Page 97 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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Essential Vocabulary
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distort (dis TAWRT) vt. 1. to twist out of shape; change the normal shape, form,
or appearance of; 2. to misrepresent; misstate; pervert
• Rubber dolls and action figures are easy to distort.
• Martin’s report on Korea seriously distorts the facts.
[-ed, -ing, -er n.] [Syn. deform]
diversion* (di VER zhuhn) n. 1. a turning aside; 2. distraction of attention; 3.
anything that distracts the attention, such as a pastime or an amusement
• Diversion of the Colorado River through tunnels allowed the Hoover Dam
to be built near Las Vegas.
• The Japanese attacked the Aleutians in World War II as a diversion to draw
America’s attention away from Midway.
• Six Flags provides diversion at several amusement parks.
divination (DIV i NAY shun) n. 1. a trying to predict the future or examine the
unknown by means beyond human understanding; 2. a prophecy; prediction; fore-
knowing; 3. a correct guess or good intuition
• Divination was often used in the Old West to decide where to dig wells for
water.
• Nostradamus’s stock and trade was divination.
• One who succeeds in divination is often referred to as a lucky guesser.
• Divination is ESP (not ESPN).

QUICK REVIEW #29
Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.
1. dispersal a. different
2. disregard b. deform

3. dissemble c. unmistakable
4. disseminate d. foretelling
5. dissent e. characterize
6. dissimilar f. distraction
7. dissipate g. disagree
8. distinct h. squander
9. distinguish i. neglect

10. distort j. promulgate
11. diversion k. scattering
12. divination l. pretend