Chapter 15 Oddballs Words with surprising meanings

1.jejune -adj  dull, bland, or uninteresting The movie was so jejune that by the end, most of the viewers had left.

2. niggardly adj.  Frugal, tightfisted in giving and spending Don’t be niggardly when donating to Quarters and Cans.

3. forte noun  Something at which a person is very good at. Jack is opening a bakery because making pastries are his forte.

4. hoary adj.  Gray-or white haired and therefore quite old. (describes only people) Having lived more than a century, the hoary man commanded respect.

5. gadfly noun  A person who acts as a stimulus to action. Kyle, the gadfly of the school, incited all the students to donate to Quarters and Cans.

6. piebald adj.  Spotted or patchy, especially in black and white The Dalmatian's piebald coat blended well with the spotted upholstery on the firehouse couch.

7. toothsome adj.  Delicious or luscious as in a tasty meal or an attractive person. Glenna won the beauty contest with her toothsome looks.

8. caryatid noun  Structural column in the form of a draped female figure

9. adventitious adj.  Coming from an external source A large, adventitious population of Ecuadorians has settled in New York prompting the school district to teach in Spanish as well as English.

10. pulchritude noun  Great beauty I become overwhelmed by the pulchritude of sunsets.

Chapter 16 Work Ethic Describing Hard Work

1. sedulous adj.  Hard work consistently applied to the task at hand  Josh’s high grades are due to a combination of natural intelligence and sedulous effort.

2. herculean adj. Something really difficult or powerful The farmers had the herculean task of rebuilding the old, worn shed.

3. stamina noun Endurance- strength to keep going Having the stamina to stay focused in school is an important skill.

4. meticulous adj. Painstaking care with details Paying meticulous attention to the rules while driving in the winter could save your life.

5. punctilious adj. Paying attention to every minute detail Only the most punctilious cook measures all the ingredients in the recipe.

6. fastidious adj. Being overly exacting Even as a small child, Tony was fastidious in arranging the shirts in his closet making sure all colors and styles are together.

7. assiduous adj. Having diligence and persistence Because Kelly was so assiduous in her work on the science project, she took first place.

8. tenacious adj. Holding on and not giving up Those who are tenacious about getting their homework completed are more successful in school.

9. alacrity noun  A speedy and cheerful willingness to do something Slackers are not noted for performing with alacrity at school or work.

10. frenetic adj. Wildly excited The more Sue keep winning her game, the more frenetic she became during each round.

Vocab practice Assignment Write 15 sentences that follow this pattern: If I _(vocab_),then ________. If I move with alacrity, then I will get things done quicker. If I am frenetic, then I will shout even more at the ball game.