Lesson 2
11 . adjourn -
11 . ad-journ
Ia.
20. agile
verb
d-jurn'
from ad (Latin). " to" + diumum (Late Latin). "day")
Definition:
a . To close formally.
Congress is scheduled to adjourn in two days , but pressing busin ess will probably delay its closing for at least a week.
b . To put off to another time; to move to another place.
"This m eetin g is adjourned until ten o'clock tomorrow morning,"
the ch airwoman declared, rapping her gavel smartly on the table.
In view of clear community prejudice against the defendant, the
judge adjourned the trial to another county.
After dinner we adjourned to the living room for a quiet ch at.
Related Form: (noun) adjournment
Synonyms: (verbs) conclude, terminate; defer (Word 118), postpone; suspend: transfer
12. ad-verse
adjective
ad'-vurs
or
ad-vlirs'
lad (Latin). "to: against" + vertere, versus [Latin), " turn" ]
Definition: Hostile in purpose or effect; unfavorable .
Although the novel received much adverse criticism in the press, it became a national best-seller.
Related Forms: (adverb) adversely; (nouns) adversary. a dversity
Usage Note:
Do not confuse adverse with the related a djective averse, meaning "opposed" or "disinclined." Adverse (with the d) is used of things to indicate
that they have gone contrary to a person's wishes. Averse (without the
d) , on the other hand, indicates opposition on the part of the person
himself or herself. Note the following pair of sentences:
The Supreme Court handed down an adverse decision on censorship.
The Supreme Court showed itself averse to censorship laws.
Synonyms: (adjectives) unfavorable, unfrtendly, negative, antagonistic,
antipathetic, inimical
Antonyms: (adjectives) favorable, friendly, propitious
38
13. ad-vo-cate
verb: ad'-v;:)-kat
noun: ad'-v;:)-kit
lad (Latin). "to" + vocare, vocatus (Latin). "call"]
Definition:
a. (verb) To speak or argue in favor of; to give active public support to.
In his 1V address to the nation, the president advocated a series of
measures that he believed would stimulate the economy.
b . (noun) A person who pleads in the interest of a cause or individual.
I have become her advocate because I honestly believe in her
ideas.
Related Form:
(noun) advocacy
Synonyms: (verbs) champion, support, espouse, uphold , recommend;
(nouns) proponent, backer, defender, spokesman
(verbs) denounce, condemn, oppose, attack; (nouns) critic,
opponent, adversary, antagonist
Antonyms:
Actors take a break while filming The Devil's Disciple, a 1959 Hollywood
adaptation of the 1897 play by George Bernard Shaw (inset) about the
advocates and opponents of the American Revolution.
Devil's Advocate
In the Roman Catholic procedure of canonization, by which a person Is
elevated to sainthood, arguments are heard pro and con regarding the proposed measure. A church official is selected to pick flaws in the record or
character of the candidate-to present arguments against the canonization. This official is given the title advocatus diaboli, "devil's advocate." The
idea is that any candidate who can survive the onslaughts of a skilled
devil's advocate probably does have authentic credentials for sainthood.
The expression has been widened to embrace anyone who expresses the
opposition point of view as a means of arriving at the truth, even though,
in fact. he may not be in disagreement with his opponent. Thus one might
say: "I am not necessarily in disagreement with your plan, but I am going
to serve as a devil's advocate and point out its possible flaws."
39
14. aes-thet-ic
adjective
es-thet'-ik
[aisthetikos (Greek). "perceptible to the senses")
Definition: Pertaining to a sense of beauty; artistic.
Though the picture did not have much aesthetic appeal, it had considerable commercial value.
In 1756 the English philosopher Edmund Burke wrote an influential
book on aesthetic theory.
Related Forms: (adverb) aesthetically; (nouns) aesthete, aesthetics
Usage Notes:
a. Aesthetic is sometimes spelled esthetic. Do not confuse the word
with ascetic.
b. An aesthete is a person who is sensitive to, or has a love of, the
beautiful in art or nature. However, the term is often used with an
unfavorable tone to indicate someone who makes overmuch of his
or her sensitivity to beauty.
c. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with theories and principles of beauty in art and literature.
15.
af-fa-ble
adjective
[ad (Latin), "to" + fari (Latin), "speak" + abilis, abile (Latin), "able to")
Definition: Courteous and agreeable in manner; easy to talk to or approach.
It's fun to spend an hour or two chatting with my next-door neighbor
because she is one of the most affable people I know.
Related Forms:
(adverb) affably; (nouns) affableness, affability
Synonyms: (adjectives) sociable, genial, amiable, friendly, good-natured
Antonyms: (adjectives) unsociable, surly, testy, ill-tempered
16. af-fec-ta-tion
noun
af-ek-ta'-shdn
(affectare, affectatus (Latin), "strive after")
Definition: A pretentious display of manners or sentiments that are not
genuine; a peculiar habit of dress or behavior that has been adopted to
impress others.
Beneath his affectation of elegance and refmement, I could easily
recognize the crude and awkward youth I had known years before.
Related Forms:
(adjective) affected: (verb) affect
Phrases: an affected style of speaking; to affect an air of sophistication
Synonyms:
(nouns) pose, pretense; mannerism
Related Phrase: to put on airs
40
17. af-flu-ent
adjective
af'-loo-;mt
[ad (Latin). " to"+ jluens.jluentis (Latin) . "flowing: fromjluere (Latin . · n ow"!
Definition: Pros perous . wealthy.
A good friend of mine is con stantly borrowing money from his more
affluent relatives.
The German writer Thomas Mann's novel Buddenbroolcs details the lives
of gen erations of affluent Hamburg merchants.
Related Forms: (noun) affluen ce; (adverb) affluently
Synonyms: (adjectives) flourishing. well-to-do, opulent
Antonyms: (adjectives) indigent (Word 237) , destitute. penniless. poverty-
stricken
Related Phrases:
living high off the hog -This phrase of rural American origin s uggests
that a person is in good circumstances because he or she is eating
the more desirable cuts of meat from a slaughtered hog.
as rich as Croesus -This phrase goes back to Croesus, king of Lydia,
an ancient country in wes tern Turkey. Croesus h a d a reputa tion
among the Greeks for being extremely rich , and he became the personification of limitless wealth.
to serve Mammon - The word mammon means "riches" in Aramaic. an
ancient Semitic language rela ted to Hebrew. Among the Hebrews of
biblical times. mammon was personified as the god Mammon, who
represented not merely wealth but materialism and an excessive
concern with acquiring riches.
well-heeled - In the old days only wealthy people could a fford s hoes
with heels on th em. Since they were wealthy. they could also afford
to keep those heels in good condition . Hence. to be well-h eeled came
to mean "to be wealthy or affluent." The opposite is down-at-heel.
meaning "poor" because run-down heels were a s ign of poverty. As
Shakespeare says in King Lear: "A good man's fortune may grow ou t
at heel."
A depiction of
Croesus (top right)
displaying his
wealth to the Greek
philosopher Solon .
Solon admonish ed
Croesus by
pointing ou t tl1at
h appiness was
based on good
fortune, not
great wealth.
41
noun
18. a-gen-da
[agere (Latin) .
"do")
Definition: A list or program of things to be done or acted upon.
"Have you any idea what is on the agenda for today's meeting?" s he
asked.
Poland had top priority on Adolf Hitler's agenda of military conquest in
the fall of 1939.
Usage Note:
Agenda was originally a Latin plural noun meaning "things to b e done"
(singular, agendum). However, it is generally treated in English today as
a collective noun taking a singular verb, as in the following example:
The agenda includes the question of raising money for the dance.
On the other hand, it is certainly not wrong-although it may seem a bit
pedantic-to treat agenda as a plural form. In that case. the Latin singular form agendum may be used to indicate one particular item among
several included in the agenda.
Synonyms: (nouns) schedule. docket
Usage Note:
A docket is literally a list of cases awaiting action in a court of law, but
the word is often used figuratively of any list of things to be done.
"Winter Carnival is the next item on today's docket," the h ead of the
planning committee announced.
19. ag-gre-gate
[ad (Latin),
"to" + grex,
noun and adjective: ag' -r;:)-git
verb: ag'-r;:)-gat
gregis (Latin).
"herd")
Definition:
a . (noun) The total amount or sum total of th e individual parts.
The United Nations is no more than a loose aggregate of nations.
each of which retains full sovereignty.
b . (verb) To gather or merge into a single whole; to amount to.
The merger of the two great banks aggregated working capital
totaling several trillion dollars.
c. (adjective) Total, collective.
The aggregate effect of misguided monetary policies is usually
financial chaos.
Related Form: (noun) aggregation
Usage Note:
Perhaps the widest current use of aggregate as a noun occurs in the
prepositional phrase in the aggregate, meaning "collectively."
Synonyms: (nouns) mass, assemblage, amalgamation, conglomeration.
cluster ; (verbs) amalgamate. consolidate; (adjectives) net, composite
42
20. ag-ile
adjective
aj'-di
(agilis (Latin). "busy; active.· from agere (Latin ). "do")
Definition: Swift and ligh t in action. movement. or thoug ht.
Despite his sixty-odd years. the circus clown was as energetic and agile
as a ny of the younger members of the troupe.
It certainly takes a very agile mind to do some kinds of crossword
puzzles.
Related Form: (noun) agility
Synonyms: (adjectives) nimble, limber, alert. brisk, s upple , lithe, spry
Antonyms: (adjectives) torpid, s luggish, lethargic: awkward. clumsy
Related Phrases: to limber up one's muscles. to look chipper
Usage Note:
Some dis tinctions should be drawn among the synonyms listed above:
alert r efers to quickness of mind: brisk s uggests liveliness: s upple
mean s '" pliant'" or '" bending and twisting easily'": and spry indicates agility des pite age or infirmity.
Using the Words
Exercise I. Parts of Speech
Indicate the part of speech of each of the following words. Two
answers are possible in one instance; three in a nothe r.
1. agenda
3. advocate
5. afflu ent
2. adjourn
4. agile
6. aggregate
Exercise II. Words in Phrases
In each of the following grou ps, select the item that best expresses
the m eaning of the italicized word in the introductory phrase.
1. adjourned the meeting promptly at three o'clock
a . planned b . opened c. suspended d . a ttended
2. very agile for her age
a . ignorant b . clumsy c . popular d . spry
3. advocated changes in the tax laws
a . considered b. rejected c. supported d . ignored
4. came from a very a.ffluent family
a . obscure b. poverty-stricken c. brilliant d. wealthy
5. the aggregate opinion of the jury
a . collective b . informed c. far-reaching d . mistaken
43
Exercise Ill. Completing Sentences
Complete each of the following sentences by selecting the most appropriate word from the group of words given below.
aesthetic
advocate
agenda
affectation
adverse
affable
1. We are determined to succeed in spite of all the _ _ _ __
conditions affecting this project.
2. The ftrst item on the
at the convention was the
selection of a temporary chairperson.
3. Our personnel manager is a very
woman whose
friendly, informal manner immediately puts a person at ease.
4. While the Romans were essentially practical in their approach
to building design, the Greeks were deeply concerned with
beauty for its own sake and worked hard to produce structures
of high
appeal.
5. Throwing an obscure French expression into the middle of an
English sentence just to show that you've been to Paris is an
_ _ _ _ _ that really irritates me.
Exercise IV. Synonyms and Antonyms
A.
Match each word in Column A with its s ynonym in Column B.
Column A
Column B
1.
terminate
2. nimble
3. opulent
a . amiable
b. consolidate
c. pretense
pose
5. fuse
d . conclude
4.
e. luxurious
f.
spry
Now indicate which of the basic words taught in this lesson
(Words 11-20) is most nearly synonymous with each of the words
in Column A.
B. In each of the following groups, select the two words that are
most nearly antonyms .
1. a. agile
b. filthy c. hostile d. sincere e. awkward
2. a . civilian b. opponent c. foreigner d . advocate
e. aesthete
3. a . ascetic b . sluggish c. propitious d . adverse e . neat
4. a . artificial b. testy c. penniless d. aesthetic e. affable
5. a . wealthy b. insincere c. indigent d . lithe e . illegal
44
Exercise V. Word Roundup
1. Explain the derivation of agenda. Give the singular for m of the
word. How do you explain the fact that agenda itself may be
used as a singular form?
2. Defin e each of th e following phrases.
a . a devil's a dvocate
b . living high off the hog
c . the affluent society
d. to put on airs
e. to serve Mammon
f. in the aggregate
Exercise VI. Framing Sentences
Use each of the following words in an original sentence that clearly
illustrates its meaning.
1. a djourn
4. affable
7. agile
2. adverse
8. affectation
5. affluent
3. advocate
6. agenda
9. aesthetic
Completing Verbal Analogies
What Is a Verbal Analogy? Today, practically every standardized test in
vocabulary con tains at least one section dealing with verbal analogies. A
verbal analogy is a kind of equation th a t u ses words rather than numbers. This equation indicates that the relationship between two words or
expressions is the same as the relationship between two other words or
expressions .
Here is a simple verbal analogy:
boy : man = girl : woman
This is to be read, "Th e word boy is to the word man as the word girt is to
the word woman"-or. s imply, "Boy is to man as g irl is to woman." What the
analogy is saying is that the relation s hip between the word boy and
the word man is th e same as the r elationship between the word girt and
the word woman.
And what is that relation ship? Well, a boy grows into a man. In other
words. the word boy refers to the immature version of the male human
being. while the word man indicates the fully adult specimen.
In the same way. a girl grows into a woman. In other words, the word
girt refers to the immature version of the female human being. and the
word woman indicates the adult.
Now, if the four words in the original a nalogy are replaced by what they
mean (as indicated a bove). the new analogy will read:
immature male : adult male = imma ture female : adult female
This makes it clear that the relationship betw·een the pair of words on
each side of the equals s ign is the same. That relationship can be
expressed as "A boy becomes a man, just as a girl becomes a woman."
This is essentially what the analogy is saying.
45
In the analogy sections of standardized tests, students are asked to
complete analogies just like the one given above. They are to do this by
selecting one or two (or a group of two) items from a possible four or five
choices. The format varies a bit from test to test. and, of course. the number of word relationships involved is as infinite as a human being's capacity to manipulate words and ideas.
Exercise I
Three common word relationships that occur in analogy questions
on standardized tests are listed below. (In this list, A means the first
word or expression in the analogy, B the second, and so forth.)
a. A means the same as B; C means the same as D.
b. A means the opposite of B; C means the opposite of D.
c. A is an example of B; C is an example of D.
And here are five complete analogies taken from typical standardized tests. The four expressions that make up each have been
marked A, B, C, and D. Look at each analogy carefully. Then indicate which of the three word relationships on the list it illustrates.
A
B
C
D
1. gigantic : tiny = wet : dry
A
B
C
D
2. oak : tree = rose : flower
A
B
C
D
3. stop : halt = rest : relax
4.
A
B
C
D
Rembrandt: painter= Beethoven: composer
5.
A
B
C
D
abet : aid = fuse : merge
Exercise II
Below are five complete analogies. Three of them are correctly constructed; the other two are not. Read each analogy carefully. Then
indicate which three are correctly constructed. Explain why the
other two are not.
1. affluent : indigent = wealthy : poor
advocate : support= accede : dissent
3. Asia: continent= Sri Lanka: island
4. fire : hot = ice : cold
5. renounce : retain = abhor : loathe
2.
46
Enriching the Lesson
Exercise I. Specialized Knowledge
There are many terms in English that indicate specialized skills or
knowledge and the people who possess them-for example, acad emician (studied in Lesson l) and aesthete (studied in Lesson 2).
A number of these terms are listed below. With or without the aid
of a dictionary. define each. Then choose any five , and for each
compose an origina l illustrative sentence.
1. conjurer
8. podiatrist
15. ophthalmologist
2. chiropractor
9. comptroller
16. veterinarian
3. disc jockey
10. programmer
17. optometris t
4. therapist
11. anthropologist
18. acrobat
5. environmentalist
12. sociologis t
19. neuros urgeon
6. consumer advocate 13. pedia trician
20. meteorologist
7. spin doctor
14. obstetrician
Exercise II.
Portmanteau Words
A portmanteau word (sometimes called a blend) is a word that
has been coined by combining elements of two other words . For
example, the portma nteau word brunch is made up of brealifast
and lunch.
Read the following excerpt from Lewis Carroll's Through the
Looking-Glass. It deals with portmanteau words.
"You seem very clever at explaining words, Sir," said Alice to
Humpty Dumpty. "Would you kindly tell me the m eaning of the poem
called 'Jabberwocky'?"
'Twas brillig, and the s li thy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves.
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Th at's enough to begin with," Humpty Dumpty interrupted .
"There are plenty of h ard words there. Brillig m eans four o'clock in
the afternoon- th e time when you begin broiling things for dinner."
"That's very well," said Alice-" and slithy?"
"Well, s lithy means lithe and slimy. Lithe is the same as active.
You see, it's like a portmanteau Ia kind of large suitcase)- there are
two meanings packed up into one word."
Below are a number of portmanteau words. Define each. and
indicate the elements that went into its formation.
6. infomercia l
11 . advertorial
1. chortle
12. cablegram
2. splatter
7. telecast
13. telethon
3. simulcast
8. smog
14. sitcom
9. motel
4. ha ppenstance
10. guesstimate
15. heliport
5. squawk
47
Exercise Ill. Exploring the Dictionary
1. What is a business conglomerate? How does it differ from an
ordinary business organization?
2. Consult a dictionary or other reference book for the specific
m eaning of each of the following "group" words. Then use each
in a sentence that clearly illustrates its meaning.
a . federation
d . bloc
e. cartel
f. coalition
b . confederation
c. cabal
g . consortium
h. alliance
i. junta
3. Define federalism What does the term world federalism
mean?
4. Explain the m eaning of each of the following expressions involving the word deviL
a. in a devil-may-care mood
e. a devilish expression
b. giving the devil his due
f. a printer 's devil
g. a devil's food cake
c. deviled eggs
d. between the devil and the
h. bedeviled by misfortune
deep blue sea
Exercise IV. Expanding Your Word Power
The words listed b elow are not on the Basic Word List, but they
were mentioned in passing in Lesson 2. All of them would make
useful additions to your working vocabulary. Define each, give its
etymology, list two synonyms and two antonyms (where possible),
and use in a short sentence that clearly illustrates its m eaning.
1.
2.
3.
4.
a dversary
adversity
inimical
espouse
5.
6.
7.
8.
surly
genial
destitute
amalgamate
9.
10.
11 .
12.
composite
lethargic
antipathetic
nimble
Academic Vocabulary
The following vocabulary words and phrases are often used in history classes. Like abdicate, introduced in Lesson l , th ey are useful wh en discussing historical events and methods, as well as
government and politics.
bourgeoisie
noun
bu(r)zh-wa-ze'
Definition: The social class between the aristocracy and the working class;
the middle class.
China's vigorous economy has led to a vast expansion of the bourgeoisie,
triggered by a nearly sevenfold increase in the average Chinese citizen's
income over the past thirty years.
48
cabal
noun
Definition: A small group of people who conspire or plot together. often to
achieve a political goal.
Queen Elizabeth I of England employed an efficient secret police whose
mission was to detect any signs of a rebellious cabal among the nobility.
coup d'etat
noun phrase
ku-da-ta'
Definition: A sudden. sometimes violent. overthrow of a ruler or government by a small group of people from within.
Although the Roman Empire remained relatively stable during the second century A.D., t.he following one hundred years witnessed the forced
removal of many an emperor through a coup d'etat.
demagogue
noun
de'-m;:)-gag
Definition: A person wh o uses appeals to emotion or prejudice to influence
the people and gain power.
Adolf Hitler was the quintessential demagogue: his use of mass ra llies
and propaganda h elped him gain absolute power in Germany in the
early 1930s.
hegemony
noun
hi-j e'-m;:)-ne
Definition: Leadership or dominance, especially of one nation over others.
By the mid-450s s.c .. Athens had, in effect, created an empire in the
Aegean, where hegemony was symbolized by the enforced tribute of riches
that poured in from the states of the league the Athenians had created.
noblesse oblige
noun phrase
no-bles'-;:)-blezh'
Definition: The obligation of people of high status or great wealth to behave
nobly or kindly toward others.
The charity receives numerous donations from wealthy patrons who
s u pport the cau se out of a sense of noblesse oblige.
proletariat
noun
pro-1;:)-ter'-e-;:)t
Definition: The working class, especially in industrialized societies.
If one examines France in 1789 or Russia in 1917. one will conclude
that on the eve of the revolutions in these nations. the ruling class was
distinctly out of touch with the proletariat.
realpolitik
noun
ra-'al-po-li-tek
Definition: Foreign policy governed by self-interest rather than by ethics or
world opinion .
Niccol6 Machiavelli is sometimes credited with the invention of realpolitik, especially as he develops the concept in his 1513 treatise The
Prince, with its description of an amoral, calculating ruler.
49
Exercise. Completing Sentences
Complete each of the following sentences by selecting the most
appropriate academic word or phrase.
1. As the 19th century neared an end, the
in England's countryside, and particularly in London, grew steadily
more powerful in British politics.
a. bourgeoisie b. demagogue c. cabal d. realpolitik
2. Until the Spanish-American War of 1898, England enjoyed unrivaled
on the world stage; it was only after this
conflict that the United States emerged as a global power.
a. noblesse oblige b. hegemony c . cabal d. realpolitik
3. Foreign policy in late nineteenth-century Europe was generally
guided by
, in which each nation strove to achieve
its own selfish ends.
a. hegemony b. noblesse oblige c. realpolitik d. coup d'etat
4. Throughout American history, many fabulously successful tycoons, such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and
Henry Ford, have exhibited a sense of
by endowing libraries, museums, or philanthropic foundations in
order to give back to society.
a. noblesse oblige b. demagogue c. cabal d. hegemony
5. The
of disillusioned ministers met regularly in
secret to further their plot to depose the emperor.
a. demagogue b. cabal c. hegemony d. realpolitik
6. After a bloody
, an authoritarian and increasingly
paranoid regime held absolute power in that country.
a. hegemony b. cabal c. coup d'etat d. demagogue
7. The misery and suffering of the
is one of the main
themes of Les Miserables, Victor Hugo's 1862 novel about the
poor and unfortunate in early 19th-century France.
a. cabal b. realpolitik c. proletariat d. coup d'etat
8. ln the 1930s, with slogans such as "Every man a king," Huey Long
of Louisiana agitated the American people, with some acclaiming
him as a savior and others reviling him as a _ _ _ __
a. coup d'etat b. demagogue c. bourgeoisie d. cabal
50