1. SAT Vocabulary for Juniors Lesson 11

2. #1 Elixir: n. a supposed remedy for all ailments syn: medicine; panacea Everyone wants to drink the elixir from the mythic Fountain of Youth. “Love is the energizing elixir of the universe, the cause and effect of all harmonies.” -Unknown

3. #2 Desiccated: adj. dried up His weathered, aged features reminded Nellie of a desiccated prune. The performance of the famous symphony was technically perfect, but desiccate when the critics later reflected on the show.

4. #3 Cessation: n. a stopping; a discontinuance syn: ceasing; end / ant: beginning; commencement The cessation of pain was a relief for the wounded adventurer, but Dirk knew that it was only because he was going into shock. “It is within this fathoms-long carcass, with its mind and its notions, that I declare there is the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world and the path leading to the cessation of the world” -Buddha

5. #4 Juxtapose: v. to place side-by-side for comparison syn: measure; examine To portray a subtle difference in culture, the photographer juxtaposed a bus driver from America, who wore a polo shirt and slacks, with a bus driver from Japan, who wore a fancy uniform with white gloves. “It's very colorful with many different colors juxtaposed. That is part of the charm of the design. Every color goes with every color.” -Joe Ruggiero

6. #5 Kinetic: adj. pertaining to motion We live in a kinetic world in which, always, somewhere, someone is in motion. “He was still optimistic, but it was a less kinetic, a more thoughtful optimism.” -H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds

7. #6 Garrulous: adj. talkative syn: loquacious; verbose / ant: taciturn After days of silence, the old prospector suddenly turned into a garrulous storyteller. “Old men are garrulous by nature.” -Marcus Tullius Cicero

8. #7 Fetish: n. an object that receives respect or devotion syn: charm; talisman The shaman made a fetish of the bear claw, which was thought to retain the spirit of the animal. “Independence - is loyalty to one's best self and principles, and this is often disloyalty to the general idols and fetishes.” -Mark Twain

9. #8 Scintillate: v. to sparkle; to twinkle; to sparkle intellectually With witty remarks and fascinating tales, the raconteur scintillated as keynote speaker. “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.” -Martin Luther King, Jr

10. #9 Lachrymose: adj. tearful, weepy The undertaker hired a professional mourner who could fake lachrymose behavior on cue. The child became lachrymose after being scolded for taking a cookie without permission.

11. #10 Fissure: n. an opening; a groove; a split A fissure developed in their previously solid relationship. “Humor is vague, runaway stuff that hisses around the fissures and crevices of the mind, like some sort of loose physic gas” -Jonathan Miller

12. #11 Epitome: n. a typical example syn: embodiment; archetype When looking for the epitome of creative glory, most playwrights select Shakespeare. “Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil.” -Elie Wiesel

13. #12 Languid: adj. sluggish; drooping from weakness syn: listless; feeble; drooping / ant: robust; vigorous The fatigued crossing guard slowly lifted and lowered a languid arm. “Life without a purpose is a languid, drifting thing; every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves, 'This day let me make a sound beginning, for what we have hitherto done is naught!'” -Thomas Kempis

14. #13 Delineate: v. to describe, to depict Professor Thompson hinted at and then fully delineated her plan for the class year. “Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” -Thomas Jefferson

15. #14 Legerdemain: n. sleight of hand; deception Misdirection is a key component of a magician’s legerdemain. “He already sang as nobody on this earth had ever sung before; he practised ventriloquism and gave displays of legerdemain so extraordinary that the caravans returning to Asia talked about it during the whole length of their journey.” -Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera

16. #15 Libertine: n. one who leads an immoral life syn: hedonist; glutton; epicurean The marquis was a notorious libertine who spent his entire fortune on elaborate parties and lavish luxuries. “Maidens and modesty, as I have said, wandered at will alone and unattended, without fear of insult from lawlessness or libertine assault, and if they were undone it was of their own will and pleasure.” -Miguel Cervantes, Don Quixote