The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  chastise (TCHAH-stize), verb

  To punish or scold severely in hopes that by so doing, new behavior will result.

  The teacher CHASTISED the student for being constantly disruptive.

  chateau (sha-TOE), noun

  A large country house; a French manor house or castle.

  Eva liked to spend her summers at the family’s CHATEAU, strolling through the gardens and riding horseback over the expansive grounds.

  chic (sheek), adjective or noun

  From the French meaning “skill,” “chic” means stylishness and elegance in dress or manner.

  Without spending very much, Lydia always seems able to look incredibly CHIC.

  chivalrous (SHIV-uhl-russ), adjective

  Honorable; in keeping with a code of behavior reminiscent of that followed by medieval knights. Chivalrous applies especially to courteousness and/or consideration toward women, the poor, or the vanquished.

  Those who expected a barbarian were surprised to find the renegade leader both even-tempered and CHIVALROUS in bearing.

  chord (kord), noun

  A combination of musical tones. (See, for comparison, the entry for cord.)

  The major CHORDS in the key of C are the easiest for the beginning piano student to learn.

  cinematic (sin-uh-MAT-ik), adjective

  Reminiscent of or pertaining to the cinema; similar in imagery or approach to the visual styles employed in motion pictures.

  The use of a large rotating disk on the stage allows the director to stage scenes in such a way that scenery and actors pass steadily across the stage as action proceeds, lending a CINEMATIC feel to the performance.

  cistern (SIS-tern), noun

  A large container or tank used for holding water, particularly rainwater.

  Mary watered her garden with rainwater collected in a CISTERN behind the garage.

  citadel (SIT-uh-del), noun

  A stronghold; literally, a strategically positioned fortress in control of a town or city. Something that is forfeited against attack or adversity may be referred to metaphorically as a citadel.

  Gentlemen, this business is our CITADEL, and we must be prepared to defend it as such.

  cite (site), verb

  To quote or refer to. (See, for comparison, the entry for site.)

  I’ve CITED your brilliant paper several times in my upcoming book, Dr. Wilson.

  citify (SIT-uh-fie), verb

  To cause to become city-like.

  I’m afraid it will take more than a week in Chicago to CITIFY old Uncle Parker.

  clairvoyance (klare-VOY-uhnce), noun

  Supernatural perceptive skills. Clairvoyance (from the French for “clear sight”) refers to the ability to perceive things normally out of the range of human intuition.

  Michael claimed to have CLAIRVOYANCE, and even held a few playful “seances,” but no one took his claims seriously.

  clangor (KLAYN-gurr), noun

  A loud, repeating noise that can be unnerving.

  The CLANGOR of the parade actually frightened my daughter, rather than exciting her.

  clinch (klinch), verb

  To settle a matter decisively or definitely. Also, as a noun: a passionate embrace.

  Even Coach Jones admitted that his team had slacked off after they CLINCHED first place in their division.

  clique (klick), noun

  From the French meaning “latch,” a clique is a small, exclusive group, one that often looks down on those who do not belong to it.

  Shelly was pleased to find that her sorority was not riddled with in-fighting CLIQUES.

  clout (klowt), noun

  “Clout” has two common meanings. It either means someone who has a lot of influence, or it means to strike someone.

  I was afraid we wouldn’t get into the exclusive club, but Reggie’s business connections give him a lot of CLOUT. We got in with no problem.

  cohabitate (koh-HAB-ih-tait), verb

  To live together as man and wife, or to live together as though one were man and wife.

  I don’t know why Jim and Liza don’t go ahead and get married. They’ve been COHABITATING for six years now!

  cohort (KO-hort), noun

  An associate or companion with whom one is united through common experience. Cohort originally referred to one of the ten divisions of a Roman legion, consisting of men who had developed strong ties of comradeship.

  Because Mark and his COHORTS had grown up together in the town, leaving for different colleges was quite difficult.

  collate (KOE-late), verb

  To arrange (usually paper) in proper or logical order.

  Chef LeBlanc’s assistant was responsible for writing down the recipes and COLLATING them for inclusion in the restaurant’s internal cookbook.

  collateral (kuh-LAT-uh-rul), noun

  Something pledged as security or insurance for the fulfillment of an obligation or payment. (Also, as an adjective: secondary or accompanying.)

  Sheila offered her house as COLLATERAL in order to obtain the loan she needed to start her business.

  combustible (kum-BUS-tih-bul), adjective

  Susceptible to catching fire; able to be burned.

  The local consumer group tried to help make neighborhood homes as safe as possible by publishing lists of products found to be poisonous, COMBUSTIBLE, or potentially hazardous to small children.

  commemorate (kum-MEM-uh-rate), verb

  To serve as a memorial for; to mark or celebrate as a significant event.

  Arthur, a Korean War veteran, would COMMEMORATE Memorial Day by visiting the cemetery and placing flags on the graves of friends who had fallen in battle.

  compensate (KOM-pun-sate), verb

  Something given in return for or to make up for services performed, or for something lost; something given in exchange.

  Although management COMPENSATED George for crossing the picket line during the strike by giving him a promotion and a big raise, he had lost several friends as a result of his decision and regretted it bitterly.

  compile (kum-PILE), verb

  To gather or put together in one place or form.

  The disc jockey asked Janet and Peter to COMPILE a list of the songs they would most like to hear at their wedding.

  complement (KOM-pluh-munt), verb and noun

  To accompany in a pleasing or harmonious style. Also, as a noun: something that completes or brings to perfection. (See, for comparison, the entry for compliment.)

  That scarf you’re wearing certainly COMPLEMENTS your blouse.

  complementary (kom-pluh-MEN-tuh-ree), adjective

  Serving to complete or to accompany in a harmonious fashion. (See, for comparison, the entry for complimentary.)

  The trick is to pick a living room style COMPLEMENTARY to the one we’ve already established in the kitchen.

  compliant (kum-PLY-ant), adjective

  Submissive; yielding.

  After we phoned the police a few times, our noisy neighbor found it in his heart to be more COMPLIANT when we asked him to keep down the racket.

  compliment (KOM-pluh-munt), verb

  To praise or flatter. (See, for comparison, the entry for complement.)

  The waiter COMPLIMENTED Harry on his choice of wine.

  complimentary (kom-pluh-MEN-tuh-ree), adjective

  Expressing praise or admiration; also, extended without charge. (See, for comparison, the entry for complementary.)

  The play was uneven and only mildly interesting, but I couldn’t complain too much, as the tickets had been COMPLIMENTARY.

  compose (kum-POZE), verb

  To be the constituent components of; to make up. (See, for comparison, the entry for comprise.)

  Teamwork COMPOSES the essence of success in business.

  concord (KAHN-cord), noun

  A state of agreement and harmony.

  While most siblings fight, the CONCORD among the Lewis triplets is nothing short of phenomenal.

  concise (
kun-SICE), adjective

  Clear and to the point; brief; expressing much with few words.

  Rather than detail the grievances he had with his supervisor, Randy handed in a CONCISE resignation letter outlining his desire to move on to something new.

  concoct (kun-KOKT), verb

  To combine in the process of preparation.

  How on earth did Myra manage to CONCOCT a story like that for her mother on such short notice?

  concourse (KON-korse), noun

  An assembly of a large number of people. A concourse can also be a large open area meant to accommodate public gatherings.

  He looked all around the CONCOURSE, but could not see Robin.

  concur (kun-KUR), verb

  To agree; to share the same opinion.

  The prosecutor felt that Jim’s crime deserved the maximum penalty, but the judge did not CONCUR.

  concurrence (kun-KER-runce), noun

  The condition of being in agreement. To concur is to agree, so a concurrence is in effect when two or more people have “signed on” to a given idea, plan, or judgment.

  I will proceed with the acquisition; as president, I do not require anyone else’s CONCURRENCE.

  condensed (kun-DENSED), adjective

  Shortened; decreased in size; compressed, made more concise.

  Cindy thought she could get through the class by reading only the CONDENSED versions of the novels that had been assigned, but she ended up failing both the midterm and the final.

  conduit (KAHN-dew-it), noun

  A means by which something is transmitted.

  A traveler from Malaysia turned out to be the CONDUIT for the deadly epidemic.

  confiscate (KON-fiss-kate), verb

  To deprive of (one’s property), especially as part of an official or governmental body.

  The news that his boat had been CONFISCATED by the IRS to satisfy his back tax debt hit Michael like a body blow.

  conform (kun-FORM), verb

  To go along with what is popular; to follow the actions of others. Also: not to be in violation of (a rule, principle, ideal, or edict).

  As though eager to prove she had no intention of CONFORMING to her parents’ idea of the perfect daughter, Bridget left home at eighteen to become a truck driver.

  congeal (kuhn-JEEL), verb

  When discussing inanimate objects, something congeals when it thickens or gels. When discussing people’s attitudes, “congeal” means to become hard-headed and rigid.

  Over time, the delusions that caused my father-in-law to launch a multitude of harebrained schemes CONGEALED until it was impossible to talk sense to him.

  congenial (kun-JEEN-ee-ul), adjective

  Having similar habits or tastes; temperamentally suitable. Congenial surroundings are those that yield a sense of being pleasant and inviting. (Congenial is sometimes confused with congenital, see below.)

  He found Jane a CONGENIAL hostess: easy to engage in conversation and knowledgeable on topics of interest to others.

  conjecture (kun-JEK-shur), noun

  Speculation based on inconclusive data or on evidence that is not complete. A conjecture can be considered a “best guess” unsupported by fact or observation.

  The item that appeared in your column of December 16th is based totally on CONJECTURE, and is extremely misleading.

  conjugate (KAHN-juh-gut OR KAHN-juh-gate), verb

  To join together, especially in a pair or in pairs.

  As soon as the music started, men and women began to CONJUGATE on the dance floor.

  conjure (KON-jur), verb

  To summon or bring about (as if by supernatural means). Someone who conjures up an image of something brings it to mind in a vivid way.

  I cannot simply CONJURE up the figures you are looking for; the project will take some time.

  connoisseur (KAHN-uh-sue-er), noun

  This French word refers to someone who is an expert in a field, especially in one of the fine arts.

  Jake is a CONNOISSEUR of rare blues 78s.

  consensus (kun-SEN-sus), noun

  Collective agreement.

  There was a strong consensus around town that Mayor Bergeron was doing a poor job—a CONSENSUS that extended to both of his children, his uncles, and his barber.

  conspicuous (kun-SPIK-yoo-uss), adjective

  Strikingly noticeable; obvious.

  The present Supreme Court term has been marked by a CONSPICUOUS absence of controversial cases.

  consternation (kahn-ster-NAY-shun), noun

  A sense of alarm, confusion, or amazement.

  The repeated arguments with my wife over the same issues filled me with CONSTERNATION.

  construe (kun-STROO), verb

  To interpret or guess the meaning of.

  Ann’s constant tardiness was CONSTRUED by her supervisor as an inability to balance the demands of her job and her family.

  contingent (kuhn-TIN-jent), adjective or noun

  As a noun, “contingent” refers to people who are considered representative of a larger group. As an adjective, something contingent is either accidental or dependent upon something else in order to occur.

  Getting to the concert on time is CONTINGENT on you getting to my house by 7:30.

  contrite (kun-TRITE), adjective

  Inclined to express penitence or apology.

  Myrtle’s CONTRITE speech did little to mitigate her supervisor’s frustration at the delay in the release of the Model X.

  convalescence (kon-vuh-LESS-unce), noun

  The process of regaining one’s health after an illness. Convalescence is derived from the Latin for “to grow stronger.”

  Her CONVALESCENCE was impeded by the primitive medical facilities on the island.

  convene (kun-VEEN), verb

  To gather or assemble.

  The legislature will not CONVENE this year until February 1.

  convoluted (kon-vuh-LOO-tid), adjective

  Complicated and twisted; intermingled or intimately folded together. Convoluted means, literally, folded into a coil or spiral; it is more commonly used to express an extreme state of complication and/or interdependency.

  His argument, though perhaps sound to an expert in the field, seemed extremely CONVOLUTED to me.

  cord (kord), noun

  A thin piece of rope, plastic, etc. (See, for comparison, the entry for chord.)

  Today’s rock artists are used to performing with microphones that do not require CORDS.

  cordial (KORD-jull), adjective

  Pleasant; marked by warmth or kindness.

  The Fords extended a CORDIAL welcome to us as we arrived for the party.

  cosmic (KOZ-mik), adjective

  Of or pertaining to the universe as a whole; also, far-reaching or pervasive.

  It is my hope that the council will use our report as a blueprint for COSMIC, rather than cosmetic, changes in city government.

  cosmopolitan (kahz-muh-PAUL-uh-ton), adjective

  Describes someone who is worldly and sophisticated.

  You would never think someone so COSMOPOLITAN was raised in a small town two hundred miles from the nearest city.

  council (KOWN-sul), noun

  An assembly gathered together for deliberation or consultation.

  The neighborhood COUNCIL meets every Tuesday night to discuss issues of interest to our community.

  counsel (KOWN-sul), noun

  A discussion of ideas or opinions.

  Katrina’s advisor was always available to COUNSEL her about work-related issues.

  counterculture (KOUNT-er-kuhl-chuhr), noun

  A group of people—typically young people—whose actions and values oppose those of the larger society.

  Whether the nation is at war or at peace, it always spawns a COUNTERCULTURE.

  counterintuitive (kount-er-in-TOO-ih-tiv), adjective

  An assertion or belief that does not seem logical but which, in practice, turns out to be true and accurate.

  Since
people have so much more control over local politics, it seems COUNTERINTUITIVE that people are more likely to vote for president of the United States than for city council members.

  covenant (KUH-vuh-nent), noun

  A binding agreement entered into by two or more. According to the Bible, a covenant was made between the ancient Israelites and Jehovah.

  To James the arrangement was an informal understanding, but to Michael it was a holy COVENANT.

  covert (KO-vert), adjective

  Secret; covered over. Something that is covert is concealed or surreptitious.

  The COVERT operation was a success, but only a few people would ever know its significance.

  cow (cow), verb

  As a verb, “cow” means to intimidate, to frighten with a show of strength.

  Even after the Blitz’s repeated bombings, England was not COWED by Hitler’s Nazis.

  crag (kragg), noun

  A steep rock formation rising higher than its surrounding rocks.

  Because this was my first rock-climbing experience, I regarded the huge CRAG we were approaching with some nervousness.

  credence (KREE-dence), noun

  Acceptance as factual; legitimacy. Credence is belief or plausibility.

  His pacifist arguments lost CREDENCE when he admitted that he had worked for a defense contractor for some years.

  credible (KRED-ih-bul), adjective

  Worthy of belief; plausible. (See, for comparison, the entry for creditable.)

  The prosecution’s witnesses seemed forthright and CREDIBLE, while those of the defense weren’t quite as believable.

  creditable (KRED-ih-tuh-bull), adjective

  Worthy of praise. (See, for comparison, the entry for credible.)

  You’ve done a CREDITABLE job on this project, Farnsworth; remind me to give you a raise.

  croissant (kruh-SONT or kwa-SON), noun

  A crescent-shaped roll or pastry, sometimes prepared with a sweet or savory filling.

  For Ellen, the CROISSANTS and fresh-squeezed orange juice were about the only things that made the company’s breakfast meetings bearable.

  cryptic (KRIP-tik), adjective

  Secret; coded; concealed from open understanding.

  After making a few CRYPTIC comments on the impermanence of all artistic effort, Melody slunk into her room; we learned in the morning that she had burned every page of her manuscript.

  crystalline (KRISS-tuh-lean), adjective