High School English Vocabulary

annotation

a critical or explanatory note

appellation

a name, title, or designation

eponym

a person whose name is the source of the name of something

linguistics

the study of the nature, structure, and variation of language

malapropism

ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by confusing it with one of similar sound

neologism

a new word, expression, or usage

parlance

a particular manner of speaking

patois

a regional dialect, especially a nonstandard one that has no written tradition

polyglot

using several languages; a person who speaks several languages

vulgar

of or related to the language of the common people; crude, indecent; offensively excessive in the display of one's self or one's wealth

contingent

conditional; dependent on other things

eventuality

something that may occur; a possibility

implausible

difficult to believe; not likely or credible

inconceivable

impossible to comprehend or grasp fully; so unlikely as to be thought impossible

in vain

without success; completely ineffective

perchance

perhaps; possibly

preposterous

absurd

proclivity

a natural inclination; a tendency

prone

having a tendency; inclined; likely to do or have something

theoretical

restricted to ideas; abstract or unproven

evolve

to develop or achieve gradually

immutable

unchangeable; not subject or susceptible to change

inveterate

firmly established and having existed for a long time; deep-rooted

malleable

capable of being shaped or formed, as by hammering or pressure

metamorphosis

a marked change in form, character, or function; a transformation

modulate

to adjust or adapt to a certain level or proportion; to regulate

protean

readily taking on different forms, characteristics, or meanings

sporadic

scattered; having no regular pattern; isolated

transmute

to change from one form to another

volatile

tending to vary often or widely, as in price; subject to wide variation

abstruse

difficult to understand

acumen

quickness and keenness of insight or judgment

ascertain

to discover or determine with certainty, especially through examination or experimentation

cerebral

of or relating to the brain; appealing to or requiring the use of intellect; intellectual

faculty

a natural power or ability; a division of a university or a group of teachers

obfuscate

to make difficult to understand; to darken; to make dim or difficult to see

ruminate

to think deeply about; to turn a matter over and over in one's mind

stymie

to prevent from making progress; to frustrate or thwart efforts

surmise

to guess; to draw a conclusion without sufficient evidence; a guess

tenet

a principle or belief held by a person or an organization