Vocab Chapter 2

Spartan

Spartan

severe, rigorous, disciplined

Spartan synonyms

self-denying, plain, spare, restrained, strict, stern, austere

Spartan related words

abstemious, abstinent, ascetic, stringent, frugal

Spartan contrasted words

lavish, self-indulgent, hedonistic, sybaritic

Spartan word history

Life in the ancient Greek state of Sparta was like a boot camp or basic training. Spartans survived on minimal food and shelter. They also killed people with deformities to eliminate weaklings. Because of their reputation for discipline and hardships, the word Spartan is used to describe simple lifestyle.

gadfly

person who continually annoys others

gadfly synonyms

critic, pest, faultfinder, goad

gadfly word history

Old Norse gaddr means to spike and a gadfly is a large fly that spikes or stings cattle or horses. The meaning gadfly has metaphorically evolved to refer to an annoying person who tries to sting or arouse others to action.

homage

action showing respect and honor

homage synonyms

honor, admiration, esteem, reverence, tribute

homage related words

deference, obeisance, veneration

homage contrasted words

irreverence, contempt, disdain, scorn

homage word history

In a military ceremony in medieval Europe, soldiers would receive honor by swearing to become a “vassal” of the Lord. Since the vassal or warriors thus became the man, (from French homme and Latin homo) the ceremony was called homage. Nowadays, we pay homage to someone we greatly respect or admire.

spurn

scornfully refuse or reject

spurn synonyms

scorn, repel, despise, decline, dismiss, repudiate

spurn related words

disdain, rebuff, contemn

spurn contrasted words

crave

spurn word history

Old English spurnan meant to kick. Spurn still kicks where it hurts when someone we like spurns us.

pedigree

ancestry or record of ancestry, line of descent

pedigree synonyms

descent, family tree, lineage, genealogy

pedigree related words

progenitors, forebears, forefathers, heritage

pedigree etymology

French: pied (foot) de (of) grue (crane)

pedigree word history

During the middle ages, in order for nobleman to claim their inheritance, they had to prove their ancestry. Since the ancestry chart resembled a foot, they called it the pied de grue which became the name for a family ancestry. The word entered the English language as pedigree through many spelling transformations.

pittance

small amount or portion, especially of money

pittance synonyms

trifle, insufficiency, ration, minimal wage, modicum

pittance related words

dole, meager remuneration

pittance contrasted words

abundance, largess, bounty

pittance word history

Church sponsors in the middle ages would donate food to monks. This donation was called a pittance. It used to be a large donation but then became not even enough to feed the monks. Which is why today, pittance is synonymous with any small, inconsiderable amount.

preposterous

ridiculous, obviously absurd, contrary to reason

preposterous synonyms

foolish, nonsensical, silly, unreasonable, irrational, ludicrous

preposterous related words

fatuous, asinine, implausible, unfeasible

preposterous contrasted words

plausible, credible, tenable, feasible

preposterous etymology

Latin: pre (before) post (after)

preposterous word history

From the Ancient Romans we get the expression “to put the cart before the horse” which means to mess things up or do them in the wrong order since a horse normally pulls a cart. The Latin word conveying this was praeposterus meaning “having the first last.” So the English word preposterous means absurd since it derives from “before coming after.”

macabre

gruesome, horrible, causing fear, suggesting the horror of death

macabre synonyms

grim, hideous, horrid, dreadful, weird, ghastly

macabre related words

grisly, eerie, morbid

macabre word history

In a medieval morality play, the actor representing death argues with humans and wins, leading the victims offstage with a danse macabre which is French for dance of death. Today macabre describes weird and terrifying events.

farce

ridiculous, light comedy; slapstick comedy; grand or important but has little meaning

farce synonyms

mockery, absurdity, ridiculousness, nonsense, burlesque

farce related words

sham, travesty, parody, caricature

farce word history

Both farce and bombast have to do with padding. During plays, actors took a long time to change costumes so they would have a skit in between called a farce (Latin: farcire “stuff”).

bombast

speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning

bombast synonyms

wordiness, grandiloquence

bombast related words

magniloquence, rhetoric, pretentiousness, pomposity

bombast word history

Bombast derives from stuffing since men’s costumes were stuffed with padding called bombast. Today, lacking meaningful content is bombast for it is essentially padding.