Period 3 Word of the Week: moot

This week, period 3 selected moot as our word of the week.  When we looked up the word, we discovered that moot has a number of definitions.  The most commonly-used meanings are:

1. Open to discussion or debate
2. Of little or no value

We created the following sentences using definition #2:

1. Crayons are moot in high school.
2. Eight-track tapes are now moot to music listeners.

Period 8 Word of the Week: syzygy

This week, period 8 selected syzygy as their word of the week. We learned that a syzygy is an alignment of three celestial bodies (for example, the earth, moon, and sun), or, it can be an alignment of two related things, either alike or different, but that have something in common.

Coincidentally, syzygy was the first word spelled in last year's school musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

The sentence we created for syzygy was:

The twin sisters are in syzygy.

Period 3 Word of the Week: tub-thumper

Period three selected tub-thumper as its word of the week this week.  A tub-thumper is "a vociferous supporter or promoter (of a cause)."

The sentence we wrote to illustrate our understanding of the word was, "I am tired of the tub-thumpers handing out flyers during election week."

Periods 4 and 6 Word of the Week: gallimaufry

This week, both period 4 and period 6 chose gallimaufry as their word of the week.  A gallimaufry is a hodgepodge or mixture of unrelated items.  It is also a type of stew or hash sometimes made in France.

The sentences we wrote for gallimaufry included:

1. This school is a gallimaufry of races, ethnic groups, and personalities; there is a mixture of many different kinds of students.

2. My bookbag contains a gallimaufry of items by the end of the year: pens, pencils, headphones, old papers, snacks, and many other odds and ends.

Period 4 Word of the Week: mulatto

This week, period 4 selected mulatto as its word of the week.  Many students knew the meaning already, but we looked up the word to make sure we had a clear definition.  Mulatto means "the offspring of one white parent and one black parent."  It was a term used during and after slavery to describe the skin tone of people of African descent and to segregate people into groups. 

Our class came up with a sentence illustrating the definition of mulatto:  In A Lesson Before Dying, Grant's girlfriend, Vivian, is a mulatto; she has one black parent and one white parent."

Periods 3, 6, & 8 Word of the Week: bumbershoot

This week, periods 3, 6, and 8 selected bumbershoot as their word of the week.  When we looked up the word, we found that it is another name for an umbrella.  We theorized that perhaps it is a slang word from another country, perhaps England, since none of us had heard the word before outside of movies set in Britain.

Each class wrote a sentence using the word bumbershoot:

1. Yes, it was a fine day for a bumbershoot because it was raining cats and dogs.
2. I didn't have my bumbershoot today, so I got wet.
3. My mum told me to bring a bumbershoot because it was raining.

Pervade

Corrugated

Moot

Penitentiary

Modicum

Periods 3, 4, & 6 Word of the Week: hemopneumothorax

On September 6, Periods 3, 4, and 6 selected hemopneumothorax as their word of the week.  When we looked up hemopneumothorax, we discovered that it means, "the accumulation of air and blood in the pleural cavity."

We decided that we also needed to look up the definition of the "pleural cavity" to make sure we understood our word of the week correctly.  The pleural cavity is the chest cavity containing the lungs.  

Once we understood hemopneumothorax, we made up the following sentences to illustrate our understanding:

1. My dad had a bad cough; he was diagnosed with hemopneumothorax.
2. My grandfather had difficulty breathing; he suffered from hemopneumothorax.
3. The patient appears to suffer from hemopneumothorax; he has blood running from his nose and he is struggling to breathe.

Period 8 Word of the Week: Cajun

On September 6, period 8 chose Cajun as our word of the week.

We used Wikipedia to find our definition of Cajun because it is a word that is commonly understood, and the dictionary might not have as much information as an encyclopedic website.

We discovered that Cajuns are "an ethnic group living mainly in Louisiana, descended from French and African immigrants to the U.S."

We then wrote a sentence about Cajuns:

The Cajuns are most dominant in Louisiana.

Auspacious

Auspacious

jimsonweeds

jimsonweeds

Sequestration

amalgamate

misogynistic

xenograft

encephalitis

chauvinist

orthostasis

vertiginous

enema

duodectomy

chordotomy

Heinus

Meander

Welcome, class of 2015!

We are so excited to explore our new building and learn along with all of you by starting to use our vocabulary blog this school year.

As you read, watch TV, listen to music, travel, work, and use the internet, we hope you will keep track of unfamiliar words and post them here on our blog.  Each week our class will vote on a "word of the week" that we will study and practice.  That will help us all incorporate the new word into our vocabulary.

Periodically, you will be quizzed on the words we've studied in class to see how well you're paying attention.  Our quizzes will help you figure out how many new words you've learned.  You might just impress yourself...
 
Oh, and by the way, GO TROJANS!

Baby Bourque has arrived!

My dear, wonderful English 11 students:

I miss you all very much, and I'm proud to see you moving on to be GHS seniors.  I'm looking forward to attending the class of 2014 graduation next spring and seeing you in the fall.

Here's the announcement some of you have been waiting for:

Aurora Amélie Bourque (a.k.a. Rory) was born on Monday, June 17 at 1:14 p.m.

She weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces at birth and was 19.5 inches long (tall).

We returned from the hospital yesterday and now we're figuring out our new routine at home.

Hope you all have a wonderful summer and come back refreshed and ready for another school year.

Solace

Scrupulous

Periods 1, 4, & 6 Word of the Week: Preternaturally

This week, periods 1, 4, and 6 selected preternaturally as the word of the week.  We looked up the definition and discovered that preternaturally means "out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal."

We also discussed that the word preternaturally is an adverb, which describes an action or state of being verb.  In this case, it typically describes state of being verbs.  If we want to use the word as an adjective, we need to change it to preternatural.

We then made up sentences to describe some preternatural occurrences:

1. The snow in July is preternaturally strange.
2. It was preternaturally unusual to witness cats and dogs raining from the sky.
3. It was preternaturally strange to see a polar bear in the desert.

Period 3 Word of the Week: Lecherous

This week, period 3 selected lecherous as our word of the week.  This word has applied quite well to some of the literary characters we have studied this year, so students were able to give lots of good examples of people who demonstrate lecherous behavior, once we looked up the word.

Lecherous means "having or showing excessive or offensive sexual desire." 

Some of our examples of lecherous characters from literature included Abigail Williams from The Crucible, Troy Maxson and his father from Fences, and Malcolm from Macbeth, who fibbed about being a lecherous man.

Our sentences to demonstrate the meaning of the word lecherous were:

1. Zeus was a lecherous god; he had many illegitimate children.
2. Malcolm lied about being a lecherous man to test Macduff's loyalty.

All Classes - Word of the Week: obsequious

This week, every class chose obsequious as the word of the week!

We looked up the definition of obsequious and discovered that it means:

"obedient, or attentive to an excessive or servile degree."

We discussed the characteristics of an obsequious person and decided that the classroom example of this adjective is the teacher's pet.

Here are the sentences we created to show our understanding of obsequiousness:

1. The obsequious butler happily served his arrogant employer.
2. The obsequious teacher's pet was constantly bringing brownies to her favorite teacher.
3. The obsequious servant annoyed the master because he wanted to help with everything.
4. The obsequious intern did everything he was told to do and constantly asked his boss for more tasks (in a high-pitched voice).

Period 4 Word of the Week: legerdemain

Students in period 4 voted for legerdemain as this week's word of the week.  When we looked up the word, we discovered that legerdemain means "skillful use of hands while performing tricks."

We had a difficult time creating sentences to convey the meaning of this rare word, but here's what we came up with:

The magician's hands showed great legerdemain while he was performing the card trick.

Period 1 Word of the Week: fallacious

Students in period 1 voted for fallacious as this week's word of the week.  We looked it up, and we discovered that fallacious means "erroneous, tending to deceive or mislead."

We then wrote sentences to convey the meaning of fallacious:

1. Hitler was a fallacious dictator.
2. Cigarette ads give the fallacious impression that it is cool to smoke.

Periods 3 & 6 Word of the Week: loquacious

This week, students in periods 3 and 6 chose loquacious as our word of the week.  The word loquacious means "talkative" or "uses lots of words."  Students in both classes came up with sentences to demonstrate the meaning of loquacious:

1. Janessa is loquacious; she never stops talking.
2. The loquacious girl was giving me a headache with all her talking.
3. The loquacious teacher explained the problem for the entire class period.
4. When I skipped school, my mom lectured me loquaciously.

expropriated

arbitrary

flagellate

Periods 1 & 4 Word of the Week: Pragmatic

Both 4th period and 1st period chose pragmatic as the word of the week.  When we looked up the word pragmatic, we discovered that it means, "dealing with things sensibly and realistically," or "practical."

Both classes discussed the kinds of people who need to think pragmatically and then made up sentences to demonstrate our understanding:

1. The Boston police were pragmatic about giving information to the public; they wanted to keep their witnesses safe.

2. The pragmatic doctor carefully marked the patient's body before making surgical incisions.

Period 6 Word of the Week: Duplicitous

This week, period 6 chose the word duplicitous as our word of the week.  When we used a cell phone to look up the word, we learned that it means "deceitful."

We decided that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both very deceitful characters, and we made up a sentence to reflect our thoughts:

Lady Macbeth's behavior toward King Duncan is duplicitous; she puts on a fake personality to deceive him. 

Period 3 Word of the Week: Vacuous

Period 3 voted for vacuous as our word of the week.  We looked up vacuous and discovered that it means "mindless," or "showing a lack of intelligence."

The sentence we devised to reflect our understanding was:

The bride on My Big Redneck Wedding vacuously left the address off the wedding invitations. 

All Classes: Word of the Week - Tortuously

On April 5, all classes selected tortuously as their word of the week.  What a coincidence!  When we looked up the word tortuously, we learned that it means "with twists and turns." It is an adverb, which means it is used to describe an action (verb).  If we want to make it an adjective, we can remove the -ly suffix to create the word tortuous.

Here are the sentences our classes created using the word tortuously:

1. The snake slid tortuously across the field.
2. The rollercoaster train turned tortuously through the loops.
3. Gymnasts tumble tortuously on the mat.
4. Inflatable Cletus flails tortuously.

All Classes - Word of the Week: Contemptuous

This week, all of Ms. B's English classes had contemptuous as our word of the week because it was the only word posted!

We looked up contemptuous and found that it means "showing or expressing contempt or disdain."  

In order to understand this definition, we had to understand the word contempt, so we discussed that to have contempt for something is to have a strong dislike or hatred for it.

Next, we clarified the difference between the words "content" and "contempt."

Finally, we wrote sentences to demonstrate our understanding of the word contemptuous:

1. The students at the school were contemptuous of having to wake up so early.
2. Many people have contemptuous feelings about racism but don't do anything about it.
3. The man felt so contemptuously about traffic that he ran a red light and swerved past several cars.
4. He felt contemptuously about school.

Period 4 Word of the Week: Pervasive

This week, Period 4 chose pervasive as our word of the week.  To define the word, students used their phones to conduct a Google search, and here is what they found:

Pervasive means "spreading widely throughout an area or group of people."

Next, we wrote a sentence to make the meaning of pervasive clear:

The swine flu was pervasive in 2010, so most people went and got their flu shots. 

Period 3 Word of the Week: Affirm

This week, Period 3 selected affirm as our word of the week.  When we looked up the definition of affirm, we discovered that it means "to state as a fact, strongly and publicly."

We then discussed the word and wrote a sentence to confirm its meaning:

Bob went to a bar, and when a lady hit on him he affirmed that he is married.

Periods 1&6 Word of the Week: Precursor

This week, Periods 1 and 6 selected precursor as their word of the week.  Students searched online for the definition of the word, and they found that precursor means "a person or thing that precedes another of like kind."  We further clarified that to precede means to come before.

Our classes then wrote sentences to help us understand the word precursor:

1. Light rain is a precursor to a thunderstorm.
2. The iPhone 4s is the precursor to the iPhone 5.

Period 3 Word of the Week: Petulant

This week, period 3's English students selected petulant as their word of the week.

Petulant means "showing sudden impatient irritation."

Our class made up two sentences using the word petulant:

1. My sister is petulant when we tell her we are going somewhere.

2. Mom was petulant when I didn't clean my room.

Period 1 Word of the Week: Lagan

This week, students in period 1 chose lagan as their word of the week.

According to www.dictionary.com, lagan means "anything sunk in the sea but attached to a buoy so it can be recovered."

During class, we made up a sentence to demonstrate the meaning of the word:

The mermaid found the lagan, cut the buoy line, and stole it.

Periods 4 & 6 Word of the Week: Venerate

This week, students in periods 4 and 6 chose the word venerate as our word of the week.

Venerate means "to regard or treat with reverence or respect; to revere."

Our classes came up with some sentences using the word venerate:

1. We venerate our parents' decisions.
2. We venerate idols like Martin Luther King, Jr.
3. I venerate my coach.
4. If we don't venerate Chuck Norris, he'll kick us in the face.   

Period 3 Word of the Week: Glean

This week, period 3 chose glean as its "word of the week." 

According to www.dictionary.com, to glean is to gather something bit by bit, with great effort.


Our class created some sentences using the word glean:

By reading the article carefully, he gleaned information.

By working as a handyman, he gleaned enough money to buy a new car.

Periods 1, 4, & 6 Word of the Week: Plethora

This week, periods 1, 4, and 6 chose plethora as their "word of the week."

According to www.dictionary.com, a plethora is "an excess or surplus."


Each of our classes made up some sentences using the word plethora:

There was a plethora of flowers at GHS on Valentine's Day.

There is a plethora of people in my basketball class.

Sam's Club offers a plethora of cookies.

Ms. B has a plethora of homework to grade this weekend.

There was a plethora of food on the dining room table.

Periods 1, 3, & 6 Word of the Week: Ecumenism

Yesterday, periods 1, 3, and 6 chose ecumenism as their word of the week.

We used www.dictionary.com to look up the word ecumenism, and then we had to follow the link to the definition of ecumenical to really understand these terms.  Based on the two definitions we reviewed, here is our classroom definition of ecumenism:

1. general or universal thinking;

2. a philosophy promoting unity among the whole Christian church.

Next, our classes came up with sentences to use ecumenism, or one of its forms, correctly.  We decided to make sentences using the first definition, rather than the second one.  Here are the sentences we devised:

1. Scientists think ecumenically.

2. Scientists are ecumenical thinkers.

3. To make his choice, the judge thought ecumenically.

4. Psychologists solve people's problems using principles of ecumenism.    

Period 4 Word of the Week: Climacteric

This week, period 4 chose climacteric as its word of the week.  We used www.dictionary.com to look up the word, and here is the definition we found:

1. any critical period,

2. a year in which important changes in health, fortune, etc. occur.

There were also some scientific definition of the word climacteric, but we chose to use the more universally-applicable definitions.

We then devised a sentence using the word climacteric:

The teenage years are the most climacteric period in a person's life.

All Classes - Word of the Week: Vex

On December 14, 2012, all four English 11 classes chose vex as their word of the week.

Vex means:

1. to irritate, annoy, or provoke;
2. to torment, trouble, distress, or plague;
3. to make someone feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters.


Our classes came up with some creative sentences to demonstrate how to use the word vex correctly:

The rumors of the end of the world on 12/21/12 vex us.

Ms. B was vexed by students throwing things in her class.

Getting a lot of homework for the weekend vexes me.

Random noises vex Patrick.

Procure

Period 1 & Period 4 Word of the Week: Lofty

On December 7, period 1 and period 4 chose lofty as their word of the week.

The definition of lofty is:
1. exalted or noble in character or nature
2. of imposing height or extending high in the air
3. haughty or condescending in manner

Our classes created some sentences to demonstrate how to use lofty in context:

Janessa is a person of lofty height.

and

Monks are lofty individuals; they devote their lives to doing good.

All Classes - Word of the Week: Indubitably

All of Ms. B's English classes (periods 1, 3, 4, and 7) chose indubitably as their first "Word of the Week."

The definition of indubitably is "unquestionably," or "unable to be doubted."

Each class came up with at least one sentecne to use the word indubitably correctly.  Here are the sentences we devised:

There will indubitably be drama and ratchetness when you walk through the halls of GHS.

Bill Gates is indubitably a very rich man.

It is indubitably true that third period will be noisy.

The sun will indubitably come up tomorrow.

Great job, everyone! 

Be sure to keep thinking about this word and try to use it in a sentence.  It will be on your next warmup quiz!

Abate

Parfait

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

Longest Word

Lopado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypo­trimmato­silphio­parao­melito­katakechy­meno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­opte­kephallio­kigklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon

Indubitably

Welcome, English 11 students

I'm so excited to learn along with all of you and start using our vocabulary blog this school year.

As you read, watch TV, listen to music, travel, work, and use the internet, I hope you will keep track of unfamiliar words and post them here on our blog.  Each week our class will vote on a "word of the week" that we will study and practice.  That will help us all incorporate the new word into our vocabulary.

Periodically, you will be quizzed on the words we've studied in class to see how well you're paying attention.  Our quizzes will help you figure out how many new words you've learned.  You might just impress yourself...

Oh, and by the way, GO TROJANS!

fond

Ms. Bourque has fond memories of her 2nd period students. I miss you guys!!!

Word of the Week: Subsequent

Our word of the week for 3/26/12 to 3/29/12 is subsequent.

The dictionary definition of subsequent is, "coming after something in time, later."

The sentence we created in class to practice the word subsequent is:

Spring break is subsequent to school today. :)

Transient

Overt

Methionylglutaminyl arginyltyrosylglutam yl...serine

Word of the Week: Antidisestablishmentarianism

Our word of the week for 3/19/12 to 3/23/12 is antidisestablishmentarianism.

The dictionary definition of antidisestablishmentarianism is, "opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, especially the Anglican Church in 19th-century England."

We talked in class about how this word is often used more generally to describe a perspective of opposition to the dissolution of the rules and structure of an established organization.  For instance, just now Ms. Bourque thought of an example:

Antidisestablishmentarianists might believe that state-supported and regulated public schools are a good thing.  They may believe that the complete privatization of education would be a bad move.

The sentence we created in class to practice the word antidisestablishmentarianism is:

Teachers are great examples of antidisestablishmentarianism, in school.

Word of the Week: Haute Couture

Our word of the week for 3/12/12 to 3/16/12 is haute couture.

The blogger who found this word says, "haute couture: page 250 in The Glass Castle.
"if I overheard mention of something I was ignorant about... haute couture...""

The dictionary definition of haute couture is, "refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing."

The sentence we created in class to practice the word haute couture is:

Celebrities often wear haute couture.

Another sentence that was texted to the blog during class was:

The haute couture of that time period was very different from the top fashion we wear today.

Word of the Week: Pensive

Our word of the week for 3/5/12 to 3/9/12 is pensive.

The blogger who found this word says, "It was repeatedly said on a tv show I was watching describing a guy's mood."  The dictionary definition of pensive is, "engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought."

The sentence we created in class to practice the word pensive is:

The student taking the test was pensive. 

Another sentence that was texted to the blog during class was:

The doctor looked pensive as he tried to figure out what was wrong with his patient.

Word of the Week: Grandiloquence

Our word of the week for 2/27/12 to 3/2/12 is grandiloquence.

The dictionary definition of grandiloquence is, "speech that is lofty in tone, often to the point of being lofty or bombastic."

The sentence we created in class to practice the word grandiloquence is:

The substitute teacher tried to impress the students with her grandiloquence.

Ebullient

Effulgent

Curtilage

Nobice

Fledgling

Calamity

Buffet

Boon

Boom

Clemency

Decry

Acrimony

Acerbic

Abrogate

Abjure

Word of the Week: Psychedelic

Our word of the week for 2/21/12 to 2/24/12 is psychedelic.

The dictionary definition of psychedelic is:

1.	relating to or denoting new or altered perceptions or sensory experiences, as through the use of hallucinogenic drugs
2.	denoting any of the drugs, esp LSD, that produce these effects
3.	informal  (of painting, fabric design, etc) having the vivid colors and complex patterns popularly associated with the visual effects of psychedelic states

The sentence we created in class to practice the word psychedelic is:

Chiefing sometimes can make one psychedelic for a period of time.

Another sentence that was posted to our blog during class was:

The tie dye shirt was so loud and garish that it was almost psychedelic.

Ergo... another one on the wall in the school.

Word of the Week: Chiefing

Our word of the week for 2/13/12 to 2/17/12 is chiefing.

The (urban) dictionary definition of chiefing is "A form of hogging or not passing something, for example, tree."  As we discussed in class, chiefing is a slang word that is mostly used in reference to illegal drugs.  However, we also discussed that the meaning seems to be broader, and that the word could refer to hogging other things, like food.

The sentence we created in class to practice the word chiefing is:

Man, stop chiefing and pass the greens over here.

Another sentence that was posted to our blog during class was:

When you spend your time chiefing, you are also killing brain cells!

Miocene period, Glass Castle, pg:60

potemkin. i see it on the wall in school every day.

Word of the Week: Anesthetize

Our word of the week for 2/6/12 to 2/10/12 is anesthetize.

The dictionary definition of anesthetize is "to render physically insensible, as by an anesthetic."  As we discussed in class, an anesthetic is a (legal) drug that anesthesiologists use to anesthetize patients.  We didn't go over this in class, but anesthetize is a verb.

The sentence we created in class to practice the word anesthetize is:

The victim was shot, so he was taken to the hospital and anesthetized for surgery.

Another sentence that was posted to our blog during class was:

When I have to have surgery, I want to be anesthetized.

anyone hear any great new words during the Superbowl?

Trappin: when a person or a group of boys are posted anywhere

Word of the Week: Labyrinthine

Our word of the week for 1/31/12 to 2/3/12 is labyrinthine.

The dictionary definition of labyrinthine is "complicated or tortuous."  As we discussed in class, tortuous means full of twists and turns.

The sentence we created in class to practice the word labyrinthine is:

The road I was driving on yesterday was labyrinthine.

Another sentence that was posted to our blog during class was:

The directions for the test were labyrinthine.

Contemptuous, I saw it online