Vocabulary Lesson 2

1. Vocabulary Lesson 2

2. Astute • Wise in a clever or practical way (adjective) • An astute shopper compares prices carefully before making a purchase.

3. Authentic • Genuine; true (adjective) • An authority on old maps declared that the sixteenth-century chart of the Florida Keys is authentic.

4. Delicacy • A choice item of food (noun) • Smoked salmon is a delicacy.

5. Derogatory • Expressing a low opinion; intended to hurt the reputation of someone (adjective) • His habit of making derogatory comments about his co-workers made him unpopular.

6. Devour • To eat up hungrily (verb) • The wolf was about to devour Little Red Riding Hood when the woodcutter arrived.

7. Figment • Something that is made up in the mind but that has no connection with reality (noun) • The monster in the closet is a figment of the child’s imagination.

8. Mythical • Imaginary; not real (adjective) • Unicorns are mythical creatures.

9. Plumage • A bird’s feathers (noun) • Parrots have brightly colored plumage.

10. Predatory • Living by killing and eating other animals (adjective) • Crocodiles are predatory animals.

11. Prior • Coming earlier in time (adjective) • I was unable to see you this morning because I had a prior appointment.

12. Scavenge • To search through or pick over, looking for something useful (verb) • People with metal detectors scavenge the beach looking for coins.

13. Slaughter • To kill in order to obtain meat (verb) • The hogs are fattened up before they are slaughtered.

14. Solitude • The condition of being alone or at some distance from people. (noun) • We enjoyed the solitude of a walk on the deserted beach.

15. Ungainly • Moving in a clumsy or awkward way (adjective) • Walruses, graceful in the water, are ungainly creatures on land.

16. Vulnerable • Open to attack; easily injured physically or emotionally (adjective) • Starving people are more vulnerable to disease than those who are well fed.