The Dirty Dozen
Vocabulary List
Dirty Dozen #1
“A Sound of Thunder”
DIRTY DOZEN #1
1. annihilate
2. expendable
3. infinitesimal
4. correlate
5. paradox
6. delirium
7. resilient
8. undulate
9. malfunction
10. stagnating
11. revoke
12. subliminal
1. annihilate (verb)
Sentence: Becky hopes that the
hurricane won’t annihilate her
garden.
Definition: destroy utterly
and completely.
2. expendable (adj)
Sentence: Employees who sleep
on the job are usually considered
expendable.
Definition: not worth
keeping; not essential
3. infinitesimal (adv)
Sentence: Our DNA is an
infinitesimal part of our body.
Definition: in so small amounts
as to be barely measurable
4. correlate (verb)
Sentence: It is important to
correlate what we learn in school
with “real world” purposes.
Definition: to figure out or
create a relationship between
two items or events
5. paradox (noun)
Sentence: The statement “Less is
more” is considered a paradox.
Definition: a statement or
event that sounds impossible
but seems to be true; usually
defies logic
6. delirium (verb)
Sentence: In her delirium, she fell
to the floor and was talking
nonsense.
Definition: A temporarily
confused mental state. Often
used to refer to disorientation,
and hallucination.
7. resilient (adj)
Sentence: Some students are
very resilient when faced with
life’s challenges.
Definition: strong but flexible;
able to withstand stress without
injury
8. undulate (verb)
Sentence: The curtains undulated
during the storm even though the
windows were closed.
Definition: to move in waves
or in a smooth wavelike
motion
9. malfunction (verb)
Sentence: I had to send my cell
phone back to Verizon because it
continues to malfunction.
Definition: not working or
operating properly
10. stagnate (adj)
Sentence: Mosquitoes usually
breed in stagnate puddles.
Definition: becoming foul or
rotten from lack of
movement
11. revoke (verb)
Sentence: We will revoke his pay
if he doesn’t finish the job.
Definition: cancel; withdraw
12. Subliminal (adj)
Sentence: Many people believe
that companies put subliminal
messages in TV commercials.
Definition: below the level
of consciousness