Page 27 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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Essential Vocabulary
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ally* (uh LY for vt., A ly for n.) vt. 1. to unite or join with for a certain purpose;
2. to relate by similarity of purpose, structure, or other character —n. 1. a country,
group, or individual joined with others for a common end; 2. plants or animals
closely related by some characteristic
• A marriage was often used to ally two royal European families during the
Middle Ages and beyond.
• The U.K. was our ally in both wars with Iraq.
• The lilly and the onion are two closely allied bulbs.
[allied, allying, allies pl., alliance n.] [Syn. associate]
alter (AWL ter) vt. 1. to cause to change in detail but not in substance; modify;
2. to take parts of a garment and resew them for a better fit; 3. to neuter (an
animal) —vi. to change; become different
• Mike and Alice altered their plans for the evening.
• The tailor had to alter the gown to make it fit Jan better.
• Alter your pet to keep down an overpopulation of strays.
• The Fab Five altered Al’s style of dress and his lifestyle.
[-ed, -ing, alteration n.] [Syn. change, vary]
although (awl THOH) conj. despite the fact that; granting that; though
• Mike sat down to dinner, although he had eaten less than a half hour
before.
• Although Mary claimed to not care for opera, she had to admit that the
music from Il Trovatore was exceptional.
altruism (AL troo i zm) n. unselfish concern for others’ well-being
• It had to be altruism as well as bravery that caused Maria to run into the
burning house to rescue the crying child.
• It is uncommon to see a case of pure altruism, where there is no thought of
personal gain.
[altruist n.] [Syn. selflessness]
ambiguous* (am BIG yoo uhs) adj. 1. having more than one possible meaning;
2. unclear; vague; indefinite
• The third base coach’s ambiguous signals left the batter not knowing
whether to swing away or bunt.
• Roxane was ambiguous in her instructions for feeding the cat while she was
away.
[-ly adv., -ness, ambiguity n., ambiguities pl.] [Syn. obscure]
ambivalence (am BIV uh lens) n. having conflicting feelings about a person or
thing at the same time, such as love and hate
• Karen had a real ambivalence about being invited to Uncle Bob’s cabin; she
loved visiting but hated the four-hour trip.
• David showed ambivalence about serving artichokes because, while they are
delicious, they’re a pain to prepare.