Page 216 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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sacrosanctity (SAK ri SANKTt i tee) n. something very sacred; holiness;
inviolability
• The Catholic Church insists on the sacrosanctity of the marriage vows.
• To Muslims, the sacrosanctity of the Dome of the Rock must not be violated
by nonbelievers.
sagacious (suh GAY shis) adj. wise; showing keen perception and sound
judgment
•A sagacious person limits the amount of money he brings to the tables in a
casino.
• One who drinks alcoholic beverages and then drives is not sagacious.
[sagaciously adv.] [Syn. shrewd]
salvage (SAL vij) vt. to save or rescue from a shipwreck, or fire, flood, etc.; to
engage in the saving of goods or wrecked ships —n. anything so rescued, especially
the refloating of lost ships for historical purpose or for monetary compensation, or
the recovery of goods from wreckages
• Ken was able to salvage few household goods after the tornado had gone.
• Some divers make a living from salvaging valuables from shipwrecks.
• The sunken hulks of lost ships are sometimes raised and sold for their
salvage value.
[-d, salvaging] [Syn. save, rescue]
sanctimonious (SANK ti MOH nee is) adj. pretending to be very holy or pious;
feigning righteousness
•A sanctimonious person is one with a “holier-than-thou” attitude.
• Fred Flanders was extremely sanctimonious, until he was caught one day
with his hand in the cookie jar.
[sanctimoniously adv.] [Syn. devout]
sanction (SANK shin) vt. 1. authorized approval or empowerment from an
authoritative agent or agency; 2. support, encouragement; 3. a coercive measure
taken by a group (like a boycott) to bring someone or something into line
• State governments sanction marriages within their borders.
• Sue sanctioned her daughter’s going after her employer in court for failing
to pay her in full for her services.
• The United States has imposed economic sanctions on Cuba since the early
1960s.
[sanctioned*, -ing]
sarcastic (sahr KAS tik) adj. 1. a taunting remark that has the nature of being
caustic, cutting, and/or ironic (usually with the intent to hurt); 2. one who uses
such remarks (sarcastic usually implies the intent to hurt)
• When Alice told Phil that his new Mohawk haircut looked awesome, she
was being sarcastic; she meant awful.
•A sarcastic remark often means the opposite of what is said, like irony.
[sarcastically adv.]
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