ROOT WORD AND SAT VOCABULARY 9 th Grade

mort: death ○ Ex: moribund ○ Def: someone or something that is near death or that is lacking in life and vitality. ○ Recently, our economy has been moribund, with high unemployment and little job creation.

mort: death ○ Ex: rigor mortis ○ Def: one of the recognizable signs of death, in which the limbs of the corpse stiffen due to chemical changes in the muscles ○ Coroners can determine when someone died based on the stage of rigor mortis the body is in.

mort: death ○ Ex: morbid ○ Def: relating to unpleasant or disturbing subjects, such as death and disease ○ Some people consider asking a dog to play dead a morbid request.

nov/neo: new ○ Ex: renovate ○ Def: to restore something old to a good state of repair ○ Old government institutions should be renovated to promote the ideas and needs of the new generation.

nov/neo: new ○ Ex: innovate ○ Def: to make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products ○ The purpose of the conference is to inspire young people to innovate products that will help preserve the environment.

nov/neo: new ○ Ex: neonatal ○ Def: relating to newborn children or mammals ○ My baby cousin was kept in the hospital’s neonatal unit for two weeks before her parents could take her home.

ob: to, toward, in front of, against ○ Ex: obsequious ○ Def: showing too much willingness to serve someone or something ○ Obsequious service is expected at a nice restaurant, because the diner is paying for it.

ob: to, toward, in front of, against ○ Ex: obnoxious ○ Def: extremely unpleasant ○ Speaking loudly while chewing with your mouth full is considered obnoxious behavior.

ob: to, toward, in front of, against ○ Ex: obstinate ○ Def: firmly adhering to one's purpose or opinion; not yielding to argument or persuasion ○ The obstinate judge refused to grant bail to the defendant.

orthos: straight, correct ○ Ex: orthodox ○ Def: someone or something that strictly adheres to religious beliefs or the conventional, normal way of doing things; normal accepted standards. ○ Traditionalists, as the name implies, tend to stick to orthodox religions.

orthos: straight, correct ○ Ex: orthopedist ○ Def: a physician who corrects abnormalities or injuries of the bones with surgery, casting, and bracing ○ If you break your leg playing football, you will be seeing an orthopedist for many months.

orthos: straight, correct ○ Ex: orthography ○ Def: the conventional spelling system of a language ○ There are differences in orthography between the Harry Potter novels printed in America and France.

para: beside, along with ○ Ex: parable ○ Def: a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson ○ The Bible is composed of many parables.

para: beside, along with ○ Ex: paramedic ○ Def: a healthcare professional who works mainly as part of emergency medical services ○ Paramedics arrived at the scene of the accident just in time to save Sally’s life.

para: beside, along with ○ Ex: parallel ○ Def: very similar and often happening at the same time ○ My tragic love life is a parallel of Romeo and Juliet’s destructive romance.