Words to Learn This Week
corpse
conceal
dismal
frigid
inhabit
numb
peril
recline
shriek
sinister
tempt
wager
"Alice had not the slightest idea what Latitude was, or longitude either,
but she thought they were nice grand words to say."
-Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
1. corpse (k6rps) a dead body, usually of a person
a. When given all the data* on the corpse, the professor was able
to solve the murder.
b. The corpse was laid to rest in the vacant* coffin.
c. An oath* of revenge was sworn over the corpse by his relatives
2. conceal (kan se 1
1
) hide
a. Tris could not conceal his love for Gloria.
b. Count Dracula concealed the corpse* in his castle.
c. The money was so cleverly concealed that we were forced to
abandon* our search for it.
3. dismal (diz 1 mal) dark and depressing
a. When the weather is so dismal, I sometimes stay in bed all day.
b. I am unaccustomed* to this dismal climate.
c. As the dismal reports of the election came in, the senator's friends
tactfully* made no mention of them.
4. f;··~g; : (frij' id) very cold
a. It was a great hardship* for the men to live through the frigid
winter at Valley Forge.
b. The jealous* bachelor* was treated in a frigid manner by his
girlfriend.
c. Inside the butcher's freezer the temperature was frigid.
5. inhat'f~ (in hab 1 it) live in
a. Eskimos inhabit the frigid* part of Alaska.
b. Because Sidney qualified,* he was allowed to inhabit the vacant*
apartment.
c. Many crimes are committed each year against those who inhabit
the slum area of our city.
6. numb ( num) without the power of feeling; deadened
a. My fingers quickly became numb in the frigid* room.
b. A numb feeling came over Mr. Massey as he read the telegram.
c. When the nurse stuck a pin in my numb leg, I felt nothing.
7. peril (per 1 al) danger
a. The hunter was abandoned* by the natives when he described
the peril that lay ahead of them.
b. There is great peril in trying to climb the mountain.
c. Our library is filled with stories of perilous adventures.
8. recline ( ri kiln 1
) lie down; stretch out; lean back
a. Richard likes to recline in front of the television set.
b. After reclining on her right arm for an hour, Maxine found that it
had become numb.*
c. My dog's greatest pleasure is to recline by the warm fireplace
9. shnek (shrek) scream
a. The maid shrieked when she discovered the corpse.*
b. With a loud shriek, Ronald fled from the room.
c. Facing the peril* of the waterfall, the boatman let out a terrible
shriek.
10. sinister (sin 1 is tdr) evil; wicked; dishonest; frightening
a. The sinister plot to cheat the widow was uncovered by the police.
b. When the bank guard spied the sinister-looking customer, he drew his gun.
c. I was frightened by the sinister shadow at the bottom of the stairs.
11. tempt (tempt) try to get someone to do something; test; invite
a. A banana split can tempt me to break my diet.
b. The sight of beautiful Louise tempted the bachelor* to change his mind about marriage.
c. Your offer of a job tempts me greatly.
12. wager (wa 1 jdr) bet
a. I lost a small wager on the Super Bowl.
b. After winning the wager, Tex treated everyone to free drinks.
c. It is legal to make a wager in the state of Nevada
Words in Use
Terror in the Cemetery
I like to bet on anything that is exciting, so when
my friends tried to tempt me with an offer, I took
it. The idea was for me to spend a frigid December
night in a cemetery, all alone, in order to win twenty dollars. Little did I realize that they would use
dirty tricks to try to frighten me into abandoning
the cemetery, therefore losing my wager.
My plan was to recline in front of a large grave,
covered by a warm blanket, with a flashlight to
help me cut through the dismal darkness. After midnight, I heard a wild shriek. I thought I saw
the grave open and a corpse rise out of it!
Although I was somewhat numb with fear, I tried
to keep my senses. Using good judgment, I knew
that no peril could come to me from that sinister
figure. When I did not run in terror, my friends,
who had decided to conceal themselves behind
the nearby tombstones, came out and we all had
a good laugh. Those spirits that may inhabit a
cemetery must have had a good laugh, too.