Vocab Unit 6

By: Jenna Caffarello

Abject

(Adj) – Degraded; base, contemptible,cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved.

In history class, we are learning about theabject lives of families during the GreatDepression.

Agnostic(N) – One who believes that nothing can beknown about God; a skeptic(Adj) – Without faith, skeptical

When Susan was explaining how the earth was created, her friend did not understand because of her agnostic beliefs.

Complicity

(N) – Involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

When security watched the tape, they noticeda man helping the robber, so they charged him for complicity.

Derelict(N) – Someone or something that is

abandoned or neglected;(Adj) – Left abandoned; neglectful of duty

I felt so bad for the derelict puppy I sawwandering around thestreets, so I took him home.

Diatribe

(N) – A bitter and prolonged verbal attack

Just because you don’tlike me, does not mean you have to throw diatribes at me every time you see me.

Effigy

(N) – A crude image of a despised person

Tom hated his history teacher,so he drew an effigy of her, but he got caught and was sent to his home office.

Equity(N) – The state or quality of being just, fair,or impartial; fair and equal treatment;something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim.

When teaching little kids, youmust remember that equity isimportant, otherwise, it’ll lead to fighting.

Inane

(Adj) – Silly, empty of meaning or value

While standing out in therain, the reporter madean inane comment announcing that rain was coming.

Indictment

(N) – The act of accusing; a formalAccusation

During the test, the teacher made an indictment of Henry; he was cheating off of Sally’s paper.

Indubitable

(Adj) – Certain, not to be doubted or denied

When the tennis team played Hatboro Horsham, it was an indubitable fact that they were going to win.

Intermittent

(Adj) – Stopping and beginning again,Sporadic

I was getting very annoyedwhen the thunderstorm was making my television have only intermittentreception. .

Moot(Adj) – Open to discussion and debate,unresolved;(V) – To bring up for discussion;(N) – A hypothetical law case argued bystudents

Your argument was a mootpoint because there was noway she was changing hermind.

Motif

(N) – A principal idea, feature, theme, orelement; a repeated or dominant figure in adesign

In the novel, The ScarletLetter, the scaffold scenewas a motif that occurred throughout the novel.

Neophyte

(N) – A new convert, beginner, novice

When I first started my job,many people called me a neophyte, because I didnot know anything.

Perspicacity

(N) – Keenness in observing andunderstanding

To accumulate perspicacity, you must pay attention in school,work hard, and ask questions.

Plenary

(Adj) – Complete in all aspects or essentials;absolute; attended by all qualified members

The vice president hadplenary power when he took office while the president was in the hospital.

Surveillance

(N) – A watch kept over a person, careful, close, and disciplined observation

If you try stealing at themall, surveillance will catchyou, and you will be in trouble.

Sylvan(Adj) – Pertaining to or characteristic offorests, living or located in a forest, wooded,woody

Thoreau lived in a sylvan cabin on Waldenpond, because he wantedto see what nature could teach him about life.

Testy

(Adj) – Easily irritated, characterized byimpatience and exasperation

The teacher was verytesty today, because nobody did well on theircritical paper.

Travesty(N) – A grotesque or grossly inferiorimitation; a disguise, especially the clothingof the opposite sex(V) – to ridicule by imitating in a broad orburlesque fashion

Many movies today are travesties of the originalbooks, because they areinaccurate, badly produced,or do not contain correct information.