The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  A person in his or her seventies. A septuagenarian is one who is between seventy and seventy-nine years old.

  Grandmother, now 69, is not looking forward to becoming a SEPTUAGENARIAN.

  seraphic (sih-RAFF-ick), adjective

  Characteristic of an angel.

  The music’s SERAPHIC tones left me feeling spiritually uplifted.

  serriform (SAIR-uh-form), adjective

  Shaped like a saw-edge; having ridges reminiscent of saw-teeth.

  The two SERRIFORM pieces fit together perfectly, making a solid joint.

  sesquipedalian (ses-quih-puh-DAY-lee-un), adjective

  Appropriately, this word describes someone who uses really big, ponderous words. From the Latin meaning “a foot and a half.”

  “That commentator uses such SESQUIPEDALIAN language that I doubt anyone knows what he’s talking about,” my father complained.

  shako (SHACK-oh), noun

  A stiff, tall piece of military headgear, resembling a fez with an upright plume.

  The guard’s SHAKO trembled as he advanced toward us angrily.

  shogun (SHO-gun), noun

  Before 1868, the commander of the Japanese military.

  The SHOGUNS of ancient Japan are considered among the most notable strategists in military history.

  simile (SIM-uh-lee), noun

  A comparison in speech or writing. “Her smile is like the morning sun” is an example of a simile.

  By asking, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” Shakespeare initiates a SIMILE he will develop fully in succeeding lines of the sonnet.

  simulacrum (sim-yuh-LAY-krum), noun

  A minor, unreal or eerie similarity. A simulacrum can also be an effigy.

  The boy possessed only the barest SIMULACRUM of the classic DeBerris brow, but something told me his claim to be a descendant was valid.

  sinecure (SIN-uh-kyoor), noun

  A job that is profitable although it requires only a marginal amount of work.

  Everyone’s annoyed that the boss gave her do-nothing son a SINECURE just to keep him from getting into trouble.

  sloe (slo), noun

  A small fruit resembling a plum.

  Many people like the taste of SLOE gin, but Jennifer prefers the traditional variety flavored with juniper berries.

  snafu (sna-FOO), noun

  An egregious but common error.

  Supposedly, the word “SNAFU” is an acronym of the phrase “Situation normal, all fouled up.”

  sociometry (so-see-OM-uh-tree), noun

  The determination of preference among members of distinct social groups. Sociometry can also refer to distinctions accountable to social differences.

  What we found is that the brand’s success or failure in a given area was due not mainly to income level, but to SOCIOMETRY.

  solstice (SOL-stiss), noun

  Either of the two yearly times during which the sun is furthest from the celestial equator; the longest and shortest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

  (The longest day, known as the summer solstice, occurs in June; the shortest day, or winter solstice, is in December.)

  During the Roman winter SOLSTICE festival, known as Saturnalia, revelers would put candles on trees and hold massive celebrations intended to persuade the fading sunlight to return.

  somniferous (som-NIFF-er-us), adjective

  Describes something, such as drugs, that induces sleep.

  The professor’s SOMNIFEROUS voice caused many students to fall asleep during her lectures.

  somnolent (SOM-nuh-lunt), adjective

  Tired, sleepy.

  Having worked all night on the paper, Gaylord dragged himself into the lecture hall and spent the hour casting a well-meaning but SOMNOLENT gaze in the direction of his professor.

  sophistry (SOF-iss-tree), noun

  A seemingly convincing argument that is logically flawed. To accuse someone of sophistry is to say he is practicing sly doubletalk.

  I believe this jury is too sophisticated to be taken in by the SOPHISTRIES the defense has offered.

  spate (spayt), noun

  A sudden outpouring; a flood or deluge.

  My request for a raise was greeted by a SPATE of hysterical laughter and occasionally obscene rantings from my boss, Mr. Walker.

  stalactite (stuh-LACK-tite), noun

  An icicle-shaped deposit hanging from the top of a cavern, formed by drips of water containing calcium or other minerals.

  STALACTITES hang from the tops of caves; an easy way to remember this is that the second half of the word begins with a “t” for “top.”

  stalagmite (stuh-LAG-mite), noun

  A deposit, typically found on a cave floor, formed from the drippings of a stalactite.

  STALAGMITES are found at the bottoms of caves; an easy way to remember this is that the second half of the word begins with a “g” for “ground.”

  stultifying (STULL-tih-fie-ing), adjective

  Likely to stifle or cause to be futile or ineffective.

  It was on a STULTIFYINGLY hot August day in Memphis, Tennessee, that the idea of scaling back my daily running routine first occurred to me.

  subaltern (sub-AWL-turn), adjective

  Low in position or rank; secondary in importance.

  Stop giving me all these SUBALTERN reasons for your behavior and tell me what your true motivation is!

  sublimate (SUB-lih-mate), verb

  To transfer the force of an unacceptable inclination or impulse to a pursuit considered proper. To sublimate an urge is to redirect it to a wholesome purpose.

  There is a popular—but unproven—notion that butchers are secretly violent, and that they choose their profession as a means of SUBLIMATING their passions.

  supine (SOO-pine), adjective

  Lying down with the back to the floor. Supine can also mean “passive.”

  Damon found the marketing department SUPINE when it came to implementing ideas.

  suppliant (SUH-plee-unt), noun or adjective

  One who asks humbly for something, or a description of someone who asks humbly. After he had an affair, Steve’s SUPPLIANT behavior toward his wife became almost nauseating to his friends.

  surcingle (SUR-sing-gul), noun

  A strap that holds a saddle or other apparatus on a domesticated animal.

  The worn leather SURCINGLE snapped, and Dan was thrown from the galloping horse.

  surrealism (suh-REE-uh-liz-um), noun

  A twentieth-century movement in art and literature that emphasized the subconscious or irrational nature of perceived forms through the illogical placing and presentation of subject matter.

  Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory,” which features the now-famous melting watches, was immediately hailed as a masterpiece of SURREALISM.

  surrealistic (suh-ree-uh-LISS-tik), adjective

  Unreal. Surrealistic art focuses on images or emotions that are otherworldly or profoundly removed from everyday experience.

  The astronauts made their way across the SURREALISTIC landscape of Mars.

  susurration (suss-uh-RAY-shun), noun

  A soft, whispering sound.

  I sat there on the porch of my parents’ farmhouse, listening to the SUSURRATION of wind-driven stalks of wheat.

  sward (swored), noun

  Land covered with thick grass.

  We decided that the large, flat SWARD would make an excellent location for a game of touch football.

  sybarite (SIB-er-ite), noun

  A person enamoured of luxury and pleasure.

  Rodney lived the life of a SYBARITE, driving his Rolls-Royce around his summer cottage in Nice and wintering at his Virginia mansion.

  syllogism (SIL-uh-jiz-um), noun

  A form of logical argument that features two propositions and finishes with a conclusion. An example of a syllogism would be “All elected Republican officials will be at the meeting; all the members of Congress from my state are elected Republican officials
; therefore all the members of Congress from my state will be at the meeting.”

  Aristotle’s formulation of the SYLLOGISM as a tool for logical analysis is one of the most significant contributions to Western thought.

  sylph (silf), noun

  A slim, graceful girl or woman.

  Although the fashion industry now considered her to be the most exotic SYLPH on the scene, the fashion model had thought herself clumsy and awkward as a teenager.

  symbiotic (sim-bee-OTT-ik), adjective

  Characteristic of an intimate or mutually advantageous relationship, especially (in biology) one between dissimilar organisms.

  In ocean life you often see SYMBIOTIC relationships between large and small fish, in which the smaller feed off of organisms existing on the larger, thereby keeping the larger fish clean and healthy.

  talisman (TAL-iss-mun), noun

  A lucky charm; an engraved object believed to possess occult powers.

  Justin was all set for the big game until he reached into his pocket and found that his TALISMAN—a small piece of stone from the shores of Ireland, given to him by his mother—was missing.

  tangelo (TAN-juh-lo), noun

  A kind of citrus fruit; hybrid of a tangerine and a grapefruit.

  The corner fruit market specialized in stocking the more exotic fruits and vegetables, and for most of the year was the only place in town where one could regularly purchase TANGELOS.

  Taoism (DOW-is-um), noun

  A system of philosophy identified with the sage Lao-Tzu, and embodied most notably in his work Tao-te-ching, that holds that life lived simply and in accordance with natural laws and events is most in keeping with the Tao, or way, that underlies all existence.

  Scholars may debate the fine points of a rational understanding of TAOISM, but a true practitioner probably expresses it best when she gracefully and thankfully accepts a proffered cup of tea.

  taphephobia (taff-uh-FOE-bee-uh), noun

  The abnormal fear of being buried alive.

  After seeing the final scene of that horror film, The Grave Claims Its Own, I couldn’t sleep, and I had an inkling of what it must be like to suffer from TAPHEPHOBIA.

  tarantella (tar-un-TELL-ah), noun

  A spirited Italian dance in 6/8 time.

  Al, a dedicated foxtrotter, had a tough time dealing with his new wife’s seemingly endless fascination with the TARANTELLA.

  taurine (TAW-rine), adjective

  Of or pertaining to bulls. Taurine can also refer to the zodiacal sign Taurus.

  Brian could display a certain TAURINE tenacity when it came to completing a project on time.

  tautology (taw-TOL-uh-gee), noun

  Unnecessary repetition—in different words—of an already stated idea. To describe someone as a “wealthy member of the city’s upper class” would be a tautology.

  Your description of Brian as a “ foreign illegal alien” is a TAUTOLOGY: every illegal alien is a foreigner.

  taxonomy (tak-SON-uh-mee), noun

  The science of formal classification and naming. In biology, taxonomy also has a more formal meaning related to the classification of organisms.

  The newly discovered insect was dubbed “Liliput” by the researchers, although its formal name was a question of TAXONOMY that no one felt hurried to resolve.

  technocracy (tek-NOK-ruh-see), noun

  Government by engineers, technicians, or other highly skilled members of society. Technocracy (a theory popularized in the 1930s) gave us the word technocrat, which refers to a person skilled in (economic or managerial) technique who holds a position of power and influence.

  The claim that I would institute some sort of TECHNOCRACY simply because I am a skilled manager ignores my years of service as a District Attorney.

  telekinesis (tel-uh-kuh-NEE-siss), noun

  The supposed ability to move objects by means of mental energy. Telekinesis derives from the Greek roots for “from a distance” and “movement.”

  Geller’s claim to possess powers of TELEKINESIS has been thoroughly discredited.

  teleologic (tel-ee-uh-LAHJ-ick), adjective

  Describes the belief that there is an intelligent design or purpose discernible in nature.

  The natural camouflage some animals develop would seem to be proof that we live in a TELEOLOGIC universe.

  telepathy (tuh-LEP-uh-thea), noun

  The supposed ability to read minds or communicate mentally. Telepathy is a form of ESP (extrasensory perception).

  I hope you’re not suggesting that I cheated on the exam by using TELEPATHY.

  temblor (TEM-blor), noun

  An earthquake. Temblor is derived from a Spanish verb meaning “to quake.”

  Because residents had considered earthquakes unlikely to occur in the region, few structures had been built to withstand a major TEMBLOR.

  tempera (TEM-pur-uh), noun

  A paint medium popularized during the Renaissance, generally composed of egg, oil, water, and pigment.

  Raphael’s early TEMPERA works have disintegrated badly over the centuries and are in need of restoration.

  tenebrous (TEN-uh-bruhss), adjective

  Dark and gloomy.

  The TENEBROUS forest began to frighten some of the youngest hikers in the group.

  testator (TESS-tay-tur), noun

  A male who sets out his wishes in a legal will. The female form of testator is testatrix.

  The TESTATOR, I’m afraid, made a serious mistake in failing to have the will witnessed.

  testatrix (tess-TAY-triks), noun

  A female who sets out her wishes in a legal will. The male form of testatrix is testator.

  Let’s keep one thing in mind: Mother is the TESTATRIX, not you two, and she can dispose of her property in any way she sees fit.

  Tetragrammaton (tet-ruh-GRAM-uh-ton), noun

  The written Hebrew word for God consisting of the four letters yod, he, vav, and he, and usually rendered YHVH. Tetragrammaton is Greek for “having four letters.”

  The sight of the TETRAGRAMMATON carved in stone above the altar always filled Paul with a sense of inner peace.

  theocentric (the-oh-SEN-trik), adjective

  Placing God at the center (of a system of beliefs). That which focuses on God is theocentric.

  You’ ll find this writer’s philosophies a little more THEOCENTRIC than the last one we studied.

  theocracy (thee-OK-ruh-see), noun

  Government by religious leaders. Theocracy is the concentration of political power in the hands of church figures.

  It was to prevent the excesses of THEOCRACY (or its cousin, government by divine right) that the Founding Fathers forbade establishment of a formal state religion.

  timbre (TAM-bur), noun

  A quality of sound, usually musical, determined by its overtones; a distinctive quality or tone.

  I feel that the haunting TIMBRE of the oboe, when played by a master, is more moving than that of any other musical instrument.

  toothsome (TOOTH-sum), adjective

  Pleasant or appealing (especially with regard to taste). Toothsome can also mean “alluring.”

  We concluded the feast with a TOOTHSOME banana split.

  torpid (TORE-pid), adjective

  Sluggish; inactive; reminiscent of one in hibernation.

  My sister Helen was always involved in torrid romances; my boyfriends were invariably TORPID and uninteresting.

  tort (tort), noun

  In law, a civil misdeed requiring compensation. Tort is a legal term sometimes misspelled as torte (see below.)

  You are incorrect in assuming this would be a criminal case; we are looking at a TORT, not a crime.

  transcendental (tran-sun-DEN-tl), adjective

  Beyond the realm of normal experience or understanding. That which transcends our customary bounds of perception is transcendental.

  While the astronauts reacted in different ways to the TRANSCENDENT experience of space travel, all were profoundly a
ffected by the experience.

  transvestism (tranz-VEST-iz-um), noun

  The act or practice of dressing for pleasure and gratification in the clothing of the opposite sex; especially, the practice of men dressing in women’s garments.

  Milton Berle’s televised drag humor had far more to do with his willingness to do anything for a laugh than with any TRANSVESTISM on the comedian’s part.

  treatise (TREE-tiss), noun

  A scholarly essay or written argument. A systematic written examination of a subject is a treatise.

  Mill’s TREATISE on the equality of women was revolutionary for its time.

  tremolo (TREMM-uh-lo), noun

  A quality of musical sound marked by rapid repetition of one or two notes.

  The pianist played extravagantly, adding embellishments and trills of TREMOLO far too often for my taste.

  trenchant (TREN-chunt), adjective

  Incisive and discerning.

  Mart’s TRENCHANT observations on Scorsese’s films were a welcome addition to our discussion of major American directors.

  trochee (TROE-kee), noun

  In poetry, a metrical element consisting of a two-syllable unit, the first stressed and the second unstressed.

  The word “given” is a TROCHEE.

  troika (TROY-kuh), noun

  A group of three individuals acting in concert to exert authority.

  The photos he took at the historic conference included a memorable image of the victorious TROIKA: Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt.

  troubadour (TROO-buh-dore), noun

  A traveling medieval poet and singer; also, any wandering singer or minstrel.

  After college, Ivan fancied himself something of a TROUBADOUR, and wandered from town to town in search of a coffeehouse willing to let him play.

  truckle (TRUCK-le), verb

  To yield lamely or obsequiously.

  I begged you not to TRUCKLE to that real estate agent’s outrageous demands, but you wouldn’t listen.

  trumpery (TRUMP-uh-ree), noun

  Worthless stuff; a thing or things without value; nonsense.

  Mark’s paper, composed between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. on the day it was due, used complicated language to disguise its poor construction, but the instructor had seen such TRUMPERY often enough to recognize it instantly.

  truncheon (TRUN-chun), noun

  A stick carried by police officers. A truncheon is a billy club.

  The sight of the policemen beating the young demonstrators with TRUNCHEONS, when beamed to the nation on television, was more than enough to ruin the convention for the party.