vocabulary cartoons unit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
prototype
a mental image or best example of a category
hoax
a practical joke; a trick
endorse
approve; support
fervor
intense and passionate feeling
obsolete
out-of-date, no longer in use
buffoon
one who amuses with jokes and tricks; a bumbling or ridiculous person, a fool
embark
to go aboard; to make a start; to invest
limber
(adj.) flexible; (v.) to cause to become flexible
shoddy
(adj.) of poor quality; characterized by inferior workmanship
whimsical
(adj.) subject to odd ideas, notions, or fancies; playful; unpredictable
sleazy
(adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable
awry
(adj., adv.) in a turned or twisted position or direction; wrong, out of the right or hoped-for course
shamble
(n.) a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess
enamor
(v.) to fill with love, fascinate, usually used in passive form followed by "of" or "with" (I grew enamored of that boy when he quoted my favorite love poem.)
retrieve
(v.) to find and bring back, get back; to put right, make good
dovetail
(v.) to fit together exactly; to connect so as to form a whole; (n.) a carpentry figure resembling a dove's tail
falter
(v.) to hesitate, stumble, lose courage; to speak hesitatingly; to lose drive, weaken, decline
prevail
(v.) to triumph over; to succeed; to exist widely, be in general use; to get someone to do something by urging
perturb
(v.) to trouble, make uneasy; to disturb greatly; to throw into confusion
avert
(v.) to turn aside, turn away; to prevent, avoid
encumber
(v.) to weigh down or burden (with difficulties, cares, debt, etc.); to fill up, block up, hinder
bulletin
A brief announcement of public interest; a small publication published regularly
afloat
A floating condition; awash, flooded
parallel
A line of latitude
underdog
A loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest
parapet
A low wall or railing
zigzag
A series of turns in different directions that nevertheless proceed in a general direction
fowl
Any bird raised or hunted for food; the meat of that bird
elegant
Characterized or exhibiting elegance; excellent
horizontal
Going straight across from side to sidebli
climate
Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
harsh
Rough and unpleasant to the senses.
vertical
Straight up and down; a direction at right angles to the horizon
remainder
The amount left over when one number is divided by another.
amble
To casually walk; stroll
wean
To withdraw from any type of habit
catamaran
a boat with two parallel hulls
qualm
a feeling of uneasiness
fleet
a group of cars, boats, or other type of vessels
adage
a proverb, wise saying
wad
a small mass of soft material squeezed into a ball
magnate
a wealthy, influential person, especially in business
agility
ability to move quickly and easily
literate
able to read and write
fertile
able to reproduce children, seeds, or fruits; highly productive
passive
accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance.
intuition
an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning
famine
an extreme shortage of food
quack
an unqualified or fake doctor, charlatan
acclaim
applaud; announce with great approval
Aqueduct
artificial channel for conducting water over a distance
waft
be driven or carried along, as by the air
felon
criminal
calamity
disaster
zeal
enthusiasm
innate
existing from birth, inborn
aghast
feeling great dismay or horror
porous
full of tiny holes
fetch
go or come after and bring or take back
colossal
huge; gigantic
splice
join, bind, attach
guerrillas
members of an irregular military force operating in small bands behind enemy lines
prance
move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently)
adjacent
near, next to, adjoining
bliss
perfect happiness, joy
succor
relief, help in time of distress or want
resident
someone who lives in a particular place
swelter
suffer from oppressive heat
Culture
the developed pattern of ones knowledge, beliefs and behavior
obtain
to get
carp
to complain or find fault in a petty or nagging way
wail
to cry out loudly
abound
to exist in great numbers
utter
to express by speaking
dread
to fear greatly
embed
to fix in a surrounding mass
conceal
to hide or keep secret, to place out of sight
stifle
to hold back
encroach
to infringe; to intrude; to trespass
shun
to keep away from; avoid
abduct
to kidnap, carry off by force
inhabit
to live or dwell in
flounder
to move clumsily; to struggle or proceed with difficulty; also a flat fish
transpire
to occur; happen; take place
outfox
to outwit; to overcome by cunning or cleverness
hypnotize
to put into a sleep-like state
allude
to refer to casually or indirectly
scamper
to run or move quickly or playfully
enroll
to sign up to become a member of some group or activity; to register
gape
to stare with open mouth; to open the mouth wide; to open wide
survive
to stay alive
dismantle
to take apart
goad
to urge, prick or push
drench
to wet thoroughly, to soak
runt
undersized; a small animal or person
inept
unskilled; clumsy
smitten
very much in love
wary
watchful, alert
despite
without being affected by; in spite of