1. Accentuate– To give prominence to; emphasize or intensify.
*Word of the Day*
Accentuate– To give prominence to; emphasize or intensify.
Part of speech- Verb
“Shadows lay over his face and accentuated the lines of his cheek and jaw.”
~Chaim Potok

2. *Word of the Day* Part of speech - Noun
Alliteration-- Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginnings of words.
Part of speech - Noun
In the poem “Acquainted with the Night,” Robert Frost shows an eloquent use of alliteration with the lines “I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet.”

3. *Word of the Day*
Analogy– Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise unlike.
Part of speech - Noun
"Memory is to love what the saucer is to the cup,” is a beautiful analogy from Elizabeth Bowen’s The House in Paris.

4. *Word of the Day* Antibody- A protein produced in the
blood or tissues in response to the presence of a specific toxic, foreign blood cell, or other antigen.
Part of speech- Noun
Antibodies protect us from disease.

5. *Word of the Day*
Aspire- To have great ambition. Part of speech– Verb Ed aspired to be a mortician.

6. *Word of the Day* Bamboozle-To trick or deceive. Part of speech- Verb
The con artist bamboozled the old lady.

7. *Word of the Day*
Bizarre- Unconventional or odd. Part of speech– Adjective The book had a bizarre twist in the final chapter.

8. *Word of the Day* Boisterous- Noisy, loud, wild.
[Part of speech- Adjective]
The boisterous sounds from the cafeteria gave the teachers indigestion.

9. *Word of the Day* Boycott- Avoid, reject. [Part of speech- Verb]
The Olympic Games were boycotted by 62 nations in 1980.
Boycott - A protest or ban.
[Part of speech- Noun]
In 1980, there was a boycott of the Olympic Games.

10. *Word of the Day*
Camouflage – Cloak, conceal, disguise. [Part of speech- Verb] The lizard camouflaged itself against the bush. Camouflage- [Part of speech- Noun] Protective covering or disguise. The soldiers wore camouflage in battle.

11. *Word of the Day*
Chronology – The arrangement of events in time. Part of speech– Noun The history teacher gave the class a chronology of the Vietnam War.

12. *Word of the Day*
Commemorate - To honor the memory of. Part of speech– Verb We will commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in January.

13. *Word of the Day* Cower-- to crouch back in fear. Part of speech– Verb
I cower when I see a soccer ball flying towards my face.

14. *Word of the Day*
Decorum-- proper behavior or conduct. Part of speech– Noun She displayed sportsman-like decorum when her team lost in the finals.

15. *Word of the Day*
Deduction – The act of subtracting. Part of speech– Noun Jose’s mother made a deduction from his allowance to pay for the broken lamp.

16. *Word of the Day*
Deign - To be willing to do something that one considers beneath one's dignity. Part of speech– Verb Prince William deigned to attend the wrestling match.

17. *Word of the Day* Despondent – Feeling discouraged or depressed.
Part of speech – Adjective
The fans were despondent when the Dawgs lost the opening game.

18. *Word of the Day* Dialogue – Words spoken by characters in a story.
Part of speech – noun
The play’s dialogue was clever and witty.

19. *Word of the Day*
Divulge – To reveal or make public. Part of speech– Verb A good friend will not divulge a secret.

20. *Word of the Day*
Eclectic-- Choosing elements from various sources. Part of speech– Adjective The playlists on her I-Pod revealed an eclectic blend of genres including jazz, heavy metal, hip-hop, and classical.

21. *Word of the Day*
Ellipse- A figure that forms a closed curve shaped like an oval with both ends alike. Part of speech– Noun The clouds formed the shape of an ellipse as they moved across the horizon.

22. *Word of the Day*
Embargo- A government order prohibiting merchant ships from entering or leaving its ports. Part of speech- Noun There is an embargo on goods shipped in and out of North Korea.

23. *Word of the Day*
Enthusiastic- To have great or lively interest. Part of speech- Adjective Anthony’s voice was enthusiastic as he described his trip to New York.

24. *Word of the Day*
Exponent- A number right of and above a number, symbol, or expression indicating that it is to be raised to that power.
Part of speech- Noun
Ms. Murphy explained exponents to the students with her usual flair.
Exponential – Rising or expanding at a rapid rate.
Part of speech – Adjective
When I see 3ᶟ, I multiply 3 x 3 x 3, which equals 27. My love for math is exponential!

25. *Word of the Day*
Exult - To rejoice greatly as in triumph. Part of speech– Verb Parents will exult when the 4 ½ week progress reports go home. Exultant – Joyful Part of speech – Adjective Her exultant speech energized the crowd.

26. *Word of the Day*
Fallacy - A false idea or notion. Part of speech– Noun A good essay should not be based on a fallacy.

27. *Word of the Day*
Flourish - To grow well; thrive. Part of speech– Verb The children flourished under the care of their grandparents.

28. *Word of the Day*
Formidable – A person or thing that arouses fear or dread.
Part of speech– adjective
Sugar Ray Leonard was a formidable opponent.

29. *Word of the Day*
Gargoyle – A figure with grotesque features in the form of man or animal.
Part of speech-- Noun
The gargoyle jutted from the eves of the cathedral.

30. *Word of the Day*
Guerilla-- a member of a band of irregular soldiers that uses guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy by surprise raids, sabotaging communication and supply lines, etc.
Part of speech– noun
The guerilla fighter hid in the mountains until darkness cloaked the village.

31. *Word of the Day*
Guru – Any revered (well thought of) teacher or mentor. Part of speech– noun Jeff’s father was considered a mountain climbing guru.

32. *Word of the Day*
Heritage – Something passed down from preceding generations. Part of speech– noun Mark was proud of his Native- American heritage.

33. *Word of the Day*
Hieroglyph -- A picture or symbol in ancient Egyptian writing using pictures and symbols. Part of speech – Noun The tourists were anxious to see the hieroglyphs etched into the cave wall.

34. *Word of the Day*
Hologram – The photographic record of an image produced by holography. (Look it up.) Part of speech – Noun The hologram was projected onto the stage.

35. *Word of the Day*
Hypocrisy-- The practice of saying one thing and meaning another. Part of speech– Noun ~My dad told me of the hypocrisy found in politics.

36. *Word of the Day*
Immune -- Exempt or resistant. Part of speech – Adjective When you stay up too late, your immune system does not work well.

37. *Word of the Day* Impertinent – Intrusive and rude.
Part of speech – Adjective
The young man’s comments to the principal were loud and impertinent.

38. *Word of the Day* Introspection – The act of looking within oneself.
Part of speech – Noun (Abstract)
Some people are more prone to introspection than others.

39. *Word of the Day*
Jaunty – Having or showing a carefree, self-confident air; stylish or smart in appearance.
Part of speech – Adjective
Nick wore a jaunty hat that reflected his individual style.

40. *Word of the Day* Jovial – Full of fun and good cheer.
Part of speech – Adjective
Her raucous laughter was evidence of the girl’s jovial nature.

41. *Word of the Day* Inference – A conclusion based on reasoning.
Part of speech – Noun (Abstract)
While reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the students made an inference about Lt. Kotler and Bruno’s mother.

42. *Word of the Day*
Kilometer – A unit of length equal to 1,000 meters or .62 of a mile.
Part of speech – Noun (Abstract)
The American was confused when the Irishman told her that the Writer’s Museum was a kilometer down the road.

43. *Word of the Day*
Labyrinth – A complex structure of passages through which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze. Part of speech – Noun (Abstract) The San Francisco streets seemed like a labyrinth to the girl from La Grange, Georgia who had lost her way.

44. *Word of the Day* Laconic – Using few words; terse; concise.
Part of speech - Adjective
Tyler gave a laconic reply when asked to explain the meaning of life.

45. *Word of the Day*
Lichen – An organism that consists of a fungus and an alga growing in close association with each other.
Part of speech – Noun
Lichens often grow on rocks and tree bark.

46. *Word of the Day*
Light year – The distance that light travels in one year, about 5.88 trillion miles.
Part of speech – Noun
“I think we’ve traveled a light year,” Anna complained, after the long car ride.

47. *Word of the Day* Maneuver –
(Noun) A movement or procedure that involves skill or cunning.
(Verb) To make controlled changes in movement or direction.
After the soccer player’s skillful maneuver, the goalie maneuvered in front of the goal and blocked the shot.

48. *Word of the Day* Part of speech – Noun
Marsupial – Any of various mammals, such as the kangaroo, opossum, or wombat, whose young continue to develop after birth in a pouch outside the female’s body.
Part of speech – Noun
Female marsupials have built in baby carriers.

49. *Word of the Day*
Metaphor – A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that is ordinarily associated with one thing is applied to something else, thus making a comparison between the two.
Part of speech – Noun
In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” the fork in the road is a metaphor for major life choices.

50. *Word of the Day* Mutation – The process by which a change occurs.
Part of speech – Noun
Frankenstein’s monster was a horrible mutation.

51. *Word of the Day*
Mosaic – A picture or design made on a surface by fitting and cementing together small colored pieces of tile, glass, or stone.
Part of speech – Noun (Concrete)
The art students worked on mosaics for the garden.

52. *Word of the Day* Nocturnal– Of, relating to, or occurring at night.
Part of speech – Adjective
Owls are nocturnal creatures who live in trees.

53. *Word of the Day*
Nebula – A thinly spread cloud of interstellar gas and dust.
Plural – nebulae or nebulas
Part of speech – Noun
The dark nebula formed a beautiful mosaic in the evening sky.

54. *Word of the Day*
Nuisance – A source of inconvenience or annoyance; a bother.
Part of speech – Noun
L-D considers Dom to be a nuisance while she is trying to concentrate.

55. *Word of the Day*
Omnivore – An organism that eats both plants and animals.
Part of speech – Noun
Humans are omnivores.

56. *Word of the Day*
Outrageous – Exceeding all bounds of what is right and proper.
Part of speech –
Adjective
Lady Gaga’s outrageous wardrobe is her trademark.

57. *Word of the Day*
Ozone – A poisonous, unstable form of oxygen that has three atoms per molecule rather than two.
Part of speech – Noun
Ozone helps us survive by absorbing harmful sun rays.

58. *Word of the Day*
Parasite – An organism that gets its nourishment from a different organism. A person who takes advantage of the generosity of others.
Part of speech – Noun
Michelle’ s demanding neighbor was known as the parasite of the cul-de-sac.

59. *Word of the Day*
Participle – A verb form that functions as an adjective. Can be present or past.
Part of speech – Noun
Shay has a winning smile that can light up a room. Winning is a participle because it describes Shay’s smile.

60. *Word of the Day*
Phloem (floʹ – em) – A plant tissue that conducts food from the leaves to the other plant parts. Consists of tube-like cells that have porous openings.
Part of speech – Noun
Ms. Hartley wrote a poem about some awesome phloem.

61. *Word of the Day*
Plateau – 1.An elevated, comparatively level expanse of land. 2. A relatively stable level or stage of growth or development.
Part of speech – Noun
On her way to a spa weekend, Mrs. Benincosa admired the beautiful plateaus of New Mexico

62. *Word of the Day*
Polygon – A flat, closed geometric figure bounded by three or more line segments.
Part of speech – Noun
Ms. Murphy loves to talk about polygons of all types, especially pentagons. She loves pentagons!

63. *Word of the Day*
Protagonist – The main character in a drama or literary work.
Part of speech – Noun
Valerie Octavia, the aspiring actress, had to perfect her yodeling when she played the protagonist in the school musical.

64. *Word of the Day* Pulverize – To pound, or crush to powder or dust.
Part of speech – Verb
Taylor opened the sack of donuts to find that they had been pulverized when her little brother used the bag to practice his soccer keep-ups.

65. *Word of the Day*
Quandary – A condition of uncertainty or doubt; a dilemma.
Part of speech – Noun
Nori was in a quandary over what to wear to the Homecoming Dance.

66. *Word of the Day*
Quarantine – A period of time in which a person or animal is confined or kept in isolation to prevent a disease from spreading.
Part of speech – Noun
Many families had to endure quarantines during the Scarlett Fever epidemic.

67. *Word of the Day Quota – An amount that is expected to be reached.
Part of Speech – Noun
The lawyer didn’t reach his quota for signing on new clients.

68. *Word of the Day*
Rainforest – A dense evergreen forest with an annual rainfall of at least 160 inches.
Part of speech – Noun
Most of the world’s rainforests are located near the equator.

69. *Word of the Day*
Random – Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective.
Part of speech – Adjective
Santavia didn’t even look when she picked out her Star Bucks treat. “That was so random,” Steven muttered.

70. *Word of the Day*
Recede – Moves away and decreases from a certain point. (A substance)
Part of speech – Verb
The flood waters receded from the streets of Marietta.

71. *Word of the Day*
Renaissance – A rebirth or revival especially of art or literature.
Part of speech- Noun
In the mid-1400s, Western Europeans found inspiration in the great achievements of ancient Greece and Rome. This was like a new birth for European culture, so we now call it the Renaissance.

72. *Word of the Day* Renegade – An outlaw. Part of speech – Noun
Jake dressed up as a zombie renegade for the costume party.
(Ha ha! Only teachers can use the word zombie today. What a bunch of zombies! Ha ha—this is way fun!)

73. *Word of the Day*
Repose – The act of resting or the state of being at rest.
Part of speech- Noun
Leave me alone; I’m enjoying my repose.

74. *Word of the Day*
Sacrifice – The act of giving up something highly valued in exchange for something else.
Part of speech- Noun
Giving up my repose to watch my little sister was a sacrifice.

75. *Word of the Day*
Silhouette – A drawing consisting of the outline of something especially a side view of a human face.
Part of speech- Noun
My silhouette looks like a Greek god, thought Greg as he gazed in the mirror.

76. *Word of the Day*
Solstice – Time of year when the seasons change (summer and winter.)
Part of speech – noun
The summer solstice occurs on June 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere.

77. *Word of the Day*
Spectrum – A broad range of related qualities, ideas, or activities.
Part of speech – Noun
The class will cover a wide spectrum of ideas.

78. *Word of the Day*
Stereotype – An oversimplified idea or image of someone or something. (Usually some truth to it.)
Part of speech – Noun
The stereotype of the shy, socially awkward librarian has been difficult to overcome.

79. *Word of the Day*
Strategy – A plan or action used to accomplish a specific goal.
Part of speech – Noun
Rob used the unusual study strategy of incorporating all of his vocabulary words into a slam poem; then he would angrily recite the poem during lunch while standing on a table.

80. *Word of the Day* Suffrage – The right to vote in political elections.
Part of speech – Noun
The fight for women’s suffrage was won in 1920 when the 19th Amendment was passed.

81. *Word of the Day*
Symbiosis - Any interdependent or mutually beneficial relationship between two persons, groups, etc.
Part of speech – Noun
The rhino and the tickbird share a symbiotic relationship.

82. *Word of the Day* Tariff – A tax or duty imposed by a government.
Part of speech – Noun
The British imposed many tariffs on colonists during the 1700s.

83. *Word of the Day*
Technique – A procedure or method for accomplishing a complicated task.
Part of speech – Noun
It years of practice for Tiger Woods to develop his golf techniques.

84. *Word of the Day* Tempo – The speed at which music is played.
Part of speech – Noun
The tempo of the song was a little slow for dancing.

85. *Word of the Day*
Toxin – A poisonous substance produced by a living organism.
Part of speech- Noun
The deadly toxin caused the man to double over and collapse before he could reach the phone.

86. *Word of the Day* Tranquility - Calmness; serenity
Part of speech – Noun
The tranquility of the afternoon was shattered by Akira’s scream for help.

87. *Word of the Day* Tumult – Noisy and disorderly activity; an uproar.
Part of speech – Noun
A tumult occurred during Valerie’s audition as a rat scurried into the audience.

88. *Word of the Day* Tundra – A cold, treeless region.
Part of speech – Noun
Cory trekked across the vast and unforgiving tundra in search of Emperius, the powerful wizard.

89. *Word of the Day*
Ultraviolet – Of or relating to electromagnetic radiation.
Part of speech – Adjective
The sun’s ultraviolet rays can be harmful to our skin.

90. *Word of the Day*
Unanimous – Sharing the same opinion; being in full agreement.
Part of speech – Adjective
After the rain started, there was a unanimous decision to cancel the parade.

91. *Word of the Day*
Undulate- To move in waves or with a smooth wavy motion.
Part of speech – Verb
Kristina’s voice undulated with the tempo of the music.

92. *Word of the Day*
Vaccine – A substance that stimulates cells in the immune system to recognize and attack disease-causing agents.
Part of speech – Noun
The flu vaccine was in short supply a few years ago.

93. *Word of the Day*
Vacillate- To be unable to decide between two choices.
Part of speech – Verb
Kevin vacillated between attending science camp or performing in the summer musical.

94. *Word of the Day*
Vertebrate- Any of a large group of animals having a backbone.
Part of speech – Noun
Julien is a vertebrate because he has a backbone.

95. *Word of the Day*
Virtuoso – A person of great skill or technique, especially in music.
Part of speech – Noun
Paul is considered a virtuoso by the other chefs.

96. *Word of the Day*
Voracious – Eager to eat great amounts of food; ravenous.
Part of speech – Adjective
Alex was so voracious that he ate the entire bowl of plastic fruit.

97. *Word of the Day* Wretched – Very unhappy or unfortunate; miserable.
Part of speech – Adjective
The hurricane turned Halima’s holiday get-away into a wretched experience.

98. *Word of the Day*
Xylem- A plant tissue that delivers water and nutrients to the leaves.
Part of speech – Noun
Marvin admired the tube-like structure of xylem.

99. *Word of the Day*
Yacht – Small sailing vessels used for pleasure trips or racing.
Part of speech – Noun
The swimmers spotted Cory’s yacht as it glided across the sun-lit horizon.

100. *Word of the Day*
Zoology – The branch of biology that deals with animals.
Part of speech – Noun
Ms. Lyons is considering adding zoology as a connections class.