ENGLISH VOCABULARY #2 (A2 COURSE) Flashcards
definition:
- a diplomat of the highest rank; accredited as representative from one country to another
- an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.
- a diplomat of the highest rank who acts as a spokesperson for his country while residing in another nation
(n)
An _______ is an official representative for his or her country, stationed in another nation, like Benjamin Franklin, who was an _______ to France.
_______ usually describes the official diplomatic envoy who represents one country to another. These _______s work to promote understanding, perhaps by settling differences or clearing up misunderstanding. Used less formally, an _______ can be anyone who represents something, like a pop singer who is a “brand _______” for a cosmetics company.
ambassador (n)
definition:
- a diplomat of the highest rank; accredited as representative from one country to another
- an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.
- a diplomat of the highest rank who acts as a spokesperson for his country while residing in another nation
defintion:
- giving an advantage
- helpful or useful and likely to make you more successful
- involving or creating favorable circumstances that increase the chances of success or effectiveness; beneficial.
(adj)
The adjective _______ is useful for talking about things that are beneficial, or helpful, like when you find an _______ spot to hang your yard sale sign, a spot where all the passing cars can see it.
Anything that creates an _______ is _______. You could describe your decision to throw a huge party as _______ for your social life, or the cooking class you took as _______ to the success of your catering business. If it helps you get what you want, or is generally useful, it’s _______. Anything that assists in your pursuit of these things is _______ to you.
advantageous (adj)
advantage (n)
defintion:
- giving an advantage
- helpful or useful and likely to make you more successful
- involving or creating favorable circumstances that increase the chances of success or effectiveness; beneficial.
defintion:
- to make something workable or possible
- render capable or able for some task
- give (someone or something) the authority or means to do something.
(v)
When you make something possible, you _____ it. Your good grades might _____ you to get into your first-choice college. And a great teacher _____d you to get such good grades.
_____ has taken on the meaning of allowing or even helping someone continue to do something they really shouldn’t. If your mother writes note after note to get you out of school for no good reason, she is _____ing your habit of playing hooky. While you might think she’s being cool, a therapist might call her an _____er and give her part of the blame.
enable (v)
enabler (n)
defintion:
- to make something workable or possible
- render capable or able for some task
- give (someone or something) the authority or means to do something.
defintion:
- a refutation or contradiction.
- the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument
- an account that is written or stated to contradict another idea
(n)
When two people debate, one of them makes an argument, and the other follows with a _____, which, plainly put, is the “no, you’re wrong and this is why” argument.
We often associate _____s with arguments made in the courtroom or public debates that occur around election time, but the word can really apply to any situation in which an argument is put forth and someone disagrees, and explains why. Sports fans, for instance, like to argue about the likely winner of an upcoming game and when you make a case for why your friend is wrong, you are offering a _____ of his argument.
rebuttal (n)
defintion:
- a refutation or contradiction.
- the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument
- an account that is written or stated to contradict another idea
defintion:
- to put into effect
- put (a decision, plan, agreement, etc.) into effect.
- apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design
(v)
Apply the noun _______ when you want to use a fancy word for “tool.” A knife and fork are _______s for handling food.
The noun _______ is a very useful word for just about anything you want to describe as a tool or a thing that helps you do something. An _______ can be as simple as chimpanzees using a stick to eat ants with or a bulldozer that moves huge amounts of earth in building. The word relates to something that “fills up” a house, as in all sorts of things that allow a house to work properly.
implement (v)
implentation (n)
defintion:
- to put into effect
- put (a decision, plan, agreement, etc.) into effect.
- apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design
defintion:
- drawn toward a center or brought under the control of a central authority
- concentrate (control of an activity or organization) under a single authority.
- bring (activities or processes) together in one place.
(v)
centralize (v)
centralization (n)
defintion:
- drawn toward a center or brought under the control of a central authority
- concentrate (control of an activity or organization) under a single authority.
- bring (activities or processes) together in one place.
defintion:
- overwhelm with things or people
- fill or cover completely, usually with water; to flood
- fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid
- overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with.
(v)
To _______ means to quickly fill up or overwhelm, just like a flood. Your bathroom could be _______d with water if the pipes burst, and hopefully your inbox is _______d with nice emails on your birthday.
Commonly used to refer to a deluge of water, _______ can also refer to an overflow of something less tangible, like information. Right before the holidays, toy stores are often _______d with eager parents scrambling to get the latest action figures and video games. Attempt to read the entire dictionary in one sitting and you’ll _______ your mind with vocabulary. But you probably won’t remember any of it tomorrow.
inundate (v)
defintion:
- overwhelm with things or people
- fill or cover completely, usually with water; to flood
- fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid
- overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with.
defintion:
- exclude someone
- exclude (someone) from a society or group.
- expel from a community or group; avoid speaking to or dealing with
(v)
If you banish someone or ignore him, you ______ him. When the Iranian president claimed that the Holocaust was a hoax, he was ______d by the international community.
Ostraka is an ancient Greek word for pottery shard. Thousands of years ago, in the Greek city of Athens, there was a public process where you would write the name of someone you wanted to kick out of town on a broken ceramic fragment. If enough Athenians wrote the same name, that person was sent away for ten years. This process was called an ______.
ostracize (v)
defintion:
- exclude someone
- exclude (someone) from a society or group.
- expel from a community or group; avoid speaking to or dealing with
defintion:
- sudden behavior change
- determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
- given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
(adj)
_______ is an adjective to describe a person or thing that’s impulsive and unpredictable, like a bride who suddenly leaves her groom standing at the wedding altar.
You can criticize a fickle-minded person as _______, but it could just as well describe quickly changing weather, as in “_______ spring storms.” It’s the adjective form of the noun which means a sudden change of mood. It might come from the Italian word for “goat” (because goats are frisky), or from capo, “head” + riccio, “hedgehog.” Why bring hedgehogs into it? If you have a “hedgehog head,” you are so scared that your hair is standing straight on end. A scared person makes sudden starts this way and that, just as a _______ person does.
capricious (adj)
defintion:
- sudden behavior change
- determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
- given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
defintion:
- combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole.
- to put together
- form into a solid mass or whole
- make or form into a solid or hardened mass
- unite into one
- bring together into a single whole or system
(v)
_______ means to bring together. If you _______ student loans, you put them all together into one big loan. If you _______ your childhood toys, you grab them all up and put them in one place. Preferably a toy box.
_______ comes from the Latin roots com- (“together”) and solidare (“to make solid”). So, _______ is to bring things together to make something solid, stronger, or easier to handle. A general might _______ his troops, a librarian might _______ his grammar books, and someone with credit-card debt might _______ the debt from different cards onto one.
consolidate (v)
consolidation (n)
defintion:
- combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole.
- to put together
- form into a solid mass or whole
- make or form into a solid or hardened mass
- unite into one
- bring together into a single whole or system
defintion:
- the act of comforting; giving relief in affliction
- the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment.
- comfort or reward given to someone who has lost something or someone
(n)
_______ is something that makes someone feel better after they’re disappointed or sad.
This is a word for things that try to ——- someone. A _______- prize isn’t as good as first prize, but it’s better than nothing. A hug is little _______ when you’ve had your heart broken. You give someone _______ when try to cheer them up. _______ can be the act of making someone feel better, like trying to make them laugh, but it can also be something that makes someone happy, like a plate of warm cookies.
consolation (n)
console (v)
similar word: solace
defintion:
- the act of comforting; giving relief in affliction
- the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment.
- comfort or reward given to someone who has lost something or someone
defintion:
- (n) marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
- shrewdness and practical knowledge; the ability to make good judgments.
- sharp; perceptive
- (adj) shrewd and knowledgeable; having common sense and good judgment.
You are known as someone with a lot of business ______, but only because you’ve managed to keep your staggering debts a secret. Which is actually pretty ______. Someone who is ______ is shrewd and perceptive.
Most English words stem directly from other European languages, like French and Latin. Not ______. It comes from the West Indies, a twist on the French savez vous? — “Do you know?” ______ was first recorded in its adjective form in 1905. Synonyms for the noun form include acumen, discernment, grasp, perception, and sharpness.
s____
savvy (adj) (n)
defintion:
- (n) marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
- shrewdness and practical knowledge; the ability to make good judgments.
- sharp; perceptive
- (adj) shrewd and knowledgeable; having common sense and good judgment.
defintion:
- someone who offers opposition
- one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute
(n)
An _______ is an enemy or someone who opposes someone else. In tennis, you stand across the net from your _______.
_______ is related to the word meaning “against or contrary” —so think of an _______ as someone whom you are fighting against. If you’re the undefeated chess champion, you have bested every single one of your _______s.
adv______y
adversary (n)
adversarial (adj)
defintion:
- someone who offers opposition
- one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute
defintion:
- equipment designed to serve a specific function
- the tools, equipment, and machinery you use for particular purposes
- the technical equipment or machinery needed for a particular activity or purpose.
(n)
Your _____ is the collective equipment you use for specific purposes. For example, the _____ used for scuba diving includes goggles, flippers, and a breathing tank, while a surgeon’s _____ includes various scalpels and clamps. Different activities, different _____s.
The noun _____ evolved from the Latin meaning “equipment or preparation.” It might refer to one item, (a breathing _____) or a group of items (sports _____). Here’s a spelling tip: often, when a word ends in -us, the plural ending changes to i — “alumnus/alumni,” “focus/foci.” However, _____ is part of the group that doesn’t change — words like “virus/viruses” or “census/censuses.” This means the plural is either _____ or _____, though the latter is more common.
app______s
apparatus (n)
defintion:
- equipment designed to serve a specific function
- the tools, equipment, and machinery you use for particular purposes
- the technical equipment or machinery needed for a particular activity or purpose.
definition:
- (v) (of an army) withdraw from enemy forces as a result of their superior power or after a defeat.
- (n) an act of moving back or withdrawing.
- the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
- a private event or place where a person goes to relax
The noun _______ means a place you can go to be alone, to get away from it all. A spot under a shady tree might be your favorite _______ from the sun, or your bedroom in the basement may serve as a _______ from your siblings.
In the military sense, the noun _______ means the withdrawal of troops. The British _______ after the Battles of Lexington and Concord gave the American colonists an early taste of victory during the American Revolution. As a verb, _______ means to back out of something — like a lawyer who is forced to _______ from his argument when the opposing evidence is too convincing.
ret___t
retreat (v)
definition:
- (v) (of an army) withdraw from enemy forces as a result of their superior power or after a defeat.
- (n) an act of moving back or withdrawing.
- the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
- a private event or place where a person goes to relax
definition:
- beyond the usual course of legal proceedings; legally unwarranted
- (of a sentence) not legally authorized.
- (of a settlement, statement, or confession) not made in court; out-of-court.
(adj)
Something that’s _______ isn’t backed or upheld by the law. Taking revenge on someone instead of taking them to court is an _______ punishment.
If a prisoner is executed without an official trial in a court, it’s _______, and if police officers shoot and kill a suspect instead of arresting him, that would also be _______. Both examples happen outside of the legal process, and without the checks and balances that the law provides. _______ comes from the Latin root words extra, “outside of,” and iudicalis, “belonging to a court of justice.”
ex__jud____l
extrajudicial (adj)
definition:
- beyond the usual course of legal proceedings; legally unwarranted
- (of a sentence) not legally authorized.
- (of a settlement, statement, or confession) not made in court; out-of-court.
definition:
- inducing pleasurable or erotic sensations
- sexually exciting or gratifying
- marked by the appetites and passions of the body
- relating to or involving gratification of the senses and physical, especially sexual, pleasure.
(adj)
_______ means physically pleasing. It often is used in a sexual context, but is not exclusively sexual in meaning.
_______ has to do with the five senses, but it comes with a hint of lewdness, a suggestion of sex. Although you could have a _______ meal or experience that doesn’t involve romance, if you want a word that refers to the five senses without any unsavory connotations, use its cousin _______ous.
sen____l
sensual (adj)
sensuous (adj)
sensuality (n)
definition:
- inducing pleasurable or erotic sensations
- sexually exciting or gratifying
- marked by the appetites and passions of the body
- relating to or involving gratification of the senses and physical, especially sexual, pleasure.
defintion:
- (n) a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.
- a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill
- (v) move skillfully or carefully.
- to steer something with a purpose
- carefully guide or manipulate (someone or something) in order to achieve an end.
You _______ your way through a crowd, a bureaucracy, traffic, or traffic cones. You can _______ a car or a piece of machinery. Army _______s are highly coordinated movements of troops, supplies and machinery.
If you’re wondering if the opposite of _______ is woman-euver, wonder no further. It isn’t. Although _______ing often involves a man on the move, the man- comes from the Latin manus meaning “hand.” _______ reached English via the French manœuvre meaning “tactical movement” — an interesting _______ in its own right.
m_____ver
maneuver (v) (n)
defintion:
- (n) a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.
- a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill
- (v) move skillfully or carefully.
- to steer something with a purpose
- carefully guide or manipulate (someone or something) in order to achieve an end.
definition:
- occur; happen.
- to occur or take place
- come about, happen, or occur
(v)
_______ is a fancy way of saying “happen.” You might go to a fortune teller to find out what will _______ in the future.
Originally used to express when information became known or came to light, many purists will tell you that’s really the best way to use _______. It can also mean releasing vapor into the air, like when a plant _______s water through its leaves on a hot day. Note: you’ll usually encounter this word in its past tense: for example, “We had to watch the replay to figure out what had _______ed.”
tra_____ire
transpire (v)
definition:
- occur; happen.
- to occur or take place
- come about, happen, or occur
defintion:
- (n) a person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.
- a person who opposes the current political structure, group or laws; one who disagrees
- (adj) in opposition to official policy
- characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards
If you are a _______, you are a person who is rebelling against a government. _______s can do their work peacefully or with violence.
_______ is closely related to the word, _______, which means objecting. People who are _______s show their _______. Catholic priests who advocate allowing women into the priesthood could be called _______s, as could the Puritans who left England to live in colonial America. As an adjective, a _______ member of a group is one who disagrees with the majority of members.
dis_____ent
dissident (n)
dissent (v)
defintion:
- (n) a person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.
- a person who opposes the current political structure, group or laws; one who disagrees
- (adj) in opposition to official policy
- characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards
(phrase) To expose a false idea or belief that people have, stop them having it.
(phrase) “dispel the myth”
defintion:
- next to or adjoining something else.
- lying next to, close, or contiguous; neighboring
- having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching
(adj)
_______ means close to or near something. You may consider the people up and down your street to be neighbors, but your next-door neighbor is the person who lives in the house or apartment _______ to yours.
_______ can refer to two things that touch each other or have the same wall or border. And the adjective is often followed by the preposition to: Her office is _______ to mine. This word is from Latin “to lie near,” from the prefix ad- “to” plus jacere “to lie, throw.”
ad______nt
adjacent (adj)
defintion:
- next to or adjoining something else.
- lying next to, close, or contiguous; neighboring
- having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching
definition:
- for or by a group rather than individuals
- shared by all members of a community; for common use.
- used to describe something that is shared by or available to all members of a specific community
(adj)
If a pool is ______, it can be used by the members of the community that owns it.
A ______ well in a town without plumbing is a great idea. Until it runs dry, everyone can take responsibility for caring for their water source. A ______ drinking cup is not such a great idea, accompanied as it is by possible infection.
c_______l
communal (adj)
commune (n)
community (n)
definition:
- for or by a group rather than individuals
- shared by all members of a community; for common use.
- used to describe something that is shared by or available to all members of a specific community
definition:
- a lengthy journey during which many events occur
- a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience.
- a long wandering and eventful journey
(n)
Ever since Homer’s epic poem The _______ told the story of warrior _______us’ ten-year journey home from Troy, _______ has meant any epic journey.
As with the word journey, _______ has both a literal meaning and a figurative one. A cross-country drive in which your car breaks down can be an _______, but so can the journey from orientation to finals that is the freshman year of college.
od______y
odyssey (n)
definition:
- a lengthy journey during which many events occur
- a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience.
- a long wandering and eventful journey
definition:
- expressed or shown on the outside
- give external existence or form to.
- make external or objective, or give reality to
(v)
If you _______ something, you show or express it on the outside. You can _______ your anger at the poor quality of the food at the restaurant, but the other patrons would probably prefer you didn’t rant at the waiter in front of them — so would the waiter.
Psychologically speaking, _______ is the opposite of internalize. You can _______ your fears in a constructive way by writing about them or drawing them, which will help you make sense of them. This is a much better solution than internalizing your fears, because you need to face them and deal with them once and for all. If you keep them bottled up, it is just like to cause you anxiety.
ex_______ze
externalize (v)
externalization (n)
antonym: internalize
definition:
- expresse or shown on the outside
- give external existence or form to.
- make external or objective, or give reality to
definition:
- having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
- uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
- uncertain as to which path to take
(adj)
If you can’t decide how you feel about something, declare yourself _______ about it.
_______ means “having mixed feelings about something.” A Swiss psychologist named Eugen Bleuler coined the German word in the early twentieth century, and it was soon imported into English. Bleuler combined the Latin prefix meaning “both,” with valentia, “strength.” So etymologically speaking, if you’re _______ you’re being pulled by two equally strong things, but in practice, _______nce often arises from caring very little either way. You might feel _______ about your lunch options if you have to choose between a murky stew and flavorless tofu.
am________nt
ambivalent (adj)
ambivalence (n)
definition:
- having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
- uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
- uncertain as to which path to take
definition:
- the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation.
- the right of the state to take private property for public use; the Fifth Amendment that was added to the Constitution of the United States requires that just compensation be made
(n)
__________ is the right a government or state has to take property away from someone so it can be used for a public purpose. When a new highway is built, some people often lose part of their land by __________.
__________ is a legal term that’s used when private property is taken for public use, to build a road, building, or public utility, or to protect public safety. Usually, when the government uses __________ to seize a property, it pays the owner what’s considered to be a fair price for the loss. __________ has been around since the early 1600’s, when it appeared in a Dutch legal treatise, the original Latin phrase meaning “supreme lordship.”
emi________ d_____n
eminent domain (n)
definition:
- the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation.
- the right of the state to take private property for public use; the Fifth Amendment that was added to the Constitution of the United States requires that just compensation be made
definition:
- no longer in (or of) use
- no longer produced or used; out of date.
(adj)
Use the adjective _______ for something that is out of date. As the Rolling Stones song “Out of Time” goes, “You’re _______, my baby, my poor old-fashioned baby.”
_______ is from the Latin word “to fall into disuse,” and it is a very handy adjective for anything that is no longer used, from words to factories to computer software to ways of thinking. Something that is _______ has usually been displaced by a newer, shinier innovation. Compact discs made records and cassettes _______, and then downloadable digital music files made compact discs _______.
ob_______te
obsolete (adj)
obsolescence (n)
definition:
- no longer in (or of) use
- no longer produced or used; out of date.
definition:
- make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe.
- to make something less painful, severe, or serious
- provide physical relief, as from pain
(v)
Do all these words make your head ache? If so, take an aspirin to _______, or relieve, your pain.
The verb, _______, stems from the Latin root, levis “light” and is related to modern English words such as elevator and levitate, both words implying a lightening of one’s load. _______ also has this sense of lightening a burden such as physical pain or emotional duress. You can take medicine to _______ symptoms or do exercise to _______ stress. Or if you want a bigger challenge: try _______ing traffic congestion or world hunger.
al_____e
alleviate (v)
alleviation (n)
definition:
- make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe.
- to make something less painful, severe, or serious
- provide physical relief, as from pain
defintion:
- 1. free time.
- free time from doing tasks
- time available for ease and relaxation
- 2. use of free time for enjoyment.
- freedom to choose a pastime or enjoyable activity
(n)
_______ is time off, spare time, sweet sweet freedom from the demands of work. It’s like playtime for grown-ups.
_______ is time away from commitments like work or school. _______ activities might include windsailing, golfing, crocheting a portrait of Betsy Ross, staring at one’s navel, whatever. It’s the freedom to do what the heck you want. It’s not time for punching the clock or writing a paper on the role of matchsticks in the Industrial Revolution; it’s kick-your-shoes-off time. If you read a book at your _______, there’s no rush. _______ is more rare for some than others. “The billionaire was a woman of _______,” but _______ time is a luxury for most.
lei______re
leisure (n)
leisurly (adv)
defintion:
- 1. free time.
- free time from doing tasks
- time available for ease and relaxation
- 2. use of free time for enjoyment.
- freedom to choose a pastime or enjoyable activity
definition:
- an instance of buying or selling something; a business deal.
- the act of transacting within or between groups (as carrying on commercial activities)
- the act of exchanging something for something else, whether it be an idea, goods, money, labor, or alliances
(n)
A _______ is any kind of action involved in conducting business, or an interaction between people. When you go to the bank, fill out a form, and deposit your paycheck, you make a _______.
An important business deal can be called a _______, particularly the buying or selling of goods, but you can call any exchange with another person a _______. There are _______s involving money, ideas, and even e-mail. The Latin root describes an agreement or accomplishment. This led to a mid-15th century version of _______ that described the adjustment of a dispute.
tr_______n
transaction (n)
definition:
- an instance of buying or selling something; a business deal.
- the act of transacting within or between groups (as carrying on commercial activities)
- the act of exchanging something for something else, whether it be an idea, goods, money, labor, or alliances
defintion:
- existing or present but concealed or inactive
- potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
- (of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.
(adj)
________ is an adjective that you use to describe something that is capable of becoming active or at hand, though it is not currently so.
The adjective ________ is a tricky word to define because it refers to something there but not there. That is, ________ means something that is capable of becoming active or at hand but has not yet achieved that state. The word arrived in Middle English from the Latin word which means “to lie hidden.” It can have somewhat negative connotations because it is often used in a medical context, as in a ________ illness or infection, but it can also mean good things, such as someone discovering they have ________ talents or capabilities.
l______nt
latent (adj)
latency (n)
defintion:
- existing or present but concealed or inactive
- potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
- (of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.
definition:
- not as strict or severe as expected.
- quality of mercy or forgiveness
- lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore by judges or parents or teachers
- the fact or quality of being more merciful or tolerant than expected; clemency.
(n)
________ is a noun that refers to the lessening of a punishment or chore. Your father’s ________, for example, resulted in you not having to paint the entire house like your mother wanted. Instead you just had to paint the garage.
________ also refers to a person’s sense of mercy or tolerance. A governor’s ________ could be demonstrated when he pardons the prisoners on death row. ________ comes from the adjective ———, which describes someone who is tolerant or permissive. There are times when too much ________ can backfire, however. If your teacher shows ________ to the loud students who won’t sit still and refuses to punish them, the rest of your class won’t learn much.
len_____y
leniency (n)
lenient (adj)
definition:
- not as strict or severe as expected.
- quality of mercy or forgiveness
- lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore by judges or parents or teachers
- the fact or quality of being more merciful or tolerant than expected; clemency.
definition:
- temporarily inactive or inoperative.
- inactive but capable of becoming active
- something that is not doing anything at this time
(adj)
That old dog was _______ for so long he was confused for a furry doormat, but a doormat is likely to stay _______, or inactive, because it is lifeless: that old dog has some life in him yet.
Volcanoes are described as _______ when they stay cool for a long time, without spewing hot lava and ash. They may have the ability to come to life, but they remain _______, or inactive. _______ comes from French “to sleep,” and it refers to living things that are on a break rather than things that have died. Being _______ is being temporarily at rest, although sometimes, as with some cancer cells, things become permanently — and thankfully — _______.
dormant (adj)
definition:
- temporarily inactive or inoperative.
- inactive but capable of becoming active
- something that is not doing anything at this time
definition:
- to reveal information; disclose
- make (secret or new information) known.
- If you _______ new or secret information, you tell people about it.
- allow (something) to be seen, especially by uncovering it.; uncover
- make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
(v)
_______ means to reveal or expose information that has previously been kept a secret, like a politician might be forced to _______ his finances or former scandals while running for office.
When a politician, corporate executive, or celebrity announces that he or she has something to _______, the public listens. They know that the information they’re about to hear was kept secret for a reason. Something incriminating or juicy is about to be revealed, like a secret affair or plummeting company profits.
di______e
disclose (v)
disclosure (n)
definition:
- to reveal information; disclose
- make (secret or new information) known.
- If you _______ new or secret information, you tell people about it.
- allow (something) to be seen, especially by uncovering it.; uncover
- make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
definition:
- without power to act or move
- unable to move or resist motion
- lacking the ability or strength to move.
- Someone or something that is _____ does not move at all.
(adj)
Something that’s unable to move or moving without much energy can be described as inert. Wind up in a body cast and you’ll find yourself not only itchy, but totally inert.
When motion is restricted or sluggish, or when something or someone appears lifeless, the adjective to use is inert. A dog who’s playing dead is inert, as is a really boring movie. Or for those of you paying attention in chemistry class, you may have heard of inert gases — those elements that won’t react with other elements or form chemical compounds.
in____t
inert (adj)
inertia (n)
definition:
- without power to act or move
- unable to move or resist motion
- lacking the ability or strength to move.
- Someone or something that is _____ does not move at all.
definition:
- a course or route taken
- the path followed by an object moving through space
- The trajectory of a moving object is the path that it follows as it moves.
- The trajectory of something such as a person’s career is the course that it follows over time
- the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces.
(n)
If you stay on your current _______ of constant shopping, dining out, and yacht rentals, you’ll end up broke. A _______ is the path of an object through space, or the path of life that a person chooses.
_______ comes from the Latin word which means “throw across.” If you wanted to describe the path of a jet through the sky, you could refer to the jet’s _______.
tr_____y
trajectory (n)
trajection (n)
definition:
- a course or route taken
- the path followed by an object moving through space
- The trajectory of a moving object is the path that it follows as it moves.
- The trajectory of something such as a person’s career is the course that it follows over time
- the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces.
definition:
- an artificial body part
- artificial replacement for a body part
- the branch of medicine dealing with the production and use of artificial body parts
- an artificial feature or piece of flexible material applied to a person’s face or body to change their appearance temporarily.
(n)
prosthetics (n)
prosthesis (n)
definition:
- an artificial body part; a prosthesis.
- artificial replacement for a body part
- the branch of medicine dealing with the production and use of artificial body parts
- an artificial feature or piece of flexible material applied to a person’s face or body to change their appearance temporarily.
definition:
- to predict the future by looking at information that is already known
- to estimate or conclude (something) by looking at info already known
(v)
When you _______, you use specific details to make a general conclusion. For example, if you travel to Canada and encounter only friendly, kind natives, you might _______ that all Canadians are friendly.
The verb _______ can mean “to predict future outcomes based on known facts.” For example, looking at your current grade report for math and how you are doing in class now, you could _______ that you’ll likely earn a solid B for the year. Another meaning of _______ is “estimate the value of.” You could _______ how much your antique watch is worth by finding how much similar watches sold for at recent auctions.
ex_______e
extrapolate (v)
extrapolation (n)
- definition:*
- to predict the future by looking at information that is already known
definition:
- (of an emotion, feeling, attitude, or sickness) likely to spread to and affect others.
- A feeling or attitude that is ______ spreads quickly among a group of people.
- (of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection
(adj)
You should probably postpone dinner if your date’s cold is _______, that means it’s easily spread and likely to get you sick.
_______ actually evolved from the Latin phrase for “contact.” Those smart ancient Romans, they figured out that the sick and _______ can pass on their plague to those they touch or get close to. So the word _______ usually sends people running. But let’s not forget that a smile or good deed can be just as infectious as a cough!
con_______s
contagious (adj)
contageon (n)
definition:
- (of an emotion, feeling, attitude, or sickness) likely to spread to and affect others.
- A feeling or attitude that is ______ spreads quickly among a group of people.
- (of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection
definition:
- done too soon or too hasty
- occurring or done before the usual or proper time; too early.
(adj)
_______ means “not yet ready.” Something that is _______ arrives early, like a _______ baby born before her due date, or the soggy cake you took out of the oven _______ly.
_______ is a simple word to break down. If a decision is criticized as _______, it means that that decision was made too hastily, and probably would have been different if more time had been taken. If someone dies very young, you might say they died _______ly.
pre______re
premature (adj)
prematurly (adv)
definition:
- done too soon or too hasty
- occurring or done before the usual or proper time; too early.
definition:
- hit or attack (someone) on a side where they are not looking or paying attention
- attacked unsuspectedly or surprised by something unforeseen
- catch (someone) unprepared; attack from an unexpected position.
- attack or hit on or from the side where the attacked person’s view is obstructed
(v)
To _______ is to launch a surprise attack, especially one that comes from an obstructed or hidden place. Your video game army might _______ your friend’s army, resulting in your victory.
If you come up from behind your brother and shove him, you can say that you _______ him. There is also a more figurative way to _______ someone, simply to do or say something the person is utterly unprepared for. You could _______ your family, for example, by suddenly announcing that you’re moving to Argentina. The oldest use of _______ as a verb, around 1968, referred to a football tackle.
bl______de
blindside (v)
definition:
- it or attack (someone) on the blind side.
- attacked unsuspectedly or surprised by something unforeseen
- catch (someone) unprepared; attack from an unexpected position.
- attack or hit on or from the side where the attacked person’s view is obstructed
definition:
- a small section of a bigger part of a whole thing
- the _______s of something are the parts that it is made of.
- a part or element of a larger whole, especially a part of a machine or vehicle.
- an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system
(n) (adj)
It’s the Ikea curse: You spend four hours figuring out how to piece together your new furniture, only to be left with one random _______, or part, that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere.
It’s not surprising that _______ is related to a Latin word that means “to put together.” You simply can’t put something together without all of the correct _______s. Technically speaking, a _______ is an element of a system or a part of a machine. But a _______ can also be a factor or ingredient, such as the _______.
com______t
component (n)
definition:
- a small section of a bigger part of a whole thing
- the _______s of something are the parts that it is made of.
- a part or element of a larger whole, especially a part of a machine or vehicle.
- an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system
defintion:
- to be composed of
- to be made up of
- to consist of; to be made up of.
(v)
When something _______s other things, it is made up of them or formed from them. The periodic table _______s 118 elements, because the whole _______s the parts.
In its traditional use, the word _______ is the opposite of compose: if A comprises X, Y, and Z, then X, Y, and Z compose A. But because compose and comprise sound so much alike, people have long confused the two. So now you often hear things like “The band is _______d of a guitarist, a bassist, and a hairy drummer,” whereas sticklers would prefer “is composed of” in that sentence. The word is undergoing a usage shift, making it just as hairy as that drummer!
co_____se
comprise (v)
defintion:
- to be composed of
- to be made up of
- to consist of; to be made up of.
defintion:
- to be better than
- to exceed or do better
- to exceed; to be greater than.
- to be or do something to a greater degree
- If something ______s expectations, it is much better than it was expected to be.
(v)
To ______ means to outdo someone or something, to go beyond what was expected. If you do better than you think you will, you will ______ your own expectations.
Some words seem to exist just to give an extra oomph to your speech, and ______ is one of these. While you could just say passed or even outdid” saying ______ seems to indicate that a person (or some other thing that performs, like a company) has really gone beyond anything you anticipated. People tend to use this word a lot before the words expectations and predictions among others, because of course ______ing is all about “______ing something.”
sur____
surpass (v)
synonym: exceed
defintion:
- to be better than
- to exceed or do better
- to exceed; to be greater than.
- to be or do something to a greater degree
- If something ______s expectations, it is much better than it was expected to be.
definition:
- give (someone) something, typically money, in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury incurred; recompense.
- to give a form of payment for a good or service or as a means of making up for a misdeed
- to make up for shortcomings or a feeling of inferiority by exaggerating good qualities
- To _______ someone for money or things that they have lost means to pay them money or give them something to replace that money or those things.
- to make reparations or amends for
(v)
_______ is about correcting for an imbalance. If you step in an unmarked pothole, the city may _______ you by paying your doctor bills treating a broken ankle.
_______ can also mean “to adjust for.” So, if you did stumble into the pothole and injure your left leg, then you might _______ by leaning heavily on your right leg. Increasingly, _______ is used in place of pay. Day laborers are paid for their time, but executives are more likely to be _______d with a suite that includes salary and other benefits - what is commonly referred to as a _______tion package.
com______te
compensate (v)
compensation (n)
definition:
- give (someone) something, typically money, in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury incurred; recompense.
- to give a form of payment for a good or service or as a means of making up for a misdeed
- to make up for shortcomings or a feeling of inferiority by exaggerating good qualities
- To _______ someone for money or things that they have lost means to pay them money or give them something to replace that money or those things.
- to make reparations or amends for
definition:
- something pulled out or saved because of its value
- save from ruin, destruction, or harm
- the act of saving goods or property that were in danger of damage or destruction
- retrieve or preserve (something) from potential loss or adverse circumstances.
(v)
To _____ something is to save it…before it’s too late. You might try to _____ your damaged reputation by defending yourself, or _____ a burnt piece of toast by scraping off the black residue.
As a noun _____ is the act of rescuing stuff from a disaster like a shipwreck or fire — or the rescued goods themselves. As a verb, _____ means to collect or rescue that sort of item, or more generally to save something from harm or ruin. If you want to salvage your grade, you need to stop gaming so much and start studying more.
s_____ge
salvage (v)
definition:
- something pulled out or saved because of its value
- save from ruin, destruction, or harm
- the act of saving goods or property that were in danger of damage or destruction
- retrieve or preserve (something) from potential loss or adverse circumstances.
definition:
- a well-known saying associated with a famous character or person
- a well-known sentence or phrase, especially one that is associated with a particular famous person.
- A ______ is a sentence or phrase which becomes popular or well-known, often because it is frequently used by a famous person.
(n)
catchphrase (n)
similar words: slogan, logo
definition:
- a well-known saying associated with a famous character or person
- a well-known sentence or phrase, especially one that is associated with a particular famous person.
- A ______ is a sentence or phrase which becomes popular or well-known, often because it is frequently used by a famous person.
defintion:
- stretching onward in the same way or path
- being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting
- (of lines, planes, surfaces, or objects) side by side and having the same distance continuously between them.
- a person or thing that is similar or analogous to another.
(adj) (n) (v)
In math, _______ means two lines that never intersect, think of an equal sign. Figuratively, _______ means similar, or happening at the same time. A story might describe the _______ lives of three close friends.
As a noun, a _______ is a way in which things resemble each other, you might draw _______s between the Vietnam War and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In specialized use, a _______ can mean one of the imaginary circles on the surface of the Earth that are _______ to the equator, the 49th _______ divides the U.S. and Canada.
par______l
parallel (adj)
defintion:
- stretching on in the same way or path
- being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting
- (of lines, planes, surfaces, or objects) side by side and having the same distance continuously between them.
- a person or thing that is similar or analogous to another.
defintion:
- place side by side
- to place things side by side to compare them
- place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.
- two contrasting objects, images, or ideas, you place them together or describe them together, so that the differences between them are emphasized.
(v)
See the word “pose” in ______? When you ______, you are “posing” or positioning things side by side.
The verb ______ requires contrasting things placed next to one other: “The collage ______d pictures of Jane while she was growing up and as an adult.” ______ is used often when referring to contrasting elements in the arts. “The music ______d the instrumentation of jazz with the harmonies of soul.”
jux_____e
juxtapose (v)
defintion:
- place side by side
- to place things side by side to compare them
- place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.
- two contrasting objects, images, or ideas, you place them together or describe them together, so that the differences between them are emphasized.
defintion:
- slanted across a polygon on a diagonal line
- diagonally opposite someone or something;
- situated diagonally opposite someone or something
- something that is ______ or ______ from another thing is placed or arranged diagonally from it.
(adv) (adj)
catty-corner (adv) (adj)
synonyms: kitty-corner, cater-cornered
defintion:
- slanted across a polygon on a diagonal line
- diagonally opposite someone or something; cater-cornered.
- situated diagonally opposite someone or something; cater-cornered.
- Something that is catty-corner or kitty-corner from another thing is placed or arranged diagonally from it.
Example sentences:
The house stood catty-corner across the square
There was a racecar catty-corner across the street.
There were four catty-cornered televisions.
The cemetery was just the next block up, catty-cornered from my hotel.
Two 50-foot-tall, steel and aluminum towers standing kitty-corner from each other.
defintion:
- affecting an entire system
- relating to a whole system, especially as opposed to a particular part.
- a problem that affects the whole of an organization or place, not just some parts of it.
- relating to parts that combine forming an entity affecting an entire group or entity
(adj)
Something that’s _____ affects all parts of something. If every dog at doggy daycare has fleas, it’s a _____ problem.
The adjective _____ is often used to describe diseases or disorders; a _____ illness affects your whole body or an entire system — like your digestive system. Any kind of system can experience _____ problems. For example, crime is a _____ problem in a community because it affects everyone from individuals to families, businesses, and tourism, just to name a few groups harmed by the problem.
sy______c
systemic (adj)
defintion:
- affecting an entire system
- relating to a whole system, especially as opposed to a particular part.
- a problem that affects the whole of an organization or place, not just some parts of it.
- relating to parts that combine forming an entity affecting an entire group or entity
definition:
- working or produced by machines or machinery.
- (of a person or action) not having or showing thought or spontaneity; automatic.
- If you describe someone’s action as ______, you mean that they do it automatically, without thinking about it.
(adj)
Use the adjective ______ to describe something related to machinery or tools. If your car breaks down on the same day that your watch stops, you’ve got a lot of ______ problems.
You’ll most often hear ______ used to describe something involving a machine. A ______ problem at work might mean the copier has broken down again. ______ can also refer to physical forces, called mechanics having to do with how things move, like the ______ elegance of a pendulum. We also use ______ for human things that are so tedious, repetitive or automatic that they feel like they’re done by machines and not people.
me______al
mechanical (adj)
definition:
- working or produced by machines or machinery.
- (of a person or action) not having or showing thought or spontaneity; automatic.
- If you describe someone’s action as ______, you mean that they do it automatically, without thinking about it.
- defintion*:
- to cause to seem small or insignificant in comparison.
(v)
dwarf (v)
- defintion*:
- to cause to seem small or insignificant in comparison.
Example sentence:
The buildings surround and dwarf the small stadium.
definition:
- to discourage to dissuade
- to prevent the occurrence of.
- to prevent something from happening
- to discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.
(v)
_____ means to discourage, or literally “to frighten away.” Halloween decorations that are too scary might _____ trick-or-treaters, and the risk of being expelled _____s kids from cheating in school.
_____ comes from the Latin de meaning “away” and terrere meaning “frighten.” Something that _____s isn’t always scary, though: citronella plants deter mosquitoes, and fines _____ people from littering. Teddy Roosevelt’s foreign policy dictum “speak softly and carry a big stick” was meant to _____ other countries from attacking the United States.
d____r
deter (v)
deterrence (n)
definition:
- to discourage to dissuade
- to prevent the occurrence of.
- to prevent something from happening
- to discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.
Example sentences deter
Example sentences deterrence
defintion:
- used to cure pain and diseases
- having the properties of medicine
- (of a substance or plant) having healing properties.
- _______ substances or substances with _______ effects can be used to treat and cure illnesses.
(adj)
A substance that can cure or heal you is _______. Some people swear that chicken soup has _______ qualities when you have a cold.
Herbalists grow _______ plants, such as mint and witch hazel, that have healing properties for various ailments. Your mother may believe in the _______ properties of a hot cup of tea, while other people swear by the _______ quality of the salty sea air. The adjective _______ comes from medicine and has a Latin root, medicina, “the healing art, a remedy, or medicine.”
me_____l
medicinal (adj)
medicine (n)
defintion:
- used to cure pain and diseases
- having the properties of medicine
- (of a substance or plant) having healing properties.
- _______ substances or substances with _______ effects can be used to treat and cure illnesses.
definition:
- characterized by order and planning
- carried out using a planned, ordered procedure
- done or acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical.
- Something that is done in a ______ way is done according to a fixed plan, in a thorough and efficient way.
(adj)
_____ describes something that is planned out and careful. In your _____ search for your mother’s car keys, you start in one room, looking everywhere from bottom to top before moving to the next room.
Use the adjective _____ to describe things that are orderly and efficient. The Latin root of _____ is systema, an arrangement or system. Think about a multi-step process that you have found the fastest and best way to complete — you do it over and over. You might be systematic about packing for a long trip or the way you travel up and down the aisles at a grocery store, probably with a list in your hand.
sy_____ic
systematic (adj)
system (n)
definition:
- characterized by order and planning
- carried out using a planned, ordered procedure
- done or acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical.
- Something that is done in a ______ way is done according to a fixed plan, in a thorough and efficient way.
definition:
- a small plug of medication designed for insertion into the rectum or genitals where it melts
- a solid medical preparation in a roughly conical or cylindrical shape, designed to be inserted into the rectum or genitals to dissolve.
(n)
sup______ry
suppository (n)
definition:
- a small plug of medication designed for insertion into the rectum or genitals where it melts
- a solid medical preparation in a roughly conical or cylindrical shape, designed to be inserted into the rectum or genitals to dissolve.
definition:
- a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
- If something has a stigma attached to it, people think it is something to be ashamed of.
- a symbol of disgrace or infamy; a sign of disgrace
(n)
If something has a negative association attached to it, call this a ______. Bed-wetting can lead to a social ______ for a six-year-old, while chewing tobacco might have the same effect for a sixty-year-old.
______, from the Greek word of the same spelling meaning “mark, puncture,” came into English through Latin to mean a mark burned into the skin to signify disgrace. It did not take long for ______ to be used figuratively, as it is commonly used today, for the negative stereotype or reputation attached to something. If a politician is caught taking bribes, she might resign because of the ______.
s_____ma
stigma (n)
definition:
- a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
- If something has a stigma attached to it, people think it is something to be ashamed of.
- a symbol of disgrace or infamy; a sign of disgrace
definition:
- (n) an improvised barrier erected across a street or other thoroughfare to prevent or delay the movement of opposing forces.
- (v) block or defend with an improvised barrier.
A ______ is anything that prevents people or vehicles from getting through. Construction workers often ______ a street to block traffic.
You know how barriers block things from getting through? A ______ is similar. Soldiers create ______s to keep enemy troops out. Police officers put up ______s around a crime scene. If an electrical wire becomes loose and dangerous, a ______ around the area will keep people from getting hurt. This can also be a verb, like when parents ______ part of their house to keep toddlers from getting into trouble. ______ing is a physical way of saying “Keep out!”
bar______de
barricade (n) (v)
synonym: blockade
definition:
- (n) an improvised barrier erected across a street or other thoroughfare to prevent or delay the movement of opposing forces.
- (v) block or defend with an improvised barrier.
defintion:
- to make a decision on an issue
- make an official judgment or decision about a dispute or problem
- make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter.
- put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of. / bring to an end; settle conclusively
- act as a judge in a competition.
(v)
To _____ is to act like a judge. A judge might _____ a case in court, and you may have to _____ in the local talent show.
Do you see a similarity between judge and _____? When you add the common Latin prefix ad meaning “to” or “toward,” you have a pretty good idea what the word means. But a judge isn’t the only person who can _____. If you’re fighting with your little brother or sister and make them cry, your parents may _____ and send you to your room.
adj______e
adjudicate (v)
adjudication (n)
defintion:
- to make a decision on an issue
- make an official judgment or decision about a dispute or problem
- make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter.
- put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of. / bring to an end; settle conclusively
- act as a judge in a competition.
definition:
- 1. a situation that prevents advancement
- a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
- a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of disagreement; a deadlock.
- If people are in a difficult position in which it is impossible to make any progress, you can refer to the situation as an _____.
- 2. a street with only one way in or out
(n)
When two huge semi trailers met face-to-face on a one-lane mountain road, the drivers jumped out of their cabs and exclaimed, “We’re at an _____! We can’t move forward — we can only reverse and go back in the direction from which we came.”
If you investigate _____ a little more closely, you’ll discover passer, the French word for to pass. The im- prefix is a negative, meaning that there’s no way any passing is going to occur. It’s impossible. An _____ is any situation in which the parties involved can’t, or won’t, move forward or make any sort of progress. Either they are literally stuck, like two big trucks trying to pass each other on a narrow road, or they are figuratively stuck, as in two politicians who are unable to reach an agreement on a new policy.
im_____s
impasse (n)
synonyms: deadlock, stalemate, standoff
definition:
- 1. a situation that prevents advancement
- a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
- a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of disagreement; a deadlock.
- If people are in a difficult position in which it is impossible to make any progress, you can refer to the situation as an _____.
- 2. a street with only one way in or out
definition:
- an authoritative warning or order
- a formal command or admonition
- a court order which demands that something must or must not be done
- (law) a court order, usually one telling someone not to do something
- (law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity
(n)
If your school begins building a swimming pool on land that does not belong to it, the city might issue an _______ to stop it. An _______ is an official order issued by a judge.
In general _______s are court ordered settlements or commands. In the United States, judges cannot create laws, but they can require someone to do something or to stop doing something. If you were wrongly fired from a job, a court may issue an _______ to your former employer, requiring him or her to hire you back or pay your back salary.
in_____ion
injunction (n)
definition:
- an authoritative warning or order
- a formal command or admonition
- a court order which demands that something must or must not be done
- (law) a court order, usually one telling someone not to do something
- (law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity
definition:
- a cruel and oppressive dictator
- a brutal ruler who controls everything
- a ruler or other person who has a lot of power and who uses it unfairly or cruelly.
- a ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way.
(n)
A _______, is a cruel, all-controlling ruler. For example, a _______ does not allow people to speak out against the leadership, nor really want them to have much freedom at all.
The word _______ came into English in the sixteenth century from Old French, but it traces all the way back to the Greek word _______s, meaning “master of a household, lord, absolute ruler.” The word is often used to describe someone who abuses power and oppresses others. Obviously, it’s not a nice thing to call someone, especially within earshot of the _______ who has absolute power over you.
d____ot
despot (n)
synonyms: autocrat, tyrant, dictator, diactorial
definition:
- a cruel and oppressive dictator
- a brutal ruler who controls everything
- a ruler or other person who has a lot of power and who uses it unfairly or cruelly.
- a ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way.
(idiom) (figure of speech)
“they can use it as a s______ board for the next thing…”
“they can use it as a s______ stone for the next thing…”
(idiom) (figure of speech)
“they can use it as a springboard for the next thing…”
“they can use it as a stepping stone for the next thing…”
definition:
- without the basic necessities of life.
- poor enough to need help from others
- Someone who has no money or possession; utterly lacking
(adj)
When you think of the word ______, which means poor or lacking other necessities of life, think of someone who is in desperate straits. A very, very tight budget is poor. Living on the streets is ______.
______ essentially means not having something. When you’re ______ in the sense of being poor, you’re technically “______ of money.” You can be ______ of other things as well. If all your friends have abandoned you, you’re “______ of friends.” If you are applying for a job as a waitress but have never worked in a restaurant in any capacity, you’re “______ of experience.”
des______te
destitute (adj)
definition:
- without the basic necessities of life.
- poor enough to need help from others
- Someone who has no money or possession; utterly lacking
definition:
- 1. freedom from punishment or prosecution
- protection or exemption from something, especially an obligation or penalty.
- freedom from obligation or duty, esp exemption from tax, duty, legal liability, etc
- any special privilege granting an exemption
- the exemption of ecclesiastical persons or property from various civil obligations or liabilities
- 2. (medicine & health) the condition in which an organism can resist disease
- the ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or sensitized white blood cells.
(n)
_______ means exemption or resistance. If you’re protected against something, you have _______ to it. Your new silver clothes just might grant you _______ from getting thrown in jail by the fashion police.
In the late 14th century, the noun _______, which means “exempt from service or obligation,” developed from the Latin which has a nearly identical meaning. Break that word down even further, and you get a word that means “exempt, free,” from in “not” and munis, meaning “performing services.” In a medical sense, _______ is “protection from disease.” Your annual flu shot tries to give you _______ from, or make you insusceptible to, the illness.
im_____y
immunity (n)
immune (adj)
definition:
- 1. freedom from punishment or prosecution
- protection or exemption from something, especially an obligation or penalty.
- freedom from obligation or duty, esp exemption from tax, duty, legal liability, etc
- any special privilege granting an exemption
- the exemption of ecclesiastical persons or property from various civil obligations or liabilities
- 2. (medicine & health) the condition in which an organism can resist disease
- the ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or sensitized white blood cells.
definition:
- bringing death
- causing death, or leading to failure or disaster.
- an accident or illness that causes someone’s death.
(adj)
The adjective _______ describes something that is capable of causing death. Certain cleaning products, for instance, are labeled, “Could be _______ if swallowed.” Here’s a helpful suggestion: don’t swallow them.
Can you hear the word fate in _______? In ancient times, people believed that the future was determined by a force called fate, and in the 14th century, the French used the word _______ to describe anything that fate had decreed, including death. By the next century the word had evolved to mean something that specifically causes death. Today the term is used more loosely. If your friend makes a _______ mistake on the tennis court, it doesn’t mean that he’ll literally die, just that he’ll lose the game.
fa____l
fatal (adj)
fatality (n)
similar words: lethal
definition:
- bringing death
- causing death, or leading to failure or disaster.
- an accident or illness that causes someone’s death.
definition:
- (n) a security pledged for the repayment of a loan
- something pledged as security for repayment of a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default.
- money or property which is used as a guarantee that someone will repay a loan.
- synonyms: security, guarantee, deposit, assurance
- (adj) secondary; additional but subordinate
- (adj) situated or running side by side
- situated side by side; parallel - ex: “_____veins”
It’s what you promise to give someone if you don’t repay a loan, like the car you put up as _____ when you take a loan out from the bank. As an adjective, _____ can refer to something indirect or off to the side, like _____ damage.
_____ is the watch you put on the table in a poker game, or the shoes you trade in at the bowling alley. If you pay back your debts, you get your goods back. As an adjective, _____ describes something indirect, like _____ damage (non-soldiers inadvertently killed in war) or _____ relatives such as your second-cousin-once-removed that your mother keeps bugging you to call.
col_____al
collateral (collateral damage) (n) (adj)
definition:
- (n) a security pledged for the repayment of a loan
- something pledged as security for repayment of a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default.
- money or property which is used as a guarantee that someone will repay a loan.
- synonyms: security, guarantee, deposit, assurance
- (adj) secondary; additional but subordinate
- (adj) situated or running side by side
- situated side by side; parallel - ex: “_____veins”
definition:
- someone who is punished for the errors or wrongdoings of others
- a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place
- a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency; (idiom) “whipping boy”
(n) (v)
The word ______ first occurred in the earliest English translation, and it has come to mean any individual punished for the misdeeds of others.
When a politician gets caught lying, he or she might use an assistant as a ______. Somehow the lie will wind up being the assistant’s fault. Your mom might tell you to use her as a ______ if you need to. So if your friends want you to go to a wild party and you don’t want to, you should tell them your mom won’t let you. That way, they will be mad at her and not at you. A fall guy is similar to a ______, but it is mostly used if your scheme has been found out and one of your group of schemers must take the consequences.
sc______at
scapegoat (n) (v)
definition:
- someone who is punished for the errors or wrongdoings of others
- a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place
- a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency; (idiom) “whipping boy”
defintion:
- 1. skilled craft worker who makes or creates things by hand
- a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft
- An _____ is someone whose job requires skill with their hands; craftsman
- a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.
- 2. (of food or drink) made in a traditional or non-mechanized way using high-quality ingredients.
(n)
An _____ has both the creativity and the skill to make a product. Wandering around a local craft fair, you will often see _____s selling handicrafts like pot holders or beaded jewelry.
In medieval times, blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons were _____ trades. Unskilled laborers were not. The hierarchy of skill and prestige among _____s, from apprentice to journeyman to master, is sometimes reflected in ranks among today’s trade union members. But today an _____ can just be someone who makes attractive and creative work with their hands, like jewelry or pottery. Although, if they’re trying to sell their goods, it probably helps if they’re very skilled.
ar_____an
artisan (adj) (n)
defintion:
- 1. skilled craft worker who makes or creates things by hand
- a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft
- An _____ is someone whose job requires skill with their hands; craftsman
- a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.
- 2. (of food or drink) made in a traditional or non-mechanized way using high-quality ingredients.
definition:
- (v) express or state clearly
- expressing oneself clearly
- express (an idea or feeling) fluently and coherently.
- (adj) expressing yourself easily or characterized by clear expressive language
- (of a person or a person’s words) having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.
To _____ is to say something. And, if you say it well, someone might praise you by saying you are _____. Confused yet? It’s all in the pronunciation.
Reach for _____ when you need an adjective meaning “well-spoken” (pronounced ar-TIC-yuh-lit) or a verb (ar-TIC-yuh-late) meaning “to speak or express yourself clearly.” The key to understanding _____’s many uses is to think of the related noun article: an _____ person clearly pronounces each article of his or her speech (that is, each word and syllable), and an _____d joint is divided up into distinct articles, or parts.
ar_____te
articulate (v) (adj)
articulation (n)
definition:
- (v) express or state clearly
- expressing oneself clearly
- express (an idea or feeling) fluently and coherently.
- (adj) expressing yourself easily or characterized by clear expressive language
- (of a person or a person’s words) having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.
definition:
- the beginning stage of growth
- the early stage of growth or development
- the early stage in the development or growth of something.
(n)
_____ is the earliest part of a person’s life, when they’re a baby. It’s extremely rare for anyone to remember their own _____.
An amazing amount of growth and development happens during _____: babies learn to crawl, laugh, and communicate, among many other things. _____ is vaguely defined, usually including the time from birth to about one year old. You can also use the word to mean “the very beginning of something,” so if your lemonade stand is brand new, it’s still in its _____. The word comes from the Latin word meaning “early childhood,” and literally, “inability to speak.”
in_____y
infancy (n)
infantile (adj)
infant (n)
definition:
- the beginning stage of growth
- the early stage of growth or development
- the early stage in the development or growth of something.
“opinion polls were in their infancy”
definition:
- very sad and without hope
- without or almost without hope
- in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
- unhappy because you have been experiencing difficulties that you think you will not be able to overcome.
(adj)
If you are _______, you are discouraged, very sad, and without hope. If you are depressed, you might describe your mood as _______.
This adjective is often followed by over or about: “He was _______ over the loss of his job.” If you want a noun, use the words _______y or _______nce. The adjective _______ is from a Latin word “to lose courage, give up,” from the prefix de- (“from”) plus spondere (“to promise”). The Latin words originally referred to promising a woman in marriage.
des______t
despondent = in low spirits from loss of hope or courage
dejected = sad and depressed
distraught = deeply upset and agitated; worried & distressed
definition:
- very sad and without hope
- without or almost without hope
- in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
- unhappy because you have been experiencing difficulties that you think you will not be able to overcome.
definition:
- the power to produce a desired effect
- capacity or power to produce a desired effect
- the ability to produce a desired or intended result.
- the effectiveness and ability of something to do what it is supposed to.
(n)
The degree to which a method or medicine brings about a specific result is its _____. You might not like to eat it, but you can’t question the _____ of broccoli as a health benefit.
_____ is a more formal way to say effectiveness, both of which stem from the Latin verb efficere “to work out, accomplish.” The effectiveness, or efficacy, of something is how well it works or brings the results you hoped for. A scientist does research to determine the _____ of a vaccine or medicine under development.
eff____y
efficacy (n)
definition:
- the power to produce a desired effect
- capacity or power to produce a desired effect
- the ability to produce a desired or intended result.
- the effectiveness and ability of something to do what it is supposed to.
definition:
- imperfect or faulty; flawed
- broken, flawed, or imperfect according to something’s designated purpose
(adj)
Something that’s _____ doesn’t work quite right, because it’s damaged in some way. Your _____ car probably won’t make it all the way to California from New York.
_____ things are broken or flawed. A _____ blender won’t mix your morning smoothie the way you want it to, and a _____ law doesn’t serve the people it’s meant to protect. A very old-fashioned meaning of _____, which is considered quite offensive today, is “mentally ill” or “mentally handicapped.” The Late Latin root word meaning “to fail, revolt, or desert.”
def______e
defective (adj)
defect (v) (n)
definition:
- imperfect or faulty; flawed
- broken, flawed, or imperfect according to something’s designated purpose
definition:
- get or ask advice from
- to seek advice from someone with professional expertise
- seek information or advice from (someone with expertise in a particular area).
- have discussions or confer with (someone), typically before undertaking a course of action.
(v)
To ______ is to give or get help or advice. When you don’t know the meaning of a word, you ______ a dictionary. That’s why you’re here, right?
People making a big decision will usually ______ their family and friends. To ______ can also mean a type of professional advice: a ______ is a freelance worker paid to help a business out with something. ______ing is a complicated word that can mean to give or receive advice. When in doubt, find someone you trust to ______.
co_____t
- *consult** (v)
- *consultation** (n)
- *consultant** (n)
definition:
- get or ask advice from
- to seek advice from someone with professional expertise
- seek information or advice from (someone with expertise in a particular area).
- have discussions or confer with (someone), typically before undertaking a course of action.
definition:
- to frighten or surprise an individual
- to move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
- cause (a person or animal) to feel sudden shock or alarm.
- If something sudden and unexpected ______s you, it surprises and frightens you slightly.
(v)
To ______ is to jump, like when you’re surprised. If you’re sneaking through a dark room and step on a sleeping dog’s tail — you might ______ the dog. If she barks, that dog ______s you right back!
A ______ is a quick, sharp movement, like a little jump that happens when you’re surprised or suddenly scared. If you sneak up on your mom and say “Boo!” you’ll startle her and she might jump up in her seat (before she yells at you to quit it). Alarm clocks and barking dogs often startle people. The original meaning of ______, around 1300, was “to run back and forth,” from the Old English word styrtan, “to leap up.”
st______le
startle (v)
definition:
- to frighten or surprise an individual
- to move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
- cause (a person or animal) to feel sudden shock or alarm.
- If something sudden and unexpected ______s you, it surprises and frightens you slightly.
definition:
- relating to or tending to arouse sexual desire or excitement.
- giving sexual pleasure; sexually arousing
(adj)
Use _____ to describe a sexy, sexy person. What makes that person so sexy? Maybe his or her _____ attitude or looks, meaning “arousing.”
The word _____ came into English from French (of course!) and can be traced back to the Greek word from erōs or erōt-, meaning “sexual love.” The adjective _____ is often used to describe a person’s carnal desires, but it can be used to characterize anything that’s sexual in nature or that arouses sexual desires, such as the _____ themes in a racy movie, an _____ dancer in a club, or _____ images in a painting.
er____c
erotic (adj)
erotica (n)
eroticism (n)
definition:
- relating to or tending to arouse sexual desire or excitement.
- giving sexual pleasure; sexually arousing
Example:
“her book of erotic fantasies”
defintion:
- to assign a quantity to
- to express or measure the quantity of.
- express as a number or measure or quantity
(v)
When you ______ something, you’re putting it in numbers. If you’re asked to ______ the fingers on your hand, you better say five.
If you like math, this word is for you: ______ing is counting or expressing something in numbers. Oddly enough ______ often comes into play when people are trying to count things that can’t really be counted. When a doctor asks you to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10, he’s asking you to ______ for your pain. Michael Jordan won 6 NBA championships, but you can’t ______ what made him great: his drive and determination.
qu_____y
quantify (v)
quantity (n)
defintion:
- to assign a quantity to
- to express or measure the quantity of.
- express as a number or measure or quantity
definition:
- customers collectively.
- a place or organization’s customers or clients.
- the customers of a shop, bar, or place of entertainment.
(n)
Your customers are your ____. If you own a pet food store, your ____ might be two-footed and four-pawed.
The noun ____ is often preceded by an adjective to describe the exact type of customer. Little boutiques in upscale neighborhoods probably cater to an exclusive ____, while the kids’ hair salon might have Barney on video to keep the young ____ motionless in their chairs. Regardless of business type, you are always trying to please the ____.
cl_____l
cliental (n)
definition:
- customers collectively.
- a place or organization’s customers or clients.
- the customers of a shop, bar, or place of entertainment.
“an upscale clientele”
definition:
- 1. to prevent or restrain action or emotion
- 2. to put down by force or authority
- to come down on or keep down by unjust use of one’s authority
- someone in authority prevents an activity from continuing, by using force or making it illegal.
(v)
To ___ something means to curb, inhibit, or even stop it. If the sound of your boss moving in his chair sounds like gas, you’re going to have to learn how to ___ your giggles.
In the strictest sense, ___ means to put an end to something by force, like a government that ___es the right to free speech by shutting down the newspapers or the military ___ing an uprising by rebel forces. But we also use ___ in less serious terms to describe an attempt to muffle or stifle something, such as ___ing a sneeze in a quiet theater or ___ing your true emotions to not cause a teary scene.
su______s
suppress (v)
suppression (n)
suppressant (n)
definition:
- 1. to prevent or restrain action or emotion
- 2. to put down by force or authority
- to come down on or keep down by unjust use of one’s authority
- someone in authority prevents an activity from continuing, by using force or making it illegal.
definition:
- to start or re-start vigorously
- to start (a car engine whose battery is dead) by connecting it to another car’s battery
(v)
ju_____rt
jumpstart (n)
definition:
- to start or re-start vigorously
- to start (a car engine whose battery is dead) by connecting it to another car’s battery
definition:
- a general agreement.
- general agreement about something
- agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole
- a general agreement among a group of people; people being in agrreeement on something
(n)
When there’s a ____, everyone agrees on something. If you’re going to a movie with friends, you need to reach a ____ about which movie everyone wants to see.
Ever notice how people disagree about just about everything, from who’s the best baseball player to how high taxes should be? Whenever there’s disagreement, there’s no ____: ____ means everyone is on the same page. When you’re talking about all the people in the world, it’s hard to find a ____ on anything. There are just too many opinions. However, in a smaller group, reaching a ____ is possible.
co_____us
consensus (n)
definition:
- a general agreement.
- general agreement about something
- agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole
- a general agreement among a group of people; people being in agrreeement on something
definition:
- 1. to accept and allow
- to excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
- 2. approve or sanction (something), especially with reluctance.
- accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue.
(v)
If you _____ something, you allow it, approve of it, or at least can live with it. Some teachers _____ chewing gum, and some don’t.
Things that are _____ed are allowed, even if everyone isn’t exactly thrilled about it. People often say, “I don’t _____ what he did, but I understand it.” _____ing is like excusing something. People seem to talk more about things they don’t _____ than things they do _____. Your mom might say, “I don’t _____ you staying up till 10, but I know you need to read.” That’s a way of giving approval and not giving approval at the same time.
con_____e
condone (v)
definition:
- 1. to accept and allow
- to excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
- 2. approve or sanction (something), especially with reluctance.
- accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue.
definition:
- not done on purpose
- without deliberate intent
- accidental; not on purpose
- not done deliberately, but happens by accident.
(adj)
If an action is lacking a specific intent or plan, it can be described as _____. If you didn’t mean to burp during Thanksgiving dinner, it was _____.
If you grow an _____ watermelon plant in your yard, it means you didn’t plant it on purpose. It may be an _____ result of last month’s epic watermelon seed spitting contest. A little boy might cut his own hair into an _____ Mohawk, and your wrong turn in an unfamiliar city might result in an _____ visit to the zoo. The root word is the Latin intentionem, “a stretching out, straining, exertion, or effort,” plus the prefix un, or “not.”
un______al
unintentional (adj)
unintentionally (adv)
definition:
- not done on purpose
- without deliberate intent
- accidental; not on purpose
- not done deliberately, but happens by accident.
definition:
- to forbid it or make it illegal
- to forbid or make something illegal
- formally forbid (something) by law, rule, or other authority.
- formally forbid a person or group from doing something.
- (of a fact or situation) prevent (something); make impossible.
(v)
If a sign says “Swimming ______ed,” don’t go for a dip. It’s not allowed. To ______ is to forbid, or to disallow something.
In school, you are ______ed from leaving the premises before the end of the school day. The school administration also ______s smoking and chewing gum. In 1920, it became illegal to sell alcohol in the United States. This time period when alcohol was ______ed is known as the era of ______tion. Famously ______tion did not work. When you ______ something, you often make it seem more appealing.
pr_____t
prohibit (v)
prohibition (n)
proihibitive (adj)
definition:
- to forbid it or make it illegal
- to forbid or make something illegal
- formally forbid (something) by law, rule, or other authority.
- formally forbid a person or group from doing something.
- (of a fact or situation) prevent (something); make impossible.
definition:
- to express an opinion or fact in a confident manner
- state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.
- behave or speak in a confident and forceful manner.
- to state categorically
(v)
_______ing is all about standing up for what you believe. You might _______ an opinion, your innocence, or even your authority over someone else.
The verb _______ can be used for both opinions and for oneself. When asked, you can politely _______ your desire to go to the amusement park for your birthday. If no one listens to you, you can _______ yourself and forcefully state that you really want to go to the amusement park for your birthday. If that fails, you should just take yourself to the amusement park for your birthday. And get better friends.
as______ve
assert (v)
assertive (adj)
assertion (n)
assertive = having or showing a confident and forceful personality.
definition:
- to express an opinion or fact in a confident manner
- state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.
- behave or speak in a confident and forceful manner.
- to state categorically
definition:
- (v) to measure a specific thing
- measure precisely and against a standard
- estimate or determine the magnitude, amount, or volume of; measure, calculate
- determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation
- (n) a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.
- an instrument or device for measuring the magnitude, amount, or contents of something, typically with a visual display of such information.
(v) (n)
If you ask your friend, “How do you feel, generally, about loaning your car to people?” your intention might be to _____ his reaction before you flat-out ask if you can borrow his car. To _____ is to measure or test.
The verb _____ means to estimate or measure, while the noun _____ is a tool you can use to make such a measurement. If you’ve ever seen someone check the air pressure in a tire, the instrument she used was called a tire _____. The thickness, or diameter, of an item like wire (or the barrel of a gun) is another meaning of _____.
g_____ge
gauge (v) (n)
calibrate (v)
(n) “a fuel gauge”
definition:
- (v) to measure a specific thing
- measure precisely and against a standard
- estimate or determine the magnitude, amount, or volume of; measure, calculate
- determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation
- (n) a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.
- an instrument or device for measuring the magnitude, amount, or contents of something, typically with a visual display of such information.
definition:
- to protect something from harm, loss, or change.
- the smart consumption of organic resources
- to prevent the wasteful or harmful overuse of (a resource).
- to use something carefully so that it lasts for a long time.
- to protect (something, esp an environmentally or culturally important place or thing) from harm or destruction.
(v)
To _____ is to save or protect something, like money, or your energy on a long run. People are also encouraged to _____ energy by turning off lights and not cranking the air conditioner.
_____ is from the Latin for “to keep, preserve, guard”. Con means “together,” so “together” we can “serve” the planet by not doing doughnuts in the wetlands on our jet skis. You can _____ the planet or a little something for yourself, you might _____ hot water so you can wash your hair later, or try to _____ your old bedroom when you go off to college (and your mom is ready for a home office).
co_____ve
preserve (v)
preservasion (n)
conserve (v)
conservation (n)
definition:
- to protect something from harm, loss, or change.
- the smart consumption of organic resources
- to prevent the wasteful or harmful overuse of (a resource).
- to use something carefully so that it lasts for a long time.
- to protect (something, esp an environmentally or culturally important place or thing) from harm or destruction.
definition:
- accompanying but not a major part of something.
- liable to happen as a consequence of (an activity).
- (sometimes followed by `to’) minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence
- something that is less important than the other thing or is not a major part of it.
(adj)
_____ means secondary in time or importance. If you lose weight because you moved and must walk further to school, the weight loss was _____ to the move.
When something is _____, it is never the main thing. It’s okay to include _____ details as they can add depth to your storytelling, but they are never crucial to the story. A company might pay your main expenses when you travel for business but will probably not reimburse you for the _____ ones. The music you hear between acts of a play is called _____. It’s not crucial to the action, but it makes the waiting easier.
inc_____al
incidental (adj) (n)
incidentially (adv)
definition:
- accompanying but not a major part of something.
- liable to happen as a consequence of (an activity).
- (sometimes followed by `to’) minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence
- something that is less important than the other thing or is not a major part of it.
Example sentences - incidental
Example sentences - incidentally
defintion:
- a useful or valuable thing, person, or quality.
- property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.
- Something or someone that is considered useful or helps a person or organization to be successful.
(n)
An _____ is something you have that is positive. It can mean a piece of property, a piece of equipment, an ability, or even a quality.
“Her facility with math is an _____ when it comes to figuring out the restaurant tab. She is an _____ to the group.” A person’s overall financial picture is determined by lining up everything they own in the _____ column, and everything they own in the liability (or debit) column.
as___t
asset (n)
defintion:
- a useful or valuable thing, person, or quality.
- property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.
- Something or someone that is considered useful or helps a person or organization to be successful.
definition:
- evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.
- evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of
- to consider a person, thing, or situation in order to make a judgment about them.
(v)
Before you try to sell your car, you should ask an expert to ____ its value — once you know what it’s worth, it’s easier to find a fair price. When you ____ a matter, you make a judgment about it.
The verb ____ has the general meaning of determining the importance or value of something. It also has a few specialized uses having to do with amounts of money, such as fines, fees, and taxes. It can mean to set the value of property for purposes of taxation, or to charge a person or business a tax or fee. ____ comes from Anglo-French usage, and is ultimately derived from the Latin verb assidēre, “to sit as a judge.”
as____s
assess (v)
assessment (n)
definition:
- evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.
- evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of
- to consider a person, thing, or situation in order to make a judgment about them.
- defintion:*
- the treatment of someone who has mental problems by asking them about their feelings and their past in order to try to discover what may be causing their condition.
- a set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders; based on the theories of Sigmund Freud
- a system of psych theory and therapy which aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream interpretation and free association.
(n)
______ is a type of long-term therapy that explores the origins of a patient’s mental state.
When most people think of ______ they think of Sigmund Freud, who first developed it at the end of the 19th century. It’s a type of psychotherapy that uses stories from childhood, dreams, free association, and other techniques to get at a person’s subconscious, or the thoughts and fears hidden deep inside the mind. ______ is sometimes described as “talk therapy.” The word is rooted in the Greek psychē, or “soul.”
psy_____s
psychoanalysis (n)
psychoanalyze (v)
- defintion:*
- the treatment of someone who has mental problems by asking them about their feelings and their past in order to try to discover what may be causing their condition.
- a set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders; based on the theories of Sigmund Freud
- a system of psych theory and therapy which aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream interpretation and free association.
defintion:
- the shameful failure to fulfill one’s obligations.
- deliberate or accidental failure to do what you should do as part of your job.
(a saying)
^
^
Der_____on O__ D__y (3 words)
“dereliction of duty“ (idiom)
defintion:
- the shameful failure to fulfill one’s obligations.
- deliberate or accidental failure to do what you should do as part of your job.
- defintion:*
- a man who spends a lot of time and money on his appearance (and home), perhaps has an interest in fashion, and a refined sense of taste.
(n) (adj)
met_____al
metrosexual (adj)
- defintion:*
- a man who spends a lot of time and money on his appearance (and home), perhaps has an interest in fashion, and a refined sense of taste.
defintion:
- a person or thing on which something else is based or depends.
- something that is the most basic part
- a central cohesive source of support and stability
(n)
A _______ is something that acts as a source of support for a community. If your hometown’s economy depends on tourists visiting every summer, you could say that tourism is the _______ of your town.
A _______ holds everything together, whether it’s your grandfather who acts as the anchor of your whole crazy family, a pillar that physically keeps a building from falling down, or the job that enables you to pay your rent every month. The noun _______ is originally a nautical term meaning the rope that stabilizes two masts on a sailboat, and since the 1780s it’s been used to mean “chief support.”
ma____ay
mainstay (n)
synonyms: linchpin, mainstay, coernstone, pillar, centerpiece, anchor, backbone, keystone.
defintion:
- a person or thing on which something else is based or depends.
- something that is the most basic part
- a central cohesive source of support and stability
Example sentences - mainstay
Example sentences - linchpin
defintion:
- idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way
- feeling or showing a lack of interest or enthusiasm
- lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
- someone who is rather lazy and does not show much interest or enthusiasm in what they do
(adj)
Even though _____ sounds like it has something to do with a shortage of daisies, know that what it really means is lacking in spirit or liveliness.
A person with a _____ attitude shows no enthusiasm and puts forth a half-hearted effort. But it’s more of a dreamy, laid back approach rather than sheer laziness. This funny-sounding adjective came about in the eighteenth century from the interjection lackaday, which was an old fashioned way of saying “oh man!” or “unfortunately.”
lac_____al
lackadaisical (adj)
defintion:
- idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way
- feeling or showing a lack of interest or enthusiasm
- lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
- someone who is rather lazy and does not show much interest or enthusiasm in what they do
defintion:
(n)
- an additional charge or payment.
- an additional charge (as for items previously omitted or as a penalty for failure to exercise common caution or common skill)
- an extra payment of money in addition to the usual payment for something. It is added for a specific reason, for example by a company because costs have risen or by a government as a tax.
(v)
- exact an additional charge or payment from.
- charge an extra fee, as for a special service
- mark (a postage stamp) with a _____.
A _____ is an extra amount of money you have to pay when you buy something. If you purchase your concert tickets online instead of at the box office, you’ll have to pay a five-dollar _____.
Any added fee can be called a _____, whether it’s the _____ you pay for bringing an extra suitcase on an airplane or the _____ a business pays every time a customer uses a credit card. As a verb, it means to charge someone an extra fee: “I’m changing banks because mine _____s me every time I use my card at an ATM.” In the 15th century, _____ meant “overcharge” or “charge too much.”
su_____ge
surcharge (n) (v)
(n)
- an additional charge or payment.
- an additional charge (as for items previously omitted or as a penalty for failure to exercise common caution or common skill)
- an extra payment of money in addition to the usual payment for something. It is added for a specific reason, for example by a company because costs have risen or by a government as a tax.
(v)
- exact an additional charge or payment from.
- charge an extra fee, as for a special service
- mark (a postage stamp) with a _____.
defintion:
- harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant.
- a gas or substance is poisonous or very harmful.
- If you refer to someone or something as ____, you mean that they are extremely unpleasant.
(adj)
Something ____ is harmful and could be even fatal — whether it is colorless, odorless, and invisible like carbon monoxide, or dark, strong-smelling, and obvious, like black smoke from a fire. People are called ____ too when they hurt others with cruelty or mental anguish.
English and Latin roots for ____ are related to the meanings of “harm,” “damage,” and “injury.” While obnoxious might come to mind when seeing the word ____, obnoxious is a much less damaging adjective to describe someone annoying. Most uses for ____ involve real physical or emotional damage unless the word is used in exaggeration. Examples range from “the ____ gas fumes made the dog pass out” to “his cologne was so noxious I had to exit the elevator and take the stairs.”
n____us
noxious (adj)
- harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant.
- a gas or substance is poisonous or very harmful.
- If you refer to someone or something as ____, you mean that they are extremely unpleasant.
definition:
- interpret in the wrong way
- interpret (something, especially a person’s words or actions) wrongly.
- If you _____ something that has been said or something that happens, you interpret it wrongly.
(v)
To ____ is to get the wrong idea about something. If you ____ a friend’s silence, you might get mad at him for ignoring you — until you find out he has a sore throat and can’t talk.
The verb ____ comes from mis- meaning “wrong” and construe meaning “construction.” Combined they mean “to put a wrong construction on” — in other words, to interpret in the wrong way. Sometimes people can intentionally allow others to ____ something for personal gain. For example, a politician may let voters ____ her voting record if she believes doing so will help her get elected.
mi_____rue
misconstrue (v)
- interpret in the wrong way
- interpret (something, especially a person’s words or actions) wrongly.
- If you _____ something that has been said or something that happens, you interpret it wrongly.
defintion:
- the practice of living as a parasite in or on another organism.
- the relationship between a parasite and its host
- the state of being infested with ______s
- the state of being a ________
- the relation between two different kinds of organisms in which one receives benefits from the other by causing damage to it (usually not fatal damage)
(n)
______ is a relationship between two things in which one of them (the _____) benefits from or lives off of the other, like fleas on your dog.
______ and its root, parasite, come from para-, meaning “beside” or “next to,” and sito, meaning “bread or food.” There is ______ in plant life, like the kudzu vine that grows on trees. We also talk about social parasitism, when someone lives at the expense of someone else. Some people think that government programs such as welfare or corporate grants and tax breaks are a form of ______.
pa_______sm
parasitism (n)
parasite (n)
parasitic (adj)
parasitical (adj)
- the practice of living as a parasite in or on another organism.
- the relationship between a parasite and its host
- the state of being infested with ______s
- the state of being a ________
- the relation between two different kinds of organisms in which one receives benefits from the other by causing damage to it (usually not fatal damage)
defintion:
- to fulfill a request or meet the needs of
- provide with something desired or needed
- (of physical space, especially a building) provide lodging or sufficient space for.
- fit in with the wishes or needs of.
- If a building or space can ____ someone or something, it has enough room for them.
- have room for; hold without crowding
(v)
If you _____, you are making an adjustment to suit a particular purpose. If you _____ your brother’s demand for the attic room, then you give in and let him take over that space.
_____ entered English in the mid-16th century from the Latin word meaning “made fitting.” Whether it refers to changing something to suit someone’s wishes or providing someone with something he needs, _____ typically involves making something fit. You might change your lunch plans, for example, to _____ your best friend’s schedule. _____ can also refer to providing housing or having enough space for something. You might need to open up the extra bedroom to _____ your out-of-town guests.
acc______e
- *accomodate** (v)
- *accomodation** (n)
defintion:
- to fulfill a request or meet the needs of
- provide with something desired or needed
- (of physical space, especially a building) provide lodging or sufficient space for.
- fit in with the wishes or needs of.
- If a building or space can ____ someone or something, it has enough room for them.
- have room for; hold without crowding
