College Vocabulary · Grade 11 · Week 18
20 words for the week · pairs with Composition lesson 5.2.
Reading: the Composition lesson 5.2, "Workshop Etiquette: Truth and Candor," and this week's literature book, Poe, selected tales and poems, the section for Week 18 (public-domain text, Project Gutenberg).
Theme of the week: A workshop is iron on iron: friends who read honestly make each other’s work sharper. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Proverbs 27:17).
Rhythm: 4 words a day, Monday to Friday. Each day: read the entry aloud, copy the quoted sentence into the writing notebook, and write one sentence of your own. Friday: learn the last 4 words, then take the quiz.
Sources: ★ = quoted exactly from this week's reading (the lesson or the literature book) · ✝ = KJV (1769 text), quoted exactly · ◆ = quoted exactly from another work on the approved booklists (public-domain text) · ✎ = original example sentence
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Sentimental in a feeble, exaggerated, or sickly way.
From the reading: "It would have been good-natured except for a look in the eyes, which shone with a watery, mawkish light under almost white, blinking eyelashes." (Crime and Punishment)
Root:Middle English mawk, a maggot; originally "sickly, nauseated."
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Sharply sarcastic or biting in wit.
Context (original sentence): Swift's mordant satire still makes readers wince.
Root:French, p.pr. of mordere to bite; Latin mordere. (Webster, 1913)
Part of speech: noun
Definition: An unintended consequence, often unwelcome, that follows an action.
Context (original sentence): The repercussions of that single lie followed him for years.
Root:Latin repercutere, to strike back (re- + per- + quatere, to shake).
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A perfect or typical example; an original model on which others are based.
Context (original sentence): Odysseus is the archetype of the clever wanderer trying to reach home.
Root:Greek archetypon, an original pattern (arche-, first + typos, model).
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The use of trickery to deceive.
Context (original sentence): The election was overturned when the chicanery of the vote counters came to light.
Root:French chicanerie, from chicaner, to quibble.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Generally supposed or reputed to be.
Context (original sentence): The putative author of the anonymous pamphlet denied writing it.
Root:Latin putare, to think or reckon.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: Needless repetition of the same idea in different words.
Context (original sentence): "A free gift" is a tautology, since every gift is free.
Root:Greek tautologia (tauto, the same + logos, word).
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Silly and pointless, especially in a self-satisfied way.
Context (original sentence): He wore a fatuous grin while everyone else listened to the bad news.
Root:Latin fatuus. (Webster, 1913)
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Ordinary or everyday; commonplace.
Context (original sentence): The diary records quotidian matters: weather, prices, and who came to supper.
Root:Latin quotidianus, daily (quotidie, every day).
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
Context (original sentence): His lackadaisical attitude toward practice showed in every missed note.
Root:from the exclamation "lackaday," alas the day.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Understood by few; mysterious or secret.
Context (original sentence): The old clerk alone understood the arcane rules of the county land office.
Root:Latin arcanus. (Webster, 1913)
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A huge, powerful, overwhelming force or institution.
Context (original sentence): The railroad company had become a juggernaut that no rival could resist.
Root:Hindi Jagannath, "lord of the world," title of a Hindu idol drawn on a huge cart.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Not conforming to accepted or orthodox beliefs.
Context (original sentence): His heterodox theories about the comet were dismissed until the comet returned on schedule.
Root:Greek heterodoxos (heteros, other + doxa, opinion).
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to one person.
From the reading: "This depicting of character constituted my design; and this design was thoroughly fulfilled in the wild train of circumstances brought to instance Dupin’s idiosyncrasy." (The Works of Edgar Allan Poe)
Root:Greek idiosynkrasia (idios, one's own + synkrasis, a mixing together).
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.
From the reading: "The punishment seemed to me in a high degree ignominious, especially for so great a girl—she looked thirteen or upwards." (Jane Eyre)
Root:Latin ignominia (in-, not + nomen, name), loss of good name.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Poor; lacking the necessities of life.
From the reading: "Cattle and creaking carts, the little wealth of the country, And what riches beside indigent peasants possess." (Poems of Longfellow)
Root:Latin indigere, to be in need.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Seemingly endless, especially in a tedious way.
From the reading: "Over on the left, but still far off, a range of low mountains extended, apparently interminable." (Ben-Hur)
Root:Latin in-, not + terminare, to limit or end.
Part of speech: adjective (also a verb)
Definition: Affected by bitterness, resentment, or envy; prejudiced.
Context (original sentence): After so many broken promises he viewed every new offer with a jaundiced eye.
Root:Old French jaunice, yellowness (from jaune, yellow), as the disease was thought to color one's view.
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To criticize harshly.
Context (original sentence): The reviewer lambasted the novel for its careless plotting.
Root:English lam (to beat) + baste (to thrash).
Part of speech: verb (also a noun)
Definition: To publicly ridicule by means of satire.
Context (original sentence): The cartoonist lampooned the mayor as a peacock in a top hat.
Root:French lampon, a mocking song (from lampons, "let us drink").
Part A. Words in context (2 points each). Choose the meaning of the word as used in the sentence.
1. "The election was overturned when the chicanery of the vote counters came to light." Here chicanery most nearly means
A) The use of trickery to deceive B) Poor C) Generally supposed or reputed to be D) A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to one person
2. "The cartoonist lampooned the mayor as a peacock in a top hat." Here lampoon most nearly means
A) To publicly ridicule by means of satire B) Sharply sarcastic or biting in wit C) Sentimental in a feeble, exaggerated, or sickly way D) Poor
3. "His heterodox theories about the comet were dismissed until the comet returned on schedule." Here heterodox most nearly means
A) Not conforming to accepted or orthodox beliefs B) Needless repetition of the same idea in different words C) Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame D) Sharply sarcastic or biting in wit
4. "This depicting of character constituted my design; and this design was thoroughly fulfilled in the wild train of circumstances brought to instance Dupin’s idiosyncrasy." Here idiosyncrasy most nearly means
A) Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame B) Sentimental in a feeble, exaggerated, or sickly way C) A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to one person D) The use of trickery to deceive
Part B. Sentence completion (1 point each). Each sentence comes from this week's entries; supply the word in the form used there. Word bank: juggernaut, interminable, tautology, archetype, lackadaisical, mawkish, indigent, ignominious, repercussion, arcane
5. "Cattle and creaking carts, the little wealth of the country, And what riches beside ______ peasants possess."
6. "It would have been good-natured except for a look in the eyes, which shone with a watery, ______ light under almost white, blinking eyelashes."
7. "A free gift" is a ______, since every gift is free.
8. Odysseus is the ______ of the clever wanderer trying to reach home.
9. The ______ of that single lie followed him for years.
10. "The punishment seemed to me in a high degree ______, especially for so great a girl—she looked thirteen or upwards."
11. His ______ attitude toward practice showed in every missed note.
12. The railroad company had become a ______ that no rival could resist.
Part C. Synonyms and antonyms (1 point each).
13. Synonym of quotidian: (lampoon / everyday / archetype)
14. Antonym of putative: (quotidian / mawkish / confirmed)
15. Synonym of mordant: (caustic / arcane / archetype)
16. Antonym of jaundiced: (lampoon / trusting / indigent)
Part D. Analytical sentence (6 points). In two or three sentences, make a claim about this week's reading, quote it once, and use at least three of these words correctly: interminable, arcane, lambaste.
1. A 2. A 3. A 4. C
5. indigent 6. mawkish 7. tautology 8. archetype 9. repercussions 10. ignominious 11. lackadaisical 12. juggernaut (distractors: interminable, arcane)
13. everyday 14. confirmed 15. caustic 16. trusting
Part D scoring: 2 for a clear claim, 2 for an accurate quotation, 2 for three week words used correctly. (8 + 8 + 4 + 6 = 26.)