DRACONIAN (dray KOH nee un) – severe, cruel, hard 1

1. Mr. Shilo had a DRACONIAN personality. Nothing his students did pleased him, and rarely did half of his students get passing grades.

DEFAME (di FAYME) –Libel or slander; to take away a good name 2

1. DEFAMED and defeated, Napolean was exiled to the Island of Elba.

2. False accusations have DEFAMED the reputations of many high school girls by unscrupulous, lying boys.

CURVILINEAR (kurv ah LIN ee ur) – Curved lines 3

1. Squares and rectangles have no CURVILINEAR lines.

2. Surveyors have special instruments to lay out CURVILINEAR streets in subdivisions.

ELAPSE (ee LAPS) – Passage of time 4

1. Tim ELAPSES slowly when someone is waiting for important news.

2. Two years ELAPSED before they were to meet again.

VEER (ve ur) – Change in direction 5

1. Tanya never VEERED from the path of honor and dignity.

2. When you arrive at the castle, VEER left around the wall and follow the foot trail until you come to the valley.

KARMA (KAHR muh) – fate, destiny 6

1. All his life, Aubrey possessed a protective KARMA that kept him out of harms way.

2. Louise often told her friends it was her KARMA to stay young and beautiful.

ASTUTE (uh STOOT) – shrewd, clever 7

1. Marissa was very ASTUTE. She was always the first to finish her assignments.

2. Like many gamblers, Micah thought he was very ASTUTE when it came to betting on horses.

MISNOMER (miss NO mur) – An incorrect or inappropriate name 8

1. A nickname like “Speedy” is a MISNOMER when directed toward one who is slow at what they do.

RESURGENT (re sur jent) – to rise after defeat 9

1. The RESURGENT little boy was determined to ride his bike without training wheels.

2. RESURGENCE and strong determination helps most climbers conquer Mount Everst.

ARTISAN (AHRT uh sun) – skilled worker 10

1. The Italian painter and sculptor Michelangelo was both an artist and an ARTISAN.

2. The ARTISANS of Pueblo, Mexico are known for their beautiful pottery.