Monday February 27 2012 Vocabulary Unit 11 At

Monday February 27, 2012 Vocabulary Unit 11

� At a recent auto show, President Obama reminded people how his administration has financially helped the auto industry. � He alluded to Mitt Romney when he said, “It’s good to remember there were some folks who were willing to let this industry die. ”

allude-(v) to mention or to hint at without discussing at length � In her college essay, Dina only alluded to her full time after school job; she wanted most of the essay to be about her dreams for the future. � Synonym: to suggest

The police sometimes use clairvoyants to help them solve difficult missing-person cases.

clairvoyant-(adj) supernaturally perceptive; (n) one who possesses such power �Synonym: insightful

When they weighed all the evidence in the case, the jury found the testimony of the expert witness to be conclusive.

conclusive-(adj) final; decisive. �Is there any conclusive evidence that UFO’s exist? �Synonym: convincing

Supermarket tabloids frequently publish stories about the disreputable behavior of celebrities.

disreputable-(adj) not respectable �Polyphemus turns out to be quite a disreputable character in The Odyssey. Synonym: disgraceful

Scientists have yet to identify many plant and animal species endemic to the rain forests.

endemic-(adj) native or confined to a particular region or people � Blue jeans were once endemic to the Cowboys of the American West. � Synonym: restricted to

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to U. S. civilians for exemplary contributions to national security, world peace, culture or other significant causes.

exemplary-(adj) worthy of imitation, serving as a model � Melanie Josselyn, a 2011 Keefe Tech graduate from Health Careers, was an exemplary student; she won a 5, 000 dollar scholarship to UMASS and placed in the top 3 at the National Skills USA competition. � Synonym: praiseworthy

� Parents sometimes find it difficult to fathom the motives behind their child’s behavior. The great passenger liner Titanic lies buried several thousand fathoms below the ocean’s surface.

fathom-(v) to understand; (n) a measure of depth in the water �Synonym: grasp; comprehend

Folklore has it that a serpent’s most outstanding trait is guile; just as a fox’s is craftiness.

guile-(n) deceit � Guile, the street fighter, from the video game series, must have many tricks up his sleeve to be such a popular fighter. � Synonym: trickery

Having integrity means doing what is right, and saying what is true.

integrity-(n) honesty; high moral standards �Synonym: �completeness or wholeness

We planned the itinerary for our trip to South America. It looks like this:

itinerary-(n) a route of travel �We spent hours planning the itinerary for our trip across the United States. �Synonym: schedule

Sometimes students misconstrue what their teachers say. Well, Maria that’s a good idea, but let’s look at it another way. He thinks I don’t know anything!

misconstrue-(v) to interpret wrongly; mistake the meaning of �Young children sometimes misconstrue their parents’ motives. �Synonym: misjudge

Some drivers show obnoxious behavior when they are behind the wheel; they follow too closely, honk their horns or yell at the top of their lungs.

obnoxious-(adj) highly offensive; arousing strong dislike �Hitler gave speeches that were full of obnoxious language and racial slurs. �Synonym: hateful

Many parents give their children a pacifier to placate them when they are tired or crying.

placate-(v) to soothe or pacify; to make someone feel less annoyed � It is useless to try to placate a dissatisfied customer who enjoys being angry and making complaints. � Synonym: satisfy

There was no wind to disturb the placid surface of the lake.

placid-(adj) calm, peaceful �Canela was such a placid dog, she got adopted right away from the shelter. � Synoynm: quiet tranquil;

Johnny got in trouble because his teacher told him his work was full of plagiarism.

plagiarism-(n) using as one’s own, the writing or materials of another person � When the teacher spoke to Max about his plagiarized report, his reply was creative. � Synonym: theft

Music is a most potent force for making people forget their differences and live in harmony.

potent-(adj) powerful; highly effective �Juliet drinks a most potent potion to make her seem dead. �Synonym: forceful

What’s your favorite pretext for trying to get out of English class?

pretext-(n) a false reason �On the pretext of delivering a package, the burglar tried to enter the house. �Synonym: �pretense

Braces can correct teeth that protrude.

protrude-(v) to stick out � These unprotected steel bars are protruding from the construction site. � Synonym: jut out project;

When astronauts first walked on the moon, they discovered its surface to be stark.

stark-(adj) harsh �During adolescence is when many teens start to face the stark realities of life. �Synonym: grim

Good friends are not superficial; they understand each other deeply.

superficial-(ad) concerned only with what is on the surface; shallow �A superficial wound is when the top layer of the skin is damaged. �Synonym: skin deep; not substantial