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. LESSON 17
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Size and Shape (I)
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Can infinitesimal units be measured?
Who discovered Ulliput?
"Is megalopolis
a disease?
Does palatial refer to a place or to a part of the body?
How would you feel if someone referred to your peccadillos?
amplitude
elfin
infinitesimal
Lilliputian
megalopolis
minimize
minutiae
palatial
peccadillo
picayune
simulacrum
sou~n
teeming
titanic
vista.
1.
amplitude (am'-pla-toOd)-greatness
of size; fullness; breadth of range. The
nature of this word has made it extremely useful in specialized fields such ,as
physics, electronics, astronomy, and mathematics. All the technical definitions,
however, are related to the idea of a maximum size·.
a. The amplitude of the professor's knowledge amazed the audience.
b. It takes a heart of wisdom to appreciate the amplitude of our blessings even
in difficult times.
2.
elfin (el' -fin)-fairylike; delicate; small and charmingly merry or mischievous. In
folklore, an elf was a tiny, often prankish fairy who lived in the woods and
possessed magical powers, like Shakespeare's Puck.
a. The elfin world of the poet's imagination was peopled by gnomes and
leprechauns and other, creatures of fantasy.
I'"
b. Despite Perry's appearance of innocence, his' elfin smile tells me I had
better beware.
3.
Infinitesimal (in-fin-a-tes'-e-m'l)-too
small to be measured. Mathematicians,
philosophers and photographers are accustomed to dealing in concepts that
range from the infinite (too large to be measurect) to,the infinitesimal.
a. Messages are carried to the brain through the infinitesimal vessels of the
nervous system.
'
b. Martin may boast a lot, but his contribution to the team effort is infinitesimal.
4.
LIlliputian (lil-a-pYOo'-shan)-very
small; tiny, narrow-minded; petty. In Swift's
Gulliver'S Travels, the hero was shipwrecked on the island of Lilliput, the
inhabitants of which stood six inches tall.
a. No wonder we can't solve our problems if our outlook remains Ulliput/an.
b.. Standing next to the basketball team's center at the athletic awards
assembly, I felt like a Ulliputian.
5.
megalopolis
(meg' -a-lAp' -a-IiS}-an
extensive, heavily populated, continuously urban area, including any number of cities. This is I~rger than a
metropolis since it includes a!1 inner city, suburbia, exurbia, and any adjacent
towns.
a. The area from Baltimore to Washington is so densely populated that the
entire stretch can be considered one megalopoliS.
b. If the population explosion continues unchecked, the entire country will
gradually be transformed into one gigantic megalopolis after another,
separated only by farms, rivers or mountains.
6.
minimize (min' -a-miz)-to reduce to a minimum; decrease to the least possible
amount or degree; belittle. Again we meet a synonym for "small," minim, this
time combined with the suffix ize, "to make," and denoting as in the definition for
infinitesimal, making something appear to be of the least possible amount,
value, or importance.
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601 WORDS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PASS YOUR EXAM
a.
b.
7.
After the accident, Mr. Jenkins tried in vain to minimize the effect that the
liquor had on his driving.
By careful attention to our inventory and orders, we can minimize our losses
and maximize our profits.
minutiae (mi-noo'-she-e)-small
or trivial details; trifling matters. The word is
not restricted in meaning to unimportant details since a seemingly minor point
can prove to be of major significance.
a. The defense attorney poured over the minutiae of the case, looking for a
crack in the prosecution's argument.
b. A thorough knowledge of the minutiae of his craft earned the artist an
international reputation.
8. palatial (pa-IA' -shal)-like
a palace; large and ornate. A closely related word
derived from the same Latin root palatine ("palace"), refers to royal privileges, a
high official, a Roman soldier as well as to the chief of the seven hills upon which
Rome was built.
a. The duchess fell upon hard times and had to open her palatial estate to
tourists.
b. The pa/atial tapestry on display at the Cloisters was the highlight of our visit:
9.
peccadillo (pek-e-dil'-O}-a
small sin or fault. We admire the person who
dresses impeccably, "without fault"; perhaps are tolerant to the peccadillos of
our friends; and probably forgive the person who offers his peccavi
("confessions," or literally "I have sinned").
a. What human being, no matter how upright, has not committed some
peccadillo?
b. We can overlook Melanie's peccadillos but not her brazen impudence.
EXE
I. '4
"
1
10. picayune
(pik-e-yOn')-of
little value or account; petty or prejudiced.
Originally, this meant a coin of small value. Inevitably, the meaning was
transferred to a person of low esteem because of his criticism or bias.
a. George remained silent after the beating the team suffered, not wishing to
seem picayune by criticizing anyone.
b. Bentley is notorious for raising the most picayune objections.
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11. simulacrum
(sim-YOo-IA'-kram)-a
slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or
semblance; an image 'or representation of something.
a. After weeks of interviewing witnesses, the police artist produced a sketch
that he hoped was at least a simulacrum of the criminal who had terrorized
the city.
b. Whatever simulacrum the vase bore to a work of art was covered by
centuries of dust.
12. sou~on
(soap-sOn' )-suspicion; a slight trace or flavor; a verysmall amount.
The first definition, derived from the French, is the original meaning. The others
are extensions of the same idea, a common phenomenon of language
development.
a. There was merely a soupr;on of tartar sauce in the delicate concoction.
b. Ned spoke with a soupr;on of arrogance that did not go unnoticed by the
interviewer and cost him the job.
13.
teeming (te'-miQ)-swarming;
prolific or fertile. The Old English word teman
meant "to produce offspring." Indeed, an obsolete meaning of teeming was "to
become pregnant to produce offspring." What is perhaps 1110reinteresting is
that our word team also comes from the Old English team, which meant
"childbearing" or "brood." What would the Jets says to that?
II.
In
t
LESSON 17 !SIZE AND SHAPE
the
a.
urlosSeS
b.
--it that
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The poem by Emma Lazarus, inscribed on the base of the Statue of
Liberty, welcomes the teeming masses, yearning to be free.
Doris' mind is always teeming with a thousand projects.
14. titanic
(ti-tan'-ik)-of
enormous size, strength, or power. In class;cal
mythology the Titans were a race of giants who ruled the world before the gods
and goddesses. Cronus, perhaps the most famous (think of our word
chronology), swallowed all his children in an attempt to avert a prophecy of
doom; but one son, Jupiter (Zeus), survived and eventually overthrew his
father.
a. The quarterback led his team in a titanic effort to erase the six-point lead
caused by his unfortunate fumble.
b. The airport was constructed in titanic proportions to allow for the
anticipated expansion of the city.
e word is
nor paint
:ing for
a
artist an
:ed word
'ilegeS,a
)nwhich
15. vista (vis'-te}-a
far-reaching intellectual view; a view or prospect, especially
one seen through a long, narrow avenue or passage; a mental view extending
over a long period of time or embracing many remembrances or experiences.
a. Before us stretches an infinite vista of human improvement.
b. The vistas of one's youth are often recalled with pleasure and nostalgia.
3state to
our visit;
;on who
dillos of
oeccavi
EXERCISES
I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
d some
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.
Jdence.
1. The myriad molecules on the head of a pin
(infinitesimal,
judiced.
,ng was
)ias.
shing to
vista,
picayune)
2. The two cities have grown so quickly you can hardly tell where one ends and the other begins
(megalopolis,
Ulliputian,
palatial)
3. Most of their points were scored when our best man was in the penalty box
ness or
(amplitude,
elfin,
minimize)
1 sketch
4. Mac stumbled once over his lines but otherwise his performance was perfect
rrorized
(mjnutiae,
3red by
peccadillo,
simulacrum)
5. This is the biggest rocket in our arsenal
~mount.
Jothers
lQuage
:oction.
! by the
teman
...as "to
sting is
meant
(soupqon,
titanic,
teeming)
II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
__
__
__
__
__
1.
2.
3.
4.
An elfin creature is huge and lumbering.
Soupr;on is the call to dinner .
You should feel complimented if your mental powers are called Ul/iputian.
Vista galleries are so called because they attract many visitors.
5. A teeming street is dilapidated and deserted.
601 WORDS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PASS YOUR EXAM
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Synonyms and Antonyms
' ,-
Find and circle two words on each line which are either synonyms or antonyms.
I
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
infinitesimal
swarming
economy
picayune
exaggerate
titanic
cooperative
amplitude
searching
imitate
pompous
_teeming
pettiness
serviceable
minimize
I
hopeful
moderate
range
unbiased
assemble
iI
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Hidden Words
The lines of letters below form seven words from this lesson. The letters of each word are arranged according to a
simple formula. Find the words and the formula.
P
M
L
N
M
T
A
Z
P
M
T
T
S
A
I
I
I
I
C
N
T
E
U
A
I
A
U
A
Y
T
N
I
C
U
I
I
N
N
A
C
G
L
E
E
E
E
0
M
P
I
.of
N
0
Matching
lv1atchthe word in column A with its correct definition in Column B by writing the letter of that definition in the space
Jrovided.
A
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
_ 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
_ 14.
_15.
amplitude
elfin
infinitesimal
Lilliputian
megalopolis
minimize
minutiae
palatial
peccadillo
picayune
simulacrum
souPOOn
teeming
titanic
vista
B
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
I.
m.
n.
o.
i-=
imitation
make less
fullness
unimportant details
trace
narrow-minded
fertile
enormous
delicate
extended city
ornate
petty
minor sin
extended view
immeasurably small
li