• Please set up your journal like this:
Word
Part of Speech
Definition
Sentence
Copious
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Cup
Copious
(KOH pee us)
Adjective (adj)
Abundant; plentiful
• Farmer Brown was overjoyed with his
copious crop of tomatoes.
• David gave copious reasons why he
should be allowed to stay home
from school.
• Professor Lang always gave long
lectures and expected his students
to take copious notes in science.
Coerce
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Horse
Coerce
(koh URS)
Verb (v)
To force someone by threatening or physically
overpowering him
• The burglar’s confession was coerced
by the police.
• Elizabeth was coerced by her sister to
take another cookie from the jar.
• It was evident from the video tape that
the hostage was coerced to lie about
the status of her condition.
Conundrum
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Nun’s
Drum
Conundrum
(kuh NUN drum)
Noun (n)
A dilemma; any problem or puzzle
• In most mystery novels, the conundrum
is solved by the end.
• Justin’s conundrum after high school
was whether he should go find a job or
go to college first.
• During the long drive, Jean invented
entertaining conundrums to help keep
Jeff awake.
Crux
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Ducks
Crux
(KRUKS)
Noun (n)
Main point; the heart of the matter
• After Harry rambled on for hours, it
was difficult to understand the crux
of his speech.
• The mechanic thought the crux of
the car’s problem was a bad water
pump.
• The crux of the plot happened just
when the suspense was unbearable.
Depravity
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Cavity
Depravity
(di PRAV ih tee)
Noun (n)
Extreme wickedness
• Ed’s mother attributed his depravity to
violent movies and video games.
• Muhammad Ali was famous in the ring
for his depravity toward opposing
boxers.
• The principal could not believe Jason
was capable of such depraved
activites.
Diatribe
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Ride
After her brother forced her to go
on the roller coaster and it almost
broke, Sally retaliated with a bitter
diatribe.
Diatribe
(DYE uh tryb)
Noun (n)
A bitter verbal attack
• Coach Johnson’s diatribe was futile
because the referee refused to reverse his
decision.
• The prosecuting attorney began his
opening statement with a diatribe
directed toward the defendant.
• After being struck by a water balloon, the
old man retaliated with a lengthy diatribe
which scared away the kids.
Dire
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Fire
Dire
(DYE ur)
Adjective (adj)
Disastrous; desperate
• The hurricane struck the Florida Keys with
dire results; all the buildings were
flattened.
• After the girls’ wallets were stolen on
vacation, they were in dire straits; they
had no money, no shelter, and not even
a quarter to call home.
• Jeff’s dire predictions about the stock
market crash unfortunately came true.
Dogmatic
• What do you think it
means?
• Link Phrase: Dog
Dogmatic
(dawg MAT ik)
Adjective (adj)
Characterized by an authoritative, often
arrogant, assertion of opinions or beliefs
• Grandpa was always dogmatic about
his views on politics.
• The tyrant was a dogmatic ruler who
would not permit anyone to disagree
with him.
• The opinions or ideas dogmatically
asserted by a dogmatic person are
known as dogma.