Vocabulary Level DNotes

1. Pronunciation key is below the word.2. Darken all semi-colons because they separate

distinct definitions.3. Write vocab. word in its correct form in blank

and underline context clues!4. Indicate the word’s connotation--

Never Forget:

“In vocabulary, as in life, context is everything!”

J. E. RossThe best sections in which to find good context clues are:

1. Completing the Sentence2. Sample sentences below definition3. Choosing the Right Word4. Initial reading passage

Unit 11. admonish: slightly neg. connotation; transitive =

must have a direct object; d. o. = people or groups of people

2. breach: verb form = transitive; types of things that can be breached – security, etiquette, rules, contract, offensive line (football); noun often used w/ “of” or “in”

3. brigand: 4. circumspect: describes people5. commandeer: often ; trans.; someone takes

command of something w/out giving the person who owns it a choice

6. cumbersome: could describe a thing or a process; occasionally a person7. deadlock: process that should go forward cannot8. debris: 9. diffuse: verb = science often– usually intrans. (no d. o.); middle def. refers to spoken or written language 10. dilemma: 11. efface: weather can efface writing on tombstones; people who are self-effacing try NOT to be noticed

12. muddle: , noun and verb; “muddle through” means to get by, probably barely13. opinionated: , applies to people or groups of people14. perennial: can apply to anything that comes up over and over (like PSSAs or heavy traffic at the mall during the holidays)15. predispose: often used in past tense as adj.; I’ve found that people who are opinionated are predisposed to like those with similar opinions.16. relinquish: trans.; d. o. = something one doesn’t necessarily want to give up (implies reluctance)

17. salvage: although applying to neg. situation; verb form = trans; can apply to any disaster; can be figurative (salvaging a reputation)18. spasmodic: unpredictable, sometimes frightening (gunfire, thunder)19. spurious: , describes something that could be authentic but isn’t (watches, support for an argument, feelings that people fake)20. unbridled: doesn’t refer to something that CAN’T be controlled– just something that ISN’T– enthusiasm, ambition, greed

Unit 1 Wrap1. In which of your classes this year do students get

admonished the most? Why?2. What provisions have been made in Penndale to

help prevent a security breach?3. In what types of school-related activities, either in

class or after school, are you required to be the most circumspect?

4. What speaker whom you have heard in the last year has been the most diffuse?

Unit 1 Wrap5. In what class would you be required to evaluate

claims and determine if they are genuine or spurious?

6. Under which schedule, this year’s or last year’s, are you required to carry around a more cumbersome pile of books and materials?

7. Is there a moment that happened in elementary school that you wish you could efface from your memory?

8. Which privilege that you have earned as you’ve gotten older are you most reluctant to relinquish?

Unit 1 Wrap

9. If you could change a rule or procedure here at Penndale, what

change would you greet with unbridled enthusiasm?

Venn Diagram Info efface

• time, elements in addition to people• no longer exists

trans. verb– “gone” factor

relinquish

• only people/ sentient beings

• exists but not in one’s possession

Venn Diagram Info

cumbersome

• can refer to bulky things

• awkward but not impossible

• is

– adj.– – can describe

process

muddled

• can refer to thinking

• can be verb• becomes

Venn Diagram Info

commandeer

• S. = people;

• D.O. = thing• purpose = use

trans. verbs– – sub = people

w/ authority

admonish

• Sub. and D.O. = people

• purpose = order or compliance

Unit 21. adjourn – trans.; proceedings that people are

involved with; the one in control does the adjourning

2. alien - -- can be noun or adj.3. comely - external appearances4. compensate - people get compensated for $,

time, effort; when one sense is diminished, other senses may compensate for its loss

5. dissolute - people w/ no moral compass6. erratic - refers to something that can have a

dependable pattern but doesn’t

Unit 27. expulsion - -- from somewhere/something8. feint – strategic move to “fake out” an opponent9. fodder – can be figurative10. fortify - - processed foods are often fortified b/c the processing takes out nutrients11. illegible 12. jeer - -- bullies start here often-noun and verb13. lucrative - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$14. mediocre - meh

Unit 215. proliferate – something has a life of its own16. subjugate - can be used literally (politics– dictators), figuratively – people can subjugate their emotions17. sully - lit. or fig.– can be sullied– honor, reputation, good name, image18. tantalize - 19. terse – language/words20. unflinching - - always in the face of something negative; describe loyalty, devotion, courage, determination

Unit 31. abridge – transitive- d.o. = something written,

time, space; fig. or lit.2. adherent – same root as adhesive; people– to or

of something/someone (stated or implied)3. altercation – emotional & concrete; can escalate

to something physical 4. cherubic – literal or figurative 5. condone – trans.=d.o. must be negative; “look

the other way” when one shouldn’t6. dissent – BIG, abstract, intransitive; dissent

from– stated or implied

Unit 37. eminent – reputation or ability (people) ; second def. = physical8. exorcise – trans.- d. o. = something negative (literal or figurative)9. fabricate – trans. – d.o.= concrete or abstract10. gluttony – pattern of being greedy “glutton for punishment)11. irate - !!! 12. marauder - brigand; “Marauder’s Map”13. pauper -

Unit 314. pilfer - usually of small value15. rift – concrete or abstract (relational)16. semblance – (re-) used w/ OF17. surmount - trans.- d.o.= something neg. to achieve something pos!18. terminated – trans.- d.o. = something in progress or in effect (relationship, contract, meeting)19. trite - relates to language, written or spoken20. usurp - trans.- d.o.= position, often of power, or a role or office

Unit 41. abscond - -- intrans. = NO D. O.; -- involves not

taking responsibility; abscond with 2. access – verb form = trans. (wasn’t a verb in the

early 80s)3. anarchy - literal; figurative– STRONG word4. arduous - usually; refers to task or work– a

process that is difficult5. auspicious - people CANNOT be auspicious–

circumstances & situations can

Unit 46. daunt - applies to people; must be in the face

of peril; watch for other forms– undaunted, daunting

7. disentangle - trans., lit. or fig.8. fated – “meant to be” 9. hoodwink – trans.; people do this; ranges from

joking to malicious10.inanimate – lit. or fig., In literature a _ _ _ _ _ _

character would be figuratively inanimate

Unit 411.incinerate - 12.intrepid STRONG word, must be in the face of

peril; applies to people13.larceny - applies to tangible things or ideas

(plagiarism is a form of larceny)14.pliant – lit. or fig.15.pompous - applies to people16.precipice – lit. or fig. (anything could be on a

figurative precipice if it’s about to collapse)

Unit 417.prototype – inventors need to make these18.rectify -- not test corrections– involves big

problems or moral/ethical issues19.reprieve - involves some form of mercy (snow

days); someone in authority generally grants a reprieve

20.revile - transitive very strong term; people revile something/someone who seems vile to them; syn.- “malign” – in later unit

Vocab. Unit 4

Unit 51. accomplice - 2. annihilate - Extremely strong; literal or

figurative usage3. arbitrary - ; can be based on people’s feelings;

inherently not fair4. brazen - based on bad behavior that is

completed right in front of an authority. These people don’t sneak around; disrespectfulness, disregard for something, violation of something can all be brazen

Unit 55. catalyst – first definition = chemical; second could be societal– for reform or other change; context will often include “for” something, either directly or implied6. exodus – the idea is to get OUT in large numbers; usually people and usually for a significant time period, not to return immediately7. facilitate - trans. A process is facilitated or made easier: learning, growth, a discussion, someone’s efforts at doing something, research…

Unit 58. incorrigible – look at the “corr” in the term and definition, break it down to get “not able to be corrected;” has to do with people’s behavior, NOT with test corrections; can be literal or figurative9. latent – something is there all along, but one isn’t aware of it until a certain circumstance brings it out; things like talent, prejudice, abilities can be latent; fingerprints are called “latents”– they are there but one can’t see them under most ordinary circumstances

Unit 510. militant – Could be negative but depends on perspective (the British thought the colonists were militants, for example); the idea is that most often, the fighting is done for a cause11. morose - -- example– Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh– having a personal raincloud over one’s head; perhaps brooding over something12. opaque – 1st def. is physical--blackout curtains must be opaque; an overhead transparency is the opposite of opaque; 2nd def. refers to language, sometimes deliberately difficult to understand; 3rd is figurative– refers to people not being able to understand something

Unit 513. paramount - (usually); Paramount Pictures has a mountain and stars as its logo– nothing above; importance, concern, issues are things that can be paramount14. prattle – intransitive = can’t have a direct object15. rebut – transitive; most important word in definition is contradict; one can rebut an argument, assertion, statement, evidence, testimony, contention16. reprimand - verb is transitive; d. o. = people or groups of people

Unit 517. servitude - 18. slapdash– sounds like what it means (slap something together and run!); can describe projects or how something is done. A slapdash appearance indicates haste19. stagnant - literal or figurative20. succumb - intransitive; almost always occurs with “to” (direct or implied) something negative; one can succumb to temptation, the lure of something, illness, peer pressure, weakness, dread