Vocabulary Unit 19

1. Vocabulary Unit 19 Stems, Stem Definitions, and Association Words

2. Oma (tumor) • Melanoma: any of several types of skin tumors characterized by the malignant growth of melanocytes • Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that often plagues dedicated sun bathers.

3. Solv (loosen) • Resolve: to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine (to do something) • If Anne and Will would speak to one another, maybe they could resolve their argument.

4. Grav (heavy) • Gravity: the force by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth; heaviness or weight • He was in the hospital for a week due to the gravity of his injuries.

5. Hibern (winter) • Hibernal: of or pertaining to winter; wintry • Bears are hibernal animals because they sleep throughout the winter.

6. Meteor (high) • Meteorologist: the science dealing with the atmosphere and its phenomena, including weather and climate • The meteorologist reported that a hurricane is forming over the Atlantic Ocean.

7. Mela (black) • Melancholy: a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged; depression • She was very melancholy after breaking up with her boyfriend.

8. Vice (in place of) • Vice President: the officer next in rank to a president who serves as president in the president’s absence • The Vice President accompanied the President to the State Dinner.

9. Foli (leaf) • Foliage: the leaves of a plant, collectively; leafage • The forest is full of beautiful foliage during spring.

10. Orb (circle) • Orbit: the curved path, usually elliptical, described by a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc. around a celestial body, as the sun • The earth orbits around the sun.

11. Multi (many) • Multiply: to make many or manifold; increase in number, quantity, etc., of • The number of wedding guests multiplied after my mother began working on the guest list.

12. Ign (fire) • Ignition: the act or fact of igniting; state of being ignited • Turning the key in the ignition will start the car.

13. Moll (soft) • Mollify: to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease • We could do nothing to mollify the man’s anger.

14. Lin (line) • Lineage: lineal descent from an ancestor; ancestry or extraction; the line of descendants of a particular ancestor; family; race • There is a website called Ancestory.com, which claims to be able to trace a person’s family lineage accurately to its first existence.

15. Hemi (half) • Hemisphere: half of the terrestrial globe or celestial sphere, especially one of the halves into which the earth is divided • The United States is located in the Northern Hemisphere.

16. Grad (step) • Gradually: taking place, changing, moving, etc., by small degrees or little by little • We plan to gradually renovate our house, working one room at a time.

17. Ob (against) • Obstinate: firmly or stubbornly adhering to one’s purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty • The child’s obstinate behavior resulted in a long time out.

18. Narco (sleep) • Narcotics: any of a class of substances that blunt the senses, as opium, morphine, belladonna, and alcohol, that in large quantities produce euphoria, stupor, or coma, that when used constantly can cause habituation or addiction, and that are used in medicine to relieve pain, cause sedation, and induce sleep. • Medicines that contain narcotics make you very sleepy.

19. Opthal (eye) • Ophthalmology: branch of medicine specializing in the anatomy and diseases of the eye • If your eye remains red and irritated, you will need to see an ophthalmologist.