WordSkills:
Lesson One
WordSkills: Lesson One
Part One
Word of the day: rigmarole
• From ragman roll
• In 1291, when King Edward I of
England asked for allegiance from
Scottish nobles, they have him the
ragman roll, which was a bundle of
papers carelessly thrown together.
• Today rigmarole is confused,
rambling, or incoherent speaking or
writing.
a (an): no, not, without, lacking
• amnesia
a (without) mne (memory) ia
(condition, state of)
• anarchy
an (without) arch (rule, government) y
(result of)
• atheist
a (lacking, without) theo (god) ist
(one who)
ambi: both
• ambiguous
ambi (both) ag (do, drive) ous (full of)
• ambidextrous
ambi (both) dextro (right-handed) ous
(full of)
• ambivalent
ambi (both) val (strong) ent (full of)
anti: against
• antidote
anti (against) dot (give)
• antibiotic
anti (against) bio (life) ic (having
characteristics of)
• antisocial
anti (against) soc (society) al(having
characteristics of)
circum: around
• circumference
circum (around) fer (carry) ence(state
or condition)
• circumscribe
circum (around) scribe (write)
• circumnavigate
circum (around) nav (sail) ate (make,
cause)s
de: down, from
• demote
de (down) mot (move)
• descend
de (down) scend (climb)
• decline
de (down) clin (bend)
WordSkills: Lesson One
Part Two
Word of the day: etymology
• From etumos (true) and logos (word)
• The etymology of a word is its literal
meaning or definition as well as its
origin and historical development.
dis (di, dif): apart, away, not
• divert
di (away) vert (turn)
• differ
dif (away) fer (carry)
• disrupt
dis (apart) rupt (break)
endo: inside, within
• endoderm
endo (within) derm (skin)
• endocardium
endo (inside) cardi (heart) ium
(condition, place)
• endocrine
endo (inside) krin (separate)
exo: outside
• exocrine
exo (outside) krin (separate)
• exotic
exo (outside) ic (having
characteristics of)
• exosphere
exo (outside) sphere (sphere)
extra (extro): beyond
• extraordinary
extra (beyond) ordin (order) ary (place
where)
• extrasensory
extra (beyond) sens(feel) ory (having
characteristics of)
• extraterrestrial
extra (beyond) terrestri (earth) al (related
to)
hetero: different
• heterogeneous
hetero (different) gen (kind) ous (full
of)
• heteromorphic
hetero(different) morph(shape) ic(having
characteristics of)
• heterosexual
hetero (different) sex (sex) al (related
to)
WordSkills: Lesson One
Part Three
century British admiral Edward
Vernon, who wore a coat made of
grogram, a course material made of
silk, wool, and mohair
-When Vernon decided to water down
the ship’s rum, the sailors called it
grog, and they became groggy after
drinking too much of it.
-Today groggy means unsteady and
dazed or shaky.
hetero: different
• heterogeneous
hetero (different) gen (kind) ous (full
of)
• heteromorphic
hetero(different) morph(shape) ic(having
characteristics of)
• heterosexual
hetero (different) sex (sex) al (related
to)
homo: same
• homonym
homo (same) onym (name)
• homogeneous
homo (same) gen (kind) ous (full of)
• homophone
homo (same) phon (sound)
in (il, im, ir): in, into
• inject
in (in, into) ject (throw)
• illuminate
il (in) lumin (light) ate (make, cause)
• import
im (in) port (carry)
• irrigate
ir (in) rigar (water) ate (make, cause)
•
•
•
•
•
in (ig, il, im, ir)
Inactive in (not) act (act, do) ive
(having power)
Ignoble ig (not) nobilis (noble)
Illegal il (not) leg (law) al (related to)
Imperfect im (not) per (thoroughly)
fect (make)
Irrational ir (not) ration (reason) al
(related to)
inter: between, among
• interact
inter (between) act (act, do)
• interrupt
inter (between) rupt (break)
• intervene
inter (between) vene (come)
WordSkills: Lesson One
Part Four
Word of the day: charley horse
• In 17th century England, King Charles
II created the position of night guard
for disabled veterans who were
nicknamed charleys. Later the term
charley horse was used for a horse
that went lame.
• Today the term refers to a cramp or
stiffness in a person’s muscle,
especially in the upper leg.
intra (intro): inside, within
• intravenous
intra (inside) ven (vein) ous (full of)
• introduce
intro (inside) duc (lead)
• introspect
intro (inside) spect (look)
iso: same
• isometric
iso (same) metr (measure) ic (related
to)
• isosceles
iso (same) skelos (leg)
• isothermal
iso (same) therm (heat) al (related to)
macro: large, great
• macroscopic
macro (large) scop (look, see) ic
(having characteristics of)
• macrocosm
macro (large) cosm (world, universe)
• macrocyte
macro (large) cyte (cell)
micro: small
• microscopic
Micro (small) scop (look, see) ic
(having characteristics of)
• microcosm
micro (small) cosm (world)
• microcyte
Micro (small) cyte (cell)
medi: middle
• median
medi (middle) an (related to)
• medieval
medi (middle) ev (time, age) al
(related to)
• medium
medi (middle) ium(state, condition of)
per: through, thoroughly
• perspire
per (through) spir (breath)
• permit
per (through) mit (send)
• perennial
per (through) enn (year) al (related
to)
WordSkills: Lesson One
Part Five
Word of the day: paparazzi
• From Paparazzo, a photographer in
the 1957 movie La Dolce Vita by
Frederico Fellini
• Mr. Paparazzo tried to photograph
people in embarrassing situations.
• Today the term paparazzi refers to
photographers who pursue famous
people in hopes of taking pictures to
sell to magazines and newspapers.
Fellini said that he chose this name
for his character because it sounded
pre: before
• prefix
pre (before) fix (place, put)
• precede
pre (before) ced (go)
• prevent
pre (before) ven (come)
post: after
• postpone
post (after) pon (place, put)
• postscript
post (after) script (write)
• postmeridian
post (after) meridian (midday)
se: apart, away
• secede
se (apart) ced (go)
• seclude
se (away) clud (close, shut)
• seduce
se (away) duc (lead)
syn (syl, sym, sys): same, together with
• synonym
syn (same) onym (name)
• symphony
sym (together) phon (sound) y (result
of)
• syllable
syl (together) lambanein (take)
ultra: beyond
• ultraliberal
ultra (beyond) liber (free) al (related
to)
• ultramodern
ultra (beyond) mod (now) ern (related
to)
• ultrasound
ultra (beyond) son (sound)