Vocabulary Lesson 3Honors English III

SCAPEGOAT I used my brother as a scapegoat when my mother accused me of sneaking out of the house.

PEREMPTORY The celebrity’s peremptory personal assistant told the

reporters exactly what they could and could not ask the star.

ATELIER Many believe the atelier of Alexander McQueen should be turned into a fashion museum, displaying the genius of the late designer.

AXIOM One of the key axioms of any great magician is to always put illusion before reality.

DULCET During American Idol auditions, the judges find many dulcet voices and even more that sound like nails on a chalkboard.

USURP Anyone caught trying to usurp the office of the president will be tried for treason.

PATRONIZING The patronizing store clerk in Louis Vuitton made the teenager feel as though she did not belong in the store.

INIQUITY Lord Voldemort committed the ultimate iniquity when he split his soul into seven parts, thus creating the Horcruxes.

ARCHAIC Record players, a-track players, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, typewriters, and even flip phones are archaic forms of technology.

VACILLATE Erin kept vacillating over whether to commit to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton.

PERSPICACIOUS The perspicacious card shark meticulously counted cards at the poker table. As a result, he had a stack of black $1000 chips in front of him.

ABSTEMIOUS Greg, wanting to lose weight, is being abstemious

about sugars, carbohydrates, and gluten.

TALISMAN My grandmother takes many talisman with her to bingo

on Friday nights. She sets up numerous troll dolls, rabbits feet, and four leaf clovers for good luck.

EXPURGATE Cory spent her afternoon detention expurgating crude remarks from the desks in various classrooms, as well from the lunch tables.

PELLUCID The textbook was covered using a sticky, pellucid wrapping; It protected the book, while still being able to see the cover.