Grade 7 College Vocabulary, Week 28

Definition: A person's physical makeup and general health; the basic laws and principles by which a nation is governed.

From the reading: "He had an excellent constitution of body, was of middle stature, but well set, and very strong..."

Synonyms:

(sense 1) physique, makeup, health; (sense 2) charter, code

Antonyms:

(sense 1) frailty, infirmity

Root:Latin constitutio, "arrangement," from constituere, "to set up" (con- "together" + statuere "to set, place"). A constitution is how a body, or a nation, is put together.

Definition: A person's natural height; the importance or respect a person has earned.

From the reading: "...was of middle stature, but well set, and very strong..."

KJV: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man" (Luke 2:52).

Synonyms:

(sense 1) height, size; (sense 2) standing, eminence, reputation

Antonyms:

(sense 2) insignificance, obscurity

Root:Latin statura, "height, size," from stare, "to stand": how tall a man stands. Josiah Franklin was of middle height, but he had great stature in his town.

Definition: Having or showing good sense and sound judgment; in older texts, and on college tests: aware of something ("sensible of the danger").

From the reading: "At his table he liked to have, as often as he could, some sensible friend or neighbor to converse with..."

Synonyms:

(sense 1) reasonable, judicious, level-headed; (sense 2) aware, conscious

Antonyms:

(sense 1) foolish, rash; (sense 2) unaware, oblivious

Root:Latin sensibilis, "able to be felt," from sentire, "to feel, perceive."

Definition: not having enough money; living under hard limits ("straitened circumstances").

From the reading: "...the numerous family he had to educate and the straitness of his circumstances keeping him close to his trade..."

KJV link: Strait means "narrow," not "straight": "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14).

Synonyms:

needy, impoverished, hard-pressed

Antonyms:

prosperous, affluent, comfortable

Root:Old French estreit, "narrow," from Latin strictus, "drawn tight" (stringere, "to bind"). Straitened means squeezed tight.

Definition: a person chosen by both sides to hear a dispute and settle it.

From the reading: "...he was also much consulted by private persons about their affairs when any difficulty occurred, and frequently chosen an arbitrator between contending parties."

KJV link: Job longs for an umpire between himself and God: "Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both" (Job 9:33). A daysman is an old English word for an arbitrator.

Synonyms:

judge, umpire, referee, arbiter

Antonyms:

party, litigant, disputant

Root:Latin arbiter, "witness, judge." An arbitrator's word decides the matter.

Definition: one who goes between two parties to bring them to agreement or peace.

KJV: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

Context: An arbitrator gives a decision; a mediator helps the two sides reach one themselves. Josiah Franklin's neighbors trusted him in both roles.

Synonyms:

go-between, intermediary, peacemaker

Antonyms:

instigator, troublemaker, agitator

Root:Latin mediare, "to be in the middle," from medius, "middle."

Definition: (verb) to talk together; (noun) the reverse or opposite of a statement.

From the reading: "At his table he liked to have, as often as he could, some sensible friend or neighbor to converse with..."

Context (noun sense): Franklin's father thought food mattered little and talk mattered much; most families believe the converse.

Synonyms:

(verb) talk, discuss, chat; (noun) opposite, reverse

Antonyms:

(verb) be silent

Root:Latin conversari, "to keep company with," from con- + vertere, "to turn": to turn toward one another.

Definition: the friendly and generous welcoming of guests and strangers.

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

Context: Though his family was large and his money short, Josiah Franklin showed hospitality by bringing a neighbor to his table as often as he could.

Synonyms:

welcome, friendliness, generosity

Antonyms:

unfriendliness, coldness, inhospitality

Root:Latin hospes, "guest, host," the same root as hospital and host.

Definition: lower in quality, worth or rank.

From the reading: "...whether it was well or ill dressed, in or out of season, of good or bad flavor, preferable or inferior to this or that other thing of the kind..."

Synonyms:

lesser, poorer, substandard

Antonyms:

superior, better, excellent

Root:Latin inferior, "lower," the comparative of inferus, "below."

Definition: not noticing things; failing to pay attention.

From the reading: "...so unobservant of it, that to this day if I am asked I can scarce tell a few hours after dinner what I dined upon"

Context: Franklin was unobservant of his food on purpose; his father had trained his attention toward "what was good, just, and prudent."

Synonyms:

inattentive, heedless, oblivious

Antonyms:

observant, attentive, perceptive

Root:un- "not" + Latin observare, "to watch, heed" (ob- "toward" + servare "to keep").

Definition: keeping within reasonable limits; avoiding excess.

KJV: "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:5).

Context: A family that does not fuss over its dinner is learning moderation without a single lecture on the subject.

Synonyms:

restraint, temperance, self-control

Antonyms:

excess, indulgence, extravagance

Root:Latin moderari, "to keep within measure," from modus, "measure."

Definition: eating or wanting far more than one needs; greedy, especially for food. Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins in the classical Christian tradition.

KJV: "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags" (Proverbs 23:21). Christ's enemies falsely called Him "a man gluttonous, and a winebibber" (Matthew 11:19).

Synonyms:

greedy, voracious, insatiable

Antonyms:

abstinent, moderate, temperate

Root:Latin gluttire, "to swallow," from gula, "throat."

Definition: a loyal follower or supporter of a leader, party or cause.

From the reading: "...adherents came to him, and his band began to be formidable."

Synonyms:

follower, supporter, partisan, disciple

Antonyms:

opponent, adversary, deserter

Root:Latin adhaerere, "to stick to," from ad- "to" + haerere "to cling." An adherent sticks to his leader.

Definition: the state of having the highest power, rank or authority over others.

From the reading: "...true Scotchmen who refused to own the supremacy..."

Context: King Edward claimed supremacy over Scotland, and Archie learns from his mother why loyal Scots would not grant it.

Synonyms:

dominance, sovereignty, ascendancy

Antonyms:

subordination, inferiority, subjection

Root:Latin supremus, "highest," the superlative of superus, "above."

Definition: an earnest, pleading request.

From the reading: "...he made a pretence...of yielding with a good grace to the entreaties of the pope..."

Synonyms:

plea, appeal, petition, supplication

Antonyms:

command, demand, refusal

Root:en- + Old French traitier, "to treat, deal with," from Latin tractare, "to handle." To entreat is to deal with someone by pleading.

Definition: surrender, especially on agreed terms; giving in to an opponent's demands.

From the reading: "...nobles of Scotland were included in this capitulation..."

Context: Nearly all the nobles surrendered on terms, but Wallace was left out of the capitulation and fought on.

Synonyms:

surrender, submission, yielding

Antonyms:

resistance, defiance, holdout

Root:Medieval Latin capitulare, "to draw up under headings," from capitulum, "little head, chapter." The terms of a surrender were set down point by point.

Definition: to attack violently; also, to attack with words or to trouble greatly ("assailed by doubts").

From the reading: "With such additions Aberfilly would be able to stand a long siege...by any force which might assail it."

Synonyms:

attack, assault, besiege

Antonyms:

defend, protect, shield

Root:Old French asalir, from Latin ad- "at" + salire "to leap": to leap at an enemy.

Definition: a sudden invasion or raid into another's territory.

From the reading: "Another incursion into England followed the fall of Perth."

Synonyms:

raid, invasion, foray

Antonyms:

retreat, withdrawal

Root:Latin incursio, from in- "into" + currere "to run": a running in.

Definition: Dangerously steep, like a cliff; sudden and hasty (tests often check this; compare precipitate).

From the reading: "...broken and precipitous face of rock..."

Context: The hidden cave lay on a cliff so precipitous that only a guide who knew the place could find it.

Synonyms:

(sense 1) steep, sheer, abrupt; (sense 2) hasty, rash

Antonyms:

(sense 1) gradual, gentle, level; (sense 2) deliberate, careful

Root:Latin praeceps, "headlong," from prae- "before" + caput "head": falling head first.

Definition: having lost courage, hope or enthusiasm.

From the reading: "...saying that the men would be utterly dispirited..."

Context: Comyn argued that endless retreats would leave the Scottish soldiers dispirited, so he urged Wallace to stand and fight.

Synonyms:

disheartened, discouraged, dejected

Antonyms:

encouraged, heartened, confident

Root:dis- "away" + spirit, from Latin spiritus, "breath": the breath of courage has gone out of a man.