Second Six Weeks Vocab
Lesson 3
Quiz on Friday, November 5
illuminationSomething made clear; a
brightening; an elightenment
Getting an “F” for the first time was an illumination to the fact that he was
really going to have to study in high school.
hastento urge on; to move or act
quickly
To hasten our completion, I will do some extra work tonight.
effaceto erase or delete; to obscure by rubbing out
The little waves, with their soft white hands, efface the footprints in the
sands.
martyrdomthe suffering and death of a martyr; the state of enduring torture and persecution for
the sake of beliefs and principles
Not willing to give in to his captor’s demands, the priest went through
martyrdom as he was tortured and died.
immerseto plunge or dip into; to
absorb
Mary tried to immerse herself in the culture of France by eating foods of
the area and taking part in local activities so she could absorb the
lifestyle.
convictionthe state of being
convicted or having a strong belief in
something
Matthew’s strong faith and convictions will keep him from participating in
activities that might be harmful to him.
humanitarianone who practices
philanthropy or goodwill to mankind;
characterized by goodwill
Mr. Jones earned a humanitarian award for his countless hours he spent as a
volunteer at the homeless shelter.
ominousforetelling evil; threatening
The ominous clouds approaching told of the storm that was to come.
querulousconstantly complaining;
fretful or whining
The querulous child was always whining about something bothering
her.
firmamentthe heavens; the arch of
the sky
I looked up to the firmament, full of stars tonight, and was thankful that it
was a beautiful night.
reproachto cast discredit upon;
blame or censure
The little boy could not stand the look of reproach in his mother’s face, so he apologized for lying and hurting
her feelings.
toila laborious effort; long
fatiguing labor
It took great physical toil to grow and gather enough food for the winter.
somberdark or gloomy; grave or
melancholy
After being defeated in the state championship, the team’s mood was
somber.
silhouettethe outlines of an object
filled with black or shadow
Against the fire, you could see the man’s dark silhouette on the wall.
sputterto utter words hastily or explosively in excitement
or confusion
In her excitement to tell about the party, the child began to sputter incomplete sentences and made very little sense.
feignto give a false appearance
of; to fake
Although I do not feel well, I will feign that I am having a good time.
aristocrata member of the
privileged class or ruling government
Being an aristocrat, he could not understand the horrors of poverty.
lustrousHaving a shine, sheen, or brightness from reflected
light
The singers’ lustrous suit shined brightly as he took the stage.
ensigna flag, badge or emblem
The captain took down the skull and crossbones flag and hung up a new ensign to show that the pirates had
been defeated.
vanquishedto defeat; to overcome in
a battle or contest
The undefeated Klein Collins football team has vanquished all of its foes.