Vocabulary Quiz #3
Spell the vocabulary words and provide parts of speech and brief definitions for each word.
noun
: radiant splendor : brilliance
Example sentence:
Though autumn's effulgence has passed in the north, down south the Chinese
tallow trees have just begun a respectable display of their own.
adjective
: used for or useful in healing wounds
Example sentence:
Native Americans prized the herb echinacea for its vulnerary properties, using
it to treat burns and snakebite as well as arrow wounds.
noun
1 : an ancient Roman gold coin introduced by Constantine and used to
the fall of the Byzantine Empire
*2 : a mark / used typically to denote "or" (as in and/or), "and or"
(as in straggler/deserter), or "per" (as in feet/second)
Example sentence:
In her latest thriller, the author manipulates her readers into believing
there are two killers until the final page, where she connects their two names
with a solidus.
noun
: knickknack, trinket
Example sentence:
Upon returning home from his trip to Maine, Jerry ceremoniously placed his new
ceramic lobster next to the other tchotchkes on his mantelpiece.
verb
: to goad or urge forward : provoke, incite
Example sentence:
It was believed that much of the public backlash against the mayor was
instigated by his political rival, who published a smear attack in the local
newspaper.
adjective
: lacking proper respect or seriousness
Example sentence:
The young attorney reddened when she realized the reply she'd just given the
frowning judge bordered on flippant.
noun
: lack of knowledge or awareness : ignorance
Example sentence:
As the conversation among the group turned to movies, Rob feared that his
silence might betray his nescience toward all things related to the cinema.
noun
1 : final settlement (as of a debt)
2 : removal from activity; especially : death
*3 : something that quiets or represses
Example sentence:
"The constant rain and the cold have combined to put a quietus on outdoor
activities." (Glenn Tucker, quoted in the Bangor Daily News [Maine],
Oct. 10, 2005)
LAY-mee-uh\ • noun
: a female demon : vampire
Example sentence:
In his latest horror flick, a seductive lamia revengefully preys upon the
young men of a suburban town, who, it turns out, were responsible for her
brutal death.
\dih-TRYE-tus\ • noun
1 : loose material (as rock fragments or organic particles) that
results directly from disintegration
2 a : a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away :
debris *b : miscellaneous remnants : odds and ends
Example sentence:
"The blog originated . . . as a catch basin for mental detritus, for the kind
of stuff not good enough for print, but too good to waste on casual
conversation." (Joel Achenbach, The Washington Post, August 21, 2005)
\ub-SEE-kwee-uss\ • adjective
: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
Example sentence:
The movie star traveled with an entourage of obsequious attendants who
indulged her every whim and waited on her hand and foot.
noun
1 : exercise or practicing of an art, science, or skill
2 : customary practice or conduct
*3 : practical application of a theory
Example sentence:
Working in a law office allowed Anne to see firsthand the praxis of the ideas
she learned in her classes.
noun
: the director of a choir or orchestra
Example sentence:
Reverend Clayton was desperate—the Christmas season was approaching and he
still hadn't found a new kappellmeister.
adverb
: perhaps
Example sentence:
"We are just wondering and looking and mayhap seeing what we never perceived
before." (James Robinson, A Treasury of Science)
verb
1 : to move in a stealthy or furtive manner
2 *a : to hide or conceal something (as
oneself) often out of cowardice or fear or with sinister intent b
chiefly British : malinger
Example sentence:
During the thunderstorm, we realized that we hadn't seen our dog in a while;
when we searched, we found her skulking under the bed.
noun
1 : a locking pin inserted crosswise (as through the end of an axle or
shaft)
*2 : one that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or
function as a unit
Example sentence:
Jane's canceled check was the linchpin of the case against her, because it
proved that she did know about the sale of Aunt Jessie's vase.
adjective
: useful
Example sentence:
Shaker crafts are simple, meticulously constructed, pleasing to the eye, and
eminently utile, all at the same time.
adjective
: of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison
Example sentence:
When James first glimpsed his new campus, he thought there was something
rather carceral about the school's tall wrought-iron fence.
adverb
: from the beginning
Example sentence:
"Would you live your life differently if you could start again ab ovo?" Rachel
asked.
adverb
: from the beginning
Example sentence:
"Would you live your life differently if you could start again ab ovo?" Rachel
asked.
noun
*1 : use of the wrong word for the context
2 : use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech
Example sentence:
The paper printed a correction for the previous day's catachresis: dubbing a
local artist-philanthropist a "socialist" when they meant "socialite."
noun
: a person of a weak or sickly constitution; especially :
one whose chief concern is being or becoming a chronic invalid
Example sentence:
Will complained constantly of his aches, pains, and sniffles; he was a
terrible valetudinarian.
noun
: vigorous spirit or enthusiasm
Example sentence:
With all the requisite élan, our guest blessed the food, toasted the cook,
carved the roast turkey, served it around, and ate multiple helpings of
everything.
adjective
*1 : resembling or characteristic of a wag
2 : done or made in waggery or for sport : humorous
Example sentence:
Lisa listens to the same waggish DJ every morning, never tiring of his prank
phone calls and irreverent impressions of local politicians.
noun
: a sentence or phrase that can be interpreted in more than one wayExample sentence:
Not wanting to voice what I really felt, I resorted to amphibology and said, "I can't say too many good things about her."