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Terms
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- Regiment
- is a troop of soldiers: The army is made up of several regiments.
- Straight
- is an adjective that means having "no bends or curve"s: Pimsley's walking cane is as straight as an arrow.
- Supposedly
- means "reputedly" or "likely to be true": Sam is supposedly the greatest waterboy in the football team's history.
- Torpid
- means "unresponsive, lacking alertness": Prunella tried to elicit answers from the torpid students in front of her.
- To pour
- is to dispense liquid from one container into another: She poured some milk into the glass.
- Sheer
- means "pure, unadulterated": Felicity found the amusement park a sheer pleasure. Sheer also means "transparent": Perry Winkle hung sheer curtains in the living room.
- a peer
- is an equal: Farnsworth didn't consider anyone his peer when it came to the game of
- Prospective
- is an adjective that means "possible, likely to happen": We have several prospective opportunities before us.
- To peer
- is to squint and gaze strongly at: Melvin had to peer through fog to keep the car on the highway.
- Obtuse
- means "lacking quickness of wit or sensitivity, dull, dense": Brandon is so obtuse he doesn't even know when he is being insulted.
- Sometimes
- is an adverb meaning continually, off and on, occasionally: Karen sometimes drinks coffee instead of tea.
- Obeisance
- is respect and homage paid someone: Farina greeted the queen with sincere obeisance.
- To pamper
- is to coddle, or treat with indulgence: The only time my mom pampers me is when I'm sick.
- Severe
- means "strict, hard, extreme": Severe winter weather came early this year. There was a severe tone in Marilyn's voice when she berated Todd for putting the tack in her chair.
- Rifle
- means to search with the intention of stealing or taking: The mugger rifled Clarissa's purse looking for cash.
- Stationary
- means "still and unmoving": The cat was stationary until it was time to pounce on its prey.
- A pore
- is to study or read intensely: Hilda pored over the materials nightly.
- Premises
- are a house or building and the grounds around it: Smoking is not allowed on the premises.
- To pique
- is to arouse or provoke: Muriel's comment piqued Abner's curiosity. Pique can also be used as a noun meaning "resentment": Sedgewick felt a bit of pique at the association of his name with their real estate scheme.
- Sometime
- refers to an indistinct or unstated time in the future: I'll see you around sometime.
- Proceed
- means "to move forward": Both the flower girl and the bride proceeded down the aisle at the same time.
- Respectable
- means "deserving respect or on good behavior": Mother always told us to be respectable in public.
- Stature
- means "status, standing": Chester Drors is a man of substantial stature in state politics.
- Turgid
- means "very ornate and decorative": The author's turgid writing style lost my interest quickly. It can also mean "swollen and bulging": Turgid veins covered her legs.
- Verses
- is plural of verse, a line of poetry: several Emerson's verses were recited that evening.
- Viscous
- means "thick and sticky": Honey and tar are viscous substances.
- A premise
- usually means "assumption": Since the basic premise was wrong, all the conclusions based on it were wrong, too.
- A pasture
- is a place where farm animals graze: Al Falfa puts his cows out into the pasture every morning.
- Seat
- can be a verb meaning "to show someone their seat or where to sit": The waiter seated Murgatroyd at his usual table by the door.
- Singularly
- means "extraordinarily, in an outstanding manner": He singularly fought the rebels off one by one.
- To riffle
- means "to shuffle or flip quickly through papers": Bill riffled the card deck before dealing.
- Regimen
- is a systematic plan: Sylvia is undergoing a regimen for a healthier lifestyle.
- To pique
- is to arouse or provoke: Grunella piqued Vern's curiosity with her question. (See also peek.)
- Singly
- means "one by one": The fire drill required everyone to leave the building quietly and singly.
- Realty
- is land or real estate: Realty in large cities is markedly expensive.
- A residence
- is where people live, the house or building: The mayor's residence is located in the center of the city.
- A strait
- is a narrow channel connecting two bodies of water: The Bering Strait lies between Alaska and Siberia.
- Vicious
- means "cruel and mean": A vicious dog attacked the young boy.
- To seem
- is to appear or look as if: Leticia seemed unhappy when that happened.
- Throes
- are severe pains or difficult times: Wade Rivers found it difficult to listen to his iPod in the throes of battle.
- A quotation
- is the actual statement being quoted: Gretchen read a quotation every day.
- Restive
- means "impatient and nervous, restless": Cory became restive once he knew the boss was going to call him into his office.
- Storey
- is the British spelling of story when this word refers to a floor of a building: The upper storeys of the building comprised apartments. The US spelling of this sense of the word is also story.
- A tenet
- is a principle: The major tenets of all religions are similar.
- To peek
- is to look quickly without someone knowing: The child peeked inside the gift.
- Raise
- means "to build or grow": The farmer raises corn. The Amish will raise the walls of a building by noon.
- Til
- is a contraction of the preposition until: I won't see you til tomorrow. Only one L.
- slight-of-hand
- This phrase is often confused with slight of hand, an adjective phrase meaning "having small slender hands".
- Raise
- always has an object: You can raise a crop on a farm or raise your hand in class.
- Quote
- is a verb meaning "to state the exact words someone else said": The pastor quoted scripture from the Bible or Carmen quoted a famous psychologist in complaining to the boss.
- A principal
- is the head of a professional business or school: The principal of the middle school is a woman of principles.
- Penultimate
- means "the next to the last (the ultimate)": Little did Al Pacca know that the penultimate shrimp he ate was the one that gave him food poisoning.
- Practicable
- means "feasible or possible": It is not always practicable for a busy person to use this tool.
- Sever
- means "to cut through completely": One blow from Jessie's hatchet severed the rope.
- A peak
- is the highest point of something: Chastity decided not to drive to the top of Pike's Peak during the peak summer vacation season.
- Throws
- is the plural or present tense of throw: Several throws later, Bud Light managed to put a wad of paper in the trash can from his desk.
- Ultimate
- is the last or best: I found the ultimate gift for Gary this year.
- Saturnine
- means "being moody, sullen, or melancholy": Ima Aiken falls into a saturnine mood every time her husband Hadley goes away on business.
- A rein
- (usually plural, reins) are the straps of leather used to control and guide a horse: No matter how hard Reginald pulled on the reins, the horse would not slow down.
- Precede
- The verb means "to come or go before, in front of": The flower girl preceded the bride in the procession down the aisle.
- A refund
- is a full repayment to a dissatisfied customer: Mildred returned her girdle and demanded a full refund.
- Real
- is a variant of really used in dialectal areas (like the Southern US) where adverbs are not distinguished from adjectives: She sings real good, in standard English is: She sings really well.
- Practical
- refers to being easily used and put into practice: A Swiss Army knife has many practical uses.
- Shear
- means "to cut off": We shear sheep's wool in the spring and we shear the hedges in the summer.
- Presents
- are gifts: The greatest gift is to let someone give you a present.
- Rise
- is intransitive and does not have an object: The sun rises in the east.
- A seam
- is where two pieces are joined: The seam of Leticia's dress ripped when she bent over.
- Stationery
- refers to writing materials such as paper: Craig took out his best stationery to write to his beloved Charlotte Russe.
- A principle
- is a belief: I avoid school principals as a matter of principle.
- To retch
- is to try and vomit: Furman retched several times after swallowing a bite of Lurleen's liver pudding.
- Potent
- is an adjective meaning "strong and powerful": Arnold was a potent man, even at seventy, but could not handle the potent martinis Bella Donna made.
- Obsequiousness
- is submissiveness and an eagerness to obey: The obsequiousness of the waiter made them roll their eyes.
- Sensual
- refers to physical, especially sexual, pleasure: Derry Yare wears sensual dresses to attract men.
- Undoubtedly,undoubtably,indubitably
- These three words may be used interchangeably, meaning "sure, without a doubt": Mildred was undoubtedly| undoubtably|indubitably the best ballet dancer of all time.
- Patients
- are people who are sick in a hospital: The nurse had several new patients to get to know that week.
- Tortuous
- means "winding, crooked, with many twists and turns": Wiley Driver was very adept at driving the tortuous mountain roads of western North Carolina.
- Reality
- means "the perceived world as it is, the true situation": She could not tell the difference between reality and fantasy.
- Respective
- means "individual and appropriate": The summer camp kids were shown to their respective cabins.
- Reign
- is the rule of a king of queen: King Wilhelm reigned with an iron fist to keep peace in the land.
- Set
- is a transitive verb meaning "to put or place something solid somewhere": Marvin set his new lamp on the table.
- The residents
- are the people who live there: The residents of the community thinks the mayor's residence is to luxurious.
- A serf is
- a slave or servant: Neil Downe came from a family of serfs but rose to become a landlord.
- Sanguine
- means "red, ruddy or optimistic": I am not sanguine about your getting this job.
- Some time
- refers to a considerable period of time: I need some time to think about it.
- Raze
- is to destroy: The school was razed and a new one built in its place.
- Venial
- means "easily forgiven": The judge dismissed the venial crimes and focused on the theft of the chocolates.
- Sit
- means "to rest upright with the weight on the buttocks or to move into such a position"; the past tense is sat: Percy sat down beside Geneva on the park bench.
- Than
- is used to compare: Philippa Byrd thinks she is smarter than any of us.
- Really
- is an intensifying adverb: Gwendolyn was really tired after playing outside all day.
- Till
- is a verb meaning "to cultivate": My Uncle Emmet tills about half the land on his farm and herds cattle on the rest.
- A statute
- is law: The government publishes new statutes each year.
- To pander
- is to cater to the base needs of others, to sell out: Senator Throckmorton got elected by pandering to special interest groups.
- A story
- is a tale related in speech or writing by someone. In the US, it is also the spelling used to refer to the floor of a building: My home is three stories high.
- Taught
- is the past tense of teach: Kenneth taught etiquette and good manners for several years.
- A statue
- is a carved or shaped imitation of an object: There is a statue of a large bird is in her garden.
- A perspective
- is a view from a certain place or position or a mental outlook: The perspective from this building is spectacular, or Lydia Potts has a wonderful perspective on life considering the fact that she has 12 kids.
- A rebate
- is a discount from the manufacturer to the customer after a purchase has been made: The $600 computer cost only $69.43 after all the rebates.
- Piquant
- means "pleasantly tart or spicy": This restaurant serves a piquant salsa that is absolutely delicious.
- Prolific
- means "abundant, fruitful, producing much": John Grisham is a prolific writer.
- Patience
- is the ability to remain calm even when dealing with someone or something difficult: The teacher showed infinite patience for the students struggling with the reading material. (See also assistance and assistants.)
- Respectful
- refers to showing respect: Be respectful of the people around you, especially if they have sticks.
- Sleight of hand
- refers to dexterity and trickery with the hands: The magician's sleight of hand fooled the audience.
- Profligate
- is to be wasteful and extravagant: Esmeralda is so profligate that she spent the entire million dollars she won in the lottery in one year.
- Venal
- means "corruptible, money-grubbing, likely to accept bribes": Chris Cross is a man so venal he charged his mother for taking her to the hospital.
- Vein
- refers to the tubes that carry blood back to the heart: The veins are usually smaller than the arteries.
- Taut
- is a literary word that means "tight": Hold the string taut while I mark the line.
- Abstruse
- means "too difficult to understand for the average mind": The professor presented an abstruse metaphysical concept that went over our heads.
- Supposably
- means "can be supposed": The best solution to the problem is supposably to ignore it. (However, this word is seldom used.)
- A wretch
- is a miserable or wicked person: I didn't believe she could be such a wretch.
- To surf
- is to ride the waves of water, or to search on the Internet: The surf is up down at the beach; ou can surf the Internet some other time.
- Versus
- means "in comparison or opposition to": The benefits of having a cell phone versus not having one depend on the individual.
- A portent
- is a noun meaning "an omen or prophetic sign of the future": Ivan Oder took falling out of bed that morning as a portent of a greater disaster in the future.
- Torturous
- means "very painful, like torture": Mick Stupp found doing math homework torturous.
- Vain
- means "fruitless, hopeless, or without result": Bertie harbors a vain hope of becoming a world-class ice skater.
- Respectively
- refers to the order in which things are given: I gave Wallace and Linda blue and green socks, respectively, means that I gave Wallace blue socks and Linda green ones.
- Restful
- means "full of rest, calm, quiet, and restorative": A restful vacation in Indonesia was just what the doctored ordered.
- A vane
- is blade that rotates: I don't know how hard the wind blew; it blew the weather vane off the roof.
- A tenant
- is someone who rents property: A new tenant moved into the vacant apartment last week.
- Then
- is a word to describe a time that is not now: I prefer Friday; it would be better to meet then because then I will be ready.
- Pore
- also means "a small opening in skin through which moisture or air moves": Pores are all over our bodies.
- Presence
- means "the state of being near": April's presence was comforting in Rod's time of sorrow.
- Sensuous
- refers to anything artistic that appeals to the senses or appetites: Marguerita had prepared a sensual feast for her guests.
- Respectfully
- means "politely and with respect": Mel Pew always dealt respectfully with each and every customer.
- A pastor
- is a member of the clergy, a minister of a church: Noah Sarque is the pastor of the local Baptist Church.