Vocabulary Lesson 7
1. cryptic [KRIP tik] adjective
having an ambiguous or hidden meaning
Breaking Germany’s cryptic codes during World War II, helped the Allies win the war.
2. diagram [DAHY uh gram] noun
a picture drawn to explain an idea
On the test, we had a diagram to show how a circuit worked.
3. diagnose [DAHY uh g nohs or dahy uh g NOHZ] verb
to identify a disease through symptoms
The doctor was quickly able to diagnose the child’s disease as measles.
4. diaphragm [DAHY uh fram] noun
a membrane that separates one thing from another (such as the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity)
When you breathe, your diaphragm moves up and down, causing air to flow into and out of
the lungs.
5. emphatic [em FAT ik] adjective
forcibly expressive
The scientist was emphatic that no materials be brought to the test site.
6. narrative [NAR uh tiv] noun
Type of writing or speaking that tells about a series of related events.
“Old Ben” is an example of a nonfiction narrative.
7. narrator [NAR yet ur or NAR yet or] noun
a person or character in whose voice a story is told.
Jesse Stuart is both the author of the story and the narrator of the story.
8. pandemic [pan DEM ik ] adjective
widespread; general
AIDS has spread in pandemic proportions around the world.
9. perforate [PUR fuh reyt] verb
to make holes in something
If you perforate the convertible’s roof, you are likely to have rain inside the car.
10. persistence [per SIS tuh ns] noun
continuing stubbornly without giving up; determination
His persistence finally paid off when he earned his black belt in karate.
11. pervasive [per VEY siv] adjective
having the power to be spread or to pass through
The feeling of joy was pervasive, spreading through out the celebrating group.
12. rhetoric [RET or ik] noun
the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; over-elaborate language
A person’s use of rhetoric can indicate much about that person’s character.