O obdurate (AHB dyoo RAYT) adj. 1. not easily moved to feeling empathy; 2. not readily giving in; stubborn; inflexible • Despite his tenants’ having a difficult time coming up with the rent, Simon Legree was obdurate in his intention to evict them. • Although Susan tried to get her employer to allow her to work flexible hours so that she could take some courses, the manager remained obdurate in insisting she stick to a fixed schedule. [-ly adv.] [Syn. inflexible] oblique (oh BLEEK) adj. 1. Neither vertical, nor horizontal, but slanting; 2. indirect rather than to the point; 3. evasive and underhanded • The hypotenuse of a right triangle is always oblique to both of the triangle’s legs. • Despite Joe’s trying to get a direct answer from his supervisor as to whether his taking vacation time would impair his chances of promotion, the supervisor’s answers remained oblique. • The lawyer tried to pin Alice down on how much of the conversation she had overheard, but she was oblique in most of her responses. [-ly adv., -ness n.] obscurity* (ahb SKYUR i tee) n. the condition or quality of being difficult to perceive, hard to see, not well known, vague, or ambiguous • Because the soldier had taken care to completely camouflage his position, despite the enemy’s closeness, his presence remained in obscurity. • Elvis’s presence at the top of the pop music scene elevated him to the limelight from near obscurity. • The obscurity of the wording of the contract made it difficult to determine what was expected from either party. [obscurities pl.] observation (AHB zir VAY shin) n. 1. the following or keeping a law, custom, principle, etc.; 2. a noticing of something; 3. being seen or noticed; 4. the noting and recording of facts; 5. a comment or remark • The observation of the Sabbath was a key part of Allan’s upbringing. • Helen’s observation of a stranger near her car made her suspicious. • The burglar kept low to the ground, hoping to elude everyone’s observation. • Kenny’s observations during the chemical experiment were kept in his chemistry notebook. • Rosa noticed the mismatch of Pedro’s socks and could not help making an observation to him. [Syn. remark] 167 16_571656 ch12.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 167 obsessiveness (ahb SES iv nis) n. 1. having the nature of being haunted by something; 2. a being preoccupied by some emotion, thought, desire, etc. in defi- ance of reason • His obsessiveness with being right all the time has driven away all his friends. • Xavier has pursued excellence in the field of motorsports with an obsessiveness that can only be described as being driven (no pun intended). obstacle (AHB stik il) n. anything that gets in the way or hinders; impediment; obstacle; barrier • Police barriers are obstacles meant to keep fans back from parades during festive occasions. • Lack of a high school diploma or equivalency diploma can be a real obstacle to getting a college degree. obstreperous (ahb STRE pir us) adj. noisy, unruly, or boisterous, especially in one’s opposition to something • College students at a fraternity party generally turn obstreperous after a couple of hours. • The opposition party member was obstreperous in his outcry against the position of the prime minister. [Syn. vociferous] offensive (aw FEN siv) adj. 1. attacking; 2. designating the side that is seeking to score in a contest; 3. aggressive; 4. unpleasant; disgusting; repugnant • In the game of chess, white always starts out on the offensive, even though it doesn’t always remain such. • In volleyball, the offensive side is the one with the serve. • Offensive action is needed to clean up toxic waste sites. • A skunk’s odor is extremely offensive to most. office (AWF is) n. 1. a function or duty assigned to someone; 2. a post or posi- tion of trust and/or authority; 3. any government branch; 4. the room, suite, or building occupied by people in definition #2 or #3 • Seeing to it that packages were shipped out on time was the office assigned to Stanley. • It was Hillary’s desire to change things that caused her to run for office. • The post office sees to the delivery of the mail six days a week and rests on the seventh. • The senators’ offices are for the most part, unsurprisingly, in the Senate Office Building. [Syn. position, function] onerous (OH nir is) adj. 1. laborious; burdensome; 2. more burdensome than rewarding • The onerous task of cutting wood for the winter is tedious as well as diffi- cult; that’s what makes it onerous. • A job that requires a great amount of energy and pays a very small return is onerous. • Slave labor is the perfect example of onerous work. 168 Essential Vocabulary 16_571656 ch12.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 168 opponent (uh POH nint) n. a person against one in a fight, argument, debate, etc. • The navy will carry the fight to our opponent. • The opponents sat across the chess board from each other. • Sometimes we must sit down with our opponents and try to work things out. [Syn. adversary, enemy, foe] opportunity (AHP oer TOO ni tee or AHP oer TYOO ni tee) n. 1. a good chance; 2. a set of circumstances favorable to • Every person deserves an opportunity to succeed. • Billy is looking for an opportunity for advancement. • The United States has been called the land of opportunity. [opportunities pl.] QUICK REVIEW #59 Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most nearly the same thing. O: SAT Words 169 1. obdurate 2. oblique 3. obscurity 4. observation 5. obsessiveness 6. obstacle 7. obstreperous 8. offensive 9. office 10. onerous 11. opponent 12. opportunity a. remark b. repugnant c. barrier d. burdensome e. vociferous f. position g. vagueness h. preoccupation i. adversary j. slanted k. chance l. stubborn oppression* (uh PRESH in) n. 1. a weighing heavily on the mind, spirit, or soul; worry; troubling; 2. a keeping down by cruel or unjust use of power; 3. a feeling of being weighed down as with worries or problems • Oppression can have a paralyzing effect on a person’s ability to act. • The oppression of slavery was a terrible weight on many Americans prior to the Civil War. • The oppression of separate-but-equal educational opportunities that were inherently unequal was not legally terminated until almost a century after the Civil War. [oppressive adj., oppressively adv.] 16_571656 ch12.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 169 optimism (AHP ti mi zm) n. 1. the belief that good triumphs over evil; 2. the tendency to take the most cheerful point of view or hope for the best possible outcome • If you believe that bad will be vanquished and good will win in the end, then you are a practitioner of optimism. • Optimism permits one to look at a half empty container of chocolate milk and see it as half full. [optimistic adj., optimistically adv.] orator (AW ruh tir) n. 1. a person who delivers a formal public speech; 2. an eloquent public speaker • An orator was a person who impressed and swayed his listeners before the days of telecommunication. • Cicero was perhaps the orator of greatest fame to emerge from the senate of ancient Rome. [oration n.] [Syn. declaimer] orchard (AWR chird) n. 1. an area of land set aside for the raising of fruit- bearing trees; 2. such a stand of trees; a grove of fruit trees • Peach orchards dot the countryside in certain parts of Georgia. • In New York’s southern Catskill Mountains, it is common to find roads lined by apple orchards. orchestra (AWR kes truh) n. 1. the main floor of a theater; 2. a large musical ensemble, specifically a symphony orchestra; 3. the instruments of definition 2 • As a general rule, the most expensive seats in the theater are the front and center orchestra seats. • The United States is fortunate to have at least five world-class symphony orchestras. • The instruments of the orchestra are divided into strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. ordain (awr DAYN) vt. 1. to order; establish; decree; 2. to predestine; predeter- mine; 3. to invest with the office of a rabbi, minister, or priest • In 1789, the framers ordained the U.S. Constitution to be the law of the country. • Some people believe that the future is ordained, and no matter what we do, we can’t change it. • New clergypersons are ordained, usually from among the ranks of the seminarians. [-ed, -ing, -ment, ordination n.] origin (AWR i jin) n. 1. a beginning; a coming into existence; 2. the birth; lineage; parenthood; 3. that in which something has its root, source, cause, etc. • The Nile River’s origin is in Lake Victoria. • The origin of the practical home computer can be traced to Steve Wozniak’s garage. • Musical drama with fixed songs and story lines had its origin with the operas of Giuseppi Verdi. [Syn. source, inception] 170 Essential Vocabulary 16_571656 ch12.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 170 originality (uh RIJ in AL i tee) n. 1. the quality or condition of never having occurred before; 2. the ability to be creative or inventive • The person who wrote “Roses are red, violets are blue, monkeys are hairy, and so are you” can hardly lay claim to having any originality. • When it comes to cooking contests, originality in use of seasonings usually plays a large part in determining the winner. ornate (awr NAYT) adj. 1. heavily adorned, often to excess; 2. showy or flowery, as in some musical or literary styles • Corinthian capitals (column tops) are known for their exceptionally ornate decoration. • Paganini was an exceptionally gifted violinist, and some of his composi- tions are so ornate that nobody else can play them. orthodox (AWR thuh DAHKS) n. 1. conforming to the established beliefs and doctrines (as in religion, politics, etc.); 2. designating any of the churches of the Eastern Orthodox Church • The orthodox politician makes it a point not to offend any potential voters. • Admiral Yamamoto’s unorthodox reliance on aircraft carriers was the main reason for early Japanese successes in World War II. • The Catholic Church celebrates Easter at a different time from the Orthodox Church. [-y* n.] [Ant. unorthodox] ostensible (ahs TEN sib il) adj. apparent; seeming; professed • There was an ostensible misunderstanding between the valet parking attendant and his client. • An ostensible difference of opinion exists between those voting for one candidate and those supporting the other. [ostensibly adv.] ostentatious* (AHS tin TAY shuhs) adj. showy display of wealth or learning; pretentious • The lobby of the Ritz Carlton Hotel can only be described as slightly ostentatious, as one would expect. • As a Harvard graduate, Andrew felt it necessary to place his diploma in an ostentatious frame in his law office. [-ly adv., ostentation n.] ostracism (AHS truh sizm) n. barring; banishment; excluding (from the ancient Greek word ostra, for a shard of pottery) • In ancient Athens, a man’s name might be written on a broken piece of pottery, and if enough ostra had his name on it, an ostracism took place; that is, he was banished. • Ostracism is a rather cruel form of social punishment. [ostracize v., ostracized, ostracizing] [Syn. banish] outcast (OWT kast) n. one cast out; a person or thing rejected by society • One who has been ostracized is an outcast. • Persons serving jail time for having committed crimes can be considered social outcasts. O: SAT Words 171 16_571656 ch12.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 171 outcome (OWT kuhm) n. result; consequence • When a coin is tossed, there are two possible outcomes. • The outcome of a day at the beach is too often a sunburn. [Syn. effect] QUICK REVIEW #60 Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most nearly the same thing. 172 Essential Vocabulary 1. oppression 2. optimism 3. orator 4. orchard 5. orchestra 6. ordain 7. origin 8. originality 9. ornate 10. orthodox 11. ostensible 12. ostentatious 13. ostracism 14. outcast 15. outcome a. decree b. traditional c. ensemble d. creativity e. source f. fancy g. weighing down h. grove i. apparent j. cheerfulness k. declaimer l. pretentious m. banishment n. result o. rejected 16_571656 ch12.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 172 P – Q palette (PAL it) n. 1. a thin board, usually with a thumbhole, on which an artist mixes paint colors; 2. the colors used by a certain artist for a certain painting or paintings • An artist’s palette usually contains only the colors that he is using to make a particular painting. • During Picasso’s blue period, his palette was heavily tilted in the direction of that color. pallid (PAL id) adj. pale; wan; faint in color • Margaret had been out of the sun for so long that her face had taken on an unhealthy, pallid color. [Syn. pale] pantomime (PAN tuh MYM) vt. 1. a play or presentation wherein the charac- ters perform actions and gesticulate, but speak no words; 2. an actor or actress who performs in this way; 3. actions and gestures without words used as a means of expression • It is customary in Japanese Kabuki theater for characters to pantomime while made up in whiteface. • In Mel Brooks’s Silent Movie, everyone pantomimed except for the famous mime Marcel Marceau, who spoke the only word. • Pantomiming is a way of conveying information to one’s teammates in the game of charades. [-d, pantomiming] paramount (PA ruh mownt) adj. ranking above all others; utmost; chief; supreme • A child’s education, both intellectually and socially, is of paramount impor- tance to society. • The meaning of what they say is not paramount for the French; rather, it’s how they pronounce it. [-ly adv.] [Syn. dominant] parasite (PA ruh syt) n. 1. one who lives at the expense of others and con- tributes nothing in return; 2. an organism that lives on or in another, getting nour- ishment from the host but contributing nothing useful and sometimes causing harm, for example, a leech • Sometimes their maternal instincts cause women to take in parasites who prey upon their better nature. • Tapeworms are parasites that can live inside a person’s intestines and take all the nourishment ingested for themselves. [parasitic adj., parasitically adv.] 173 17_571656 ch13.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 173 parboil (PAR boyl) vt. 1. partially boil to cut down on final cooking time, usually as a precursor to roasting; 2. to make uncomfortably hot; overheat • Frozen vegetables are parboiled for a minute or more before freezing—a process known as blanching. • Saunas are excellent places for parboiling people. [-ed, -ing] parch (PARCH) vi. 1. to expose to great heat; 2. to dry up from heat; make hot and dry; 3. to make or be very thirsty • The peppers were parched by their stint on the grate of the charcoal grill. • Tomatoes are often parched by sun-drying, which both wrinkles them up and intensifies their flavor. • After two hours in the boat, Roxane was parched and reached for a bottle of iced tea. [-ed, -ing] parenthetical (PAR in THE ti kl) adj. 1. contained in parentheses; 2. interjected as explanatory or qualifying information; 3. using or containing parentheses • The source of the article was parenthetical. • Hailee was a very talented artist, and the parenthetical inclusion of her age, five, was just for the viewers’ information. • Often, as in the last sentence and in this one, parenthetical information is enclosed between commas. pariah (puh RY uh) n. 1. an undesirable; one despised and rejected by others; an outcast; 2. a member of the lowest social caste in India • The pariahs in India comprise a caste known as “the untouchables.” • The soldiers returning home from the Vietnam War were treated as pariahs by much of the American public. parish (PA rish) n. 1. an administrative district of many churches; 2. the mem- bers of the congregation of any church; 3. in Louisiana, the equivalent of a county in any other state • A British local government’s territory is often identical with the size of the original church parish. • On any given Sunday, about half the members of the parish show up for church. • In Louisiana, the state is carved into local parishes that are equivalent to counties in all the other states. 174 Essential Vocabulary 17_571656 ch13.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 174 QUICK REVIEW #61 Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most nearly the same thing. P – Q: SAT Words 175 1. palette 2. pallid 3. pantomime 4. paramount 5. parasite 6. parboil 7. parch 8. parenthetical 9. pariah 10. parish a. overheat b. pale c. dominant d. dry e. gesticulate f. leech g. congregation h. dry i. interjected j. colors partisan* (PAHR ti zin) n. 1. a person who takes one side or the other in a con- test or dispute; 2. any of a group of guerrilla fighters —adj. 1. like or characteristic of a partisan; 2. blindly loyal • In the argument between Stan and Gilda, Fred was a partisan of Gilda. • Armed partisans have been common over the years in much of Central America. • Partisan politics tends to get in the way of Congress ever doing very much. • No matter what Carolina does, Rocio is partisan and follows her lead. [Syn. follower] passive (PAS iv) adj. 1. acted upon without acting back; 2. yielding; submissive; patient; 3. taking no active part • When sanding a block of wood, the sander is the active participant, while the wood is passive. • Boxing is not a sport for a passive person. • In pleading not guilty to the charge of robbery, Bonnie insisted that she had been passive, driving the car but having no idea that a robbery had even taken place until the police pulled her over. [-ly adv.] paternal (puh TER nil) adj. 1. like or typical of a father; fatherly; 2. inherited from or related on the father’s side • Willis, the pug, acted paternally toward both kittens. • Lois had inherited her hairy legs from her paternal side. • Natalie was a paternal aunt, being a sister of the child’s father. [-ly adv.] 17_571656 ch13.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 175 pellagra (pil AG ruh) n. a vitamin deficiency disease caused by a lack of ade- quate supply of Vitamin B 6 , characterized by skin eruptions, gastrointestinal prob- lems, and mental disorders • Pellagra is endemic in certain parts of the world. • Those who consume a lot of protein-rich foods need not be concerned with contracting pellagra. penurious (pen YOOR ee uhs) adj. 1. unwilling to part with money; miserly; stingy; 2. very poor; in poverty • Mythical King Midas had a well-documented history of being penurious. • Strangely enough, sharecroppers also have a history of being penurious but in the second sense of the word. [-ly adv., -ness n.] [Syn. stingy] perceive (poer SEEV) vt. 1. to mentally grasp; observe; take note of; 2. to become aware of through one of the senses • The ant was able to perceive that when the spider invited her to dinner, she was the main course. • By the odor of food and hickory in the air, Raldo perceived that there was a barbecue nearby. [-d, perceiving*] [Syn. discern] perception (poer SEP shin) n. 1. the act of perceiving or the ability to perceive by means of the senses; 2. insight or intuition or the possession of either of them; 3. the idea, concept, or impression formed as a result of perceiving something • The nose of the wine gave David the perception of ripe cherries and blackberries. • Despite knowing that they were meeting for the first time, Helene could not shake the perception that she knew him from somewhere. perceptive (poer SEP tiv) adj. 1. of or capable of perceiving; 2. having sharp insight or intuition; penetrating • It was extremely perceptive of Frederika to know who the real murderer was before completing even half of Agatha Christie’s tale. • Bruce was perceptive enough to tell from the interview that the position had already been filled and that the interviewer was just going through the motions. [-ly adv.] perfidy (POER fi dee) n. a deliberate breaking of trust; faithlessness; treachery • Susan could not belive Jonathan’s perfidy in seeing Daphne behind her back. • General Washington could scarcely believe Benedict Arnold’s perfidy in giv- ing the British the plans to West Point. [perfidious* adj., perfidiously adv.] 176 Essential Vocabulary 17_571656 ch13.qxd 11/10/04 12:39 PM Page 176 [...]... fundamental reading and math skills • In the primary elections, the final candidates are selected • The president is the primary executive officer in the United States 192 Essential Vocabulary primate (PRY mayt) n 1 any of an order of mammals that has soft hands and feet, each terminating in five digits (monkeys, lemurs, apes, humans); 2 the highest-ranking bishop in a province • Orangutans and gorillas... far from phlegmatic in getting involved with Iraq in 2003 [-ally adv.] [Syn impassive] physicist (FIZ is ist) n a scientist dealing with the interaction of matter and energy (physics) whose parts are mechanics, optics, heat, light, and most recently quantum physics • A physicist deals with lenses and the laws of refraction and reflection • Newton’s laws of motion are the province of the physicist •... corrupt • A cobra’s venom is one of the most powerful poisons in the animal world • Propaganda is a poison that the Nazis and the Soviets were adroit at using in the middle of the last century • Various pesticides are used to poison undesirable rodents • Stereotyping certain ethnic groups can poison the attitudes of the impressionable toward them [-ed, -ing] polar (POH lir) adj 1 of, relating to, or near... 2 difficult to handle because of weight; 3 bulky; massive; seemingly heavy; 4 dull and labored • Harry and David found that the armoire was a ponderous piece of furniture to move • Traditionally, and for obvious reasons, the refrigerator is the most ponderous appliance to move • When not faced with a threat, the gait of the African elephant seems rather ponderous, as befits its size [-ly adv.] [Syn... service intervals and tender care will perpetuate the useful life of your automobile [-d, perpetuating] perplex (poer PLEKS) vt 1 to puzzle; to confuse; to make one doubtful; 2 to make complicated or difficult to understand • Finding the way to Red Riding Hood’s grandma’s house using the map perplexed the wolf • Finding a general cure for cancer continues to perplex researchers [-ed, -ing] [Syn puzzle]... matter in the cells of plants and animals —vi to take on color • Today, more often than not, pigments are mixed at the paint counter and added to a base to give thousands of possible shades of paint for your walls • Even though it has another function, chlorophyll is the green pigment found in many plants • A chameleon’s skin will pigment according to its environs [-ed, -ing] [Syn tint] P – Q: SAT Words... ancestor; 3 something that was used before it was replaced by a newer thing • Lyndon Johnson’s predecessor as president was John F Kennedy • Cro-Magnon man is believed to have been a predecessor of Homo sapiens • The ice box, which contained a block of ice, was the predecessor of the refrigerator predict (pri DIKT) vt foretell; to know and state what a future event will be • If fortune tellers can predict... Prepossessing one’s new employer is not a bad way to start a new business relationship [-ed, -ing, prepossessing, adj.] prescribe (pri SKRYB) vt 1 to order or direct; ordain; 2 to order as a medicine or method of treatment (by a medical doctor); 3 (law) to outlaw or invalidate • The traffic officer prescribed a left turn for all traffic at the intersection • The doctor prescribed a regimen of bed rest and a liquid... physiology (fiz ee AHL i jee) n 1 the branch of medical science dealing with the functions and processes of various bodily organs in relation to the whole organism and each other; 2 the functions and processes of an organism and its vital organs • It is not earthshaking to conclude that the physiologies of men and women are as different as they are alike • The physiology of most organs must work together... separated from a solution • The invasion of Poland precipitated England’s entry into World War II • It took a weight gain of 10 pounds to precipitate Melissa’s going on a diet • Sodium chloride can be precipitated out of solution by adding the right chemical, but don’t ask me which • Silver chloride coming out of solution appears as grayish flakes of precipitate [-d, precipitating, precipitation n.] precise . skunk’s odor is extremely offensive to most. office (AWF is) n. 1. a function or duty assigned to someone; 2. a post or posi- tion of trust and/ or authority;. fight to our opponent. • The opponents sat across the chess board from each other. • Sometimes we must sit down with our opponents and try to work things out.