English IIH Vocab 9-12

GAIA

G. "the earth"

apogee

n. 1. The point in its orbit when a planet or satellite (usually the moon) is farthest from the earth; 2. The highest point; culmination; apex

geocentric

adj. 1. Referring to the center of the earth in measurement or observation; 2. Considering the earth as the center of a planetary system

perigee

n. The point in its orbit when a planet or a satellite (usually the moon) is nearest the earth

TERRA

L. "earth," "land," "ground"

inter

tr. v. To bury; to place in a grave

terra cotta

n. Ceramic clay used in pottery, statuary, and construction; adj. Referring to the color of the clay, a reddish brown that may vary from gray or orange to dark brown

terrestrial

adj. 1. Pertaining to the earth and its inhabitants; 2. Referring to land as distinct from water or air

HUMUS

L. "earth"

exhume

tr. v. 1. To dig out of the ground or from a grave; to disinter; 2. To bring to light; to uncover

humus

n. Rich, dark organic material formed by decay of vegetable matter, essential to soil's fertility

MONS, MONTIS

L. "mountain"

mountebank

n. A swindler; a charlatan; a trickster

paramount

adj. Of chief importance; primary; foremost

promontory

n. A high ridge of land jutting into a body of water; a headland

PASCO, PASCERE, PAVI, PASTUM

L. "to feed" (esp. cattle); "to nourish"

PASTOR

L. "shepherd"

pastoral

adj. 1. Pertaining to a Christian minister or the duties accompanying the office; 2. Referring to life in open country or to fields for farming or grazing; 3. Pertaining to an idealized rural life

repast

n. A meal; food served at a meal

RUS, RURIS

L. "open land," "country"

rustic

adj. Typical of country life and people; simple; rough; n. A rural person

rusticate

intr. v. To go to the country; tr. v. To cause to become rustic

ANIMA

L. "wind," "air"

ANIMUS

L. "mind," "soul"

animus

n. 1. A powerful feeling of hostility or antagonism; hatred; 2. An animating spirit

equanimity

n. Composure and calm in stressful conditions; equilibrium

pusillanimous

adj. Cowardly; fearful

AETHER

L. "upper air," "clear sky"

AITHER

G. "air"

ether

n. 1. The regions of space beyond the earth's atmosphere; the heavens; 2. A highly flammable liquid anesthetic

ethereal

adj. 1. Spiritlike in lightness and delicacy; 2. Heavenly; celestial

PHAINEIN

G. "to show," "to appear"

diaphanous

adj. Allowing light to show through; translucent; delicate

epiphany

n. 1. A revelatory manifestation of a divine being; 2. A revelation; a flash of understanding of the true nature of something; 3. (capitalized) A Christian festival, January 6, celebrating the visit of the Wise Men to the Christ Child

phantasm

n. A phantom; an apparition; something unreal, as in a dream or a vision

sycophant

n. A flatterer seeking favors or gain; a servile self-seeker

SPIRITUS

L. "breath"

SPIRO, SPIRARE, SPIRAVI, SPIRATUM

L. "to blow gently"

aspiration

n. 1. Strong desire for achievement; ambition toward a long-range goal; 2. Expulsion of breath in speaking

dispirited

adj. Dejected; discouraged; gloomy

HUPER

G. "over," "above"

hyperbole

n. An exaggeration; a figure expressing excess

hyperborean

adj. 1. Far north; Arctic; 2. Very cold; frigid

VENTUS

L. "wind"

hyperventilation

n. The condition of taking abnormally fast, deep breaths

vent

n. An outlet; an opening for passage of liquids, fumes, or sometimes air; tr. v. To utter; to express, especially in relieving strong feelings

FERVO, FERVERE, FERVI

L. "to be boiling hot"

fervid

adj. Full of intense passion or zeal

effervescent

adj. 1. Bubbling up from a liquid; 2. Very excited; bubbling over with high spirits

FLAGRO, FLAGRARE, FLAGRAVI, FLAGRATUM

L. "to glow," "to burn," "to blaze"

conflagration

n. A large and destructive fire

flagrant

adj. Shockingly evident; outrageously conspicuous

FLAMMA

L. "flame"

inflammatory

adj. 1. Arousing strong emotion, especially anger or hostility; 2. Pertaining to redness, swelling, or pain following an infection or injury

flamboyant

adj. Colored or decorated in a showy way; having a showy appearance or manner

INCENDO, INCENDERE, INCENDI, INCENSUM

L. "to set on fire"

incendiary

adj. 1. Designed or intended to cause a fire; 2. Tending to stir up strife; inflammatory; n. A person who maliciously burns his or her own or another's property for monetary advantage

incense

tr. v. To infuriate; to enrage

KAIEIN

G. "to burn"

caustic

adj. 1. Able to burn or eat away by chemical action; 2. Sarcastic; marked by a biting wit

cauterize

tr. v. To burn with a hot iron or a chemical to destroy abnormal tissue and/or to stop infection and/or bleeding

PUR

G. "fire"

pyre

n. A pile of wood, etc., for burning a corpse as part of a funeral rite; any pile of combustible materials

pyrotechnics

n. 1. A display of fireworks; 2. A spectacular display of virtuosity in music, writing, wit, or other accomplishment

pyromania

n. A compulsion to set things on fire

SCINTILLA

L. "spark"

scintilla

n. A very small amount; a bit; an iota

scintillate

intr. v. 1. To give off sparks; to flash; to sparkle; 2. To be animated or brilliant

FLUO, FLUERE, FLUXI, FLUCTUM

L. "to flow"

confluence

n. 1. The flowing together of two or more elements: streams or rivers, or ideas, influences, or cultures; 2. An assembling or flocking together in a crowd

effluent

n. A stream or overflow from a larger body of water, or from a channel or sewer; adj. Flowing out

flux

n. 1. A flow; 2. A continuous succession of changes

HUDOR

G. "water"

dehydrate

tr. v. To remove water or moisture; intr. v. To lose water or moisture

hydrology

n. The study of water and its effects on and in the earth and in the atmosphere

MAR, MARIS

L. "sea"

MARINUS

L. "marine"

cormorant

n. 1. A dark, hook-billed sea bird; 2. A greedy person

marinade

n. A liquid often seasoned with spices or herbs to flavor meat or fish for a period of time before cooking

NAUS

G. "ship"

NAVIS

L. "ship"

NAUTES

G. "sailor"

NAUTA

L. "sailor"

nauseate

tr. v. 1. To cause queasiness; to cause to feel sick; 2. To cause the feeling of repulsion or disgust

nave

n. The long central part of a church, extending from the entrance to the altar, with aisles along the sides

PONS, PONTIS

L. "bridge"

pontiff

n. A pope or bishop

pontificate

intr. v. To speak with pompous authority; n. The office of a pontiff; papacy

UNDA

L. "wave" (lit. "a wave of the sea")

undulate

tr. and intr. v. To have or to cause to have a wavy motion

redound

intr. v. To reflect or come back either favorably or unfavorably (upon a person or thing)

redundant

adj. 1. Superfluous; exceeding what is needed, or what is needed no longer; 2. Verbose; needlessly repetitious

inundate

tr. v. 1. To submerge or overflow with water; to flood; 2. To overwhelm