Vocabulary
Week 1
1. accentuate - verb - to single out as important or to stress
The realtor tried to accentuate the positive features of the home.
2. bamboozle - verb - to deceive by underhanded methods
The salesperson's efforts to bamboozle her into buying options she didn't need were unsuccessful.
3. camouflage - noun - a disguise designed to make people or things blend into surroundings
The mottled green and brown uniforms were perfect camouflage in the forest.
4. decorum - noun - propriety and good taste in manners and appearance
Count Dracula's impeccable decorum conceals his murderous nature.
5. eclectic - adjective - composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources
The eclectic mix of period furnishings included everything from Mid-Century Modern sofas to
Edwardian buffet tables.
6. fallacy - noun - a false or mistaken idea
An ad hominem fallacy is an argument that attacks a person rather than the person's
argument, like suggesting a candidates policies are bad because the candidate is obnoxious.
7. gargoyle - noun - an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure
In ancient times gargoyles were thought to protect the buildings they decorated.
8. heritage - noun - that which is inherited
Her auburn hair was her only heritage from her mother.
9. immune - adjective - having a high degree of resistance to disease
Vaccinations can make one immune to some of the most dangerous diseases.
10. jaunty - adjective - having a lively, self-confident attitude and appearance
The jaunty way he approached her at the dance won her over.
Week 2
1. kilometer - noun - a metric unit of length equal to 1000 meters
The grueling forty-two kilometer race included many steep inclines .
2. labyrinth - noun - complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
The hay bales were stacked to create a complex labyrinth for the Halloween festival.
3. maneuver - noun - an armed forces training exercise
The US armed forces often practice maneuvers with military partners such as South Korea.
4. nebula - noun - an immense cloud of gas and dust in interstellar space
The nebula seen through the Hubble telescope had a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors.
5. omnivore - noun - an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances
Bears are omnivores, and thrive on a varied diet of fish, small mammals, berries, and other plant
parts.
6. parasite - noun - an animal or plant that lives in or on a host
One can avoid most parasites by thoroughly cooking food and practicing good hygiene.
7. quandary - noun - a state of uncertainty when faced with different options
Lucy's three proposals in one day left her in a quandary until she realized her mother's favorite
was the one she loved the most.
8. rainforest - noun - a densely wooded tropical area with heavy precipitation
The Amazon rainforest in South America is the world's largest.
9. sacrifice - verb - to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal,
belief, or end
The sacrifice of one's life for his or her country is worthy of the greatest honor and respect.
10. tariff - noun - a government tax on imports or export
Many of the complaints about Trump's use of tariff's is based on the assumption that
the tariff's will remain in place rather than be used as negotiating tools.
Week 3
1. ultraviolet - adjective - having wavelengths shorter than light but longer than X-rays
The sun's ultraviolet rays can damage skin cells.
2. vaccine - noun - injection of weakened or dead microbes to create antibodies
The Covid vaccine remains controversial because of the new and relatively untested way
in which it was created.
3. wretched - adjective - deserving or inciting pity
Organizations like the Red cross and Samaritan's Purse work to relieve the suffering of
the wretched.
4. yacht - noun - an expensive water craft propelled by sail or power
The Russian oligarch was captured on his yacht by the US Navy.
5. antibody - noun - a protein that produces an immune response
Vaccines can help one's body produce antibodies that will protect against various diseases.
6. bizarre - adjective - conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
There were many bizarre costumes at the staff Halloween party.
7. chronology - noun - an arrangement of events in time
Avoid pointless transitions that rely on chronology since readers already know events happen in
order.
8. deduction - noun - the deriving of a conclusion by reasoning
Sherlock Holmes is a literary character known for his skills of deduction.
9. embargo - noun - an order of a government prohibiting the departure of commercial ships from its
ports.
The embargo prevented the ship from delivering humanitarian supplies.
10. flourish - verb - to grow vigorously
These roses will flourish in the summer sun.
Week 4
1. guerilla - noun - a member of an irregular army that fights a stronger force
The guerilla barely made it out of the battle alive.
2. hieroglyphic - adjective - belonging to a system of writing mainly in pictorial characters
Ancient Egypt used a hieroglyphic alphabet.
3. impertinent - adjective - improperly forward or bold
The teacher found the student's impertinence irritating.
4. jovial - adjective - full of or showing high-spirited merriment
His jovial attitude helped to reduce the tension at the dinner table.
5. laconic - adjective - brief and to the point
Her laconic speech may have lacked style but it conveyed the message clearly.
6. marsupial - noun - a mammal the female of which has a pouch carrying the young
The Virginia Opossum is the only marsupial native to North America.
7. nocturnal - adjective - belonging to or active during the night
Most bats are nocturnal and prefer hunting at night.
8. ozone - noun - a colorless gas that is a screen for ultraviolet radiation
Due to various human efforts, the ozone layer is returning.
9. protagonist - noun - the principal character in a work of fiction
Ishmael is both narrator and protagonist in Melville's famous novel Moby Dick.
10. quarantine - verb - to isolate to prevent the spread of infectious disease
The governments of most nations quarantined all but essential workers during the Covid
epidemic.
Week 5
1. random - adjective - lacking any definite plan or order or purpose
The losing team's defense appeared utterly random.
2. silhouette - noun - a filled-in drawing of the outline of an object
Side view silhouettes of family members were popular in the late 1700's thorough the early 1800's.
3. tempo - noun - the speed at which a composition is to be played
The orchestra needs to speed up the tempo of that piece to prevent the audience from falling
asleep.
4. unanimous - adjective-being of one mind, universal agreement
Presidential votes are never unanimous due to the large numbers of diverse voters.
5. vacillate - verb - to waver in mind, will, or feeling : hesitate in choice of opinions or courses
I want to be a decisive person but I always seem to vacillate in every decision.
6. aspire - verb - to have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal
I aspire to be the CEO of the company I work for, and have a ten year plan to achieve my goal.
7. boisterous - adjective - marked by exuberance and high spirits
The crowd at the rally was the most boisterous I've ever seen, but the mayhem was all
good-spirited.
8. commemorate - verb - to call to remembrance
Our school had a ceremony to commemorate the first responders who died in 9/11.
9. deign - verb - to condescend reluctantly and with a strong sense of the affront to one's superiority;
to stoop.
Seniors don't usually deign to talk to freshmen.
10. exult - verb - to be extremely joyful, feel extreme happiness or elation
We exulted in the release of the hostages.
Week 6
1. formidable - adjective - causing fear, dread, or apprehension
The creatures in the film Alien were formidable with intelligence, strength, and acidic blood
that make them virtually indestructible.
2. hologram -noun - a three dimensional image
Holograms in some of the new VR platforms are amazingly realistic.
3. inference - noun - a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence
The physician could infer from the test results that the patient had suffered a mild heart attack.
4. lichen - noun - a plant occurring in crusty patches on tree trunks or rocks
The lichen covered the granite with patches of pale green and gold.
5. mosaic - noun - a design made of small pieces of colored stone or glass
Some of the most beautiful mosaics in the world are in St. George's Church, in Topola, Serbia.
6. nuisance - noun - anything that disturbs, endangers life, or is offensive
The constant drag racing up and down the boulevard has become a nuisance to the entire city.
7. pulverize - verb - to make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust
The first step in making Terazzo tile is to pulverize marble, quartz, granite, glass, or shells.
8. quota - noun - a prescribed number
Though the goal of affirmative action was to provide opportunities to underrepresented
minorities, many accused the results of unfairly holding high performing minority members back.
9. recede - verb - to move back or away; withdraw
When the storm surge receded, the scope of the damage was clearly visible.
10. spectrum - noun - a broad range of related objects, values, or qualities
Autism is considered a spectrum disorder because the range of symptoms is so wide and varied.
Week 7
1. toxin - noun - a poisonous substance produced organically
Those who suggest anything natural is good for you are ignoring the wide variety of
toxins occurring naturally in the environment.
2. undulate - verb - to move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
Sidewinders undulate their way across the ground.
3. vertebrate - noun - animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton
Humans are vertebrates; worms are not.
4. boycott - verb - refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization, usually to express
disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions.
To boycott is a more reasonable and democratic way to push for change than "cancelling."
5. cower - verb - to shrink away or crouch for shelter from something that menaces.
The men of Herot cowered from the monster Grendel until the hero Beowulf arrived.
6. despondent - adjective - feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression;
without hope.
He was despondent when he got the news from the doctor that nothing more could be done.
7. hypocrisy - noun - a pretending to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; behavior
that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.
Hypocrisy is visible in both political parties; both sides complain about the lies of the other side
while lying about what the other side has done.
8. introspection - noun - a reflective looking inward : an examination of one's own thoughts and
feelings.
Everyone who wants to improve themselves can benefit from some introspection.
9. mutation - noun - a change or alteration in form or qualities
New animal breeds are developed when a desirable mutation occurs and is then intentionally
replicated by breeders, for example, aqua eye color in Tonkinese cats.
10. renegade - noun - someone who rebels and becomes an outlaw
One group's renegade is often another group's hero.
Week 8
1. suffrage - a legal right to vote
Women's suffrage became national in 1920; though men of all races were legally given suffrage
50 years earlier than women (in 1870) , local laws continued to create difficulties for minority
voting until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
2. tumult - noun - a disorderly agitation or milling about of a crowd usually with uproar and
confusion of voices; a commotion
When the sound of a car's backfiring was mistaken for gun shot, a tumult erupted in the crowd.
3. virtuoso - noun - someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
Though popular music far outsells the classics, one rarely if ever sees a real virtuoso in pop music
or in any of the types of bands heard on contemporary radio.
4. divulge - verb - make known to the public information previously kept secret
The FBI recently divulged some fascinating fight recordings of what used to be called
UFO's, more recently dubbed UAP's (for unidentified anomalous phenomena).
5. symbiosis - noun - the living together in more or less intimate association or close union of two
dissimilar organisms (as in parasitism or commensalism).
Sharks live in symbiosis with Remora, tiny fish that attach to the underside of sharks, living off of
the shark's scraps and cleaning destructive parasites from the shark's skin.
6. ambiguous - adjective - having more then one possible meaning
Nathanial Hawthorne is known for his ambiguous stories that make it hard to tell the hero
from the villain.
7. meticulous - adjective - marked by extreme care in treatment of details
People who are meticulous should consider careers in medicine or the sciences, since
details in these fields can make the difference between life and death.
8. discrepancy - noun - a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
Discrepancies in research usually occur when one study was poorly designed or executed.
9. fleeting - adjective--happening for a very brief period of time
Anyone who has ever had a close brush with death understands the meaning of the phrase
"life is fleeting."
10. nonchalant - adjective - marked by blithe unconcern
For someone who was escorted to the principal's office in handcuffs by a police officer, he
seemed rather nonchalant about it.
Week 9
1. apprehensive - adjective - in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
She was suddenly apprehensive as she walked through the darkened parking lot to her car,
and wished she had called campus security for an escort.
2. proliferate - verb - to grow or increase rapidly
Nuclear proliferation is a threat to the entire planet.
3. astute - adjective--marked by a practical intelligence
Her astute analysis on the exam earned her the position with the CIA.
4. stringent - adjective - demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
Testing policies for the PSAT and SAT are stringent in efforts to provide a fair and accurate test
for all participants.
5. ponder - verb - reflect deeply on a subject
The sculpture "The Thinker" by Rodan suggests a man who is pondering the meaning of
existence.
6. exacerbate - verb - to make worse, or to irritate
Pouring water on an electrical fire can exacerbate the problem rather than correcting it.
7. cumbersome - adjective - difficult to handle or use, especially because of size or weight
Backpacks can be cumbersome on long hikes.
8. incendiary - adjective - arousing to action or rebellion
Many on the right, and even someone the left, have suggested the liberal media's
incendiary remarks about Trump have contributed to the three attempts on his life.
9. digress - verb - to lose clarity or turn aside from the main subject or course of argument in writing,
thinking, or speaking.
The essay had a strong thesis, but the paper digressed so severely in the
body paragraphs that by the conclusion, there was little in the paper related to what was
supposedly the main point.
10. haphazard - adjective - marked by great carelessness
The essay's argument was haphazard at best.