Unit Three Vocabulary

PULS

JAC/JEC

MIT/MIS

MOT

PULS Latin PELLERE, PULSUM “to push, drive”

COMPEL – v. To force or strongly persuade; coerce

The pressures of poverty compel many people to do what they would not do otherwise.

PULS Latin PELLERE, PULSUM “to push, drive”

IMPULSE – n. A sudden, involuntary urge to do something

When Nick saw the rows and rows of candy, he was seized by an impulse to spend all of his money.

PULS Latin PELLERE, PULSUM “to push, drive”

EXPEL – v. To send out or away

The council took a vote on whether to expel the treasurer for his accounting mistakes.

JAC/JEC Latin JACERE, JECTUM “to throw, to cast”

CONJECTURE – n. A guess, often one based on inadequate or faulty evidence

Because you do not know where I was on the night in question, your assertions about what I did are pure conjecture.

JAC/JEC Latin JACERE, JECTUM “to throw, to cast”

DEJECTED – adj. Downcast or sad; depressed

After Mac lost the race, he sat in the corner, abandoned and dejected.

JAC/JEC Latin JACERE, JECTUM “to throw, to cast”

ABJECT – adj. Lowly, miserable and wretched

Nearly 13 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which proves that even in the wealthiest countries, some people are forced to live in abject poverty.

MIT/MISLatin MITTERE, MISSUM “send”

EMISSARY – n. An agent sent on a mission

During the peace talks, the young Italian diplomat was sent as an emissary to Beijing.

MIT/MISLatin MITTERE, MISSUM “send”

DISMISSIVE – adj. Showing little regard; scornful

The professor responded to my confused question with a dismissive wave of his hand.

MIT/MISLatin MITTERE, MISSUM “send”

REMISS – adj. Failing to fulfill one’s duty; negligent

Do you think I was remiss in not cleaning up after the party?

MOTLatin MOVERE, MOTUS “to move”

MOTIVE – n. Cause for action

The detective had the difficult job of establishing a motive for the murder of a popular businessman.

MOTLatin MOVERE, MOTUS “to move”

MOTIF – n. A recurring theme, subject or idea

The recurring father-son motif in this novel makes me wonder about the author’s relationship with his own father.

MOTLatin MOVERE, MOTUS “to move”

EMOTE – v. To dramatically express emotions

In theater, it is important to emote so that the audience can better interpret your words and actions.

Allusions

Throw down the gauntlet

The muses

By Baldassare Peruzzi

Throw down the gauntlet

• In the days of knighthood and chivalry, if a knight wanted to challenge another knight, he would throw down his heavy glove, or “gauntlet.” If the challenged knight picked up the gauntlet, this meant he had accepted the challenge.

“Throwing down the gauntlet” means

issuing a challenge, especially if challenge isissued in a dramatic way.

For example:

Karen and Amy, both sprinters, argued continuously about who would do better at long distances. Finally, Amy threw down the gauntlet and challenged Karen to a two-mile race.

Our parents threw down the gauntlet, offering fifty dollars to any of us who could go an entire week without watching TV or playing video games.

The Muses• In Greek mythology, the

Muses were nine goddesses who presided over the arts. They gave inspiration to mortals. Typically, an epic begins with an invocation to the Muse, in which the poet asks the muse to inspire him as he writes or sings his story.

Today, a “muse” is someone’s source of inspiration, especially in artistic, creative endeavors.

For example:

It is common for fashion designers to select a particular woman as a Muse, keeping her in mind as he or she designs a new line of clothing.

I really felt I needed to work on the song I am writing this weekend, but it seemed the Muse had abandoned me. I couldn’t make any progress at all!