Vocab Chapter 9
1. ignominy- disgrace, humiliation,
shame
• When ancient Romans suffered
ignominia(“disgrace” or “dishonor”), they
were “without” “name”(nomen), a condition
that often drove them to suicide.
• Synonyms: dishonor, contempt, infamy
2. aboveboard- without dishonesty or
trickery
• Originally “aboveboard” was a gambler’s term,
referring to shuffling and holding cards above
the table or board (an early meaning for
“board” being “table,” as can still be seen in
the expressions “room and board” and
“chairman of the board”).
• Synonyms: forthright(ly), straightforward(ly),
overt(ly)
• Related word: candid(ly)
3. anecdote- brief story of an
interesting or amusing incident
• Procopius included many sensational and
indecent incidents, probably intending that his
stories not be revealed to the public, for he
titled them Anecdota, from Greek an (“not”) +
ek (“out”) + dotos (“given”).
• Synonyms: sketch, fable, tale, narrative
4. bedlam -noisy confusion
• St. Mary of Bethlehem was then converted
into an insane asylum. In those days, visitors
would tease and torment the inmates as if the
inmates were wild, caged animals. The asylum
became famous for its uproar and confusion.
• Synonyms: uproar, chaos, pandemonium
• Related word: tumult
5. martinet- strict discipline
• During the reign of King Louis XIV of France,
Colonel Martinet trained France’s army. A
fierce disciplinarian, he developed precise
drills and permitted not the least deviance.
• Synonyms: taskmaster, slavedriver,
authoritarian
• Related word: tyrant
6. indolent- lazy
• Indolentia was a Latin word meaning
“freedom from pain,” formed from in (“not”) +
dolens (“feeling pain”). When “indolence”
entered English, it kept this spiritual or
philosophical sense, meaning “a being
insensible of pain or grief.”
• Synonyms: idle, inactive, slothful
• Related word: lethargic
7. meander: follow a winding course;
wander idly or aimlessly
• Miletus was situated at the mouth of the river
Meander. This river, now part of Turkey, was
noted for it twisting, turning, winding course.
Today, we meander when following curving,
crooked, twisting paths—be they literal or
figurative.
• Synonyms: roam, ramble, digress
• Related word: zigzag
8. precocious- advanced beyond one’s
age(especially in mental aptitude)
• “Precocious” derives from Latin prae
(“before”) and coquere (“cook”). Latin
praecoquere meant “cook beforehand” or
“ripen beforehand.” “precocious” entered the
English language to refer to flowers and fruits
that ripened early.
• Synonyms: smart, brilliant, gifted,
characterizing a child prodigy
Scapegoat -someone blamed for the
faults of others
• This second goat that escaped is called a
“scapegoat” in the King James Version of the
Bible (Leviticus XVI, “scape” being a shortened
form of “escape.”
• Synonym: victim, whipping boy
• Related words: martyr
Shibboleth -password, slogan, or
custom characteristic of a certain
group and used to distinguish that
group; empty, outworn expression or
doctrine
• The Ephraimites could not pronounce the “sh”
sound and would say sibboleth instead of
shibboleth. This mispronunciation revealed
the true identity of the Ephraimites.
Synonyms: Peculiarity, catchword, watchword,
platitude
Induce
• Persuade, bring about, cause
Seduce
• Lead astray; persuade one to do wrong;
persuade one to have sexual intercourse
Abduct
• Carry off by force; kidnap
Traduce
• slander
Conducive
• Leading, contributing, promoting, helpful