Fahrenheit 451 Vocabulary - Part II (The Sieve and the Sand)

sieve

n. a utensil with metal mesh, usually used to strain smaller particles from larger ones

rationalize

v. to attempt to justify

suffuse

v. to gradually spread through or over

dentifrice

n. a paste or powder for cleaning teeth

praetor

n. a high-ranking elected official in Rome

insidious

adj. proceeding in a gradual but harmful way

contemptible

adj. a strong disliking for someone or something

trifle

n. a thing with little value or importance

disperse

v. to distribute over a large area

melancholy

n. a feeling of sadness, usually without an obvious cause

perfunctory

adj. a gentle action carried out with minimal effort

perpetuate

v. to make something, usually an undesirable situation, continue

prattle

v. to talk in a foolish way

n. a foolish talk

linguist

n. a person who is skilled in foreign languages