Page 88 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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D: SAT Words
• There are coffee beans of every description that are grown in South America,
Africa, and other places.
• Hal’s arm swept through the description of a 90° arc.
design (di ZYN) vt. 1. to make creative sketches of; to plan; 2. to plan and carry
out; 3. to form (plans) in the mind; to contrive; 4. to intend; purpose —n. 1. a plan,
scheme, or project; 2. an aim or purpose; 3. a thing planned for or a result aimed at;
4. the organization of parts, details, form, color, etc. to get an artistic result
• The architect designed the floor plan on a large sketch pad.
• It is hard to design a foolproof bank holdup, and he or she who thinks
otherwise is a fool.
• Martha tried to design a plan of study that would help her get ready for the
math examination.
• Bob designed to work straight through until dinner.
• The design of the house was Tara’s own.
• Jason built the plane from a commercial design.
• The wedding reception went off according to design.
• We should lay out the design for the painting before actually working on
the canvas.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. intend, plan]
desolate (DES uh lit for adj., DES uh LAYT for v.) adj. 1. isolated; lonely; solitary;
2. uninhabited; deserted; 3. made uninhabitable; in a ruined condition; 4. forlorn;
wretched —vt. 1. to rid of inhabitants; 2. to make uninhabitable; to devastate; 3. to
forsake; abandon; 4. to make wretched, forlorn, etc.
• Ed has been desolate since Trixie took his teddy bear.
• The desert island was a desolate place.
• The nuclear tests had left the land in a desolate state.
• The naval gunnery practice range was desolated by its almost constant
bombardment.
• You’ll desolate me if you run away with my best friend without giving me
at least 10 days’ notice so that I can replace you.
[-d, desolating, -ly adv.]
despise (dis PYZ) vt. 1. to detest; to look on with contempt and scorn; 2. to
regard with dislike or repugnance
• The cowboys learned to despise the scorpions that crawled into their boots
at night.
• They also despised eating pork and beans night after night.
[-d, despising] [Syn. scorn, disdain]
destitution (DES ti TOO shin) n. the state of being very poor; being without;
lacking the necessities of life; abject poverty
• Destitution is a condition in which it is unenviable to find oneself.
• Do not confuse destitution, a state of abject poverty, with restitution, a pay-
ing back for injuries caused.
[Syn. poverty]