English 102 Spoon River Anthology Vocabulary

Front 1

acrid

Back 1

adjective: cutting or burning to the taste or smell; sarcastic

Front 2

anecdote

Back 2

noun: an amusing or interesting story

Front 3

ascetic

Back 3

adjective: rigidly abstinent; austere

Front 4

clandestine

Back 4

adjective: kept secret for a specific purpose, usually illicit or illegal

Front 5

conflagration

Back 5

noun: great or extensive fire

Front 6

demoniac

Back 6

adjective: like a demon

Front 7

dispensation

Back 7

noun: the act of distributing

Front 8

entrepreneur

Back 8

noun: a person who undertakes to start and conduct an enterprise or business

Front 9

erudite

Back 9

adjective: very learned and scholarly

Front 10

exhume

Back 10

verb: to dig up; disinter

Front 11

epitaph

Back 11

noun: an inscription on a tombstone in memory of the dead

Front 12

futile

Back 12

adjective: useless

Front 13

guttural

Back 13

adjective: pertaining to the throat; having a harsh, grating quality

Front 14

obelisk

Back 14

noun: a square shaft of tapering stone with a pyramid configuration at the top, often used for a monument (original to ancient egypt)

Front 15

perpetuity

Back 15

noun: the state of being perpetual (continuing for unlimited time)

Front 16

pervert

Back 16

verb: to turn to an improper use

Front 17

plummet

Back 17

verb: to drop straight down; plunge

Front 18

ruddy

Back 18

adjective: having a tinge of red; having a healthy glow

Front 19

transmutation

Back 19

noun: the act of transforming or changing

Front 20

vestige

Back 20

noun: a visible trace

Front 21

wanton

Back 21

adjective: lustful; malicious; unprovoked; not bound or tied (poetic)

Front 22

yokel

Back 22

noun: a country fellow (usually used derisively)

Front 23

the ____ smell from the burning wildfires permeated the summer air in nearby neighborhoods.

Back 23

acrid

Front 24

uncle bob is full of funny ______ about his college life at LSU.

Back 24

anecdotes

Front 25

having lived in the lap of luxury for eighteen years, it was quite difficult for sara beth to adapt to the _____ life of the Poor Claire Convent.

Back 25

ascetic

Front 26

a police suspected ____ activity was being conducted at the abandoned warehouse and a stakeout was set up in the building across the street.

Back 26

clandestine

Front 27

lightning sparked a ______ of hundreds of acres of timber, and the smoke could be seen a hundred miles away.

Back 27

conflagration

Front 28

with a _____ laugh, the villain leaped from the stage and ran down the center aisle of the theater, leaving several shrieking female patrons in his wake.

Back 28

demoniac

Front 29

it was nearly six months before the ____ of all the government funds was completed.

Back 29

dispensation.

Front 30

their neighbor is quite the _____ and is running three small businesses from his home, as well as managing the sale of three area farmer's beef cattle.

Back 30

entrepreneur

Front 31

our professor has had several of his literary journal articles praised as _____ and inspiring.

Back 31

erudite

Front 32

the investigator thought it necessary to _____ the victim's body in order to analyze it for additional clues.

Back 32

exhume

Front 33

this anthology is a collection of ____ about the 'citizens' of Spoon River.

Back 33

epitaphs

Front 34

their desperate efforts proved ___ as the wildfire spread across the highway and into the neighborhoods beyond.

Back 34

futile

Front 35

the elderly soup kitchen guest suddenly slumped over his tray and began a series of _____ noises that alarmed us.

Back 35

guttural

Front 36

mr. forbes chose a massive marble ____ for his tombstone.

Back 36

obelisk

Front 37

his will established a trust that maintained _____ of income for his grandson, but only until the time he married.

Back 37

perpetuity

Front 38

the president's desire for success became ____ as he began usurping power and making decisions based on his personal wants.

Back 38

perverted

Front 39

investors watched in fear as stock prices began to ____ faster and faster as the afternoon passed

Back 39

plummet

Front 40

working daily in the fields during the past week had turned her frail complexion ____.

Back 40

ruddy

Front 41

professor higgins performed an amazing feat of ____ with flower peddler eliza doolittle.

Back 41

transmutation

Front 42

the ___ of a smile flitted across her pale face, and a little color tinted her cheeks as her visitor told his story.

Back 42

vestige

Front 43

her ___, golden curls flew behind her as she rode behind him in the wind.

Back 43

wanton

Front 44

the proud young lady told jonathan that if he didn't lose his ___ habits, she would refuse to see him again.

Back 44

yokel