GRADE: 4WORDMASTERS 2013 – 2014 MEET: 3
- shred
1.a piece cut or torn off, especially in a narrow strip.
2.a bit; scrap: We haven't got a shred of evidence.
verb
1.to cut or tear into small pieces, especially small strips; reduce to shreds.
2.to be cut up, torn, etc.: The blouse shredded due to its constant use.
- mince
1.to cut or chop into very small pieces.The chef minced the meat so he could use it in a recipe.
2.to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), especially for the sake of courtesy.
3.to perform or utter with affected elegance.
4.to subdivide minutely, as land or a topic for study.She minced her topic into small pieces so she could work on one part each night.
5.to walk or move with short, affectedly dainty steps.
noun
1. something cut up very small; mincemeat.
- lofty
1.extending high in the air; of imposing height; towering: I couldsee the lofty mountains in the distance.
2.exalted in rank, dignity, or character; eminent.
3.elevated in style, tone, or sentiment, as writings or speech.
4.arrogantly or condescendingly superior in manner; haughty: The girl didn’t havemany friends because she treated everyone in a lofty manner.
Synonyms:elevated,sublime, supercilious
Antonyms: lowly,humble
- altitude
1.the height of anything above a given planetary reference plane, especially above sea level on earth.
2.extent or distance upward; height.
3.Usually, altitudes-a high place or region: The Coloradomountains are at a high altitude.
4.high or important position, rank, etc.
Synonyms: elevation
Antonyms: depth
- blurt
1. to utter suddenly or inadvertently; divulge impulsively or unadvisedly (usually followed by out ): He blurted out the hiding place of the spy.
-noun
2. an abrupt utterance.
- grim
1. stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise: grim determination; Going to that appointment was a grim necessity.
2. of a sinister or ghastly character; repellent: a grim joke.
3. having a harsh, surly, forbidding, or morbid air: He wasa grim man, but a just and fair one.
4. fierce, savage, or cruel
Synonyms
harsh, frightful, horrible, dire, appalling, horrid, gruesome, hideous, dreadful, severe, stern, hard, ferocious, ruthless
- swatch
1. a sample of cloth or other material. They brought home a swatch of material to see if it matched the furniture.
2. a sample, patch, or characteristic specimen of anything.
- irritate
1. to excite to impatience or anger; annoy.He yelled at his friend because he was irritated by his actions.
2. to cause irritationor become irritated.
- just
1.guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness: We hope to be just in our understanding of such difficult situations.
2.done or made according to principle; equitable; proper: a just reply.
3.based on right; rightful; lawful: a just claim.
4.in keeping with truth or fact; true; correct: a just analysis.
5.given or awarded rightly; deserved, as a sentence, punishment, or reward: a just penalty.
6.in accordance with standards or requirements; proper or right: just proportions.
7.actual, real, or genuine.
adverb
1. within a brief preceding time; but a moment before: The sun just came out.
2. exactly or precisely: This is just what I mean.
3. by a narrow margin; barely: The arrow just missed the mark.
4. only or merely: He was just a clerk until he became ambitious.
13. actually; really; positively: The weather is just glorious.
Synonyms:upright; equitable, fair, impartial,legitimate, legal, accurate, exact, honest, merited, appropriate, suited, apt, due
Antonyms:biased,untrue,unjustified.
- pane
1. one of the divisions of a window or the like, consisting of a single plate of glass in a frame.One pane of glass was broken by a flying baseball.
2.a plate of glass for such a division.
3.a panel, as of a wainscot, ceiling, door, etc.
4.a flat section, side, or surface.
- dwindle
1. to become smaller and smaller; shrink; waste away: His vast fortune has dwindled away.
2.to fall away, as in quality; degenerate.
3.to make smaller and smaller; cause to shrink: Failing health dwindles ambition.
- optimistic
1.disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. She was very optimistic about her grade on theproject.
2.reflecting a favorable view of events and conditions and the expectation of a positive outcome; demonstrating optimism: an optimistic plan.
- torrent
1. a stream of water flowing with great rapidity and violence.
2. a rushing, violent, or abundant and unceasing stream of anything: A torrent of lava was flowing out of the volcano.
3. a violent downpour of rain.
4. a violent, tumultuous, or overwhelming flow: a torrent of problems
- irk
irritate; annoy: It irks her to think of the runaround she received.
- biased
1. having or showing biasor prejudice: They gave us a biased report on fashion trends.
- slab
1.a broad, flat, somewhat thick piece of stone, wood, or other solid material.
2.a thick slice of anything: a slab of bread.
3.a semi-finished piece of iron or steel so rolled that its breadth is at least twice its thickness.
4.a rough outside piece cut from a log, as when sawing one into boards.They had to work on the slab of wood before they could build with it.
- jar
1.a broad-mouthed container, usually cylindrical and of glass or earthenware: The cookie jar was full of cookies.
2.the quantity such a container can or does hold.
-verb
: to have a harsh or unpleasant effect on someone or something
: to hit or shake (something) forcefully
: to make (someone) feel uneasy
- scrawny
1. excessively thin; lean; scraggy: The sick puppy hada long, scrawny neck.
- gulf
1.a portion of an ocean or sea partly enclosed by land.His father works on the large boat in the gulf.
2.a deep hollow; chasm or abyss.
3.any wide separation, as in position, status, or education.The gulf between their ideas is very wide.
4.something that engulfsor swallows up.
-verb
1. to swallow up; engulf.
- drizzle
1.to rain gently and steadily in fine drops; sprinkle: It drizzled throughout the night.
2.to fall in fine drops.
3.to rain or let fall in fine drops; sprinkle: He drizzled honey over the fruit.
4.to pour in a fine stream: Drizzle melted butter over the breadcrumb topping.
-noun
5.a very light rain.
6.precipitation consisting of numerous minute droplets of water.
- burly
1. large in bodily size; stout; sturdy: Everyone was afraid of the burly football player.
- crevice
1. crack forming an opening; cleft; rift; fissure. The sand was stuck in the small crevice in the floor.
- squelch
1. to strike or press with crushing force; crush down; squash.
2.to put down, suppress, or silence, as with a crushing retort or argument: She squelched his new idea with her negative attitude.
3.to make a splashing sound.
4.to tread heavily in water, mud, wet shoes, etc., with such a sound.
noun
1.a squelched or crushed mass of anything.
2. a splashing sound.
3. an act of squelching or suppressing, as by a crushing retort or argument.
- flimsy
1. without material strength or solidity: a flimsy fabric; The flimsy structure fell apart when someone bumped it.
2.weak; inadequate; not effective or convincing: a flimsy excuse.
-noun, plural flim·sies.
3.a thin kind of paper, especially for use in making several copies at a time of an article, as in newspaper work.
4.a copy of a report or dispatch on such paper.
- hide
1. to conceal from sight; prevent from being seen or discovered: Where did she hide her jewels?
2. to obstruct the view of; cover up: The sun was hidden by the clouds.
3. to conceal from knowledge or exposure; keep secret: to hide one's feelings.
4. to conceal oneself: He hidin the closet.
noun
the skin of an animal, esp. when tanned or dressed.
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