Vocabulary List – Week 8

  1. latent adjective
    present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential
    There had to be some latent fingerprints, it was a matter of finding them.
  2. siphon verb
    to convey, draw, or pass through or as if through a siphon
    I siphoned the gas out of the can of gasoline and into the car.
  3. astound verb
    to overwhelm with amazement; astonish greatly; shock with wonder or surprise.
    I was astounded by the cat’s ability to talk.
  4. waft verb
    to carry lightly and smoothly through the air or over water
    The decomposing body’s odor wafted toward me and made me gag.
  5. apparition noun
    a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, especially a ghost; a specter or phantom; wraith
    It was Halloween and I saw lot of wannabe apparitions wandering around in sheets.
  6. malevolent adjective
    wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious
    I interviewed the crazy man on death row and his malevolent stare immediately made me think twice.
  7. pyre noun
    a pile or heap of wood or other combustible material.
    I was building a pyre sufficiently large to turn the dead animal’s body to ashes.
  8. demeanor noun
    conduct; behavior; deportment.
    My wife’s demeanor was obviously one which showed I had done something to annoy her.
  9. venom noun
    the poisonous fluid that some animals, as certain snakes and spiders, secrete and introduce into the bodies of their victims by biting, stinging, etc.
    I wouldn’t suggest drinking venom as a cure for a headache.
  10. altar noun
    an elevated place or structure, as a mound or platform, at which religious rites are performed or on which sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc.
    The druids sacrificed people on the altar to their gods.
  11. complex adjective
    composed of many interconnected parts; compound; composite
    The jig-saw puzzle was amazingly complex since it was actually three dimensional.
  12. influence verb
    the ability to compel someone to do something. affect; sway
    With a smile and a wink of her eyes, she was able to influence the cashier to give her a discount.
  13. winsome adjective
    sweetly or innocently charming; winning engaging
    My girlfriend’s winsome smile was more than I could resist.
  14. oppressive adjective
    burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical
    I got hired into an oppressive environment that didn’t promote good will amongst their peers.
  15. manipulate verb
    to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner
    A good thief is able to manipulate a lock so that it opens without needing the proper key.
  16. sphere noun
    a round body whose surface is at all points equidistant from the center. (Example: Ball)
    The earth is very close to spherical in shape.
  17. burrow verb
    to make a hole or passage in, into, or under something.
  18. concave adjective
    curved like a segment of the interior of a circle or hollow sphere.
    The magnifying glass didn’t look right because it was made from a concave lens. It should have been made from a convex lens.
  19. cauldron noun
    a large kettle or boiler.
    The witch boiled a potion in a giant cauldron filled with puppy dog tails and newt gizzards.
  20. embed verb
    to put into something. To surround tightly or firmly; envelop or enclose.
    I embedded a diamond into the staff of the archmage of Trimoria.