Unit 2 Vocabulary

10th Grade English

Level D

adjourn

• (v.) to stop proceedings; move to another place

• Ex: Due to the impending snowstorm the PTSA president decided to adjourn the meeting early.

alien• (n.) a citizen of

another country• (adj.) foreign,

strange• Ex: The words on the

PSAT were alien to me. (adj.)

• Ex: Laws regarding illegal aliens residing in America is a heated debate in today’s politics.

comely

• (adj.) having a pleasing appearance

• Ex: The director picked a comely actress to play the part of the princess.

compensate

• (v.) to make up for; to repay for services

• Ex: All of the power company workers were compensated for their overtime work during the storm.

dissolute• (adj.) loose in one’s

morals or behavior

• Ex: Many of the reality television shows depict people leading dissolute lives.

erratic• (adj.) not regular or

consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable

• Ex: His parents scheduled conferences because they are concerned about his erratic performance at school.

expulsion• (n.) the process of

driving or forcing out

• Ex: Bringing a weapon to school will result in an expulsion.

feint• (n.) deliberately

deceptive movement; a pretense

• (v.) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of

• Ex: The fencer practiced using a feint to put his opponent off balance.

fodder

• (n.) food for horses and cattle; raw material for a designated purpose

• Ex: The farmer gathered fodder to store for the animals in the winter.

fortify

• (v.) to strengthen, build up

• Ex: Many cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals.

illegible

• (adj.) difficult or impossible to read

• Ex: The note from my doctor was illegible due to his poor handwriting.

jeer• (v.) to make fun of

rudely or unkindly• (n.) a rude remark of

derision

• Ex: The shortstop was jeered by fans for making an error that resulted in a run for the other team.

lucrative

• (adj.) bringing in money; profitable

• Ex: He felt his idea for a new software product could result in a lucrative business.

mediocre

• (adj.) average, ordinary, undistinguished

• Ex: The chef was upset to receive a mediocre review from the local restaurant critic.

proliferate

• (v.) to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly

• Ex: The weeds tend to proliferate during wet, warm weather.

subjugate

• (v.) to conquer by force, bring under complete control

• Ex: The security police used tear gas to subjugate the mob that was storming the embassy.

sully• (v.) to soil, stain,

tarnish, defile, besmirch

• Ex: Lance Armstrong’s reputation has been sullied by accusations of steroid use.

tantalize

• (v.) to tease, torment by teasing

• Ex: The other boys began to tantalize him with chocolate bars because he wasn’t allowed to have any.

terse

• (adj.) brief and to the point

• Ex: I could tell my brother was in a bad mood by his terse responses.

unflinching

• (adj.) firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back

• Ex: The knight stood unflinching while the villains threatened him with torture.