9th Grade
Unit 1
acro: high point, topmost,
extreme
acronym
Def: a word formed from the first letter or first few
letters of each word in a phrase or title.
The FBI is an acronym for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
acro: high point, topmost,
extreme
acrobat
Def: a skilled performer of gymnastic feats, as walking
on a tightrope or swinging on a trapeze.
The acrobat performed amazing tricks while high up on
a tightrope.
acro: high point, topmost,
extreme
acropolis
Def: In Greek, the word means “highest” (acro) “city”
(polis).
The ancient site of the city is centered on the rocky hill
of the acropolis.
ana: up, back, against
anachronism
Def: a person or thing that is placed back in a time
where it does not fit.
It is an anachronism when, in a movie about ancient
Egypt, the Pharaoh is seen wearing a wristwatch.
ana: up, back, against
analogy
Def: a comparison against or between two things,
typically on the basis of their structure and for the
purpose of explanation or clarification.
In her analogy, the poet compared love to an endless
well.
ana: up, back, against
analytical
Def: skilled in using analysis
If you are analytical, you are good at taking a problem
or task and breaking it down into smaller elements in
order to solve the problem or complete the task.
cede/ceed: move or go
antecedent
Def: something that happened or came before
The car chase was an antecedent to the fiery crash at the
end of the movie.
cede/ceed: move or go
intercede
Def: to act between parties to reconcile differences; to
act as a go-between
When you intercede, you try to help people work out
their differences or achieve something, like when
you intercede on your friend's behalf to encourage your
boss to hire him, or when feuding friends ask you to
intercede, guiding them to sort out their differences.
cede/ceed: move or go
precede
Def: to lead; to go before
A short speech will precede the dinner. When marching
into the classroom, the younger kids precede the older
ones.
cred: believe
credulous
Def: someone who is too eager to believe things, often
without thinking them through.
Sales people are always hoping that someone
credulous picks up the phone during a sales call.
cred: believe
accreditation
Def: the act of granting credit or recognition (especially
with respect to educational institution that maintains
suitable standards)
All of the Department 's courses are accredited by the
appropriate professional bodies.
cred: believe
discredit
Def: to cause mistrust or cast the accuracy of something
into doubt.
If you say that schooling is important to you, but you
never study, your actions discredit you and your words.
carn: flesh
reincarnation
Def: rebirth of the body; the passing of a soul into
another body after death; can also be a figurative
reinvention or rebirth
Your dad spent twenty years of his life working as a
stockbroker, but after he reinvented himself, you'd be
proud of his reincarnation as a math teacher.
carn: flesh
incarnate
Def: in the flesh; having a bodily form
If you encounter someone who pulls off butterflies’
wings for fun, you might describe that person as
“evil incarnate.”
carn: flesh
carnage
Def: mass murder; brutal killing of many people or
animals
If you have seen news footage of a village after a bomb
has been detonated, you probably saw a scene
of carnage.