Untitled Quiz

Unit 1 Vocabulary - Level E

• Adulterate (v.) - To corrupt, make worse by adding something of lesser value. Example: Brad adulterated his cream of crab soup with copious amounts of hot sauce.

Ambidextrous (adj.)

• Able to use both hands equally well; very skillful.
• Deceitful, hypocritical.
• Useful in many sports.

Augment (v.)

• To make larger, increase.
• People seek intelligent investments to augment their portfolios.
• Example graph shows increase in sales over 9 months (630%).

Bereft (adj.)

• Deprived of; made unhappy because of loss.
• Sparky's death left Victor bereft, causing him to find a way to bring his dog back.

Deploy (v.)

• To position or arrange; to utilize; to form up.
• In Stratego, deploying game pieces is important.

Dour (adj.)

• Stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored.
• When photography first emerged, people posed with dour expressions rather than smiling.

Fortitude (n.)

• Courage in facing difficulties.
• New Orleans residents displayed extreme fortitude after Hurricane Katrina.

Gape (v.)

• To stare with open mouth; to open the mouth wide; to open wide.
• Babies often gape in amazement when seeing new things.

Gibe (v.)

• To utter taunting words.
• Opponents gibed the mayor during his kickoff speech.
• Gibe (n.) - An expression of scorn.

Guise (n.)

• An external appearance, cover, mask.
• The spy used the guise of a waiter to keep the international arms dealer under surveillance.

Insidious (adj.)

• Intended to deceive or entrap; sly, treacherous.
• The Joker's insidious plans aim to cause chaos and anarchy.

Intimation (n.)

• A hint, indirect suggestion.
• Creepy music and dark lighting are an intimation in horror movies that something bad is about to happen.

Opulent (adj.)

• Wealthy, luxurious; ample; grandiose.
• Rock bands quickly adapt to opulent lifestyles after a hit record.

Pliable (adj.)

• Easily bent, flexible; easily influenced.
• Boat builders select pliable wood that bends along with the frame.

Reiterate (v.)

• To say again, repeat.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. reiterated his vision of a country without racial barriers in multiple "I Have a Dream" speeches.

Stolid (adj.)

• Not easily moved mentally or emotionally; dull, unresponsive.
• Teachers find it difficult to deal with stolid students who stare blankly.

Tentative (adj.)

• Experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant.
• Babies begin taking tentative, wobbly steps around their first birthday.

Unkempt (adj.)

• Not combed; untidy; not properly maintained; unpolished, rude.
• Teenage boys sometimes take a while to learn that an unkempt appearance isn't appealing to others.

Verbatim (adj., adv.)

• Word for word; exactly as written or spoken.
• DVDs are sometimes labeled aptly as verbatim copies of video files.
• Reciting lines verbatim, especially in a foreign language like Middle English, can be difficult.

Warily (adv.)

• Cautiously, with great care.
• Approach a sleeping tiger warily.