4. Julius Caesar Vocab - Acts 1-2

fawn (v.)

fawning (adj.)

try to gain favor through flattery or deferential behavior

As a verb, fawn either refers to an attempt to get on someone’s good side, or, oddly enough, to give birth to a deer.

impart (v.)

1) transmit, as knowledge or a skill

Let me impart a little bit of knowledge to you about the word impart. It means to pass on, transmit, or bestow.

2) bestow a quality on

Studying imparts confidence as well as information, long life imparts wisdom, and anise seed imparts the flavor of licorice.

endure (v.)

enduring (adj.)

1) to undergo or be subjected to

if you endure something, you suffer through it: We endured our teacher's slide shows of her vacation photographs.

2) to face and withstand with courage

The 21 martyrs endured harassment then death.

3) to persist for a specified period of time; to continue to exist; to last and be usable

If something endures, it lasts: Beethoven's fame has endured for more than 200 years.

entreat (v.)

entreaty (n.)

ask for or request earnestly

To entreat is to ask for something that is really important, like when you entreat the jury to spare your life.

The verb entreat implies that the person doing the entreating is really serious about what has to happen. Maybe it's even a matter of life and death.

portentous (adj.)

portent(s) (n.)

ominously prophetic; of momentous or ominous significance

Use the adjective portentous to describe something that seems to be a sign related to a future event — generally an ominous sign.

Something that is portentous often seems to hint at or warn of a future disaster.

visage (n.)

the human face; the appearance conveyed by a person’s face

Visage is a literary term for referring to someone's face or facial features. You may notice that some face creams use the word visage to try to sound fancier than they are.

commend (v.)

commendation (n.)

1) express approval or good opinion of

Have you ever shouted "Bravo!" at the end of a play or cooed "Good boy!" to the dog when he followed a command? Then you know how to commend someone — in other words, to express approval aloud.

2) to present as worthy of regard, kindness, or confidence

The most common meaning of commend is "to compliment." You commend someone when you tell them "Well done!"

3) to mention as by way of greeting or to indicate friendship (older definition/usage)

4) to give to in charge, to give for safekeeping (older definition/usage)

Back in the days of Charles Dickens, commend often meant to put (someone or something) in the hands of someone else for safekeeping.

exploit (n.)

exploit (v.)

1) a notable achievement (noun)

An exploit is a heroic act or notable deed. The King Arthur legends are full of stories of the exploits of the Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Lancelot and King Arthur himself.

2) to use or manipulate to one’s advantage (verb)

The verb exploit means to use someone or something, usually selfishly or for profit. Workers who are tired of being exploited by factory owners form unions that allow them to stand together as a powerful force.

imminent (adj.)

imminently (adv.)

close in time; about to occur

Something that is imminent is just about to happen: if you light a firecracker and then stick it down your pants, a very bad situation is imminent.

exalt (v.)

exaltation (n.)

1) to praise, glorify, or honor

You might like your manager, but if you exalt her, it means you really put her on a pedestal and treat her like royalty.

2) to hold or raise in rank, character or status

To exalt is to hold or raise someone up to a high position or status. It doesn't have to mean literally putting that person into a high position, but instead treating them almost like nobility.

yoke (n., v.)

1) an oppressive power (noun)

A classic tool of farmers for centuries, the yoke has also become a symbol of oppression — no one wants to live under the yoke of a tyrant's rule.

2) stable gear that joins two draft animals at the neck to one another (noun)

3) a connection between two thighs so that they move together (noun)

or the act of connecting two things together as with a yoke.

4) to link with or as with stable gear joining two draft animals together (verb)

Yoke also can mean the stick that connects two work animals together,

5) to become joined or linked together (verb)

redress (v., n.)

1) act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil (noun)

As a verb it means to correct, right a wrong, or make restitution for something.

2) a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury (noun, more contemporary)

 In the noun form, it is the compensation for setting something right. 

3) to make reparations or amends for (verb)

The verb redress is used when you are supposed to fix a problem and make amends.

faction (n.)

factionalism (n.)

1) a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue

2) a dissenting clique

a faction is a smaller portion of a larger group that breaks away from it. A faction might take a fraction of the people from a large group and start a new group.

3) conflict between members of the same organization

Politics is one area where faction gets a lot of use, because a political party often starts with a large group but has some members who disagree with a belief or direction. These members separate from the larger party and become a faction of their own, with many of the same beliefs as the original group but with a few new differences, too.

shrewd (adj.)

1) good at tricking people to get something

2) marked by practical, hardheaded intelligence

If you are shrewd in your spending, you can make a small salary go a long way. Use the adjective shrewd to describe a person or thing that is smart or clever in a practical sort of way.

contrive (v.)

contrived (adj.), contriver (n.)

1) make or work out a plan for; devise

When you contrive, you make a plan or a plot. It may take you longer to contrive your way out of doing your homework than would to actually do it.

2) to come up with after mental effort

Even though contrive often has a false or cunning feel to it, it is not always a bad thing. Mental effort is always required though, as contrive is often used in connection with inventing schemes and plans to make something happen.