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English Definitions

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English 711 Definitions of the Words

Malik – “Let Them Die”

1. galvanize: to make people take action by shocking them or making them excited
2. obituary: a notice of a death, especially in a newspaper, typically including a brief biography of the deceased person
3. despair: to stop having any hope that a situation will change or improve
4. homogenize: to make uniform or similar.
5. hegemony: control by one country, organization, etc. over other countries
6. sentiment: a view of or attitude toward a situation or event; an opinion especially based on emotions
7. vanish: to disappear suddenly and/or in a way that you cannot explain
8. anthropologist: someone who scientifically studies humans and their customs, beliefs, and relationships
9. preserve: to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed
10. benchmark: something that can be measured and used as a standard that other things can be compared with
11. symptomatic: being a sign of an illness or a problem
12. vulnerable: able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked
13. nasty: bad or very unpleasant
14. reactionary: opposing political or social liberalization or reform.
15. paean: a song of praise or victory
16. renowned: famous and respected
17. conceit: an artistic effect or device, especially one that is very clever or tries to be very clever but does not succeed
18. enrich: to improve the quality of something by adding something else
19. delve: to search deeply
20. bemoan: to complain or express sadness about something
21. dynamic: continuously changing, growing, or developing
22. parochial: narrowly restricted in outlook or scope
23. chauvinists: a person who has an aggressive and unreasonable belief that their own country is better than all others
24. nostalgic: feeling happy and also slightly sad when you think about things that happened in the past
25. Romantic: belonging to or characteristic of romanticism Romanticism: a style of art, music, and literature, popular in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, that deals with the beauty of nature and human emotions
26. crucial: extremely important or necessary
27. delineation: the action of describing or portraying something precisely
28. makeup: the composition or constitution of something
29. Holocaust: the killing of millions of Jews by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s
30. discredit: to make people stop believing that something is true
31. parcel: to wrap something and make it into a parcel
32. discrete: individually separate and distinct
33. unpalatable: not pleasant to taste or difficult to tolerate or accept
34. inalienable: unable to be taken away from or given away by the possessor
35. conflate: mix together different elements
36. engage: participate or become involved in
37. incumbent: necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility
38. yearn: to want something very much, especially when it is very difficult to get
39. discard: to get rid of something that you no longer want or need
40. tantamount: being almost the same
41. marginal: not part of a main or important group or situation/ small and not important
42. degrading: causing a loss of self-respect; humiliating
43. backbreaking: very hard and tiring
44. sulk: to show that you are angry about being treated badly by looking unhappy and not talking to anyone
45. astonish: to surprise somebody very much
46. verge: an edge or border
47. extinction: the situation when an animal, plant, or language no longer exists

Clinton – “Immigration Benefits America”

1. persistent: lasting for a long time or difficult to get rid of
2. unequivocally: admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; unambiguously
3. revitalize: to give new life or energy
4. largesse: generosity
5. condone: to accept or allow behavior that is wrong
6. flout: to openly disregard
7. creed: any system of principles or beliefs
8. conviction: an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence

Auster – “Immigration Threatens American Culture”

1. evisceration: altering something in such a manner as to reduce its value
2. legion: a vast number of people or things
3. eclipse: a loss of status, power, or favor
4. transcend: to go beyond a limit or range
5. acquiesce: to agree to something passively
6. inherent: existing as a natural or basic part of something
7. delusional: suffering from false beliefs
8. adhere: to support, to follow
9. en masse: in a group, all together
10. infuse: to teach and impress by frequent repetitions, to fill, as with a certain quality
11. reconcile: to make compatible with
12. consequential: of considerable importance, significant
13. dissolution: a formal ending (of an official organization or a legal arrangement)

Hayakawa – “Bilingualism in America: English Should Be the Only Language”

Bilingual education: schooling in which those not fluent in the standard or national language are taught in their own language.

1. proclaim: to announce something publicly or formally
2. at odds: in disagreement; in conflict
3. amicable: friendly, pleasant
4. expound: to give a detailed description and explanation of a theory or viewpoint
5. infeasible: not practical or easily achieved
6. adhere: to hold firmly to a belief, idea, or opinion
7. shortchange: to treat someone unfairly, by giving them less than they deserve
8. segregate: to separate
9. erode: to gradually reduce or destroy
10. proponent: a person who speaks publicly in support of a particular idea or plan of action
11. encounter: to meet somebody or something, usually unexpectedly and briefly
12. resort: to turn to and adopt so as to resolve a difficult situation

Fallows – “Viva Bilingualism”

1. disdain: extreme contempt or disgust
2. bogus: false or not real
3. polygamy: the custom of having more than one spouse at the same time
4. incentive: a positive motivational influence: something that encourages or motivates somebody to do something
5. rarefied: showing very high quality in character or style; refined
6. coddle: to treat somebody in an excessively protective and indulgent way
7. permeate: to spread through
8. obtuse: stupid and slow to understand
9. imperil: to endanger: to put something or somebody in danger

M. Mujica – “Why the U.S. Needs an Official Language”

1. publicity: notice or attention given to someone or something by the media
2. upswing: an upward trend
3. aviation: the activity of operating and flying aircraft
4. codify: to organize into a code or system, such as a body of law
5. retreat: withdrawal from a position
6. aver: to assert confidently
7. facile: easy to do
8. discharge: to complete or carry out
9. reimbursement: paying somebody back money spent for an official or approved reason
10. clot: a mass of thickened liquid, especially blood
11. intoxicated: drunk with alcohol or stupefied with drugs
12. tailgate: a gate at the rear of a vehicle—can be lowered for loading
13. vat: a large tank or tub used to hold liquid
14. secede: to withdraw from an organization or communion
15. secession: formal separation from an alliance or federation
16. cater: to provide what is desired or needed
17. cohesive: unified: sticking, holding, or working together as a united whole
18. enclave: a portion of territory surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically distinct
19. provision: a condition or requirement in a legal document
20. discord: lack of agreement or harmony
* hasta la vista: see you later/bye
* adelante: come in/forward

Crawford – “A Nation Divided by One Language”

1. dismantle: to destroy
2. subtext: an underlying meaning
3. intent: determined
4. profusion: a great deal, a large quantity of something
5. prominence: the state of being important and widely known
6. agitation: public campaigning
7. counter: to oppose
8. Anglophone: speaker of English
9. harbor: to keep a thought or feeling in one’s mind

Lee – “Mute in an English-Only World”

1. proliferation: a sudden increase in number or amount
2. tolerate: to accept something unpleasant without becoming impatient or angry
3. exclusionary: tending to exclude
4. exacting: making severe demands
5. loathe: to dislike greatly
6. nasality: a quality of the voice that is produced by nasal resonators
7. cranky: easily annoyed or upset
8. wail: a cry of sorrow and grief
9. crack up: to breakdown with laughter; laugh uncontrollably
10. scold: to criticize angrily (someone who has done something wrong)
11. stall: to stop or delay
12. esteem: to regard highly; to think much of
13. bounty: a large amount of something, especially food
14. resolved: determined to do something
15. nudge: to touch or push gently
16. holler: to shout very loudly
17. unnerve: to make someone nervous or frightened
18. blurt: to say (something) suddenly and without careful consideration
19. shriek: to utter a loud, sharp, shrill sound or cry
20. brittle: easily broken

B. Mujica – “To Succeed, Learn in English”

1. barrage: a rapid and continuous delivery
2. mitigate: to make something less harsh, severe, or violent
3. discredit: to reject as false: to cast doubt on the validity or accuracy of something
4. detrimental: harmful: causing damage, harm, or disadvantage

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