Word of the Week2010-2011

Week of June 13verbose (adj) – wordy

Teachers appreciate concise responses over those that are verbose.

Word origin: Latin

Week of June 6urban (adj) – of, pertaining to, or like a

city

Many people who live in urban areas usually take public modes of transportation since they do not have cars.

Word origin: Latin

Week of May 31temperate (adj) – mild; avoiding

extremes

You can travel to California at any time of the year because it has such a temperate climate, never getting too hot or too cold.

Word origin: Latin

Week of May 23skeptical (adj) – having doubt

Sally often exaggerates, so I was skeptical that her story was completely true.

Word origin: Greek

Week of May 16raucous (adj) – harsh-sounding

The cafeteria was a raucous place at lunch time.

Word origin: Latin

Week of May 9quarrel (n) – an angry dispute or

altercation

Joe and his dad often quarrel about his curfew.

Word origin: Latin

Week of May 2plethora (n) – over abundance;

excess

Choosing from the plethora of restaurants in New York City was almost impossible for Sally.

Word origin: Greek

Week of April 25orator (n) – One who delivers an elaborate or formal speech

The elected politician was a great orator who knew how to talk to the community.

Word origin: Latin

Week of April 11noxious (adj) – hurtful

The residents had to evacuate the building because the heating vents were expelling noxious fumes.

Word origin: Latin

Week of April 4meander (v) – to wander aimlessly

Many students meander through the hallways when they should be walking directly to their next class.

Word origin: Greek

Week of March 28lenient (adj) – agreeably tolerant;

permissive; not harsh

Despite the seriousness of Bob’s action, his punishment of extra chores was lenient.

Word origin: Latin

Week of March 21knavery (n) – a deceitful or dishonest

act; trickery

Involved in all sorts of knavery as a boy, Uncle Jack has reformed his ways and become an upstanding citizen.

Word origin: German

Week of March 14juncture (n) – an articulation, joint,

or seam

The pipes had cracked right at the pipeline juncture, flooding the streets.

Word origin: Latin

Week of March 7inept (adj) – clumsy, awkward; foolish, nonsensical

Joe was so inept in the garden that he dug up all of the roses.

Word origin: Latin

Week of February 28hydraulic (adj) – operated by the movement and force of liquid

Word origin: Greek

Week of February 22gravity (n) – seriousness, as of a situation

The students did not realize the gravity of pulling the fire alarm until they were in the principal’s office.

Word origin: Latin

Week of February 14fallacious (adj) – containing or involving a fallacy; false

The statement that seniors only need to

go to school on block days is fallacious.

Word origin: Latin

Week of February 7evoke (v) – to call or summon forth

At this time of the year many stores display

hearts, cupids, and flowers in hopes to evoke the feeling of love.

Word origin: Latin

Week of January 31discrepancy (n) – disagreement; inconsistency There was a discrepancy between the

amount of money I gave Tara and the amount she said she received.

Word origin: Latin

Week of January 24clamor (n) – a loud uproar, as from a crowd of

people The clamor of children playing outside made

it impossible for me to study.

Word origin: Latin

Week of January 18blasé (adj) – indifferent to or bored with life;

unimpressed, as or as if from an excess of worldly pleasures

Einstein was blasé about his early discoveries; he

was interested in new concepts.

Word origin: French

Week of January 10altercation (n) – a dispute or fight

The siblings’ public altercation was an

embarrassment to their parents.

Word origin: Latin

Week of January 3zest (n) – spirited enjoyment; gusto

Chuck’s zest for life was evident in his

active lifestyle.

Word origin: French

Week of December 6xylograph (n) – an engraving on wood

The picture below shows an example of a man carving a xylograph.

Word origin: Greek

Week of November 29waive (v) – to relinquish or give up as a

right or a claim

In order to take your quiz open-note, you had to waive your right to a retest.

Word origin: French

Week of November 15vociferous (adj) – overly vocal

The Phillies fans were vociferous in expressing their disappointment about the results of the playoffs.

Word origin: Latin

Week of November 8upheaval (n) – overthrow or violent

disturbance of established order or condition.

The change in the schedule caused upheaval for all of the students.

Word origin: German

Week of November 1taper (v) – to narrow or decrease in size or intensity

Jude’s enthusiasm for Math began to taper after he received the results of his first test.

Word origin: Greek

Week of October 25superficial (adj) – shallow, on the surface

My friend seems very superficial when all she cares about is how she looks.

Word origin: Latin

Week of October 18rectify (v) – to correct

The bank was sorry for the discrepancy in the account and planned to rectify the problem tomorrow.

Word origin: Latin

Week of October 11quandary (adj) – a state of uncertainty;

dilemma

Joe was in a quandary. Should he do his homework or play X-box?

Word origin: Latin

Week of October 4plausible (adj) – believable

Sue’s excuse that her dog ate her homework was not plausible, especially since she does not have a dog.

Word origin: Latin

Week of September 27overture (n) – an introduction; prologue

The popular melodies of Puccini’s opera can be heard in the overture at the beginning of the performance.

Word origin: Latin

Week of September 20novice(n) – a person new to a field or

activity; a beginner

If you are a computer novice, Mrs. Furman will be happy to help you.

Word origin: Latin

Week of September 13modest (adj) – not extravagant or showy

The king’s summer home was modest in comparison to his castle.

Word origin: Latin