Vocabulary Definitions

• These are study notes for vocabulary
• Vocabulary definitions from the text provided

Repast (n)

• Is any collection of food served and eaten at one time
• It comes from the Latin word "repascere," meaning "to feed"
• As a verb, it means to eat or feast
• Synonym: Meal

Disfigure (v)

• Means to ruin the appearance of something
• Synonyms: blemish

Gallant (adj)

• Means heroic or brave
• Can describe bravery of any kind, male or female
• In the past, it described a man's behavior toward a woman
• Synonyms: lofty, majestic, proud, brave, courageous, dashing, spirited, chivalrous, knightly

Swill (v)

• Means to drink large quantities of liquid, especially alcoholic
• Can also mean to feed pigs
• Definition as a noun: wet feed for pigs, mostly kitchen waste mixed with water
• Synonyms: swill down, slop, pigswill, pigwash, slops

Malign (v) (adj)

• As a verb: to speak unfavorably about
• As an adjective: evil or harmful in nature or influence
• Comes from the Latin root, malignus, meaning "wicked or bad-natured"
• Synonyms: badmouth, drag through the mud, harmful, unkind, cancerous

Redundant (adj)

• Applies to things that are unnecessary or could be left out
• Means "too much"
• Synonyms: excess, extra, spare, repetitious

Amulet (n)

• Is a necklace or item attributed with magical powers
• Used to ward off evil spells and bad luck
• Synonyms: charm, pendant, medallion

Dishevel (v)

• Means to mess up slightly
• Often used to talk about tousling hair or mussing clothes
• Synonyms: tangle, tousle

Superfluous (adj)

• Means "more than required"
• Something that could be removed without detracting from quality
• Comes from Latin, meaning "overflowing"
• Synonyms: excess, extra, redundant, pointless, purposeless, senseless, wasted

Commemoration (n)

• Is a celebration of someone or something in the form of a ceremony
• Often held on anniversaries
• Is about remembering and respecting
• Synonyms: memorial, remembrance, memorialization

Leach (v)

• Is when minerals or materials are pulled out of a substance by liquid
• Farmers can leach unwanted materials from a field deliberately
• Comes from Old English word, leccan, meaning "to moisten, water, wet"

Pedestrian (n) (adj)

• As a noun: a person who travels by foot
• As an adjective: lacking wit or imagination
• Comes from Latin pedester, meaning "going on foot" and "plain"
• Synonyms: walker, uninteresting

Approbation (n)

• Is a formal word for approval or praise
• Synonyms: official approval, official recognition

Gibe (n) or (v)

• Means an insulting comment
• Can be a noun or verb
• Synonyms: flout, jeer, scoff, barb, dig, jibe, shaft, shot, slam, agree, check, correspond, fit, match, tally

Rollicking (adj)

• Something that's really fun and playful
• Root of rollicking is rollick, "to behave exuberantly."
• Synonyms: coltish, frolicky, frolicsome, sportive

Bulwark (n) (v)

• Can refer to a fortified wall, often earthen
• As a verb, to fortify with a wall or provide protection
• Synonyms: rampart, wall, breakwater, jetty, seawall

Rally (v) (n)

• Used to describe a physical effort that has been renewed
• Anything that involves bouncing back from a setback
• Can describe bringing people together to support a cause
• Synonyms: come up, muster, mass meeting, rebound, bait, cod, rag, razz, exchange

Jaunty (adj)

• Having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
• Synonyms: chipper, dapper, dashing, snappy

Travail (n) (v)

• Means back-breakingly hard mental exertion or physical labor with suffering
• Comes from Latin trepalium, meaning "instrument of torture"
• Synonyms: effort, elbow grease, exertion, sweat, dig, drudge, grind, labor, moil, toil

Aspire (v)

• Commonly means to aim or shoot for
• Comes from the Latin word aspirare, which means “to breathe upon.”
• Synonyms: aim, draw a bead on, shoot for

Dapper (adj)

• A neatly and stylishly dressed man
• Germanic word coming from a Middle Dutch word that meant "strong," "quick," or "nimble"
• Synonyms: dashing, jaunty

Rogue (n) (adj)

• A sneaky person who has tricks
• Comes from the Latin rogare, which means “beg,”
• Synonyms: knave, rapscallion, rascal, insubordinate, resistant, defiant, noncompliant

Infuse (v)

• Means to inspire or fill with a certain quality
• The medical meaning of infuse is to introduce medicinal therapy through a patient's vein
• Latin root infusus means "to pour into"
• Synonyms: inculcate, instill, steep

Contemptuous (adj)

• Combining a deep dislike with condescension
• Synonyms: disdainful, insulting, scornful

Garb (n) (v)

• Is clothing
• Synonyms: attire, dress, apparel, clothe, enclothe, fit out