Walsh- Vocab Unit 3

abominate (verb)

to have an intense dislike or hatred

acculturation (noun)

the modification of social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend

Adventitious (adj)

resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential

ascribe (verb)

to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute

chicanery (noun)

trickery; deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry

circuitous (adj)

roundabout, not direct

commiserate (verb)

to sympathize with; have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

enjoin (verb)

to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit

expedite (verb)

to make easy, cause to progress faster

expiate (verb)

to make amends, atone, make up for; to ward off or avert

fabrication (noun)

to make up for the purpose of deception; to invent; to create

inadvertent (adj)

resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental

nominal (adj)

existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered

noncommittal (adj)

not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no

proclivity (noun)

a natural inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

sangfroid (noun)

composure or coolness, especially in difficult situations

seditious (adj)

resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government

tenuous (adj)

thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance, acing a sound basis, poorly supported

vitriolic (adj)

bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid) used to describe speech or writing that is filled with harsh criticism or malice.

wheedle (verb)

to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end

Chiasmus

a figure or speech in which two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax, but reverse the order of the analogous words

“Ask not what your country can do you for you-ask what you can do you for your country.”

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb

• an independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence

• a dependent, or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element to the other

Colloquial/colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects

“I’m gonna got to the store, y’all.”

Coherence

A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible. Words phrases, clauses within the sentence; and sentences, paragraphs and chapters in larger pieces of writing are the unit that their progressive and logical arrangements, make for coherence

“In George Orwell’s 1984, the progressive structure of the narrative builds toward a cohesive understanding of oppression and resistance.”

Conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made

“My love is like the ice, and I to fire;/ How comes it then that this her cold so great/ Is that not dissolve through my so hot desire,/ but harder grows the more I her entreat?”

Connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitiudes

denotation

the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion attitude or color

Diascope

repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase

“We will do it, I tell you; we will do it.”

Diction

Related to style, diction refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. Diction, combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc., creates an author’s style

Didactic

From the Greek, didactic literally means “teaching.” Didactic works have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles