Page 223 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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Essential Vocabulary
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solace (SAH lis) n. 1. an easing of loneliness, grief, or discomfort; 2. comfort;
relief —vt. 1. to comfort; console; 2. to give relief
• Company is always a solace to someone feeling lonely.
• One who grieves for a loved one often takes solace in remembering only
the good things about the departed.
• Volunteers often work to solace those confined to hospital beds.
[Syn. comfort]
solicitude (suh LIS it ood) n. the state of showing care, concern, etc., some-
times to excess
• Marjorie offered her solicitude for her neighbor, whose son and daughter
had both shipped out with their military units.
• Marjorie accepted Sally’s solicitude politely, but after Sally left, Marjorie
mumbled to herself that she wished everyone would leave her alone so
that she could get some rest.
[Syn. care]
solidify (suh LID i fy) vt. 1. to unite or firm up (a relationship); 2. to make a
liquid into a solid; firm; compact; harden
• Going to the ballpark together often helps to solidify a relationship
between father and son.
• A mother-daughter relationship is traditionally solidified by baking cookies.
(Eat your heart out, Murphy Brown!)
• At 0° Celsius, water solidifies and becomes ice.
• Tamping down the gravel helps to solidify the base for a patio.
[solidified, -ing]
soluble (SAHL yoo bil) adj. 1. capable of being dissolved (passed into solution)
in water; 2. capable of being solved
• Sugar and salt are both easily soluble, while flour is not.
• New York Times crossword puzzles are definitely soluble, although they get
harder as the week goes on, and Saturday’s puzzle is a real brainteaser.
[solubly adv.] [Syn. dissolvable, solvable]
somber* (SAHM bir) adj. 1. dark and gloomy; dull; 2. melancholy; mentally
depressed; 3. grave
• When JFK was shot, the mood of the country was very somber.
• Veronica was somber, reflecting on how much she missed not having been
invited to the senior dance.
•A somber air pervaded the landing craft’s occupants as it approached the
beach on D-Day.
[-ly adv.]
sonnet (SAHN it) n. a poem, usually 14 lines in length in iambic pentameter,
generally on a single theme
• Shakespeare was noted for his sonnets in addition to his dramatic writings.
• The sonnets of Petrarch (1304–1374) are among the earliest known.
• Both Robert Browning and his future wife, Elizabeth Barrett, wrote sonnets
to each other.