Merriam websters vocabulary builder

to the Second Edition Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder is designed to achieve two goals: 1 to add a large number of words to your permanent working vocabulary, and 2 to teach the mos

Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder

Second EditionMary Wood Cornog

Merriam-Webster, IncorporatedSpringfield, Massachusetts

A GENUINE MERRIAM-WEBSTER

The name Webster alone is no guarantee of excellence It is used by a number of publishers and may serve mainly to mislead an unwary

buyer

Merriam-Webster™ is the name you should look for when you consider the purchase of dictionaries or other fine reference books It

carries the reputation of a company that has been publishing since 1831 and is your assurance of quality and authority

Copyright © 2010 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder, Second Edition

ISBN 978-0-87779-795-1

All rights reserved No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means

—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems—withoutwritten permission of the publisher

to the Second Edition

Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder is designed to achieve two goals: (1) to add a large number of words to your permanent

working vocabulary, and (2) to teach the most useful of the classical word-building roots to help you continue expanding your

vocabulary in the future

To achieve these goals, Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder employs an original approach that takes into account how

people learn and remember Some vocabulary builders simply present their words in alphabetical order; some provide little or no

discussion of the words and how to use them; and a few even fail to show the kinds of sentences in which the words usually appear Butmemorizing a series of random and unrelated things can be difficult and time-consuming The fact is that we tend to remember wordseasily and naturally when they appear in some meaningful context, when they've been shown to be useful and therefore worth

remembering, and when they've been properly explained to us Knowing precisely how to use a word is just as important as knowingwhat it means

Greek and Latin have been the sources of most of the words in the English language (the third principal source being the family ofGermanic languages) All these words were added to the language long after the fall of the Roman empire, and more continue to beadded to this day, with most new words—especially those in the sciences—still making use of Greek and Latin roots A knowledge ofGreek and Latin roots will not only help you remember the meanings of the words in this book but will help you guess at the meanings ofnew words that you run into elsewhere Remember what a root means and you'll have at least a fighting chance of understanding a word

in which it appears

The roots in this book are only a fraction of those that exist, but they include almost all the roots that have produced the largest

number of common English words All these roots (sometimes called stems) formed parts of Greek and Latin words Some are shown

in more than one form (for example, CRAC/CRAT), which means that they changed form in the original language, just as buy and bought are forms of the same English word.

Each of the more than 250 roots in this book is followed by four words based on the root Each group of eight words (two roots)

is followed by two quizzes Every fifth group of words is a special eight-word section which may contain words based on classicalmythology or history, words borrowed directly from Greek or Latin, or other special categories of terms Each set of 40 words makes

up a unit Thus, the 30 units in the book discuss in detail a total of 1,200 words In addition, the brief paragraphs discussing each wordinclude in italics many words closely related to the main words So mastering a single word (for example, compel) can increase your vocabulary by several words (in this case, compelling, compulsion, and compulsive).

The words presented here aren't all on the same level of difficulty—some are quite simple and some are truly challenging—but thegreat majority are words that could be encountered on the SAT and similar standardized tests Most of them are in the vocabularies ofwell-educated Americans, including professionals such as scientists, lawyers, professors, and doctors Even the words you feel familiar

with may only have a place in your recognition vocabulary—that is, the words you recognize when you see or hear them but don't

actually use in your own speech and writing

Each main word is followed by its most common pronunciation Any pronunciation symbols unfamiliar to you can be learned easily

by referring to the Pronunciation Symbols table on page vii

The definition comes next We've tried to provide only the most common senses or meanings of each word, in simple and

straightforward language, and no more than two definitions of any word are given (A more complete range of definitions can be found

in a college dictionary such as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.)

An example sentence marked with a bullet (•) follows the definition This sentence by itself can indicate a great deal about theword, including the kind of sentence in which it often appears It can also serve as a memory aid; when you meet the word in the future,you may recall the example sentence more easily than the definition

An explanatory paragraph rounds out each entry The paragraph may do a number of things: It may tell you what else you need toknow in order to use the word intelligently and correctly, when the definition and example sentence aren't enough It may tell you moreabout the word's roots and its history It may discuss additional meanings or provide additional example sentences It may demonstratethe use of closely related words And it may provide an informative or entertaining glimpse into a subject related to the word Theintention is to make you as comfortable as possible with each word in turn and to enable you to start using it immediately, without fear ofembarrassment

The quizzes following each eight-word group, along with the review quizzes at the end of each unit, will test your memory Many of

them ask you to fill in a blank in a sentence Others require you to identify synonyms (words with the same or very similar meaning) or antonyms (words with the opposite meaning) Perhaps most difficult are the analogies, which ask that you choose the word that will

make the relationship between the last two words the same as the relationship between the first two Thus, you may be asked to

complete the analogy “calculate : count :: expend : _” (which can be read as “ Calculate is to count as expend is to _”) by choosing one of four words: stretch, speculate, pay, and explode Since calculate and count are nearly synonyms, you will choose a near synonym for expend, so the correct answer is pay.

Studies have shown that the only way a new word will remain alive in your vocabulary is if it's regularly reinforced through use andthrough reading Learn the word here and look and listen for it elsewhere; you'll probably find yourself running into it frequently, just aswhen you've bought a new car you soon realize how many other people own the same model

Carry this book in your shoulder bag or leave it on your night table Whenever you find yourself with a few minutes to spare, open

it to the beginning of a brief root group (There's no real need to read the units in any particular order, since each unit is entirely contained However, studying the book straight through from the beginning will ensure that you make maximum use of it.) Pick a singleword or a four-word group or an eight-word section; study it, test yourself, and then try making up new sentences for each word Besure to pronounce every new word aloud at least once, along with its definition

self-Start using the words immediately As soon as you feel confident with a word, start trying to work it into your writing whereverappropriate—your papers and reports, your diary and your poetry An old saying goes, “Use it three times and it's yours.” That may be,

but don't stop at three Make the words part of your working vocabulary, the words that you can not only recognize when you see or hear them but that you can comfortably call on whenever you need them Astonish your friends, amaze your relatives, astound yourself

(while trying not to be too much of a show-off)—and have fun!

Acknowledgments: The first edition of this book, written by Mary Wood Cornog, also benefited from the contributions of numerous

members of the Merriam-Webster staff, including Michael G Belanger, Brett P Palmer, Stephen J Perrault, and Mark A Stevens.This new edition was edited by Mark A Stevens, with assistance from C Roger Davis and with the support and encouragement ofMerriam-Webster's president and publisher, John M Morse

Pronunciation Symbols

banana, collide, abut

humdrum, abut

immediately preceding , , , , as in batt

le, mitten, eaten, and sometimes op en , lock and key

further, merger, bird

mat, map, mad, gag, snap, patch

day, fade, date, aorta, drape, cape

bother, cot

car, heart, bazaar, bizarre

now, loud, out

baby, rib

chin, nature

did, adder

bet, bed, peck

bare, fair, wear, millionaire

easy, mealy

fifty, cuff

go, big, gift

hat, ahead

tip, banish, active

near, deer, mere, pier

site, side, buy, tripe

job, gem, edge, join, judge

kin, cook, ache

lily, pool

murmur, dim, nymph

no, own

bone, know, beau

saw, all, gnaw, caught

as in shy, mission, machine, special

tie, attack, late, later, latter

as in thin, ether

th then, either, this

rule, youth, union , few

pull, wood, book

boor, tour, insure

mark preceding a syllable with secondary (medium) stress:

mark of syllable division

Unit 1

BENEAMBELLPAC CRIMPROBGRAV LEVWords from Mythology and History

Quiz 1-1Quiz 1-2Quiz 1-3Quiz 1-4Quiz 1-5Review Quizzes 1

BENE is Latin for “well.” A benefit is a good result or effect Something beneficial produces good results or effects The Latin root

can be heard in other languages as well: “Good!” or “Fine!” in Spanish is “Bueno!”; in French, it's “Bon!”; and in Italian, just say

“Bene!”

benediction A prayer that asks for God's blessing, especially a prayer that concludes a worship service

• The moment the bishop had finished his benediction, she squeezed quickly out of her row and darted out the cathedral's side entrance

In benediction, the bene root is joined by another Latin root, dictio, “speaking” (see DICT), so the word's meaning becomessomething like “well-wishing.” Perhaps the best-known benediction is the so-called Aaronic Benediction from the Bible, which begins,

“May the Lord bless you and keep you.” An important section of the Catholic Mass was traditionally known as the Benedictus, after its first word (meaning “blessed”) It was St Benedict who organized the first Christian monasteries; many Christians have been baptized

Benedict in his honor, and 16 popes have taken it as their papal name

benefactor Someone who helps another person or group, especially by giving money

• An anonymous benefactor had given $15 million to establish an ecological institute at the university

A benefactor may be involved in almost any field One may endow a scholarship fund; another may give money to expand a library; stillanother may leave a generous sum to a hospital in her will The famous benefactions of John D Rockefeller included the gifts that

established the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rockefeller University Many benefactors have reported thatgiving away their money turned out to be the most rewarding thing they ever did

beneficiary A person or organization that benefits or is expected to benefit from something, especiallyone that receives money or property when someone dies

• Living in a trailer in near-poverty, she received word in the mail that her father had died, naming her as the sole beneficiary of his insurance policy

life-Beneficiary is often used in connection with life insurance, but it shows up in many other contexts as well A college may be the

beneficiary of a private donation Your uncle's will may make a church his sole beneficiary, in which case all his money and property will

go to it when he dies A “third-party beneficiary” of a contract is a person (often a child) who the people signing the contract (which isusually an insurance policy or an employee-benefit plan) want to benefit from it In a more general way, a small business may be abeneficiary of changes to the tax code, or a restaurant may be the beneficiary when the one across the street closes down and its wholelunch crowd starts coming in

benevolence Kindness, generosity

• In those financially desperate years, the young couple was saved only by the benevolence of her elderly great-uncle

Part of benevolence comes from the Latin root meaning “wish.” The novels of Charles Dickens often include a benevolent figure who rescues the main characters at some point—Mr Brownlow in Oliver Twist , Abel Magwitch in David Copperfield, Mr Jarndyce in Bleak House, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol To be benevolent, it helps to have money, but it's not necessary; kind

assistance of a nonfinancial sort may turn out to be lifesaving benevolence as well

AM comes from the Latin amare, “to love.” The Roman god of love was known by two different names, Cupid and Amor Amiable

means “friendly or good-natured,” and amigo is Spanish for “friend.”

amicable Friendly, peaceful

• Their relations with their in-laws were generally amicable, despite some bickering during the holidays

Amicable often describes relations between two groups, or especially two nations—for example, the United States and Canada, which

are proud of sharing the longest unguarded border in the world So we often speak of an amicable meeting or an amicable settlement

When amicable describes more personal relations, it may indicate a rather formal friendliness But it's always nice when two friends

who've been quarreling manage to have an amicable conversation and to say amicable good-byes at the end

enamored Charmed or fascinated; inflamed with love

• Rebecca quickly became enamored of the town's rustic surroundings, its slow pace, and its eccentric characters

Computer hackers are always enamored of their new programs and games Millions of readers have found themselves enamored withJane Austen's novels And Romeo and Juliet were, of course, utterly enamored of each other But we also often use the word in

negative contexts: A friend at work may complain that she's not enamored of the new boss, and when you start talking about how you're

not enamored with the neighbors it may be time to move (Note that both of and with are commonly used after enamored.)

amorous Having or showing strong feelings of attraction or love

• It turned out that the amorous Congressman had gotten his girlfriend a good job and was paying for her apartment

A couple smooching on a park bench could be called amorous, or a young married couple who are always hugging and kissing But theword is often used a bit sarcastically, as when a tabloid newspaper gets hold of some scandalous photos and calls the participants “theamorous pair.” In such cases, we may be encouraged to think the attraction is more physical than emotional

paramour A lover, often secret, not allowed by law or custom

• He had been coming to the house for two years before her brothers realized that he was actually the paramour of their shy and

withdrawn sister

Paramour came to English from French (a language based on Latin), though the modern French don't use the word Since par amour

meant “through love,” it implies a relationship based solely on love, often physical love, rather than on social custom or ceremony Sotoday it tends to refer to the lover of a married man or woman, but may be used for any lover who isn't obeying the social rules

B Complete the analogy:

1 charming : enchanting :: amorous : _

a sublime b pleasant c likeable d passionate

2 greeting : farewell :: benediction : _

a motto b speech c curse d saying

3 lender : borrower :: benefactor : _

a giver b beneficiary c participant d partner

4 gentle : tender :: enamored : _

a lively b charmed c cozy d enraged

5 liking : appreciation :: benevolence : _

a opinion b sentimentality c interest d generosity

6 frozen : boiling :: amicable : _

a calm b comfortable c shy d unfriendly

7 patient : doctor :: beneficiary : _

a tycoon b investor c lover d benefactor

8 friend : companion :: paramour : _

a lover b theater c mother d wife

Answers

BELL comes from the Latin word meaning “war.” Bellona was the little-known Roman goddess of war; her husband, Mars, was the

god of war

antebellum Existing before a war, especially before the American Civil War (1861–65)

• When World War I was over, the French nobility found it impossible to return to their extravagant antebellum way of life

Even countries that win a war often end up worse off than they had been before, and the losers almost always do So antebellum often

summons up images of ease, elegance, and entertainment that disappeared in the postwar years In the American South, the antebellumway of life depended on a social structure, based on slavery, that collapsed after the Civil War; Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind shows the nostalgia and bitterness felt by wealthy Southerners after the war more than the relief and anticipation experienced by

those released from slavery In Europe, World War I shattered the grand life of the upper classes, even in victorious France and Britain,and changed society hugely in the space of just four years

bellicose Warlike, aggressive, quarrelsome

• The more bellicose party always got elected whenever there was tension along the border and the public believed that military actionwould lead to security

Since bellicose describes an attitude that hopes for actual war, the word is generally applied to nations and their leaders In the 20th

century, it was commonly used to describe such figures as Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm, Italy's Benito Mussolini, and Japan's GeneralTojo, leaders who believed their countries had everything to gain by starting wars The international relations of a nation with a bellicose

foreign policy tend to be stormy and difficult, and bellicosity usually makes the rest of the world very uneasy.

belligerence Aggressiveness, combativeness

• The belligerence in Turner's voice told them that the warning was a serious threat

Unlike bellicose and bellicosity, the word belligerence can be used at every level from the personal to the global The belligerence of Marlon Brando's performances as the violent Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire electrified the country in the 1940s and '50s At the same time, belligerent speeches by leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States throughout the Cold War were keeping the world on edge Belligerent is even a noun; the terrible war in the Congo in recent years, for example, has involved seven

nations as belligerents

rebellion Open defiance and opposition, sometimes armed, to a person or thing in authority

• A student rebellion that afternoon in Room 13 resulted in the new substitute teacher racing out of the building in tears

Plenty of teenagers rebel against their parents in all kinds of ways But a rebellion usually involves a group Armed rebellions are usually

put down by a country's armed forces, or at least kept from expanding beyond a small area The American War of Independence wasfirst viewed by the British as a minor rebellion that would soon run its course, but this particular rebellion led to a full-fledged revolution

—that is, the overthrow of a government Rebellion, armed or otherwise, has often alerted those in power that those they control arevery unhappy

PAC is related to the Latin words for “agree” and “peace.” The Pacific Ocean —that is, the “Peaceful Ocean”—was named by

Ferdinand Magellan because it seemed so calm after he had sailed through the storms near Cape Horn (Magellan obviously had neverwitnessed a Pacific typhoon.)

pacify (1) To soothe anger or agitation (2) To subdue by armed action

• It took the police hours to pacify the angry demonstrators

Someone stirred up by a strong emotion can usually be pacified by some kind words and the removal of its causes Unhappy babies are

often given a rubber pacifier for sucking to make them stop crying During the Vietnam War, pacification of an area meant using

armed force to drive out the enemy, which might be followed by bringing the local people over to our side by building schools andproviding social services But an army can often bring “peace” by pure force, without soothing anyone's emotions

pacifist A person opposed to war or violence, especially someone who refuses to bear arms or to fight, on moral orreligious grounds

• Her grandfather had fought in the Marines in World War II, but in his later years he had become almost a pacifist, opposing every warfor one reason or another

The Quakers and the Jehovah's Witnesses are pacifist religious groups, and Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King are

probably the most famous American pacifists Like these groups and individuals, pacifists haven't always met with sympathy or

understanding Refusing to fight ever, for any reason, calls for strong faith in one's own moral or religious convictions, since pacifism

during wartime has often gotten people persecuted and even thrown in prison

pact An agreement between two or more people or groups; a treaty or formal agreement between nations to deal with aproblem or to resolve a dispute

• The girls made a pact never to reveal what had happened on that terrifying night in the abandoned house

Pact has “peace” at its root because a pact often ends a period of unfriendly relations The word is generally used in the field of

international relations, where diplomats may speak of an “arms pact,” a “trade pact,” or a “fishing-rights pact.” But it may also be usedfor any solemn agreement or promise between two people; after all, whenever two parties shake hands on a deal, they're not about to

go to war with each other

pace Contrary to the opinion of

• She had only three husbands, pace some Hollywood historians who claim she had as many as six

This word looks like another that is much more familiar, but notice how it's pronounced It is used only by intellectuals, and often printed

in italics so that the reader doesn't mistake it for the other word Writers use it when correcting an opinion that many people believe; for

example, “The costs of the program, pace some commentators, will not be significant.” So what does pace have to do with peace?

Because it says “Peace to them (that is, to the people I'm mentioning)—I don't want to start an argument; I just want to correct thefacts.”

Quiz 1-2

A Match the word on the left to the correct definition on the right:

1 antebellum a quarrelsome

2 pace b solemn agreement

3 rebellion c to make peaceful

4 pacify d before the war

5 pacifist e aggressiveness

6 belligerence f opposition to authority

7 pact g contrary to the opinion of

8 bellicose h one who opposes war

Answers

B Fill in each blank with the correct letter:

1 The native _ began at midnight, when a gang of youths massacred the Newton family and set the house afire

2 The grand _ mansion has hardly been altered since it was built in 1841

3 The Senate Republicans, outraged by their treatment, were in a _ mood

4 _ some of the younger scholars, no good evidence has been found that Japan was involved in the incident

5 The cease-fire _ that had been reached with such effort was shattered by the news of the slaughter

6 Their relations during the divorce proceedings had been mostly friendly, so his _ in the judge's chambers surprised her

7 The world watched in amazement as the gentle _ Gandhi won India its independence with almost no bloodshed

8 Her soft lullabies could always _ the unhappy infant

Answers

CRIM comes from the Latin words for “fault or crime” or “accusation.” It's obvious where the root shows up most commonly in

English A crime is an act forbidden by the government, which the government itself will punish you for, and for which you may be branded a criminal A crime is usually more serious than a tort (see TORT), a “civil wrong” for which the wronged person must himselfsue if he wants to get repaid in some way

criminology The study of crime, criminals, law enforcement, and punishment

• His growing interest in criminology led him to become a probation officer

Criminology includes the study of all aspects of crime and law enforcement—criminal psychology, the social setting of crime, prohibitionand prevention, investigation and detection, capture and punishment Thus, many of the people involved—legislators, social workers,probation officers, judges, etc.—could possibly be considered criminologists, though the word usually refers only to scholars and

researchers

decriminalize To remove or reduce the criminal status of

• An angry debate over decriminalizing doctor-assisted suicide raged all day in the statehouse

Decriminalization of various “victimless crimes”—crimes that don't directly harm others, such as private gambling and drug-taking—

has been recommended by conservatives as well as liberals, who often claim that it would ease the burden on the legal system, decreasethe amount of money flowing to criminals, and increase personal liberty Decriminalization is not the same as legalization;

decriminalization may still call for a small fine (like a traffic ticket), and may apply only to use or possession of something, leaving theactual sale of goods or services illegal

incriminate To show evidence of involvement in a crime or a fault

• The muddy tracks leading to and from the cookie jar were enough to incriminate them

Testimony may incriminate a suspect by placing him at the scene of a crime, and incriminating evidence is the kind that strongly links

him to it But the word doesn't always refer to an actual crime We can say, for instance, that a virus has been incriminated as the cause

of a type of cancer, or that video games have been incriminated in the decline in study skills among young people

recrimination (1) An accusation in answer to an accusation made against oneself (2) The making ofsuch an accusation

• Their failure to find help led to endless and pointless recriminations over responsibility for the accident

Defending oneself from a verbal attack by means of a counterattack is as natural as physical self-defense So a disaster often bringsrecriminations among those connected with it, and divorces and child-custody battles usually involve recriminations between husbandand wife An actual crime isn't generally involved, but it may be; when two suspects start exchanging angry recriminations after they'vebeen picked up, it often leads to one of them turning against the other in court

PROB comes from the Latin words for “prove or proof” and “honesty or integrity.” A probe, whether it's a little object for testing

electrical circuits or a spacecraft headed for Mars, is basically something that's looking for evidence or proof And probable originally

described something that wasn't certain but might be “provable.”

approbation A formal or official act of approving; praise, usually given with pleasure or enthusiasm

• The senate signaled its approbation of the new plan by voting for it unanimously

Approbation is a noun form of approve, but approbation is usually stronger than mere approval An official commendation for bravery

is an example of approbation; getting reelected to office by a wide margin indicates public approbation; and the social approbationreceived by a star quarterback in high school usually makes all the pain worthwhile

probate The process of proving in court that the will of someone who has died is valid, and of administering the estate of

a dead person

• When her father died, she thought she would be able to avoid probate, but she wasn't that lucky

Ever since people have written wills, those wills have had to be proven genuine by a judge Without a probate process, greedy

acquaintances or relatives could write up a fake will stating that all the person's wealth belonged to them To establish a will as genuine,

it must generally be witnessed and stamped by someone officially licensed to do so (though wills have sometimes been approved evenwhen they were just written on a piece of scrap paper, with no witnesses) Today we use probate more broadly to mean everything that's handled in probate court , a special court that oversees the handling of estates (the money and property left when someone dies),

making sure that everyone eventually receives what is properly theirs