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WORDS FOR:

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MRS. FRANCIS' SHORT STORIES for vocabulary review       

REMEMBER! For most people, optimum learning takes place with a multi-sensory approach. 
In plain words that means you will have a better chance of learning these words if you handwrite 
them into your English notebooks.
The words are listed here for the benefit of students who 
might have been absent on the day the words were presented in class, or for those of you with 
atrocious
handwriting. Even if you do have terrible handwriting, 
you should practice your handwriting to improve! 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2005

assertion         & ser sh&n    (noun) a statement
The manager hired the graduate based on the young man’s assertion of his skills.     

SEPTEMBER 7, 2005

clarity             klar  &  tE        (noun) the quality of being clear
The lesson was easy to learn thanks to the clarity of the teacher’s lecture.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2005

cogent              kO  j&nt            (adjective) convincing
The prosecuting attorney presented cogent evidence in court that lead to the defendant’s conviction.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2005

cohesive               kO  hE  siv       (adjective) quality of sticking together.
Couples with a cohesive relationship never get divorced.  

SEPTEMBER 12, 2005

didactic                dI  dak  tik    (adjective) used for instruction
Although Sparknotes were designed to be didactic, their shortcut approach to learning is not the best way to study literature.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2005

discourse         dis   kOrs             (noun) verbal expression or exchange; conversation                      
The sound of discourses filled the cafeteria on the first day of school while students discussed the merits and flaws of their new teachers.

  SEPTEMBER 14, 2005

eloquence         e   l&   kw&n(t)s   (noun) the ability to speak vividly or persuasively
Women are drawn to men who can speak with eloquence.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2005

implication          im   pl&   kA   sh&n   (noun) the act of suggesting or hinting
  When Bob angrily asked Sue where she was last night, she quickly replied, “I don’t like the implication in your voice!”

 SEPTEMBER 16, 2005

lucid                     s&d   (adjective) easily understood; clear
    The disturbing scenes in the movie Saving Private Ryan served as lucid examples of the horrors of war.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2005

Pundit              p&n   d&t         (noun) an authority who expresses his or her opinions
   Martha Stewart made a fortune by being a pundit of perfect housekeeping.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2005

rhetoric              re  t&  rik      (noun) The art of using language eftectively and persuasively
     Television talk show hosts must be masters of rhetoric.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2005

arbiter               är  b&  t&r      (noun) a judge who decides a disputed issue
Since the board of education and the teachers’ union could not reach an agreement, an arbiter settled the teachers’ strike.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2005

exculpate         ek  sk&l  pAt   (verb) to free from guilt or blame
When George admited he spraypainted the side of the school building, his best friend Bob was exculpated and freed from the GASP room.

SEPTEMBER 23 , 2005

incontrovertible       in    kän  tr&   v&r  t&  b&l    (adjective)  indisputable; not open to question
 It is an incontrovertible fact that gasoline engines pollute our air.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2005

 penitent              pen & t&nt       (adjective) expressing remorse (a sense of guilt) for one's misdeeds
 The criminals angry expression in court clearly showed he was not penitent, so the judge sentenced him to life in prison.

SEPTEMBER 27 , 2005

substantiate      s&b   stan(t)  shE    At  ed    (verb) to support with proof     
The DNA test substantiated that Bob was the father of the child.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2005

vindicate         vin  d&  "kAt     (verb) to free from blame
The convict was released from prison when new evidence vindicated him.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2005

plagiarism          plA  j&  ri-z&m    (noun) the act of stealing and using the ideas or writings of another as one's own
If you do not cite your sources when you write a research paper, you will be accused of plagiarism.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

paraphrase            par   &   frAz   (verb) to restate a text or passage in other words in order to clarify meaning.
You must cite your sources even if you paraphrase the ideas of another writer.

 

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON OCTOBER 3 (Meyerberg / Francis Teaching Team)

TEST A = assertion, cogent, didactic, eloquence, lucid, rhetoric, exculpate, penitent, vindicated, paraphrase

TEST B = clarity, cohesive, discourse, implication, pundit, arbiter, incontrovertible, substantiate, plagiarism, paraphase

 

OCTOBER 3, 2005

condescending      kän  di   send  ing      (adjective) treating people as weak or inferior
When the homeless woman won the New Jersey lottery, people were no longer condescending toward her.

OCTOBER 5, 2005

Contemptuous      c&n   tem(p)  ch&  w&s    (adjective) feeling hatred; scornful
Peace is difficult in parts of the world where different ethnic groups are contemptuous toward each other.

OCTOBER 6, 2005

despotic                  des     tik    (adjective) exercising absolute power; tyrannical
    When the despotic rular was overthrown, people danced in the streets because they felt safe and free.

OCTOBER 7, 2005

disdain                   dis   dAn              (noun) contempt, scorn (dislike, disrespect)         (verb) to regard or treat with contempt; to look down on  
The animal activist felt disdain for people who wore furs.

OCTOBER 11, 2005

haughty                    tE      (adjective) arrogant; vainly proud
Although Joe was the star quarterback, most of his teammates disliked him because of his haughty attitude

OCTOBER 12, 2005

imperious              im   pir  E  &s
(adjective) arrogantly domineering or overbearing        
The imperious boss hollered at his employees and watched them constantly.

OCTOBER 14, 2005

Patronizing         pA  tr&  "nIz  ing   (adjective) treating in a condescending manner   
Sue was angered by the patronizing way in which her boss slowly spoke to her with simple words as if she were too ignorant to understand him.

OCTOBER 17, 2005

convoluted              kän  v&  "  t&d
(adjective) intricate; complex
The human body is so convoluted that it is best to study one system at a time.

OCTOBER 18, 2005

disparity                 dis  p(&  )r&t     (noun) inequality in age, rank or degree; difference
A race between a tortoise and a hare would be unfair because of the great disparity in the speed of the two animals.

OCTOBER 19, 2005

servile                  s&r  "vIl    (adjective) submissive; like a servant
The wife’s servile behavior was evident by the way she obeyed every command of her husband

OCTOBER 20, 2005

florid                      f lor  &d    (adjective) describing flowery or elaborate speech.
 The salesman’s florid speech fooled Joe into believing the jalopy was a classic, collectible car worthy of restoration.

OCTOBER 21, 2005

poignant                  poi  ny&nt     (adjective) profoundly moving; touching (sentimental)
  Sue brought tissues to the theatre to watch the poignant love story.

OCTOBER 24, 2005    

ebullience                i   bul  y&n(t)s      (noun) intense enthusiasm
 The cheerleaders expressed their ebullience by jumping and shouting when their team scored a touchdown.

OCTOBER 25, 2005

effusive                i   fyü  siv    (adjective) emotionally unrestrained; gushy            
     Sue was so romantic that she wrote an effusive love letter to her boyfriend on Valentines Day expressing her unending devotion to him.

OCTOBER 26, 2005

egregious            i   grE  j&s    (adjective) conspicuously bad or offensive
    When you stay at a friend’s house, it would be an egregious action to leave muddy footprints on his white carpet.

OCTOBER 27, 2005

auspicious           o   spi  sh&s    (adjective) favorable; promising
    I liked the auspicious message of my horoscope today, which said I would find wealth and happiness.

OCTOBER 28, 2005

reclamation          re  kl&   mA  sh&n    (noun) the act of making something useful again
   
  The restoration and reclamation of old cars in the junkyard can be a profitable business.

OCTOBER 31, 2005

sanction           sa[ng]k  sh&n       (verb) to give official authorization or approval
Our high school’s spring fundraiser received the sanction of the PTSA and the board of education.

 

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON NOVEMBER 2 (Meyerberg / Francis Teaching Team)

ENGLISH 11 WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON NOVEMBER 4 (Mrs. Francis's Classes)

TEST A = condescending, contemptuous, despotic, haughty, imperious, convoluted, disparity, servile, florid, poignant

TEST B = condescending, convoluted, disparity, servile, florid, ebullience, effusive, egregious, auspicious, reclamation

NOVEMBER 1, 2005

dubious                dü  bE  &s       (adjective) doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
Since our football team has lost every game so far, it is dubious that they will be playing in the state championships.

NOVEMBER 2, 2005

spurious                 spyur  E  &s      (adjective) not genuine; false, counterfeit
   We did not believe the car salesman’s spurious statement that the rusty jalopy ran perfectly.

NOVEMBER 3, 2005

disingenuous          di  s&n   jen  y&  w&s         (adjective) not straightforward; crafty
        Brad made a disingenuous attempt to pass English by only reading Sparknotes, but his lack of real effort caused him to fail his literature tests. .

NOVEMBER 4, 2005

ruse                      rüz           (noun) a crafty trick
The audience enjoyed watching the magician pull a rabbit from a hat even though they knew it was a ruse.  .

NOVEMBER 7, 2005

  surreptitious       s&r  &p   ti  sh&s    (adjective) done by secretive means
 During the test Kim was unable to take a surreptitious glance at Cathy’s paper because their teacher was watching them carefully. . 

NOVEMBER 8, 2005

wary                      war  E        (adjective) on guard; watchful
My mom was wary of my new boyfriend because he was covered with tattoos and piercings.

NOVEMBER 9, 2005

wily                        wI  lE      (adjective) cunning, clever, sly
Kim was a wily trader on Ebay who made money by buying an item at a low price and selling at a high price one week later.

NOVEMBER 14, 2005

Ambivalent          am   bi  v&  l&n(t)    (adjective) simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain
Kate’s ambivalent feelings towards Bob made it difficult for her to give him an answer when he proposed to him. .

 NOVEMBER 15, 2005

apathetic              a  p&   the  tik    (adjective) feeling or showing little emotion
Sue was apathetic about skiing, so she half-heartedly agreed to go to the slopes in Vermont with her parents.

NOVEMBER 16, 2005

arbitrary              är  b&    trer  E          (adjective) determined by impulse rather than reason
The students never new what to expect from their teacher, whose arbitrary punishments seemed dependent on her moods rather than a standard discipline code. .

NOVEMBER 17, 2005

capricious              k&   pri  sh&s    (adjective) impulsive and unpredictable
The referee's capricious behavior angered the players because he was  inconsistent in his calls; he would call a foul for minor contact, but ignore elbowing and kicking. .

NOVEMBER18 , 2005

equivocate             i   kwi  v&    kAt    (verb) to avoid making a definite statement
I didn’t vote for Senator Jones because whenever someone interviewed him he would equivocate instead of clearly stating his position on controversial issues. .

 NOVEMBER 21, 2005

 spontaneous          spän   tA  nE  &s    (adjective) unplanned; naturally occurring
George was in the mood for some adventure, so he immediately quit his job and headed off on a spontaneous trip to Pike’s Peak in Colorado. .

 NOVEMBER 22, 2005

 whimsical              wim   zi  k&    (adjective) subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable
George’s whimsical nature prompted his spontaneous trip. .

 NOVEMBER 23, 2005

 inconsequential      in    kän(t)  s&   kwen(t)  sh&l    (adjective) unimportant
    The cost of a Rolls Royce is inconsequential to Bill Gates.

NOVEMBER 28, 2005

Superficial                p&r   fi  sh&l    (adjective) concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow
Sue was obviously superficial; she choose boys to date based on the type of car they drove rather than their personalities. .

NOVEMBER 29, 2005

Tenuous                  ten  y&  w&s          (adjective) having little substance or strength; shaky; unsure, weak
Bob’s chance of passing calculus is tenuous because he failed several tests this semester.

 NOVEMBER 30, 2005

trivial                      tri  vE  &l        adjective) of little importance or significance
Although bees are small, they are not trivial creatures because they are needed to pollinate crops. 

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON FRIDAY, DEC. 2 (Meyerberg / Francis Teaching Team)

ENGLISH 11 WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON FRIDAY, DEC. 2 (Mrs. Francis's Classes)

TEST A = dubious, disingenuous, ruse, surreptitious, wary, capricious, ambivalent, apathetic, arbitrary, trivial

TEST B = spurious, apathetic, arbitrary, wily, equivocate, spontaneous, whimsical, inconsequential, superficial, tenuous

 

DECEMBER 1, 2005

assiduous         &    si  j&  w&s     (adjective) hard-working
Tom is such an assiduous student that he rarely takes time away from his studies to party.

DECEMBER 2, 2005

compelling         k&m   pe  li[ng] (adjective) forceful; urgently demanding attention
 The destruction of The World Trade Center was a compelling reason to hunt down terrorists.

DECEMBER 5 , 2005

diligent         di  l&  j&nt     (adjective) marked by painstaking effort; hard-working
Diligent effort was required to carve the CO2 cars in preparation for Mr. Lynch’s classroom races.

DECEMBER 6, 2005

dogged             dogd     (adjective) stubbornly persevering (continuing without giving up)
Sue’s dogged attempts to pass algebra paid off; she passed the course the second time with a lot of hard work and help from a tutor.

DECEMBER 7, 2005

endure             in   dur     (verb) to put up with, to survive a hardship
Brad endured lonliness when he moved to a new school in his senior year, but by the time he graduated he was voted the most popular boy at the high school.

DECEMBER 8, 2005

intrepid             in   tre  p&d     (adjective) brave; fearless
The intrepid rock climber scaled the eighty foot cliff without ropes.

DECEMBER 9, 2005

maverick         mav  rik  (adjective) one who is independent and resists following a group
Bob was a maverick student who eventually needed to be homeschooled because he had trouble following rules.

DECEMBER 12, 2005

obdurate          äb   dur  &t     (adjective) stubborn; inflexible 
Kim’s obdurate nature made it impossible for her to apologize to her friend after they had a big fight.

DECEMBER 13, 2005

obstinate         äb  st&  n&t     (adjective) stubbornly adhering to an opinion or a course of action
The man tugged hard on the obstinate mule’s lead in order to get it to move.

DECEMBER 14, 2005

proliferate         pr&   li  f&    rAt     (verb) to grow or increase rapidly .
 
As people proliferate along the East Coast, undeveloped land is becoming increasingly scarce.

DECEMBER 15, 2005

tenacity             t&   na  s&  tE     (noun) persistence
Joe’s tenacity landed him a job with Dancing DJ’s after he repeatedly sent resumes and called the office.

DECEMBER 16, 2005

vitality               vI   ta  l&  tE     (noun) energy; power to survive.
 
America’s western settlers required much vitality to make the grueling trip across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains.

DECEMBER 19, 2005

assimilation        &    si   m&   lA   sh&n     (noun) the process of absorbing or making similar. 
Immigrants assimilation into American culture often includes learning English and developing a taste for fast foods.

DECEMBER 20, 2005

consensus         k&n   sen(t)  s&s     (noun) general agreement
 
There is no consensus outside President Bush’s Texas ranch, where two opposing groups are expressing their views on the war in Iraq.

DECEMBER 21, 2005 

context            kän    tekst     (noun) circumstances of a situation; environment
You should not judge someone’s behavior until you know the context of their life.

DECEMBER 22, 2005

derived             di   rIv  /      dE     rIv  (verb) copied or adapted from a source
My new cloned kitten was derived from the DNA of my beloved deceased cat.

DECEMBER 23, 2005

incumbent         in   k&m  b&nt     (adj) imposed as a duty; obligatory
As an only child, the care of my elderly parents is incumbent upon me.

 

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON FRIDAY, JAN 6 (Meyerberg / Francis Teaching Team)

TEST A = assiduous, dogged, intrepid, obdurate, proliferate, tenacity, vitality, assimilation, context, incumbent.

TEST B = compelling, diligent, endure, maverick, obstinate, tenacity, vitality, assimilation, consensus, derived.

JANUARY 3, 2006

inevitable           i   ne  v&  t&  b&l      (adjective) certain to happen, unavoidable
  
                         Death is inevitable for each of us.

JANUARY 4, 2006

malleable            ma  lE  &  b&l    (adjective) easily shaped or formed; easily influenced
                            The malleable qualities of clay make if fun to squish between your fingers.

JANUARY 5, 2006

subdue                 s&b       (verb) to restrain; to hold back
My pitbull’s choke collar made it easier for me to subdue the dog when he saw the mailman.

JANUARY 6, 2006

dogmatic              dog   ma  tik    (adjective) stubbornly adhering to insufficiently proved beliefs
 My dad’s dogmatic remedy for coughing, which involved swallowing a teaspoon of Vicks, nearly killed me.

JANUARY 9, 2006

intuition               in  tu   wi  sh&n  (noun) the power of knowing things without thinking,- sharp insight
 
Joe’s intuition for picking stocks earned him a million dollars even though he had no training in finance.

JANUARY 10, 2006

perception            p&r   sep  sh&n  (noun) awareness insight
After the first day of school, Bob’s perceptions of his algebra teacher lead him to believe he would enjoy the math class.

JANUARY 11, 2006

perspective           p&r   spek  tiv    (noun) point of view
 
American’s perspective on life is very different from that of primitive tribesmen in the Amazon Rain Forest.

JANUARY 12, 2006

profound                 prO   faund    (adjective) having great depth or seriousness
                               Learning to type had a profound affect on Bob’s ability to quickly prepare his research papers.

JANUARY 13, 2006

inherent                 in   her  &nt    (adjective) inborn; built-in
The kitten had an inherent desire to chase mice.

JANUARY 17, 2006

innate                  i   nAt    (adjective) possessed at birth; inborn
                            Some people believe that newborns have an innate ability to recognize their mother’s voice.

JANUARY 18, 2006

inveterate              in   ve  t&  r&t   (adjective) long established; deep-rooted; habitual
Tom’s inverterate smoking lead to his lung cancer.

JANUARY 19, 2006

omnipotent           om   nip  &   t&nt    (adjective) all-powerful
Bill Gates money and control of Microsoft makes him nearly omnipotent in the computer industry.

JANUARY 20, 2006

proximity            präk   si  m&  tE    (noun) closeness
                            During the early growth of America, many small towns grew into large cities because of their
                            proximity to important waterways and transportation routes.

JANUARY 23, 2006

elusive                 E     siv    (adjective) difficult to capture
The elusive snow leopard roams the peaks of the Himalayan mountains and is rarely seen in zoos.

JANUARY 24, 2006

emigrate               e  m&    grAt    (verb) to leave one country or region and settle in another
Although I am proud to be an American, I’m thinking about emigrating to 
Canada where all citizens receive free healthcare.

JANUARY 25, 2006

transient              tran  zE  &nt    (adjective) passing away with time; passing from one place to another
If you think you would enjoy a transient life, join the circus and you will be able to travel for free.

JANUARY 26, 2006

transitory              tran(t)  s&    tOr  E    (adjective) short-lived or temporary
For many teenagers the transitory sadness after the breakup of a summer love dissolves in 
September when they find a new boyfriend or girlfriend.

JANUARY 27, 2006

Affable                  a   f&   b&l    (adjective) easy-going; friendly
Our affable principal greets students and teachers every morning in the halls before homeroom.

JANUARY 30, 2006

Amenable              &    mE   n&   b&l    (adjective) responsive; agreeable
All the employees were amenable to the boss’s suggestion that they receive raises.

JANUARY 31, 2006

Camaraderie        käm       d&   rE    (noun) goodwill between friends
Students benefited from the camaraderie in their classroom because classmates were always willing to help each other learn difficult lessons.

FEBRUARY 1, 2006

cordial                  kor   j&l         (adjective) friendly; sincere
When we moved into our new home our cordial, new neighbors sent us housewarming gifts.

FEBRUARY2, 2006

facetious              f&    sE   sh&s    (adjective) playfully humorous
While dining at Applebees, fourteen-year-old Kim was shocked when the waitress said, “That man over there bought you a drink,” but when Kim turned around she saw that the man was only her facetious father who was laughing at her reaction.

FEBRUARY 3, 2006

impinge                  im    pinj    (verb) hinder; interfere with
Cathy’s strict mother impinged on her daughter’s social life by refusing to allow her to attend rock concerts.

FEBRUARY 6, 2006

lament                   l&    ment    (verb) express grief for mourn
Tony lamented after he had his old, dying dog put to sleep.

FEBRUARY 7, 2006

melancholy           me   l&n        lE    (noun) sadness; depression
Although many students are excited to return to school in September, some are overcome with melancholy over the loss of their carefree days.

FEBRUARY 8, 2006

sanction               sa[ng]k   sh&n    (noun) an economic or military measure put in place to punish another country
Trade with North Korea was halted as a sanction against their nuclear weapons program.

FEBRUARY 9, 2006

truncate                 tr&n   kAt    (verb) to shorten; to cut off
 Doberman pinchers usually have their tails truncated if they are going to compete in dog shows.

FEBRUARY 10, 2006 

aesthetic               es    the   tik    (noun) having to do with the appreciation of beauty
Although my husband admires the raw power of a Ferrari, I appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the car’s sleek body and the way in which light bounces from it’s gleaming surface.

FEBRUARY 13, 2006

anthology              an    thä   l&   jE    (noun) a collection of literary pieces
Emily Dickinson is my favorite poet, so I purchased an anthology of her poems at Barnes and Noble.

FEBRUARY 14, 2006

contemporary       k&n    tem   p&     rer   E    (adj) current, modern; from the same time
Comtemporary
inventions like computers, cell phones, and microwaves have made our lives much easier.

FEBRUARY 15, 2006

dilettante              di   l&     tänt  (noun) one with an amateurish or superficial understanding of a field of knowledge
Now that Sue took one course in psychology, she thinks she’s Dr. Phil, but really she’s only a dilettante

FEBRUARY16 , 2006

eclectic                  e    klek   tik
(adjective) made tip of a variety of sources or styles
Jane’s home is decorated in an eclectic style that includes an antique Chippendale table and a modern hand-shaped chair.

FEBRUARY 17, 2006

Mural               myur   &l    (noun) a large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface
The art class bought a dozen large brushes and gallons of paint to create a mural on the wall in the cafeteria.

FEBRUARY 21, 2006  

parody                  par   &   dE    (noun) an artistic work that imitates the style of another work for comic effect
Weird Al’s parodies of popular songs make me laugh.

FEBRUARY 22, 2006

Decorous             de   k&r   &s    (adjective) proper; marked by good taste
When our social studies class went on a class trip to the county court house the boys decorous outfits included ties and dress pants.

FEBRUARY 23, 2006

equanimity            e   kw&     ni   m&   tE    (noun) the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure
The equanimity of New York City’s Mayor Giulliani during September 11 helped him deal with 
the crisis and earned him the respect of many.

FEBRUARY 24 , 2006

propriety              pr&    prI   &   tE    (noun) appropriateness of behavior
To avoid problems, only those students who were capable of propriety were allowed to attend the class trip.

FEBRUARY 27, 2006

prudent                  prü    d&nt    (adjective) exercising good judgment or common sense
It is prudent to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.

FEBRUARY 28, 2006

serene                  s&    rEn       (adjective) calm
When life becomes hectic I imagine walking along a serene trail in Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON FRIDAY, FEB 5 (Meyerberg / Francis Teaching Team)

TEST A = cordial, impinge, lament, sanction, anthology, contemporary, eclectic, parody, equanimity, propriety

TEST B = facetious, melancholy, truncated, aesthetic, anthology, dilettante, mural, parody, decorous, serene

MARCH 1 , 2006  

staid                      stAd             (adjective) unemotional; serious
Obviously no one ever told our staid teacher that learning should be fun and exciting.

 MARCH 2 , 2006  

stoic                        stO   ik          (adjective) accepting pains or hardships calmly or without complaint
                               
Although it is best to be stoic with casual acquaintances, sharing your troubles with a close friend can serve 
                                to ease your pain.

 MARCH 3 , 2006  

discredit                dis    kre   d&t        (verb) to cause to be doubted
The malicious boys started a rumor about Paul in an attempt to discredit his good reputation.

 MARCH 6 , 2006  

disparage            di    spar   ij    (verb) to speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle
   
                         Sue was insulted by her boss’s attempt to disparage her by criticizing her in front of her coworkers.

 MARCH 7, 2006  

pejorative            pi    jor   &   tiv    (adjective) describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone
                              Mark Twain was criticized for using pejorative words in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but actually 
                               his words were chosen to make the book realistic.

 MARCH 8, 2006  

plagiarism            plA   j&     ri   z&m        (noun) the act of passing off the ideas or writing of another as one's own 
                              If you do not cite your references when you write your research papers you will be accused of plagiarism.

 MARCH 9, 2006  

vilify                vi   l&     fI    (verb) to make vicious statements about
                        If you vilify someone without having proof, you may end up in court being tried for slander.

 MARCH 10, 2006  

brusque            br&sk        (adjective) rudely abrupt
                        When I asked my mother if I could go to the rock concert her answer was a brusque, “No!”

 MARCH 13, 2006  

caustic             kos   tik        (adjective) bitingly sarcastic or witty
                        Megan had a reputation for being mean because of the caustic comments she made about most people.

 MARCH 14, 2006  

feral                    fir   &l      (adjective) savage; untamed
                            The Humane Society never offers the feral cats for adoption because they are too fearful of humans.

 MARCH 15, 2006  

fractious              frak   sh&s        (adjective) quarrelsome; unruly
                            Fractious Fred sat in the principal’s office holding an ice cube over his black eye.

 MARCH 16, 2006  

incorrigible          in    kor   &   j&   b&l        (adjective) unable to be reformed
                            The phrase “terrible twos” was inspired by the incorrigible behavior of many two-year-olds who have learned 
                            to express themselves with temper tantrums.

 MARCH 17, 2006  

ingrate            in     grAt        (noun) an ungrateful person
                        Unlike the other students, who were ingrates, Mike thanked his teacher for bringing doughnuts to class for the students.

 MARCH 20, 2006  

Insolent                in   s(&   )l&nt             (adjective) insulting in manner or speech
The insolent driver ripped up the traffic ticket and threw it at the policeman.

 MARCH 21, 2006  

notorious                 nO    tOr   E   &s       (adjective) known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
   
                              Some people believe Anna Nicole Smith is a notorious gold digger.

 MARCH 22, 2006  

pugnacious            p&g    nA   sh&s      (adjective) combative; belligerent
My pugnacious pug is allows trying to attack my cat.

 MARCH 23, 2006  

reprehensible      re   pri    hen(t)   s&   b&l             (adjective) worthy of blame
The boys vandalism of the library was a reprehensible act which earned them ten days of suspension.

 MARCH 24, 2006  

Brittle                   bri   t&l             (adjective) easily broken when subjected to pressure
Women with osteoporosis must be careful not to fall because their bones are brittle.

 MARCH 27, 2006  

Deleterious            de   l&    ti   rE   &s             (adjective) having a harmful effect; injurious
The depletion of the ozone layer has made it deleterious to sunbathe.

 MARCH 28, 2006  

Enmity                    en   m&   tE        (noun) mutual hatred or ill-will
Peace is difficult in the Middle East because the different groups there have great enmity for each other.

 MARCH 29, 2006  

heinous                 hA   n&s            (adjective) hatefully evil; abominable
Even hardened criminals would think that Jeffrey Daumier’s cannabalism was heinous.

 MARCH 30, 2006  

Malfeasance          mal    fE   z&n(t)s             (noun) misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official|
Martha Stewart’s malfeasance while trading in the stock market landed her in jail.

 MARCH 31, 2006  

Malice                  ma   l&s            (noun) extreme ill will or spite
The girls acted with malice when they keyed the car of the high school’s valadictorian.

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON THURSDAY, MARCH 30 (Meyerberg / Francis Classes)

TEST A = staid, disparage, plagiarism, brusque, feral, fractious, ingrate, notorious, brittle, malfeasance

TEST B = stoic, plagiarism, vilify, caustic, feral, ingrate, notorious, pugnacious, brittle, malfeasance

APRIL 3, 2006  

putrid                  pyü   tr&d    (adjective) rotten
The liquid we mixed in chemistry class had such a putrid smell that everyone held their nose.               

APRIL 4, 2006  

rancorous                ra[ng]   k(&   )r&s    (adjective) hateful; marked by deep seated ill-will.     
The couple's rancorous marriage motivated them to seek divorce.

APRIL 5, 2006  

toxic                      täk   sik        (adjective) poisonous
Kim was warned to dispose of her batteries properly because the mercury within them is toxic to plants and humans.

APRIL 6, 2006  

archaic                  är    kA   ik    (adjective) characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned
Arranged marriages are archaic in America, although they are still common in many foreign countries.

APRIL 7, 2006  

hackneyed              hak   nEd        (adjective) worn-out through overuse; trite
To keep your writing interesting and exciting, avoid hackneyed storylines.

APRIL 18, 2006  

austere                  o    ster         (adjective) without decoration; strict
Makeup would have enhanced the austere appearance of the Amish woman.

APRIL 19, 2006  

mediocrity             mE   dE    ä   kr&   tE        (noun) the state or quality of being average, of moderate to low quality
To get into an ivy league college a student must go beyond mediocrity.

APRIL 20, 2006  

mundane              m&n    dAn    (adjective) commonplace; ordinary
Supermodels are not mundane, therefore most men rarely have a chance to date them.

APRIL 21, 2006  

ponderous              pän   d&   r&s        (adjective) extremely dull
Bob told his teacher, “I’m sorry I didn’t read my novel last night, but I fell asleep after only five minutes of reading the ponderous paragraph.”

APRIL 24, 2006  

prosaic                  prO    zA   ik        (adjective) unimaginative; dull
Since Kim was not imaginative, her prosaic picture of the sun was nothing more than a circle with lines coming out of it.

APRIL 25, 2006  

sedentary              se   d&n     ter   E        (adjective) not migratory; settled
If you are sedentary you should eat less to avoid gaining weight.

APRIL 26, 2006  

apprehension        a   pri    hen   sh&n        (noun) anxiety or fear about the future
If you didn’t  study hard in high school, you may have some apprehension about going to college.

APRIL 27, 2006  

harbinger              här   b&n   j&r        (noun) something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner
Many people didn’t notice the sudden flight of flocks of birds, which served as a harbinger for the imminent tsunami that killed thousands last year.

APRIL 28, 2006  

ominous                  ä   m&   n&s        (adjective) menacing, threatening
Many residents evacuated New Orleans when they heard the ominous forecast that Hurricane Katrina was approaching their city.

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON MONDAY, MAY 1st (Meyerberg / Francis Classes)

TEST A = putrid, toxic, hackneyed, austere, mediocrity, ponderous, sedentary, apprehension, harbinger, ominous

TEST B = putrid, rancorous, toxic, archaic, austere, mundane, prosaic, sedentary, apprehension, ominous

MAY 1, 2006  

nascent                 na   s&nt    (adjective) coming into existence; emerging
Jimmy Hendrix’s nascent,  musical ability developed after years of playing the guitar.

MAY 2, 2006  

candor                  kan   d&r    (noun) sincerity; openness
The students appreciated their teacher’s candor as she shared stories of her own struggles in high school.

MAY 3, 2006  

conflagration         kän   fl&    grA   sh&n    (noun) a widespread fire
The explosion at the New York Fireworks Company set off a conflagration that keep firefighters busy for days.

MAY 4, 2006  

sonorous              s&    nOr   &s    (adjective) producing a deep or full sound
A bullfrog is easily identified by its sonorous, late-night croaking.

MAY 5, 2006  

ample                   am   p&l    (adjective) describing a large amount of something
Bill Gates has an ample amount of money.

MAY 8, 2006  

comprehensive      com   pre    hen(t)   siv        (adjective) large in scope or content
 The English III curriculum is comprehensive, which makes it difficult to cover in only one year.

MAY 9, 2006  

copious                  kO   pE   &s       (adjective) plentiful; having a large quantity
The Pilgrims food supply was copious immediately after the fall harvest.

MAY 10, 2006  

permeated              p&r   mE     At        (adjective) spread or flowing throughout
Everyone ran from the field when the frightened skunk’s scent permeated the air.

MAY 11, 2006  

Pervasive              p&r    vA   siv    (adjective) dispersed throughout
As I walked through the forest I could see gypsy moths everywhere, and their pervasive presense eventually destroyed all the trees.

MAY 12, 2006  

prodigious            pr&    di   j&s    (adjective) enormous
Pinnochio had a prodigious nose whenever he told a lie.

MAY 15, 2006  

replete                  ri    plEt    (adjective) abundantly supplied; filled to capacity
My mother spent the entire day cooking so that our holiday table would be replete with delicious foods.

MAY 16, 2006  

laudatory             lo   d&     tOr   E    (adjective) giving praise
When the HSPA test results arrived, the teacher delightly showered her students with laudatory comments.

MAY 17, 2006  

paramount             par   &     maunt    (adjective) of chief concern or importance
After the World Trade Center disaster, airline security became paramount.

MAY 18, 2006  

venerated             ve   n&     rAt    (adjective) highly respected
It is obvious that Robert Frost is a venerated poet because he won the Pulitzer Prize four times.

MAY 19, 2006  

facile                 fa   s&l    (adjective) done or achieved with little effort; easy
My brother is so brilliant that graduating high school will be a facile task for him.

MAY 22, 2006  

fastidious              fa    sti   dE   &s    (adjective) possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please
The fastidious IRS auditor scrutinized our accounting books in search of errors.

MAY 23, 2006  

meticulous              m&    ti   ky&   l&s    (adjective) extremely careful and precise
 Only the most meticulous seamstress was allowed to sew beads on the princess’s wedding dress.

MAY 24, 2006  

pragmatic              prag    ma   tik    (adjective) practical
Being pragmatic, Vincent decided to buy the minivan instead of the Ferrari.

MAY 25, 2006  

solvent                  sol   v&nt    (adjective) able to pay one's debts
At the board meeting the chief executive officer (CEO) announced that the company was still solvent and would not be filing bankruptcy.

MAY 26, 2006  

apparatus              a   p&    ra   t&s    (noun) equipment; a group of machines
Mrs. Francis’s cart is weighted down by the apparatus she needs for her mobile intranet.

MAY 30, 2006  

paradigm              per   &     dIm    (noun) an example or model
George, an active ninety-year-old, has served as a new, hopeful paradigm for my vision of old age.

MAY 31, 2006  

phenomenon          fi       m&     nän    (noun) an unusual, observable event
The Aurora Borealis is a colorful phenomenon seen in the winter sky over Alaska.

ENGLISH III WORD OF THE DAY TEST ON FRIDAY, JUNE 2nd 
(Meyerberg / Francis Classes)

TEST A =             ample, permeated, laudatory, paramount, facile, fastidious, 
pragmatic, solvent, paradigm, phenomenon

TEST B =             copious, pervasive, venerated, facile, meticulous, pragmatic, 
solvent, apparatus, paradigm, phenomenon 

JUNE 1, 2006

rational                  ra   sh&   n&l    (adjective) logical; motivated by reason rather than feeling
On Star Trek Dr. Spock was well-know for his rational personality.

JUNE 2, 2006

theoretical             thE   &    re   ti   k&l    (adjective) lacking application or practical application
Scientists hope that their theoretical views of the universe may one day serve a useful purpose.

JUNE 5, 2006

cartographer        kär       gr&   f&r    (noun) one who designs or makes maps
Space satellites are helping modern-day cartographers map the world.

JUNE 6, 2006

vocation               vO    kA   sh&n    (noun) an occupation or profession
Since Lisa always loved animals she choose to be a vet tech as her vocation.