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Word Power Made Easy Summary
Word Power Made Easy Summary
WORD POWER
MADE EASY
FULL SUMMARY
TALVIR DHIMAN
WORD POWER MADE EASY
a) Pediatrics = the healing of a child a) Introvert = one who turns his mind inward
b) Psychiatrist = a doctor who heals sick minds b) Extrovert = one who turns his mind outward
c) Ambivert = one who turns his mind both inward and
outward
a) Pedagogue = a narrow-minded, strait-laced, old- a) Democracy = the political orientation of those who
fashioned, dogmatic teacher favor government by the people or by their elected
b) Demagogue = one who stirs up discontent among the representatives
masses so he can gain political power b) Demography = the branch of sociology that studies
the characteristics of human populations
c) Demagogy = Leading the hoi polloi
Obstetrics = midwifery/ OB/ tocology a) Orthopedist = the doctor who straightens bone
deformities, in children primarily
[Off-topic: as an old English root, Glib = slippery. b) Orthodontist = Doctor specializing in straightening of
Literally, Glib = Artfully persuasive in speech. teeth
Derogatorily, it means Marked by lack of intellectual c) Orthography = A method of representing the sounds
depth] of a language by written or printed symbols
a) Sphygmomanometer = blood pressure measuring device a) Optic = Of or relating to or resembling the eye
b) Optometrist = one who measures the vision of the eye b) Optician = one who grinds lenses
c) Thermometer = measure of heat c) Optometrist = one who measures the vision of the eye
d) Taximeter = measure of taxicab miles
e) Metric system = system of measurement
f) Barometer = measure of atmospheric pressure
23. Osteon (bone): 24. Chiros (hand):
29. Ology (the study of) or Logos (word): 30. astron (star):
a) Phrenology = analysis of skull contours a) Astronomy = study of celestial phenomena
b) Graphology = study & analysis of handwriting b) Astrology = Pseudoscience which claims it can
c) Psychology = study of human mind foretell the future by a study of the stars
d) Ophthalmology = The branch of medicine concerned c) Astronomical = tremendously big
with the eye and its diseases d) Aster = a star-shaped flower
a) Astronomy = arrangement of stars & other celestial a) Biopsy = medical examination of living tissue
bodies b) Autopsy = medical examination of a corpse
b) Autonomy = self-law, self-rule, self-government
c) Metronome = musical time measurer
Botany = The branch of biology that studies plants Zoology = The branch of biology that studies animals
a) Appendectomy = a cutting out of the appendix a) Philology = Love of words (study of Linguistics)
b) Tonsillectomy = a cutting out of the tonsils b) Philanthropist = altruist
c) Entomology = branch of zoology that studies insects, c) Philanderer = one who makes Love triflingly
forms of life that seem, in appearance, as if they are d) Philatelist = one who loves to collect stamps
almost cut in two e) Anglophile = An admirer of British customs
d) Atom = the smallest particle that cant be cut any more f) Bibliophile = Lover & collector of rare books
e) Anatomy = cutting up of a living body to determine its g) Philadelphia = City of Brotherly Love
structure (The branch of morphology that deals with the h) Philosophy = Love of wisdom
structure of animals) i) Philharmonic = Love of harmonies or music
f) Tome = a part cut from the whole (a large boring book) j) Philtre = love-potion
g) Epitome = part which represents the whole
h) Dichotomy = splitting in two (duality)
a) Noted = Widely known and esteemed a) Summit = The top or extreme point of something
b) Notorious = widely but unfavorably Known b) Sum = The final aggregate
c) Consummate = Perfect and complete in every respect;
[off-topic: Childlike = Exhibiting childlike simplicity and having all necessary qualities
credulity; but, Childish = Indicating a lack of maturity ]
a) Corrigible = amendable/ redeemable/ reformable a) Veteran = Rendered competent through trial and
b) Incorrigible = Impervious to correction by punishment experience; Seasoned
c) corrigendum = A printer's error; to be corrected b) Inveterate = Habitual (derogatory implication)
47. Gen (to give birth to/ to be born): 48. Chronos (Time):
a) Genetics = The branch of biology that studies heredity a) Chronic = going on for a long time
and variation in organisms b) Anachronism = something out of time
b) Gene = segment of DNA considered as unit of heredity c) Chronological = Relating to or arranged according to
c) Genealogy = The study of ancestry and family history temporal order
d) Eugene/ Eugenia = well-born d) Chronometer = An accurate clock (especially used in
e) Eugenics = The study of methods of improving genetic navigation)
qualities by selective breeding e) Chronicle = A record or narrative description of past
f) Genital = venereal (relating to the external sex-organs) events that happened at one time
g) Genesis = The beginning, birth or origin of anything f) Synchronize = Happen at the same time;
h) Psychogenic = born of the mind or emotions contemporize
i) Congenital = Present at birth but not necessarily g) Synchronoscope = An instrument that indicates
hereditary; acquired during fetal development (dont whether two periodic motions are synchronous
confuse Congenital with Congenial, means friendly)
j) Genocide = killing of a whole race or nation
a) Telepathy = feeling each others thoughts from afar a) Congregation = a religious Herd
b) Telephone = sound from afar b) Segregation = separation from the Herd
c) Telegraph = writing from afar c) Gregarious = who likes to be with the Herd
d) Egregious = so vicious that it actually stands out from
the herd
a) Equivocal = mugwumps/ fencesitters (not ambiguous) a) Equivocal = purposely vague, ambiguous, susceptible
b) Equivocate = prevaricate/ tergiversate (purposely) b) Equality = par
c) Magnavox = (radio) Large voice c) Equidistant = The same distance apart at every point
d) Vox populi = public opinion d) Equinox = Either of two times of the year when the
e) Vocation = calling sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator and day and
f) Avocation = hobby; something not ones actual calling night are of equal length
g) Vociferous = in a loud voice e) Equanimity = composure/ calmness
h) Revoke = call back; cancel f) Equilibrium = A stable situation in which forces
i) Convoke = call together cancel one another
a) Ambidextrous = equally skillful with each hand; a) Scribe = Score a line on with a pointed instrument
deceitful b) Scribble = Write carelessly/ scrawl
b) Ambivert = one who turns his mind both inward and c) Inscribe = enroll; engrave; encrypt; autograph
outward d) Proscribe = forbid or prohibit the use of any food or
c) Ambiguity = accidentally double-entendre drug that might prove harmful to the patient
d) Ambivalent = Uncertain or unable to decide about what e) Prescribe = opposite to Proscribe
course to follow f) Scriptures = Any writing that is regarded as sacred by
e) Ambit = An area in which something acts or operates or a religious group
has power or control g) Script = Something written by hand
a) Malevolent = ill-disposed (wishing badly) a) Placate = Lenify/ assuage/ conciliate/ mollify/ pacify
b) Benevolent = well-disposed (wishing well) b) Placid = tranquil/ serene
c) Voluntary = Of your own free will or design c) Implacable = inexorable/ relentless/ grim/ stern
d) Involuntary = Not subject to the control of the will d) Complacent = self-satisfied (mild insult)
e) Volunteer = do, tell or agree freely e) Placebo = An innocuous or inert medication; given as
f) Volition = will a pacifier or to the control group in experiments on the
efficacy of a drug
a) Condone = Excuse, overlook, or make allowances for a) Taciturn = Reticent/ Reserved/ secretive
b) Donation = gift [Donee & Donor] b) Tacit = not verbalized/ unsaid/ unspoken
Garrulity = constant talking, usually aimless and a) Volubility = Rolling out the words
meaningless, about trifles b) Revolve = to roll around
a) Somniferous = bearing sleep Laconic = Brief and to the point; effectively cut short
b) Vociferous = bearing loud voice (named after ancient Sparta, which was originally
c) Odoriferous = Emitting an odor known as Laconia, its citizens were stoical)
Martinet = Someone who demands exact conformity to a) Sycophant = A person who tries to please someone in
rules and forms order to gain a personal advantage/ ass-kisser/ boot-
[according to the name of the Inspector General of licker/ stoolpigeon [root sykon means fig]
Infantry of France during the reign of King Louis 14, who b) Diaphanous = So thin as to transmit light [root dia
was excessively disciplined] means through]
Dilettante = Showing frivolous or superficial interest; Virago = Far from being traditionally Feminine;
amateurish (dont confuse it with tyro) Termagant/ Harridan/ Battle-ax/ Shrew/ Harpy
Chauvinist = an exaggerated & blatant patriot/ jingoist Iconoclast = someone who sneers at convention &
tradition (it does not of course have to be restricted to
[according to the name of a French soldier, Nicholas religion)
Chauvin, during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte] [root word clast means to break]
a) Patriot = One who loves and defends his or her country a) Matriarch = The female head of family or tribe
b) Patrioteer = Chauvinist/ jingoist b) Maternity = Motherhood
c) Patrimony = an inheritance from ones father c) Maternal = Motherly
d) Patronymic = a name formed on the fathers name d) Matron = A married woman (middle-aged with
e) Paternity = Fatherhood children) who is staid and dignified; Nurse; wardress
f) Patriarch = The male head of family or tribe e) Alma Mater = school you graduated from (ones
g) Patricide = killing of ones father intellectual mother)
h) Patrician = Aristocrat/ Blue-blood/ of noble origin f) Matrimony = The ceremony or sacrament of marriage
i) Patron = Frequenter/ Sponsor/ Supporter g) Matronymic = a name formed on the mothers name
j) Padre = A chaplain in one of the military services h) Matrisib = enate/ matrikin/ matrilineal kin
89. Caedo/ Cide (to cut down/ kill): 90. Mania (madness/ morbid attraction):
Homo sapiens = The only surviving hominid; species to a) Sorority = A social club for female undergraduates
which modern man belongs; bipedal primate having b) Sororal = Sister like
language and ability to make and use complex tools c) Sororicide = killing of ones sister
a) Uxor = (legal terminology) the Latin word for wife a) Infantile = childish
b) Uxoricide = killing of ones wife b) Infantilism = Infantile behavior in mature persons
c) Uxorious = excessively devoted to ones wife c) Infantry = Foot soldiery
a) Claustrophobia = A morbid fear of being closed in a a) Monk = A male religious living in a cloister and
confined space devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
b) Agoraphobia = A morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of b) Monastery = cloister
being caught alone in some public place) c) Monotonous = humdrum
c) Acrophobia = A morbid fear of great heights d) Monoplane = An airplane with a single wing
d) Pistanthrophobia = common fear of trusting people due e) Monopoly = Exclusive control of something
to past experiences with relationships gone bad f) Monarchy = autocracy
e) Hydrophobia = A morbid fear of water g) Monocarpic = Dying after bearing fruit only once
f) Xenophobia = A morbid fear of Foreigners h) Monologue = A (usually long) dramatic speech by a
g) Photophobia = A morbid fear of Light single actor
a) Theism = Belief in the existence of God a) Gerontocracy = Gov. ruled by old people
b) Atheism = Belief that there is no God (not Agnosticism, b) Plutocracy = Gov. ruled by wealthy people
Cynicism or Skepticism, these means only Doubt) c) Technocracy = Gov. ruled by Scientists & Engineers
c) Monotheism = Belief in a single God d) Bureaucracy = Gov. ruled by Bureaus
d) Polytheism = Belief in multiple Gods e) Democracy = Gov. ruled by the People
e) Pantheism = worship that admits all Gods f) Autocracy = Gov. ruled by an absolute Dictator/
f) Theocracy = government ruled by religious Leader Absolutism/ Totalitarianism
g) Theological = pertaining to the study of Religion
h) Apotheosis = Elevation of a person to the status of God
a) Agnostic = who doesnt know about the God a) Pandemonium = A state of extreme disorder
b) Diagnosis = Identifying the cause of some phenomenon b) Panorama = a view all around/ cyclorama/ diorama
c) Prognosis = A prediction about how something (the c) Panacea = Hypothetical remedy for all ills or
course of a disease) will develop diseases/ catholicon/ Elixir
105. Hypo (under/ Less): 106. Hyper (over/ above):
a) Hypochondriac = A patient with imaginary symptoms a) Hypercritical = Inclined to judge too severely
and ailments [chondria Cartilage of the Breastbone] b) Hypertension = high blood pressure
b) Hypothyroidism = An underactive thyroid gland c) Hypersensitive = allergic
c) Hypothetic = Based primarily on surmise rather than d) Hypermedia = interactive multimedia system
adequate evidence e) Hypertext = machine-readable text
d) Hypoactive = Abnormally inactive f) Hypertrophy = Abnormal enlargement of a body part
e) Hypocritical = Professing feelings one does not have or organ; dysplasia [antonym Atrophy; root word
f) Hyponym = A word that is more specific than a given trephein means to nourish]
word
a) Convivial = fond of the pleasures of good company a) Vital = Essential to Life; of crucial importance
b) Vivacious = full of the joy of living; animated/ peppy b) Vitality = Life & strength
c) Vivid = Possessing the freshness of life; strong/ sharp c) Vitamin = One of the many elements, on which life is
d) Revive = bring back to life dependent (A, B, C, D, E, G, H, K, M, P)
e) Vivisection = Operating on a live animal d) Vitalize = to impart vigor or life to
f) Viviparous = producing young from the living body e) Devitalize = to rob of vigor or life
g) Oviparous = producing young from eggs f) Vitellus = yolk
h) bon vivant = A person devoted to refined sensuous
enjoyment, especially good food and drink [a high Liver] [off-topic: in complimentary sense,
i) joie de vivre = an effervescent keenness for all the daily Gourmet > Gourmand > Glutton]
activities ( joy of Living) (antonym Ennui)
a) Visceratonic = Stomach-minded people (interested in a) Oval = egg-shaped/ Ovate/ Oviform/ Ovoid/ Prolate
food & companionship) b) Oviparous = producing young from eggs
b) Cerebratonic = Brain-minded people (interested in c) Ovalbumin = The white part of an egg
intellectual pursuits) d) Ovaritis = Inflammation of the ovaries
c) Somatotonic = Body-minded people (interested in c) Ovulation = The expulsion of an ovum from the
movement & action) ovary (usually midway in the menstrual cycle)
a) Credo = Principles by which someone guides his action a) Spectacle = Something to Look at
b) Creed = a religious belief b) Spectacles = eyeglasses
c) Credence = mental attitude that something is believable c) Inspect = to look into something
d) Credentials = bona fides/ attestation/ Certificate d) Retrospect = looking back
e) Credulous = willing to believe e) Prospect = looking ahead
f) Credible = Capable of being believed f) Conspicuous = easily seen or looked at
g) Credit = Have trust in; trust in the truth or veracity of g) Perspicacious = penetratingly discerning
h) Cred = Credibility among young fashionable urban h) Perspicuous = (of language) transparently clear
individuals i) Introspection = self-contemplation
i) Credenza = A kind of sideboard or buffet (!!) j) Circumspection = Look around carefully
k) Specious = Plausible but false; Spurious
Stoic = Seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive a) Intrepid = Invulnerable to fear or intimidation
b) Trepidation = A feeling of alarm or dread
(Stoicism is the philosophical system of the Stoics
following the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher
Zeno, who would stand on a porch or stoa)
117. Scintilla (quick/ bright/ spark): 118. Rus/ Ruris (Country/ Village):
a) Scintilla = A tiny or scarcely detectable amount; A a) Rural = pertaining to the country [antonym = Urban]
sparkling glittering particle b) Rustic = Awkwardly simple [antonym = Urbane]
b) Scintillate = Be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity; c) rusticate = Send to the country
Emit or reflect light in a flickering manner
Badinage = a half-teasing, non-malicious, frivolous Clich = it is a pattern of words which was once new &
Banter, intended to amuse rather than wound fresh, but which now is so old, worn & threadbare that
[its closest synonym is Persiflage] only banal, unimaginative speakers & writers ever use it
[its closer synonyms are Bromide & Platitude]
Vegetation = Inactivity that is passive and monotonous, a) Simulate = Create a representation or model of
comparable to the inactivity of plant life b) Dissimilar = unlike
c) Simile = A figure of speech that expresses a
resemblance between things of different kinds
Intimate = informal; familiar; inner; versed; adumbrate/ Vacillate = Be undecided about something; waver
insinuate; suggest; confidant between conflicting positions or courses of action
a) Levity = Feeling an inappropriate lack of seriousness a) Miser = stingy hoarder of money and possessions
b) Levitation = The act of raising (a body) from the b) Misery = A state of ill-being due to affliction
ground by presumably spiritualistic means c) Commiserate = To feel or express sympathy or
c) Alleviate = palliate/ relieve/ assuage compassion
141. Sequi (to follow): 142. Cheval (horse) or Caballus (an inferior horse):
a) Sequence = The action of following in order a) Chivalrous = Being attentive to women like an ideal
b) Sequel = Something that follows something else knight; Gallant
c) Subsequent = Following in time or order b) Cavalcade = A procession of people traveling on
d) Obsequies = Funeral rite horseback
e) Obsequious = Attempting to win favor from influential c) Cavalier = Given to haughty disregard of others
people by flattery d) Cavalry = Troops trained to fight on horseback
a) Impecunious = Habitually being short of cash (it isnt a a) Innocent = Free from evil or guilt
synonym of Poverty/ Destitute/ Indigence) b) Innocuous = Harmless to physical or mental health
b) Pecuniary = pertaining to money c) Noxious = Harmful to physical or mental health
Bovine = Dull and slow-moving and stolid; like an ox Anomalous = Aberrant/ Abnormal/ Unnatural
a) Anemia = Lack of important elements in blood a) Monarchy = Gov. ruled by Single Ruler
b) Anarchy = Lack of Law b) Oligarchy = Gov. ruled by few privileged people
c) Analgesia = Lack of Pain c) Anarchist = one opposed to government
d) Anomaly = Something not according to rule d) Hierarchy = Higher echelons of Government, church,
e) Anathema = bte noire/ A detested person Business, etc.
Ominous = foreshadowing evil or tragic developments Scurrilous = Expressing offensive reproach; abusive