--Each day WHS wildcats are presented with a new word to help them prepare for the FCAT--
Students who use 10 "Word of the Day" words in a meaningful way in second period, i.e., writing assignments, classroom discussion, will earn lunch rewards.
Please see your homeroom teachers for more information
--Click on the month to see the words we have learned--
August | September | October | November | December
Word of the Day - December 2004
December 1
animosity (noun)
ae nE ma sih ti
Definition: strong hatred; feeling of hostility
Sentence: The mob showed its animosity toward the criminal by pelting him with rotten eggs.
December 2
bequeath (verb)
bE kwith
Definition: to hand down or to leave behind as in a last will
Sentence: In his will, Mr. Shay bequeathed his old baseball cap to Joey, who had always admired it.
December 3
circumspect (adjective)
suhr kEm spehkt
Definition: cautious; careful
Sentence: Harold is always circumspect when speaking because he's afraid of saying the wrong thing.
December 6
diminutive (adjective/noun)
dih mIn yE tihv
Definition: (adjective) small; miniature; (noun) word form indicating small size
Sentence: Casey seems younger than she is because of her diminutive size.
December 7
enigma (noun)
ih nIg mE
Definition: a mystery; a riddle; a baffling mater or person.
Sentence: No one can figure out Julie's true feelings; she's a real enigma.
December 8
flamboyant (adjective)
flaem boy Ent
Definition: excessively showy and flashy
Sentence: Rita's flamboyant clothes may not be tasteful, but they attract everyone's attention.
December 9
gullible (adjective)
guh lih bEl
Definition: easily deceived; easily tricked
Sentence: Is Hector so gullible that he believed my story about finding a million dollars in a grocery bag?
December 10
haughty (adjective)
haw ti
Definition: arrogant; proud of oneself and scornful of others
Sentence: Her haughty attitude suggests that she thinks of herself as some kind of superior being.
December 13
impetuous (adjective)
ihm peh chu Es
Definition: impulsive; rash; acting suddenly with little or no thought
Sentence: Alex's impetuous behavior always lands him in hot water; he should slow down and think first.
December 14
laudable (adjective)
law dE bEl
Definition: praiseworthy; deserving commendation
Sentence: The students' laudable achievements were recognized with certificates and applause.
December 15
mettle (noun)
meh tEl
Definition: courage and fortitude (strength in facing adversity, danger, or temptation courageously).
Sentence: The mettle shown by the U. S. soldiers in Iraq is admirable.
December 16
pristine (adjective)
prI stin
Definition: pure; unspoiled; original
Sentence: Pristine wilderness is hard to find these days; most of the land has been altered in some way.
December 17
repertoire (noun)
reh pEr twar
Definition: a list of skills, methods, or performance pieces
Sentence: Jackie's limited repertoire consists of a few old favorites that she sings over and over.
December 20
spendthrift (noun)
spehnd thrIft
Definition: one who spends wastefully
Sentence: Adam would have some savings if he wasn't such a spendthrift.
December 21
terse (adjective)
tuhrs
Definition: brief; to the point; free of needless words.
Sentence: The terse statement informed us that the strike was settled, but it did not give us any details.
December 22
verbose (adjective)
vEr bos
Definition: wordy; using too many words
Sentence: Needless words made Lee's verbose report an awful bore.
Word of the Day - November 2004
November 1
abscond verb
Eb skand
Definition: to flee; to escape; to withdraw.
Sentence: Herbert, our trusted treasurer, absconded with the bake sale proceeds.
November 2
benevolent adjective
bE neh vE lEnt
Definition: kindly, disposed to do good.
Sentence: Carol is always doing good things for others; I wish all my friends were as benevolent as she is.
November 3
clandestine adjective
klaen deh stihn
Definition: secret; hidden; undercover.
Sentence: Peg swore not to tell anyone, not even her pet cat, Mitzi, about the clandestine mission.
November 4
didactic adjective
dai daek tihk
Definition: instructive, intended to teach or instruct.
Sentence: Many of Dr. Seuss' stories are didactic, meant to teach kids to do the right thing.
November 5
embellish verb
ihm beh lihsh
Definition: to improve or expand by adding ornament or detail.
Sentence: Each time Becky tells the story of her victory, she embellishes it with some imaginary details.
November 8
flagrant adjective
fle grEnt
Definition: extremely conspicuous or evident.
Sentence: Driving while intoxicated shows a flagrant disregard for one's own safety and for the safety of others.
November 9
gregarious adjective
grE ge ri Es
Definition: sociable; outgoing.
Sentence: With her gregarious personality, Doreen is always surrounded by a group of friends.
November 10
hypothetical adjective
hai pE theh tih kEl
Definition: supposed; presumed to exist.
Sentence: How to track down the Loch Ness monster is a hypothetical problem because it is not real.
November 11
No school
November 12
indelible adjective
In deh lE bEl
Definition: unable to be erased or removed; permanent.
Sentence: Mr. Kim's words left an indelible impression on Ken, who never forgot his counselor's advice.
November 15
juxtapose verb
juhk stE poz
Definition: to put side by side to compare and contrast.
Sentence: If you juxtapose the two sculptures, you can see that one is larger than the other.
November 16
kindle verb
kIn dEl
Definition: to light a fire; to light up; to excite; to arouse.
Sentence: After Star Trek kindled Eddie's interest in space travel, he wanted to be an astronaut.
November 17
labyrinth noun
lae bE rihnth
lae brihnth
Definition: maze; a structure with complex, hard to follow passages.
Sentence: She got lost in a labyrinth of corridors and stairways before finding the principal's office.
November 18
mitigate verb
mI tih get
Definition: to make milder; to become less severe.
Sentence: Dana hoped that her doctor's note would mitigate the penalty for coming late to class.
November 19
ombudsman noun
am bEdz mEn
Definition: A man who investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements, especially between aggrieved parties such as consumers or students and an institution or organization.
Sentence: An ombudsman is a government official, especially in Scandinavian countries, who investigates citizens' complaints against the government or its functionaries.
November 22
poignant adjective
poyn yEnt
Definition: moving to the emotions; touching.
Sentence: We were close to tears over Mel's poignant story of the lost puppy.
November 23
revere verb
rih vir
Definition: to honor and admire profoundly.
Sentence: The huge surprise birthday party revealed how much the students revered their old teacher.
November 24
supersede verb
su pEr sid
Definition: to replace; to substitute something superior in place of.
Sentence: The word processor has superseded the typewriter as a vital piece of office equipment.
November 25
No school.
November 26
No school.
November 29
travesty adjective
trae vih sti
Definition: a mockery; a poor imitation.
Sentence: The judge was so prejudiced that he made a travesty out of the defendant's right to a fair trial.
November 30
zenith noun
zi nihth
Definition: peak; highest point.
Sentence: Jessica reached the zenith of her basketball career when she scored 44 points in a single game.
Word of the Day - October
October 1
abjure verb
Definition: To recant solemnly; renounce or repudiate. To renounce under oath.
Sentence: The defendant adjured his previous testimony.
October 4
belie verb
Definition: 1. To give a false representation to, or to misrepresent. 2. To show to be false or to contradict.
Sentence: Their laughter belied their outward anger.
October 5
chromosome noun
Definition: A threadlike linear strand of DNA and associated proteins in the nucleus of animal and plant cells that carries the genes and functions in the transmission of hereditary information.
Sentence: Chromosomes occur in pairs in all of the cells of eukaryotes except the reproductive cells.
October 6
deleterious adjective
Definition: Having a harmful effect or injurious.
Sentence: "I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous." (Hippocratic Oath)
October 7
enfranchise verb
Definition: 1. To endow with the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote. 2. To free, as from slavery ot bondage.
Sentence: Many people who were enfranchised were nonetheless unable to vote because of onerous poll taxes.
October 8
fatuous adjective
Definition: Foolish or silly, especially in a smug or self-satisfied way.
Sentence: "Don't you like the poor lonely bachelor?" he yammered in a fatuous way. (Sinclair Lewis, Main Street
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October 11
gerrymander verb
Definition: To divide a geographic area into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.
Sentence: (Word History) The word gerrymander was created by combining the word salamander with the last name of Elbridge Gerry, a former governor of Massachusetts. Gerry was immortalized in this word because an election district created by members of his party in 1812 looked like a salamander.
October 12
hemoglobin noun
Definition: The iron containing pigment in red blood cells of vertebrates, consisting of about 6% heme (short for hematin) and 94% globin.
Sentence: In vertebrates, hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body and carries carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs.
October 13
impeach verb
Definition: 1a. To make an accusation against a person. 1b. To charge a public official with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal. 2. To challenge the validity of, or try to discredit.
Sentences: The House of Representatives impeached Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998; neither was convicted.
The lawyer impeached the witness's credibility with a string of damaging questions.
October 14
jejune adjective
Definition: 1. Not interesting or dull. 2. Lacking maturity or childish. 3. Lacking in nutrition.
Sentences: The coach was dismayed at the players' jejune behavior after they won the game.
The sickly child suffered from a jejune diet.
October 15
Planning Day
October 18
kowtow verb
Definition: 1. To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China. 2. To show servile deference.
Sentence: Because everyone on staff was afraid of being laid off, they all kowtowed to their strict boss.
October 19
laissez faire or laisser faire noun
Definition: An economic doctrine that opposes governmental regulation of, or interference in commerce beyond the minimum necessary for a free-enterprise system to operate according to its own economic laws. 2. Noninterference in the affairs of others.
Sentence: Laissez faire (or laisser faire) is the theory that government should intervene as little as possible in the direction of economic affairs.
October 20
metamorphosis noun
Definition: A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function; a transformation.
Sentence: Metamorphosis includes, in insects, the transformation of a maggot into an adult fly and a caterpillar into a butterfly, and in amphibians, the changing of a tadpole into a frog.
October 21
nonsectarian adjective
Definition: Not limited to or associated with a particular religious denomination.
Sentence: The airport chapel conducts nonsectarian services daily.
October 22
omnipotent adjective
Definition: Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force, all powerful.
Sentence: An omnipotent being is viewed as having great or unlimited authority or power.
October 25
paradigm noun
Definition: 1. One that serves as a pattern or model. 2. A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.
Sentence: The paradigm governing international competition has shifted dramatically in the last three decades.
October 26
recapitulate verb
Definition: To repeat in concise form. To review by a brief summary, as at the end of a speech or discussion, summarize.
Sentence: At the end of my presentation about the solar system, the teacher asked me to recapitulate.
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October 27
sanguine adjective
Definition: 1. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident. 2. Reddish, ruddy, of the color of blood, red.
Sentence: The young college student felt sanguine about her future.
October 28
tectonic adjective
Definition: 1. Of or relating to the forces involved in forming the geological features, such as mountains, continents, and oceans, of the earth's lithosphere. 2. Relating to construction or building. Architectural.
Sentence: The processes of plate tectonics, such as mountain building, are tectonic events.
October 29
vehement adjective
Definition: Forceful or intense in expression, emotion, or conviction.
Sentence: The senator issued a vehement denial regarding the report linking him to a scandal.
Word of the Day - August 2004
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August 16
adamant (AD-uh-munt), adjective
Definition: Unwilling to submit; stubborn and unyielding. Historically, adamant refers to a legendary stone of infinite hardness.
Sentence: Despite the objections of their families, Robin and Tim were adamant about moving away from the town in which they had been raised.
August 17
adherent (ad-HERE-unt), noun
Definition: Someone who adheres to an opinion. Adherent describes one who is devoted to or strongly associated with a cause or opinion.
Sentence: Adherents for cancer research organized a walk to raise money for this worthy cause.
August 18
ambiguous (am-BIG-yoo-us), adjective
Definition: Unclear, capable of supporting a number of differing interpretations. Ambiguous can refer to a person as well as a passage in a piece of writing.
Sentence: It was clear from his note that he had left the country, but on the matter of his final destination the writer was ambiguous.
August 19
barrage (buh-ROZH), noun
Definition: Concentrated outpouring or volley. A barrage is an overwhelming torrent of something, usually words, blows, or projectiles. The word was originally used only in a military sense.
Sentence: The defense attorney subjected the witness to a barrage of questions about the events of that night.
August 20
bemused (bee-MYOOZD), adjective
Definition: The quality of being bewildered, perplexed, or lost in reflection. A person who is preoccupied or confused by something is bemused.
Sentence: Victor stared bemused at the photograph of his father in full military dress - a man he had never thought of in quite that way.
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August 23
binary (BYE-nair-ee), adjective
Definition: Constructed of two elements; of or pertaining to two. A binary number system is one with two digits; zero and one.
Sentence: The decimal number 2 would be written as 10 in binary notation, since one times two to the first power plus zero times two to the zero power equals two.
August 24
boorish (BOO-rish), adjective
Definition: Offensive; lacking manners, civility, or consideration. A boorish person is one who is unfamiliar with social graces.
Sentence: Everett's boorish behavior at the party was completely out of character for him.
August 25
canard (kuh-NARD), noun
Definition: A fabrication or unfounded story. Someone who spreads a rumor he or she knows to be false and harmful would be guilty of circulating a canard.
Sentence: The claim that the president of the company is likely to resign soon has been thoroughly discredited, but you will still hear some members of the opposition spreading the canard.
August 26
capacious (kuh-PAY-shus), adjective
Definition: Capable of holding a great deal of something. Something that is spacious or capable of encompassing a large quantity of an item can be said to be capacious.
Sentence: Don't let his show of ignorance fool you; he has a capacious memory and a strong eye for detail.
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August 27
caricature (KARE-ihk-uh-choor), noun
Definition: A grotesquely or absurdly exaggerated representation. Political cartoons are the most common examples of caricature, but many modes of expression make use of the form's distortion and contrast.
Sentence: The paintings of Toulouse-Lautrec are often rooted in caricature, but they are more than mere cartoons.
August 30
cavalier (KAV-uh-leer), adjective
Definition: Unconcerned with what is considered important, nonchalantly unengaged, especially with regard to serious matters. A reckless or inattentive person charged with responsibility in affairs of importance can be said to be cavalier.
Sentence: His cavalier attitude toward financial management may be his company's undoing.
August 31
cessation (sess-SAY-shun), noun
Definition: The act of drawing to a close. Cessation is the process of ceasing or reaching a point of abatement.
Sentence: Continued diplomatic effort may well bring about a cessation of hostilities.
Word of the Day - September 2004
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September 1
aesthetic (us-THET-ik), adjective
Definition: Of or related to a sense of what is attractive or beautiful. Also: Related to sensation and feeling as contrasted with reason or logic.
Sentence: It is not my place to comment on the aesthetics of the car; I am here to report on whether it won the race, which it did.
September 2
bilk (bilk), verb
Definition: To swindle or cheat. Someone who defrauds a person or institution of funds or goods bilks the victim.
Sentence: The accountant, investigators learned, had been bilking the company of nearly a quarter of a million dollars a year.
September 3
chagrin (shuh-GRIN), noun
Definition: The emotion of humiliation or embarrassment arising from a disheartening experience. To show chagrin is to give evidence of disappointment with oneself.
Sentence: Much to my chagrin, my application was rejected instantly.
September 6
No school.
September 7
dank (dank), adjective
Definition: Damp and chilly. That which is unpleasantly cold and moist is dank.
Sentence: Inside the cold, dank recesses of the cave, Fred felt suddenly and terrifyingly isolated.
September 8
eclectic (ek-LEK-tic), adjective
Definition: Choosing from a variety of sources or origins. Something that offers a diverse selection of items, styles, or approaches is said to be eclectic.
Sentence: Ryan's anthology offers selections from authors from around the world, resulting in a rather eclectic volume.
September 9
facetious (fuh-SEE-shuss), adjective
Definition: Playful; communicated in jest. That which is frivolous or humorous is facetious.
Sentence: Maria was being facetious when she suggested we stay up all night.
September 10
gauche (gohsh), adjective
Definition: Tactless; lacking in social refinement. A socially inappropriate remark or action could be considered gauche.
Sentence: David's constant praise of his first wife was considered gauche by his new mother-in-law.
September 13
homage (HOM-ij), noun
Definition: Display of special respect or honor. To pay homage to someone is to act in a way that shows high reverence or allegiance.
Sentence: The family made the long auto trip primarily to pay homage to their dying uncle.
September 14
impasse (IM-pass), noun
Definition: A situation that seems to offer no solution or escape. To reach an impasse is to come to a point of stalemate. Literally, an impasse is a dead-end street or passage.
Sentence: Tom realized that his relationship with Betty had come to an impasse; divorce was now on her mind, and he knew it.
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September 15
kinesiology (kih-nee-see-OL-uh-jee), noun
Definition: The study of physical movement and the muscular system. Kinesiology is the science concerned with the movement of muscles and related physical conditioning.
Sentence: Only an expert in kinesiology could provide insight into Carl's illness.
September 16
No school.
September 17
lambaste (LAM-baste), verb
Definition: To reprimand sharply or attack verbally. Lambaste originally meant "to beat harshly."
Sentence: What a lambasting he received from his mother for coming home late!
September 20
macabre (muh-KAH-bruh), adjective
Definition: Horrifying; reminiscent of death. A macabre story is one that focuses on morbid, grisly subjects.
Sentence: The old man's macabre tales frightened the children.
September 21
narcissistic (nar-sis-SIS-tik), adjective
Definition: Possessed by self-love. Someone whose egotism replaces (or seems to replace) attention to others can be said to be narcissistic.
Sentence: Self-promotion is one thing; the narcissistic zeal with which Gerald asserts himself is quite another.
September 22
oblivion (uh-BLIV-ee-un), noun
Definition: The state of being beyond memory and utterly forgotten. To say something is in oblivion is to say it is lost to human recollection.
Sentence: To Tina, the fact that her book was being allowed to go out of print meant that she as an author had been consigned to oblivion.
September 23
parsimonious (par-suh-MOAN-ee-uss), adjective
Definition: Stingy. Someone who is exceptionally frugal or thrifty could be considered parsimonious.
Sentence: The old woman's parsimonious ways were legend; it is said that in a lifetime of restaurant dining, she never once picked up the check.
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September 24
scrutinize (SKROOT-n-ize), verb
Definition: To review very closely. Someone who examines an object or document in great detail scrutinizes it.
Sentence: It is your job to scrutinize these applications carefully for any inaccuracies or misleading statements.
September 27
tenet (TEN-ut), noun
Definition: A principle. Something held to be true, valid, or essential by a group or organization is a tenet.
Sentence: I think you will agree with me that the primary tenet of this company is that customer satisfaction is very important.
September 28
utopia (yoo-TOE-pee-uh), noun
Definition: A (theoretical) perfect society or paradise.
Sentence: The cult member quickly discovered that her new home was not the utopia she believed it would be.
September 29
vexation (vek-SAY-shun), noun
Definition: Irritation. That which aggravates causes vexation.
Sentence: "Where on earth is my horse?" Scarlett demanded in vexation.
September 30
zealot (ZEL-ut), noun
Definition: A fervent or fanatical partisan (in favor of a certain cause.) A zealot is a person who shows great zeal.
Sentence: Although he did not mind overlooking an occasional error in procedure, Mr. Fallow was a zealot when it came to posting correct numbers for an accounting period.
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