Vocabulary Unit 5Vocabulary Unit 5Level FLevel F

amnesty – n. a general pardon for an offense against a gov’t; in general, any act

of forgiveness or absolution

The organization Amnesty International works around the world to help those who are accused of wrongdoing in other countries and to create a world of peace.

autonomy – n. self-government, political control, home rule

India sought, and eventually gained, autonomy from England after its colonization.

axiomatic – self-evident, taken for granted, without question

Columbus and other explorers refused the axiomatic notion that the world was flat, and discovered unchartered territories that expanded civilization forever.

blazon – v. to publish or proclaim widely

It was the job of the town crier to blazon the breaking news of a village to all within hearing.

caveat – n. warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage

behavior

“May the buyer beware” is a caveat that indicates to consumers that it is their liability if they regret their purchase or are

disappointed after the sale.

equitable – adj. fair, just

The students sought equitable treatment from the teacher who seemed to play favorites.

extricate – v. to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove

with effort

When Pooh got stuck in Rabbit’s house, it was a combination of diet and manpower that extricated him from the sticky situation.

filch – v. to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts

Pickpockets typically filch items and money from several people in order to accumulate any amount of wealth or value.

flout – v. to mock, treat with contempt

fractious – adj. unruly, quarrelsome, contrary

At the meeting, it seemed like Bob was disagreeing with my proposal simply to be fractious, not to suggest why my idea wouldn’t work.

precept – n. a rule of conduct or action; principle

The golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated is a virtually universal precept in cultures and religions.

salutary – adj. beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been proven time and again to have nothing but salutary effects on a person’s health.

scathing – adj. bitterly severe; harsh

The food critic is known for his scathing criticisms of new restaurants in his city; he seems to prefer the established eateries and is insular about trying some place new.

scourge – v. to whip, punish severely; a source of severe punishment or criticism

In the Roman Empire, a scourge was used to punish those found guilty of crimes.ORThe food critic’s scathing criticism earned him the nickname “The Scourge” among therestaurant owners in his city.

sepulchral – adj. extremely gloomy or dismal

The students were downtrodden at the sepulchral tone the teacher took when discussing the results of their test.

soporific – adj. tending to cause sleep

For some, Thanksgiving dinner is a soporific meal that requires a nap immediately after eating!

straitlaced – adj. extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct

In the Victorian Era, it was the straitlaced custom that a woman could show no part of her legs from her ankles up.

transient – adj. lasting only a short time; n. one who stays only a short time

Before spending a lot of money on one piece of clothing, may I suggest you determine if this fashion trend is transient or will last a long time?

OR

The transient was taken to a homeless shelter for the night.

unwieldy – adj. not easily carried, handled, or managed because of

complexity

Do not be embarrassed to ask for help when moving unwieldy furniture pieces!

vapid – adj. dull, uninteresting, tiresome

There are some students (none in this room, I know), who find Dickens’s novels vapid. Clearly, these are students who are not reading into the subtexts for literary devices and the richness of the author’s command of our language!