Tag: vocabulary
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Words of the Week 3/26/2014
This week’s words: befuddle v. to make confused, as by swift speech; to render unable to think clearly fatuous adj. silly, pointless; foolish taradiddle n. a petty lie consternation n. anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected meretricious adj. apparently attractive but having no value or integrity in reality The sentences: Isaac felt an increasing […]
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Words of the Week 3/12/2014
This week’s words: ineffectual adj. not producing the desired effect apostate n. one who renounces a principle or belief; one who forsakes a cause barbarous adj. savagely cruel, brutal; uncivilized (much as it sounds: barbaric) dissimulation n. deception; disguising or concealing one’s true thoughts, motives, feelings, etc. pullulating adj. swarming, teeming, sprouting with ~ In […]
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Words of the Week 3/5/2014
This week’s words: mummer n. a person who wears a mask or fantastic costume while merrymaking or participating in traditional masked mime standoffish adj. distant and cold; unfriendly vignette n. a brief evocative description, account, or episode ribald adj. referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude way hurly burly n. a disturbance This week […]
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Words of the Week 2/26/2014
The week’s words: sumptuous adj. luxurious; splendid and expensive-looking vagary n. an unpredictable occurrence or behavior; caprice complicity n. the state of being an accomplice; partnership or involvement in wrongdoing nickelodeon n. a jukebox operated by nickels; an early theater where motion pictures or variety shows could be seen for a nickel torpid adj. inactive […]
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Words of the Week 2/19/2014 – Divergent Edition!
Every week I draw five words from a vocab jar (words found in books, short stories, or other reading) and challenge myself to use them. Usually that means in sentences, but I like to keep things interesting. This week I challenged myself to use all five words in sentences related to Veronica Roth’s Divergent, one […]
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Words of the Week 2/12/2014
Having recently discovered Photoshop’s type mask tool, for this week’s edition of Words of the Week the spheres of art and language cross. Enjoy– and always, feel free to contribute your own sentences! The words: vesture n. clothing bibulous adj. excessively fond of drinking alcohol lurid adj. vivid in color; unpleasantly harsh emaciated adj. gaunt […]
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Words of the Week 2/5/2014 – GIF Quiz Edition!
All right. This week’s draw of words from the jar lends itself quite nicely to ridiculous GIFs, so now we’re going to have some fun. The words: conciliatory adj. intended to pacify keep something on the QT v. QT being “quiet.” I have always heard this as “keep something on the DL,” with DL being […]
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Words of the Week 1/22/2014
This week’s words are: repose n. temporary rest gendarme n. an armed police officer in France and other French-speaking countries duly adverb. following procedure or what is appropriate; as might be expected parsimony n. extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources alms n. money or food given to poor; anything given as charity Those who practice […]
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Words of the Week 1/15/2014
This week’s words are: asperity n. harshness of tone, manner, or condition vigil n. a period of wakefulness during time usually spent asleep; a peaceful demonstration in support of a cause governess n. a woman employed to teach children in a private household besprinkled adj. exactly what it sounds like. I just love the word. […]
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Words of the Week 1/8/2014
This week’s words are: plexus (n.) a network of nerves or vessels in the body; an intricate/weblike network coup de main (n.) French — a sudden surprise attack, especially during war sheepskin (n.) [slang] a high school or college diploma badinage (n.) humorous or witty conversation prognosticate (v.) foretell; prophesize To make things interesting, match […]
Julie Israel 