Words Count Chapter 10

Front 1

OBSCURE(v.)(adj.)

obscurely(adv.)

Back 1

a. To hide or conceal(v.)

Ex. When Lady Gaga vomited on stage in Spain, a male dancer tried to obscure her from the audience's view.

b. Not widely known or easily expressed(adj.)

Ex. Never missing a chance to show off, the doctor liked to use a lot of obscure word because he imagined it made him seem very learned.

Memory peg - The origin of this word is the Latin verb obscurare meaning "to darken" or "make dark." To remember the meaning of obscure, link it to the visual image of a solar or lunar eclipse. An eclipse occurs when something gets between you and your view of the sun or the moon, hiding both from view. Thus when something gets obscured, it, too, is eclipsed, or hidden, completely or partially, from view. By the same token, obscure used an adjective, suggests information so hidden, it's unknown.

Front 2

INCOGNITO(adj.)(adv.)

incognita(adj.)(n.)

to be or go incognito

Back 2

With identity concealed; in disguise

Ex. The undercover police officers were incognito while on the trail of drug dealers.(adj.)

Ex. The escaped convict managed to live incognito for two years before his neighbors discovered who he really was.(adv.)

Memory peg - The word incognito comes from an Italian word meaning "unknown." People who are incognito are unknown because they have made it a point to conceal their identity. Thus, you can remember the word by associating it with celebrities who need to go places incognito to avoid being mobbed.

Front 3

DUPLICITY(n.)

duplicitous(adj.)

duplicitousness(n.)

Back 3

Deliberate deviousness or deception

Ex. It was hard to say what made the swindler more dangerous, his duplicity or his charm.

Memory peg - Connect the d in duplicity to the d in double. Tell yourself that duplicity is the art of double-dealing. And , yes, do link duplicity to deviousness, a word you already know from Chapter 5.

Front 4

SHAM(n.)

Back 4

a. Something falss or empty that is presented as genuine; a pretense(n.)

Ex. Her claim to being a military hero is a complete sham.

b. A person who assumes a false character, an imposter(n.)

Ex. The man is not a millionaire; he's a total sham.

c. False or fake(adj.)

Ex. Don't be fooled by her sham meekness; she's a tough trial lawyer, with many wins under her belt.

Memory peg - Link sham to what many consider its point of origin, the word shame. Someone who is or uses a sham should be ashamed of being an imposter or using pretense and fakery.

Front 5

RUSE(n.)

use a ruse

Back 5

An action or device meant to confuse or mislead

Ex. The clever swindler seemed to have a new ruse for every victim.

Memory peg - Tell yourself that ruse is a fancy way of saying "trick" or scheme. Or try placing the word in a rhyming context that reveals its meaning, e.g., "Celebrities sometimes choose to use a ruse to avoid getting their picture in the news."

Front 6

CLANDESTINE(adj.)

clandestineness(n.)

clandestinely(adv.)

Back 6

Done in secret, or stealth, frequently for evil purposes

Ex. When Benedict Arnold's clandestine meetings with a British officer were discovered, Arnold's reputation as a military hero was destroyed, and he was no longer revered as a hero.

Memory peg - Espionage, adultery, and planning a surprise party are all examples of clandestine activities. Think of those examples to remember that clandestine means "done in secret."

Front 7

LAIR(n.)

Back 7

A hideaway, especially for criminals

Ex. The thieves stashed the stolen goods in their lair, an abandoned factory outside the city limits.

Memory peg - To remember the meaning of lair, keep in mind that it can also mean "the den of a wild animal." Like wild animals, criminals who prey on society need someplace to hide. The place they hide in is often referred to as a lair.

Front 8

SECLUDED(adj.)

seclude(v.)

secludedness(n.)

seclusion(n.)

seclusive(adj.)

seclusively(adv.)

Back 8

Removed or remoter from others; isolated

Ex. Surrounded by trees, the house was so secluded no one knew it was there.

Memory peg - The word seclude comes from a Middle English word that meant "to shut off." Remember, then, that something secluded is shut off from everyone and everything. It might be far away, or it might be hidden. For example, criminals usually like to hide out in secluded lairs to avoid being discovered.

Front 9

RECLUSE(n.)

reclusion(n.)

reclusive(adj.)

Back 9

A person who withdrawn from the world to live apart from everyone else

Ex. The famous author lived as a recluse and refused to grant interviews.

Memory peg - To remember the meaning of recluse, link it to the brown recluse spider, which hunts at night but secludes itself during the day, hiding out under rocks and in woodpiles. Like the spiders, which, by the way, have a nasty bite, human recluses retreat and retire from society and rarely, if ever, go out in public. They also tend to live in secluded places where they won't be bothered by others. Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, is famous for her reclusiveness as was billionaire Howard Hughes.

Front 10

FEIGN(v.)

feigned(adj.)

feignedly(adv.)

Back 10

To give a false appearance

Ex. She tried to feign deafness to avoid answering any questions, but the sheriff saw through her ruse.

Memory peg - As kids, almost everyone tries at least once to feign illness to avoid school. To remember the meaning of feign, then, think of yourself as a child trying to convince one or both of your parents that you were too ill to go to school.