Grade 6 College Vocabulary, Week 1

Definition: to notice or become aware of something; to understand what is really there.

From the reading: "To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;"

Synonyms:

discern, recognize, grasp

Antonyms:

overlook, miss, ignore

Root:Latin percipere, "to seize wholly," from per- (thoroughly) + capere (to take).

Definition: Good judgment about what to say or do, especially about keeping quiet; the freedom to decide for oneself ("at your discretion").

From the reading: "To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion."

KJV: "Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:" (Proverbs 2:11).

Synonyms:

prudence, tact, good sense

Antonyms:

rashness, indiscretion, carelessness

Root:Latin discretio, "a separating," from discernere, "to sift apart" (dis- + cernere, "to sift"). A person with discretion sifts the wise from the foolish.

Definition: fairness; treating each person justly and evenly.

From the reading: "To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;"

Synonyms:

fairness, justice, impartiality

Antonyms:

injustice, unfairness, partiality

Root:Latin aequitas, from aequus, "level, even, fair" (as in equal).

Definition: to reach or gain something by effort.

From the reading: "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:"

Synonyms:

achieve, reach, obtain

Antonyms:

lose, forfeit, fall short

Root:Old French ataindre, from Latin attingere, "to touch upon" (ad- "to" + tangere "to touch").

Definition: advice, especially careful advice from someone wise; to give such advice.

From the reading: "...a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:"

KJV: "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14).

Synonyms:

advice, guidance, direction

Antonyms:

(none exact) misdirection; to mislead

Root:Old French conseil, from Latin consilium, "plan, advice," from consulere, "to take thought together." Do not confuse it with council (a group that meets).

Definition: A fine or delicate quality that is hard to notice; cleverness in seeing fine differences. In the KJV, subtilty means sharp-witted shrewdness.

From the reading: "To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion."

Note: The KJV spells it subtilty. Solomon means that his proverbs make a simple (inexperienced) young man sharp enough to see through traps.

Synonyms:

nuance, delicacy; (KJV sense) shrewdness, cleverness

Antonyms:

obviousness, crudeness, bluntness

Root:Latin subtilis, "finely woven, thin," from sub- (under) + tela (web): something woven so finely you can hardly see the threads.

Definition: wise and careful in planning ahead; looking before you leap.

KJV: "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished" (Proverbs 22:3).

Synonyms:

wise, careful, judicious

Antonyms:

rash, reckless, imprudent

Root:Latin prudens, a shortened form of providens, "foreseeing" (pro- "ahead" + videre "to see"). The prudent man "foreseeth."

Definition: careful and hard-working; steady in effort.

From the reading: "He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich." (Proverbs 10:4, from the lesson's worked example)

KJV: "The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute" (Proverbs 12:24).

Synonyms:

industrious, conscientious, painstaking

Antonyms:

lazy, slothful, negligent

Root:Latin diligens, from diligere, "to value, to love." The diligent worker cares about the work.

Definition: too pleased with oneself or one's situation, and so careless about danger or the need to improve.

Context: At the start of the story Bilbo is complacent in his snug hole at Bag End. He thinks adventures are only for other, less respectable folk.

KJV link: "...the prosperity of fools shall destroy them" (Proverbs 1:32). Many modern translations render this word "complacency." See also "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1).

Synonyms:

smug, self-satisfied, unconcerned

Antonyms:

watchful, vigilant, concerned

Root:Latin complacere, "to please greatly" (com- + placere, "to please").

Definition: unwilling; slow to act because of doubt or dislike.

Context: Bilbo is a reluctant burglar. One part of him longs to see mountains and dragons, and the other part wants his kettle and his armchair.

Synonyms:

unwilling, hesitant, loath

Antonyms:

eager, willing, keen

Root:Latin reluctari, "to struggle against" (re- "back" + luctari "to wrestle").

Definition: friendly and generous to guests and strangers.

Context: Elrond's house at Rivendell and Beorn's hall are hospitable places. Weary travelers find food, rest and good counsel there before the hard road ahead.

KJV: "Use hospitality one to another without grudging" (1 Peter 4:9).

Synonyms:

welcoming, gracious, generous

Antonyms:

unfriendly, inhospitable, cold

Root:Latin hospes, hospitis, "host, guest" (also the root of hospital and host).

Definition: firmly determined; not turning back.

Context: In the dark tunnel under the Mountain, Bilbo stops, fights his fear, and walks on alone toward the dragon. The comfortable hobbit has become resolute.

KJV link: Christ "stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).

Synonyms:

determined, steadfast, unwavering

Antonyms:

wavering, hesitant, irresolute

Root:Latin resolutus, from resolvere, "to loosen, settle." A resolute person has settled the question and will not reopen it.

Definition: a hidden store of treasure or goods; to gather and hide things away, usually more than one needs.

Context: Smaug lies on a vast hoard of gold and jewels that he cannot spend, cannot use, and will not share.

Synonyms:

stockpile, cache, store; (verb) amass, stash

Antonyms:

(verb) share, spend, distribute

Root:Old English hord, "treasure, hidden store." The dragon's hord in Beowulf, which Tolkien studied all his life, uses the same word. Do not confuse it with horde (a large crowd).

Definition: stubbornly refusing to change one's mind, even when one is wrong.

Context: Near the end of the story Thorin grows obstinate. He will not bargain for peace, even when an army camps at his gate.

KJV link: The LORD said of Israel, "behold, it is a stiffnecked people" (Exodus 32:9).

Synonyms:

stubborn, unyielding, headstrong

Antonyms:

flexible, yielding, compliant

Root:Latin obstinatus, from obstinare, "to set one's mind on, persist."

Definition: a riddle; a person or thing that is puzzling and hard to understand.

From the reading: "To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings."

Context: Solomon's "dark sayings" are enigmas. In The Hobbit, Bilbo and Gollum trade enigmas in the dark, and Bilbo's life hangs on the answers.

Synonyms:

riddle, puzzle, mystery

Antonyms:

(none exact) explanation, answer

Root:Greek ainigma, "riddle," from ainos, "tale, fable."

Definition: impossible to satisfy; always wanting more.

Context: The dragon's greed is insatiable. He owns a mountain of gold, yet he flies into a rage over one stolen cup.

KJV: "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity" (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Synonyms:

greedy, unquenchable, ravenous

Antonyms:

satisfied, content, sated

Root:Latin in- (not) + satiare (to fill, satisfy), from satis, "enough."

Definition: a short general statement that gives advice or states a truth about life.

From the reading: "A short, general statement that gives advice or tells a truth about life:"

KJV link: Solomon "spake three thousand proverbs" (1 Kings 4:32), and a proverb is a maxim that has been handed down.

Synonyms:

proverb, adage, saying, aphorism

Antonyms:

(none exact) ramble, digression

Root:Latin maxima (propositio), "the greatest (statement)," from maximus, "greatest": a rule big enough to cover many cases.

Definition: said clearly in few words; brief and to the point.

Context: A good maxim is succinct. It is short enough to remember and carry in the mind all day.

KJV link: "He that hath knowledge spareth his words" (Proverbs 17:27).

Synonyms:

concise, brief, terse

Antonyms:

wordy, rambling, verbose

Root:Latin succinctus, "girded up," from sub- + cingere (to gird). A succinct sentence has its robe tucked up for running.

Definition: a restatement of a passage in other words that keeps the same meaning; to restate it that way.

From the reading: "Under each, write a paraphrase in one plain sentence."

Synonyms:

restatement, rewording; (verb) restate, rephrase

Antonyms:

(verb) quote, copy word for word

Root:Greek paraphrasis, from para- (beside) + phrazein (to tell): telling the same thing "alongside" the original.

Definition: proud and scornful; looking down on others.

KJV: "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).

Synonyms:

arrogant, proud, disdainful

Antonyms:

humble, modest, meek

Root:Old French haut, "high," from Latin altus. The haughty person holds his head high above others.