College Vocabulary · Grade 11 · Week 25
20 words for the week · pairs with Composition lesson 7.1.
Reading: the Composition lesson 7.1, "What Admissions Readers Want," and this week's literature book, My Antonia (Cather), the section for Week 25 (public-domain text, Project Gutenberg).
Theme of the week: An admissions office is, in a small way, asking for “a reason” for you; answer truthfully and humbly, not with a boast. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1 Peter 3:15).
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: Very small in size or amount; scanty.
Context (original sentence): The garrison survived the winter on exiguous rations of salt pork and biscuit.
Root:Latin exiguus, scanty (exigere, to weigh exactly).
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Expressing or conveying a threat.
Context (original sentence): The bully's minatory glare silenced the younger boys.
Root:Latin minari, to threaten.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: Prestige; the state of being respected or admired.
Context (original sentence): A degree from that old college still carries a certain cachet.
Root:French cacher, to hide or press; a seal.
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To adjust precisely for a particular function; to correlate readings with a standard.
Context (original sentence): The surveyor calibrated his instruments every morning before measuring.
Root:from caliber, French calibre, the bore of a gun.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The hard upper shell of a turtle or crustacean; figuratively, a protective shell of manner.
Context (original sentence): Beneath his carapace of gruffness lay a tender heart.
Root:French carapace, from Spanish carapacho.
Part of speech: adjective (also a noun)
Definition: Continually finding fault, especially about trivial matters.
From the reading: "Macey, you and me are two folks,” said Ben, slightly indignant at this carping." (Silas Marner)
Root:Old Norse karpa, to boast; later influenced by Latin carpere, to pluck at.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The science or practice of drawing maps.
Context (original sentence): Medieval cartography often placed Jerusalem at the center of the world.
Root:French carte, map + Greek graphein, to write.
Part of speech: verb (also a noun)
Definition: To make a shrill howling or wailing noise.
Context (original sentence): Two tomcats caterwauled beneath the window all night.
Root:Middle English cater, cat + wawen, to howl.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A rude, ill-bred, or mean-spirited person.
From the reading: "Such handsel is not new unto mine ears; Therefore let Fortune turn her wheel around As it may please her, and the churl his mattock.”" (The Divine Comedy)
Root:Old English ceorl, a peasant.
Part of speech: noun (also a verb)
Definition: A continuous loud banging or ringing sound.
From the reading: "Vainly with his clangor he filled the lulls in the din." (Ben-Hur)
Root:Latin clangor, a sound (clangere, to resound).
Part of speech: noun
Definition: An addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will.
Context (original sentence): A codicil added just before his death left the farm to his nephew.
Root:Latin codicillus, a small writing tablet (codex).
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To cooperate secretly in order to deceive or gain an unfair advantage.
Context (original sentence): The two merchants colluded to raise the price of grain during the famine.
Root:Latin colludere, to play together (con- + ludere, to play).
Part of speech: adjective (also a noun)
Definition: Naturally accompanying or associated.
From the reading: "The consequence of this has been that the democratic revolution has been effected only in the material parts of society, without that concomitant change in laws, ideas, customs, and manners which was necessary to render such a revolution beneficial." (Democracy in America)
Root:Latin concomitari, to accompany (con- + comes, companion).
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Fitting and deserved, especially of punishment.
From the reading: "I cannot to thee give praise condign, Yet will I sing here with heart meek and benign." (The Wakefield Second Shepherds' Play)
Root:Latin condignus, very worthy (con- + dignus, worthy).
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To interpret a word or action in a particular way.
From the reading: "But canst thou construe me this, Sir Knight—When is thy wine-pitcher and thy purse better empty than full?”" (Ivanhoe)
Root:Latin construere, to build up.
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To violate the prohibition or order of a law or treaty.
Context (original sentence): Fishing within the harbor limits contravenes the town ordinance.
Root:Latin contra, against + venire, to come.
Part of speech: verb (also a noun)
Definition: To revoke an order, especially by issuing a contrary one.
From the reading: "George neither spoke to nor looked at Legree, who did not countermand his orders, but stood, whistling, with an air of forced unconcern." (Uncle Tom's Cabin)
Root:Old French contremander (contre, against + mander, to command).
Part of speech: adjective (also a verb)
Definition: Difficult to read or understand (of handwriting); also, bad-tempered.
From the reading: "His sisters were gone to Morton in my stead: I sat reading Schiller; he, deciphering his crabbed Oriental scrolls." (Jane Eyre)
Root:from crab, with the idea of crooked or contrary.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A bad-tempered or surly person.
From the reading: "From bluff and gruff he waxed curmudgeon; He danced indeed, but danced in dudgeon, Capered in fury fast and faster." (Poems of Christina Rossetti)
Root:of unknown origin, 16th-century English.
Part of speech: noun (also a adjective)
Definition: A person who cultivates an area of interest without real commitment or knowledge.
Context (original sentence): He was a dilettante who dabbled in painting, poetry, and astronomy but finished nothing.
Root:Italian dilettare, to delight.
Part A. Words in context (2 points each). Choose the meaning of the word as used in the sentence.
1. "Medieval cartography often placed Jerusalem at the center of the world." Here cartography most nearly means
A) An addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will B) Continually finding fault, especially about trivial matters C) Expressing or conveying a threat D) The science or practice of drawing maps
2. "The consequence of this has been that the democratic revolution has been effected only in the material parts of society, without that concomitant change in laws, ideas, customs, and manners which was necessary to render such a revolution beneficial." Here concomitant most nearly means
A) Difficult to read or understand B) Naturally accompanying or associated C) A rude, ill-bred, or mean-spirited person D) To revoke an order, especially by issuing a contrary one
3. "He was a dilettante who dabbled in painting, poetry, and astronomy but finished nothing." Here dilettante most nearly means
A) A bad-tempered or surly person B) The science or practice of drawing maps C) The hard upper shell of a turtle or crustacean D) A person who cultivates an area of interest without real commitment or knowledge
4. "But canst thou construe me this, Sir Knight—When is thy wine-pitcher and thy purse better empty than full?" Here construe most nearly means
A) The hard upper shell of a turtle or crustacean B) To interpret a word or action in a particular way C) A continuous loud banging or ringing sound D) A person who cultivates an area of interest without real commitment or knowledge
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: curmudgeon, churl, cachet, minatory, caterwaul, exiguous, clangor, carping, crabbed, countermand
5. "From bluff and gruff he waxed ______; He danced indeed, but danced in dudgeon, Capered in fury fast and faster."
6. The bully's ______ glare silenced the younger boys.
7. The garrison survived the winter on ______ rations of salt pork and biscuit.
8. "Macey, you and me are two folks,” said Ben, slightly indignant at this ______."
9. Two tomcats ______ beneath the window all night.
10. "Such handsel is not new unto mine ears; Therefore let Fortune turn her wheel around As it may please her, and the ______ his mattock."
11. A degree from that old college still carries a certain ______.
12. "George neither spoke to nor looked at Legree, who did not ______ his orders, but stood, whistling, with an air of forced unconcern."
Part C. Synonyms and antonyms (1 point each).
13. Synonym of codicil: (curmudgeon / clangor / addendum)
14. Antonym of condign: (dilettante / minatory / undeserved)
15. Synonym of calibrate: (adjust / carapace / cartography)
16. Antonym of contravene: (obey / countermand / exiguous)
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: crabbed, clangor, collude.
1. D 2. B 3. D 4. B
5. curmudgeon 6. minatory 7. exiguous 8. carping 9. caterwauled 10. churl 11. cachet 12. countermand (distractors: crabbed, clangor)
13. addendum 14. undeserved 15. adjust 16. obey
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.)