Vocabulary Builder Unit 2

sequential

(1) Arranged in order or in a series. (2) Following in a series.

definitive

(1) Authoritative and final. (2) Specifying perfectly or precisely.

psychedelic

(1) Of or relating to a drug (such as LSD) that produces abnormal and often extreme mental effects such as hallucinations. (2) Imitating the effects of psychedelic drugs.

susceptible

(1) Open to some influence; responsive. (2) Able to be submitted to an action or process.

induce

(1) Persuade, influence. (2) Bring about.

consequential

(1) Resulting. (2) Important.

deduction

(1) Subtraction. (2) The reaching of a conclusion by reasoning.

seduction

(1) Temptation to sin, especially temptation to sexual intercourse. (2) Attraction or charm.

reception

(1) The act of receiving. (2) A social gathering where guests are formally welcomed.

confine

(1) To keep (someone or something) within limits. (2) To hold (someone) in a location.

retract

(1) To pull back (something) into something larger. (2) To take back (something said or written).

megalomaniac

A mental disorder marked by feelings of great personal power and importance.

kleptomania

A mental illness in which a person has a strong desire to steal things.

dipsomaniac

A person with an extreme and uncontrollable desire for alcohol.

non sequitur

A statement that does not follow logically from anything previously said.

projection

An estimate of what might happen in the future based on what is happening now.

CEPT

CEPT comes from the Latin verb meaning "take, seize." Capture, which is what a captor has done to a captive, has the same meaning. Captivate once meant literally "capture," but now means only to capture mentally through charm or appeal. But in some other English words this root produces, such as those below, its meaning is harder to find.

psychosomatic

Caused by mental or emotional problems rather than by physical illness.

DUC/DUCT

DUC/DUCT, from the Latin verb ducere, "to lead," shows up regularly in English. Duke means basically "leader." The Italian dictator Mussolini was known simply as Il Duce, "the leader." But such words as produce and reduce also contain the root, even though their meanings show it less clearly.

protracted

Drawn out, continued, or extended.

infinitesimal

Extremely or immeasurably small.

FIN

FIN comes from the Latin word for "end" or "boundary." Final describes last things, and a finale or a finish is an ending. (And at the end of a French film, you may just see the word "Fin.") But its meaning is harder to trace in some of the other English words derived from it.

subsequent

Following in time, order, or place; later.

Dionysian

Frenzied, delirious.

bacchanalian

Frenzied, orgiastic.

Apollonian

Harmonious, ordered, rational, calm.

finite

Having definite limits.

mercurial

Having rapid and unpredictable changes of mood.

venereal

Having to do with sexual intercourse or diseases transmitted by it.

JECT

JECT comes from jacere, the Latin verb meaning "throw" or "hurl." To reject something is to throw (or push) it back; to eject something is to throw (or drive) it out; and to inject something is to throw (or squirt) it into something else.

jovial

Jolly, good-natured.

Olympian

Lofty, superior, and detached.

MANIA

MANIA in Latin means "madness," and the meaning passed over into English unchanged. Our word mania can mean a mental illness, or at least an excessive enthusiasm. We might call someone a maniac who was wild, violent, and mentally ill—or maybe just really enthusiastic about something. Too much caffeine might make you a bit manic. But the intense mood swings once known as manic-depressive illness are now usually called bipolar disorder instead.

intractable

Not easily handled, led, taught, or controlled.

perceptible

Noticeable or able to be felt by the senses.

psychotherapist

One who treats mental or emotional disorder or related bodily ills by psychological means.

PSYCH

PSYCH comes from the Greek word psyche, meaning "breath, life, soul." Psychology is the science of mind and behavior, and a psychologist treats or studies the mental problems of individuals and groups. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with mental and emotional disorders, and a psychiatrist (like any other doctor) may prescribe drugs to treat them.

SEQU

SEQU comes from the Latin verb sequi, meaning "to follow." A sequel follows the original novel, film, or television show.

egomaniac

Someone who is extremely self-centered and ignores the problems and concerns of others.

psyche

Soul, personality, mind.

TRACT

TRACT comes from trahere, the Latin verb meaning "drag or draw." Something attractive draws us toward it. Something distracting pulls your attention away. And when you extract something from behind the sofa, you drag it out.

conducive

Tending to promote, encourage, or assist; helpful.

trajectory

The curved path that an object makes in space, or that a thrown object follows as it rises and falls to earth.

traction

The friction that allows a moving thing to move over a surface without slipping.

conjecture

To guess.

interject

To interrupt a conversation with a comment or remark.

intercept

To stop, seize, or interrupt (something or someone) before arrival.

delphic

Unclear, ambiguous, or confusing.