1. Chapter 8 words

2. Zealous Def: Extremely active, eager, devoted “Zealous” comes from the Greek word zelos meaning intense and passionate. During the first century A.D. there was a group of Jews called Zealots, who actively opposed Roman rule. Example: Political extremists who hi-jack airplanes are zealots who threaten passengers’ lives. Synonyms= euthusiastic, passionate, intense, ardent

3. Candid Def.: honest, truthful, straightforward Word History: The ancient Romans had two words for white- candidus for shining white. Candidus was also associated with spotlessness and purity, as when referring to one’s character. Example: We hope that our political candidates are candid with us. Synonyms: sincere, frank, forthright, uninhibited

4. Posthumous Def: Occurring after death Posthumous comes from Latin postumus meaning very last. Since an after-death occurrence is one which is the very last, postumus came to mean “after death”. Example: Herman Melville’s short novel Billy Budd was published posthumously in 1924. Synonyms: after-death, post- mortem

5. Enthrall Charm, fascinate, please greatly Originally thrall meant slave in English. To “enthrall” a person was to make that person a slave. Example: Sights such as India’s Taj Mahal, Japan’s sacred Mount Fuji, and Egypt’s awesome pyramaids enthrall tourists. Synonyms: spellbind, thrill, enchant, captivate Related words: mesmerize

6. Parasite Def: Plant or animal that lives on or in another and feeds off this other’s body, a person receiving support without giving anything useful. Parasite derives from Greek para “beside” + sitos “food” or “grain”. Example: Parasite refers to an organism that lives off of another, such as the fleas and worms that are parasites of dogs. Synonyms: freeloader, sponger, sycophant Related words: leech

7. Chagrin Humiliation, disappointment, irritation We know that “chagrin” entered the English Language from the French chagrin “distressed”. Example: Much to my chagrin, I saw all my proposals rejected by the committee. Synonyms: shame, distress, embarrassment, mortification

8. Cant Insincere talk, special language of a social class, trade or profession Cant drive from Latin cantus “song”; people believed that some of the medieval clergymen who chanted their prayers were dully repetitious and insincere. Example: Be wary of the cant of politicians. Synonyms: insincerity, phoniness, empty talk slang, jargon

9. Ephemeral Short lived, fleeting, lasting a very short time Ephemeral derives from Greek epi “upon” and hemera “day” referring to something that lasts only one day. Synonyms: momentary, brief, temporary, fading, transitory Example: The fame of best-sellers is ephemeral; most of us forget the names of best-sellers of only a few years ago Related words: impermanent

10. Dexterous Skillful, clever Dexterous comes from Latin dexter “right” “right-handed”. Synonyms: skilled, nimble, adroit Example: Surgeons and pianists have manual dexterity. Related words: agile

11. Sinister Threatening, wicked, evil “Sinister” comes from Latin sinister “left” on the left-hand side. Synonyms: menacing, frightening, villainous, malevolent Example: Lord Acton noted the sinister nature of power, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Related words: vile

12. Bilingual: able to speak two languages equally, or nearly equally

13. Bigamy: marriage to two people at the same time

14. Biped: two-footed animal

15. Bilateral: having or concerning two sides, parties, countries, etc.

16. Bifocals: eyeglasses with lenses that have two sections for correcting both close and distant vision. Confidence