Wordmasters 8th Grade Fall 2011
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25 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Stratagem | Noun 1. A plan, scheme, or trick for surprising or deceiving an enemy. 2. Any artifice, ruse, or trick devised or used to attain a goal or to gain an advantage over an adversary or competitor: business stratagems. |
| Wreak | Verb 1. To inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.): They wreaked havoc on the enemy. 2. To carry out the promptings of (one's rage, ill humor, will, desire, etc.), as on a victim or object: He wreaked his anger on the office staff. |
| Fortuitous | Adjective 1.Happening or produced by chance; accidental: a fortuitous encounter. 2. Lucky; fortunate: a series of fortuitous events that advanced her career. |
| Aplomb | Noun 1. Imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance. 2.The perpendicular, or vertical, position. |
| Constrict | verb (used with object) 1. To draw or press in; cause to contract or shrink; compress. 2. To slow or stop the natural course or development of: Greed and aggressiveness constricted the nation's cultural life. |
| Equivocal | adjective 1. allowing the possibility of several different meanings, as a word or phrase, especially with intent to deceive or misguide; susceptible of double interpretation; deliberately ambiguous: an equivocal answer. 2. of doubtful nature or character; questionable; dubious; suspicious: aliens of equivocal loyalty. |
| Travesty | Noun 1. A literary or artistic burlesque of a serious work or subject, characterized by grotesque or ludicrous incongruity of style, treatment, or subject matter. 2. A literary or artistic composition so inferior in quality as to be merely a grotesque imitation of its model. 3. Any grotesque or debased likeness or imitation: a travesty of justice. |
| Slander | Noun 1. Defamation; calumny: rumors full of slander. 2. A malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report: a slander against his good name. 3. Law . defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing, pictures, etc. |
| Astute | adjective 1. Of keen penetration or discernment; sagacious: an astute analysis. 2. Clever; cunning; ingenious; shrewd: an astute merchandising program; an astute manipulation of facts. |
| Debacle | (N.)1. A general breakup or dispersion; sudden downfall or rout: The revolution ended in a debacle. 2. A complete collapse or failure. 3. A breaking up of ice in a river. 4. A violent rush of waters or ice. |
| Aggrieve | (V.)1. To oppress or wrong grievously; injure by injustice. 2. To afflict with pain, anxiety, etc. |
| Inane | (Adj.)1. Lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions. 2. Empty; void. |
| Maw | (N.)1.The mouth, throat, or gullet of an animal, especially a carnivorous mammal. 2.The crop or craw of a fowl. 3.The stomach, especially that of an animal. 4.A cavernous opening that resembles the open jaws of an animal: the gaping maw of hell. 5.The symbolic or theoretical center of a voracious hunger or appetite of any kind: the ravenous maw of Death. |
| Eviscerate | (V.)1.To remove the entrails from; disembowel: to eviscerate a chicken. 2.To deprive of vital or essential parts: The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the leaders of the party. 3.Surgery- to remove the contents of (a body organ). |
| Patent | (N.)1.The exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years. 2.An invention or process protected by this right. 3.An official document conferring such a right; letters patent. 4.The instrument by which the government of the United States conveys the legal fee-simple title to public land. 5.Patent leather. |
| Opportunist | (N.) 1. A person who adapts his actions, responses, etc, to take advantage of opportunities, circumstances, etc (Adj.) 2. Taking advantage of opportunities and circumstances in this way |
| Wax | Verb. 1. to increase in extent, quantity, intensity, power, etc.: Discord waxed at an alarming rate. 2. (of the moon) to increase in the extent of its illuminated portion before the full moon. Compare wane (def. 4). 3. to grow or become: He waxed angry at the insinuation. |
| Myriad | (N.) 1. A very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things. 2. Ten thousand. |
| Infamy | Noun 1. Extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act: a time that will live in infamy. 2. Infamous character or conduct. 3. An infamous act or circumstance. 4. Law . loss of rights, incurred by conviction of an infamous offense. |
| Appease | Verb (used with object) 1. To bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; pacify; soothe: to appease an angry king. 2. To satisfy, allay, or relieve; assuage: The fruit appeased his hunger. 3. To yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles. |
| Calamitous | Adjective 1. Causing or involving calamity; disastrous: a calamitous defeat. |
| Exploit | Noun 1. A striking or notable deed; feat; spirited or heroic act: the exploits of Alexander the Great. Verb (used with object) 1. To utilize, especially for profit; turn to practical account: to exploit a business opportunity. 2 .To use selfishly for one's own ends: employers who exploit their workers. 3. To advance or further through exploitation; promote: He exploited his new movie through a series of guest appearances. |
| Incite | Verb (used with object), 1. To stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action: to incite a crowd to riot. |
| Exemplary | Adjective 1. Worthy of imitation; commendable: exemplary conduct. 2. Serving as a warning: an exemplary penalty. 3. Serving as an illustration or specimen; illustrative; typical: The sentences read are exemplary of the style of the essay as a whole. 4. Serving as a model or pattern: The authoritative and exemplary text of the work is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. 5. Of, pertaining to, or composed of exempla: the exemplary literature of the medieval period. |
| Patron | Noun 1. A person who is a customer, client, or paying guest, especially a regular one, of a store, hotel, or the like. 2. A person who supports with money, gifts, efforts, or endorsement an artist, writer, museum, cause, charity, institution, special event, or the like: a patron of the arts; patrons of the annual Democratic dance. 3. A person whose support or protection is solicited or acknowledged by the dedication of a book or other work. 4. Patron saint. 5. Roman History . the protector of a dependent or client, often the former master of a freedman still retaining certain rights over him. |
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