Grade 8 College Vocabulary, Week 33

Definition: An action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.

From the reading: "So soon as he began to prelude, the insignificance of his personal appearance seemed to disappear, and his countenance glowed with energy and inspiration." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

introduction, preface, overture

Antonyms:

epilogue, conclusion

Root:French prélude (compare Italian preludio, Late Latin praeludium), from Latin prae before + ludus play. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Showing mercy; compassionate.

From the reading: "Richard is merciful when his mood is abated." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city." (Genesis 19:16)

Synonyms:

compassionate, forgiving, gracious

Antonyms:

merciless, cruel

Root:Mercy + -ful. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To declare openly, especially one's faith; to claim.

From the reading: "I would he were here to profess such an equality!" (The Talisman)

KJV link: "And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us." (Deuteronomy 26:3)

Synonyms:

declare, affirm, confess

Antonyms:

deny

Root:Latin profiteri, professus, to declare openly, from pro-, forth + fateri, to confess: to declare publicly.

Definition: Marked by pomp or ceremony or formality.

From the reading: "Ere Richard had finished his meal, the ancient Omrah, who had brought the Soldan's letter to the Christian camp, entered with a plan of the ceremonial to be observed on the succeeding day of combat." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

formal, ritual, solemn

Antonyms:

informal

Root:Latin caerimonialis: compare French cérimonial. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards.

From the reading: "You have bedizened me in green, a colour he detests." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing." (Deuteronomy 7:26)

Synonyms:

loathe, abhor, despise

Antonyms:

love

Root:Latin detestari, to curse while calling on God as witness, from de-, down + testis, witness: to hate intensely.

Definition: To cut off or apart; to put an end to a connection.

From the reading: "Oh, no, no! never would I survive the thought that my frailties and infirmities had been the means to sever this goodly fellowship of assembled princes." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth." (Exodus 8:22)

Synonyms:

cut off, separate, split

Antonyms:

join, unite

Root:Old French sevrer, severer, to separate, French sevrer to wean, from Latin separare. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To spring or shrink back in fear, horror, or disgust.

From the reading: "The horse of Sir Kenneth recoiled two or three yards and fell on his haunches; but the rider easily raised him with hand and rein." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

flinch, shrink, draw back

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old French reculer, to draw back, from Latin re-, back + culus, the backside: to spring back.

Definition: A person who inspires or influences others, especially one prominent in a field.

Context (original sentence): The great preacher was a luminary of his age.

Synonyms:

leader, notable, celebrity

Antonyms:

nonentity

Root:Latin lumen, light.

Definition: To remember something; to bring back to mind.

From the reading: "Leave me to recollect my sins, and reconcile myself to Heaven.”" (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

remember, recall, call to mind

Antonyms:

forget

Root:Latin recolligere, to gather again.

Definition: The highest point of development or achievement; a high, pointed peak.

From the reading: "Thou standest on the highest, and, therefore, on the most dangerous pinnacle occupied by any Christian prince." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple," (Matthew 4:5)

Synonyms:

peak, summit, acme

Antonyms:

nadir, bottom

Root:Old English pinacle, French pinacle, Latin pinnaculum, from pinna pinnacle, feather. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To protect and care for lovingly; to hold dear.

From the reading: "“Nay, first cherish thy fancy with a cup of fiery Chios wine,” said the King." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

treasure, prize, hold dear

Antonyms:

neglect, scorn

Root:French chérir, from cher dear, from Latin carus. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To damage the purity or reputation of; to soil.

From the reading: "All lie prostrate, as if the glance of an Arab's eye could sully the lustre of a lady's cheek!" (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

defile, taint, besmirch

Antonyms:

cleanse, honor

Root:perhaps Old French souiller, to soil (origin uncertain): to stain.

Definition: To move energetically and busily.

From the reading: "Ere Thomas of Gilsland could reply, some bustle was heard without, and the arrival of the Queen was announced from the outer part of the pavilion." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

hurry, rush, scurry

Antonyms:

dawdle

Root:Cf. Old English buskle, perh. from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) bysig busy, bysg-ian to busy + the verbal termination -le; or Icelandic bustla to splash, bustle. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Similar in form or nature; willing to comply.

From the reading: "Be active a bit, man, wilt thou, and just force open his teeth with the haft of thy dudgeon-dagger.” “Hold, hold--he is conformable,” said Tomalin; “see, see, he signs for the goblet--give him room, boys!" (The Talisman)

KJV link: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" (Philippians 3:10)

Synonyms:

consistent, compliant, agreeable

Antonyms:

inconsistent, defiant

Root:Latin conformare, to shape alike (com-, together + forma, shape) + -able: fitted in form; compliant.

Definition: To drink something heartily.

From the reading: "Notwithstanding these various pretensions to sanctity, Abdallah was (for an Arab) a boon companion, who enjoyed a merry tale, and laid aside his gravity so far as to quaff a blithe flagon when secrecy ensured him against scandal." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

gulp, swig, drink deeply

Antonyms:

sip

Root:For quach, from Gael. & Ir. cuach a drinking cup; compare Latin caucus a drinking vessel. Cf. Quaigh. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Able to live or operate both on land and in water.

From the reading: "“The misproud and amphibious caitiff puts the monk upon me,” said Richard to the Earl of Salisbury." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

land-and-water, semiaquatic

Antonyms:

aquatic, terrestrial

Root:Greek amphibios, living a double life, from amphi, both + bios, life: living both on land and in water.

Definition: To corrupt morally, especially by leading into excess.

From the reading: "The Archduke of Austria was in no hurry to perform this part of the ceremony, having had rather an unusually severe debauch upon wine of Shiraz the preceding evening." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

corrupt, deprave, pervert

Antonyms:

purify, reform

Root:Cf. French débauche. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A person who is dissatisfied and rebellious.

From the reading: "Of the latter class were the Marquis Conrade and the Grand Master of the Templars, who retired together to their quarters ill at ease, and malcontent with the events of the day." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

grumbler, rebel, troublemaker

Antonyms:

contented

Root:French, from mal ill + content. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To tell a lie under oath in a court of law.

From the reading: "I will have him perjure himself, however; I will insist on the ordeal." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

lie under oath, forswear

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French parjurer, Latin perjurare, perjerare; per through, over + jurare to swear. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Wise and prudent, especially in dealing with people.

From the reading: "To me no one shall speak more of politic alliances to be sanctioned with this poor hand." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

prudent, judicious, shrewd

Antonyms:

impolitic, unwise

Root:Latin politicus political, Greek politique. (Webster, 1913)