Page 26 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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A: SAT Words
agreement (uh GREE mnt) n. 1. being in harmony or accord; 2. an understand-
ing between two parties; 3. a contract
• Tania and Ali came to an agreement on who’d bring what to the Cinco de
Mayo party.
• Canada and the U.S. have an agreement concerning the openness of their
shared border.
• Calling a strike would violate the union’s agreement with the automaker.
ailment (AYL mnt) n. disease; illness; any mental or physical disorder, especial-
ly a mild but persistent one
• Marley walked with a limp as a result of a bout with rickets, an ailment
that had affected him as a puppy.
• Delusions of grandeur describes an ailment that afflicts many teenaged
boys.
alacrity (uh LAK ri tee) n. eager readiness or willingness, usually demonstrated
by quick and lively action
• Consuela ate her dinner with alacrity, eager to leave to go to the movie
theater.
• Willis wagged his tail rapidly indicating his alacrity to go for a walk when
he heard Jim getting his leash.
alchemy (AL ku mee) n. 1. an early combination of magic, chemistry, and
philosophy from the Middle Ages, the main purposes of which were to turn base
metals into gold and to find the elixir for eternal youth; 2. a process or power for
turning one thing into a better thing as if by miraculous means
• Four-year-old Francesco was positive that his grandfather could practice
alchemy to change his pennies into quarters.
• Anyone who believes that a cottage sitting on a quarter acre of land can be
turned into a mansion believes in the teachings of alchemy.
[alchemical adj., alchemically adv., alchemist n.]
alienate (AY lee en ayt) vt. 1. to transfer land ownership to another; 2. to
estrange; make unfriendly; 3. to cause to be detached or withdrawn; 4. to cause a
change of affection
• That to sell a piece of property to another is to alienate it is a rarely used
meaning of the word in the U.S.
• When you ask a friend’s former girlfriend for a date, you’re likely to alien-
ate that friend. Ask a friend’s current boyfriend for a date and you’re cer-
tain to alienate her.
• Snatching a dog’s food from his mouth is likely to alienate the dog—espe-
cially if it’s not your own pet.
• Sally told Suzie stories about Cheryl’s past dealings with her friends that
were sure to alienate Suzie from Cheryl and, she hoped, gain Suzie’s friend-
ship for herself.
[-d, alienation n.]