Exam Study Vocabulary Set 1

EXAM STUDY VOCABULARY SET# 1 1. abdicate(v.) to give up a position of leadership "Royalties may not abdicate," fell as a warning from pretty lips. (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde)

2. aberration (n.) something that is different from what is normal A tremulous uncertainty of the action of all her limbs soon became a part of her regular state, and afterwards, at intervals of two or three months, she would often put her hands to her head, and would then remain for about a week at a time in some gloomy aberration of mind. (Great Expectations, Charles Dickens)

3. cumulative (adj.) building up, increasing He was convinced of Neville's innocence of any part in the ugly disappearance; and yet so many little circumstances combined so wofully against him, that he dreaded to add two more to their cumulativeweight. (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Charles Dickens)

4. cultivate (v.) to refine, improve, nurture I don't know whether you cultivatethe arts of peace or your flag is flung to the battle and the breeze and your voice is for war. (Fantastic-Fables, Ambrose Bierce)

5. despondent (adj.) feeling sad, discouraged, depressed So do not be despondent, do not give way, but allow more rein to your better sense. (Poor Folk, Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

6. engender (v.) to bring about An unguided ramble into its recesses in bad weather is apt to engenderdissatisfaction with its narrow, tortuous, and miry ways. (Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy)

7. impervious (adj.) incapable of being affected I began to occupy my house on the 4th of July, as soon as it was boarded and roofed, for the boards were carefully feather-edged and lapped, so that it was perfectly imperviousto rain, but before boarding I laid the foundation of a chimney at one end, bringing two cartloads of stones up the hill from the pond in my arms. (Walden, Henry David Thoreau)

8. indolent (adj.) lazy So too the poet, in representing men who are irascible or indolent, or have other defects of character, should preserve the type and yet ennoble it. (Poetic, Aristotle)

9. induce (v.) to cause to happen I am persuaded the gout is brought on or kept off at pleasure; it was the same when I wanted to join the Hamiltons to the Lakes; and three years ago, when I had a fancy for Bath, nothing could inducehim to have a gouty symptom. (Lady Susan, Jane Austen)

10. proclivity (n.) a strong inclination But with the self-combating proclivity of the supersensitive, an answer thereto arose in Clare's own mind, and he almost feared it. (Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy)

Name Date

EXAM STUDY VOCABULARY SET# 1 QUIZ DIRECTIONS: Math each word with its definition by writing the letter of the definition in the blank in front of the word it defines.

_____ 1. abdicate

A. feeling sad, discouraged, depressed

_____ 2. aberration

B. something that is different from what is

_____ 3. cumulative

C. to refine, improve, nurture

_____ 4. cultivate

D. lazy

_____ 5. despondent

E. building up, increasing

_____ 6. engender

F. a strong inclination

normal

_____ 7. impervious

G. to give up a position of leadership

_____ 8. indolent

H. to cause to happen

_____ 9. induce

I. incapable of being affected

_____ 10. proclivity

J. to bring about

EXAM STUDY VOCABULARY SET# 1 (Answer Key)

__G___ 1. abdicate

A. feeling sad, discouraged, depressed

__B___ 2. aberration

B. something that is different from what is normal

__E___ 3. cumulative

C. to refine, improve, nurture

__C___ 4. cultivate

__A___ 5. despondent

__J___ 6. engender

__I___ 7. impervious

D. lazy

E. building up, increasing

F. a strong inclination

G. to give up a position of leadership

__D___ 8. indolent

H. to cause to happen

__H___ 9. induce

I. incapable of being affected

__F___ 10. proclivity

J. to bring about