• Home
  • Literacy
    • English Textbooks
    • Reading Resources
    • Writing Resources
    • Spelling and Vocabulary
    • Word Wizard
    • Geo Bee
    • Literacy on the Web
  • Mathematics
    • Common Core
    • Math Textbooks
    • Math Lessons
    • Math Review
    • Algebra Summer Bridge
    • Math on the Web
  • Science
    • Science Textbooks
    • Science on the Web
    • Language of Science 2022
    • Science Words
  • College Prep
  • A-G
  • Special Topics
    • Online Learning Sites for Covid-19 Break
    • For Teachers
    • For Tutors >
      • Mathematics Workbooks
      • BTB Risk Management Manual
      • Classroom Management Workshop 9-23-2015
      • Word Wizard Vocabulary Manual
    • For Parents
    • For Students
    • Global Sports >
      • Global Sports Gallery 2017-2018
      • Global Sports Gallery 2016-2017
      • Global Sports Gallery 2015-2016
    • KMS Returning Students 2022-2023
    • KMS Lottery Students 2022-2023
  • Administration
    • Academic Reporting >
      • HS Academic Report
      • MS Academic Report
    • Arts Reporting >
      • HS Dance
      • HS Theater
      • HS Visual Art
      • MS Dance
      • MS Music
      • MS Visual Art
      • HS Music
    • Enroll Students
    • View Students
    • Submit Daily Report
    • View Daily Report
    • PD Reports >
      • Bancroft PD Report
      • Irving PD Report
      • King PD Report
      • Le Conte PD Report
    • Tutor/PD Report
    • HWC 2019-2020 Manual and Documents
    • High School Tutor Survey 2019
  • About Us
L.A.C.E.R. Learning
1

Group 1

1.1

ambience

the surrounding atmosphere

AMBI, AMPHI

around, both

n.

The pictures on the walls and the paper lanterns created a special ambience.

1.2

ambiguity

more than one possible meaning

n.

The ambiguity in his writings leaves the reader puzzled.

1.3

ambitious

having a strong desire to succeed.

adj.

She's ambitious and hopes to get a better job.

1.4

amphibious

able to live or to travel on land and water

adj.

The marines went ashore in amphibious vehicles.

Group 2

2.1

antebellum

Before a war (i.e. the American Civil War)

ANTE, ANTI

before

adj.

The novel, Gone with the Wind, begins in the South in antebellum days.

2.2

antecedent

something that logically goes before something else

n.

Cricket was the antecedent of baseball.

2.3

antediluvian

before the Flood described in the Bible; old-fashioned or primitive.

adj.

Compared with the cars my friends drive, mine is antediluvian.

2.4

antiquity

ancient times

n.

The museum specializes in armor from antiquity.

Group 3

3.1

antidote

a remedy, a medicine that counteracts a poison or disease

ANTI

against, opposite

n.

After the snake bit him, he was quickly given an antidote.

3.2

antiseptic

something capable of destroying microorganisms and works against infection;; a sterilizer

n.

The nurse washed the wound with an antiseptic solution.

3.3

anticlimax

a sudden drop in importance; a let down

n.

Her present uninteresting job is an anticlimax to a brilliant career.

3.4

antithesis

the exact opposite

n.

Love is the antithesis of hate.

Group 4

4.1

autocratic

ruling by one person; domineering

AUTO

self

adj.

The supervisor was autocratic, accepting suggestions from no one.

4.2

automaton

an apparatus that functions by itself; a robot

n.

Because she had been stapling papers for so many hours, she felt like an automaton.

4.3

autonomous

self-governing

adj.

Released from state control, the college finally became autonomous.

4.4

autopsy

an examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death

n.

The autopsy determined that the cause of death was a heart attack.

Group 5

5.1

benediction

a blessing: a speaking of good wishes

BENE

well, good

n.

After the benediction, the congregation filed out of the church.

5.2

beneficial

producing good results

adj.

Keeping a student planner and having a study schedule is beneficial.

5.3

beneficiary

a person who receives benefits, as from a will or an insurance policy

n.

He was the beneficiary of his father's will.

5.4

benign

harmless. (Also, in medicine, mild; not malignant)

adj.

The growth on his arm proved to be benign rather than malignant.

Group 6

6.1

autobiography

an account of a person's life written by that same person

BIO

life

n.

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is considered a classic.

6.2

biosphere

the part of the earth in which living things exist

n.

Many parts of the biosphere remain unexplored and mysterious.

6.3

symbiosis

interdependence; living together in close union of two dissimilar organisms

n.

The symbiosis of algae and fungi forms lichens.

6.4

biodegradable

capable of being broken down by living organisms and absorbed by the environment

adj.

She switched to a biodegradable detergent, which would not pollute the streams.

Group 7

7.1

circuitous

roundabout; not direct

CIRCUM

around

adj.

Because she didn't know the way, she took a rather circuitous route to get to the party.

7.2

circumference

the perimeter of a circle

n.

In our math class we learned how to find the circumference of a circle.

7.3

circumlocution

indirect or roundabout way of saying something

n.

"A number of other commitments will make it impossible..." is a circumlocution for "I can't..."

7.4

circumspect

careful to consider possible consequences

adj.

She was circumspect in making suggestions for improvement to her temperamental boss.

Group 8

8.1

creed

a formal statement of belief

CRED

to believe

n.

She learned to repeat the Apostle's Creed.

8.2

discredit

to destroy belief in someone or something

v.

Because the newspaper articles discredited the mayor, he had to resign.

8.3

credible

believable

n.

After the riot and looting, the police were trying to find a credible witness.

8.4

accreditation

The act of granting credit for meeting specified standards

v.

A commission is responsible for the accreditation of medical schools.

Group 9

9.1

demagogue

a leader who stirs up people by appealing to emotions and prejudice in order to gain power.

DEM

people

n.

Interested only in gaining personal power, the senator was a demagogue.

9.2

democracy

government by representatives elected by the people

n.

More countries are now voting for democracy.

9.3

demographics

statistical information relating to populations

n.

The 2010 census gathered a wealth of demographics .

9.4

epidemic

a disease that spreads rapidly

n.

The world-wide flu epidemic of 1917 caused millions of people to die.

Group 10

10.1

disburse

to pay out money from a fund

DIS

not, away, part

v.

The president of the scholars society disbursed the scholarship funds.

10.2

discordant

disagreeable to the ear

adj.

One discordant voice can ruin a choir.

10.3

disparity

inequality; a difference

n.

Despite the disparity in their ages, they get along very well.

10.4

dissident

a dissenter: one who disagrees

n.

The dissidents made trouble for the ruling party.

Group 11

11.1

equanimity

composure

EQU

equal

n.

No matter what happened, she always maintained her equanimity.

11.2

equilibrium

a state of balance; a stable situation

n.

When the horse swerved, the boy lost his equilibrium and fell off.

11.3

equivalent

equal in value, force, or meaning

adj.

The prize was equivalent to a month's wages.

11.4

equivocate

to be deliberately ambiguous in communication

v.

The candidates equivocated so much that it was impossible to tell where they stood on any issue.

Group 12

12.1

euphemism

the substitution of a mild word in place of a harsh one

EU

good, well

n.

She spoke in euphemisms, talking of passing on, rather than dying; underprivileged rather than poor.

12.2

eulogize

to praise someone who has recently died.

n.

He gave a moving eulogy at the funeral of his friend.

12.3

euphoria

a feeling of well-being

n.

After she received her scholarship, she was in a state of euphoria.

12.4

euphony

a good sound

n.

He fell asleep to the euphony of wind chimes.

Group 13

13.1

confidant

a person who one confides in

FID

faith

n.

Her dad had been her confidant for years.

13.2

fidelity

faithfulness

n.

His fidelity to the party platform was questionable.

13.3

affidavit

a written declaration made under oath

n.

Her affidavit wasn't valid since it wasn't properly notarized.

13.4

confidence

a feeling of trust in someone or something

n,

I have confidence in our team; I know they will play well next season.

Group 14

14.1

calligraphy

the art of fine handwriting

GRAPH

to write, draw

n.

She copied her favorite poem in fine calligraphy and had it framed.

14.2

choreography

the creating of dance movements

n.

The director of the movie also did the choreography.

14.3

diagram

a drawing that explains something

n.

We were given a diagram showing us how to attach the cable to our new printer.

14.4

hologram

a three dimensional image made using lasers

n.

The cover for the National Geographic last month was a hologram.

Group 15

15.1

embryology

the study of the formation and development of embryos

LOGY

study of

n.

The science of embryology has determined the exact times that parts of the fetus develop.

15.2

entomology

the study of insects

n.

The entomology class was studying insects.

15.3

etymology

the study of the origin and development of words.

n.

From his study of etymology, he was able to write a best selling book on word histories.

15.4

ornithology

the branch of zoology dealing with the study of birds.

n.

Because he was interested in ornithology, he made recordings of bird songs.

Group 16

16.1

malady

an illness

MAL

bad

n.

Science has reduced the number of incurable maladies.

16.2

malaise

a feeling of illness or depression

n.

As he was preparing for the interview, a slight malaise came over him

16.3

malignant

harmful; likely to cause death

adj.

She was relieved when the biopsy revealed that the growth was not malignant.

16.4

malinger

to pretend to be in bad health to get out of a responsibility

v.

Since his headaches always occurred at school time, we thought he was malingering.

Group 17

17.1

emissary

a representative sent out on a specific mission

MIT, MIS, MISS

to send

n.

The government sent an emissary to investigate the recent plane crash.

17.2

missive

a letter or message that is sent

n.

The missive from the president directed their next move.

17.3

omit

to leave out

v.

You can omit that unnecessary paragraph.

17.4

premise

an initial assumption upon which an argument is based.

n.

His argument failed because it was based on a false premise.

Group 18

18.1

monarchy

a government with one hereditary ruler

MONO

one

n.

At the end of the war the monarchy became a democracy.

18.2

monolithic

large, powerful, and uniform

adj.

The corporation had become monolithic, with one strong central organization.

18.3

monotone

having one tone; lack of variety

n.

Because the teacher always spoke in a monotone, his students always fell asleep.

18.4

monotheism

The belief that there is only one God.

n.

Unlike their neighbors, the early Hebrews held to monotheism.

Group 19

19.1

amorphous

Formless; without definite form or shape

MORPH

form, shape

adj.

Her class notes were still in an amorphous state, without any plan or organization.

19.2

anthropomorphic

a form that suggests human characteristics

adj.

The Greeks had a very anthropomorphic conception of their gods who acted just like people.

19.3

Morpheus*

The Greek god of sleep who formed dreams.

n.

Morpheus was so named because of the forms he controlled in people's dreams.

19.4

morphine

a drug used to bring on sleep and ease pain (named after Morpheus)

n.

The doctor prescribed morphine for the agonizing pain.

Group 20

20.1

apathy

Indifference; a lack of feeling

PATH

feeling, suffering

n.

Voter apathy was to blame for the lack of voter turnout on election day.

20.2

empathy

a deep understanding of another's feeling

n.

Because he had been unemployed for the year before, he had empathy for his unemployed friend.

20.3

psychopath

a person with a lack of social feelings

n.

A psychopath has a lack of regard for social norms and an inability to understand the feelings of others.

20.4

pathology

the scientific study of diseases

n.

Some doctors prefer the laboratory research of pathology rather than treating patients directly.

Group 21

21.1

philosophy

the love and pursuit of wisdom

PHIL

to love

n.

Socrates valued philosophy more than anything else.

21.2

Philadelphia*

"The city of brotherely love"; the largest city in Pennsylvania

n.

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed in Philadelphia.

21.3

philanthropy

showing a love of humanity by giving to charitable causes

n.

The philanthropy of Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, is well-known.

21.4

bibliophile

one who loves books

n.

We discovered a small bookstore owned and managed by a true bibliophile.

Group 22

22.1

cacophony

disagreeable or discordant sounds

PHON

sound

n.

Only a mother can enjoy the cacophony of her child's violin playing.

22.2

phonetics

the branch of language study dealing with spoken sounds and their symbols

n.

A knowledge of phonetics is an aid in learning to speak a new language.

22.3

saxophone

a wind instrument

n.

Adolphe Sax, born in 1814 in Belgium, is credited with inventing the first saxophone.

22.4

symphony

sounds playing together; an orchestra; music written for an orchestra

n.

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony may be the most famous of all time.

Group 23

23.1

preamble

an introduction to a document that comes first

PRE

before

n.

Have you read the Preamble to the Constitution?

23.2

precocious

a characteristic developed very early or ahead of schedule

adj.

The child was precocious, having learned to read at four.

23.3

predilection

a preference for something

n.

Her predilection for classical music kept her from being an impartial judge in the music contest.

23.4

prejudice

a judgment formed beforehand without examination of the facts

n.

She finally realized that her intolerance of newcomers was simply unfounded prejudice.

Group 24

24.1

recant

to renounce a belief

RE

back, again

v.

The judge chose to recant publicly his former stand on capital punishment.

24.2

recession

a period of reduced economic activity

n.

The United States is recovering from a severe and prolonged recession.

24.3

recluse

A person who is shut away from the world

 

The poet Emily Dickenson lived as a recluse in her home in Amherst.

24.4

Renaissance*

the period of the rebirth of classical art, literature, and music in Europe

 

Michelangelo was an artist of the Renaissance.

Group 25

25.1

preside

to conduct a meeting

SED, SID, SESS

to sit

v.

The vice president had to preside in the president's absence.

25.2

president

one who sits before a group as its head

n.

We waited for the president to state his views.

25.3

sediment

material that sits at the bottom of a liquid

n.

Did you notice the sediment in the bottom of the glass?

25.4

session

the sitting together of a group

n.

School is in session now.

Group 26

26.1

subjugate

to put down by force or intimidation

SUB

under

v.

The invaders subjugated the primitive tribe.

26.2

subpoena

a legal order requiring a person to appear in court to give legal testimony

n.

She received a subpoena to appear in court next week.

26.3

subsistence

minimal resources for supporting life

n.

They had barely enough food for subsistence.

26.4

subterfuge

something intended to misrepresent the truth

n.

By using the subterfuge of having to work overtime, he avoided having to go to the meeting.

Group 27

27.1

symbol

something that represents something else

SYN, SYM, SYL

together, with

n.

Gold and diamonds are symbols of wealth.

27.2

synagogue

a place where Jewish people come together for worship

n.

We visited a synagogue that was famous for its architecture.

27.3

syllogism

a form of reasoning consisting of two statements and a conclusion

n.

An example of a syllogism: All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore Socrates is mortal.

27.4

synthesis

combining of separate elements into a whole

n.

The writer's combination of ideas into a complex whole was a feat of creative synthesis.

Group 28

28.1

distort

twist out of shape; to give a misleading account of something

TORT

to twist

v.

Her description of the accident distorted the facts.

28.2

contortionist

an acrobat who can twist their body into extraordinary positions

n.

We watched an expert contortionist when we were at the circus.

28.3

tortoise

a turtle - so called perhaps because of its twisted feet

n.

The waiter worked at the speed of a tortoise.

28.4

torture

any act that leads to severe mental and/or physical pain

n.

Waiting for the judges' decision after the contest was pure torture.

Group 29

29.1

veracious

accurate, truthful

VER

true

adj.

The local newspaper gave a veracious account of the incident.

29.2

verdict

the decision of a jury

n.

The jury gave their verdict of not guilty

29.3

verification

establishment of the truth

n.

Before cashing the check, the clerk asked for verification of the customer's identity.

29.4

very

truly, absolutely

adv.

He expected the very opposite

Group 30

30.1

deviate

to turn away from an established way

VIA

way

v.

Anyone who deviates from the rules is likely to encounter problems.

30.2

viaduct

a bridge that carries road or rail traffic over a valley

adj.

The Romans were expert at building beautiful viaducts.

30.3

previous

beforehand

adj.

I learned that in a previous assignment.

30.4

devious

not done in a straight forward way; deceptive

adj.

His fortune was made by devious means.