Wordly Wise 3

Question 1

Curtail

Cur-tail

Answer 1

V.
To cut short or reduce

The performance was curtailed when a fire broke out in the theater.

Question 2

Discriminate

Dis-crim-in-ate

Answer 2

V.
To make or recognize clear distinctions

During hunting season it’s prudent for hikers to wear orange so that hunters can easily discriminate between people and animals.

Question 3

Espionage

Es-pi-on-age

Answer 3

N.
The act of spying

Counterintelligence précis list use their knowledge of high tech spying equipment to thwart acts of espionage.

Question 4

Inalienable

In-a-li-en-a-ble

Answer 4

Adj.
Not able to be taken or given away

United States citizens are promised certain inalienable rights that are spelled out in the bill of rights, the first ten amendments of the constitution.

Question 5

Incarcerate

In-car-cer-ate

Answer 5

V.
To confine or put in prison

Maximum security prisoners were incarcerated on Alcatraz, an island in San Francisco Bay, until 1963.

Question 6

Indignity

In-dig-nit-y

Answer 6

N.
An insult of ones pride

His mother waited until they got home to reprimand her son, in order to spare him the indignity of being criticized in front of his friends.

Question 7

Indiscriminate

In-dis-crim-in-ate

Answer 7

Adj.
not marked by careful distinctions; haphazard

She was an indoctrinate reader and devoured everything from comics to history books.

Question 8

Infamous

In-fa-mous

Answer 8

Adj.
Notorious

The CIA’s infamous agent, Aldrich Ames, sold compromising information to the soviets that cost the lives of many soviet secret agents.

Question 9

Intercede

In-ter-cede

Answer 9

V.
To act or plead on another’s behalf

Instead of interceding, my parents encouraged my brother and me to resolve our differences on our own.

Question 10

Malign

Ma-lign

Answer 10

V.
Slander

The proprietor thought maligning his competitors products would boost his own sales.

Question 11

Perpetrate

Per-pe-trate

Answer 11

V.
To commit, as a crime or other antisocial act.

The con artist was guilty of perpetrating a minor crime.

Question 12

Rampant

Ram-pant

Answer 12

Adj.
Threateningly wild

The rampant vines covered the slope and began to climb the surrounding trees.

Question 13

Rancor

Ran-cor

Answer 13

N.
A deep, long held feeling of hatred.

His rancor for the group turned him into its implacable foe.

Question 14

Reparation

Re-par-a-tion

Answer 14

N.
A mending or repair

The building needed major reparations after the tornado.

Question 15

Smattering

Smat-ter-ing

Answer 15

N.
Superficial

He picked up a smattering of Spanish while in Mexico.