Yazhini Shanmugam

Ms. Beardslee
Honors English I 4A
16 January 2014
A Separate Peace Vocabulary List
splendor - noun the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand; a quality that
outshines the usual
tedious - adj. using or containing too many words; so lacking in interest as to cause
mental weariness
idiosyncratic - adj. peculiar to the individual
infinitesimal - adj. infinitely or immeasurably small; noun (mathematics) a variable that
has zero as its limit
maimed - adj. having a part of the body crippled or disabled; badly injured, perhaps with
amputation; noun people who are wounded
contraception - noun birth control by the use of devices (diaphragm or intrauterine
device or condom) or drugs or surgery
sedate - adj. characterized by dignity and propriety; dignified and somber in manner or
character and committed to keeping promises; verb cause to be calm or quiet as by
administering a sedative to
capacious - adj. large in capacity
trudge - noun a long difficult walk; verb walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or
through mud
commend - verb express approval of; mention as by way of greeting or to indicate
friendship; express a good opinion of; give to in charge; present as worthy of regard,
kindness, or confidence
venerable - adj. impressive by reason of age; profoundly honored
entrenched - adj. established firmly and securely; dug in
deceptions - the act of misleading by false appearance or statement; delude:
forged - adj. reproduced fraudulently
prodigious - adj. so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe; far beyond what is
usual in magnitude or degree; of momentous or ominous significance
insidious - adj. working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; intended to
entrap; beguiling but harmful
calisthenics - noun light exercises designed to promote general fitness; the practice of
calisthenic exercises
vindicate - verb clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof;
maintain, uphold, or defend; show to be right by providing justification or proof
transcend - verb go beyond; go beyond
exaltation - noun a flock of larks (especially a flock of larks in flight overhead); the
location of a planet in the zodiac at which it is believed to exert its maximum influence;
the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); a state of being carried away by
overwhelming emotion
immersions - the act of being involved deeply; absorbed:

encompassing - adj. closely encircling; broad in scope or content

truancy - noun failure to attend (especially school)
exhorted - to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; admonish urgently.
eccentric - adj. not having a common center; not concentric; conspicuously or grossly
unconventional or unusual; noun a person with an unusual or odd personality; a person of
a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities)
baptism - noun a Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth
ramshackle - adj. in deplorable condition
predecessors - an ancestor; forefather.
mustering - to gather, summon, rouse (often followed by up)
enmity - noun the feeling of a hostile person; a state of deep-seated ill-will
culminate - verb rise to, or form, a summit; bring to a head or to the highest point; end,
especially to reach a final or climactic stage; reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of
a celestial body; reach the highest or most decisive point
cordiality - noun a cordial disposition
derision - noun the act of deriding or treating with contempt; contemptuous laughter
salient - adj. (of angles) pointing outward at an angle of less than 180 degrees; having a
quality that thrusts itself into attention; noun (military) the part of the line of battle that
projects closest to the enemy
substantial - adj. having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary;
having a firm basis in reality and being therefore important, meaningful, or considerable;
"substantial equivalents"; fairly large; of good quality and condition; solidly built;
providing abundant nourishment
ensign - noun colors flown by a ship to show its nationality; a person who holds a
commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below
lieutenant junior grade; an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality
exhort - verb force or impel in an indicated direction; urge on or encourage especially by
shouts
uncoil - verb unwind or untwist
slacken - verb make slack as by lessening tension or firmness; become looser or slack;
become slow or slower; make less active or fast
skirmish - noun a minor short-term fight; verb engage in a skirmish
dispersed - adj. distributed or spread over a considerable extent
austere - adj. of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect; severely
simple; practicing great self-denial
fervent - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
anarchy - noun a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of
government)
inevitably - adv. in such a manner as could not be otherwise; by necessity
threshold - noun the smallest detectable sensation; the starting point for a new state or
experience; the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom
of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway; the entrance (the space
in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can
close; a region marking a boundary
ludicrous - adj. broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce; incongruous;
inviting ridicule

ambiguously - adv. in an ambiguous manner

querulous - adj. habitually complaining
reconciled - adj. made compatible or consistent; (followed by `to') no longer opposed
modulated - adj. altered in volume as well as tone or pitch; changed or adjusted in pitch,
tone, or volume
inveigled - to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements (usually
followed by into)
preposterous - adj. incongruous; inviting ridicule
douse - verb slacken; lower quickly; wet thoroughly; put out, as of a candle or a light;
cover with liquid; pour liquid onto; immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or
saturate; dip into a liquid
deign - verb do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
eloquence - noun powerful and effective language
encroach - verb advance beyond the usual limit; impinge or infringe upon
fanfare - noun (music) a short lively tune played on brass instruments; a gaudy outward
display
amiable - adj. disposed to please; diffusing warmth and friendliness