Othello  & Word Parts Vocabulary List

Beseech: 

To beg or plead urgently

Construe:

To interpret or understand the meaning of something.

Contrive:

To plan or scheme, often in a deceitful way.

Gait:

A person’s manner of walking or moving.

Imminent:

About to happen very soon.

Infirmity:

A physical or mental weakness or illness.

Knave:

A dishonest or untrustworthy person.

Obsequious:

Excessively obedient or flattering to gain favor.

Peril:

Serious danger or risk.

Repeal:

To revoke or withdraw formally, especially a law or decision.

Slander:

A false spoken statement that damages someone’s reputation.

Valiant:

Brave and courageous.

Virtue:

High moral standards or a good quality.

Visage:

A person’s face or facial expression.

Wrangle:

To argue or dispute in a noisy or intense way.

Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes

Directions: Know the meaning of each root, prefix, and suffix listed below. Then, define each required word and use each in an original sentence.

Root/ Prefix/ Suffix         Meaning

Demagogue:

Definition: A political leader who gains support by appealing to emotions and prejudices rather than logic.

Sentence: The demagogue stirred up fear among the townspeople to gain votes.

Democratic:

Definition: Relating to a government ruled by the people.

Sentence: Because our country is democratic, we get to vote in the election each year. 

Demographic:

Definition: Relating to the structure of populations.

Sentence: The company conducted a demographic survey to understand their target audience.

Endemic:

Definition: Native or restricted to a particular place or group.

Sentence: Malaria is endemic to tropical regions. 

Epidemic:

Definition: A widespread occurrence of a disease in a community.

Sentence: The classroom was half empty due to a flu epidemic. 

Expel:

Definition: To force someone to leave a place.

Sentence: The school expelled the student for beating up a teacher. 

Erupt:

Definition: To explode or burst out suddenly.

Sentence: The classroom erupted with laughter after the class clown made a joke.

Eject:

Definition: To force something out.

Sentence: The pilot had to eject from the plane that was about to crash. 

Efface:

Definition: To erase or remove completely.

Sentence: Time had effaced the writing on the tombstones. 

Excise:

Definition: To cut out or remove.

Sentence: The surgeon excised the man’s cancerous tumor.

Exegesis:

Definition: A critical explanation of a text, especially scripture.

Sentence: The professor’s exegesis of the poem revealed its deeper meaning.

Expropriate:

Definition: To take away property, often by government authority.

Sentence: The government expropriated land to build a new highway.

Exorcize:

Definition: To drive out an evil spirit.

Sentence: The ghostbusters were sent to exorcize the ghosts in the house.

Efficacious:

Definition: Effective in producing a desired result.

Sentence: The new treatment was highly efficacious against the disease. 

Affluent:

Definition: Wealthy; having a large flow of money.

Sentence: The houses in the  affluent neighborhood were huge. 

Confluence:

Definition: The point where two rivers or ideas meet and merge.

Sentence: The confluence of the two rivers was part of a commonly used shipping route. 

Fluent:

Definition: Able to speak or write smoothly and effortlessly.

Sentence: She is fluent in both Spanish and English.

Flux:

Definition: A continuous flow or change.

Sentence: The stock market is in a constant state of flux.

Superfluous:

Definition: Unnecessary; more than needed.

Sentence: She removed the superfluous words from her narrative to make it more concise. 

Mellifluous:

Definition: Sweet and smooth sounding.

Sentence: The audience was entranced by her mellifluous voice. 

Digress:

Definition: To stray from the main topic.

Sentence: Mr. Locke digressed from talking about Imperialism to talk about the Eagles parade. 

Graduate:

Definition: To successfully complete an academic program

Sentence: The senior graduated from high school, ready to go to college.

Transgress:

Definition: To violate a law or moral rule.

Sentence: She transgressed the company’s policy and was fired. 

Egress:

Definition: An exit or a way out.

Sentence: The emergency egress was clearly labeled with a red sign.

Aggressor:

Definition: One who initiates an attack.

Sentence: She acted as the aggressor when she randomly punched another student.

Digression:

Definition: A departure from the main subject.

Sentence: His long digression made the students confused at what the point of the lesson was.

Chauvinist:

Definition: Someone who is excessively patriotic or biased.

Sentence: He was called a chauvinist because he refused to consider the opinions of others.

Misogynist:

Definition: Someone who dislikes or is prejudiced against women.

Sentence: By telling Nora that she could never survive in the real world without him, Torvald was a misogynist. 

Seismologist:

Definition: A scientist who studies earthquakes.

Sentence: The seismologist predicted an upcoming earthquake in Morocco.

Impediment:

Definition: An obstacle or hindrance.

Sentence: His speech impediment made it difficult to publicly speak.

Pedestrian:

Definition: A person walking on foot.

Sentence: Pedestrians always have the right of way, as they are more vulnerable than cars.

Pedantic:

Definition: Overly concerned with details or formal rules.

Sentence: Her pedantic attitude helped her achieve excellent grades.

Pedagogue:

Definition: A strict or overly academic teacher.

Sentence: The pedagogue never allowed students to talk without raising their hands first. 

Portmanteau:

Definition: A large suitcase or a word combining two words.

Sentence: Brunch is a portmanteau of lunch and breakfast.

Portable:

Definition: Able to be carried or moved easily.

Sentence: A laptop is a portable computer. 

Portly:

Definition: Large or overweight.

Sentence: The portly man took up two airplane seats. 

Export:

Definition: To send goods to another country.

Sentence: Canada exports large amounts of maple syrup. 

Import:

Definition: To bring goods into a country.

Sentence: Maple syrup was imported into the United States.