Chapter 18 Vocabulary -- write word and part of speech -- write definition -- write example

-- She served in an ancillary position as secretary. ancillary (adj) Subordinate, supplementary, or assisting -- She served in an ancillary position as secretary. -- That was an ancillary point: Winning again was all that mattered.

bowdlerize (v) To remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.) -- Thomas Bowdler was the English editor who bowdlerized the works of Shakespeare. -- The teacher had to bowdlerize the film clip before showing it to her students.

-- He would not condescend to misrepresent the facts. condescend (v) ● To come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level ● To deal with people in a patronizing manner -- He would not condescend to misrepresent the facts. -- He condescended to their intellectual level in order to be understood.

cozen (v) To trick To cheat or swindle -- The young con artist cozened the unsuspecting tourist. -- The shark of a lawyer cozened the tyro into the settlement.                        

-- The large dog deterred any trespassers. deter (v) To prevent from acting by means of fear or doubt To turn aside To discourage or restrain from acting -- The large dog deterred any trespassers. -- She could not be deterred from trying out for the team.

enclave (n) A country or especially, an outlying portion of a country, entirely or mostly surrounded by the territory of another country Any small, distinct area or group enclosed or isolated within a larger one -- There is a Chinese-speaking enclave in London. -- The people were an enclave of resistance.

forte (n) A person’s strong point What a person does best -- Math is not Mrs. Lamb’s forte. -- I don’t know what his forte is, but it is not singing.

-- They were nice enough to provide the service gratis. gratis (adj/adv) ● Free ● Without charge -- They were nice enough to provide the service gratis. -- The manufacturer provided an extra set of coat buttons gratis.

-- She slipped through the interstice and broke her ankle. interstice (n) A small, narrow space between things or parts of things -- She slipped through the interstice and broke her ankle. -- The new fence they bought has interstices between the slats.

macrocosm (n) The universe considered as a whole The entire complex structure of something -- It is rather difficult to understand the macrocosm of war. -- It is the macrocosm of guidelines!

mountebank (n) A trickster or swindler A charlatan or quack -- He was nothing but a mountebank trying to make a dime. -- The mountebank swindled the old lady out of all of her riches.

paean (n) ● A song of praise, joy, or triumph -- She burst into a paean of exultation! -- Every Sunday, one can hear the paeans of people rejoicing.

-- There was an endless flow of persiflage at the party. persiflage (n) Light-hearted joking, talk, or writing -- There was an endless flow of persiflage at the party. -- Sometimes there is entirely too much persiflage in Mrs. Lamb’s class.

-- There was a plethora of questions after the presentation. plethora (n) Overfullness, superabundance -- There was a plethora of questions after the presentation. -- She gave me a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance.

-- He had a very pragmatic approach to the problem. pragmatic (adj) ● Concerned with practical considerations or values ● Dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory -- He had a very pragmatic approach to the problem. -- He’s less a social critic than a pragmatic businessman.

Puzzled, mocking, odd, questioning quizzical (adj) Puzzled, mocking, odd, questioning -- He had a somewhat quizzical expression on his face after I delivered the news. -- The students still seemed very quizzical even after the teacher explained the math problem a plethora of times.

rapacity (n) Inordinate greed The disposition to obtain one’s desires by force, extortion, or plunder -- He had the rapacity of a shark in the business world. -- His rapacity cost him majority of his friends.

schism (n) A formal split within a religious organization Any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions -- Due to the rivalry, they split and became bitter schisms. -- There was a schism between the two religious groups.

therapeutic (adj) Having the power to heal or cure Beneficial -- The therapeutic effects of the spa worked wonders. -- It was such a therapeutic and relaxing experience.

-- He is a great piano virtuoso. -- She is a virtuoso performer. virtuoso (n/adj) ● A brilliant performer ● A person with masterly skill or technique ● Masterly or brilliant -- He is a great piano virtuoso. -- She is a virtuoso performer.