Words for: October November December January
RETURN TO SMARTSPARKS.NET HOME MRS. FRANCIS' SHORT STORIES for vocabulary review
| lament | - |
| to feel or express deep sorrow; to mourn (verb) | |
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The widow lamented at the funeral of her beloved husband. |
| admonish | - |
| to advise. caution. to reprove mildly (verb) | |
|
The teacher admonished
Tom for being late to class; |
| sentinel | - |
| person or animal that guards (noun) | |
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The pit bull was the perfect sentinel to guard his master's house. |
| fervent | - |
| having or showing great warmth or feeling (adjective) | |
| Mr. Smith was named teacher of the year, in part, because of his fervent instructional techniques. |
| rancor | - |
| ill will. a continuing bitter hate (noun) | |
| Unfortunately, the rancor between various groups in t he Middle East fuels war in the region. |
| grievous | - |
| causing sorrow; hard to bear (adjective) | |
| The serial killer left a grievous trail of victims in his wake. |
| rapture | - |
| joy; great pleasure (noun) | |
| The graduates tossed their caps high into the air when they were filled with rapture during the graduation ceremony. |
| blithe | - |
| cheerful (adjective) | |
| Stephanie's blithe personality motivated many students to vote f or her to be the student council president. |
| bide | - |
| to wait or stay for (verb) | |
| Although many students bide their time till graduation, others participate in school activities that will become memories of their "glory days" in high school. |
| reparation | - |
| something making up for an injury or wrong (noun) | |
| Fred hoped that giving his girlfriend a dozen red roses would serve as reparation for standing her up last weekend. |
| solace | - |
| comfort. relief (noun) | |
| The cool mist that sprayed from hoses along the race route offered solace to the runners as they neared the finish line. |
| purge | - |
| to purify. cleanse (verb) | |
| The chiropractor urged his patient to fast for two days in order to purge his system of the toxins from processed foods with artificial ingredients. |
| writhing | - |
| making twisting or turning motions (adjectives) | |
| When Jennifer saw the writhing movements of her horse in the paddock, she suspected colic and called the vet immediately. |
| loathsome | - |
| disgusting (adjective) | |
| Fear Factor gained infamy among the American television-viewing public for the loathsome requirement that show contestants eat hissing cockroaches. |
| solicitous | - |
| showing care or concern (adjective) | |
| The nurse was named employee of the month because of the solicitous behavior she exhibited towards her patients. |
| garnished | - |
| decorated trim (adjective) | |
| The garnished cake was decorated with real rose petals. |
| sanguine | - |
| confident; cheerful (adjective) | |
| The human resources director said that the job candidate was hired because of his sanguine personality. |
| prevarication | - |
| an evasion of the truth (noun) | |
| The judge summoned the corporate owner to court because of his prevarication in the investigation of corruption at his company headquarters. |
| pilgrimage | - |
|
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(noun) a journey made to a holy place |
| The Canterbury Tales were stories told by Englishmen who were on a pilgrimage from Tabard Inn in Southwerk to Canterbury Cathedral. |
October 4
| wanton | - |
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(adj) jolly; playful |
| The wanton puppy was delighted as it shook the down pillow in its mouth, sending feathers flying everywhere. |
October 5
| absolution | - |
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(noun) the act of freeing someone of a sin or of a criminal charge |
| The wanton puppy's master gave the dog absolution instead of punishment-- after all, the dog is mans best friend! |
October 6
| tithe | - |
|
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(noun) one tenth of a person's income, paid as a tax to support the church |
| The spiritual woman arranged for a tithe of each of her paychecks to be deposited directly into her church's savings account. |
October 10
| timorous | - |
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(adj) timid, full of fear |
| The timorous lion ran away from the mouse. |
October 11
| derision | - |
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(noun) contempt or ridicule |
| Mr. Rhode's students never offered answers to his questions because their teacher had a reputation for flinging derisions at students who answered incorrectly. |
October 12
| stringent | - |
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(adj) strict. severe |
| The high school's classrooms were filled with students because of the new stringent attendance rules instituted by the board of education. |
October 13
| pallor | - |
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(noun) unnatural lack of color; paleness |
| When Katie began her class presentation, all her classmates knew she was nervous by the pallor of her face and the shaking of her knees. |
October 16
| hoary | - |
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(adj) white or gray with age |
| Although George's hair became hoary by his nineteenth birthday, he refused to color it |
October 17
| apothecary | - |
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(noun) a pharmacist or druggist |
| In "The Pardoner's Tale", an apothecary sells poison to a young man. |
October 18
| avarice | - |
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(noun) greed, a desire to gain wealth |
| Avarice is the downfall of most people who cast aside friends, family, and honor to obtain wealth. |
October 19
| yokel | - |
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(noun) unsophisticated people living in a rural area |
| "Can you believe that yokel from the backwoods has never seen a computer?" Cathy questioned rhetorically. |
October 20
| castigate | - |
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(verb) to punish severely |
| If the principal catches you at Manhattan Bagel during school hours you will be castigated with Saturday detention. |
October 23
| tarry | - |
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(verb) to delay or linger |
| "Don't tarry in the halls or you'll be late for your next class," Mrs. Francis warned as the bell rang and students began filing out the door. |
October 24
| dais | - |
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(noun) a raised platform |
| The soapbox politician stood on his dais in Times Square talking about the economy. |
October 25
| deign | - |
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(verb) condescend, to lower oneself |
| The materialistic woman did not deign to purchase a pocketbook that lacked a designer label. |
October 26
| wan | - |
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(adj) sickly; pale |
| Because of Mike's wan appearance, Mrs. Jones knew immediately that she needed to send him to the nurse. |
October 27
| kirtle | - |
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(noun) a skirt from the Elizabethan time period |
| Mary sewed herself a green velvet kirtle to wear to the Renaissance Festival. |
October 30
| sullen | - |
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(adj) gloomy; dismal |
| Rick was sullen when he came down with measles and could not attend the concert. |
October 31
| impediments | - |
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(noun) obstacles |
| If you do not work hard to improve, having poor reading skills can be an impediment to getting a college degree. |
| belied | - |
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(adjective) misrepresented or disguised |
| The billionaire's shabby clothes belied his wealth. |
November 2
| valor | - |
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(noun) bravery |
| Macbeth's valor in battle earned him the title Thane of Cawder. |
November 3
| treason | - |
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(noun) betrayal of one's country or oath of loyalty |
| After he sold top-secret documents to the enemy, the spy was executed for treason. |
November 6
| imperial | - |
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(adjective) having supreme authority |
| The King Henry VIIII's imperial command stated that the Queen would be beheaded at sunrise. |
November 7
| liege | - |
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(noun) a lord or king |
| The peasant bowed low and said, "My liege, your wish is my command." |
November 8
| sovereign | - |
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(adjective) supreme in power, rank, or authority |
| Rome was a sovereign empire thousands of years ago. |
November 13
| minion | - |
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(noun) a favorite, or one who is a servile follower |
| The rock star laughed heartily at the minions who were at his beck and call after the concert. |
November 14
| wrack | - |
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(noun) destruction, ruin |
| A desire to party is often the wrack of many college students' education. |
November 15
| harbinger | - |
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one who announces another's approach |
| Falling leaves are a harbinger of autumn. |
November 16
| remorse | - |
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(noun) compassion, torturing sense of guilt |
| The hardened criminal was sentenced to life in prison because he showed no remorse for his crimes. |
November 17
| mettle | - |
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(noun) spirit, courage |
| Do you think you would have the mettle to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat? |
November 20
| augment | - |
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(verb) to make greater, enlarge |
| Although steroids may augment muscle growth, these drugs are very dangerous. |
November 21
| palpable | - |
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(adjective) capable of being touched or felt |
| Mark discovered the tumor when it became palpable. |
November 22
| stealth | - |
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(noun) a secret or furtive action (also can be used as an adjective) |
| The special forces are known for their stealth. |
November 27
| multitudinous | - |
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(adjective) existing in great numbers |
| The multitudinous populations of the world are putting a drain on our ego-systems. |
November 28
| equivocate | - |
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(verb) to use terms that have two or more meanings to deceive |
| It is difficult to choose a candidate on election day because most politicians equivocate during their campaign speeches. |
November 29
| predominance | - |
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(noun) superiority ; being most frequent or common |
| The predominance of mankind has caused a decline in many animal species. |
November 30
| husbandry | - |
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(noun) careful, thrifty management |
| Animal husbandry helps farmers efficiently raise cattle. |
| parley | - |
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(noun) a war conference to settle a dispute |
| King Author called all the warring nations to a parley in order to end the fighting. |
December 4
| dauntless | - |
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(adj) fearless; cannot be intimidated |
| Beowulf was a dauntless warrior who never turned away from the dragon. |
December 5
| jocund | - |
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(adj) cheerful, jovial |
| All the students liked the jocund principle who never seemed to get upset. |
December 6
| malevolence | - |
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(noun) ill will; spitefulness |
| The serial killer was motivated by malevolence. |
December 7
| malice | - |
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(noun) ill will; desire to hurt another |
| The serial killer was motivated by malice. |
December 8
| pernicious | - |
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(adj) fatal, deadly |
| The King Cobra has a pernicious bite. |
December 11
| judicious | - |
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(adj) showing good judgment |
| Susan made the judicious decision to deposit ten percent of each paycheck into a tax-free retirement account. |
December 12
| sundry | - |
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(adj) various; miscellaneous |
| The mercenary had sundry weapons so that he would be prepared for any battle situation. |
December 13
| credulous | - |
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(adj) tending to believe too readily |
| The taxi driver took the credulous tourist on an expensive ride around town, even though the stranger's destination was around the corner. |
December 14
| pristine | - |
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(adj) original; unspoiled |
| Our street is pristine after a fresh fallen snow. |
December 15
| clamorous | - |
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(adj) noisy |
| The clamorous sounds of students in the lunchroom give me a headache. |
December 18
| coyness | - |
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(noun) shyness; aloofness, often as part of a flirtation |
| Despite Sue's coyness, Bill could see she liked him by the blush in her cheeks and the subtle smile on her face. |
December 19
| amorous | - |
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(adj) full of love or desire |
| Bill had no interest in responding to Sue's amorous advances because he already had a wonderful girlfriend. |
December 20
| prime | - |
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(noun) best stage of a thing or process |
| George was at his prime after six months of training for the New York Marathon. |
December 21
| transgress | - |
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(verb) to violate a law or command |
| Tim transgressed the speed limit and was stopped by a police officer while driving ninety miles per hour on the Garden State Parkway. |
December 22
| guile | - |
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(noun) artful trickery |
| With a forged PBA card pulled from his wallet, Tim used his guile to persuade the police office to skip the ticket. |
| obdurate | - |
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(adjective) stubborn |
| The obdurate mule refused to move forward on the trail. |
January 3
| discretion | - |
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(noun) care in what one does and says |
| Teachers must use discretion in the classroom when deciding how to manage unruly students. |
January 4
| aspire | - |
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(verb) to have high ambitions, to yearn or seek after |
| Kim took many math and science courses in high school because she aspired to be in a doctor. |
January 5
| phantasm | - |
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(noun) supernatural form or shape; ghost |
| Jake ran from the haunt house when he saw the pale, white phantasm floating towards him. |
January 8
| appendage | - |
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(noun) something added on |
| The mutant zebra had a strange appendage that appeared to be a fifth leg growing from its belly. |
January 9
| recompense | - |
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(noun) payment in return for something |
| Tom earned a hefty recompense for all the extra hours he spent on sales calls. |
January 10
| sordid | - |
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(adjective) dirty, filthy |
| In order to hide his sordid past, Roger moved to a new town where no one knew him. |
January 11
| stagnant | - |
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(adjective) motionless; foul |
| Our neighbors complained about the green, stagnant water collecting at the low spot of our back yard. |
January 12
| calumny | - |
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(noun) a false or malicious statement |
| In an effort to win the election, the ruthless politician spread a calumny about his opponent. |
March 1
| pestilence | - |
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(noun) a plague; an epidemic disease |
| When the Bubonic Plaque sprung up in Europe, the pestilence killed a multitude of people. |
March 2
| induced | - |
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(verb) persuaded; caused; to bring on |
| When Craig's father offered to give him a Ferrari as a graduation present, the teenager was induced to spend more time studying. |
March 5
| dispatch | - |
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(verb) to kill; send off to a destination |
| The firefighters were dispatched to the conflagration as soon as the general alarm sounded. |
March 6
| invoke | - |
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(verb) to summon; to cause to appear |
| Cindy, a budding writer, sat motionless by her keyboard as she waited for her muse to invoke her creativity. |
March 7
| prophecy | - |
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(noun) a prediction of the future |
| The three witches' prophecy lead Macbeth to kill King Duncan and still the throne. |
March 8
| countenance | - |
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(noun) the look on a person's face; an expression |
| As soon as George walked through the door, his countenance indicated he had had a bad day. |
March 9
| malignant | - |
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(adjective) very harmful; ill will |
| Theresa was devastated when she learned that her tumor was malignant. |
March 12
| lamentation | - |
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(noun) an expression of deep sorrow |
| The lamentations of the mothers waving farewell to their sons made Christopher long for an end to the war. |
March 13
| expiation | - |
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(noun) the act of making amends for wrongdoing. |
| The boy was told to paint the side of the building as expiation for vandalizing it with graffiti. |
March 14
| despotic | - |
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(adjective) tyrannical; absolute |
| The despotic ruler was overthrown when his people revolted. |
March 15
| hubris | - |
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(noun) arrogance caused by too much pride |
| ? |
March 16
| infamous | - |
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(adjective) disgraceful; having a bad reputation |
| ? |
March 19
| reverence | - |
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(verb) to show great respect |
| ? |
March 20
| allegory | - |
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(noun) a story in which people, things, and events have symbolic meaning |
| ? |
March 21
| flounder | - |
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(verb) to struggle to speak; to move or act in a confused manner |
| ? |
March 22
| tremulous | - |
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(adjective) quivering; shaking |
| ? |
March 23
| zeal | - |
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(noun) intense enthusiasm; ardor; fervor |
| ? |
March 26
| putrid | - |
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(adjective) stinking, foul smelling |
| ? |
March 27
| despicable | - |
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(adjective) deserving scorn or to be despised |
| ? |
March 28
| scorn | - |
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(verb) to reject or have contempt for |
| ? |
March 29
| reprimand | - |
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(verb) to chastise or blame |
| ? |
March 30
| incontinence | - |
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(noun) lack of self-restraint |
| ? |