492 tribunal court of justice
* The decision of the tribunal was final and the prisoner was sentenced to death
3493 tribute tax levied by a ruler mark of respect
* The colonists refused to pay tribute to a foreign despot
3496 trilogy group of three works
* Romain Rolland＇s novel Jean Christophe was first published as a trilogy
3498 trite hackneyed commonplace
* The trite and predictable situations in many television programs alienate many viewers
3499 trivia trifles unimportant matters
* Too many magazines ignore newsworthy subjects and feature trivia
3503 truism selfevident truth
* Many a truism is well expressed in a proverb
3505 tryst meeting
* The lovers kept their tryst even though they realized their danger
3506 tumid swollen pompous bombastic
* I especially dislike his tumid style I prefer writing which is less swollen and bombastic
3509 turbid muddy having the sediment disturbed
* The water was turbid after the children had waded through it
3510 turbulence state of violent agitation
* We were frightened by the turbulence of the ocean during the storm
3519 tyranny oppression cruel government
* Frederick Douglass fought against the tyranny of slavery throughout his entire life
3520 tyro beginner novice
* For a mere tyro you have produced some marvelous results
3521 timid easily frightened apprehensive
* He was timid and cowardish always backing up at daunting situations
3523 toil work laboriously make slow painful progress
* You must toil through 3500 words list in order to achieve a high score on GRE
3526 ultimate final not susceptible to further analysis
* Scientists are searching for the ultimate truths
3527 ultimatum last demand warning
* Since they have ignored our ultimatum our only recourse is to declare war
3528 umbrage resentment anger sense of injury or insult
* She took umbrage at his remarks and stormed away in a huff
3529 unanimity complete agreement
* We were surprised by the unanimity with which our proposals were accepted by the different groups
3531 unassuming modest
* He is so unassuming that some people fail to realize how great a man he really is
3534 unconscionable unscrupulous excessive
* She found the load shark＇s demands unconscionable and impossible to meet
3538 undermine weaken sap
* The recent corruption scandals have undermined many people＇s faith in the city government
3539 underscore emphasize
* Addressing the jogging class Kim underscored the importance to runners of good nutrition
3541 unearth dig up
* When they unearthed the city the archeologists found many relics of an ancient civilization
3542 unearthly not earthly weird
* There is an unearthly atmosphere in her work that amazes the casual observer
3546 unfeigned genuine real
* She turned so pale that I am sure her surprise was unfeigned
3552 uniformity sameness consistency monotony
* After a while the uniformity of TV situation comedies becomes boring
3553 unilateral onesided
* This legislation is unilateral since it binds only one party in the controversy
3557 unique without an equal single in kind
* You have the unique distinction of being the first student whom I have had to fail in this course
3558 unison unity of pitch complete accord
* The choir sang in unison
3559 universal characterizing or affecting all present everywhere
* At first no one shared Christopher＇s opinions his theory that the world was round was met with universal disdain
3564 unravel disentangle solve
* With equal ease Miss Marple unraveled tangled balls of yarn and baffling murder mysteries
3565 unrequited not reciprocated
* Suffering the pangs of unrequited love Olivia rebukes Cesario for his hardheartedness
3567 unsavory distasteful morally offensive
* People with unsavory reputations should not be allowed to work with youngchildren
3574 unwarranted unjustified groundless undeserved
* We could not understand Martin＇s unwarranted rudeness to his mother＇s guests
3575 unwieldy awkward cumbersome unmanageable
* The large carton was so unwieldy that the movers had trouble getting it up the stairs
3576 unwitting unintentional not knowing
* She was the unwitting tool of the swindlers
3577 unwonted unaccustomed
* He hesitated to assume the unwonted role of master of ceremonies at the dinner
3578 upbraid scold reproach
* I must upbraid him for his unruly behavior
3579 uproarious marked by commotion extremely funny very noisy
* The uproarious comedy hit Home Alone featured Macaulay Culkin whose mugging and comic antics provoked gales of uproarious laughter from audiences coast to coast
3581 urbane suave refined elegant
* The courtier was urbane and sophisticated
3584 usurp seize power supplant
* The revolution ended when the victorious rebel leader usurped the throne
3585 usury lending money at illegal rates of interest
* The loan shark was found guilty of usury
3588undergird strengthen the base of
* Whereas relativity theory undermined the Newtonian mechanics cosmology was undergirded by it
3590 vacuous empty lacking in ideas stupid
* The candidate＇s vacuous remarks annoyed the audience who had hoped to hear more than empty platitudes
3591 vagabond wanderer tramp
* In summer college students wander the roads of Europe like carefree vagabonds
3592 vagary caprice whim
* She followed every vagary of fashion
3593 vagrant stray random
* He tried to study but could not collect his vagrant thoughts
3594 vagrant homeless wanderer
* Because he was a stranger in town with no visible means of support Martin feared he would be jailed as a vagrant
3595 vainglorious boastful excessively conceited
* She was a vainglorious and arrogant individual
3596 valedictory pertaining to farewell
* I found the valedictory address too long leavetaking should be brief
3597 valid logically convincing sound legally acceptable
* You＇re going to have to come up with a better argument if you want to convince me that your reasoning is valid
3598 validate confirm ratify
* I will not publish my findings until I validate my results
3599 valor bravery
* He received the Medal of Honor for his valor in battle
3602 vantage position giving an advantage
* They fired upon the enemy from behind trees walls and any other point of vantage they could find
3604 variegated manycolored
* Without her glasses Gretchen saw the fields of tulips as a variegated blur
3608 vegetate live in a monotonous way
* I do not understand how you can vegetate in this quiet village after the adventurous life you have led
3609 vehement impetuous with marked vigor
* He spoke with vehement eloquence in defense of his client
3619 vent small opening outlet
* The wine did not flow because the air vent in the barrel was clogged
3620 vent express utter
* He vented his wrath on his class
3623 venturesome bold
* A group of venturesome women were the first to scale MtAnnapurna
3625 veracious truthful
* I can recommend him for this position because I have always found him veracious and reliable
3626 veracity truthfulness
* Trying to prove Hill a liar Senator Spector repeatedly questioned her veracity
3627 verbalize put into words
* I know you don＇t like to talk about these things but please try to verbalize your feelings
3628 verbatim word for word
* He repeated the message verbatim
3629 verbiage pompous array of words
* After we had waded through all the verbiage we discovered that the writer had said very little
3630 verbose wordy
* This article is too verbose we must edit it
3633 verge border edge
* Madame Curie knew she was on the verge of discovering the secrets of radioactive elements
3634 verisimilitude appearance of truth likelihood
* Critics praised her for the verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth She was completely believable
3635 verity truth reality
* The four verities were revealed to Buddha during his long meditation
3638 versatile having many talents capable of working in many fields
* He was a versatile athlete at college he had earned varsity letters in baseball football and track
3639 vertex summit
* Let us drop a perpendicular line from the vertex of the triangle to the base
3640 vertigo dizziness
* We test potential plane pilots for susceptibility to spells of vertigo
3644 viable capable of maintaining life practicable workable
* The infant though prematurely born is viable and has a good chance to survive
3645 viand food
* There was a variety of viands at the feast
3648 victuals food
* I am very happy to be able to provide you with these victuals I know you are hungry
3650 vigilance watchfulness
* Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty
3651 vigor active strength
* Although he was over seventy years old Jack had the vigor of a man in his prime
3653 vilify slander
* She is a liar and is always trying to vilify my reputation
3654 vindicate clear of charges
* I hope to vindicate my client and return him to society as a free man
3655 vindictive revengeful
* She was very vindictive and never forgave an injury
3659 virtual in essence for practical purposes
* She is a virtual financial wizard when it comes to money matters
3660 virtue goodness moral excellence good quality
* A virtue carried to extremes can turn into something resembling vice humility for example can degenerate into servility and spinelessness
3661 virtuoso highly skilled artist
* The child prodigy Yehudi Menuhin grew into a virtuoso whose virtuosity on the violin thrilled millions
3662 virulent extremely poisonous
* The virus is highly virulent and has made many of us ill for days
3663 virus disease communicator
* The doctors are looking for a specific medicine to control this virus
3664 visage face appearance
* The stern visage of the judge indicated that she had decided to impose a severe penalty
3667 viscous sticky gluey
* Melted tar is a viscous substance
3668 vise tool for holding work in place
* Before filling its edges the keysmith took the blank key and fixed it firmly between the jaws of a vise
3669 visionary produced by imagination fanciful mystical
* She was given to visionary schemes that never materialized
3670 vital vibrant and lively critical living breathing
* The vital highly energetic first aid instructor stressed that it was vital in examining accident victims to note their vital signs
3675 vivacious lively or animated sprightly
* She had always been vivacious and sparkling
3676 vivisection act of dissecting living animals
* The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals opposed vivisection and deplored the practice of using animals in scientific experiments
3678 vociferous clamorous noisy
* The crowd grew vociferous in its anger and threatened to take the law into its own hands
3681 volition act of making a conscious choice
* She selected this dress of her own volition
3682 voluble fluent glib
* She was a voluble speaker always ready to talk
3683 voluminous bulky large
* Despite her family burdens she kept up a voluminous correspondence with her friends
3684 voluptuous gratifying the senses
* The nobility during the Renaissance led voluptuous lives
3685 voracious ravenous
* The wolf is a voracious animal its hunger never satisfied
3686 vortex whirlwind whirlpool center of turbulence predicament into which one is inexorably plunged
* Sucked into the vortex of the tornado Dorothy and Toto were carried from Kansas to Oz
3689 vulnerable susceptible to wounds
* Achilles was vulnerable only in his heel
3700 wanton unrestrained willfully malicious unchaste
* Pointing to the stack of bills Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton expenditures In response Sara accused Sheldon of making an unfounded wanton attack
3710 weather endure the effects of weather or other forces
* He weathered the changes in his personal life with difficulty as he had no one in whom to confide
3711 welt mark from beating or whipping
* The evidence of child abuse was very clear Jennifer＇s small body was covered with welts and bruises
3714 wheedle cajole coax deceive by flattery
* She knows she can wheedle almost anything she wants from her father
3716 whet sharpen stimulate
* The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite I will be ravenous by the time the meal is served
3728 winsome agreeable gracious engaging
* By her winsome manner she made herself liked by everyone who met her
3729 wispy thin slight barely discernible
* Worried about preserving his few wispy tufts of hair Walter carefully massaged his scalp and applied hair restorer every night
3731 withdrawn introverted remote
* Rebuffed by his colleagues the initially outgoing young researcher became increasingly withdrawn
3732 wither shrivel decay
* Cut flowers are beautiful for a day but all too soon they wither
3738 worldly engrossed in matters of this earth not spiritual
* You must leave your worldly goods behind you when you go to meet your Maker
3746 wry twisted with a humorous twist
* We enjoy Dorothy Parker＇s verse for its wry wit
3747 xenophobia fear or hatred of foreigners
* When the refugee arrived in America he was unprepared for the xenophobia he found there
3750 yield amount produced crop income on investment
* An experienced farmer can estimate the annual yield of his acres with surprising accuracy
3751 yield give in surrender
* The wounded knight refused to yield to his foe
3752 yoke join together unite
* I don＇t wish to be yoked to him in marriage as if we were cattle pulling a plow
3753 yokel country bumpkin
* At school his classmates regarded him as a yokel and laughed at his rustic mannerisms
3756 zeal eager enthusiasm
* Wang＇s zeal was contagious soon all his fellow students were busily making posters inspired by his ardent enthusiasm for the cause
3757 zealot fanatic person who shows excessive zeal
* It is good to have a few zealots in our group for their enthusiasm is contagious








PART IV QUIZ
QUIZ ONE
1antebellum 1quarrelsome
2appease 2solemn agreement
3rebellion 3to make peaceful
4pacify 4before the war
5pacifist 5aggressiveness
6belligerence 6opposition to authority
7pact 7to calm by satisfying
8bellicose 8one who opposes war
1utter honesty 1approbation
2approval 2reprobate
3rascal 3recrimination
4demonstrate as false 4criminology
5study of illegal behavior 5probity
6accuse 6disprove
7reduce penalty for 7decriminalize
8counterattack 8incriminate
1levity 1solemn dignity
2gravitas 2relieve
3gravid 3lift raise
4alleviate 4something that lightens
5elevate 5move toward as if drawn
6leavening 6pregnant
7gravity 7lack of seriousness
8gravitate 8seriousness



QUIZ TWO
1 synagogue a courthouse b arena c temple d cinema
2 provenance a part of France b origin c Italian cheese d invitation
3 prodigal a brilliant b poor c missing d lavish
4 venturesome a daring b western c forthright d timid
5 agitate a soothe b vibrate c consume d shake up
6 advent a propaganda b arrival c commerce d departure
7 litigate a select a jury b judge c argue in court d negotiate
8 venue a jury b place c menu d decision
1 conjecture a suppose b conclude c guess d know
2 protracted a lengthened b continued c circular d extended
3 dejected a excited b downcast c depressed d forlorn
4 retraction a withdrawal b regret c disavowal d denial
5 trajectory a curve b path c line d target
6 detract a decrease b diminish c defy d minimize
7 adjacent a near b adjourned c touching d bordering
8 intractable a impossible b uncontrollable c stubborn d untouchable
1 hypothermia a excitability b subnormal temperature
c external temperature d warmth
2 thermo cline a area of warm water b area of cold water
c area between warm and cold water d deep ocean water
3 hypocrisy a dislike b low energy c insincerity d nickname
4 thermal a keeping out b keeping warm c keeping safe d keeping cold
5 hypothetical a typical b substandard c sympathetic d assumed
6 thermocouple a temperature gauge b nuclear reaction trigger
c ocean current gauge d altitude gauge
7 thermonuclear a nuclear reaction requiring high heat
b chemical reaction requiring a vacuum
c biological reaction producing bright light
d nuclear reaction based on distance from the sun






1flattering 1deduction 1denial 1protracted
2persuade 2obsequious 2assume 2adjacent
3temptation 3induce 3depressed 3trajectory
4subtraction 4execute 4difficult 4retraction
5helpful 5seduction 5take away 5conjecture
6ordered 6consequential 6drawn out 6intractable
7produce 7conducive 7curved path 7detract
8significant 8sequential 8nearby 8dejected
1affinity 1noticeable
2susceptible 2ultimate
3definitive 3beginning
4reception 4easily influenced
5finite 5tiny
6incipient 6attraction
7infinitesimal 7receiving
8perceptible 8limited
1ambivalent 1having more than one
2epithet 2surrounding
3amphitheater 3wavering
4epiphyte 4grave inscription
5ambiguous 5stage surrounded with tiered seats
6epitaph 6descriptive nickname
7ambient 7shortlived
8ephemeral 8nonparasitic plant growing on another










QUIZ THREE
1dissipate a drink slowly b scatter c make pale d undo
2homonym a word meaning the same a another
b word spelled and sounded the same as another
c one with same name as another
d one who loves another of the same sex
3disseminate a spread widely b plant in rows c dissolve d make longer
4homogeneous a selfloving b unusually brilliant
c having many parts d consistent throughout
5diffraction a breaking up of friendships b breaking up of light waves
c breaking up of meetings d breaking up of atoms
6homologous a of different length b of similar size
c of different stages d of similar origin
7dissension a confusion b disagreement c satisfaction d curiosity
8homophone a word that sounds like another
b word that means the same thing as another
c word that looks like another
d word relating to sexual desire
1bad faith 1perfidy 1simultaneous 1impediment
2timid 2creditable 2obstacle 2precursor
3acceptance 3diffident 3hasty 3expedient
4trustbased 4credulity 4forerunner 4discursive
5sworn document 5creed 5convenient 5pedestrian
6welldone 6affidavit 6speed up 6expedite
7principles 7fiduciary 7rambling 7cursory
8trustfulness 8credence 8ordinary 8concurrent
1posthumous a before the event b born prematurely
c occurring after death d early in development
2flexor a radar detector b muscle c sunscreen d bone
3posterior a on the front b on the back c underneath d on top
4deflect a fold over b kneel c turn aside d protect
5postmodern a ultramodern b traditional c contemporary d using past styles
6inflection a style in art b change in pitch c muscle d part to the rear
7genuflect a kneel b flex a muscle c fold back d change one’s tone of voice
8postmortem a after the event b before the event
c caused by the event d causing the event
QUIZ FOUR
1malevolent a wishing evil b wishing well c blowing violently d badly done
2cataclysm a loud applause b feline behavior c natural disaster d inspiration
3malign a speak well of b speak to c speak ill of d speak of repeatedly
4catacomb a underground road b underground cemetery
c underground spring d underground treasure
5malicious a vague b explosive c confusing d mean
6catatonic a refreshing b slow c motionless d boring
7malnourished a fed frequently b fed poorly
c fed excessively d fed occasionally
8catalyst a literary agent b insurance agent
c cleaning agent d agent of change
1orthodox a straight b pier c conventional d waterfowl
2rectify a redo b make right c modify d make longer
3orthopedics a foot surgery b children’s medicine
c medical dictionaries d treatment of skeletal defects
4rector a warden b headmaster c direction d effect
5orthography a correct color b correct map
c correct direction d correct spelling
6rectitude a roughness b integrity c certainty d sameness
7orthodontics a dentistry for children b dentistry for gums
c dentistry for crooked teeth d dentistry for every one
8rectlinear a moving in a straight line b moving in a curved line
c moving at 45o angle d moving in a circle
1derogatory a critical b unflattering c admiring d scornful
2inquisition a examination b interrogation c pardon d inquiry
3abrogate a neglect b abolish c steal d ignore
4perquisite a privilege b bonus c salary d right
5prerogative a right b persuasion c power d privilege
6acquisitive a grateful b grasping c grabby d greedy
7requisition a purchase order b receipt c request d demand
8arrogate a claim b seize c grab d release
1deplete a straighten out b draw down c fold d abandon
2replete a refold b repeat c abundantly provided d fully clothed
3odometer a intelligence measurer b heartrate measure
c height measurer d distance measurer
4tachometer a speed measurer b sharpness measurer
c fatigue measurer d size measurer
5complement a praise b number required c abundance d usual dress
6metric a relating to poetic rhythm b relating to ocean depth
c relating to books d relating to particles of matter
7implement a put to death b put to pasture c put into practice d put to sleep
8symmetrical a uncomplicated b measured c unattractive d balanced
1to date before 1protocol 1dystrophy 1impaired
2cell contents 2antechamber 2euphemism 2beset by indigestion
3morning 3protagonist 3dyslexia 3muscular deterioration
4rules of behavior 4ante meridiem 4eugenic 4crusading zeal
5towards the front 5protoplasm 5dysfunctional 5polite term
6model 6antedate 6euphoria 6reading disorder
7waiting room 7prototype 7dyspeptic 7promoting superior
8hero or heroine 8anterior 8evangelism 8great happiness
1symmetrical 1drain
2tachometer 2put to use
3metric 3counterpart
4replete 4balanced
5odometer 5distance measurer
6deplete 6speed measurer
7implement 7full
8complement 8relating to a measuring system






QUIZ FIVE
1sinecure a hopeful sign b fruitless search c careless act d easy job
2curator a doctor b lawyer c caretaker d spectator
3periodontal a visual b inside a tooth c around a tooth c wandering
4peripatetic a wandering b unemployed c surrounding d oldfashioned
5procure a say b obtain c look after d heal
6curative a purify b healing c saving d repairing
7perimeter a factor b characteristic c supplement d boundary
8periheral a supplementary b around a tooth c wandering d dangerous
1theosophy 1immaturely overconfident
2sentiment 2outstandingly excellent
3sensuous 3docrine of God and the world
4sophomoric 4gratifying the senses
5sophistry 5false reasoning
6sentient 6opinion colored by emotion
7sophisticated 7receiving perceptions
8sensational 8highly complex
1inaudible 1involving sound 1compared to 1introspection
2auditory 2impossible to hear 2shrewd 2visitation
3ultrasound 3diagnostic technique 3prophet 3visavis
4resonance 4a critical hearing 4appearance 4auspicious
5auditor 5relating to hearing 5selfexamination 5perspicacious
6sonic 6unharmonious 6noticeable 6visionary
7dissonant 7finacial examiner 7favorable 7conspicuous
8audition 8continuing or echoing sound 8official call 8visage





QUIZ SIX
1inherent a part of b inherited c confused d loyal
2fugue a mathematical formula b musical form
c marginal figure d masonry foundation
3adherent a sticker b stinker c follower d flower
4centrifugal a moving upward b moving backward
c moving downward d moving outward
5cohesion a unity b thoughtfulness c uniformity d thoughtlessness
6suterfuge a overhead serve b underhanded plot
c powerful force d secret supporter
7incoherent a attached b constant c controlled d confused
8fugitive a traveler b sailor c escapee d drifter
1injunction a order b position c fact d connection
2impartial a fair b biased c accurate d opinionated
3adjunct a warning b addition c disclosure d difference
4participle a verb part b warning c supplement d guerrilla fighter
5junta a dance b point c group d symphony
6impart a separate b support c favor d disclose
7disjunction a prohibition b break c requirement d intersection
8partisan a judge b teacher c supporter d leader
1force by moral pressure 1remittance
2letter 2compel
3drive irresistibly 3repulsion
4disgust 4manumission
5agent 5expel
6payment 6missive
7drive out 7impel
8emancipation 8emissary
1glowing 1lucubration
2production of organic matter 2phosphorescent
3clarify 3translucent
4passing diffused light 4elucidate
5elemental particle 5photogenic
6brightly clear 6photosynthesis
7hard study 7photon
8visually appealing 8lucent
1cosmopolitan 1having foresight
2omniscience 2universe
3cosmetic 3universal knowledge
4conscientious 4sophosticated
5unconscionable 5for the sake of appearance
6cosmology 6scrupulous
7prescient 7inexcusable
8cosmos 8decription of the universe















QUIZ SEVEN
1convoluted a spinning b babbling c grinding d winding
2turbine a whirlpool b engine c headdress d carousel
3evolution a process of development b process of democracy
c process of election d process of elimination
4perturb a reset b inset c preset d upset
5voluble a whirling b unpleasant c talkative d garbled
6turbulent a churning b turning c yearning d burning
7turbid a flat b calm c confused d slow
8 devolution a handing down b handing in c turning up d turning around
1descant a climb downward b added melody c supposed inability d writing table
2allude a play b detract c avoid d refer
3incantation a ritual chant b ceremony c solemn march d recorded song
4prelude a aftermath b conclusion c introduction d admission
5cantata a snack bar b pasta dish c sung composition d farewell gesture
6ludicrous a tough b laughable c simple d ugly
7cantor a singer b refusal c traitor d gallop
8collusion a accidental crash b illegal cooperation c new material d magic spell
1matriculate a give birth b enroll c tickle d adjust
2premonition a introduction b scolding c pre maturity d forewarning
3matrilineal a through the mother’s family b graduating c adopted c female
4monitory a monetary b mean c cautionary d enthusiastic
5metropolitan a urban b suburban c rural d oceanic
6monitor a think b persuade c avoid d watch
7maternity a motherhood b childhood c Robin Hood d sainthood
8admonish a praise b arrest c await d scold
1monologue a speech b drama c catalog d boredom
2impute a imply b revise c attribute d defy
3 reputed a rethought b accused c determined d believed
4 neologism a new day b new word c new way d new thought
5 putative a assumed b appointed c solved d ignored
6 genealogy a generation b inheritance c family history d height
7 disputatious a courageous b disproved c unknown d argumentative
8 eulogy a high praise b high flight c high times d high jump


1voluable 1 murky 1through the female line 1monitor
2turbine 2fluent 2warning 2premonition
3evolution 3seething 3sign up at school 3maternity
4turbid 4complicated 4regulate 4metropolitan
5devolution 5turning engine 5gently correct 5matrilineal
6perturb 6degeneration 6early suspicion 6matriculate
7convoluted 7disturb 7motherliness 7admonish
8turbulent 8progress 8city 8monitory
1theater area 1mariner
2bluegreen gem 2terrestrial
3under the ground 3marina
4near the sea 4terrarium
5contained habitat 5maritime
6seaman 6parterre
7small harbor 7subterranean
8earthly 8aquamarine











QUIZ EIGHT
1resentment 1penumbra
2brownish color 2travesty
3installing in office 3transvestite
4crossdresser 4adumbrate
5imitation 5divest
6get rid of 6umbrage
7near shadow 7investiture
8partially disclose 8umber
1deity 1state ruled by religion
2pantheistic 2dramatic device
3apotheosis 3supreme being
4divinity 4non god believing
5atheistic 5godlines
6divinatory 6accepting all gods
7theocracy 7prophetic
8deus ex machine 8perfect example
1accuse 1 accord 1skilled craft man 1artful
2excuse 2concordance 2natural talent 2artifice
3agreement 3mea culpa 3skillfully sly 3adaptation
4heartfelt 4discordant 4expert 4inept
5grant 5culpable 5slyness 5artisan
6blamable 6cordial 6process of change 6aptitude
7disagreeing 7inculpate 7manmade object 7adept
8confession 8exculpate 8awkward 8artifact
1pandemic a isolated b widespread c present d absent
2populace a politics b numerous c masses d popularity
3endemic a common b absent c infection d occasional
4demotic a devilish b common c cultural d useful
5populous a wellliked b foreign c numerous d obscure
6demographic a describing politics b describing populations
c describing policies d describing epidemics
7populist a communist b campaigner c socialist d believer in the people
8vox populi a public policy b public survey c public opinion d public outrage
1precision a accuracy b beauty c conciseness d dependence
2decadent a rotten b generous c selfindulgent d ten years long
3excise a tax b examine c refuse d cut out
4 recidivism a backsliding b backstabbing c backscratching d backslapping
5incisive a damaging b direct c dirty d definite
6casualty a serious remark b serious outlook c serious condition d serious injury
7concise a short b sure c shifting d sharp
8 cadaver a victim b suspect c corpse d detective















QUIZ NINE
1mysterious 1apocryphal 1thorough 1renaissance
2code writing 2abstraction 2beginning 2pediatrician
3fake 3abscond 3boring teacher 3cognate
4difficult 4cryptic 4related 4encyclopedic
5tomb 5abstruse 5present from birth 5nascent
6theory 6crypt 6education 6pedant
7selfcontrolled 7cryptography 7revival 7innate
8flee 8abstemious 8children’s doctor 8pedagogy
1fertile 1supreme 1 avert 1with many uses
2transcendent 2implied conclusion 2spherical 2upper atmosphere
3deferential 3glorification 3divert 3wrongheaded
4transfiguration 4productive 4hemisphere 4avoid
5proliferate 5multiply 5versatile 5halfsphere
6transient 6yielding 6biosphere 6entertain
7inference 7passing 7stratosphere 7globelike
8transfuse 8transfer 8perverse 8life zone
1indoctrinate 1instruction costs
2tutelage 2easily led
3doctrine 3fill with a point of view
4tutorial 4 insight
5doctrinaire 5guardianship
6intuition 6teaching
7docile 7individual instruction
8tuition 8rigidly principled
1disposition a temperature b personality c anger d riddance
2tenacious a sticking b intelligent c loving d helping
3superimpose a surpass b put into c place over d amaze
4abstinence a selfhelp b selfwill c selfservice d selfrestraint
5repository a tomb b storage container c office d library
6tenable a decent b tough c reasonable d controlled
7component a part b whole c some d all
8sustenance a substance b apartment c clothing d nourishment
1evince a reveal b throw out c eject d overcome
2interminable a remarkable b unthinkable c reliable d eternal
3terminollgy a instruction b design c vocabulary d technology
4provincial a professional b global c local d national
5invincible a unsuitable b impossible c inflammable d unconquerable
6terminal a fatal b technical c verbal d similar
7indeterminate a lengthy b uncertain c unending d likely
8victimize a conquer b applaud c deceive d invite
1docile a tame b learned c taught d beloved
2tuition a requirement b instruction c resolution d housing
3indoctrinate a medicate thoroughly b research thoroughly
c instruct thoroughly d consider thoroughly
4tutelage a responsibility b protection c instruction d safeguard
5doctrine a solution b principle c religion d report
6tutorial a small class b large class c night class d canceled class
7doctrinaire a by the way b by the by c by the rule d by the class
8intuition a ignorance b quick understanding c payment d consideration










QUIZ TEN
1topical 1central point
2egocentric 2centered on one’s own group
3topiary 3away from its usual place
4ethnocentric 4selfcentered
5topography 5of current interest
6eccentric 6ornamentally pruned
7ectopic 7placed offcenter
8epicenter 8landscape features
1retrogress 1enormous
2propitious 2effective as of earlier
3retrospective 3promising
4retrofit 4put off
5procrastinate 5review of a body of work
6prophylaxis 6revert to an earlier state
7retroactive 7disease prevention
8prodigious 8modernize
1chronic 1current
2temporal 2order of events
3anachronism 3ongoing
4extemporaneous 4happening at the same time
5synchronous 5talk to fill time
6temporize 6unplanned
7chronology 7measurable by time
8contemporary 8something from the past
1ancient 1perennial
2of the same age 2longevity
3yearly payment 3primeval
4era of earthly paradise 4coeval
5of the Middle ages 5millennium
6worn out 6annuity
7length of life 7medieval
8continuing 8superannuated
1domination a name b control c attraction d movement
2habitation a custom b limit c dwelling d chewing
3domicile a imbecile b ridicule c home d supremacy
4inhibit a live in b laugh at c restrain d retrain
5dominion a weakness b kingdom c game d habit
6habitual a customary b concise c ordinary d gnawing
7predominant a longest b lightest c strongest d earliest
8exhibitionist a showoff b shower c show time d showdown
1perennial a flowerlike b excellent c everlasting d thorough
2longevity a length b long life c longitude d longing
3superannuated a amazing b huge c aged d perennial
4coeval a ancient b simultaneous c samesized d continuing
5millennium a thousand b century c era d a thousand years
6annuity a annual event b annual payment c annual income d annual garden
7medieval a antiquated b middleaged c romantic d knightly
8primeval a wicked b elderly c primitive d muddy
1codify a conceal b list c disobey d interpret
2signet a stamp b gold ring c Pope’s sign d baby swan
3codicil a small fish b onetenth c amendment to a will d legal objection
4assignation a signature b assassination c secret lover d appointment
5resign a accept b appoint c assign d arrest
6 codex a private seal b handwritten book c secret letter d coded message
7signatory a document b agreement c banner d consigner
8decode a explain b conceal c symbolize d disguise








QUIZ ELEVEN
1philology a study of cigars b study of trees c study of language d study of love
2negligible a small b correctable c noteworthy d considerate
3oenophile a pig lover b book lover c word lover d wine lover
4renegade a restorer b rebel c reformer d realist
5philatelist a stamp collector b gem collector c wine collector d coin collector
6 abnegation a abundance b abruptness c selfdenial d selfsatisfaction
7philter a healing lotion b sieve c car part d love potion
8renege a repeat b go back on c renegotiate d overturn
1fungible a identical b unique c exchangeable d defective
2permutation a perversion b rearrangement c deviation d inflation
3functionary a bureaucrat b hard worker c activist d executive
4transmute a reconsider b send away c silence d convert
5perfunctory a perfect b mechanical c thorough d persuasive
6immutable a unchangeable b immature c noisy d defiant
7malfunction a work slowly b work improperly c work evilly d work mechanically
8commutation a driving b train ride c replacement d review
1correlate a carry over b show a relationship c get along d compare
2degrade a reduce in size b raise in esteem c lower in rank d increase in importance
3collate a arrange in order b distribute c review d produce
4graduate a go to school b measure exactly c increase in size d rise to a higher stage
5prelate a high church official b foremost player
c important officer d graduate degree
6gradation a program in a series b stage in a series
c eventual decline d definite improvement
7relativity a galactic travel
b altered speed of light
c relationship between mass energy and time
d relationship of human races
8retrograde a moving in reverse b grading again c primitive d switching grades
1dynamo a powerhouse b force unit c time interval d power outage
2incumbent a coming in b retiring c holding office d standing up
3dynasty a glamorous clam b ruling family c great wealth d powerful leader
4succumb a rest b enchant c approach d give up
5 incubate a brood b store c lie down d sleep
6 hydrodynamic a relating to moving fluids b waterresistant
c relating to boats d relating to water
7recumbent a tired again b lying down c vulnerable d not straight
8dynamic a explosive b energetic c excited d dangerous
1recapitulate 1freemarket system
2misanthropic 2charitable act
3capitalism 3surrender
4anthropoid 4summarize
5decapitate 5hating humans
6anthropology 6study of cultures
7capitulate 7ape
8philanthropy 8behead
1telepathic 1incomplete
2refraction 2quarrelsome
3telemetry 3mindreading
4fragmentary 4distortion
5telegenic 5violation
6fractious 6wellsuited to television
7teleological 7longdistance measurement
8infraction 8relating to design or purpose















QUIZ TWELVE
1persevere 1seep
2metonymy 2equating one thing with another
3permeate 3spread throughout
4metaphysics 4keep going
5peremptory 5use of an associated term
6percolate 6study of the nature of things
7metaphorical 7biological absorption processes
8metabolism 8abrupt and final
1prerequisite a pattern b requirement c preference d direction
2paragon a geometric figure b imposing figure
c model of excellence d location
3predispose a recycle b eliminate c demonstrate d influence
4paradigm a example b punishment c tale d characteristic
5precept a general rule b teacher c contradiction d model
6paradox a contrary belief b instructive c opposing truths d painful truth
7precocious a nearly cooked b maturing early
c selfcontradictory d necessary
8parameter a rule b requirement
c large framework d characteristic element
1paternlistic 1wrong name
2nomenclature 2aristocrat
3patrimony 3exercising fatherly
4misnomer 4heritage
5expatriate 5naming system
6nominal 6disgraceful
7ignominious 7in name only
8patrician 8living abroad
1hyperactive 1breathe deeply and rapidly
2subjugate 2secret effort to overthrow
3hyperventilate 3extreme overstatement
4subconscious 4not strong enough to be sensed
5hypertension 5beneath the level of consciousness
6subversion 6overly active
7hyperbole 7conquer
8subliminal 8high blood pressure
1place of misery 1tempera
2unrestrained 2purge
3remove offensive material 3temperance
4mix or moderate 4purgative
5purifying 5temper
6moderation or abstinence 6expurgate
7remove impure elements 7intemperate
8eggbased paint 8purgatory





























QUIZ THIRTEEN
1vivacious a sweettempered b loud c lively d gluttonous
2extort a obtain by force b pay up c engage in crime d exterminate
3vivisection a living area b animal experimentation
c experimental treatment d removal of organs
4torsion a elasticity b twisting c body trunk d axis
5convivial a lifegiving b drunk c contrary d sociable
6tortuous a painful b winding c harmful d monstrous
7revivify a revive b reclaim c retain d restrain
8tort a deformity b law c product d injury
1explicate a explain b bend c fold d mutilate
2expunge a mop up b partially restore c remove completely d hesitate slightly
3supplication a substitution b plea c use d subdivision
4pungent a sharp b rotten c round d funny
5punctilious a pointed b careful c prompt d unusual
6replicate a reflect b breed c copy d measure
7compunction a desire b bravery c scruple d conviction
8implicit a difficult b unspoken c written d faithful
1complaisant 1relating to written matter
2context 2unchangeable
3placebo 3underlying meaning
4texual 4eager to please
5placidity 5setting of spoken or written words
6subtext 6harmless substance
7implacable 7excuse hiding a real motive
8pretext 8peacefulness
1autocratic 1recovery
2declaim 2noble
3plutocracy 3noisy din
4acclamation 4government official
5reclamation 5speak formally
6bureaucrat 6ruled by one person
7clamor 7rule by the rich
8aristocrat 8acceptance with cheers

QUIZ FOURTEEN
1needless repetition 1mandate 1commensurate 1prohibit
2required 2undulant 2proscribe 2aspect
3flood 3commendation 3immensity 3engraving
4formal citation 4redundancy 4conscription 4equivalent
5reflect 5inundate 5dimension 5measurable
6direct 6remand 6circumscribe 6limit
7wavy 7mandatory 7mensurable 7hugeness
8send back 8redound 8inscription 8draft
1prevalent 1brave
2virago 2masculinity
3vituosity 3confirm
4virility 4strong woman
5valorous 5skill
6triumvirate 6widespread
7equivalent 7threeperson board
8validate 8similar in value
1sanction a criminalize b punish c trade d approve
2elocution a public opinion b public speaking
c public platform d public transportation
3sacrilege a religion b blasphemy c priest d conviction
4sacrosanct a sacred b churchlike c Christian d priestly
5loquacious a abundant b silent c talkative d informative
6sanctuary a belief b holiness c cemetery d refuge
7colloquial a slangy b disrespectful c conversational d uneducated
8circumlocution a exaggeration b excess of words c falsehood d confusion
1excrescence a disgust b outgrowth c extremity d unusual formation
2suffuse a overwhelm b flow c spread through d inject
3accrection a layer b eruption c decision d buildup
4effusive a emotional b gradual c continual d general
5increment a entrance b slight increase c construction d income
6diffuse a consider b make harmless c spread widely d pour in
7crescent a pieshaped b halffull c stickleshaped d increasing
8profusion a distinction b abundance c addition d completion
1ascendancy a growth b climb c control d rank
2extenuating a partly balding b partly excusing c partly specific d partly mending
3descendant a offspring b ancestor c cousin d forerunner
4tenure a teaching b term of office c election d grasp
5transcend a exceed b astound c fulfill d transform
6attenuate a make free b make late c make friends d make thin
7condescend a stoop b remove c agree d reject
8tenuous a stretching b tender c insubstantial d arranged
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