In an effort to help me learn new words (and help reach my goal of blogging once a day, everyday), I am going to choose words from one page every day to blog that I did not know or wasn’t clear on its definition. By doing so I hope to commit these words to memory and maybe you can too if you had not known them already. All words will be coming from The 4000 English Words Essential for an Educated Vocabulary. Based on each words definition I will try to use it in a sentence. The key word is try. 🙂
A priori – reasoning based on general principles
Comments: I have heard of this word before, but never used it. I’m pretty sure I studied it in one of my Philosophy classes. It was (is) used to justify statements, arguments or theories/posits. I think. Usually used with A posteriori. “I think, therefore I am“. Proooobably not the correct use.
Abase – to degrade
Comments: I have heard of this word also, maybe even read it a couple times but have never used it. “The weapon was beginning to slowly abase. It needed to be repaired soon. But I don’t have enough caps.” Sorry, nerd moment. 😛
Abash – to humiliate, embarass
Comments: I thought it was a type of attack. Like a skill a Pokemon would use or your Final Fantasy character might have. Typical menu: [Attack] [Defend] [Special] [Items]. You hit the special button and your ‘specials menu’ comes up. You find [Abash]. Abash hits for 22 damage. Oh well. “Look, I am already abashed. You don’t need to abash me more. Why do you like abashing people?“.
Abrogate – to cancel
Comments: Well this is a word I have never heard of. Very overwhelmingly complicated word to say ‘to cancel’. Also you cannot deduce the definition simply by looking at the word. Good to know. “Yes, I want to abrogate my order, I’ve changed my mind I want the fish instead. So what if its already made? Give it to someone else I want to abrogate my order! AB RO GATE my order now!“.
Abscond – to run away (secretly)
Comments: I kind of know this word, just haven’t used it or seen it in a while. I remember reading this in books with medieval type settings. Although for some reason I did think it meant to rappel down a rope. Oh well. “Come hither, woman, let us abscond to yonder meadow for some private time behind the hay bales“.
Abtruse – difficult to understand
Comments: Never seen this word in my life. Not to be confused with obtuse. Another word you can’t deduce the meaning by looking at the words that make it up. “Why are you so abtruse?! How hard is it to get chocolate cake? All I wanted was a chocolate cake! Not chocolate cake with sprinkles!“.
Abut – to touch, border on
Comments: Another word I have never seen or heard. Sounds funny though. “Stop abutting me!“.
Acclivity – ascent, incline
Comments: So it is referring to the incline of a mountain/hill or the grade of pavement? Like on the way to Vegas you see signs for 18 wheelers warning them that the grade is x%? Steepness? I think. Never herad this word before either. “The acclivity of the crazy-hot scale is dependent on the the Vicky Mendoza line. The hotter she is, the crazier she is.“.
That’s all the words that I didn’t know from one page of the book. Hope you learned something new, I know I did! See you tomorrow 😛
BOY MEETS LIFE 