The Myths that Make Us - Set One Vocab

Allegory

Definition: a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

Sentence: Watchmen has allegorical significance because it alludes to the end of the world.

Cosmogonic

Definition: related to the creation or origin of the world or universe

Sentence: The Big Bang is a cosmogonic theory because it describes how the universe came into existence.

Enthrall

Definition: to captivate

Sentence: She was enthralled by the northern lights because of how pretty they were.

Venerate

Definition: to respect deeply

Sentence: We all venerate Mr. Dranginis because he’s such a good teacher.

Deity/deities

Definition: God/Gods

Sentence: A very well known deity is Zeus.

Vanity

Definition: feelings of excessive pride

Sentence: She walked into the class with such vanity that every head in the room turned her way.

Caprice

Definition: a sudden impulse, whim, or unmotivated change of mind (capricious — adjective)

Sentence: She changed her vacation plans on a caprice, deciding to visit the mountains instead of the beach simply because she felt like it.

Chasm

Definition: a deep, gaping hole; a gorge

Sentence: The Colorado River runs through a deep chasm.

Void

Definition: emptiness

Sentence: A black hole is a massive void of nothing.

Conjure

Definition: to summon or bring into being as if by magic

Sentence: The magician conjured a rabbit from his empty hat, surprising the audience.

Entropy

Definition: a measure of disorder or randomness

Sentence: The once organized room fell into entropy, with papers scattered everywhere and nothing in its proper place.

Coalesce

Definition: to fuse or unite

Sentence: As the rain continued, small puddles began to coalesce into one large pool.

Sheathe

Definition: to cover with something that protects

Sentence: After the battle ended, the knight carefully sheathed his sword, sliding it back into its protective case.

Primordial

Definition: first created or existing

Sentence: The swamp looked primordial, filled with thick for and ancient plants that made it seem untouched since the beginning of time.

Seethe

Definition: to boil or foam

Sentence: He began to seethe, clenching his fists and breathing heavily, showing that he was filled with uncontrolled rage.

Germinate

Definition: to begin to grow, come into being

Sentence: After days of sunlight and water, the seeds began to germinate, sprouting tiny flowers from the soil.

Semantic

Definition: having to do with the meaning of words or language

Sentence: The argument was semantic, focusing on the meaning of a single word, rather than the overall problem.

Seminal

Definition: original, ground-breaking

Sentence: The scientist’s seminal discovery changed the field forever, influencing many important studies that followed.

Progeny

Definition: descendants, children

Sentence: The farmer was proud of his cow’s progeny, noting that the calves had inherited their mother’s strong and healthy traits.

Writhe

Definition: to twist (often from discomfort)

Sentence: The injured person began to writhe on the ground, twisting and turning in pain.