Jefferson Township SChools
Language ARts Department
to:Faculty and Staff
from:Robin Knutelsky, Language Arts supervisor
subject:Word of the Day Program
date:10/29/2018
cc:Mr. Karl Mundi, Principal
Attached you will find a complete list of Word of the Day for the entire school year. As you are aware, the Common Core State Standards link to all content areas. Improving content and academic vocabulary instruction is one way we all should:
Align to the Common Core State Standards for “Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.”
Facilitate or enhance students’ comprehension of informational and/or literary text.
Equip students for success in educational settings in life.
Enhance students’ appreciation of the pleasure to be derived through language.
As you know, each homeroom teacher will write or post the word of the day on the board, followed by the morning announcements. As an educational community, our work does not stop there. Please continue to challenge your students beyond homeroom, in each class and in after-school activities, to use the vocabulary Word of the Day. Students need to be exposed to a word at least eight times to “own it.”
Thank you for your continued support of this endeavor. I wish you a wonderful academic school year.
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
September, 2014
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 9-8 / abhorrent (ăb-hôr’ənt) / Adj / disgusting; loathsomeTuesday / 9-9 / amicable (ăm’i-kə-bəl) / Adj / friendly
Wednesday / 9-10 / lucid (lōō’sĭd) / Adj / easily understood
Thursday / 9-11 / commemorate (kə-mĕm’ə-rāt) / V / to honor in memory of with a ceremony
Friday / 9-12 / florid (flôr’ĭd) / Adj / flushed with rosy color
Monday / 9-15 / frugal (frōō’gəl) / Adj / economical
Tuesday / 9-16 / rancor (răng’kər) / N / resentment
Wednesday / 9-17 / mundane (mŭn-dān’) / Adj / ordinary
Thursday / 9-18 / adulation (ăj’ŏŏ-lā shyn) / N / excessive flattery or admiration
Friday / 9-19 / obstinate (ŏb’stə-nĭt) / Adj / stubborn
Monday / 9-22 / anachronism (ə-năk’rə-niz’əm) / N / an error in the order of time
Tuesday / 9-23 / cartography (kär-tŏg’rə-fē) / N / the art of making maps or charts
Wednesday / 9/24 / auspicious (ô-spish-əs) / Adj / attended by favorable circumstances
Friday / 9/26 / polarize (pō’lə-rĭz) / V / to set at opposite extreme
Monday / 9/29 / nefarious (nə-fâr’ē-əs) / Adj / wicked
Tuesday / 9/30 / equanimity (ē-kwə-nĭm ĭ-tē) / N / the quality of being calm
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
October, 2014
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Wednesday / 10-1 / equivocal (ĭ-kwĭv’ə-kəl) / Adj / of uncertain significanceThursday / 10-2 / eulogy (yōō’la’jē) / N / a speech honoring a person or thing
Friday / 10-3 / quell (kwĕl) / V / to put down forcefully
Monday / 10-6 / evanescent (ĕv ə-nĕs ənt) / Adj / vanishing like vapor
Tuesday / 10-7 / embody (ĕm-bŏd’ē) / V / to give bodily form
Wednesday / 10-8 / prosaic (prō-zā’ik) / Adj / commonplace
Thursday / 10-9 / exemplary (ĭg-zĕm’plə-rē) / Adj / worthy of imitation
Friday / 10-10 / boor (bŏŏr) / N / a rude person
Tuesday / 10-14 / apprehensive (ăp rĭ-hĕn’sĭv) / Adj / anxious or fearful about the future
Wednesday / 10-15 / precocious (prĭ-kō’shəs) / Adj / characterized by early development
Thursday / 10-16 / collusion (kə lōō’zhən) / N / a secret agreement for illegal purposes
Friday / 10-17 / censure (sĕn’shər) / N / an expression of strong disapproval
Monday / 10-20 / hedonist (hēd’n-ĭzt) / N / one devoted to pleasure
Tuesday / 10-21 / obstreperous (əb-strĕp’ər-əs) / Adj / noisily defiant
Wednesday / 10-22 / equitable (ĕk’wĭ tə-bəl) / Adj / just and impartial
Thursday / 10-23 / felicitous (fĭ-lĭs’ĭ-təs) / Adj / admirably suited
Friday / 10-24 / trepidation (trĕpə-dā’shen) / N / dread marked by trembling or hesitancy
Monday / 10-27 / decorous (dĕk’ər-əs) / Adj / proper
Tuesday / 10-28 / laud (lôd) / V / to glorify
Wednesday / 10-29 / vindictive (vĭn-dĭk’tĭv) / Adj / revengeful
Thursday / 10-30 / intrepid (ĭn-trĕp ĭd) / N / fearless
Friday / 10-31 / laggard (lăg’ərd) / N / straggler
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
November, 2014
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 11-3 / cathartic (kə-thär-tik) / V / cleansingTuesday / 11-4 / swagger (swăg’ər) / V / to strut; to brag, boast
Wednesday / 11-5 / superstition (sōō’pər’stĭsh’ən) / N / a belief or practice upheld by faith in magic chance or dogma
Monday / 11-10 / venerate (vĕn‘ə-rāt) / V / to regard with respect
Tuesday / 11-11 / eloquent (ĕl‘ə-kwənt) / Adj / vividly or movingly expressive
Wednesday / 11-12 / impregnable (ĭm’prĕg’nə-bəl) / Adj / impossible to attack or challenge
Thursday / 11-13 / idiosyncratic (ĭd-ē-ō-sing’kratík) / Adj / of peculiar behavioral characteristics
Friday / 11-14 / superfluous (sŏŏ-pûr’flōō’əs) / Adj / being beyond what is required
Monday / 11-17 / dogmatic (dôg-măt ĭk) / Adj / arrogant assertion of unproved principles
Tuesday / 11-18 / destitution (dĕs’tĭ-tōō shen) / N / complete poverty
Wednesday / 11-19 / grateful (grāt’fəl) / Adj / expressive of thanks
Thursday / 11-20 / cursory (kûr’sə-rē) / Adj / performed with haste
Friday / 11-21 / sanguine (sang’gwĭn) / Adj / of a reddish color; cheerfully optimistic
Monday / 11-24 / holistic (hō’lĭz tĭk) / Adj / emphasizing the whole
Tuesday / 11-25 / staid (stād) / Adj / fixed or permanent
Wednesday / 11-26 / rhetoric (rĕt ər-ĭk) / N / the study of using language
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
December, 2014
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 12-1 / bombard (bŏm-bärd) / V / to attack with bombs or missilesTuesday / 12-2 / deride (dĭ-rīd) / V / to speak of or treat with contempt
Wednesday / 12-3 / zealous (zĕl’əs) / Adj / marked with enthusiasm
Thursday / 12-4 / impetuous (ĭm-pech’ōōəs) / Adj / marked by violent force
Friday / 12-5 / refute (rĭ-fyōōt’) / V / to prove to be false
Monday / 12-8 / eclectic (ĭ-klĕk-tĭk) / Adj / combining elements from a variety of sources
Tuesday / 12-9 / diffidence (dĭ fĭ dəns) / Adj / the quality or state of being shy
Wednesday / 12-10 / lamentation (lăm ən-tā shən) / N / expression of sorrow
Thursday / 12-11 / disparage (dĭ-spăr’ĭj) / V / to reduce in esteem or rank
Friday / 12-12 / ineffable (ĭn ĕf’ə-bəl) / Adj / incapable of being expressed
Monday / 12-15 / vindicate (vĭn’dĭ-kāt’) / V / to clear of accusation
Tuesday / 12-16 / acumen (ə-kyōō’mən) / N / mental keenness
Wednesday / 12-17 / assiduous (ə-sĭj-ōō-əs) / Adj / diligent
Thursday / 12-18 / cajole (kə-jōl) / V / coax; wheedle
Friday / 12-19 / callow (kăl’ō) / Adj / unfledged; immature
Monday / 12-22 / castigate (kăs’tĭ-gāt’) / V / punish
Tuesday / 12-23 / comely (kŭm-lē) / Adj / attractive; agreeable
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
January, 2015
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 1-5 / compliant (kəm-plī’ənt) / Adj / yieldingTuesday / 1-6 / cryptic (krĭp’tĭk) / Adj / mysterious
Wednesday / 1-7 / debauch (dĭ-bôch’) / V / corrupt; make intemperate
Thursday / 1-8 / decadence (dĕk’ə-dəns) / N / decay, especially moral
Friday / 1-9 / deprecate (dĕp’rĭ’kāt’) / V / disapprove; belittle
Monday / 1-12 / distend (dĭ’stĕnd’) / V / expand; swell out
Tuesday / 1-13 / embellish (ĕm-bĕl’ish) / V / adorn
Wednesday / 1-14 / enjoin (ĕn-join’) / V / command; order; forbid
Thursday / 1-15 / erudite (ĕr’yə-dīt’) / Adj / learned; scholarly
Friday / 1-16 / exhort (ĭg-zôrt’) / V / urge
Tuesday / 1-20 / fauna (fô’nə) / N / animals of a period or region
Wednesday / 1-21 / gauche (gōsh) / Adj / clumsy; boorish
Thursday / 1-22 / germane (jər-mān’) / Adj / pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand
Friday / 1-23 / grandiose (grăn’də-ōs’) / Adj / exaggerated; imposing
Monday / 1-26 / harbinger (här’bən-jər) / N / forerunner
Tuesday / 1-27 / impervious (ĭm-pûr-vē-əs) / Adj / not penetrable; not permitting passage through
Wednesday / 1-28 / impecunious (ĭm-pĭ-kyōō’nē-əs) / Adj / without money
Thursday / 1-29 / ingratiate (ĭn-grā shē-āt’) / V / become popular with
Friday / 1-30 / innocuous (ĭ-nŏk’yōō’əs) / Adj / harmless
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
February, 2015
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 2-2 / irascible (ĭ’răs ə-bəl) / Adj / irritable; easily angeredTuesday / 2-3 / judicious (jōō-dĭsh’əs) / Adj / wise; determined by sound judgment
Wednesday / 2-4 / knoll (nōl) / N / little round hill
Thursday / 2-5 / maudlin (môd’lĭn) / Adj / effusively sentimental
Friday / 2-6 / mendacious (mĕn-dā’shəs) / Adj / lying; false
Monday / 2-9 / mitigate (mĭt’ĭ’gāt’) / V / to make less intense, severe or painful
Tuesday / 2-10 / mollify (mŏl-ə-fī’) / V / soothe; placate
Wednesday / 2-11 / nadir (nā’dər) / N / lowest point
Thursday / 2-12 / obdurate (ŏb’dōō-rĭt) / Adj / stubborn
Friday / 2-13 / odious (ō’dē-əs) / Adj / arousing hatred
Tuesday / 2-17 / onerous (ŏn’ər-əs) / Adj / burdensome
Wednesday / 2-18 / overt (ō’vûrt’) / Adj / open to view
Thursday / 2-19 / paradox (părə-dŏks’) / N / statement that looks false but is actually correct; a contradictory statement
Friday / 2-20 / banal (bə-näl’) / Adj / hackneyed; commonplace
Monday / 2-23 / consummate (kən-sûm’ĭt) / Adj / complete in every respect
Tuesday / 2-24 / paucity (pô’sĭ-tē) / N / scarcity
Wednesday / 2-25 / pithy (pĭth’-ē) / Adj / concise; meaty
Thursday / 2-26 / placate (plā’kāt’) / V / pacify; conciliate
Friday / 2-27 / portend (pôr-tĕnd’) / V / foretell; presage
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
March, 2015
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 3-2 / pretentious (prĭ-tĕn’shəs) / Adj / ostentatious; ambitiousTuesday / 3-3 / progeny (prŏj ə’nē) / N / children; offspring
Wednesday / 3-4 / qualm (kwŏm) / N / misgiving
Thursday / 3-5 / querulous (kwĕr’ə-ləs) / Adj / fretful; whining
Friday / 3-6 / raucous (kŭm-lē) / Adj / harsh and shrill
Monday / 3-9 / recalcitrant (rĭ-kăl’sĭ-trənt) / Adj / obstinately stubborn
Tuesday / 3-10 / reprove (rĭ-prōōv’) / V / censure; rebuke
Wednesday / 3-11 / rescind (rĭ-sĭnd’) / V / cancel
Thursday / 3-12 / rigor (rĭg’ər) / N / severity
Friday / 3-13 / sagacious (sə-gā’shəs) / Adj / keen; shrewd
Monday / 3-16 / sardonic (sär-dŏn’ĭk) / Adj / disdainful; skeptically humorous; mocking
Tuesday / 3-17 / simulate (sĭm’yə-lāt’) / V / feign
Wednesday / 3-18 / sluggard (slûg’ərd) / N / lazy person
Thursday / 3-19 / sporadic (spə-răd’ĭk) / Adj / occurring irregularly
Friday / 3-20 / superficial (sōō’pər-fish’əl) / Adj / trivial; shallow
Monday / 3-23 / taciturn (tăs’ĭ-tûrn) / Adj / habitually silent; talking little
Tuesday / 3-24 / thwart (thwôrt) / V / baffle; frustrate
Wednesday / 3-25 / turpitude (tûr’pə-tood’) / N / depravity
Thursday / 3-26 / ubiquitous (yōō-bĭk’wĭ-təs) / Adj / being everywhere; omnipresent
Friday / 3-27 / urbane (ûr-bān’) / Adj / suave; refined; elegant
Monday / 3-30 / vapid (văp’ĭd) / Adj / insipid; inane
Tuesday / 3-31 / verbatim (vər-bā’tĭm) / Adv / word for word
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
April, 2015
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 4-1 / officious (ə-fĭsh’əs) / Adj / dutiful; obliging; meddlesomeTuesday / 4-2 / reticent (rĕt’ĭ-sənt) / Adj / inclined to be silent oruncommunicative in speech
Monday / 4-13 / vilify (vĭl’ ə-fī’) / V / slander; defame
Tuesday / 4-14 / vindicate (vĭn’dĭ’kāt’) / V / clear of charges
Wednesday / 4-15 / virulent (vîr’yə-lənt) / Adj / extremely poisonous
Thursday / 4-16 / vitriolic (vĭt’rē-ol-ik) / Adj / corrosive; sarcastic
Friday / 4-17 / wanton (wŏn-tən) / Adj / unruly; unchaste; excessive
Monday / 4-20 / whet (wĕt) / V / sharpen; stimulate
Tuesday / 4-21 / zealot (zĕl’ət) / N / fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
Wednesday / 4-22 / allusion (ə-lōō’zhen) / N / an indirect reference to something
Thursday / 4-23 / altruistic (āl’trōō’ĭz’tik) / Adj / showing unselfish devotion to the welfare of others
Friday / 4-24 / aplomb (ə-plŏm’) / N / self-confidence
Monday / 4-27 / cartel (kär-tĕl’) / N / a group of companies formed to control production, prices and marketing of its members’ goods
Tuesday / 4-28 / patois (păt’wä) / N / a regional dialect of a language
Wednesday / 4-29 / tangent (tan’jənt) / Adj / in contact at a single point; touching
Thursday / 4-30 / ephemeral (ĭ-fĕm’ər-el) / Adj / lasting only one day; lasting a short time; fleeting
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
May, 2015
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Friday / 5-1 / hegemony (hĭ-jĕm’ə-nē) / N / influence or authority of one nation over others; preponderant influenceMonday / 5-4 / incarcerate (ĭn-kär’sə-rāt’) / V / to put in prison
Tuesday / 5-5 / innuendo (ĭn’yōō-ĕn’dō) / N / hint; insinuation; veiled reflection of character
Wednesday / 5-6 / jurisprudence (jŏŏr’is-prood’ns) / N / system of body of law
Thursday / 5-7 / loquacious (lō-kwa’shes) / Adj / given to excessive talking
Friday / 5-8 / meander (mē-ăn’dər) / V / to wander aimlessly
Monday / 5-11 / mnemonic (nĭ-mŏn’ĭk) / Adj / assisting or intending to assist memory
Tuesday / 5-12 / scrupulous (skrōō’pyə-ləs) / Adj / having moral integrity
Wednesday / 5-13 / temerity (tə-mĕr’ĭ-tē) / N / unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition
Thursday / 5-14 / winsome (wĭn’səm) / Adj / cheerful, happy
Friday / 5-15 / bivouac (bĭv ōō-ăk’) / N / a temporary shelter or settlement
Monday / 5-18 / cupidity (kyōō-pĭd’ĭ-tē) / N / a strong desire, especially for wealth; greed
Tuesday / 5-19 / fatuous (făch’ōō-əs) / Adj / complacency or inanely foolish
Wednesday / 5-20 / libertine (lĭb’ər-tēn’) / N / a freethinker, especially in a religious matter
Thursday / 5-21 / anomaly (ə-nŏm’ə-lē) / N / deviation from the common rule
Friday / 5-22 / beguile (bĭ-gĭl’) / V / to lead by deception; cheat; to while away
Tuesday / 5-26 / cantankerous (kăn-tăng’kər-əs) / Adj / ill-natured; quarrelsome
Wednesday / 5-27 / despot (dĕs’pət) / N / a ruler with absolute power and authority
Thursday / 5-28 / epilogue (ĕp ə-lôg’) / N / concluding section that rounds out the design of a literary work
Friday / 5-29 / indict (ĭn-dīt) / V / to charge with some offense; accuse
Jefferson Township High School
Word of the Day Program
June, 2015
Directions:1) Say the wordN = noun
2) Spell the wordV = verb
3) Identify its part of speechAdj = adjective
4) Define the wordAdv = adverb
Monday / 6-1 / longevity (kăl’ō) / N / long duration of individual life; length of lifeTuesday / 6-2 / martinet (mär’tn-ĕt’) / N / strict disciplinarian
Wednesday / 6-3 / opulent (op’yə-lənt) / Adj / wealth; amply provided
Thursday / 6-4 / parsimony (pär’sə-mō’nē) / N / careful with money or resources; economy
Friday / 6-5 / purloin (pər-loin) / V / to appropriate wrongfully or breach of trust; to steal
Monday / 6-8 / sanguinary (săng’gwə-nĕr’ē) / Adj / bloodthirsty; murderous
Tuesday / 6-9 / ameliorate (ə-mĕl-yə-rāt’) / V / to make better; improve
Wednesday / 6-10 / conclave (kŏn’klāv’) / N / a private meeting or secret assembly; a gathering
Thursday / 6-11 / epigram (ĕp’ĭ-grăm’) / N / a concise poem dealing with a single thought or event
Friday / 6-12 / juxtaposition (jŭk-stə-pōz ə shen) / N / act of placing two or more things side by side