THE PEARL VOCABULARYWeek of 11.10 – 11.14

AVARICENounGreed Insatiable desire for wealth; extreme greed for material wealth Some lottery winners are choked withavarice, hoarding all of their money forthemselves, while others are verygenerous with their winnings, donatingmuch of it to various charities.

INDIGENTAdjectiveExtremely poor, lacking the basic resources of a normal life

Poor enough to need help from others Examples: destitute, impoverished, needy, poverty-stricken, poor

Dylan felt so sorry for the indigent woman, who was sitting on the corner of Dairy Ashford and Memorial in the middle of a thunderstorm, holding a sign that read, “Anything helps.”

PROCESSION Noun The act of moving forward A line or group of people moving together in a deliberate way

Related words: advancement, forward motion, onward motion, progress, progression

A procession of mimes walking through the streets of your town would be surprising and somewhat terrifying.

You’re most likely to see a procession during some kind of ceremony, parade or festival.

PULQUENounFermented Mexican drink from juice of various agave plants Related words: alcohol, alcoholic beverage Edward drank a pulque thathis uncle made during hisvacation in Mexico.

INCANDESCENCENounThe light from heat (physically or emotionally)

Related words: glow A fireplace adds a warm incandescence to a house in the winter.

If someone has a thousand-watt smile, that’s incandescence.

POULTICENounA soft material used for treating a wound, infection, rash, or inflammation

A mushy, sticky bandageMedicant to the body

Jamie had developed a major rash on her right arm, and her mom suggested creating a poultice of seaweed and butter to aid in the healing process.

UNDULATINGAdjectiveFlowing, up-and-down movement like the motion of waves It was mountainous terrain with undulating hills near the nearby village.

TACTFULAdjectiveHaving a knack for saying the right thing at the right time

Appropriate and sensitive; NEVER rude and careless Related words: considerate Carrie was very tactful when talking to herfriend Holly about her party. She didn’t tellher the food was awful, rather, she talkedabout how great the music was.

SUBSIDEVerbTo die down or become less violent

Like rough ocean waves after a storm has passedTo settle down

The violent and choppy waves subsided after the category 5 hurricane. They were so calm that it was as if the storm had never even happened.

RECEDINGNounA slow or gradual disappearance

Related words: fadeout As men grow older, they typicallyexperience a receding hairline as part ofthe unfortunate male pattern baldness. My memories of my grandmother were receding day by day, but I still felt the pain of losing her.

PERCEPTIBLEAdjectiveNoticeableNoticed by the mind or senses

A flavor you can taste, a sound you can hear The scent of the freshly baked vanilla macaroons from the bakery on the corner was a very perceptible odor.

Despite the doctor’s best efforts to cure the illness, there was no perceptible improvement in the patient’s condition.

DEFTLYAdverbAccomplished with style and skillCleverness or witSomething done easily and well

Mary impressed her friends when she grabbed three grapefruits, juggled them deftly, and returned them to their bowl, all while carrying on a conversation.