Chapter 2Enlarging Vocabulary

through Central Ideas

Central Ideas 1-5

Central Ideas:

Skill Poverty Wealth Fear Courage

Part 1: SKILL

Adroit Ambidextrous Apprentice Aptitude Craftsperson Dexterity Maladroit Versitile

1. Adroit (adj)

Expert in using the hands or mind; skillful; clever; deft; dexterous

Our adroit passing enabled us to score four touchdowns.

2. Ambidextrous (adj)

Able to use both hands equally well

Ruth is an ambidextrous hitter; she can bat right-handed or left-handed.

3. Apprentice (n)

Person learning an art or trade under a skilled worker; learner; beginning; novice; tyro

Young Ben Franklin learned the printing trade by serving as an apprentice to his half brother James.

4. Aptitude (n)

Natural tendency to learn or understand; bent; talent

Cindy is not clumsy with tools; she has mechanical aptitude.

5. Craftsperson (n)

Skilled worker; artisan

To build a house, you need the services of carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, and electricians; each one must be a skilled craftsperson.

6. Dexterity (n)

Skill using the hands or mind; deftness; adroitness; expertise

You can’t expect an apprentice to have the same dexterity as a skilled worker.

7. Maladroit (adj)

Clumsy; inept; awkward

A maladroit worker banged his thumb with a hammer.

8. Versatile (adj)

Capable of doing many things well; many-sided; all-around

Leonardo da Vinci was remarkably versatile. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist.

Part 2: Poverty

Destitute Economize Frugal Impoverished Indigence

9. Destitute (adj)

Not possessing the necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing; needy; indigent

The severe earthquake killed hundreds of persons and left thousands destitute.

10.Economize (v)

Reduce expences; be frugal

Consumers can economize by buying their milk in gallon containers.

11.Frugal (adj)

Barely enough; scanty Avoiding waste; economical; sparing;

saving; thrifty

The old man had nothing to eat but bread and cheese; yet he offered to share his frugal meal with his visitor.

My weekly allowance for lunches and fares isn’t much, but I can get by on it if I am frugal.

12.Impoverish (v)

Make very poor; reduce to poverty; bankrupt; ruin; pauperize

The increase in dues of only a dollar a year will not impoverish anyone.

13.Indigence (n)

Poverty; penury

By hard work, countless thousands of Americans have raised themselves from indigence to wealth.

Part 3: Wealth

Affluent Avarice Avaricious Covet Dowry Financial Fleece

Hoard Lavish Lucrative Means Opulence Sumptuous

14.Affluent (adj)

Very wealthy; rich; opulent

The new wing to the hospital is a gift from an affluent humanitarian.

15.Avarice (n)

Excessive desire for wealth; greediness; cupidity

If manufacturers were to raise prices without justification, they could be accused of avarice.

16.Avaricious (adj)

Greedy; grasping; covetous

An avaricious person likes to get and keep, but not to give or share.

17.Covet (v)

Desire; long for; crave, especially something belonging to another

Jorge coveted his neighbor’s farm but could not get her to sell it.

18.Dowry (n)

Money, property, etc., that a bride brings to her husband

The dowry that his wife brought him enabled the Italian engraver Piranesi to devote himself completely to art.

19.Financial (adj)

Having to do with money matters; monetary; pecuniary; fiscal

People who keep spending more than they earn usually get into financial difficulties.

20.Fleece(v)

(literally, to remove the wool from sheep or a similar animal)

Deprive or strip of money or belongings by fraud; charge excessively for goods or services; rob; cheat; swindle If your sister paid $9000 for that car, she

was fleeced. The mechanic says it was worth $5000.

21.Hoard (v)

Save and conceal; accumulate; amass

Aunt Bonnie had a reputation as a miser who hoarded every penny she could get her hands on.

22.Lavish (adj)

Too free in giving, using, or spending; profuse; prodigal

Given or spent too freely; very abundant; extravagant; profuse The young heir was warned that he

would soon have nothing left if he continued to be lavish with money.

Vera’s composition is good, but it doesn’t deserve the lavish praise that Linda gave it.

23.Lucrative (adj)

Profitable; moneymaking

Because the gift shop did not produce a sufficient profit, the owner decided to go into a more lucrative business.

24.Means (n. pl)

Wealth; property; resources

To own an expensive home, a yacht, and a limousine, you have to be a person of means.

25.Opulence (n)

Wealth; riches; affluence

Dickens contrasts the opulence of France’s nobility with the indigence of her peasants.

26.Sumptuous (adj)

Involving large expense; luxurious; costly

The car with the leather upholstery and thick rugs is beautiful but a bit sumptuous for my simple tastes.

Fear

Apprehensive Cower Dastardly Intimidate Poltroon Timid Trepidation

27.Apprehensive (adj)

Expecting something unfavorable; afraid; anxious

Apprehensive parents telephoned the school when the class was late getting home from the museum.

28.Cower (v)

Draw back tremblingly; shrink or crouch in fear; cringe; recoil

If you stand up to your bullying sister instead of cowering before her, she may back down.

29.Dastardly (adv)

Cowardly and mean

It was dastardly of the captain to desert the sinking vessel and leave the passengers to fend for themselves.

30. Intimidate (v)

Make fearful or timid; frighten; force by fear; cow; bully

The younger children would not have given up the playing field so quickly if the older ones hadn’t intimidated them.

31. Poltroon (n)

Thorough coward; dastard; craven

Like the poltroon that he was, Tonseten hid under the bed when he saw a fight coming.

32. Timid (adj)

Lacking courage or self-confidence; fearful; timorous; shy

If the other team challenges us, we should accept. Let’s not be so timid!

33.Trepidation (n)

Nervous agitation; fear, fright; trembling

I thought Carol would be nervous when she made her speech, but she delivered it without trepidation.

Courage

Audacious Audacity Dauntless Exploit Fortitude Indomitable Plucky Rash

34.Audacious (adj)

Bold; fearlessly daring Too bold; insolent; impudent

The audacious sea captain set a couse for uncharted waters.

After we had waited for about twenty minutes, an audacious latecomer strolled up and tried to get in at the head of our line.

35.Audacity (n)

Nerve; rashness; temerity

Oliver Twist, nine-year-old poorhouse inmate, was put into solitary confinement when he had the audacity to ask for a second helping of porridge.

36.Dauntless (adj)

Fearless; intrepid; very brave; valiant

The frightened sailors wanted to turn back, but their dauntless captain urged them to sail on.

37.Exploit (n)

Heroic act; daring deed; feat

Amelia Earhart won worldwide fame for her expoits as an aviator.

38.Fortitude (n)

Courage in facing danger, hardship or pain; endurance; bravery; pluck; backbone; valor

The officer showed remarkable fortitude in remaining on duty despite a painful wound.

39.Indomitable (adj)

Incapable of being subdued; unconquerable; invincible

The bronco that would not be broken threw all its riders. It had an indomitable will to be free.

40.Plucky (adj)

Courageous; brave; valiant; valorous

After two days on a life raft, the plucky survivors were rescued by a helicopter.

41.Rash (adj)

Overhasty; foolhardy; reckless; impetuous; taking too much risk

When you lose your temper, you may say or do something rash and regret it afterward.