WORD STUDY Crossroads Middle School 7th Grade Trimester Three *Updated 2015

Root: caust / caut Language of Origin: Greek Definition: burn Words: caustic holocaust cauterize

caustic Adjective Definition: capable of burning or eating away Sentence: The caustic chemicals were locked in a safe place so the children couldn’t hurt themselves.

holocaust Noun Definition: total devastation, especially by fire Sentence: The holocaust of the forest has caused many birds and other wildlife to lose their homes.

cauterize Verb Definition: to burn with a hot instrument. Sentence: The blacksmith cauterized the metal bar branding it with the company’s logo.

Root: ceed / cess / ced Language of Origin: Latin Definition: go, yield Words: precede incessant exceed

precede Verb Definition: to go before Sentence: If you precede me in the line, you will get to choose your seat first.

incessant Adjective Definition: constant, never ending Sentence: As we drove for hours through the state, the long road seemed incessant.

exceed Verb Definition: to go beyond expectations Sentence: When the benchwarmer entered the game and scored 20 points, he exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Root: greg Language of Origin: Latin Definition: herd, flock, mob Words: congregate segregate gregarious

congregate Verb Definition: to gather together Sentence: The football players congregated on the field to celebrate the victory.

segregate Verb Definition: to separate from the crowd, set apart Sentence: I was segregated from my team and forced to sit in the stands because I had missed three practices.

gregarious Adjective Definition: associating with others; enjoying companionship Sentence: The gregarious students lingered in the hall before class to chat.

Root: medi Language of Origin: Latin Definition: half; middle Words: mediator median intermediate

mediator Noun Definition: one who comes between opposing parties Sentence: Since the two seventh graders couldn’t settle their differences on their own, Mrs. Peaceful had to act as a mediator for them.

median Noun Definition: the middle or midpoint Sentence: In the middle of Route 1, there is a concrete median that keeps cars from going into oncoming traffic.

intermediate Adjective Definition: situated between two points or places Sentence: Many people live in central New Jersey because it is a good intermediate location between New York City and Philadelphia.

Root: chron Language of Origin: Greek Definition: time Words: chronological chronic synchronize

chronological Adjective Definition: events arranged in time order Sentence: In social studies, we learn events in chronological order because it is easier to understand the timeline of how things happened.

chronic Adjective Definition: lasting for a long time Sentence: From all his years getting tackled playing college football, David has chronic back pain.

synchronize Verb Definition: to cause to happen at the same time Sentence: We synchronized all of the alarm clocks in the house so they would ring at the same time.

Root: auto Language of Origin: Greek Definition: self Words: autonomous autobiography automotive

autonomous Adjective Definition: independent; able to make decisions by oneself Sentence: Many teenagers believe their parents should let them make their own decisions and let them be completely autonomous.

autobiography Noun Definition: The story of one’s life written by oneself Sentence: The autobiography of Mark Twain is the most accurate story of his life since it is actually in his own words.

automotive Adjective Definition: self moving; relating to cars Sentence: The automotive industry capital in this country has always been Detroit, Michigan.

Root: bell Language of Origin: Latin Definition: war Words: belligerent rebellion bellicose

belligerent Adjective Definition: hostile, ready to fight Sentence: The belligerent sports fanatic would go to the game and argue with fans of the opposing team.

rebellion Noun Definition: organized resistance to authority Sentence: There was a rebellion that formed in the South over the issue of slavery.

bellicose Adjective Definition: inclined to start a war Sentence: Rather than reaching a peace agreement, the two opposing sides became more bellicose and the peace talks ended.

Root: tele Language of Origin: Greek Definition: distant, over a distance Words: telescope teleport telecommute

telescope Noun Definition: an instrument used to make distant items appear larger and closer. Sentence: Jon used his telescope to look at the stars and search for constellations that he learned about in science class.

teleport Verb Definition: An imaginary way of instantly traveling through space. Sentence: The spaceship teleported from Earth to Mars in five seconds.

telecommute Verb Definition: to work from a remote location using technology. Sentence: Due to improved technology, many businesses allow their workers to telecommute by using their computers at home.