Vocabulary Unit 8A

Assurance  (n.) a pledge; freedom from doubt, self- confidence  Hint: “You are SURe”

Sentence  After she gave her mother her assurance that she would return by 10pm, Jane was given the keys to mom’s car.

Asylum  (n.) an institution for the care of children, elderly people, etc; a place of safety  Hint: the hunchback of Notre Dam sought asylum in a church

Sentence  The state asylum was built with the intention of housing elderly who were incapable of managing on their own or paying for private care.

Console  (v.) to comfort;  Hint: the prefix “con” means with and the root word “sole” means one or alone, therefore: to console is to offer comfort by being with someone

Sentence  The child could not be consoled after he dropped his ice cream.

Dilate  (v.) to make or become larger or wider; to expand upon  Hint: an optometrist will usually dilate your pupils to get a better view

Sentence  A doctor will often check to see if your eyes dilate in response to light.

Dross  (n.) refuse, waste products  Hint: You “toss” the “dross”

Sentence  When we cleaned out the garage, we actually found some valuable items mixed in with the dross.

Dwindle  (v.) to lessen, diminish  Hint: when a person is swindled their money dwindles

Sentence  Bob’s dwindling finances led him to find a second job to supplement his income.

Flippant  (adj.) lacking in seriousness; disrespectful, saucy  Hint: flipping someone is disrespectful

Sentence  The student’s flippant attitude resulted in his suspension going from one to three days.

Immunity  (n.) resistance to disease; freedom from some charge or obligation  Hint: You receive immunizations to protect you from diseases

Sentence  When the mob hit-man was arrested, he offered to tell the courts everything he knew in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Institute  (v.) to establish, set up;(n) an organization for the promotion of learning  Hint: In States we Institute governments

Sentence  After our bank merged with another bank, we received a letter telling us about the new policies they had instituted.

Liability  (n.) a debt; something disadvantageous  Hint: “if you lie about your ability you are going to have a problem”

Sentence  Not having a high school diploma is a big liability in the job market.