6th WordMasters Challenge 24-25 Definition Sheet PDF

6th WordMasters Challenge 24-25 Definition Sheet 2:14-25 14. immerse (v) If you immerse yourself in your work, you completely involve yourself in it, spending long hours in the office and thinking about work all the time. Immerse can also mean to submerge in a liquid. A science experiment might tell...

6th WordMasters Challenge 24-25 Definition Sheet 2:14-25 14. immerse (v) If you immerse yourself in your work, you completely involve yourself in it, spending long hours in the office and thinking about work all the time. Immerse can also mean to submerge in a liquid. A science experiment might tell you to immerse a piece of paper completely in water. If you are a swimmer immersed in a rigorous training regimen, you might be immersing yourself in the pool several times a day. 1.​ (v) to dip or fully submerge something in a liquid “Immerse the paper in water for twenty minutes.” synonyms: submerge, dunk, plunge, sink 2.​ (v) to deeply involve oneself in an activity or interest “She immersed herself in her work.” synonyms: absorb, engross, engage, envelop, preoccupy immersion (n) Immersion is the act of dipping something in a substance, completely covering it. It might be something physical, such as plunging your body into water, or metaphorical, such as becoming totally immersed in a project. 1. (n) the act of dipping or submerging something completely in a liquid ​ synonyms: submersion, soaking, dunking 2. (n) the state of being deeply involved or absorbed in an activity or experience “Language immersion programs” synonyms: absorption, engagement, involvement, concentration 15. catholic (adj) When capitalized, Catholic refers to the Catholic Church. With a lower-case "c," catholic means "universal" and "inclusive." If you listen to anything from hip-hop to Baroque, you have catholic taste in music. 1.​ including a wide variety of things; all-embracing 16. embellishment (n) Anything can have an embellishment, not just a cupcake with sprinkles and a swirl of white chocolate on top; a building can have an unnecessary decorative element, and so can an explanation or a story. There is often a sense of deception implied by the word: it may be a harmless swirl of white chocolate but it can also be a detail designed to fool someone. Real estate agents are experts at adding embellishments to their descriptions of properties that may not be entirely true. Watch out for embellishments. 1.​ (n) a decoration or detail added to make something more beautiful or interesting “golden embellishments on the picture frame” synonyms: decoration, ornament, adornment 2.​ (n) an added detail, often exaggerated, to make a story or statement more entertaining​ “story full of embellishments” synonyms: exaggeration, enhancement, flourish 17. captivate (v) Notice the similarity between the verbs captivate and capture. Both come ultimately from the Latin captus "taken captive." Still, while both words mean some sort of hold on someone, capture sounds harsh, as though a trap has been set, while captivate is a softer, more attractive word that suggests there might be a willingness to be caught. Some people are able to captivate with wit and charm, others with physical beauty, still others with intelligence. 1.​ attract and hold the interest and attention of; charm “he was captivated by her beauty” 1 6th WordMasters Challenge 24-25 Definition Sheet 2:14-25 18. rampant (adj) Rampant means wild or out of control. Unruly children might run rampant at the supermarket, knocking cereal boxes off shelves and thoroughly annoying the customers. There can also be rampant wildfires that destroy houses in the Southwest, or robots that run rampant in the lab after the janitor accidentally sets them free. 1.​ (adj) spreading or growing quickly and often out of control “The weeds grew rampant” synonyms: uncontrolled, widespread 19. coxcomb (n) 1.​ (n) a silly or foolish person (originally referring to a bright, showy hat) “He acted like a coxcomb, showing off his new clothes” synonyms: fool, clown, show-off 20. proliferate (v) Proliferate was originally a biological term used to describe the growth of cells and producing offspring. It wasn’t until 1961 that we started to use proliferate more generally to talk about everything from the spread of nuclear weapons to the wide growth of Walmart. When something proliferates, it's growing, spreading or multiplying really quickly. Bunny rabbits have a habit of proliferating, as do dandelions in untended gardens and funny YouTube videos on the internet. 1.​ increase rapidly in numbers; multiply synonyms: spread, grow 21. rueful (adj) The adjective rueful sincerely expresses regret, but it manages to do it with a hint of humor. Rueful shows up a lot in descriptions of remorseful grins or apologetic smiles. If you're sorry about something you've done but you can still laugh at yourself a little bit, you feel rueful. The word itself comes from the verb to rue, which means "to regret." 1.​ expressing sorrow or regret, especially when in a slightly humorous way 22. dovetail (n) (v) A dovetail is a joint in woodworking where two sides are fitted together with interlocking pieces. You can also use the word dovetail to show how other things fit well together — like how your picnic plans nicely dovetail with the sunny forecast. When things fit easily and work well together, you can say they dovetail. Your plan to dress up as a Jedi knight dovetails well with your brother's Darth Vader costume, for example. 1.​ (n) a joint in woodworking that fits perfectly with another piece “used a dovetail to build a strong bookshelf” 2.​ (v) to fit together perfectly or harmoniously “their ideas dovetailed” synonyms: mesh, align, match 23. wax (n) (v) As the moon grows towards fullness, it waxes. It wanes, or diminishes in size, as the new moon approaches. This is the most common context for the verb wax, but it is also used to describe other phenomena that grow or increase, particularly those that occur in cycles. Figuratively, if you wax eloquent, lyrical or poetic about something, you talk about it at great length and with growing 2 6th WordMasters Challenge 24-25 Definition Sheet 2:14-25 enthusiasm. The noun wax refers to chemical compounds that can be shaped and molded, for example into candles, when warm. 1.​ (n) a substance that is soft, shiny, and used in many things like candles or polish 2.​ (v) to grow larger or stronger synonyms: expand, increase 3.​ (v) cover or treat (something) to polish or protect it 4.​ (v) to remove unwanted hair by applying wax and peeling it off “she waxed her eyebrows” 24. comprehensive (adj) When you want to describe something that includes all or most details, you can use the adjective comprehensive. If you get the comprehensive treatment at a spa, it might include a massage, a manicure and a facial. 1.​ (adj) including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something “a comprehensive review” synonyms: complete, thorough, detailed 25. ally (n) (v) Ally comes from the Latin word alligare, meaning "to bind to," like nations who are allies in wartime — they will act together, and protect one another. If you have an ally, you have someone who is on your side, like a more experienced teammate who is your ally in convincing the coach to give you more playing time. You can also use ally as a verb, meaning "join forces with." For example, you might ally yourself with influential people to advance your career. As a noun, pronounce ally like this: "AL-eye." As a verb, it's "uh-LIE." 1.​ (n) a state or country that formally works with another for military or other purposes “among NATO allies” synonyms: partner, supporter, teammate 2.​ (n) a person or organization that cooperates with or helps another in a specific activity​ “his closest political ally” synonyms: friend, associate, collaborator 3.​ (n) a person or group who actively supports the rights of a minority or marginalized community without being part of that group “an ally who supports their rights”​ synonyms: advocate, supporter, defender 4.​ (v) to combine or unite with another for mutual benefit “He allied his racing experience with his father’s business skills.” 5.​ (v) to side with or support someone or something “He allied himself with the forces of change.” synonyms: align, cooperate 3