Vocabulary Workshop

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Unit 1

• Vocabulary Workshop
• Level C

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WORD ATTACK!
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Prefixes you will encounter in this unit

• col- (Latin) meaning together with joint
  jointly
• collaborate
• dis- (Latin) meaning not in a negative sense or
  having a reversing force
• discordant
• e- (Latin) meaning out, out of, from
• evolve
• ex- (Latin) meaning out of, from
• excerpt
• pre- (Latin) meaning before beforehand in
  advance of
• preclude
• re- (Latin) meaning back, backward
• revert

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Adjective-forming suffixes you will encounter in
this unit

• -ant (Latin) meaning being in a specific state or
  condition
• discordant
• -ile (Latin) meaning relating to capable of
• servile
• -ish (Middle English) meaning after the manner
  of having the characteristics of, or like
• churlish

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Verb-forming suffixes you will encounter in this
unit

• -ate (Latin) meaning to act to make
• collaborate
• -le (Middle English) used with actions that have
  a repeating quality
• jostle
• wrangle

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Roots you will encounter in this unit

• -cerp- (Latin) meaning to pick out to pluck out
• excerpt
• -cit- (Latin) meaning citizen city civil
• citadel
• -clude- (Latin) meaning to shut close
• preclude
• -cord- (Latin) meaning heart
• discordant
• -vert- (Latin) meaning turn
• revert
• -volv- (Latin) meaning roll, turn
• evolve

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Unit 1 Terms
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adage

• (n.) a proverb, wise saying
• synonyms maxim, aphorism, saw
• WORD ATTACK!
• ad- (Latin) to, toward
• A SAW? Yes. A saw in this sense is related to
  the Greek word sage, which as a noun means wise
  person or as an adjective means wise. It may
  also be related to the Old Norse word saga, which
  is the name given to the Norsemens ancient
  stories of adventure and wisdom.
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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bonanza

• (n.) a rich mass of ore in a mine something very
  valuable, profitable, or rewarding a source of
  wealth or prosperity a very large amount sudden
  profit or gain
• synonyms windfall, pay dirt
• WORD HISTORY (ETYMOLOGY)
• The word bonanza is an Americanism first used
  between 1835-1845. This decade predates a major
  event that would formally begin on January 24,
  1848. What happened in the American West that
  would give rise to the usage of words like
  bonanza and pay dirt?

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churlish

• (adj.) lacking politeness or good manners
  lacking sensitivity difficult to work with or
  deal with rude
• synonyms surly, ill-tempered
• antonyms courteous, civil, well-mannered
• WORD ATTACK!
• -ish (Middle English) meaning after the manner
  of having the characteristics of, or like
• CHURL Have you ever heard a person called a
  churl? Probably not, as its usage is no longer
  common. So, what is a CHURL? A churl is a rude,
  boorish, surly person. It has its origins in an
  Old English word for peasant.
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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citadel

• (n.) a fortress that overlooks a city any strong
  or commanding place
• synonyms fort, stronghold, bulwark, bastion
• WORD ATTACK!
• -cit- (Latin) meaning citizen city civil
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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collaborate

• (v.) meaning to work with, work together
• synonyms team up, join forces
• antonym work alone
• WORD ATTACK!
• col- (Latin) meaning together with joint
  jointly
• -ate (Latin) meaning to act to make
• Look at work is sandwiched between col- and ate
  LABOR!
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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decree

• MULTIPLE USAGE ALERT!
• (n.) an order having the force of law
• synonyms (n.) proclamation, edict
• Pharaoh issued a decree (direct object noun)
  that the first born of Israel should die.
• (v.) to issue such an order to command firmly or
  forcefully
• synonyms (v.) proclaim dictate
• Pharaoh decreed that the first born of Israel
  should die.

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discordant

• (adj.) disagreeable in sound, jarring lacking in
  harmony, conflicting
• synonyms grating, shrill different, divergent
• antonyms harmonious in agreement
• WORD ATTACK!
• dis- (Latin) meaning not in a negative sense or
  lacking
• -cord- (Latin) meaning heart
• -ant (Latin) meaning being in a specific state or
  condition
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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evolve

• (v.) to develop gradually to rise to a higher
  level
• Synonyms unfold, emerge, progress
• Antonyms wither, shrivel up, atrophy, regress
• WORD ATTACK!
• e- (Latin) meaning out, out of, from
• volv- (Latin) meaning roll, turn
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?
• WORD FAMILIES!
• evolution

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excerpt

• MULTIPLE USAGE ALERT!
• (n.) a passage taken from a book, article, etc.
• synonyms (n.) portion, section, extract
• Carlotta included an excerpt (direct object
  noun) from The Diary of Anne Frank in her essay.
• (v.) to separate such a passage from the full
  text to quote
• Do not excerpt any portion of the text with
  permission from the publisher.
• WORD ATTACK!
• ex- (Latin) meaning out of, from
• -cerp- (Latin) meaning to pick out to pluck out
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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grope

• (v.) to feel about hesitantly with the hands to
  search blindly and uncertainly
• synonyms fumble for cast about for

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hover

• (v.) to float or hang suspended over to move
  back and forth uncertainly over or around
• synonyms linger, waver, seesaw
• antonym soar

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jostle

• (v.) to make or force ones way by pushing or
  elbowing to bump, shove, brush against to
  compete for
• synonyms push, shake up
• WORD ATTACK!
• -le (Middle English) used with actions that have
  a repeating quality

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laggard

• MULTIPLE USAGE ALERT!
• (n.) a person who moves slowly or falls behind
• synonyms (n.) slowpoke, straggler
• antonyms (n.) early bird
• That laggard (subject of sentence noun) Bubba
  Slackjaw makes little effort to do his share of
  the classroom chores.
• (adj.) falling behind slow to move, act, or
  respond
• synonyms (adj.) sluggish
• antonyms (adj.) swift, speedy, prompt
• Bubba Slackjaws laggard effort (What kind of
  effort? LAGGARD) to do his share of the
  classroom chores irks his fellow students.

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plaudits

• (noun plural) applause enthusiastic praise or
  approval
• NOTE! The word plaudits is always plural. There
  is no such thing as a single plaudit.
• synonyms cheers, acclaim
• antonyms boos, disapproval, ridicule

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preclude

• (v.) to make impossible, prevent, shut out
• synonyms hinder, check, stop
• antonyms help, promote, facilitate
• WORD ATTACK!
• pre- (Latin) meaning before beforehand in
  advance of
• -clude- (Latin) meaning to shut close
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?
• THINK AGAIN Can you list three things that
  could preclude a person from serving as president
  of the United States? For the correct answer,
  check out http//library.thinkquest.org/11492/con
  vention/

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revert

• (v.) to return, go back
• synonyms relapse, regress
• antonyms progress, advance, go forward
• WORD ATTACK!
• re- (Latin) meaning back, backward
• -vert- (Latin) meaning turn
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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rubble

• (n.) broken stone or bricks ruins
• synonyms wreckage, debris
• PRONUNCIATION ALERT! Debris is a French word.
  How is it pronounced?

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servile

• (adj.) of or relating to a slave behaving like
  or suitable for a slave or servant, menial
  lacking spirit or independence abjectly
  submissive
• synonyms slavish, groveling, fawning
• antonyms masterly, masterful, overbearing
• WORD ATTACK!
• -ile (Latin) meaning relating to capable of
• WORD FAMILIES!
• service
• servant
• serve
• STOP AND THINK WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE
  DEFINITION?

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vigil

• (n.) a watch, especially at night any period of
  watchful attention the eve of a religious
  festival or devotional event
• WORD FAMILY
• What does it mean to be vigilant? What part of
  speech is the word vigilant?
• This spring, before what key event will YOU
  observe a vigil? Hint..

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wrangle

• MULTIPLE USAGE ALERT!
• (v.) to quarrel or argue in a noisy, angry way
  to obtain by argument or by scheming
• synonyms (v.) squabble, bicker
• antonyms (v.) agree, concur
• WORD ATTACK!
• -le (Middle English) used with actions that have
  a repeating quality
• Trent and Peter wrangled childishly over who
  would get the last wedge of rhubarb pie.
• (n.) a noisy quarrel
• synonyms (n.) row, argument, ruckus
• Trent and Peter got into another childish
  wrangle (object of the preposition noun) over
  who would get the last wedge of rhubarb pie.

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MULTIPLE MEANING ALERT

• In 1888, wrangle was first recorded as a verb
  meaning herd or round-up livestock. The noun
  wrangler was used to name a person who herds
  livestock, perhaps as a cowboy or ranch hand.
• In 1947, Wrangler became a name-brand of variety
  of blue jeans. Perhaps you own a pair of
  Wranglers!