SAT/ACT Vocabulary List for 08/28/2010

Here is today's word list:

• accordion (n.): A portable free-reed musical instrument.
• aggrieve (v.): To give grief or sorrow to.
• animalcule (n.): An animal of microscopic smallness.
• armada (n.): A fleet of war-vessels.
• bacterium (n.): A microbe.
• boatswain (n.): A subordinate officer of a vessel, who has general charge of the rigging, anchors, etc.
• campaign (n.): A complete series of connected military operations.
• clemency (n.): Mercy.
• conduce (v.): To bring about.
• contrive (v.): To manage or carry through by some device or scheme.
• culprit (n.): A guilty person.;
• demagogue (n.): An unprincipled politician.;
• differentiate (v.): To acquire a distinct and separate character.
• dissolute (adj.): Lewd.
• efface (v.): To obliterate.
• enlist (v.): To enter voluntarily the military service by formal enrollment.
• excretion (n.): The getting rid of waste matter.
• fastidious (adj.): Hard to please.
• foresail (n.): A square sail.
• genitive (adj.): Indicating source, origin, possession, or the like.
• hemorrhoids (n.): pl. Tumors composed of enlarged and thickened blood-vessels, at the lower end of the rectum.
• illuminate (v.): To supply with light.
• incapacitate (v.): To deprive of power, capacity, competency, or qualification.;
• influence (n.): Ability to sway the will of another.
• interpose (v.): To come between other things or persons.
• isothermal (adj.): Having or marking equality of temperature.
• leisure (n.): Spare time.
• lying (n.): Untruthfulness.
• menace (n.): A threat.
• modish (adj.): Fashionable.
• negligent (adj.): Apt to omit what ought to be done.
• occlude (v.): To absorb, as a gas by a metal.
• outrigger (n.): A part built or arranged to project beyond a natural outline for support.
• patronymic (adj.): Formed after one's father's name.
• persuade (v.): To win the mind of by argument, eloquence, evidence, or reflection.;
• poignancy (n.): Severity or acuteness, especially of pain or grief.
• preordain (v.): To foreordain.;
• proselyte (n.): One who has been won over from one religious belief to another.
• rankle (v.): To produce irritation or festering.
• regretful (adj.): Feeling, expressive of, or full of regret.
• reticent (adj.): Habitually keeping silent or being reserved in utterance.
• Scriptural (adj.): Pertaining to, contained in, or warranted by the Holy Scriptures.
• siren (n.): A sea-nymph, described by Homer as dwelling between the island of Circe and Scylla.
• streamlet (n.): Rivulet.
• syllable (n.): That which is uttered in a single vocal impulse.
• tolerance (n.): Forbearance in judging of the acts or opinions of others.
• ubiquitous (adj.): Being present everywhere.
• variant (n.): A thing that differs from another in form only, being the same in essence or substance.
• waive (v.): To relinquish, especially temporarily, as a right or claim.

How To Master These Words

1. Create or buy a notebook. It can be named SAT/ACT Vocabulary Notebook or you can create your own name. You will be keeping your weekly words, definitions and assignments in this notebook.
2. Write the words and definitions in your vocabulary notebook.
3. Create your own sentence using each word and write this in your vocabulary notebook.
4. Make Flashcards - Write the word on one side of an index card and put the definition and a sentence on the opposite side. You can find ideas for making flashcards on the Internet by clicking on the link: Resources showing how to create your own flashcards.
5. Online Flashcard Game: Go to this site. lingro.com. Click on "wordlist" at the top of the page. Then click on "create new wordlist." Enter your word list for the week. When finished, click on "games" at the top of the page. Then click on "flashcards" and select your list. See if you can name the definition on each word before clicking on it to see the answer.
6. Use this dictionary link to check the pronounciation of each word. Type each word in the box on the left, then click the sound icon to listen.
7. Use TokBox to practice saying the words aloud. Register to get a free account. Click on "Send a Video Message." A box will open to set up your computer microphone and camera. Click "allow". Press the red "Record" button to begin. Press the "Stop" button when you are finished. Once you have practiced saying the words and recording it, send the video you created to your email account and listen to your video message. Send it to your parents' email account also to show them what you are learning.
8. Create your own crossword puzzle. Click on this link. Enter your words and your clues (definition), then click "Create Crossword Now." A new web page will appear. You can put a title on your puzzle if you wish, then click "Create Crossword." Print this out and complete the puzzle. Insert the completed work in your vocabulary notebook.