Vocabulary

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Vocabulary 2008-2009

LIST 1

revere: v., to have great respect and admiration for someone. All students revere their gifted teachers.

asterisk: n., one these things *, used to mark something special in writing. The asterisk showed that more information was at the bottom of the page.

sequester: v., to keep a person isolated, away from others. Since I have a cold, I will sequester myself at home.

goad: v., to provoke someone into action. Ralph goaded the other cockroach into a race across the class.

nil: n., nothing or zero. Students are paid nil for attending school.

glower: v., to stare at someone with anger, glare. Brian glowers at students who talk during class meeting.

sanctimonious: adj., acting perfect, holy, superior. Do not be sanctimonious when you correct another student.

stupor: n., a daze, an “out of it” state Lucy woke up in a stupor.

dappled: adj., marked with spots or patches. My Dalmatian is dappled with black splotches.

enervate: v., to weaken someone, to take their energy. Long meetings enervate the students.

fray: n., a fight Boopsie leapt into the fray, defending her doggie.

caravel: n., a Spanish or Portuguese ship The goods were stored on the caravel.

frivolity: n., joyful activity Recess is a time of frivolity at school.

dais: n., a raised platform Boopsie placed his trophy on the dais in the living room.

conjecture: n., a guess When he saw the student madly doing math, Brian made the conjecture that he had not finished his homework.

eke: v., to support oneself with difficulty During summer, Ralph could barely eke out a living on the crumbs.

dregs: n., the stuff at the bottom of a container Boopsie gagged on the dregs of the orange juice container.

aloof: adj., shy, keeping apart from people Ralph, living alone in the closet, is seen as aloof by other roaches.

punctilious: adj., showing great attention to little details, picky The teacher marked wrong all I’s that were not dotted. How punctilious!

heir: n., the person who inherits something when someone dies Hayes, Brian’s youngest heir, will inherit next to nothing when Daddy dies.

intangible: adj., cannot be physically felt or touched Love is an intangible emotion.

vermilion: adj,. bright red in color The vermilion sunset lit up the sky.

draconian: adj., unjustly harsh, severe Brian delivered his typical draconian punishment to the poor student.

contradictory: adj., taking an opposite view or opinion. Obama and McCain hold contradictory views of the Iraq War.

amiss: adj., incorrect, wrong, out of place When Boopsie entered her room, she knew something was amiss!

incoherent: adj., not making any sense After being struck on the head, Boopsie sang songs with incoherent lyrics.

ravenous: adj., super-hungry After hibernating, the bear comes out of its cave in a ravenous state.

hapless: adj., unlucky or unfortunate The hapless student discovered that all the bread was gone.

obstreperous: adj., noisily unruly (hard to control) The obstreperous group of students angered the headmaster.

bedlam: n., a place of crazy, wild activity A classroom can be a place of bedlam on Friday afternoons.

precarious: adj., not in a secure position, in danger of falling The cat, up in the tree, clung in a precarious position to the bark.

timorous: adj., showing or suffering from nervousness. Boopsie always showed her timorous side during the IOWA testing.

cadence: n., the rhythm of sound (spoken, footsteps) The cadence of the soldiers’ boots on pavement was mesmerizing.

trifle: n., a small, insignificant thing Boopsie considered getting an F in her conduct scores a trifle.

condescend: v., to show feelings of superiority Do not condescend to me, silly young child!

nonplussed: adj., so surprised you don’t know how to act Boopsie’s mother looked on, nonplussed, while Boopsie torched her report card.

chagrin: n., distress or embarrassment. Handing over her burnt report card, Boopsie felt chagrin.

ream: n., 500 sheets of paper Paper is usually sold in reams.

buffeting: n., the action the striking someone or something repeatedly with force. The buffeting wind slapped the sails against the mast.

tryst: n., a secret meeting between lovers Romeo and Juliet had to schedule a few trysts into their week so they could see each other.

pillory: n., a wooden frame with holes for head and hands to put a punished person. Boopsie was confined to the pillory after shooting spitballs in class.

foreboding: n., a feeling that something bad will happen. The cockroach had a feeling of foreboding when it looked up at the sole of the shoe.

waning: adj., getting smaller, shrinking The waning moon shone down on the prairie.

adroit: adj., skillful with hands or mind Adroit in math slams, Boopsie had little trouble during class.

docile: adj., easily trained, ready to take instruction The docile animal made a good pet.

queue: n., a line The queue formed up for the rock concert tickets.

periphery: n., the edges of an area. The gulch is at the periphery of Paideia’s campus.

contender: n., one of the people in a contest for something Barack Obama is one contender in the race for President.

incumbent: n., the person who is already in office who is running again. In the last election, George W. Bush was the incumbent candidate.

propitious: adj., having a good chance of success A windy day is a propitious sign for a sailing contest.

LIST 2, WOO-HOO!

carcass: n., a dead animal body. Only possums will eat carcasses from the asphalt.

insufficient: adj., not enough If you got a 0% on the test, you put in insufficient effort.

grant: v., to give or to allow I hereby grant you three weeks off homework.

optimistic: adj., always seeing the positive, bright side of things. Good things will happen. ‘The glass is half full,’ is an optimistic phrase.

ambitious: adj., having big plans or expectations for the future. Unless you are ambitious, Boopsie, you won’t become President.

rue: v., to regret “You will rue the day you were ever born!” Boopsie’s father said.

prominent: adj., important or famous A U.S. Senator is a prominent member of our society.

subdued: adj., quiet, reflective, and a little depressed. After receiving his rejection letter from Harvard, Boopsie felt subdued.

derogatory: adj., showing disrespect for something, usually in words. If you call my dog a ‘mutt,’ I will take offense at that derogatory remark.

pragmatic: adj., practical, sensible Boopsie’s decision to quit school and become a dancing girl in Vegas was not a pragmatic decision for her future.

algorithm: n., a sequence of steps used to solve a problem (math) Boopsie failed the test when she made up her own algorithms.

contentious: adj., causing or likely to cause an argument. Sticking your tongue out at your brother is a contentious act.

yeoman: n., a man who owns and cultivates a small piece of land. Captain John Smith was a yeoman back in England.

scoff: v., to speak to someone in a condescending way. “You! A scientist!” Boopsie scoffed. “You are no such thing!.”

hawk: v., to sell something by calling loudly to a crowd The man at the ball game was hawking peanuts.

discreet: adj., doing something so that others don’t notice. Please be discreet when picking your nose in public.

diminish: v., to take away from, make less Buying chewing gum will certainly diminish your cash in the bank.

permutation: n., one of a number of possible combinations. ‘Mustard, ketchup, relish,’ is one permutation of how to dress a hot dog.

down: n., a gently rolling hill. Fiver could spy the downs up ahead in the distance.

pithy: adj., brief, but says a lot. ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ is a pithy statement.

disdainful: adj., showing contempt or lack of respect Boopsie cast a disdainful look toward her mother.

nemesis: n., the thing or person who always brings about your downfall Math was always Boopsie’s nemesis. He just couldn’t pass it.

cynical: adj., always seeing a darker side to people’s motives (reasons for actions) When someone gives money to a church, a cynical person would say they are doing it just to relieve their own guilt about their bad actions in the past.

assimilate: v., (for an outsider) to fit in or blend into a larger group Some Native Americans were forced to assimilate with the white culture and drop their own culture.

unscrupulous: adj., lacking a sense of right and wrong The unscrupulous student paid another student to write the term paper.

scruples: n., your conscience guiding your actions My scruples forbid me from stealing your pizza money.

controversy: n., a heated disagreement on some issue Should Boopsie be expelled for toilet papering the principles car? The issue was a hot controversy at her school.

isosceles: adj., having (in a triangle) two sides with the same length.

scalene: adj., having (in a triangle) no sides of equal length.

adjacent: adj., directly next to something else. Paideia’s property is adjacent to South Ponce de Leon Ave.

1. mumbo jumbo- (noun) speech or writing that is unclear. ex. When the child spoke on stage, her lines were mumbo jumbo.

2. apprentice - (Noun) somebody who works under a skilled professional to learn a trade or art. ex. New teachers at Paideia are apprentices for their first year as they learn the art from a master.

3. wily - (adj) skilled at using clever tricks to fool people. ex. Capt. Smith was too wily to be killed by the Powhatan.

4. sheepish - (adj) embarrassed and sort of shy. ex. The toddler was sheepish at her party as she opened gifts.

5. imp - (noun) a small, devilish creature ex. The imp danced around the stage, giggling devilishly.

6. badger -(verb) to pester or annoy someone ex. Automated calls badger voters the day before the election.

7. shirk - (verb) to avoid jobs or your responsibility. ex. The tired parent wanted her kid to take out the trash not shirk her job.

8. fiasco - (noun) a total failure ex. Calling off the wedding on her wedding day was a fiasco, but the bride didn't care.

9. mesmerize - (verb) to fascinate someone or take all their attention. ex. Our class is mesmerized by grammar.

10. plethora - (noun) a large amount of something, excessive amount. ex. Sometimes our class has a plethora of talking.

salubrious: adj., health-giving, pleasant. The salubrious sunshine warmed Boopsie’s spirits.

expletive: n., a swear word “Don’t you dare use expletives with me, young lady!” said Boopsie’s mummy.

communism: n., a form of social organizing where property and wealth is shared by all

capitalism: n., a system where if you think it up, you own it, you get to make $ off it.

covert: adj., secretive, secret Boopsie was involved in a covert operation to steal the principal’s toupé.

infiltrate: v., to enter secretively to gain information Someone has infiltrated our wiki site and put up thousands of images of Britney Spears on the home page.

eradicate: v., to entirely wipe out, get rid of The smallpox was eradicated from the earth some years ago.

delude: v., to deceive or fool someone Boopsie deluded the 2nd grader into thinking that her dollar bills were worth nothing.

resignation: n., the acceptance of something that is inevitable (can’t stop from happening). Boopsie faced her expulsion from school with resignation.

nonchalant: adj., acting cool even when doing something difficult The Bungee jumper strolled toward the precipice in a nonchalant manner.

List 3

nuance: n., a subtle difference in meaning, expression, sound There was a snide nuance to Boopsie’s “Good Morning,” to his mother.

emaciated: adj., abnormally thin or weak, usually from illness or lack of food. Kept in time out for 6 weeks without food, Boopsie appeared emaciated.

skimp: v., to intentionally use or do less than you should to do something Skimping on homework leads to bad test scores.

merit: n., the quality being worthy of praise or reward Obama earned his position through his own merit.

enigma: n., a very difficult, complex problem. How to get out of Iraq is an enigma facing our 44th President.

magnitude: n., the largeness of something Due to its magnitude from fever, Boopsie’s swollen head could not fit through the doorway.

sarcophagus: n., an ancient stone coffin With his sharpie, Boopsie drew designs on the sarcophagus while visiting the Pyramids in Giza.

adverse: adj., preventing success, getting in the way of something The heavy rain created adverse conditions for the runners.

yawp: n., a harsh or hoarse cry or yelp. Your yawping dog kept me up all night!

parsimony: n., unwillingness to spend money or resources. Due to his parsimony, Boopsie would not spend $1.50 on the slice of pizza.

sweltering: adj., uncomfortably hot. Boopsie could not concentrate in the sweltering classroom.

emancipate: v., to set free from oppression “Emancipate us from unfair taxes!” screamed the libertarian.

seared: v., (past tense) to be burned Slaves had been seared in the flames of injustice.

manacle: n., handcuff The police officers put manacles on Boopsie and led her away.

promissory: adj., suggesting a promise about something. The promissory note was a promise to pay money to the individual.

legitimate: adj., in accord with laws or rules. Boopsie, as the oldest child, is the legitimate heir to the throne.

wallow: v., to roll around in a low point Don’t wallow in misery, poor child. It’s only homework.

oasis: n., a spot in the desert where water bubbles forth. Summer vacation was a long awaited oasis of freedom to Boopsie.

interpose: v., to stand in the way of something happening. The Governor interposed himself into the progress of desegregation.

nullify: v., to make nothing, to take power from something. Kryptonite nullifies Superman’s powers.

cryptic: adj., mysterious in meaning Boopsie was handed a cryptic note from the kid sitting next to him.

hew: v., to cut or chop (wood or stone, usually) The slaves in Egypt did hew the stones for the pyramids.

hue: n., a color or shade Boopsie! What a lovely hue of lipstick you are wearing.

prodigious: adj., impressive in size or degree Pinnochio had a prodigious nose.

unprecedented: adj., never having occurred before. Boopsie! An ‘A’ on a test! What an unprecedented event!

acclaim: n., enthusiastic praise for something Boopsie received great acclaim for her report card.

zenith: n., the highest point Boopsie climbed to the Zenith of the capitol building.

hypothetical: adj,. possibly but not actually true or having happened. Let me give you a hypothetical situation….

dilapidated: adj., in disrepair, falling apart (as in a structure) The dilapidated apartment complex was a depressing sight.

sanctuary: n., a place of refuge or safety When running from criminals, the police station is a sanctuary.

rash: adj., moving forward with an action without thinking it through “Slapping the Principal was a rash act, Boopsie,” said his mother.

Vocabulary for February 9 – 13, 2009

agrarian - having to do with farm life; adj. The agrarian economy has become much smaller in 2009.

uber – exceptional; not ordinary; adj. The uber tennis player of our day is Nadal.

ricochet – verb; to hit a surface and bounce. Pin balls ricochet around the board.

carom – verb; to start a ricochet; the start of a ricochet. We played a game of marbles, and I had a successful carom to start my turn.

dwindling – verb; getting smaller. Jobs are dwindling in our town.

ascend – verb; to go up. Saints ascend to heaven.

debut – verb; to start; to come out or appear for the 1st time. The baseball player debuted on Friday and hit a homer.

coalition – noun; a temporary union between two groups to get something done. Obama formed a coalition to pass the Stimulus bill.

reprobate – noun; a person of bad character. You don’t invite the neighborhood reprobate over for dinner.

philanthropist – noun; a person who does good works to improve our world. Bill Gates has become a major philanthropist, trying to cure malaria.

lark: n., something done for fun or mischief “But I did it as a lark,” he responded. agog: adj., eager or curious to hear or see something. The students were all agog to see the class lists in August.

decorum: n., behavior that keeps in line with politeness The captain’s decorum impressed Charlotte.

din: n., loud, prolonged noise In the din of our lunchtime, I can barely hear myself think.

quell: v., to put an end to an uprising, usually with force Pulling out his machine gun, the captain quelled the mutiny.

ire: n., anger Messing up your sister’s room is sure to raise her ire.

countenance: n., a person’s face Keep a blank countenance when bluffing in poker.

pallor: n., an unhealthy, pale appearance The pallor of Boopsie’s cheeks after eating the moldy bread upset his mother.

stinting: v., supplying too small an amount of something He was not stinting in handing out the free candy.

laconic: adj., using very few words A laconic person would make a bad talk show host.

phantasmagoric: adj., being like imaginary, dream-like images. Boopsie had a phantasmagoric vision that he was the Emperor of the universe.

asylum: n., protection granted to a person by a country. Use with “granted” Salman Rushdie was granted political asylum by the U.S.

fizzled: v., usually with ‘out’. To lose energy, or forward momentum. Boopsie’s campaign to be Emperor, however, soon fizzled out when no one supported her.

embalm: v., to preserve from decay—usually a dead body. “Don’t embalm me when I die,” Boopsie said. “I’ll just rot.”

catacombs: n., a series of underground, maze-like passages. When in catacombs, take a map with you.

impose: v., to force an idea, rule, etc., on another. Martha and Brian impose all sorts of arbitrary rules on their students.

conundrum: n., an enigma; a complex problem or puzzle. What to do with my weekend…. Ah, such a conundrum!

ubiquitous: adj., present, appearing, or found everywhere. Phil’s presence was ubiquitous during Brian’s college years.

evolution: n., the scientific theory Darwin discovered that suggests all living creatures change over long periods of time to fit in better with their environment.

prevail: v., to come out victorious after a struggle. Good shall prevail over evil in the end….