Lesson One Word List

abate (verb)  To become weaker; to decrease  After hours of wind and rain, the storm finally abated enough that we could go outside and survey the damage.

acknowledge (verb)  1. to admit the existence of  Bobo finally acknowledged that he was a chocoholic and had no power over his “dark master”.  2. to express recognition or thanks for  Clay Buchholtz acknowledged the fans by tipping his cap as he left the mound.

agent (noun)  1. a person who acts or does business for another  Scott Boras is a famous sports agent who often gets his clients contracts worth millions of dollars.  2. something that brings about a result  Although gasoline is flammable, fire is the agent that causes it to combust.

authority (noun)  1. the right to give orders, make decisions, or take action.  The principal has the authority to declare a lockdown here in the middle school.  2. an expert source of information  Bobo is a nationally recognized authority on daddy long-legs.

devastate (verb)  1. to ruin or destroy completely  If Hurricane Earl had directly struck Westerly, it would have devastated our beaches and adjacent homes.

epidemic (noun)  the rapid spreading of a disease over a wide area  Last year at this time everyone was worried that the “Bird Flu”, H1N1, would become an epidemic.

estimate (noun or verb)  1. (noun) a number that is not exact; a careful guess  The carpenter gave me an estimate of $2500 to redo my bathroom.  2. (verb) to figure out roughly; to make an approximate calculation  Scientists estimate that sun is 200 billion years old.

evict (verb)  to force out of property by taking legal action  The landlord evicted Bobo for setting off fireworks in his kitchen… on three separate occasions!

impartial (adjective)  not favoring one side more than another; fair; unbiased  It is imperative that referees be impartial when working a game.

industrious (adjective)  hard working; not lazy  It is a proven fact that all seventh graders are industrious when it comes to school work…………….wait for it………Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, cough, wheeze, ha, ha, etc.

infuriate (verb)  to make very angry  If you want to infuriate Mr. Gouvin just walk into his room without your book, blowing a bubble, and ask for a pencil so you can finish your homework.

irrelevant (adjective)  having nothing to do with the subject  Many students feel that homework is irrelevant to academic success.

precise (adjective)  exact; accurate  A brain surgeon must be precise with his incisions because millimeters count.

sham (noun,verb)  1. (noun) something fake or false  Bobo bought a product that claimed to re-grow hair, but it turned out to be a sham.  2. (verb) to pretend  Oslow shammed a sprained ankle to get out of soccer practice.

trek (noun, verb)  1. (noun) a long, slow, difficult journey  The bicyclist’s trek up Mt. Washington took seven hours.  2. (verb) to travel slowly and with difficulty  Bobo and Jennifer trekked from Rhode Island to Colorado on a scooter in January.