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Words From Special Places

Mrs. Anderson's vocab. word list
for second semester

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18984076Babbittan American middle-class businessman who was vastly pleased with himself; not tolerant
18984077Brobdingnagiana giant as tall as a steeple; synonym for gigantic
18984078bumblean officious, puffed-up, and pompous person; one to be avoided; from Oliver Twist
18984079Cinderellaany girl who goes from rags to riches
18984080Don Juanan unsavory lover
18984081Falstaffianbragging, bawdy, good-humored fat man; for comic relief
18984082Frankensteinmonster that destroys its creator
18984083Fridaya helper who is dependable, cheerful, and hardworking; from Robinson Crusoe
18984084Galahadmost noble and pure of all knights
18984085Jekyll and Hydea person who alternates between good and evil
18984086lilliputiansix-inch people; miniature of tiny
18984087Little Lord Fauntleroyany little boy who is too-good-to-be-true
18984088lothariowell-known lover from The Fair Penitent
18984089malapropismfrom The Rivals; means an hilarious use of words
18984090Milquetoastfrom The Timid Soul; a wimp
18984091Pickwickiancomments were "not in accordance with usual meaning;" understood in an esoteric, special sense
18984092Pollyannaany little girl who is too-good-to-be-true
18984093pooh-bahthe Lord-High-Everything-Els; a politician who holds several offices
18984094quixoticnoble but unrealistic; from one who imagined himself a knight
18984095robota rebel; one who exists and works without thought, who does what he/she is told
19483551rodomontadevain boasting; empty bluster
19483552scroogepenny-pinching miser with a heart like the Grinch's; a curmudgeon
19483553Simon Legreeanyone who works others without mercy
19483554Svengalianyone who controls others by seemingly mysterious means
19483555Tartuffecomplete moral hypocrite; anyone who pretends great devotion to religion but lives a secretly immoral life.
19483556Uncle Toma black seen by other blacks as being too quick to cooperate with white people
19483557Uriah Heepfrom David Copperfield; a hypocritical and holier than thou person
19483558Walter Mittyone who dreams and fantasizes
19483559yahooan unlovely lot; a crudball, a stupid person
20407745Achilles' heelplace of vulnerability
20407746aeolianreferring to winds
20407747Apollo and Adonisa handsome or desirable male
20407748Atlantic/Atlasindicates strength
20407749aurorathe dawn
20407750bacchanalan orgy
20407751bacchanalianlike a wild orgy or party
20407752calliopesteam whistle or steam organ; anything making a shrill sound
20407753Cassandraone who prophesies trouble: doom prophet
20407754centaura rider who seems part of his horse
20407755chimeraimaginative creature; wild, scary dream of fancy
20407756cupiditygreed or avarice
20407757eroticpertaining to sexual love
20407758furorwinged creatures with snakes for hair who committed murders in their families
20407759furyan avenging spirit
20407760gorgonugly, frightening person; turns one to stone
20407761halcyonpeaceful, tranquil
20407762harpypart woman, part bird
20407763hectorto bully or pick on; to annoy exceedingly
20920603Helen (of Troy)a woman of incomparable beauty; a perfect 10
20920604Herculeanextraordinarily strong or large; difficult, dangerous
20920605hydra-headedan evil with many sources, difficult to control
20920606iridescenthaving a rainbowlike play of colors, like a soap bubble
20920607jovialgood-natured, jolly expansive in nature
20920608Junoesquequeenly, statuesque, strikingly handsome (of woman)
20920609lethargysluggishness, torpor, languor, lassitude
20920610martialwarlike; suited for army or military life
20920611mentorrespected guide, teacher, or counselor
20920612mercurialvolatile; as applied to mood, easily changeable
21420082mnemonicsthe art of improving memory; a mnemonic device assists memory
21420083morphinean addictive narcotic
21420084musesource of inspiration or guiding genius
21420085narcissismself-love and admiration; extreme egotism
21420086nemesisrelentless pursuer of evildoers; jinx, bane
21420087Neptunefiguratively speaking, the oceans; thinks the world emerged from water
21420088odysseylong wandering or voyage
21420089Olympianmajestic, superior to other, regal or commanding
21420090paeanhymn or song of praise
21420091Pandora's boxsource of ill or evil; a malign influence needing to be kept under control
21881772Parnassushaving to do with poems; to climb Mount Parnassus is to write poetry
21881773pegasusextremely swift hoarse; poetic inspiration
21881774phoenixsymbol of immortality; something that died and was reborn
21881775plutocracygovernment by the weathy
21881776Prometheanunusually original and creative; life-giving
21881777proteanassuming many shapes or forms; greatly adaptable
21882243psychethe rational and spiritual in us; the soul or mind
21882244saturnaliawild party or orgy
21882245sibylprophetess; fortune-teller
21882246Sisypheanneeding to be redone, time and time again, unending
22368607stentorianextremely loud, like a town crier's voice
22368608stygiangloomy; dark; hellish and frightening
22368609tantalizeto torment or tease
22368610terpisichoreanreferring to dance
22368611titanicgigantic in size, power, or both
22368612volcanoeserupting mountains
22368613vulcanizechemical treatment for rubber to enhance uses
22368614Zeusruler, king
22368615Attilathe Hun; typically uncouth
22368616bacitracinMarvelous for skin ailments
25790990berserkeighth-century norse warrior, named after the bear skin he'd had tailored for war; fought like crazy man
25790991bloomeramelia bloomer, forerunner of women's liberation; urged women to give up long heavy skirts and wear her idea of trousers. means fullish pants
25790992bowdlerizedecided that her should clean up literature; to rewrite to the detriment
25790993boycottirish land agent for an absentee owner; to refrain, as a group from using or purchasing to force change
25790994Casanovaitalian hunk who must have been irresistible to women: pro lover
25790995chauvinistsoldier who worshiped Napoleon; so devoted to a cause that judgement is affected; a blind patriot
25790996derrickhangman in England; any apparatus that hoist by means of a tackle at end of a spar; noose
25790997Horatio Algerpoor boy making good in the end; like male cinderella
25790998MachiavellianRenaissance Italian statesman, means untrustworthy, conniving and sneaky
25790999McCarthyismsuggests with-hunting and is a strongly negative term
26117370mesmerizehypnosis. mesmerist is a hypnotist
26117371Nostradamusfortune-teller, a soothsayer
26117372Pyrrhicdescribing a dubious victory, when more is lost than gained
26117373Rabelaisianmarked by gross robust humor, extravagance of caricature or bold naturalism
26117374stonewallnot to yield an inch
26117375Swiftianstrongly scornful of mocking
26117376thespianan actor
26117377Uncle Samrepresents United States; maybe named after Sam Wilson
26117378Wagnerianphysical size and impressive power
27058389bohemiannomadic or rootless; free, nontraditional life
27058390canopycloth covering fixed or held above a person for protection
27058391donnybrookmarked by fighting and brawling
27058392dungareejeans. dating back to Dhungaree, India
27058393El Doradoplace of incredible wealth or good fortune
27058394hackneya horse; special horse of english breed
27058395laconicbrief and succinct of speech; to say as little as possible; from the spartans
27058449limericktown in ireland; five-line poems that rhyme
27058450marathongo on forever; from greece
27214985meandergoes slowly and twists and turns
27215234sardonicsuperior, disdainful, scornful and generally unpleasant
27215235shanghaifooled or coerced into a nasty job
27215236Spartanto suffer pain or unhappiness stoically; to live without luxuries
27215237sybariticlife that is fun and luxuries almost exclusively
27215238utopiathe perfect place; although literally means "no place"
27215239Waterloodismal performance; from Napoleons failed final battle

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