WORD STUDYCrossroads Middle School

Year TwoTrimester Three

Root: caust / cautLanguage of Origin: GreekDefinition: To burnWords:causticholocaustcauterize

causticAdjectiveDefinition: capable of burning or eating

awaySentences:

1) The caustic chemicals were locked in a safe place so the children couldn’t hurt themselves.

2) Jeremy was so upset and angry that he didn’t care about how painful his caustic tone was with everyone.

holocaustAdjectiveDefinition: Total devastation,

especially by fireSentence:1) The holocaust of the forest

has caused many birds and other wildlife to lose their homes.

cauterizeVerbDefinition: To burn with a hot

instrument.Sentence:

1) The doctor cauterized the wart so it would stop spreading and causing infections.

Root: ceed / cess / cedLanguage of Origin: LatinDefinition: Go, yieldWords:precedeincessantexceed

precedeVerbDefinition: to go beforeSentences:

1) My reputation had preceded me, so everyone already knew how warm and giving I was.

2) In the alphabet, “A” precedes “B”.

incessantAdjectiveDefinition: Constant, never endingSentences:

1) His incessant talking about his shoelace collection made her realize this was not her soul mate.

2) Adam’s incessant belief that there were snakes in his bed caused him to lose many hours of sleep.

exceedVerbDefinition: To go beyond

expectationsSentences:

1) When the benchwarmer entered the game and scored 20 points, he exceeded everyone’s expectations.

2) If the temperature exceeds 100 degrees, they are not going to allow us to go outside for gym class.

Root: gregLanguage of Origin: LatinDefinition: Herd, flock, mobWords:congregatesegregategregarious

congregateVerbDefinition: to gather togetherSentences:

1) The students would all congregate in the hallway to avoid being the first one in the classroom.

2) The protesters congregated outside of the courthouse to show their anger over the verdict.

segregateVerbDefinition: to separate from the crowd,

set apartSentences:

1) In the South during the 1950s, black children were segregated from white children in public schools.

2) I was segregated from my team and forced to sit in the stands because I had missed three practices.

gregariousNounDefinition: associating with others;

enjoying companionshipSentence:

1) The gregarious students lingered in the hall before class, chatting and laughing.

2) My doctor is a gregarious man and often loses track of time while he visits with his patients.

Root: mediLanguage of Origin: LatinDefinition: half; middleWords:mediatormedianintermediate

mediatorNounDefinition: one who comes between opposing

partiesSentences:

1) The mediator was brought in to help the Board of Education and the teachers come to an agreement on their contract.

2) Since the two seventh graders couldn’t settle their differences on their own, Mrs. Robey had to act as a mediator for them.

medianNounDefinition: the middle or midpointSentences:

1) I wasn’t toward the front or back of the lunch line, I was just stuck in the median, going nowhere.

2) In the middle of Route 1, there is a concrete median that keeps cars from crashing into oncoming traffic.

intermediateAdjectiveDefinition: occurring or situated between

two points or places; in betweenSentence:

Many people live in central New Jersey because it is a good intermediate location between two major cities, New York City and Philadelphia.

Root: chronLanguage of Origin: GreekDefinition: timeWords:

chronologicalchronicsynchronize

chronologicalAdjectiveDefinition: arranged in time orderSentences:

1) The teacher told the students to line up in chronological order, so the youngest kid was at the front and the oldest kid was at the back.

2) In social studies, we learn events in chronological order because it is easier to then understand the timeline of how things happened.

chronicAdjectiveDefinition: lasting for a long timeSentences:

1) From all his years getting tackled playing college football, David has chronic back pain.

2) Gretchen had been smoking cigarettes for 30 years and now she has a chronic cough.

synchronizeVerbDefinition: do or happen at the same

timeSentences:

1) We synchronized all of the alarm clocks in the house so they would go off at the same time.

2) In the synchronized diving event at the Olympics, they receive a higher score for landing in the water at the same time.

Root: autoLanguage of Origin: GreekDefinition: selfWords:1) autonomous2) autobiography3) automotive

autonomousAdjectiveDefinition: independent; able to make decisions

by oneselfSentences:

1) Many teenagers believe their parents should stay out of their business and let them be completely autonomous.

2) While the President of the United States of America has the right to make autonomous decisions, he often consults with his advisors for their input.

autobiographyNounDefinition: The story of one’s lifeSentence: The autobiography of

Mark Twain is the most accurate story of his life since it is actually in his own words.

automotiveAdjectiveDefinition: self-movingSentence:

1) The automotive industry capital in this country has always been Detroit, Michigan.

Root: bellLanguage of Origin: LatinDefinition: warWords:1) belligerent2) rebellion3) bellicose

belligerentAdjectiveDefinition: hostile, ready to fightSentence:

1) The belligerent sports fanatic would go to the game and look for fans of the opposing team.

rebellionNounDefinition: organized resistance

to authoritySentence:1) There was a rebellion that

formed in the South and over the issue of slavery.

bellicoseAdjectiveDefinition: inclined to start a warSentence:

1) Rather than reaching a truce and peace agreement, the two opposing sides became more bellicose and the peace talks ended.

Root: teleLanguage of Origin: GreekDefinition: distant, over a distanceWords:

1) telescope2) teleport3) telecommute

telescopeNounDefinition: an instrument used to make

distant items appear larger and closer.Sentence:

1) Jon used his telescope to look at the stars and search for constellations that he learned about in science class.

teleportVerbDefinition: An imaginary way of traveling

through space instantaneously.Sentences:

1) The spaceship teleported from Earth to Mars in five seconds.

2) Sometimes during my math class, I wish I could teleport back to home to my bed.

telecommuteVerbDefinition: to work from a remote

location using technology.Sentence:

1) With increased gas prices and improved technology, many businesses have their workers telecommute on some days, allowing them to work from their computers at home.