SAT Words 7-11 Root 2

7. enigma His disappearance is an enigma that has given rise to much speculation about his whereabouts.

enigma (en-IGG-muh) noun Sounds like: An egg, Ma! Picture… a woman calling her mother from the maternity ward of a hospital, where she has just given birth to something unexpected. “This is hard to explain, but it’s an egg, Ma.” As she speaks, she glances over to the large egg in the crib next to her bed. Other form: enigmatic (adjective) Definition: mystery; puzzle

8. penchant Whether you have a penchant for musicals, dramas, or comedies, there is likely the perfect show for you.

penchant (PENCH-ent) noun Sounds like: pendant Picture … a woman with many pendants around her neck. She obviously has a strong liking for pendants. Definition: a strong liking; attraction

9. prodigal At the celebrity’s party, the food is often much more prodigal than at my neighborhood’s summer block party.

prodigal (PROD-ih-gull) adjective Sounds like: proud of gulls Picture… a person who has spent his entire inheritance to buy a flock of seagulls. He’s very proud of his purchase, not realizing that he has squandered away his entire fortune. Note: Don’t confuse with “prodigy,” a highly-talented child. Definition: wasteful, especially of money; extravagant

10. reticent He's less reticent about discussing his frequent-flier mileage balance, which presumably exceeds that of his peers.

reticent (RETT-ih-sent) adjective Sounds like: Redder, Cent? Picture… a giant penny being painted red. The penny sits quietly as the artist repeatedly asks, “Redder, Cent? Do you want to be redder? Cent? Huh? Penny for your thoughts. Hello, Cent…” Other forms: reticence (noun); reticently (adverb) Definition: quiet; uncommunicative

11. vagrant The vagrant left the food pantry and headed to the homeless shelter for the night.

vagrant (VAY-grent) noun Looks like: VA Grant (VA= abbreviation for Virginia) Picture… a man named Grant, wearing tattered clothes and carrying his belongings in a plastic bag. He is answering a policeman’s questions about his current residence: “So your name is Grant?” “Yes, sir, Officer.” “Where do you live, Mr. Grant?” “In VA.” “VA?” “Virginia. The call me VA Grant. My home is Virginia.” “Any particular place in Virginia?” “Nope. It’s a big state and I use it all.” Other forms: vagrant (adj); vagrantly (adv); vagrancy (n) Definition: homeless person; wanderer

Root 2: ced, ceed, cess Before entering the dangerous trail, there was a sign that read, “Proceed with caution.”

ced, ceed, cess Meaning: go, move, yield Sample words: recede, proceed, excess Accessible: able to enter or approach Concede: to yield with someone else; to admit defeat Exceed: to go beyond the limit or expectations Proceed: to keep on going; to move along Incessant: something that does not yield; consistent Recede: to go back, move back or away Procedure: a way of going forward with a task