SAT Vocab List 2 SAMPLES

Look up the following words in the dictionary and record: 1. the sentence part(s) 2. any helpful notes and 3. an original sentence that uses the word correctly 1. caustic SENTENCE PART: adjective NOTES: Greek root “kaiein” Means “to burn” 2. cacophony SENTENCE PART: noun NOTES: DEFINITION: 1) capable of destroying or eating away by chemical reaction 2) critical, biting, or sarcastic SAMPLE SENTENCE: All caustic household cleaners must be kept out of the reach of children. YOUR SENTENCE: Jake’s words to Evan were caustic and hurt his tender heart. DEFINITION: tremendous noise, disharmonious sound SAMPLE SENTENCE: The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital. YOUR SENTENCE: The neighbors’ party created a cacophony that disturbed the whole st. 3. circumlocution DEFINITION: 1) the use of many words when few would do 2) evasive, roundabout talk PART of speech: noun SAMPLE SENTENCE: Instead of the circumlocution “The medical profession dis-approves of the use of tobacco by young people,” say “Doctors think kids shouldn’t smoke.” NOTES: Circum – Latin “around” Logui – Latin “to speak” YOUR SENTENCE: The circumlocution of Mary’s speech showed us how nervous she was. / The politician’s speech was full of circumlocution. 4. circumscribe DEFINITION: 1) to draw a line around or encircle 2) to confine or limit SENTENCE PART: verb SAMPLE SENTENCE: To fortify their camp by night, pioneers circumscribed it with their covered wagons. / The tracks of the train circumscribed the tree. NOTES: Circum – latin “around” Scribe – latin – “to write” YOUR SENTENCE: The police circumscribed the prisoners in their cells. 5. cogent DEFINITION: intellectually convincing SENTENCE PART: adjective SAMPLE SENTENCE: Irene’s arguments in favor of the defendent were so cogent that the jury voted unanimously. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: Jake’s invitation to the sleepover proved very cogent. / Even though Atticus Finch’s arguments were cogent, Tom was proven guilty. 6. cognition DEFINITION: the act of perceiving or knowing SENTENCE PART: noun SAMPLE SENTENCE: Researchers in artificial intelligence seek to use the computer to reproduce human cognition. NOTES: “cog” - mind “nosco” – to know YOUR SENTENCE: Cat’s have the stronger cognition required for hunting as opposed to dogs. 7. conflagration DEFINITION: a large and destructive fire SENTENCE PART: noun SAMPLE SENTENCE: The conflagration consumed the entire building. NOTES: “flagro” – latin – to YOUR SENTENCE: A conflagration destroyed the entire forest. burn 8. consecrate DEFINITION: 1) dedicated to a sacred purpose 2) to make or declare sacred SENTENCE PART: adj / verb NOTES: “sacer” = latin “sacred” 9. contrite SENTENCE PART: adj NOTES: 10. credulity SENTENCE PART: noun NOTES: “credo” = latin “to believe SAMPLE SENTENCE: The consecrate gold tablets which John Smith claimed to have found formed the basis for the Book of Mormon. YOUR SENTENCE: The RHS softball team consecrated the field in memory of their coach. DEFINITION: penitent, eager to be forgiven SAMPLE SENTENCE: Blake’s contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him. YOUR SENTENCE: Philip punched Will but he is such a contrite kid that Will could not stay angry. DEFINITION: readiness to believe SAMPLE SENTENCE: His credulity made him an easy target for con men. YOUR SENTENCE: Matt’s credulity made him a target for mean girls. Jake’s credulity led him to order a lifetime supply of Hydroxycut. 11. creed DEFINITION: set of fundamental beliefs; guiding principles. SENTENCE PART: noun SAMPLE SENTENCE: The Amish live by a strict creed that rejects many of the values and practices of modern society. NOTES: “credo” = latin “to believe 12. declaim SENTENCE PART: verb NOTES: “clamo” – latin “to cry out” 13. deify SENTENCE PART: verb NOTES: NOTES: “deus” – latin “god” 14. demur SENTENCE PART: verb NOTES: “moror” – latin “to delay” 15. demure SENTENCE PART: adj. NOTES: 16. deprecate SENTENCE PART: verb NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: Every church tends to follow a certain creed. DEFINITION: 1) to speak rhetorically; to recite something 2) to speak pompously and bombastically SAMPLE SENTENCE: The actress declaimed her lines with passion YOUR SENTENCE: Obama often declaims that he is going to change America. DEFINITION: 1) to make a god of SAMPLE SENTENCE: In order to deify themselves and thus gain political power, Egyptian pharaohs claim to descend from the sun god. YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: 1) to raise an objection 2) to delay SAMPLE SENTENCE: Before sending an acceptance letter to a college, students often demur until they have visited the campus. YOUR SENTENCE: Bob demurred the deal until he got a better offer. DEFINITION: quiet, modest, reserved SAMPLE SENTENCE: Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure YOUR SENTENCE: Although the student knew all the answers, she was demure. DEFINITION: to belittle, depreciate SAMPLE SENTENCE: Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity. YOUR SENTENCE: The RHS Raider deprecated the Mt. Tabor Spartan by stabbing him with his own sword. 17. desecrate SENTENCE PART: verb NOTES: sacer – latin “sacred” 18. diaphanous SENTENCE PART: adj. DEFINITION: to violate the sacredness of a thing or place SAMPLE SENTENCE: They feared that the construction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness YOUR SENTENCE: Evan maliciously desecrated the cute, rare animal’s habitat with his chainsaw and felt no remorse. Then he went after Jake. DEFINITION: light, airy, transparent SAMPLE SENTENCE: Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: When Emily flies through the diaphanous clouds in her dream, she feels light as a feather. 19. dictatorial DEFINITION: domineering; like a dictator SENTENCE PART: adj SAMPLE SENTENCE: The teacher had to take on a dictatorial manner when the class wouldn’t listen. NOTES: 20. diction SENTENCE PART: noun NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: 1) choice of words in speech or writing 2) a person’s manner or uttering or pronouncing words. SAMPLE SENTENCE: The teacher’s Southern diction became familiar to students. YOUR SENTENCE: 21. discursive DEFINITION: rambling, lacking order SENTENCE PART: adj SAMPLE SENTENCE: The professor’s discursive lectures seemed to be about every subject except the one initially described NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: The paper did not receive a high grade because of the discursive information in the body paragraphs. 22. dissemble DEFINITION: to conceal, fake (usually an emotion) SENTENCE PART: verb SAMPLE SENTENCE: Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing father’s stamp collection. NOTES: latin -simulare “to imitate” 23. dogmatic SENTENCE PART: adj NOTES: latin – doxa “opinion or judgement” 24. dour YOUR SENTENCE: I dissembled my disappointment when we had to cancel the beach trip. DEFINITION: 1) pertaining to a doctrine 2) expressed in an authoritative or arrogant manner. SAMPLE SENTENCE: In Marxism, class conflict is dogmatic and is the reason for social change. YOUR SENTENCE: Republican are generally very dogmatic about their belief in small government DEFINITION: stern; grim; gloomy SAMPLE SENTENCE: Hugo presents Inspector Javert as a very dour character. SENTENCE PART: adj NOTES: latin – duro “hard” “to endure” YOUR SENTENCE: His dour attitude was a product of his 5 years in a POW camp. 25. duress DEFINITION: forced constraint; coercion against one’s will SENTENCE PART: noun SAMPLE SENTENCE: News of hostages held under duress reached their families only sporadically as other hostages were released. NOTES: latin – duro “hard” “to endure” YOUR SENTENCE: Students endure substantial duress during the school year when their teachers force them to do work!