Vocabulary Lessons 1-10

epicure

-1) noun -from Epicurus, a Greek philosopher -a person with refined taste, especially in food and drink -The epicure rejected the waiter's suggestion of a cheeseburger and ordered a fine steak.

critique

-a) noun -a detailed review; an evaluation -The students wrote a critique of the new school lunches -b) verb -to review, discuss, or evaluate -After I watch a movie, I usually like to critique it with my friends

quibble

-a) verb - to criticize, argue, or raise objections over something unimportant -The rest of the team waited impatiently as the two players quibbled about who'd lost the ball -b) noun -an unimportant complaint -Everyone ignored Tom's quibble about doctors who don't say "please" or "thank you" when they are performing open-heart surgery

hamper

-a) verb -to prevent from moving freely or making progress; to limit -Chuck's painfully tight shoes hampered him on the dance floor -b) noun -a large basket, usually with a cover -The hamper in the bathroom was overflowing with dirty clothes

dupe

-a) verb -to take advantage of people by tricking or fooling them -When the couple saw that the vacation home they had rented was in a swamp, they realized they had been duped -b) noun -someone tricked and taken advantage of -Because he was too trusting, Mel became the dupe of dishonest financial advisers, who got him to invest in a phony get-rich-quick scheme

standard

-a)adjective -conforming to the established language used by educated speakers -Standard English is used by practically all television news announcers. -b)noun -something established as a measure of quality -The Pulitzer Prize sets the standard for high-quality journalism.

vernacular

-a)noun -everyday language, rather than literary language -Expressions like "OK" and "bye-bye" are part of English vernacular. -b)noun -the native language or dialect of a country, place, or group -mark Twain is well known for his use of Southern vernacular -c) adjective -commonly spoken by a region or group -The vernacular expression "Y'all" is common in the southern United States.

-impressionistic

-adjective -a) describing a highly personal, individual response to experience -Stephen Crane's novel The Red Badge of Courage shows a young soldier's impressionistic view of a war -b) reflecting a style of painting of the late nineteenth century that focuses on a personal or momentary view of something -Claude Monet's impressionistic paintings are filled with deliberate blurs that emphasize the effect of sunlight on objects

subliminal

-adjective -below the threshold of conscious bought; not detectable, but able to bring about a response -In an infamous advertising campaign, subliminal messages urging people to buy snacks were flashed on movie screens for a fraction of a second

indisputable

-adjective -beyond doubt or question; certain -The indisputable evidence established the defendant's guilt and brought about his conviction

quixotic

-adjective -from Don Quixote, a 1604 Spanish novel -dedicated to unreachable goals; idealistic but not practical -Marc spent four years in a quixotic struggle to block construction of a highway through his neighborhood

jovial

-adjective -from Latin Iovis, "Jupiter," king of the Roman gods -jolly; filled with good cheer -Plenty of food and lots of jokes contributed to the jovial atmosphere at the party

saturnine

-adjective -from Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture -gloomy and sullen -Sitting alone, the saturnine old man pondered his lifetime of bad luck

Sisyphean

-adjective -from Sisyphus, a mythological Greek king -requiring endless effort; without result or success -Trying to rake the leaves on a windy day is a Sisyphean task

perceptive

-adjective -marked by understanding or awareness; sharp; sensitive -Darren's perceptive comments about the story showed that he understood the caracters' motives

archaic

-adjective -no longer used or applicable; ancient -The word thou and thee were once common, but are now archaic.

laudable

-adjective -worthy of praise and honor -volunteering at an animal shelter is a laudable activity

cessation

-noun -a bringing or coming to an end; a halt -The cessation of the loud drilling, from outside, enabled Ricardo to continue his flute lesson

premonition

-noun -a feeling that something will happen in the future; an advance warning -I had a premonition that my biology teacher would give us a surprise quiz

apologist

-noun -a person who speaks in defense of a person, an idea, or a position -The apologist for the striking players argued that they were only asking for their fair share of the wealth they helped to bring in

pidgin

-noun -a simplified form of speech developed from two or more languages -Tok Pisin is a pidgin of German, English, and native languages spoken in Papua, New Guinea.

eulogy

-noun -a tribute; spoken or written praise, often given in honor of a person who has died -Mr. Solaway delivered the eulogy at his father's funeral

fallacy

-noun -a) a false belief -It is a fallacy to think that the best candidate will always win the election -b) faulty and illogical reasoning -The talk show host lost viewer confidence because his arguments were often full of fallacies

jargon

-noun -a) a specialized vocabulary of a profession or trade - Expressions like subgalial hematoma and split sagittal suture are part of medical jargon. -b)nonsensical or meaningless communication -The state report on local taxes was just jargon to most readers.

accolade

-noun -a) great praise -The drama coach gave the cast accolades for their performances -b) an award -The Nobel Prize is an accolade given for work that benefits humanity

myopia

-noun -a) lack of planning for the future; shortsightedness -Myopia among the city planners resulted in overcrowding and poor living conditions -b) nearsightedness; a condition in which distant objects appear blurred -Myopia prevented her from driving without wearing her glasses

semantics

-noun -a) the study of meaning and word interpretation -Writers and other people who work with words are usually interested in semantics. -b) the exact meaning of a word -Let's not argue over the semantics of the word suburb.

adulation

-noun -adoration; excessive praise or flattery -Known for her style, charm, and ability to speak many languages, Jacqueline Kennedy received worldwide adulation

idiom

-noun -an expression with a special meaning that cannot be understood from the meanings of the individual words; a non literal expression -English has many idioms that use the word put, including " to put up with," "a put down," and "to put across."

discernment

-noun -excellent judgement and insight; skill in perceiving -The chess player was known for her keen discernment of opponents' weaknesses

atlas

-noun -from Atlas, a mythological Greek giant -a book or bound collection of maps -We consulted two atlases to chart our trip of the California coast

nemesis

-noun -from Nemesis, the Greek goddess of righteous revenge -a) A source of harm or ruin; an opponent that cannot be defeated -A harsh winter proved to be the nemesis of the invading army -b) One who inflicts retribution or vengeance -Lucy's nemesis spread gossip about her every day in a desperate attempt to get back at her.

Pyrrhic victory

-noun -from Pyrrhus, a king in ancient Greece -a victory that is offset by staggering losses or that comes at a huge price -The general looked upon his few surviving soldiers and realized that he had won only a Pyrrhic victory

solecism

-noun -from Soloi, an Athenian colony where an improper form of dialect was spoken -a) a nonstandard or improper use of language -Ain't is a solecism in formal situations -b) a mistake in manners or behavior -Spearing meat with a knife and then lifting it to your mouth is considered a solecism in polite society.

connotation

-noun -ideas or meanings suggested by a word; associations that go beyond a word's literal meaning -Whereas the word slender has a positive connotation, the word skinny has a negative one.

homage

-noun -publicly expressed honor or respect -In her inauguration speech, the new mayor payed homage to the former mayor for his many achievements in office

anathema

-noun -something or someone that is greatly hated and avoided -Slavery is anathema to most modern people

obstruction

-noun -something that blocks or gets in the way; an obstacle -The landslide created an obstruction, blocking traffic on the freeway

red herring

-noun -something that draws attention away from the main issue -The campaign's focus on the candidate's "likability" was a red herring meant to distract voters from his lack of experience and shady past

argot

-noun -the informal, specialized vocabulary or expressions of a particular group -In the argot of editing and publishing, TK means "to come later," and stet means "let it stand," or "do not change as marked.:

denotation

-noun -the most direct or specific meaning of a word -The denotation of the word apartment is "a residence located in a building where there are other residences."

subside

-verb -a) to sink to a lower or more normal level -It took days for the floodwaters to subside -b) to become less active or intense -After Meredith read the test, her fear of failing subsided

galvanize

-verb -from Luigi Galvani, an Italian scientist -to stimulate or urge into action; to spur -A recent increase in roadside litter galvanized the Keep Our Town Beautiful committee

scuttle

-verb -ro run or move with short, hurried movements; to scurry -The students scuttled across the yard and entered the classroom just before the bell rang

commence

-verb -to begin -The race commenced as the referee swiftly lowered the flag

reproach

-verb -to criticize or express disapproval -Whitney's boss reproached her for showing up an hour late three days in a row

procrastinate

-verb -to delay; to put off doing something -Martin was supposed to take out the garbage, but the procrastinated so long that the kitchen began to smell

dissuade

-verb -to discourage from doing something through persuasion -The experienced camper tried to dissuade the eleven-year old from attempting the difficult hike

infer

-verb -to draw a conclusion from evidence -I inferred from her smiling face that she was happy

behold

-verb -to gaze at or look upon -The Grand Canyon at sunset is truly a sight to behold

commend

-verb -to give approval or praise -The governor commended the students for their assistance during the recent flow

imply

-verb -to hint; to suggest indirectly -A frown implies unhappiness or dissatisfaction

preclude

-verb -to make impossible or unlikely; to prevent -The very cold temperature precludes the possibility of finding liquid water here

envision

-verb -to picture in the mind; to imagine -Vivian envisioned how her life would change once she became an actress

thwart

-verb -to prevent from taking place; frustrate;block -A swarm of bees thwarted our plan for a picnic

deter

-verb -to prevent or discourage from acting, by means of fear or doubt -The iciness of the roads deterred us from driving

refute

-verb -to prove to be false or invalid; to deny the accuracy or truth of -With a few well-chosen words, she completely refuted his argument

foresee

-verb -to see or know ahead of time -City planners were not able to foresee that a hurricane would destroy the new library

gape

-verb -to stare in amazement, often with the mouth wide open -The patrons stood and gaped at the movie stars, who were filming a scene in the local department store

LESSON 2

LESSON 2

LESSON 3

LESSON 3