Grade 12 Sadlier Vocabulary Unit 2

avid

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager, follower of something

halcyon

(n)a legendary bird identified withe the kingfisher; (adj) of or relating to halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden, prosperous, affluent

devious

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course, roundabout; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way, sneaky

accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

incendiary

(adj) designed to start fires; (n) one who deliberately starts fires;one who causes stifle

animadversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

brackish

having a salty taste and unpleasant drink

histrionic

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial, melodramatic

celerity

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

Suppliant

(adj)asking humbly and earnestly(n) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly

propriety

the state of being proper, appropriateness(pl.) standards of what is proper or socially accepted

overt

open not hidden expressed or revealed in way that is easily recognized

undulate(v)

to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form

sacrilege

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

talisman

on object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers; amulet, fetish

myopic

nearsighted; lacking broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discrenment

summarily

without delay or formality; briefly concisely

pejorative

(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

maelstrom

a whirlpool of great size and violence, a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction