"Greetings from the WPA" – Unit 1 Set B: adage, citadel, decree, discordant, evolve, hover, preclude, rubble servile, wrangle

Adage (n): a wise saying; a proverb The power of words and ideas is clearly expressed in the adage, "The pen is mightier than the sword." The old adage, "Two wrongs don't make a right", refers to what happens when someone attempts revenge.

Citadel (n): a fortress that protects a city The Acropolis in ancient Greece was a citadel that offered protection to the people of Athens. The Citadel in Quebec, Canada still operates as a military fortress today.

Decree (n): a command or order with the force of law The governor issued a decree of martial or military law following the hurricane. The president signed a decree that guaranteed all veterans medical services free of charge.

Discordant (adj.): disagreeable in sound; lacking harmony Several discordant opinions were voiced at the business meeting. The discordant sounds coming from the orchestra indicated the instruments were poorly tuned.

Evolve (v): to develop gradually; to rise to a higher level Melanie's woodworking hobby has evolved into a thriving carpentry business. Butterflies and frogs are examples of living things that evolve over time.

Hover (v): to float or hang suspended over The drone hovered over the fireworks and posted amazing images of the holiday celebration. A hummingbird has the ability to hover in front of a flower to extract nectar.

Preclude (v): to make impossible; prevent Failing the road test will preclude you from obtaining your driver's license. Even though Dylan has a disability, he does not let it preclude him from living an active, full life.

Rubble (n): broken stones or bricks; ruins The demolition of the old factory left a huge pile of rubble. The rescue team used search dogs in the rubble to smell and listen for survivors of the earthquake.

Servile (adj.): relating to a slave or servant; submissive Ben grew tired of his servile, low-paying job and decided to further his education. In the Middle Ages serfs were a peasant class who performed servile tasks.

Wrangle (v): to quarrel or argue; to herd My children always wrangle over whose turn it is to clean the garage. The cowboys wrangled the cattle into the valley for safety from the mountain lion.