SAT Words 7-11
Root 2
7. enigma
His disappearance is an
enigma that has given rise to
much speculation about his
whereabouts.
enigma
• (en-IGG-muh) noun
• Sounds like: An egg, Ma!
• Picture… a woman calling her mother
from the maternity ward of a hospital,
where she has just given birth to
something unexpected. “This is hard to
explain, but it’s an egg, Ma.” As she
speaks, she glances over to the large egg
in the crib next to her bed.
• Other form: enigmatic (adjective)
• Definition: mystery; puzzle
8. penchant
Whether you have a penchant for
musicals, dramas, or comedies,
there is likely the perfect show for
you.
penchant
• (PENCH-ent) noun
• Sounds like: pendant
• Picture… a woman with many
pendants around her neck. She
obviously has a strong liking for
pendants.
• Definition: a strong liking;
attraction
9. prodigal
At the celebrity’s party, the food is
often much more prodigal than at
my neighborhood’s summer block
party.
prodigal
• (PROD-ih-gull) adjective
• Sounds like: proud of gulls
• Picture… a person who has spent his
entire inheritance to buy a flock of
seagulls. He’s very proud of his
purchase, not realizing that he has
squandered away his entire fortune.
• Note: Don’t confuse with “prodigy,” a
highly-talented child.
• Definition: wasteful, especially of
money; extravagant
10. reticent
He's less reticent about
discussing his frequent-flier
mileage balance, which
presumably exceeds that of his
peers.
reticent
• (RETT-ih-sent) adjective
• Sounds like: Redder, Cent?
• Picture… a giant penny being painted
red. The penny sits quietly as the artist
repeatedly asks, “Redder, Cent? Do you
want to be redder? Cent? Huh? Penny for
your thoughts. Hello, Cent…”
• Other forms: reticence (noun); reticently
(adverb)
• Definition: quiet; uncommunicative
11. vagrant
The vagrant left the food
pantry and headed to the
homeless shelter for the
night.
vagrant
•
(VAY-grent) noun
•
Looks like: VA Grant (VA= abbreviation for Virginia)
•
Picture… a man named Grant, wearing tattered clothes and
carrying his belongings in a plastic bag. He is answering a
policeman’s questions about his current residence:
“So your name is Grant?”
“Yes, sir, Officer.”
“Where do you live, Mr. Grant?”
“In VA.”
“VA?”
“Virginia. The call me VA Grant. My home is Virginia.”
“Any particular place in Virginia?”
“Nope. It’s a big state and I use it all.”
•
Other forms: vagrant (adj); vagrantly (adv); vagrancy (n)
• Definition: homeless person; wanderer
Root 2: ced, ceed,
cess
Before entering the
dangerous trail, there was a
sign that read, “Proceed with
caution.”
ced, ceed, cess
• Meaning: go, move, yield
• Sample words: recede,
proceed, excess
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Accessible: able to enter or approach
Concede: to yield with someone else; to admit defeat
Exceed: to go beyond the limit or expectations
Proceed: to keep on going; to move along
Incessant: something that does not yield; consistent
Recede: to go back, move back or away
Procedure: a way of going forward with a task