Looking Backward and Forward z Throughout this course, we have delved into the history and meaning of scores of powerful, lively, and beautiful words. But even beyond building a rich treasury of words, we’ve also acquired some valuable strategies for learning vocabulary, such as making SHUVRQDO FRQQHFWLRQV RUJDQL]LQJ E\\ VFKHPD ORRNLQJ IRU DI¿[HV and roots, and keeping a vocabulary notebook. z As you move beyond this course, keep in mind these tips for continuing to build your vocabulary: ż First, read, talk, and write! Find a subject that inspires you, such as yoga, politics, or jazz; read about it; and discuss it with others. Consider writing a blog to share your thoughts with others who have the same interests that you have. ż Second, keep up with your vocabulary notebook. As you’re reading, take note of unfamiliar and interesting words. Once a week, choose two or three of those words and record them in your vocabulary notebook, just as we’ve done throughout this course. Delve into them deeply. ż Third, use it or lose it: Challenge yourself to try out one interesting word per day from your notebook. Choose a word that will add some spice, color, or precision to your conversation. Remember, each time you use a word is one more step toward owning that word. Review Questions 1. Even as a boy, the tyro physicist had been fascinated by the behavior of proton, electrons, and __________. 2. “Parents can be such __________,” the teenage girl remarked to her friend. “They have no knowledge of Internet __________ or texting slang.” 243
/HFWXUH)RUJRWWHQ:RUGVDQG1HRORJLVPV 3. A mid-morning snack is an excellent antidote when one starts feeling __________ around 11:00 a.m. 4. Blakely’s presentation was a true __________; the executives were bowled over by her creative ideas. 5. With her endless shopping trips, spa visits, and restaurant meals, Bonita was considered a __________ by her relatives. 6. Pam’s __________ son-in-law couldn’t hold a job and wouldn’t help out around the house. 7. Without continuing practice and effort, new vocabulary knowledge can be as __________ as the wind. 244
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV Lecture 1 1. 'H¿QLWLRQVFRQWH[WFRQQHFWLRQVPRUSKRORJ\\VHPDQWLFFKXQNLQJ 2. According to schema theory, we organize and categorize knowledge by abstract mental frameworks (schema). Semantic chunking takes advantage of this approach to organizing knowledge by grouping related words into categories according to their meaning. 3. procrustean 4. factotum Lecture 2 1. Words that are related in spelling are often related in meaning, despite changes in sound. 2. 'H¿QLWLRQV FRQWH[W VHQWHQFHV SHUVRQDO FRQQHFWLRQV DQG QRWHV RQ morphology and etymology. 3. circumspect 4. factitious Lecture 3 1. apocryphal 2. mountebank 245
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV 3. hornswoggle 4. sophist 5. ersatz 6. specious 7. spurious 8. skulduggery/machinations Lecture 4 1. noisome 2. JDGÀ\\ 3. mawkish 4. querulous 5. maudlin 6. treacle 7. Fulsome can mean either “excessively or insincerely lavish” or “abundant.” Depending on which meaning is intended, fulsome praise could be interpreted negatively or positively. 8. scabrous Lecture 5 1. bellicose 246
2. rapacious 3. halcyon 4. imbroglio 5. propitiate 6. truculent 7. mollycoddle/contumacious 8. donnybrook 9. quiescent Lecture 6 1. UHSDUDEOHĺUHSDLUĺ³FDSDEOHRIEHLQJUHSDLUHG´ 2. abysmal 'H¿QLWLRQ3DUWRI6SHHFK 6\\QRQ\\PV adjective wretched, atrocious, awful, execrable extremely poor or bad ([DPSOHV 1RQ([DPSOHV$QWRQ\\PV Abysmal papers handed in by students Work of a Nobel Prize–winning author in a freshman composition class excellent, exceptional, VXSHULRU¿UVWUDWH 3. toothsome 4. castigated 247
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV 5. circumlocution 6. captious Lecture 7 1. malfeasance 2. venal 3. malediction 4. malinger 5. turpitude 6. malaise 7. maladroit 8. malefactor 9. invidious 10. malcontent 11. insidious Lecture 8 1. puerile 2. Inchoate sometimes emphasizes what is not present in the beginning stages, focusing on the more “lacking” aspects of a beginning. In 248
contrast, nascent stresses the more developing, growing, positive aspects of the beginning stage. 3. moribund 4. tyro 5. ingénue 6. dilettante 7. callow Lecture 9 1. oenophile 2. misanthrope 3. philatelist 4. agoraphobia, glossophobia, acrophobia 5. execrate 6. canoodling 7. xenophobia Lecture 10 1. No. The hoi polloi are the common people, who are not generally WKRXJKWRIDVKDYLQJWKHUH¿QHGPDQQHUVDQGWDVWHVRISDWULFLDQV 2. bromides 249
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV 3. nonpareil 4. quotidian 5. banal 6. insipid/vapid 7. prosaic Lecture 11 1. saturnine 2. Sisyphean 3. Sword of Damocles/Gordian knot 4. mercurial 5. Promethean 6. saturnalia Lecture 12 1. sycophants/obsequious 2. blandishments 3. unctuous 4. bloviate 250
5. bumptious 6. hubris 7. wheedling 8. bombast 9. supercilious Lecture 13 1. The root umbr, meaning “shade, shadow,” is found in the middle of adumbrate, a word that means “to give a sketchy or shadowy outline of.” 2. emancipation 3. dishabille 4. prescient Lecture 14 1. SRQWL¿FDWHV 2. dissembled 3. SHU¿GLRXV 4. agitprop 5. equivocal 6. dogmatic 251
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV 7. apostate Lecture 15 1. philippic 2. FDOXPQ\\YLOL¿HG 3. fulminated 4. obloquy 5. bowdlerize 6. pithy 7. foment 8. laconic Lecture 16 1. badinage 2. palaver 3. claptrap/bunk 4. jeremiad 5. paean 6. maundering 7. panegyric 252
8. pilloried 9. pablum Lecture 17 1. gerrymandering 2. luddite 3. malapropism 4. billingsgate 5. quisling 6. draconian/bedlam 7. quixotic Lecture 18 1. philistine 2. perspicacious 3. didactic 4. exegesis 5. (UXGLWH PHDQV ³OHDUQHG RU VFKRODUO\\´ UHFRQGLWH PHDQV ³GLI¿FXOW WR understand”; esoteric means “understood by only a select group.” 253
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV 6. Induction is the process of inferring general principles from individual facts; deduction is the process of reasoning in which a conclusion necessarily follows from the stated premises. Lecture 19 1. facile 2. torpor/torpid 3. sedulous/indolent 4. turbid/turgid 5. alacrity Lecture 20 1. concatenation 2. lacuna 3. schism 4. maw 5. to split or divide by cutting; to cling to 6. A cabal is a secret group, often meeting for the purposes of treachery. A coterie is a small group of people who share a common interest or purpose; coterie doesn’t carry the negative connotations of cabal. 7. Diaspora 254
Lecture 21 1. Both words can mean “to relinquish power,” but abdicate is usually UHVHUYHGIRURI¿FHVRIKLJKHUSRZHUVXFKDVDNLQJVKLS 2. antediluvian 3. solipsism 4. ablution 5. denuded 6. absquatulate 7. nihilism 8. protean Lecture 22 1. asperity 2. importuning/fractious 3. inured 4. splenetic 5. Phlegmatic means “showing little emotion”; stoic means “seemingly indifferent to pleasure or pain; stolid means “having or expressing little or no sensibility.” 255
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV Lecture 23 1. bravado 2. braggadocio 3. chutzpah/moxie 4. temerity 5. intrepid 6. pusillanimous 7. craven 8. fortitude 9. timorous Lecture 24 1. maudlin 2. callow 3. supercilious 4. Didactic means “overly preachy and instructive”; pedantic means “characterized by a narrow, ostentatious concern for book learning.” 5. a pattern or scheme into which someone or something is forced 256
Lecture 25 1. perdition/extirpate 2. Regicide is the murder of a ruler (king or queen); patricide is the murder of one’s father; and parricide is the murder of a parent or close relative. 3. desuetude 4. caesura 5. ¿QGHVLqFOH 6. abrogated 7. vivisection Lecture 26 1. bumptious 2. dissembling 3. stultifying 4. frisson 5. detritus 6. a choice between what is available and nothing Lecture 27 1. sesquipedalian 257
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV 2. argot 3. lingua franca 4. discursive 5. sobriquet 6. jargon 7. The vernacular is the language of the common people; a dialect is the ODQJXDJHRIDVSHFL¿FUHJLRQRUVRFLDOFODVV 8. shibboleth 9. somniloquy Lecture 28 1. Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings. Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. 2. Toponyms are place-names or words derived from place names; eponyms are words derived from the names of people. 3. portmanteau words/clipped words 4. spoonerism 5. acronyms 258
Lecture 29 1. Both salubrious and salutary can describe something that’s good for your health, but salutaryFDQDOVRGHVFULEHVRPHWKLQJWKDW¶VEHQH¿FLDORU promotes improvement in a more general sense. 2. RI¿FLRXV 3. avuncular 4. mordant 5. virulent 6. piquant 7. pernicious Lecture 30 1. Brobdingnagian and lilliputian 2. diminuendo 3. magnum opus 4. exiguous 5. juggernaut 6. commodious/capacious 259
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV Lecture 31 1. Children in the alphabetic layer have a tacit logic underlying their spelling; they operate under the principle that every letter makes a sound and that we read and spell in a left-to-right, linear fashion; they have the same basic spelling logic as the Anglo-Saxons. 2. Children in the pattern layer know that every letter does not make a sound in English, that silent letters provide important information, and that the “one letter at a time” strategy won’t work for all words. 3. Many of the classical roots in the meaning layer came into our spelling system during the Renaissance, when an explosion of new knowledge and ideas created a demand for new vocabulary. Lecture 32 1. tendentious/equivocal 2. truculent/truckle 3. trenchant/nascent 4. venal 5. pernicious 6. tintinnabulation (ringing), susurration (whispering), and harrumph (throat-clearing) Lecture 33 1. shy spy, straighter traitor, monk’s bunk, quieter rioter 260
Lecture 34 1. schadenfreude/bête noire 2. weltschmerz/zeitgeist 3. éminence grise 4. doppelgänger 5. mugwump Lecture 35 1. sangfroid 2. agent provocateur 3. gemütlichkeit 4. lagniappe 5. mot juste 6. cachet 7. gestalt 8. insouciant Lecture 36 1. quarks 2. muggles/memes 261
$QVZHUVWR5HYLHZ4XHVWLRQV 3. peckish 4. sockdolager 5. SURÀLJDWH 6. feckless 7. evanescent 262
Glossary of Target Words Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. to renounce or relinquish a throne, 21 abdicate (verb) right, power, or responsibility 21 ablution (noun) 21 abnegate (verb) the washing of one’s body, or part of it, 25 especially as a religious ritual abrogate (verb) 21 1. to deny or renounce 28 DEVTXDWXODWH (verb) DFURQ\\P (noun) 2. to relinquish power 9 13 acrophobia (noun) 1. to abolish by formal, authoritative action; DGXPEUDWH (verb) to annul, repeal 35 agent provocateur 2. to treat as nonexistent; 14 (noun) to do away with, set aside 9 19 agitprop (noun) WRÀHHDEVFRQG 21 agoraphobia (noun) a word or abbreviation formed from the 3 alacrity (noun) initial letters of each of the successive antediluvian or major parts of a compound term (adjective) abnormal fear of heights apocryphal (adjective) 1. to give a sketchy outline of; to suggest, disclose, or outline partially 2. to foreshadow vaguely; to intimate a secret agent hired to incite suspected persons to illegal action that will make them liable to punishment political propaganda delivered through art, music, drama, or literature abnormal fear of open or public spaces a quick and cheerful readiness and eagerness to do something 1. of or relating to the period EHIRUHWKHELEOLFDOÀRRG 2. very old-fashioned, out of date, antiquated, or primitive of doubtful or dubious authenticity; false 263
Glossary of Target Words Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. a person who abandons his or her religion, 14 apostate (noun) political beliefs, principles, or cause 27 22 argot (noun) a specialized language characteristic 29 of a particular group of people asperity (noun) 16 roughness or harshness of surface, sound, 10 avuncular (adjective) climate, condition, manner, or temper 17 badinage (noun) 1. of or having to do with an uncle 5 banal (adjective) 34 2. resembling an uncle; friendly; 17 EHGODP (noun) helpful; kind, patient, and indulgent 12 bellicose (adjective) 12 light, playful banter; raillery 12 bête noire (noun) 15 lacking freshness and originality; 23 billingsgate (noun) trite; commonplace; so ordinary EODQGLVKPHQW (noun) as to have become tedious 23 30 bloviate (verb) a place or situation of noisy uproar 10 ERPEDVW (noun) and confusion 12 ERZGOHUL]H (verb) braggadocio (noun) warlike, pugnacious, aggressively hostile bravado (noun) a person or thing that is particularly disliked, dreaded, or avoided Brobdingnagian (adjective) foul, coarse, abusive language EURPLGH (noun) ÀDWWHU\\WKDWLVGHVLJQHG EXPSWLRXV (adjective) to persuade a listener to talk pompously; to talk at great length in a pompous and boastful manner pretentious, pompous, grandiloquent speech or writing to change a text by removing or modifying parts that could offend people 1. a braggart 2. empty, arrogant boasting a pretentious, swaggering display of courage intended to impress others immense, enormous a platitude or trite saying pushy; offensively or loudly self-assertive; cocky 264
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. 16 bunk (noun) foolish, untrue talk; nonsense 20 cabal (noun) 1. a small group of people secretly 35 working together 25 8 2. a secret plot cachet (noun) superior status, privilege 15 caesura (noun) a break or pause 9 FDOORZ (adjective) immature or inexperienced; 30 FDOXPQ\\ (noun) lacking adult sophistication 6 canoodle (verb) a false accusation maliciously intended 6 to destroy someone’s reputation 23 1. to kiss and cuddle; pet, caress; fondle 6 2. to coax, persuade, cajole, wheedle 2 capacious (adjective) capable of containing a great deal; 16 spacious and roomy 20 captious (adjective) castigate (verb) IDXOW¿QGLQJK\\SHUFULWLFDOGLI¿FXOWWRSOHDVH 28 FKXW]SDK (noun) to punish, rebuke, or criticize severely 30 FLUFXPORFXWLRQ (noun) SHUVRQDOFRQ¿GHQFHRUFRXUDJH 20 FLUFXPVSHFW shameless audacity; impudence 5 (adjective) evasive, long-winded rambling or indirect speech cautious, prudent claptrap (noun) pretentious nonsense; insincere speech cleave (verb) 1. to split or divide by cutting 2. to stick closely to; to cling to FOLSSHGZRUG (noun) a word that has been shortened with no change in meaning FRPPRGLRXV comfortably or conveniently spacious; roomy (adjective) concatenation (noun) a series of things that are linked together FRQWXPDFLRXV stubbornly disobedient and rebellious (adjective) to authority; willfully obstinate 265
Glossary of Target Words Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. a small, often select group of people 20 coterie (noun) who associate with one another frequently and share a common 23 craven (adjective) interest, background, or purpose 18 deduction (noun) 21 very cowardly; abjectly afraid 25 denude (verb) 26 desuetude (noun) process of reasoning in which a conclusion 27 necessarily follows from the stated premises 20 detritus (noun) dialect (noun) to lay bare; to strip; to make nude 18 diaspora (noun) 8 a state of disuse or inactivity 30 didactic (adjective) 27 dilettante (noun) disintegrated or eroded matter; debris 13 GLPLQXHQGR (noun) a variety of a language often associated 14 discursive (adjective) with a certain region or social class 14 5 dishabille (noun) the movement, migration, or scattering 34 of a people away from an established GLVVHPEOH (verb) or ancestral homeland 17 GRJPDWLF (adjective) donnybrook (noun) inclined to teach or moralize excessively doppelgänger (noun) DGDEEOHULQWKHDUWVRUVRPH¿HOGRI draconian (adjective) knowledge; often used in a pejorative sense a decrease in loudness or intensity rambling from topic to topic, aimless, digressive a state of being dressed in a very casual or even careless, disheveled, and disorderly style to disguise or conceal behind a false appearance characterized by an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproven ideas a free-for-all; a brawl; a scene of disorder and uproar 1. a ghostly double of a living person that haunts its living counterpart 2. someone who has a close, even eerily close, resemblance to another exceedingly harsh; very severe; cruel 266
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. 1. a powerful decision maker or advisor 34 éPLQHQFHJULVH who operates behind the scenes (noun) 28 2. an elder statesman or eminent 14 HSRQ\\P (noun) senior member of a group HTXLYRFDO (adjective) 3 a word derived from a person’s name 18 HUVDW] (adjective) erudite (adjective) open to two or more interpretations, often with an intent to mislead or be purposely vague describes an inferior substitute learned or scholarly; characterized by deep and extensive knowledge esoteric (adjective) understood by only a select group 18 evanescent (adjective) 36 1. ÀHHWLQJRUVKRUWGXUDWLRQYDQLVKLQJ H[HFUDWH (verb) or likely to vanish 9 H[HJHVLV (noun) 18 2. fragile, diaphanous, and unsubstantial H[LJXRXV (adjective) 30 H[WLUSDWH (verb) 1. to damn or denounce scathingly; curse 25 facile (adjective) 19 2. to detest utterly, abhor, abominate, loathe factitious (adjective) 2 an explanation or critical interpretation, IDFWRWXP (noun) especially of the Bible or another 1 feckless (adjective) religious text 36 25 ¿QGHVLqFOH excessively scanty, inadequate, and meager (noun phrase) to pull up by the roots; to root out and destroy completely; to wipe out done or achieved with little effort RUGLI¿FXOW\\HDV\\SHUIRUPHG ZLWKHIIRUWOHVVHDVHDQGÀXHQF\\ 1. made or manufactured; not natural 2. made up in the sense of contrived; a sham, fake, or phony someone hired to do a variety of jobs; a jack-of-all-trades 1. weak and ineffective 2. worthless, lazy, and irresponsible end of the century 267
Glossary of Target Words Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. WRVWLUXSLQFLWHURXVHSURYRNHLQÀDPH 15 IRPHQW (verb) encourage, or instigate 23 fortitude (noun) mental and emotional strength 22 fractious (adjective) LQIDFLQJGLI¿FXOW\\DGYHUVLW\\GDQJHU 26 frisson (noun) or temptation courageously 15 IXOPLQDWH (verb) unruly; hard to manage; rebellious 4 4 IXOVRPH (adjective) an almost pleasurable sensation of fright 35 JDGÀ\\(noun) 1. to issue a thunderous verbal attack; to vehemently denounce 17 JHPWOLFKNHLW (noun) 2. to explode with sudden violence; 35 JHUU\\PDQGHU to detonate (noun/verb) 9 1. excessively or insincerely lavish 11 gestalt (noun) 5 2. abundant 32 glossophobia (noun) Gordian knot 1. a persistently annoying person who (noun phrase) questions, critiques, and pesters halcyon (adjective) 2. an insect that annoys livestock KDUUXPSK (verb) by biting and sucking their blood an atmosphere characterized by a cheerful mood; peace of mind, with the connotation of fellowship and coziness QRXQ the act of dividing election districts to give one party an unfair advantage YHUE to divide election districts unfairly a pattern possessing qualities as a whole that cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts unreasonable fear of speaking in public an exceedingly complicated and intricate problem or deadlock; an intractable problem tranquil, calm, and peaceful; may refer to happy, joyful, and prosperous times 1. to make a pretentious show of clearing one’s throat 2. to offer brief critical comments 268
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. a choice between what is available and 26 +REVRQ¶VFKRLFH nothing; the absence of a real alternative 10 (noun phrase) 28 the ordinary masses; the common people hoi polloi (noun) 28 KRPRJUDSK (noun) one of two or more words that are spelled the same but have different 28 KRPRQ\\P (noun) pronunciations and meanings 3 KRPRSKRQH (noun) one of two or more words that 12 are spelled and pronounced the same 5 KRUQVZRJJOH (verb) but carry different meanings hubris (noun) 22 one of two or more words that sound the 8 LPEURJOLR (noun) same but are spelled differently and have different meanings 19 LPSRUWXQH (verb) 18 inchoate (adjective) to swindle, cheat, or dupe 8 indolent (adjective) H[FHVVLYHSULGHRUVHOIFRQ¿GHQFHDUURJDQFH 7 induction (noun) 10 ingénue (noun) 1. a state of great confusion and entanglement; a complicated, insidious (adjective) GLI¿FXOWRUHPEDUUDVVLQJVLWXDWLRQ insipid (adjective) 2. a complex misunderstanding, disagreement, or dispute— sometimes of a bitter nature to harass with repeated requests; to demand of someone insistently 1. not completely formed or developed; only partly in existence 2. not organized; lacking order habitually lazy and slow; tending to avoid exertion process of inferring general principles from individual facts or instances 1. an innocent, naïve girl or young woman 2. a stock innocent character in a movie or play or the actress playing such a character intended to entrap, ensnare, or beguile; stealthily treacherous or deceitful EODQGDQGODFNLQJLQÀDYRUODFNLQJLQ interesting, exciting, or stimulating qualities 269
Glossary of Target Words Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. insouciant (adjective) free from concern, worry, or anxiety; 35 carefree; nonchalant intrepid (adjective) 23 inure (verb) resolutely fearless, dauntless 22 invidious (adjective) WREHFRPHDFFXVWRPHGWRKDUGVKLSGLI¿FXOW\\ 7 or pain; to toughen or harden; to habituate jargon (noun) 27 MHUHPLDG (noun) creating ill will, envy; causing resentment; 16 unfairly or offensively discriminating juggernaut (noun) 30 unintelligible or meaningless speech laconic (adjective) 15 a long lamentation or complaint; a bitter lacuna (noun) lament; a scolding speech or sermon 20 lagniappe (noun) 35 an overwhelming or unstoppable force lilliputian (adjective) that smashes everything in its path 30 lingua franca (noun) using few words, terse, brief, 27 succinct, taciturn, concise luddite (noun) 17 a gap or hole where something should be PDFKLQDWLRQV (noun) 3 a small gift given by a storeowner to a PDJQXPRSXV (noun) FXVWRPHUDQ\\VPDOOH[WUDJLIWRUEHQH¿W 30 PDODGURLW (adjective) 7 PDODLVH (noun) 1. very small, diminutive 7 PDODSURSLVP (noun) 2. trivial, petty 17 PDOFRQWHQW (noun) a common language used by speakers 7 PDOHGLFWLRQ(noun) of different languages to communicate 7 PDOHIDFWRU (noun) 7 anyone who opposes the introduction of technological change intrigues, plots, crafty schemes, or the act of plotting an artist’s greatest work awkward, clumsy, tactless, or bungling DYDJXHRULQGH¿QLWHIHHOLQJ of unease or discomfort a ridiculous and often humorous misuse of words, particularly words that sound similar but are different in meaning DSHUVRQZKRLVFKURQLFDOO\\GLVVDWLV¿HG a curse; evil talk about someone; slander a criminal; a person who violates the law 270
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. an illegal or harmful act, 7 PDOIHDVDQFH (noun) XVXDOO\\FRPPLWWHGE\\DSXEOLFRI¿FLDO that violates the public trust 7 PDOLQJHU (verb) 13 PDQXPLW (verb) to fake or exaggerate illness, 4 PDXGOLQ (adjective) usually to avoid work 16 PDXQGHU (verb) 20 to release from slavery or servitude 4 PDZ (noun) 36 PDZNLVK (adjective) foolishly, tearfully, and weakly sentimental; 11 overly emotional PHPH (noun) 9 PHUFXULDO (adjective) to talk aimlessly and incoherently 5 29 PLVDQWKURSH (noun) the mouth, throat, or gullet of an animal, 8 PROO\\FRGGOH (verb) particularly a carnivorous animal PRUGDQW(adjective) 35 PRULEXQG (adjective) excessively and objectionably sentimental 3 23 PRWMXVWH (noun) an idea, behavior, style, or usage that PRXQWHEDQN (noun) spreads from person to person in a culture 36 PR[LH (noun) 1. liable to sudden and unpredictable change; volatile; erratic PXJJOH (noun) 2. animated, lively, quick-witted someone who hates and distrusts all people to overindulge; to treat with excessive attention to the point of spoiling someone bitingly sarcastic 1. approaching death; coming to an end 2. no longer effective or active; stagnant; not progressing or advancing the exact, appropriate word or expression for a situation DÀDPER\\DQWVZLQGOHUDÀLPÀDPPHU someone who claims to be an expert but isn’t 1. WKHDELOLW\\WRIDFHGLI¿FXOW\\ZLWKVSLULW and courage 2. aggressive energy, vigor, verge, and pep or skill and know-how a person who lacks a particular skill or knowledge of a subject; someone who is regarded as inferior in some way 271
Glossary of Target Words Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. 1. a person, especially a politician, 34 PXJZXPS (noun) who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue 8 nascent (adjective) 21 QLKLOLVP (noun) 2. a person who remains neutral or 4 independent on a controversial issue 10 QRLVRPH (adjective) 15 nonpareil (adjective) emerging, developing, 12 coming into existence, forming 9 REORTX\\ (noun) 29 a belief in nothing REVHTXLRXV 16 (adjective) offensive to the point of arousing disgust; 16 foul, particularly in reference to an odor oenophile (noun) 16 RI¿FLRXV (adjective) without peer; having no equal 16 SDEOXP (noun) 1. harshly critical speech or verbal abuse 25 paean (noun) 2. the disgrace that results from such abuse palaver (noun) servile and fawning; overly deferential panegyric (noun) parricide (noun) a connoisseur or lover of wine marked by excessive, often aggressive eagerness in offering unwanted advice, service, or help to others; meddlesome trite, insipid, or simplistic writing, speech, or conceptualization 1. joyous song or hymn of praise, thanksgiving, or triumph 2. speech or writing that expresses enthusiastic praise 1. profuse and idle chit-chat; chatter; empty talk; nonsense 2. ÀDWWHU\\DQGVZHHWWDONXVHGWRSHUVXDGH IRUPDORUHODERUDWHSUDLVHVSHFL¿FDOO\\D formal speech or writing that praises the murder of a parent or close relative 272
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. QRXQ 10 patrician 1. VRPHRQHRIUH¿QHGXSEULQJLQJ (noun/adjective) 36 manners, and taste 25 peckish (adjective) 14 2. an aristocrat; a person of high rank 29 perdition (noun) or social class 18 SHU¿GLRXV (adjective) 9 pernicious (adjective) DGMHFWLYH 15 people or things that have the 18 perspicacious characteristics of the upper class (adjective) 22 1. somewhat hungry 16 philatelist (noun) 29 philippic (noun) 2. irritable, touchy philistine (noun) 15 loss of the soul; eternal damnation; 14 SKOHJPDWLF (adjective) hell; utter ruin pillory (verb) treacherous, disloyal, and deceitful SLTXDQW (adjective) exceedingly harmful or destructive; deadly pithy (adjective) SRQWL¿FDWH (verb) having or showing keen mental perception a person who studies or collects stamps DELWWHUYHUEDODWWDFNDUDQW¿OOHG with harsh, cruel language a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits and indifferent or hostile to artistic and cultural values showing little emotion; not easily excited to action to expose to (often public) ridicule, abuse, and scorn; to criticize harshly 1. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste RUÀDYRUSOHDVDQWO\\ELWLQJRUWDUWVSLF\\ 2. agreeably stimulating and engagingly provocative 3. interesting, charming attractive refers to language that is short and terse but meaningful to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way 273
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. 28 SRUWPDQWHDXZRUG a new word that is blended together 13 (noun) from parts of existing words 1 36 prescient (adjective) SHUFHLYLQJWKHVLJQL¿FDQFH 11 of events before they happen 5 10 procrustean tending to produce conformity by arbitrary, (adjective) ruthless, or violent means 21 8 SURÀLJDWH (noun) someone who is given to wildly extravagant 23 and grossly self-indulgent behavior 36 4 3URPHWKHDQ daringly original or creative; boldly inventive 5 (adjective) 17 propitiate (verb) to appease; to make favorably inclined; 17 to regain the favor of someone 10 5 prosaic (adjective) 1. dull, lacking in imagination, matter-of-fact 18 29 2. commonplace, everyday, ordinary 29 protean (adjective) able to take many forms or do many different things; versatile Glossary of Target Words puerile (adjective) juvenile, childishly silly, foolish SXVLOODQLPRXV (adjective) cowardly; lacking courage TXDUN (noun) or resolution; fainthearted TXHUXORXV (adjective) an elementary subatomic particle proposed as the fundamental unit of matter TXLHVFHQW(adjective) full of complaints; complaining TXLVOLQJ (noun) in an annoyed way TXL[RWLF (adjective) tranquilly at rest, inactive, still, quiet, TXRWLGLDQ (adjective) or motionless rapacious (adjective) a traitor who aids an invading and/or recondite (adjective) occupying enemy force, often serving later salubrious (adjective) in the puppet government salutary (adjective) romantically impractical or impulsive daily, customary, ordinary, usual aggressively and excessively greedy or grasping; predatory GLI¿FXOWWRXQGHUVWDQG conducive or favorable to health or well-being; wholesome SURGXFLQJDEHQH¿FLDOHIIHFWUHPHGLDO 274
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. coolness and composure, 35 sangfroid (noun) especially in trying circumstances 11 saturnalia (noun) a celebration marked by unrestrained 11 saturnine (adjective) revelry and, often, promiscuity 4 scabrous (adjective) and excessive drinking 34 schadenfreude (noun) melancholy, sluggish, gloomy 20 VFKLVP (noun) 1. scabby, blotchy, and scaly 19 sedulous (adjective) 27 VHVTXLSHGDOLDQ 2. rough to the touch 27 (adjective) 11 3. indecent, shocking, scandalous 3 shibboleth (noun) 27 Sisyphean (adjective) satisfaction, pleasure, or malicious joy 36 at someone else’s misfortune skulduggery (noun) 21 VREULTXHW (noun) a division among the members of a group into opposing factions 27 sockdolager (noun) because of a disagreement 3 VROLSVLVP (noun) diligent in application or in the pursuit of something; persevering; constant in effort VRPQLORTX\\ (noun) sophist (noun) 1. given to the overuse of long words 2. long and ponderous, polysyllabic a test word, phrase, or custom used to distinguish one group from another endlessly laborious and futile devious, deceitful behavior; underhanded dealings a nickname, usually a humorous or affectionate one 1. DVWURQJGHFLVLYH¿QDOEORZD¿QLVKHU 2. something or someone outstanding or exceptional 1. the philosophy that one has no valid reason for believing that anything exists except oneself 2. an extreme preoccupation with one’s own feelings and thoughts sleep talking one skilled in elaborate and devious argumentation 275
Glossary of Target Words Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. specious (adjective) having the ring of truth or plausibility 3 but actually fallacious 22 splenetic (adjective) 28 VSRRQHULVP (noun) bad-tempered, irritable, or spiteful 3 spurious (adjective) the transposition of the (usually) 22 stoic (adjective) initial sounds of two or more words, 22 often creating a humorous effect 26 stolid (adjective) not genuine, authentic, or true; false 12 stultify (verb) 24 seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, 32 supercilious grief, pleasure, or pain 11 (adjective) 12 having or expressing little or no sensibility; 23 supercilious unemotional 32 (adjective) 1. to cause to lose interest; 23 susurration (noun) to cause to feel dull and not alert 32 6 VZRUGRI'DPRFOHV 2. to render useless or ineffectual 28 (noun phrase) feeling or showing haughty disdain; 19 sycophant (noun) displaying arrogant pride, even scorn WHPHULW\\ (noun) having a holier-than-thou attitude tendentious (adjective) an indistinct whispering or rustling sound; a murmur WLPRURXV (adjective) tintinnabulation a constant and imminent peril; (noun) an impending disaster WRRWKVRPH (adjective) DVHUYLOHVHOIVHHNLQJÀDWWHUHU WRSRQ\\P (noun) reckless boldness; rashness; foolhardy disregard of danger torpid (adjective) marked by or favoring a particular point RIYLHZVKRZLQJDGH¿QLWHWHQGHQF\\ bias, or purpose; partisan fearful or timid a ringing, tinkling, or jingling sound, particularly the sound of bells delicious; sexually attractive 1. a place-name 2. a word named after a place slow, sluggish, lethargic, dull, benumbed 276
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. sluggishness; a state of mental 19 torpor (noun) or physical inactivity; lethargy, apathy 4 treacle (noun) 32 trenchant (adjective) cloying, sickly-sweet speech or sentiment 32 truckle (verb) forceful and clear; penetrating, keen, 5 truculent (adjective) and incisive 19 turbid (adjective) 1. to submit; to be servile and submissive 19 turgid (adjective) 2. WRIDZQWRFXUU\\IDYRUE\\ÀDWWHULQJ 7 turpitude (noun) 8 FUXHOVDYDJHEUXWDODQG¿HUFHGLVSRVHG 12 tyro (noun) WR¿JKWLQJVFDWKLQJDQGEUXWDOO\\KDUVK 10 unctuous (adjective) often referring to verbal criticism 7 27 vapid (adjective) 1. muddy, thick, or opaque with sediment; venal (adjective) obscured; clouded 15 vernacular (noun) 2. confused, muddled, disordered 29 vilify (verb) swollen, distended, puffy 25 34 baseness, depravity, or debauchery a beginner or novice characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness completely lacking in zest, spirit, animation, and liveliness open to corruption; capable of being bought through bribery form of a language spoken by the common people, as opposed to the learned and literary to attack someone’s reputation with strong or abusive criticism; to malign virulent (adjective) 1. extremely infectious, malignant, poisonous, or deadly vivisection (noun) ZHOWVFKPHU] (noun) 2. bitterly hostile, antagonistic, or spiteful; hateful the cutting of, or operation on, a living DQLPDOXVXDOO\\IRUVFLHQWL¿FUHVHDUFK sadness over the evils of the world 277
Target Word 'H¿QLWLRQ Lecture and Part of Speech No. to attempt to persuade 12 ZKHHGOH (verb) ZLWKEHJXLOLQJÀDWWHU\\DQGVPRRWKWDONLQJ 9 [HQRSKRELD (noun) unreasonable hatred or fear ]HLWJHLVW (noun) of foreigners or strangers; 34 fear of that which is foreign or strange the spirit, attitude, or general outlook RIDVSHFL¿FSHULRGWKHPRUDOFXOWXUDO and intellectual climate of an era Glossary of Target Words 278
Bibliography General References Ayers, Donald M. (QJOLVK :RUGV IURP /DWLQ DQG *UHHN (OHPHQWV. 2nd ed., revised by Thomas Worthen. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1986. Outstanding resource that shows readers how to “crack the code” of Latin DQG *UHHN DI¿[HV DQG URRWV WKDW XQGHUOLHV (QJOLVK YRFDEXODU\\ 7KLV ERRN clearly explains the word formation processes of English vocabulary through a series of lessons. Ayto, John. 'LFWLRQDU\\RI:RUG2ULJLQV7KH+LVWRULHVRI0RUH7KDQ English Language Words. New York: Arcade Publishing, 2011. A valuable etymological resource. Clearly details the origin and development of words and makes historical connections between words, including “unlikely relatives” such as espouse and sponsor. Barnhart, Robert K., ed. Chambers Dictionary of Etymology: The Origins DQG 'HYHORSPHQW RI RYHU (QJOLVK :RUGV. London: Chambers Harrap Publishers, 2010. Previously published as the Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology, this extensive reference work takes us back to the roots of thousands of English vocabulary words, including their Latin, Greek, and Indo-European sources. Bear, Donald R., Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, and Francine Johnston. Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Targeted for educators, this is the book that put developmental word study on the map in literacy education. If you’re interested in exploring the three layers of the English spelling system, this is your book. Beck, Isabel L., Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan. Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: Guilford, 2002. Targeted for K–12 educators, this is one of the best books explaining how to teach 279
Bibliography vocabulary effectively I’ve ever read. Drawing on their own research and experience, the authors present a practical, research-based plan for vocabulary instruction. Blachowicz, Camille, and Peter J. Fisher. Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms. Boston: Pearson, 2010. Excellent resource for K–12 educators that provides a comprehensive framework for vocabulary instruction and many practical, research-based strategies. &UXWFK¿HOG5RJHU6(QJOLVK9RFDEXODU\\4XLFN5HIHUHQFH$&RPSUHKHQVLYH Dictionary Arranged by Word Roots. Leesburg, VA: LexaDyne Publishing, 2009. A straightforward, handy reference to the meanings of roots and their derived words in English. The words are organized by both root and key word. Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Crystal covers a vast amount of information about numerous aspects of the English language. Dale, Edgar, and Joseph O’Rourke. Vocabulary Building. Columbus, OH: Zaner-Bloser, 1986. The source for the authors’ oft-cited four levels of word knowledge. Green, Tamara M. 7KH *UHHN DQG /DWLQ 5RRWV RI (QJOLVK. 4th ed. Lanham, 0' 5RZPDQ /LWWOH¿HOG 3XEOLVKHUV 2UJDQL]HG WKHPDWLFDOO\\ E\\ VXFK WRSLFV DV SV\\FKRORJ\\ DQG PHGLFLQH WKLV ¿QH UHVRXUFH KHOSV EXLOG vocabulary knowledge through the study of Latin and Greek roots. McKeown, Margaret G., Isabel L. Beck, Richard C. Omanson, and Martha T. Pople. “Some Effects of the Nature and Frequency of Vocabulary Instruction on the Knowledge and Use of Words.” Reading Research Quarterly 20 (1985): 522–535. This seminal study of school-age children found evidence for the effectiveness of rich and extended vocabulary instruction, including WKH ¿QGLQJ WKDW LW WDNHV HQFRXQWHUV ZLWK D WDUJHW ZRUG WR LPSURYH comprehension of a passage containing that word. 280
Merriam-Webster. 7KH 0HUULDP:HEVWHU 1HZ %RRN RI :RUG +LVWRULHV Fascinating Stories about Our Living, Growing Language.6SULQJ¿HOG0$ Merriam-Webster, 1991. Of all the etymological sources I consulted, this one provides the most in-depth treatment of word histories, some entries taking a full page or two. At turns fascinating and enlightening, it takes you down the twists and turns of the semantic biography of each word. An invaluable resource for many of the word histories explored in this course. ———. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms 6SULQJ¿HOG 0$ Merriam-Webster, 1984. A must have for any writer grasping for that “just right” word. Considers clusters of closely related words, such as fortitude, grit, EDFNERQH, and SOXFN; discusses the common meaning they all share; clearly explains the nuances of meaning that differentiate them; and illustrates them with both classic and contemporary usage examples. ,PPHGLDWHO\\ FUDFNHG P\\ WRS¿YH GHVN UHIHUHQFHV DQG KDV EHFRPH D JRWR gift for fellow word lovers. Miller, George A., and Patricia M. Gildea. “How Children Learn Words.” 6FLHQWL¿F$PHULFDQ 257, no. 3 (1987): 94–99. An important study of school- age children demonstrating that there is much more to knowing a word than MXVWGH¿QLWLRQOHYHONQRZOHGJH Nagy, William E., and Richard C. Anderson. “How Many Words Are There LQ 3ULQWHG 6FKRRO (QJOLVK\"´ Reading Research Quarterly 19 (1984): 304– 330. Seminal study referenced in Lecture 2. The authors estimate the number of distinct words in printed school English, estimate the vocabulary of a high school graduate, and hypothesize that the amount one reads accounts for the majority of vocabulary growth from approximately third grade on. This classic article is still regularly cited today. Read, Charles. “Pre-School Children’s Knowledge of English Phonology.” +DUYDUG(GXFDWLRQDO5HYLHZ 41, no. 1 (1971): 1–34. Read’s groundbreaking work provided the key to unlocking the tacit logic underlying young children’s invented spellings. Schleifer, Robert. Grow Your Vocabulary by Learning the Roots of English Words. New York: Random House, 1995. An excellent vocabulary-building 281
Bibliography resource that leverages the power of high-utility roots to increase vocabulary knowledge. Part IV, “How English Words Are Created: A Short Course,” is worth the price of the book for those interested in how Latin and Greek roots combine to form English words. Stahl, Steven A., and William E. Nagy. Teaching Word Meanings. Mawhah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2006. An essential book in any vocabulary educator’s library and one I’m constantly referencing. Does a masterful job explaining the complex nature of vocabulary knowledge, how we learn vocabulary, and how to best teach vocabulary. Top-notch synthesis of vocabulary research and its implications for teaching and learning. Templeton, Shane, Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Francine Johnston, Kevin Flanigan, Dianna R. Townsend, Lori Helman, and Latisha Hayes. Vocabulary Their Way: Word Study with Middle and Secondary Students. 2nd ed. Boston: Pearson, 2015. Targeted for middle and high school teachers, this book focuses on three major aspects of vocabulary instruction: context EDVHG ZRUG VSHFL¿F DQG JHQHUDWLYH PRUSKRORJ\\ 7KLV ZDV D PDMRU VRXUFH for many of the central concepts and teaching ideas in this course, including the spelling-meaning connection, the related words strategy, and the WUHDWPHQWDQGVHOHFWLRQRIDI¿[HVDQGURRWV Willingham, Daniel T. :K\\ 'RQ¶W 6WXGHQWV /LNH 6FKRRO\" A Cognitive 6FLHQWLVW$QVZHUV4XHVWLRQVDERXW+RZWKH0LQG:RUNVDQG:KDW,W0HDQV for the Classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. The best text I’ve UHDG WKDW FOHDUO\\ H[SODLQV WKH ¿QGLQJV RI FRJQLWLYH VFLHQFH DQG WUDQVODWHV them into implications for all levels of instruction. If you’re interested in exploring the research base underlying many of the leaning principles in this course, such as making knew-to-known connections and the power of stories, this is the book. Dictionaries $PHULFDQ +HULWDJH 'LFWLRQDU\\ RI WKH (QJOLVK /DQJXDJH. 5th ed. Boston: +RXJKWRQ 0LIÀLQ +DUFRXUW $Q H[FHOOHQW GLFWLRQDU\\ ZLWK ULFK etymological information. Includes appendices of Indo-European and Semitic roots for those interested in delving deeply into word histories. 282
Unlike some dictionaries, which list a word’s different meanings in historical order, this dictionary orders them by the central or most commonly sought PHDQLQJ¿UVWZKLFKLVXVHIXOLQIRUPDWLRQIRUZULWHUVDQGVWXGHQWV$QRQOLQH version is available. Dictionary.com ([WUHPHO\\ XVHIXO RQOLQH GLFWLRQDU\\ WKDW LGHQWL¿HV HDFK ZRUG¶VDI¿[HVDQGURRWV Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th HG 6SULQJ¿HOG 0$ Merriam-Webster, 2014. A valuable and handy desk reference. An online version is available. 2QHORRNFRP This comprehensive dictionary website provides links to many well-respected online dictionaries. Includes a reverse dictionary and D VHDUFK WRRO WKDW DOORZV \\RX WR ¿QG ZRUGV WKDW FRQWDLQ VSHFL¿F VSHOOLQJ SDWWHUQVDI¿[HVDQGURRWV Online Etymology DictionaryHW\\PRQOLQHFRP7KLVLVRIWHQP\\¿UVWVWRS when exploring the history of a word. Provides clear, succinct etymological information. Oxford English Dictionary (online version). Considered by many the GH¿QLWLYHGLFWLRQDU\\RIWKH(QJOLVKODQJXDJH7KHEHVWVRXUFHIRUWUDFLQJWKH KLVWRU\\ RI D ZRUG IURP LWV ¿UVW NQRZQ XVDJH LQ (QJOLVK WR WKH SUHVHQW<RX may be able to access the OED online free through your public library. Vocabulary.com. An excellent dictionary website that provides accessible, FOHDUGH¿QLWLRQVXVLQJHQJDJLQJDQGRIWHQKXPRURXVFRQWH[WVDQGH[DPSOHV Provides multiple usage examples for vocabulary words, which is invaluable for getting a sense of how to actually use a word in context. 283
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