pious – adj. Definition: Devoutly religious Example: Nuns are pious and pledge their lives to God and the church.

Sanctimonious – adj. Definition: Making a hypocritical show of religious devotion Example: The sanctimonious preacher warned against the evils of sin when he himself was having an affair.

diverse – adj. Definition: Differing from one another; varied Example: People in the US are very diverse – we have citizens from many different countries and backgrounds.

desiccate - verb Definition: To make dry, dull, or lifeless Example: Plants need a lot of moisture, and extremely hot weather can desiccate them.

acronym - noun a word formed from the first letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase. (AWOL = Absent without leave)

Affixes Prefix: semi Definition: half, partly, somewhat, less than fully Examples: semiconscious, semicircle, semiautomatic Suffix: -dom Definition: place or state of being; forms nouns Examples: kingdom, boredom, stardom