Grade 8 College Vocabulary, Week 14

Definition: Having to do with the clergy, such as priests or ministers; having to do with office work like filing and copying, which is the newer sense.

From the reading: "The shadow of a smile crossed the round, simple face of his clerical opponent."

KJV link: Scripture expects a man of the cloth to guard the truth: "For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth" (Malachi 2:7). Father Brown does exactly that when he defends reason.

Synonyms:

priestly, ecclesiastical, pastoral; (sense 2) secretarial

Antonyms:

lay, secular

Root:Late Latin clericus, from Greek klērikos, from klēros, meaning a lot, an inheritance. The clergy were thought of as the Lord's own portion.

Definition: quiet, modest and reserved in manner, sometimes with a hint of hidden mischief.

From the reading: "...he added demurely..."

Context: In "The Flying Stars," Father Brown offers a pointed remark in a meek voice, as though it were nothing at all.

Synonyms:

modest, reserved, unassuming

Antonyms:

brash, forward, immodest

Root:Middle English demure, probably from Old French meur, meaning mature, ripe, from Latin maturus: grave and settled in manner.

Definition: friendly, cheerful and warm in manner.

From the reading: "Except on one point the Galloways were genial and casual enough."

Synonyms:

cordial, affable, amiable

Antonyms:

cold, hostile, surly

Root:Latin genialis, meaning of birth, festive, from genius, the guardian spirit of a household: warm like a family feast.

Definition: grimly mocking or scornful; amused in a bitter, cynical way.

From the reading: "...eyeing him with a certain sardonic approval..."

Context: In "The Queer Feet," the colonel half mocks and half admires the little priest who has just got the club's silver back.

Synonyms:

mocking, sneering, wry

Antonyms:

sincere, earnest, kindly

Root:Greek sardonios, describing bitter laughter. The ancients linked it to a plant from Sardinia that was said to twist the face of anyone who ate it into a grin.

Definition: bold in a shameless way; showing no embarrassment when one should.

From the reading: "...he said aloud with brazen blandness."

Context: In "The Three Tools of Death," a servant talks about his master's death coolly, with no sign of grief or shame.

KJV link: "A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way" (Proverbs 21:29). A brazen face is a hardened one.

Synonyms:

shameless, impudent, barefaced

Antonyms:

ashamed, modest, sheepish

Root:Old English bræsen, meaning made of brass: as hard and unblushing as metal.

Definition: clear, sharp and direct; going straight to the heart of a matter.

From the reading: "...strange incisiveness."

Context: In "The Three Tools of Death," a young woman suddenly speaks with sharp, cutting clarity.

KJV link: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). God's Word is incisive: it cuts to the thoughts of the heart.

Synonyms:

penetrating, keen, trenchant

Antonyms:

vague, muddled, dull

Root:Latin incidere, meaning to cut into (in- + caedere, to cut). Our front teeth are incisors.

Definition: too clear or certain to be doubted.

From the reading: "...practical piety was indubitable."

Context: In "The Hammer of God," the village gossips about the curate, but nobody can doubt how faithfully he prays.

KJV link: After His resurrection, Christ "shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3). The Gospel rests on indubitable witness, not on guesswork.

Synonyms:

unquestionable, undeniable, certain

Antonyms:

doubtful, questionable, dubious

Root:Latin in- (not) + dubitare (to doubt). Compare dubious.

Definition: rudely brief; using so few words that one seems abrupt or unfriendly.

From the reading: "...Olivier’s curt account ends with a strong tribute..."

Context: In "The Sign of the Broken Sword," a general's short, clipped record of a battle hides more than it tells. A good detective notices what a curt report leaves out.

Synonyms:

terse, brusque, abrupt

Antonyms:

wordy, expansive, gracious

Root:Latin curtus, meaning shortened, cut short.

Definition: unusual or odd in behavior; departing from what is normal or expected.

From the reading: "...twenty things he had not thought of might explain the eccentric sounds..."

Context: In "The Queer Feet," Father Brown hears footsteps in a passage that keep changing their pace. The odd sound is the clue.

Synonyms:

odd, peculiar, unconventional

Antonyms:

ordinary, conventional, normal

Root:Greek ek (out of) + kentron (center): off-center, like a wheel turning on a crooked axle.

Definition: a person whose zeal for a cause is so extreme that it overrides reason and right.

From the reading: "The star of the fanatic sprang into Valentin’s eyes..."

Context: In "The Secret Garden," Valentin's hatred of the Christian faith drives him to a terrible crime. The great rationalist turns out to be the one who abandoned reason.

KJV link: "They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2). Zeal without knowledge is the mark of the fanatic.

Synonyms:

zealot, extremist, radical

Antonyms:

moderate, skeptic (in the sense of one who doubts)

Root:Latin fanaticus, meaning of a temple, inspired by a god, from fanum, temple. It first described worshippers in a frenzy.

Definition: idealistic to the point of being impractical; chasing noble but unrealistic goals.

From the reading: "Olivier, as you know, was quixotic..."

Context: In "The Sign of the Broken Sword," the Brazilian general Olivier is so chivalrous that he refuses to use spies at all.

Synonyms:

idealistic, romantic, impractical

Antonyms:

practical, realistic, pragmatic

Root:from Don Quixote, the hero of Cervantes's novel (1605), an old man who rides out to fight windmills he takes for giants.

Definition: overly dramatic or theatrical, as if acting for an audience.

From the reading: "...through his mere histrionic pleasure in playing a..."

Context: In "The Sins of Prince Saradine," Father Brown sees that one man would keep silent simply because he enjoys playing a part.

Synonyms:

theatrical, melodramatic, showy

Antonyms:

restrained, understated, sincere

Root:Latin histrio, meaning actor.

Definition: very fussy about details, cleanliness or quality; hard to please.

From the reading: "...enough to be more fastidious than their customers."

Context: In "The Queer Feet," Chesterton pokes fun at a London hotel so exclusive that it makes money by turning people away.

Synonyms:

particular, exacting, finicky

Antonyms:

careless, slovenly, easygoing

Root:Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium, meaning loathing, disdain: one who turns up his nose at anything less than perfect.

Definition: bold, showy and colorful, made to attract attention.

From the reading: "...the flamboyant blossoms inside..."

Context: In "The Wrong Shape," the poet Quinton's house is full of brilliant hothouse flowers and Eastern carpets, as showy as the poet himself.

Synonyms:

showy, ostentatious, dazzling

Antonyms:

plain, modest, understated

Root:French flamboyer, meaning to flame. Late Gothic churches with flame-shaped stone tracery are called flamboyant.

Definition: rich and luxurious; showing great wealth.

From the reading: "...the Duchess of Mont St. Michel, black-eyed and opulent..."

Context: In "The Secret Garden," Valentin's dinner guests include a richly dressed duchess and her daughters.

Synonyms:

wealthy, lavish, sumptuous

Antonyms:

poor, plain, austere

Root:Latin opulentus, from ops, meaning wealth, power.

Definition: Glowing with a harsh or unnatural color; shocking or sensational, especially about crime or violence.

From the reading: "...a look that was indeed a lurid magnet..."

Context: In "The Secret Garden," Lady Margaret's strange stare draws every eye in the room just after the body is found.

Synonyms:

glaring, ghastly; (sense 2) sensational, graphic

Antonyms:

pale, soft; (sense 2) restrained, tasteful

Root:Latin luridus, meaning pale yellow, ghastly, the color of a sick face.

Definition: (verb) to treat something holy with disrespect; (adjective) not sacred, or showing contempt for sacred things.

From the reading: "...this holy place to be for about half an hour profaned..."

Context: In "The Queer Feet," Chesterton jokes that a snobbish hotel treats its dining room like a temple, so a mere priest writing at a desk seems to "profane" it. The irony is that the priest is the only truly holy thing there.

KJV link: "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane" (Ezekiel 44:23).

Synonyms:

desecrate, defile; (adjective) secular, irreverent

Antonyms:

hallow, sanctify; (adjective) sacred, holy

Root:Latin pro- (before, outside) + fanum (temple): what stays outside the temple. It shares a root with fanatic.

Definition: showing a lack of proper respect for holy or serious things.

From the reading: "It would be exaggerative, indeed irreverent..."

Context: In "The Queer Feet," Chesterton playfully claims it would be irreverent to say that the hotel's grand owner ever actually showed himself.

KJV link: "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

Synonyms:

disrespectful, flippant, impious

Antonyms:

reverent, respectful, devout

Root:Latin in- (not) + revereri (to stand in awe of).

Definition: so foolish or out of place that it is laughable; absurd.

From the reading: "...the most maddeningly ludicrous..."

Context: In "The Flying Stars," a Christmas pantomime goes on to silly piano tunes while a real theft is taking place in the house.

Synonyms:

absurd, ridiculous, preposterous

Antonyms:

sensible, reasonable, serious

Root:Latin ludicrus, from ludus, meaning play, game.

Definition: having an unhealthy interest in gloomy or disturbing things, especially death; (in medicine) having to do with disease.

From the reading: "Quinton was a genius, if a morbid one..."

Context: In "The Wrong Shape," the poet's gifts are real, but his mind keeps dwelling on dark and unhealthy things.

Synonyms:

gloomy, macabre, unwholesome

Antonyms:

wholesome, cheerful, healthy

Root:Latin morbidus, meaning diseased, from morbus, disease.