Vocabulary A Lesson before dying - PowerPoint Presentation

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Vocabulary

A Lesson before dying

list one

Appoint

Verb

To give a job; to recommend someone for a job

To assign a duty, responsibility, or obligationThough he wasn’t necessarily qualified, the President appointed someone as ambassador to another country, simply because they were good friends. The other applicants were upset that he didn’t have to fill out a job application, rather, he was simply given the job.

Gape

Verb

Look with amazement

To open your mouth in disbeliefRelated words: gawk, lookBigfoot walked down my street wearing a tutu, and all of my neighbors gaped at him in disbelief.

Wring

Verb

To twist or squeeze

When I handwash my clothes, I wring out my shirts in order to get rid of excess water before hanging them out to dry.Whenever I annoy my brother, he always threatens to wring

my neck.

Conspiracy

Noun

A secret agreement between two or more people to commit an unlawful or harmful act

The act of planning an unlawful or harmful actThere are many people who believe that what happened on 9/11 is a conspiracy.Conspiracy theorists are people who believe that the government is secretly controlled by power brokers in flagrant violation of the constitution.

Modicum

Noun

A small amount of something

A little bit, a moderate amountIf you had a modicum of sense, you would be able to see that the pencil you’ve spent the last five minutes looking for is tucked behind your ear.If you have a modicum

interest in something, you are a little bit interested.

Racketeer

Noun

Participant in something illegal, most likely organized crime or criminal business dealings

Related words: felony, serious crimeThe decision will be made if prosecutors file charges in connection with the bank's illicit lending to a racketeer.

Conscience

Noun

Built-in (inner) sense of what’s right and what’s wrong

Related words: moral sense, scruples, small voiceI got a sick feeling in my stomach after I meanly told my little brother the truth about Santa Claus. I later realized that it was my conscience bothering me.

Commend

Verb

To express approval aloud

To compliment; to praisePresent as worthy of regard, kindness, or confidenceThe teacher commended Katie on her effort at the School Spelling Bee. At the beginning of the year she consistently failed spelling tests, and she just recently placed third in the spelling bee.

Retire

Verb

To go to bed early

To withdraw from active participationMy younger cousins were being loud and obnoxious, so I retired to the basement to get some privacy and quiet.

Theme

Noun

The subject matter or main topic of a discussion or piece of writing

Related words: messageAnxiety about getting married is a big theme in romantic comedies.A major theme in John Steinbeck’s

The Pearl

is the idea of greed, and how humans are never satisfied with what they have.

Genre

A specific type of music, film, or writing

A kind of literary or artistic work

Related words: form, kind, sort, varietyMusical genres: jazz, salsa, or rockLiterary genres: mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction

Film

genres

: romantic comedy, horror

Infer

Verb

To conclude by reasoning

To make a well-informed guessTo read between the linesRelated words: educated guessMy friend didn’t explicitly tell me that she was mad at me, but I could infer that she was mad based on her tone of voice and body language.

Immobile

Adjective

Incapable of moving or being moved; motionless

With two broken limbs, the injured football player was nearly immobile.

Inherit

Verb - action

-To take or receive by succession or will

-To receive something from someone else who had it before you (usually ancestors or older family members)Nancy inherited a beautiful, 19

th

century bracelet when her grandmother passed away.

While personalities are shaped throughout life, children usually

inherit

their looks from their parents.

Ancestor

Noun – person

-Someone who you descend from

-Someone