Semester 2

1. Semester 2

2. Set 4

3. infer To figure out, based on given information verb Sounds like: in fur A scientist fids a baby seal on shore coated in oil. He is able to figure out that there must have been an oil spill. We can infer from his casual dress that he didn’t read the invitation carefully

4. jargon Specialized language used by a particular group Noun Sounds like: jar gone The policeman says “so you’re saying that the alleged perpetrator removed from your domicile one vessel made of earthenware?” No the man replies “my jar is gone” The use of jargon can be an efficient way to communicate, especially in an emergency.

5. minute Very small in size Adj Sounds like: my newt A girl is walking around showing her friends her very small newt. They keep asking “What is it?” and she says “It’s my newt!” A deer tick is minute, and can barely be seen on the skin.

6. alienate To push someone away, or cause him to separate from people Verb Sounds like: alien Nate Nate, an alien, is trying to make friends on earth. They keep leaving him out because they think he is from outer space People who think they know everything often alienate their friends.

7. complacent Satisfied; unconcerned Adj Sounds like: come play cent A penny sits on a park bench. Two small children call to him, “come play, Cent!” But the penny is too relaxed and self-satisfied to move from the bench. Facing a less-talented opponent, it’s easy to grow complacent and lose a big game.

8. frugal Careful with money; thrifty Adj Sounds like: few gulls Two men were given a huge amount of money. One man spent it all on sea gulls. The other man was more careful and just bought a few gulls. A frugal shopper will wait for sales before buying.

9. diverse Different; various Adj Sounds like: dye furs The father rabbit dyed each of his seven children a different color. He says “now they all look different, I can tell them apart” Many colleges are looking for well rounded applicants with diverse experiences.

10. emulate Imitate Verb Sounds like: Em, you’re late Emily is being scolded by her mom. She says “mom, I am just trying to be like you!” As young boys, we tried to emulate our favorite baseball players.

11. culpable Guilty; blameworthy Adj Sounds like: gulp-able A boy did something wrong and is being questioned. He shows he is guilty by continuing to swallow and make a “gulp” sound. He was found to be culpable and was fined.

12. candor Honesty; frankness Noun Looks like: can door A door is trying out to be in a play. The producer, a tin can, is telling the door that he honestly can’t dance. Political candor is refreshing.

13. conundrum Riddle or mystery Noun Looks like: cone and drum A man is playing the drums, but instead of drumsticks he is using ice cream cones. Nobody knows why. The more scientist learn about the universe, the more of a conundrum it appears to be.

14. mollify Lessen anger; appease; soothe; pacify Verb Sounds like: molly fly Molly fly follows the village fly (villify) and soothes the feelings of the people that are upset. Police try to mollify a hostage-taker to avoid violence.

15. Set 5

16. obscure Hazy; unfamiliar; difficult to understand Adj Sounds like: Hobb’s cure A patient is coming out of Dr. Hobb’s office with his wife. She asks if he found a cure. He says “I think so, but I’m not sure, he was pretty vague.” Most people who are famous in their day eventually fade into obscurity.

17. slander Negative remarks about another person that are untrue Noun Sounds like: slammed her A couple is watching a TV talk show. Referring to a female guest on the show one of the viewers says “She really slammed her! Liar!” You can’t claim slander if the statements about you are true.

18. tirade A long and bitter speech Noun Sounds like: tie raid A man goes into his closet to find his blue tie. When he can’t find it he runs around the house screaming and blaming his family. After the team’s ninth straight loss, the coach’s tirade could be heard in the parking lot.

19. pompous Filled with self-importance; arrogant Adj Sounds like: pom-poms The new head cheerleader leads the whole school in a cheer saying all the good things about herself. The new manager seemed like a pompous jerk who wasn’t interested in anyone but himself.

20. marred Spoiled, scratched, blemished Adj Sounds like: mars The surface of mars is pitted with craters. The new table arrived on time, but was marred by scratches and dents.

21. beguile To cheat or deceive, usually through charm Verb Sounds like: beg a while Two children are plotting to talk their parents into something. The one says “you’re younger and cuter. You go beg a while and they will give in. At first, she was beguiled by his charm and attention.

22. flagrant Openly and obviously evil; glaring; conspicuous Adj Looks like: flag rent A man puts a flag in front of his apartment saying “I will not pay rent” The attack was a flagrant violation of the treaty.

23. flippancy Treating a serious situation with humor or disrespect Noun Sounds like: flip and see A man sits in the electric chair and the power goes out. The guard asks if it is back on. The prisoner says “just flip and see”

24. contend To argue a point or position; to struggle for Verb Sounds like: can’t end A football team is losing at half time. The captain tells them “ we fought back all year, this can’t end here. We are contenders!” The driver tried to contend that the stop sign was hidden by the tree.

25. disclose Provide information; reveal Verb Sounds like: this close A secretary leaves a secret meeting to talk to reporters. She says “they are this close to making a deal, but you didn’t hear this from me.” Sue disclosed more to the stranger than she’d intended.

26. paltry Worthless; insignificant; petty Adj Sounds like: poultry A man is driving a truck full of chickens when one climbs into the drivers seat. This causes him to crash. He tells the officer “I know it is a poultry excuse, but it’s true!” Bill could barely survive on his paltry wages.

27. stagnant Motionless; unchanging; dull Adj Looks like: stage ant An ant is preforming on stage but is so scared that he doesn’t move for an hour. Stagnant water gives mosquitoes a calm environment in which to thrive.

28. Set 6

29. versatile Having many talents or uses Adj Sounds like: reverse a tile A TV commercial is promoting a Revers-a-Tile, which is a tile that has 1001 uses. Most small companies value versatility because they can’t afford a different person for every task.

30. benevolent Kindhearted; good-natured; generous Adj Sounds like: ben elephant There is a kindly elephant named Ben who lives at the zoo. He shares his food with the other elephants. Miserable and greedy for most of his life, the man became benevolent during his last years.

31. nostalgic Wishing for a return to the way things used to be; longing for the past Adj Sounds like: nose tell cheek A face with new glasses perched on the nose. The nose says to the ear “I miss the old glasses.” Seeing the old pictures of her parents made Katie nostalgic.

32. languish Lose energy or motivation; become weak or depressed Verb Sounds like: Lang wish A young man named Lang wishes that he could get a job, but he can’t because he is too tired and lays around on the couch all day. The unmotivated team languished in last place all season.

33. obsolete No longer useable; outdated Adj Sounds like: Hobb so late Hobb is so late because he rides on old horse and carriage to work, instead of a car. Manual typewriters would be considered obsolete in most modern offices.

34. infallible Incapable of making a mistake; perfect Adj Looks like: in fall a bell A city’s bell tower always rings to mark the beginning of fall. It is always correct, no matter which day it happens. An infallible system for predicting numbers would mean the end of lotteries.

35. trite Overused; common; stale Adj Sounds like: trout A trout teacher is telling her “school of fish” class that “there are plenty of fish in the sea” and “It’s sink or swim.” She is always saying clichés. Phrases that were once fresh and original now seem trite and dull.

36. unkempt Messy; sloppy Adj Sounds like: in camp A bunch of girls have been stuck at camp for two weeks. They are dirty, messy, and smelly. We could tell by his unkempt appearance that he hadn’t been home in days.

37. zealot Someone with an extreme enthusiasm for a particular belief or activity; a fanatic Noun Sounds like: sell it A used car sells man loves selling cars. He runs around shouting “Sell it!” He got so bad when his boss drove up in his car he tried to sell it to a customer. Many religious zealots have been willing to die for their beliefs.

38. enhance Intensify; improve Verb Sounds like: in hands A man locks himself out of his car. He is trying to break into it. Suddenly his wife walks up with keys in hand and says “This should improve your chances of getting in. A coat of paint can greatly enhance the appearance of a room.

39. copious In large quantity; abundant Adj Sounds like: copy us A student takes out a huge binder full of notes he and his friend have been working on. He says “copy us and you’ll ace your test” It was a lavish party with copious food and drink.

40. eccentric Different from most, especially in personality or behavior Adj Sounds like: accent Rick A old man named Rick speaks in a different accent every time someone talks to him. People think he is a little strange. Alice was eccentric, but everyone loved her odd ways.