Vocabulary Unit 2

availablea vai la ble)

• Definition (adj) ready for use, at hand• The room was available for studying.

cater(ca ter)

• Definition – (v) to satisfy the needs of, try to make things easy, to supply food and service

• We will cater the food for the party.

customary(cus to mar y)

• Definition – (adj) usual, expected, routine• It is customary to shake hands in our country.

dissuade(dis suade)

• Definition – (v) to persuade not to do something

• The bank president offered an increase in wages, but she could not dissuade her employee from quitting.

entrepreneur(en tre pre neur)

• Definition – (n) a person who starts up and takes on the risk of a business

• Can an entrepreneur launch a business with less than a $1,000 dollars?

firebrand(fire brand)

• Definition – (n) A piece of burning wood; a troublemaker; an extremely energetic or emotional person

• A rash young firebrand caused a riot in downtown Chicago.

hazard(haz ard)

• Definition – (n) risk, peril; (v) to expose to danger or harm, to gamble

• It is considered a hazard to your health when you have to work with dangerous and poisonous gases.

Hinder

• to delay; to stop or prevent from happening.• The all day rain predicted for tomorrow will

definitely hinder our plans for a picnic at the lake.

homicide(hom i cide)

• Definition – (n) the killing of one person by another

• The graph indicates that homicide rates are increasing.

indifference(in dif fer ence)

• Definition – (n) a lack of interest or concern• The man’s littering showed his indifference

towards our environment.

indignant(in dig nant)

• Definition - (adj) filled with resentment or anger over something unjust, unworthy or mean

• The man became indignant when he was not allowed in the theater.

indispensable(in di spen sa ble)

• Definition – (adj) absolutely necessary• Water is indispensable.

lubricate(lu bri cate)

• Definition – (v) to apply oil or grease; to make smooth, slippery, or easier to use

• The man had to lubricate the parts.

mutual(mu tu al)

• Definition – (adj) shared, felt, or shown equally by two or more

• In our neighborhood we have developed a mutual respect for each other.

pelt

• Definition – (v) to throw a stream of things• The guests of the wedding could not resist

the urge to pelt the bride and groom with rice as they left the church.

plague

• Definition – (n) an easily spread disease causing a large number of deaths; a widespread evil (v) to annoy or bother

• Cicadas did plague many people in the summer of 2007.

poised

• Definition – (adj) balanced, suspended; calm, controlled; ready for action

• Waiting for the recital to begin, the ballerina stood poised.

regime(re gime)

• Definition – (n) a government in power; a form or system of rule or management; a period of rule

• In 2008 the United States will have a change of regime.

transparent(trans par ent)

• Definition – (adj) allowing light to pass through; easily seen through

• Most glass is transparent.

Unscathed(un scathed)

• Definition- (adj) wholly unharmed, not injured• It was a miracle that the teens walked away

from the accident unscathed.