Grade 9 College Vocabulary, Week 17

Definition: A departure from an established course or standard.

From the reading: "Occasionally a deviation has been made, but always for what seemed good and sufficient reason." (Beowulf)

Synonyms:

departure, divergence, digression

Antonyms:

conformity

Root:Late Latin deviatio: compare French déviation. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: An alphabetical list of words with their meanings, often at the back of a book.

From the reading: "In our translation, H.-So.'s glossary has been quite closely followed." (Beowulf)

Synonyms:

word list, vocabulary, lexicon

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin glossarium, from glossa: compare French glossaire. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Attractive or appealing in a fresh, innocent way.

From the reading: "There was laughter of heroes; loud was the clatter, 55 The words were winsome." (Beowulf)

Synonyms:

charming, engaging, winning

Antonyms:

unattractive

Root:Old English wynsum, pleasant, from wynn, joy + -sum: charming.

Definition: Of time, to pass or go by.

From the reading: "The hours that elapse before night are spent in beer-drinking and conversation." (Beowulf)

Synonyms:

pass, go by, slip away

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin elapsus, past participle of elabi to glide away; e out + labi to fall, slide. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To call into question the integrity of; to charge a public official with misconduct.

From the reading: "I impeach thee of treason.” Several of the Syrian leaders had now come up, and Conrade--vexation, and shame, and confusion struggling with passion in his manner and voice--exclaimed, “What means this?" (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

accuse, charge, challenge

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old French empeechier, to hinder, from Late Latin impedicare, to fetter (in-, in + pedica, a fetter, from pes, foot): to bring a charge against.

Definition: Not suitable for a particular occasion etc; not in keeping with what is correct or proper.

From the reading: "But his enemy extricated himself with a singularly inappropriate air of hurried politeness." (The Innocence of Father Brown)

Synonyms:

unsuitable, improper, unfitting

Antonyms:

appropriate, fitting

Root:in-, not + Latin appropriare, to make one's own (ad-, to + proprius, own): not fitting.

Definition: Covering a wide area; open and communicative.

From the reading: "The prosperous man’s smile grew slightly more expansive, and he simply pointed up the river towards the next bend of it." (The Innocence of Father Brown)

Synonyms:

broad, extensive; effusive

Antonyms:

narrow; reserved

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

Definition: Close to the actual, but not exact.

From the reading: "Cedric lived to see this union approximate towards its completion; for as the two nations mixed in society and formed intermarriages with each other, the Normans abated their scorn, and the Saxons were refined from their rusticity." (Ivanhoe)

Synonyms:

rough, near, estimated

Antonyms:

exact, precise

Root:Latin approximatus, past participle of approximare to approach; ad + proximare to come near. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To cut out or remove, especially a passage from a text.

From the reading: "It is true that taxes levied by consent of the estate, do abate men's courage less: as it hath been seen notably, in the excises of the Low Countries; and, in some degree, in the subsidies of England." (Essays)

Synonyms:

delete, cut out, expunge

Antonyms:

insert

Root:. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Evoking interest or attention in a powerful way; persuasive.

From the reading: "The exception I shall make is in this matter of the defeat by the Black River; and my reasons, though private, are honourable and compelling." (The Innocence of Father Brown)

Synonyms:

persuasive, forceful, convincing

Antonyms:

weak, unconvincing

Root:Latin compellere, to drive together, from com-, together + pellere, to drive: driving one to attention or belief.

Definition: About to happen; ready to give information.

From the reading: "At grey of night, when the sun was gone, and no red in the west remained, neither were stars forthcoming, suddenly a wailing voice rose along the valleys, and a sound in the air, as of people running." (Lorna Doone)

Synonyms:

coming, imminent; open

Antonyms:

reticent

Root:forth (Old English forth, forward) + coming: about to come; ready and open.

Definition: In the stage of growth between childhood and adulthood; immature, like a youth.

From the reading: "His face was still round and boyish, but on cheek and chin and lip was the curl of adolescent beard--soft, yellow, and silky." (Men of Iron)

Synonyms:

teenage, youthful, juvenile

Antonyms:

adult, mature

Root:Latin adolescens, present participle of adolescere to grow up to; ad + the inchoative olescere to grow: compare French adolescent. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Intervention in a dispute to bring about agreement.

From the reading: "Of Negotiating IT IS generally better to deal by speech than by letter; and by the mediation of a third than by a man's self." (Essays)

Synonyms:

arbitration, negotiation, intercession

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old English mediacioun, French médiation. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: The state of being strong and active; energy and liveliness.

From the reading: "Doubtless this spectral discomfort in the place was partly due to the very vitality and exuberance of its owner; he needed no stoves or lamps, he would say, but carried his own warmth with him." (The Innocence of Father Brown)

Synonyms:

energy, vigor, liveliness

Antonyms:

lethargy

Root:Latin vitalitas: compare French vitalité. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: An inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death.

From the reading: "“Are you from Jerusalem?” “Yes.” “Your prisoner is young.” “In years, yes.” “May I ask what he has done?” “He is an assassin.” The people repeated the word in astonishment, but Rabbi Joseph pursued his inquest." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

inquiry, investigation, hearing

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old English enqueste, Old French enqueste, French enquête, Late Latin inquesta, for inquisita, from Latin inquisitus, p.p. of inquirere. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Harshness or strictness; the quality of being serious or intense.

From the reading: "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." (Romans 11:22)

Synonyms:

harshness, sternness, intensity

Antonyms:

leniency, mildness

Root:Latin severitas: compare French sévérité. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A visually striking performance or display.

From the reading: "For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." (1 Corinthians 4:9)

Synonyms:

sight, display, pageant

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French, from Latin spectaculum, from spectare to look at, to behold, v. intens. from specere. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A thing that diverts attention; mental agitation or confusion.

From the reading: "And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction." (1 Corinthians 7:35)

Synonyms:

diversion, interruption; agitation

Antonyms:

concentration

Root:Latin distractio: compare French distraction. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: The state of being without a flaw or defect; an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept.

From the reading: "He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth." (Job 15:29)

Synonyms:

flawlessness, excellence, completeness

Antonyms:

imperfection

Root:French perfection, Latin perfectio. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: The fact of being different or inconsistent; disagreement.

From the reading: "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies," (Galatians 5:20)

Synonyms:

discrepancy, difference, disagreement

Antonyms:

agreement

Root:Latin variantia. (Webster, 1913)