Vocabulary last week of school

Megalomania (n.) 145.....a mental disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur, wealth, power, superiority

insubordination (n) 106.....disobedience; not submitting to authority

vestigial (adj.) forming a very small remnant of something that was once much larger or more noticeable : he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last night.
• Biology (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution : the vestigial wings of kiwis are entirely hidden.

Atrophied v ( -phies, -phied) [ intrans. ] (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution : without exercise, the muscles will atrophy | [as adj. ] ( atrophied) in some beetles, the hind wings are atrophied.
• figurative gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect : her artistic skills atrophied from lack of use.


xenophobia (n) intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries : racism and xenophobia are steadily growing in Europe.

Genocide (n) the deliberate killing of a large group of people, esp. those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

This week in vocabulary June 2- 6th

commissary (n) 96.....the store in a(n army) camp where supplies can be
obtained; a restaurant in a movie studio, military base, prison, or other institution • a store that sells food and drink to members of an organization, esp. a large grocery store on a military base.

divisive adj. creating disunity or dissension. It wasn’t to unify the group—in fact, it was divisive (119).

nuance n. a subtle distinction or variation. Ender and Alai were discussing the nuances of open-space maneuvers . . . (99).

hegemony (n) leadership or dominance, esp. by one country or social group over others : Germany was united under Prussian hegemony after 1871.

entrench(ed) (v) to surround or fortify (with a trench); to establish securely

Vocabulary last week of May

Our next vocabulary test is Friday. Be sure to look over words from the last month as there will be extra words included.

Impetus (n) the force with which a body moves against resistance

drivel (n) saliva flowing from one's mouth; silly, stupid talk

elucidate (v) to make clear; to explain; (to bring light to )

transcend (v) to exceed; to go beyond the limits of

This week in vocabulary..

ostentatiously (adv.) in an excessively showy manner

rescind vt. 1) to take away, remove, take back, cancel; to make void, repeal. . . . They would like to rescind the waivers

commiserate (v) to feel or express sympathy; to feel or express sorrow or compassion for. Mother came home and commiserated with Ender about the monitor (11).

facade (n) 1) the front of a building or any face of a building given special architectural treatment. 2) a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect. The façade of peace and cooperation . . . (90).

acquiescence (n) the act of accepting, complying, or submitting tacitly or passively. His acquiescence calmed her (105).

These words are from the novel Enders Game. We started reading the novel this week. Discussion questions for chapter 1-3 are due Tuesday.

No class Monday due to early dismissal. Morning classes will run periods 4, 5 &6. Does this mean am is pm?

This week in vocabulary..

curmudgeon a rude, ill-tempered person

Proffered – (v) hold out (something) to someone for acceptance; offer : he proffered his resignation.

Diversion an activity that diverts the mind from tedious or serious concerns; a recreation or pastime : our chief diversion was reading.
• something intended to distract someone's attention from something more important : a subsidiary raid was carried out on the airfield to create a diversion.

convoluted- (adj.) complicated or intricate; especially unnecessarily so. The paragraph is so convoluted; can't you simplify it?

Remember test Friday. Be able to use the words in a sentence to show the meaning of the vocabulary word.

Assignment update

We are finishing our Mystery and Suspense unit shortly. We have finished with "The Premediated Death of Sam Glover". The plot outline and journal entry are due on Friday, May 9th.

“Little Paradise” is the last story of this section. We will read it on Thursday and the assignment will be due on Monday, May 12th.

Word of the Day - week of May 6th

Perusal (v) the action of reading or examining something

Provocation - action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, esp. deliberately

Scrutinized - examine or inspect something closely and thoroughly

Probing - an investigation