Elements of WritingElements of Writing

Vocabulary Words, Week 7Vocabulary Words, Week 7

AbjureAbjure

VerbVerb: To renounce upon oath : To renounce upon oath

After last year’s Halloween fiasco, After last year’s Halloween fiasco, little Billy little Billy abjuredabjured dressing up and dressing up and trick-or-treating. He swore an oath he trick-or-treating. He swore an oath he would never end up in that situation would never end up in that situation again! again!

ConventionalConventional AdjAdj. Ordinary; commonplace, traditional, . Ordinary; commonplace, traditional,

mundanemundane

That year he wore a That year he wore a conventionalconventional costume. Store bought, he saw thirty costume. Store bought, he saw thirty other people wearing the common, other people wearing the common, typical plastic Spiderman costume. typical plastic Spiderman costume.

CoquetteCoquette NounNoun. A flirt, a person who flirts. A flirt, a person who flirts

When he wore that dull costume, a When he wore that dull costume, a coquettishcoquettish woman at one door licked woman at one door licked her lips lecherously and asked him, her lips lecherously and asked him, “Hey, Spidey, what are you wearing “Hey, Spidey, what are you wearing under your costume?” under your costume?”

Billy blushed under his mask.Billy blushed under his mask.

DerelictDerelict AdjAdj. Abandoned or run down. Abandoned or run down

He was so embarrassed; he ran away He was so embarrassed; he ran away from the laughing woman toward a from the laughing woman toward a nearby abandoned home. He hid in the nearby abandoned home. He hid in the derelictderelict house for an hour wondering house for an hour wondering what caused the woman to act so oddly. what caused the woman to act so oddly.

FructifyFructify VerbVerb: To make productive or fruitful : To make productive or fruitful

Unfortunately, sitting in a cold, dank, Unfortunately, sitting in a cold, dank, run-down house did little to help his run-down house did little to help his brain come up with a productive brain come up with a productive solution. He decided to leave the solution. He decided to leave the house, hoping to house, hoping to fructifyfructify his brain with his brain with a cup of hot chocolate or warm cider. a cup of hot chocolate or warm cider.

GlutinousGlutinous

AdjAdj. Sticky; viscous; like glue. Sticky; viscous; like glue

As he tried to walk out the back door As he tried to walk out the back door of the house, his feet became stuck in of the house, his feet became stuck in a a glutinousglutinous substance on the floor. substance on the floor. His feet were glued to the floor in in His feet were glued to the floor in in some kind of goo!some kind of goo!

Gluttonous Gluttonous AdjAdj. Greedy; voracious; given to . Greedy; voracious; given to

gluttonygluttony

He knew he might be there for a He knew he might be there for a while, so he would have to conserve while, so he would have to conserve his trick-or-treating candy. When he his trick-or-treating candy. When he looked inside his bag, he realized he looked inside his bag, he realized he ate all of it, except for a Three ate all of it, except for a Three Musketeers. He shouldn’t have been Musketeers. He shouldn’t have been so so gluttonousgluttonous and greedily devoured and greedily devoured all of it! all of it!

Incipient Incipient AdjAdj. In the beginning stages of; . In the beginning stages of;

beginning to come into being.beginning to come into being.

An hour later, in the An hour later, in the incipientincipient stages of stages of starvation, he heard a noise. He hoped starvation, he heard a noise. He hoped it was his mom there to rescue him from it was his mom there to rescue him from the early phase of his malnourishment. the early phase of his malnourishment.

Iridescent Iridescent AdjAdj. Having or containing or being . Having or containing or being

rainbow-like; full of rainbowsrainbow-like; full of rainbows

A light emanated from the doorway, A light emanated from the doorway, lighting up the floor under him. He lighting up the floor under him. He saw the saw the iridescentiridescent goo that held his goo that held his feet in place. It was oddly beautiful feet in place. It was oddly beautiful with the rainbow-like shimmers.with the rainbow-like shimmers.

Lackadaisical Lackadaisical AdjAdj. Languid; lacking spirit or zeal. Languid; lacking spirit or zeal

The The lackadaisicallackadaisical boy, who moments boy, who moments early had given up all hope and planed early had given up all hope and planed to die lacking all of the spirit and zest he to die lacking all of the spirit and zest he had for the world, was suddenly excited had for the world, was suddenly excited at the prospect of being free again! He at the prospect of being free again! He would be languid no more! would be languid no more!

Obeisance Obeisance NounNoun. A bow or sign of humble . A bow or sign of humble

homage. homage.

He clapped his hands together and He clapped his hands together and showed a sign of showed a sign of obeisanceobeisance. “Oh, . “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,” he thank you, thank you, thank you,” he said, bowing again.said, bowing again.

PrecipitatePrecipitate VerbVerb. To throw headlong; to throw . To throw headlong; to throw

down; to hastendown; to hasten

Instead of being freed by his mom, a Instead of being freed by his mom, a shadowy figure behind the flashlight shadowy figure behind the flashlight precipitatedprecipitated a big wad of goo at a big wad of goo at Billy’s face! The blob flew through Billy’s face! The blob flew through the air and splattered on his face!the air and splattered on his face!

The goo slid down Billy’s face, but as The goo slid down Billy’s face, but as he wiped it from his eyes, he heard a he wiped it from his eyes, he heard a new noise. It was soft and fluttering. new noise. It was soft and fluttering. Then he saw the feathers splash Then he saw the feathers splash against his face where they against his face where they immediately stuck. immediately stuck.

Precipitous Precipitous

AdjAdj: Steep: Steep

A tear dribbled down the A tear dribbled down the precipitousprecipitous slope of his cheek as the person slope of his cheek as the person laughed and laughed. He recognized laughed and laughed. He recognized the laughter. It was the voice of the the laughter. It was the voice of the coquettish woman!coquettish woman!

ReconcileReconcile VerbVerb: To solve, settle, or make peace; to : To solve, settle, or make peace; to

come to an agreementcome to an agreement

He was eventually found in his Spiderman He was eventually found in his Spiderman costume, buried under sticky feathers. costume, buried under sticky feathers. Billy’s parents spoke to the woman, who Billy’s parents spoke to the woman, who attempted to attempted to reconcilereconcile with Billy by giving with Billy by giving him handfuls of candy. him handfuls of candy.

The woman tried to explain to Billy The woman tried to explain to Billy that she wanted to play a prank on that she wanted to play a prank on the kids who had stolen her garden the kids who had stolen her garden gnome. She thought she overheard gnome. She thought she overheard one of the vandals say he would be one of the vandals say he would be trick-or-treating as Spiderman. She trick-or-treating as Spiderman. She said she also knew those punks liked said she also knew those punks liked to hang out in the derelict house.to hang out in the derelict house.

Surfeit Surfeit NounNoun. Excess; an abundant . Excess; an abundant

oversupply oversupply

Billy, once his trick-or-treat supply Billy, once his trick-or-treat supply was was surfeitsurfeit again, chocolates and again, chocolates and candy bars brimming over the top of candy bars brimming over the top of the bag, he felt better. But he would the bag, he felt better. But he would never trick-or-treat again!never trick-or-treat again!