HOW MUCH IS A
DEARTH?
NOTE: You are responsible for knowing ALL words defined in this list as
well as the prefixes/suffixes and words defined in the boxes.
brevity. criterion • delineate • ephemeral • copious •
dearth. evanescent. paucity. prodigious. meager.
redundant. scanty
BREVITY n. shortness, briefness; conciseness ofexpression In Hamlet our class found this famous quotation: "Brevity is the soul of wit." And in Coleridge's poetry we found: "What is an Epigram? a dwarfish whole, Its body brevity and wit its soul." Coleridge and Shakespeare probably would have laughed at the same short jokes. CRITERION n. a standard usedfor making judgments pI. criteria After all the basic criteria for judging dogs have been satisfied, a judge looks for a happy, friendly dog. For pet owners, temperament is always the most important criterion for evaluating a dog. DELINEATE v. to portray accurately; outUne, describe The guidance counselor delineated the various aspects of college applications. She concentrated most on the essays, with a careful delineation of the criteria for a good essay. EPHEMERAL adj. short-lived, fleeting, transient It's good that mosquitoes, gnats, and flies have ephemeral lives. But my time in high school is beginning to seem pretty ephemeral too, and that's not so good. COPIOUS adj. superabundant; in plentiful supply Our yard has a copious supply of moles, which are awfully destructive. We're waiting for Meatloaf-the-Assassin to tum that copious number into a dearth. 83
84
SAT WORD FLASH
MIN = less, little
minuscule--very, very small
a minuscule insect
a pitiful, minuscule effort
mince-to chop very fine; to walk or talk in an affected way
mince the onions
she minced her way down the aisle
Also: minus, diminish, diminution, minority, miniature
DEARm n. scarcity or lack; paucity
Our class debated the poet Keats's comment on "the inhuman dearth of
noble natures" and disagreed with Keats. "There's no dearth of good
people," our teacher said, "but it's the other kind who make headlines."
EVANESCENT adj. fading or vanishing quickly, like vapor;
transient fl. evanescence
Ghosts are naturally evanescent, or so the story goes. I was a Halloween
trick-or-treat ghost years ago, but a guy under a sheet isn't nearly as
evanescent as he'd like to be.
PAUCrrY n. lack or scarcity of number or amount
The word paucity is rarely used, except on SATs or PSATs. I often read
about the "lack of' something or that "only a few exist," but for
standardized tests, paucity lives on. Sigh.
MAGN '" great, large
magnanimo~generous9' forgiving;
big-spirited
a magnanimous gesture
the magnanimous nature of his soul
magnate--someone ofpower, rank, or irffluence
an oil magnate
the current banking magnate
Also: magnify, magnificent, magnitude, magnanimity
HOW MUCH IS A DEARTH?
85 PRODIGIOUS adj. inspiring awe,. enormous in size or capacity
Dinosaurs were creatures of prodigious size and exotic appearance, two
qualities that fascinate. Children especially have a prodigious appetite
for facts about dinosaurs.
MEAGER adj. lacking in quality or quantity; scanty, skimpy,
spare, sparse also, meagre
I have used meager to describe tons of things. For instance: a narrow
house on a meager lot; an old woman, meager of frame and stooped; he
made only a meager effort; and why did you give me such a meager
amount of spaghetti when I'm starving?
REDUNDANT adj. extra and unnecessary; superfluous;
unneeded n. redundancy
Redundancies are tautological expressions that drive editors nuts. For
example, "young kitten" and "young foal" are redundant because kitten
and foal refer only to animals that are young. Also, "ftrst and foremost" is
a redundant expression.
SCANTY adj. briefor short; lacking desired amount or size;
meager
I thought I liked scanty swimsuits until I saw my girlfriend in the
scantiest bikini on earth. I instantly became Mister Jealous Boyfriend and
said she couldn't wear that scanty excuse for a suit where anyone else
could see her.
MIMORYFIX
To learn these new words, write each one on a sheet of paper. Also write
a synonym or definition for each and say the words aloud as you work.
FILL IN THI BLANKS
From the new words in this chapter, select the one that best completes
the meaning and logic of each sentence. Use the correct form of the
word.
1. In order to choose a winner fairly, all contestants must be judged
on the same _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. Please _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ which topiCS to cover in this essay.
HOW MUCH IS A DEARTH?
WORDS IN CONTEXT
Write the meaning of each italicized word on the lines provided.
1. certainly the most important criterion for acceptance
2. wealthy oil magnate from the Middle East
3. the evanescent fragrance of perfume
4. a list of copiOUS complaints
5. only a minuscule amount of whipped cream
6. shouldn't mince words with her
7. enjoyed the depth and brevity of his talk
8. King Arthur's legendary magnanimous nature
9. numerous redundant sentences to be cut
10. renovation demanded a prodigious amount of energy
87 88
SAT WORD FLASH ~
MATCHING ANTONYMS
In the column on the right, find two antonyms for each word at the left.
1. ephemeral
2. copious copious
scanty
meager
tiny
3. scanty
4. dearth 5. prodigious
abundant
superabundance
plentiful amount
endUring
minuscule
long-lived
Answers for this chapter begin on page 203.