Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
1) Word: mesmerize (v.)
Synonym(s): spellbind, captive, enthrall
Etymology: The Austrian physician Franz Mesmer (17341815) employed spectacular methods to cure his patients.
2) Word: martial (adj.)
Synonym(s): combative, militant, bellicose
Etymology: Mars, the Roman god of war, was a powerful
deity to the Romans. They named the month of March
after him because the weather was favorable for a military
campaign.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
3) Word: philanthropy (n.)
Synonym(s): charity, benevolence
Etymology: From the Greek word, “philanthropos”
(benefitting humankind).
4) Word: cupidity (n.)
Synonym(s): greediness, possessiveness, avarice
Etymology: "Cupidity" comes from the Roman's
name for the god of love, Cupid.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
5) Word: philistine (n.)
Synonym(s): barbarian, heathen, materialist, boor
Etymology: The Philistines were the archenemies of
the Israelites. Later, in Germany, a professor used
this word to describe the townspeople who had
killed some university students.
6) Word: catholic (adj.)
Synonym(s): broad, comprehensive, eclectic,
unbiased
Etymology: "Catholic" derives from the Greek kata
("concerning") + holos ("whole"). Originally,
"Catholic" meant all the Christian believers.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
7) Word: jeopardize (v.)
Synonym(s): endanger, risk, imperil
Etymology: "Jeopardize" comes from the French
term jeu parti which means "game decided." This
term was used when the next move in a game or
contest would tip the scales in someone's favor.
8) Word: precarious (adj.)
Synonym(s): uncertain, hazardous, perilous
Etymology: The Latin precarius means "obtained by
prayer or begging,” “risky,” or “dependent upon
the will of another.”
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
9) Word: foible (n.)
Synonym(s): defect, flaw, infirmity
Etymology: "Foible" is a term from fencing that
describes the weaker part of the foil, from the
middle to the tip.
10) Word: forte (n.)
Synonym(s): aptitude, talent, strength
Etymology: "Forte" is a term from fencing that
describes the stronger part of the foil, from the
middle to the hilt.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
11) Word: odyssey (n.)
Synonym(s): wandering, roaming, peregrination
Etymology: "Odyssey" comes from the Greek myth
of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after
the Trojan War.
12) Word: protean (adj.)
Synonym(s): changeable, variable, versatile
Etymology: If the Greek leader Menelaus could hold
on to the god Proteus while he changed shapes,
the answers to his questions would be
forthcoming.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
13) Word: fiasco (n.)
Synonym(s): failure, disaster, debacle
Etymology: Fiasco is Italian for "flask" or "bottle."
The Italian expression far fiasco means "to make a
bottle" or "to make a mess of things."
14) Word: idiosyncrasy (n.)
Synonym(s): oddity, mannerism, eccentricity
Etymology: "Idiosyncrasy" comes from the Greek
idio ("peculiar") + syn ("together") + crasis
("mixture"). It refers to a peculiar mixing together
of personal traits.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
15) Word: quintessence (n.)
Synonym(s): essence, model, paragon
Etymology: The ancient Greeks believed there were only
four elements, but later added a fifth – quinta essentia. It
was this element that was the essential part.
16) Word: rankle (v.)
Synonym(s): irritate, anger, exasperate
Etymology: The Latin word dracunculus ("little dragon")
meant "ulcer" because it felt like little dragons were under
the skin. It eventually dropped the initial “d” sound and
ultimately entered English as “rankle.”
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
17) Word: decimate (v.)
Synonym(s): destroy, slaughter, ravage
Etymology: The Romans punished their rebellious soldiers,
or captured enemies, by killing every tenth person. The
Latin word for this was decimare.
18) Word: narcissism (n.)
Synonym(s): self-centeredness, conceit, egotism
Etymology: In Greek mythology, Narcissus was an extremely
handsome mortal. Because he would not return anyone's
affection, the gods caused him to fall in love with the
image of himself in a pond. He eventually died, refusing
to leave the sight of his love.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 2
19) Word: incumbent (adj.)
Synonym(s): required, compulsory
Etymology: "Incumbent" comes from the Latin
cumbere ("lie down, occupy"). It should be noted
that an "incumbent" is someone who occupies an
office.
20) Word: succumb (v.)
Synonym(s): surrender, submit, capitulate
Etymology: see above. Suc ("under") + cumbere ("lie
down") – to lie down under something, to give in.