Vocabulary List – Week 8
- 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. - 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. - astound verb
to overwhelm with amazement; astonish greatly; shock with wonder or surprise.
I was astounded by the cat’s ability to talk. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - demeanor noun
conduct; behavior; deportment.
My wife’s demeanor was obviously one which showed I had done something to annoy her. - 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. - 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. - complex adjective
composed of many interconnected parts; compound; composite
The jig-saw puzzle was amazingly complex since it was actually three dimensional. - 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. - winsome adjective
sweetly or innocently charming; winning engaging
My girlfriend’s winsome smile was more than I could resist. - oppressive adjective
burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical
I got hired into an oppressive environment that didn’t promote good will amongst their peers. - 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. - 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. - burrow verb
to make a hole or passage in, into, or under something. - 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. - cauldron noun
a large kettle or boiler.
The witch boiled a potion in a giant cauldron filled with puppy dog tails and newt gizzards. - 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.