Vocabulary dictionary and workbook 2,856 words you must know mark (2)

Trang 2 Vocabulary Dictionary and Workbook2,856 Words You Must KnowMark PhillipsAll Rights Reserved © 2006 Mark PhillipsPronunciation KeyThe syllable that receives the primary accent app

Vocabulary Dictionary and Workbook 2,856 Words You Must Know Mark Phillips All Rights Reserved © 2006 Mark Phillips Pronunciation Key The syllable that receives the primary accent appears in capital letters; for example, in-TEND ə about, system, family, lemon, suppose a apple, mat, carry ā ape, fame, day â ask, fair, Mary ä father, calm, art b boy, rib ch chin, inch d dog, mad e egg, enter, ten ē each, seen, bee f fog, if g go, beg h high, behave i fig, if ī ivy, time, deny j joke, ridge k call, kiss, tack l light, small m me, team n new, tan n (as in French) bon, garçon ng sing, trying o ox, mop ō open, tone, hello ô ought, call, law oi oil, join, boy oo ooze, moon, too oo book, pull ou ouch, proud, cow p pen, nap r red, jar s say, miss sh shy, ash t tell, bat th think, athlete, myth th then, another, smooth tr tree, entrance u up, fun, above û urge, turn, blur v valley, river, swerve w walk, away y yellow, lawyer z zebra, buzz zh vision, mirage, pleasure Abbreviations: adj = adjective; adv = adverb; conj = conjunction; n = noun; vb = verb Chapter 1: abase–abolish abase (ə-BĀS) vb To abase yourself is to lower yourself in status or prestige; to bring yourself down a notch; to humble yourself Steve was dying to go to the party, but he refused to abase himself by asking for an invitation abash (ə-BASH) vb If you say that someone has been abashed, you mean that he’s been embarrassed; that his initial self-possession has been destroyed (usually by something that produces a feeling of shame or inferiority or by excessive praise) When he learned he’d been awarded the 1958 Nobel Prize in literature, Russian writer Boris Pasternak (1890–1960) said in a telegram, “Immensely grateful, touched, proud, astonished, abashed.” abate (ə-BĀT) vb If something (bad weather, conflict, pain, enthusiasm, interest, for example) abates, it becomes less intense; it dies down The years-old ethnic conflict in areas of the former Yugoslavia showed no signs of abating aberrant (AB-ər-ənt) adj If something is aberrant, it deviates from what is considered normal or proper; it’s abnormal, deviant, unconventional, etc Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1856– 1939) believed that aberrant behavior in children was caused not by genetic factors, but by mishandling on the part of the parents abet (ə-BET) vb To abet someone is to assist or aid him (especially in something wrongful or evil) In 1968, after his indictment on charges of aiding and abetting resistance to Selective Service laws, pediatrician, author, and political activist Benjamin Spock explained, “I’m not a pacifist; I was very much for the war against Hitler and I also supported the intervention in Korea—but in this war we went in there to steal Vietnam.” abeyance (ə-BĀ-əns) n To hold something (a discussion, a decision to be made, etc.) in abeyance is to temporarily set it aside, suspend it, make it inactive, put it “on hold,” etc In 1993 the search for a new Commissioner of Baseball (to replace the one who’d resigned the year before) was held in abeyance pending the resolution of a labor dispute between players and owners abhorrent (ab-HÔR-ənt) adj If you find something abhorrent, you find it hateful (or disgusting or repellent) The word is especially used (instead of simply “hateful”) if the object of your hatred is considered truly horrible or outrageous Right-to-life groups find the idea of abortion abhorrent Note: The verb abhor means “to hate” (usually something horrible or outrageous), as in I abhor any kind of animal cruelty abide (ə-BĪD) vb To abide by something (an order, rule, etc.) is to go along with it without question or complaint; to accept it, support it, obey it, comply with it, etc On March 3, 1991, when Allied and Iraqi military leaders meet on the battlefield to discuss terms for a formal cease-fire to end the Persian Gulf War, Iraq agreed to abide by all of the UN’s terms, including the destruction of Iraq’s unconventional weapons (but later sought to frustrate the carrying out of UN inspections) Note: In another sense, to abide something is to put up with it, endure it, tolerate it, etc., as in abide one’s rudeness or abide fools abject (AB-ject) adj To refer to a bad or unfortunate situation or condition as abject is to say that it’s as low, degrading, miserable, wretched, and hopeless as it can possibly be John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath is about the hardships of an American farm family who move to California in the 1930s to escape the abject poverty of the Dust Bowl (a parched region of the Great Plains plagued by drought and dust storms) ablution (ə-BLOO-shən) n This word can mean “the washing of the hands or body,” or it can refer to the liquid itself that’s used in the washing Often (but not always) the word is used when the washing is part of some religious ritual A mosque (a place of public worship in the Muslim religion) must point toward Mecca (Mohammed’s birthplace) and have a place for ritual ablutions abode (ə-BŌD) n An abode is the place where one lives; a dwelling place, house, home, etc For example, in Greek mythology Olympus was the abode of the gods In 1764 French philosopher Voltaire (1694–1778) said, “It is not known precisely where angels dwell—whether in the air, the void, or the planets; it has not been God’s pleasure that we should be informed of their abode.” abolish (ə-BŎL-ish) vb To abolish something (a practice, regulation, condition, etc.) is to do away with it; put an end to it (as in abolish slavery, abolish the Stamp Act, or abolish poverty) Some lawmakers would like to abolish the Electoral College in favor of direct popular vote for President Word Games I Match the correct lettered definition to each of the following numbered words 1 abase 2 abet 3 abolish a do away with b lower (oneself) c aid, assist II Does the definition on the right fit the word on the left? Answer yes or no 1 abash: embarrass 2 abate: wait 3 abide: obey III Use the following words to fill in the blanks in the sentences below: abeyance, ablution, abode 1 Prison is a fit for lawbreakers 2 The unresolved issues were held in 3 A stone basin was set up for IV Are the two words on each line similar or opposite? 1 aberrant / normal 2 abhorrent / hateful 3 abject / wonderful Chapter 2: abominable–abundant abominable (ə-BOM-ə-nə-bəl) adj Depending on the context, this word can mean either “hateful, detestable, despicable” (often with an implication of vileness or unnaturalness), as in abominable acts of torture, or “unpleasant, disagreeable,” as in abominable weather The April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing (in which over 100 people were killed when a car bomb tore away the façade of the nine-story, block-long Federal building) was perhaps the most abominable act of terrorism of the 20th century abortive (ə-BÔR-tiv) adj If something (a plan, an attempt, etc.) is abortive, it’s unsuccessful, failed, ineffectual, useless, etc (often because progress was halted before it had a chance to succeed) The Chunnel, a 31-mile-long train tunnel under the English Channel connecting England and France, had two abortive beginnings (1883 and 1974) before its present-day success abrasion (ə-BRĀ-zhən) n As a verb, to abrade is to wear down by friction or rubbing And as a noun, abrasion is the processes of abrading But if you’re speaking specifically of someone’s skin, an abrasion is a scraped area (as from an injury) A Band-Aid is an adhesive bandage with a gauze pad in the center used to cover minor cuts, insect bites, and abrasions Note: People often use this word informally to refer to any type of minor skin wound (cut, scratch, bruise, etc.) abridge (ə-BRIJ) vb To abridge a written text (a novel or play, for example) is to make it shorter (by condensing it or omitting parts of it) while retaining its overall sense Modern editions of Johann Wyss’s 1813 adventure novel Swiss Family Robinson are usually abridged (the narrator’s numerous religious comments are omitted) To abridge anything else (a visit, one’s freedom, etc.) is to lessen the duration or extent of it The First Amendment to the U.S Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.” abrogate (AB-rə-gāt) vb To abrogate something (a law, policy, treaty, agreement, contract, etc.) is to officially end it, abolish it, do away with it, etc A 1916 treaty that gave the United States the exclusive right to build a canal through Nicaragua was abrogated in 1970 abscond (ab-SKOND) vb To abscond is to leave (someplace) quickly, suddenly, and secretly, so as to avoid capture or arrest (for having committed a crime, for example); to flee from justice, escape, run off, etc In the 1960 horror classic Psycho, an employee, entrusted to deposit a large sum of cash at her company’s bank, instead absconds with it to an isolated motel absolve (ab-ZOLV) vb To absolve someone of (or from) guilt, blame, or the consequences of a crime or sin is to pronounce him free; to clear, pardon, excuse, or forgive him In 1958 U.S critic and historian Van Wyck Brooks (1886–1963) said, “Nothing is so soothing to our [self-respect] as to find our bad traits in our [parents]; it seems to absolve us.” To absolve someone from an obligation, duty, or responsibility is to free or release him from it The Declaration of Independence (1776) states: “These United Colonies are free and independent states [and] they are absolved from all allegiance to [England].” abstemious (ab-STĒ-mē-əs) adj If you’re abstemious, you’re restrained in eating and drinking (of alcohol); you eat and drink sparingly or moderately When she saw the painting of the fat monk, she exclaimed, “I thought those guys were supposed to be abstemious!” abstinence (AB-stə-nəns) n The practice of refraining from (giving up) certain pleasures (especially food or drink) is known as abstinence Doctors say that for heavy smokers, more than ten years of abstinence is necessary before the degree of risk of lung cancer approaches that of those who have never smoked abstract (ab-STRAKT, AB-strakt) adj Things that are abstract are conceptual or theoretical; that is, they are thought of apart from material objects For example, a piece of candy is a material object, but the concept of sweetness is said to be abstract In literature, the abstract idea of time sometimes takes human form in the character Father Time abstruse (ab-STROOS) adj If you say that something (a theory, idea, explanation, etc.) is abstruse, you mean either that it’s difficult to understand or comprehend (it’s complex, deep, etc.), or that it can be understood only by a select few (by members of a particular profession, for example) In college I found calculus so difficult that not only did I not understand the abstruse expressions written on the blackboard [f(x)dx=g(b)-g(a), for example], but I didn’t even know (in general terms) what calculus was—even after the teacher patiently explained that it dealt with “the differentiation and integration of functions of variables.” abundant (ə-BUN-dənt) adj If a supply or amount of something (crops or wildlife, for example) is abundant, it’s more than enough; it’s plentiful Danish author Isak Dinesen once said, “I don’t believe in evil; I believe only in horror In nature there is no evil, only an abundance of horror.” Word Games I Match the correct lettered definition to each of the following numbered words 1 abundant 2 abstract 3 abortive a unsuccessful, halted b plentiful c conceptual, theoretical II Does the definition on the right fit the word on the left? Answer yes or no 1 abrasion: scrape 2 abstemious: greedy 3 abrogate: instigate III Use the following words to fill in the blanks in the sentences below: abridge, abscond, absolve 1 His plan was to take the money and 2 The judge was likely to the defendant 3 He decided to the book by removing the glossary IV Are the two words on each line similar or opposite? 1 abstruse / complex 2 abstinence / indulgence 3 abominable / horrible Chapter 3: abusive–accost abusive (ə-BYOO-siv) adj To be abusive is to mistreat someone either verbally (by using harsh, insulting language) or physically (through maltreatment, battering, etc.) The 1981 biographical film Mommie Dearest portrays Academy Award–winning actress Joan Crawford (1908–1977) as an abusive mother abut (ə-BUT) vb Things that abut each other are directly next to each other; they’re adjacent; they touch; they share an edge or border Lake Michigan (one of the Great Lakes) abuts four states: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin abysmal (ə-BIZ-məl) adj To refer to something (a condition, ignorance, a failure, a performance) as abysmal is to say that it’s immeasurably bad Note: An abyss is an immeasurably deep cavity (chasm, pit, void, etc.) Clifford Beers, cofounder of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, was an early 20th-century mental-health pioneer who, as a patient, discovered abysmal conditions in asylums accede (ak-SĒD) vb When you accede to something (especially something insisted upon or urged by another), you agree to it (or comply with it or permit it) At the Munich Conference (1938), Britain and France, in an effort to maintain peace, acceded to Hitler’s demand that Germany immediately annex the Sudetenland (western Czechoslovakia) Note: Another meaning of this word is “assume (or attain, arrive at, or succeed to) an office, title, or position,” as in Spanish king Juan Carlos acceded to the throne upon the death of Francisco Franco (1975) acceleration (ak-sel-ə-RĀ-shən) n In physics, acceleration is the rate of increase of velocity (speed) For example, if you drop an ball from a tall building, the ball doesn’t fall at a steady rate; rather, it gains speed as it falls The rate at which its speed increases is known as acceleration Downhill skiers use a pair of poles to aid in accelerating, turning, and balancing If you’re not speaking of physics, the verb accelerate means simply to move or cause to move (or proceed, develop, happen, etc.) faster; to speed up During adolescence, the body’s growth rate accelerates accessible (ak-SES-ə-bəl) adj If something is accessible, it’s easy to reach or enter (as a place), easy to get at (as an object), easy to approach or talk to (as a person), easy to understand (as a concept), or easy to obtain (as information) In 1984 President Ronald Reagan’s daughter Maureen said, “We are an ideal political family, as accessible as Disneyland.” Note: When people say that a particular place is accessible, they often mean simply that it’s reachable, whether easily or not (as in a mountaintop accessible only by helicopter) Yellowstone Park became accessible to vacationers when the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1883 acclaim (ə-KLĀM) n Acclaim is an expression of enthusiastic praise, admiration, or approval Actor Tom Cruise won critical acclaim (including a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination) for his role in the 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July acclimated (AK-lə-mā-tid) adj To be acclimated to something (a new environment, climate, or situation, for example) is to be accustomed or adjusted to it To maintain an acceptable state of health in space, astronauts (in addition to needing air, food, hygiene facilities, and exercise) require a proper balance between work and rest periods and sufficient time to become acclimated to a weightless environment accolade (AK-ə-lād) n An expression of approval or praise (or a special acknowledgment or award) is known as an accolade The word is usually used in the plural No poet won more Pulitzer Prizes or received more accolades from universities and foundations than did New Englander Robert Frost (1874–1963) accomplice (ə-KOM-plis) n An accomplice is a person who helps another person commit a wrongdoing or criminal act On the same day that President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth (April 14, 1865), several of Booth’s accomplices tried (unsuccessfully) to kill Secretary of State William Seward accord (ə-KÔRD) n When two things are in accord, they are in agreement or harmony; they go together without conflict For example, a student dresses in accord with the school’s dress code, a swimmer breathes in accord with the pace of his strokes, a person’s spending increases in accord with the growth of his income, etc When, in 1925, Tennessee teacher John Scopes presented Darwin’s theory of evolution to his high school biology class, he was arrested for violating a state law that prohibited the teaching of any theory not in accord with the biblical story of the Creation accost (ə-KOST) vb To accost someone is to approach him and speak to him (sometimes in a bold or aggressive manner) In 1985 mild-mannered New Yorker Bernard Goetz shot four threatening- looking youths who accosted him on a New York City subway Word Games I Match the correct lettered definition to each of the following numbered words 1 acclaim 2 accord 3 accomplice a praise b helper in a wrongdoing c agreement II Does the definition on the right fit the word on the left? Answer yes or no 1 acceleration: vacation 2 abusive: kind 3 accolade: expression of praise III Use the following words to fill in the blanks in the sentences below: abysmal, accessible, acclimated 1 The island retreat was by boat 2 He soon became to his new surroundings 3 His karaoke performance was IV Are the two words on each line similar or opposite? 1 accede / disagree 2 accost / bypass 3 abut / touch Chapter 4: accretion–acuity accretion (ə-KRĒ-shən) n A gradual, natural growth or increase in size (of something), as by the growing or sticking together of external parts, is known as accretion (for example, a coral reef grows larger through accretion) The verb is accrete Scientists believe that planets are formed by the accretion of gas and dust in a cosmic cloud accrue (ə-KROO) vb To accrue something (money, sick leave, etc.) is to accumulate it over time During his 23-year major-league career (1954–1976), baseball great Hank Aaron accrued a record-breaking 755 home runs