Grade 9 College Vocabulary, Week 31

Definition: To divide something by passing through or across it; to cross.

From the reading: "A blue heaven stretched above, a green rolling plain undulated below, intersected with hedge-rows and flecked with grazing sheep." (The White Company)

Synonyms:

cross, meet, bisect

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin intersectus, past participle of intersecare to intersect; inter + secare to cut. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To make sore by rubbing; to become impatient because of a restriction.

From the reading: "There they fell to chafing his hands and sprinkling water in his face, a crowd of the others gathering about." (Men of Iron)

Synonyms:

rub, gall; fret

Antonyms:

soothe

Root:Old French chaufer, to warm, from Latin calefacere (calere, to be warm + facere, to make): to rub warm, to rub sore.

Definition: Ungraciously or offensively nonchalant; without preparation.

From the reading: "I could not dream of sacrificing it in this offhand fashion." (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, selected)

Synonyms:

casual, curt; impromptu

Antonyms:

careful, prepared

Root:off + hand: done at once, without preparation, as by a hand already free.

Definition: In accordance with the highest standards; faultless.

From the reading: "I was, forsooth, the wise, the self-sufficient, the impeccable!--I was the counsellor of councils--I was the director of prelates." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

flawless, faultless, perfect

Antonyms:

flawed, imperfect

Root:Latin impeccabilis; pref. im- not + peccare to err, to sin: compare French impeccable. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place.

From the reading: "For on her native hill of Ares here (I knew your far-famed Areopagus) Sits Justice, and permits not vagrant folk To stay within your borders." (Oedipus the King and Antigone)

Synonyms:

vagabond, wanderer, tramp

Antonyms:

resident

Root:Anglo-French wakerant, influenced by Latin vagari, to wander (vagus, wandering): wandering without a home.

Definition: To attack continuously with shells or bombs; to direct a flow of questions at.

From the reading: "The weather was less keen upon the Wednesday, and the rear-guard made good their passage, with the bombards and the wagon-train." (The White Company)

Synonyms:

shell, pound; barrage

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French bombarde, Late Latin bombarda, from Latin bombus + -ard. Cf. Bumper, and see Bomb. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Directed or moving backward; reverting to an earlier and worse condition.

From the reading: "THE JEW Our history must needs retrograde for the space of a few pages, to inform the reader of certain passages material to his understanding the rest of this important narrative." (Ivanhoe)

Synonyms:

backward, regressive, reverting

Antonyms:

progressive, forward

Root:Latin retrogradus, from retrogradi, retrogressus, to retrograde; retro back + gradi to step: compare French rétrograde. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To read or examine carefully.

From the reading: "A slip of paper was in his hand, and he was in the very act of perusing its contents." (The Scarlet Pimpernel)

Synonyms:

read, examine, study

Antonyms:

skim

Root:Pref. per- + use. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement.

From the reading: "Thy hands are bound at present,” said the Saracen, in a more amicable tone--“bound by thine own gentle sense of courtesy; nor have I any present purpose of setting them at liberty." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

friendly, cordial, peaceable

Antonyms:

hostile

Root:Latin amicabilis, from amicus friend, from amare to love. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To issue or spread out from a source.

From the reading: "In one corner of the room there was a huge hearth, over which hung a stock-pot, with a not altogether unpalatable odour of hot soup emanating therefrom." (The Scarlet Pimpernel)

Synonyms:

issue, flow, proceed

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin emanare, to flow out, from e-, out + manare, to flow: to issue from a source.

Definition: Lower someone's spirits; make downhearted; lower (prices or markets).

From the reading: "For their nobles; to keep them at a distance, it is not amiss; but to depress them, may make a king more absolute, but less safe; and less able to perform, any thing that he desires." (Essays)

Synonyms:

sadden, dispirit, deject

Antonyms:

cheer, elate

Root:Latin depressus, past participle of deprimere; de- + premere to press. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To provide money to pay a cost.

From the reading: "As to reward, my profession is its own reward; but you are at liberty to defray whatever expenses I may be put to, at the time which suits you best." (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, selected)

Synonyms:

pay, cover, meet

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French défrayer, from de-, out + frai, cost (origin uncertain): to pay the costs.

Definition: To sweep over something so as to surround or cover it completely.

From the reading: "I myself might scarcely leap, with the last spring of o'er-laboured legs, from the engulfing grave of slime." (Lorna Doone)

Synonyms:

swamp, overwhelm, swallow up

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Pref. en- + gulf: compare Old French engolfer. Cf. Ingulf. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Inspiring affection.

From the reading: "There never were congratulations so endearing and delicious, as those she lavished on herself and on the Bride." (The Cricket on the Hearth)

Synonyms:

lovable, charming, appealing

Antonyms:

repellent

Root:en-, to make + dear (Old English deore, precious) + -ing: making one dear to others.

Definition: Reticent, shy, and easily embarrassed.

From the reading: "Eyes of a bashful maid, and hair like a three years' babe!" (The White Company)

Synonyms:

shy, timid, diffident

Antonyms:

bold, confident

Root:. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Easily bent; flexible; easily influenced.

From the reading: "The others took up the bow, and warmed it at the fire, and rubbed it with lard to make it more pliable." (The Children's Homer)

Synonyms:

flexible, malleable, docile

Antonyms:

rigid, stubborn

Root:French, from plier to bend, to fold. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A slight objection about a trivial matter; to argue about trivial matters.

From the reading: "Would you wish by trick or quibble to juggle me out of these last acres?" (The White Company)

Synonyms:

cavil, niggle, bicker

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Probably from quib, quip, but influenced by quillet, or quiddity. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Failing to produce the intended result.

From the reading: "Thus decisive as was the battle of Falkirk it was entirely abortive in results." (In Freedom's Cause)

Synonyms:

unsuccessful, failed, fruitless

Antonyms:

successful, fruitful

Root:Latin abortivus, from aboriri. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To satisfy fully; to fill to excess.

From the reading: "And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 31:14)

Synonyms:

satisfy, sate, glut

Antonyms:

starve

Root:Latin satiatus, past participle of satiare to satisfy, from sat, satis, enough. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Not feeling shame or regret about one's actions.

From the reading: "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;" (Romans 2:5)

Synonyms:

unrepentant, unremorseful, obdurate

Antonyms:

penitent, repentant

Root:Latin impaenitens; pref. im- not + paenitens penitens: compare French impénitent. (Webster, 1913)