Page 56 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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C: SAT Words
censor (SEN soer) n. 1. an official with the power to examine books, movies, TV
programs, etc. and to remove anything objectionable; 2. an official in times of war
who reads mail, news articles, etc. and removes anything he/she thinks might help
the enemy —vt. to put a book, writer, etc. to such treatment as just described
• Comic George Carlin made a living from parodying the TV censor with his
routine about seven words you can’t say on TV.
• During the Second World War, people at home received mail from their
relatives in the armed forces that had whole paragraphs blacked out by the
censors.
• In the Soviet Union, every newspaper article was censored.
[-ed, -ing, -ship n.]
century (SEN che ree) n. 1. any span of 100 years; 2. a specific period of 100
years dating from the beginning of the Christian (or Common) Era; 3. a series,
group, or subdivision of 100
•A century passed between the beginnings of the American Civil War and
our involvement in Vietnam.
• Alexander the Great lived in the fourth century B.C.
• Roman legions were divided into centuries, each of which consisted of
100 men.
cerebral (SIR ib ril or sir EEB ril) adj. 1. concerning the brain or the cerebrum;
2. appealing to the intellect—not the emotions; intellectual
•A cerebral hemorrhage is not a pleasant prospect.
• The cerebral cortex is where higher brain functions occur.
• Tchaikovsky’s music is more emotional than cerebral.
certain (SOER tin) adj. 1. fixed, settled, or specific; 2. certain to occur;
inevitable; 3. undoubtable; unquestionable; 4. reliable; dependable; 5. an amount,
but not very much
• We’ll get a certain trade-in allowance for the old car.
• The sun is certain to rise tomorrow.
• It is certain that Gary committed the robbery.
• You can be certain of a fair hearing.
•A certain number of people will believe anything.
[-ty n.] [Syn. sure]
challenge (CHA linj) n. 1. a demand for identification; 2. questioning; a
demand for proof or for an explanation; 3. a dare or an urge to participate; 4. any
job that requires special effort; 5. a questioning of a vote or one’s right to vote —vt.
to do any of the preceding things
• The sentry gave the challenge to the incoming patrol.
• It’s a challenge to explain Tom’s behaving so strangely.
• The Count answered the Marquis’ challenge to a duel.
• Getting the dog to behave properly is quite a challenge.
• The committee member challenged the visitor’s right to take part in the
group’s vote.
• I was challenged to show my ticket at the theater door.
[-d, challenging]