| Word / Pronunciation |
Definition |
Sample Sentence |
abroad
[uh-BRAWD]
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(adj.) outside one's home country
(adv.) in or to a foreign country
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1) Thomas used subways and trains easily while he was abroad, but the foreign bus systems were too hard to figure out.
2) Though Peter preferred vacationing in his own country, he decided to travel abroad last summer so that he could meet foreigners and experience new cultures.
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combustible
[kuhm-BUS-tuh-buhl]
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(adj.) capable of catching on fire
(n.) something that can easily catch on fire
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1) When Mrs. Dukes discovered that the rug in the nursery was made of combustible material, she immediately replaced it with a non-flammable rug.
2) "Be sure to clear the garage of combustibles, such as gasoline and oil, before beginning your welding project", warned Mr. Daniels. "You don't want to start a fire with a stray spark!"
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decoy
(n.)[DEE-koi], [di-KOI];
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(n.) a fake meant to lure someone or something into a trap
(v.) to lure into a trap
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1) Hunters often use carefully positioned fake animals as decoys to lure their prey into an open area, where they can be shot.
2) The witch built her house out of candy so that she could decoy children into her kitchen and eventually into her oven.
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disposition
[dis-puh-ZISH-uhn]
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(n.) natural mental or emotional outlook or state
(n.) prevailing tendency
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1) Jerry has a very kind-hearted disposition: ever since childhood, he has been slow to anger and has always done his best to help those around him.
2) Henry has a disposition to spend more money than he has in the bank, so he is always deeply in debt.
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flaw
[FLAW]
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(n.) a feature that spoils the perfection of something or someone
(v.) to spoil or weaken (usually the passive "flawed")
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1) Among Jerry's many failings, his worst flaw was his inability to care about anyone but himself -- not even his own children!
2) A large diamond can be fairly inexpensive if it is flawed ; a smaller diamond with no imperfections will be more costly.
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lure
[LOOR]
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(n.) anything used to attract someone or something
(v.) to tempt or to entice
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1) Janet sprinkled seeds on the sill as a lure to tempt birds to come to her window, but they seemed to be more effective bait for squirrels!
2) The wonderfully delicious smells coming from the restaurant lured Jonathan inside, where he was tempted to buy everything on the menu.
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pacifist
[PAS-uh-fist]
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(n.) a person who opposes violence of any kind
(adj.) opposed to violence of any kind
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1) Kim considered herself a pacifist, and demonstrated against the war on the grounds that violence couldn't solve anything.
2) The minister's pacifist philosophy prevented him from directly taking part in the violent war, though he did pray for his country's soldiers.
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reception
[ri-SEP-shuhn]
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(n.) an important formal social function
(n.) the quality of radio, television, or similar signals
(n.) the act of receiving, the act of receiving and reacting to something or someone new
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1) After the wedding ceremony at the church, there will be a reception for the couple's friends and family at a nearby party hall.
2) The thunderstorm made the radio reception so bad that Charlie could barely hear the score of the baseball game.
3) "Remember, the foreign exchange student will be nervous and scared when she arrives for her first day of school", said the teacher, "so let's be sure to give her a warm, friendly reception."
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sacred
[SEY-krid]
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(adj.) holy, containing religious or spiritual importance
(adj.) invulnerable to violation or disrespect
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1) The temple where the villagers worshiped was a sacred place, so they took off their shoes and bowed their heads before entering the holy space.
2) For many Americans, the right to free speech is sacred: no matter how objectionable the words, they believe that all citizens must have the liberty to express themselves however they want, with no interference from the government.
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tentative
[TEN-tuh-tiv]
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(adj.) hesitant, uncertain, unconfident
(adj.) not firmly fixed or decided upon
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1) Due to her severe stage fright, Lena could take only one shaky, tentative step onto the stage before running behind the curtain again.
2) "I don't know exactly what my work schedule will be in October, but for now, let's make a tentative plan to meet on October 5th", Terry said.
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