Week One Vocab

Question 0

caterwaul

(noun) - a screeching, wailing noise
(verb) - to howl or screech like a cat

Answer 0

Synonyms: whine, wail
Etymology:
- “cater” Middle English
- “waul” Old English variant

Question 1

bellwether

(noun) - a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking
- the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse

Answer 1

Synonyms: ringleader, forerunner
Etymology: Middle English
- A castrated male sheep, who wears a literal bell
to guide the rest of the flock to the slaughterhouse

Question 2

effete
(adjective) - lacking in wholesome vigor or energy;
worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce

Answer 2

Synonyms: enfeebled, decadent
Etymology: Latin “out of”

Question 3

chimerical

(adjective) - absurd, wildly fantastic, impossible

Answer 3

Synonyms: pie-in-the-sky, quixotic
Etymology: Greek mythical fire-beast thingy

Question 4

Adjunct
(noun) - something added to something else as a helpful or useful
but not necessary element: an assistant or helper
(adjective) - added or connected in a subordinate capacity

Answer 4

Synonyms: association, addition
Etymology: Latin “adjunctus”