Orthography

  1. The distinguishing quality of acid is its sourness.

  2. Having the quality or appearance of flowers; specifically, flushed with red; as a florid countenance.

  5. That which is insipid has not those qualities which affect the taste; tasteless.

  6. An intrepid person is brave and daring; he does not tremble with fear.

13. Torpid. Benumbed; insensible; inactive; as an animal in hibernation, when it passes its time in sleep.

5. Mortality. State of being subject to death; frequency of death; hence the death-rate.

  1. (ad, to) An adjective is a word which is added (thrown) to a noun to qualify its meaning.

  2. Alternative in the plural means two things of which one or the other may be taken as a choice.

  5. The executive of a state or nation is the one whose duty it is to follow out the decrees of the law making bodies; i. e. to see that the laws are obeyed.

  6. An expletive is that word which fills out the sentence that contains it; as an expletive adverb.

  8. (in, not) An infinitive is that verb which is not limited by person and number.

  9. (loco, place) A locomotive is that which can move cars from place to place.

12. The positive is that which has a real standing place. Not admitting of doubt; definitely laid down; clearly stated.

  1. That which fills or completes.

  2. A filament is that which is threadlike; as, the filament of silk, or flax.

  5. Literally, an impediment is that which entangles the feet; hence, that which hinders or interferes.

10. Refreshments consist of that which makes one fresh or new again.

  1. The coming together of two bodies; touching.

  2. The act of communicating disease by the touch.

  3. Having the quality of being imparted by touch; catching; as, contagious diseases.

  4. To contaminate is to make impure by mixture (touching together).

  5. Contiguity is the state of being within touching distance.

  7. Entire. Whole or complete; not touched.

  8. An integer is a complete or not touched whole; a whole number.

10. State of being untouched or unimpaired; freedom from corruption or impurity; as, integrity of character.

11. Tact is skill in touching; nice perception or discernment in dealing with others.

12. Intact. Not touched, especially by anything that misplaces, harms, or defiles.

13. Tactile. Relating to the sense of touch.

14. A tangent is a line which touches a curve.

15. Anything is tangible when it is capable of being touched, or perceived by senses.

1. (con, together) One who lives at the same time together with another is his contemporary; occurring or existing at the same time.

3. Extempore means, literally, out of the moment. On the spur of the moment; without previous study or preparation.

4. Relating to time as opposed to eternity; earthly, transient; as, our temporal affairs.

5. That which lasts for a brief time only; not permanent; as, a temporary scaffolding.

7. To temporize is to comply with the time or occasion; to yield to the current of opinion or circumstances; to “do as the times do”.

8. The modification of verbs to indicate time, is called tense.

9. Tempus fugit is a Latin phrase frequently met with in English. It means, literally, time flies.

  1. To abstain from drink is to hold from it, to refrain voluntarily.

  2. A vessel contains a liquid when it holds its particles together.

  3. To detain the wages of a laborer is to hold them from him after they are due.

  5. Maintain literally means to hold by the hand; to preserve from falling. To hold fast; to keep in possession; as, to maintain one's ground in battle.

  7. Sustain. To hold up from beneath; to uphold; to support; to endure.

  8. A tenant is one who holds land under another.

  9. A tenet is an opinion or doctrine held as true.

10. Tenable. Capable of being held; as ground taken for argument.

11. Tenacious. Having the quality of holding fast.

12. One's tenure of office is that time during which he holds office.

  1. To bury in the earth; as a dead body.

  3. Situated or occurring under the surface of the earth; as subterranean forests—buried forests.

  4. A terrace is a long mound or raised portion of earth.

  5. Terra cotta is literally baked earth. A species of hard pottery used in building; ornamentation.

  6. Terrestrial. Relating to the earth, earthly.

  7. A terrier is one of a small breed of dogs, named from their propensity to scratch the ground or earth in pursuit of prey.

  8. Territory. Relating to the earth; a large extent or tract of land.

  9. The Mediterranean Sea is so called because situated in the middle of the land. In the middle of the ancient known world.

10. Terra del Fuego means literally the land of fire (del, of).

11. Terre Haute means high land. A city in Indiana situated on high land.

12. Terra firma is a Latin phrase, frequently met in English. It means firm land.

1. Cardiac. Pertaining to or resembling the heart; exciting action in the heart.

2. Demoniac. Pertaining to demons; one possessed of an evil spirit; a lunatic.

3. Maniac. Raving with madness; crazy; insane.

4. Zodiac. Pertaining to the imaginary animals figured in the twelve constellations forming a circle around the sun.

1. Civics. The Science which treats of citizenship.

2. Ethics. The science of right conduct—of character-building.

3. Economics literally means, the science of managing the household; the science of the production and distribution of wealth, or the means of living well.

4. Mechanics. The science of machinery, or the theory of machines.

5. Optics. The science which treats of light and vision, and all that is connected with the phenomena of sight.

6. Physics. The science which treats of the forces of nature; as, gravitation, light, heat, electricity.

7. Phonics. The science of sound; especially of sounds produced by the human voice.

8. Politics. The science which treats of the government of states and cities.

1. Altruism. The theory that devotion to the interests of others is the highest good.

2. Barbarism. The state of being foreign; rude in point of manners, arts and literature.

3. Egotism. The state of being self-centered, self-conceited, and unduly self-confident; selfish as opposed to altruistic.

4. Communism. A theory of government and social order according to which property is held in common, and the profits of all labor devoted to the general good.

5. The state of being a hero or having heroic qualities; as, lofty aim, fearlessness, fortitude.

6. Hypnotism. An artificially induced state of sleep, in which the mind becomes passive, but acts readily upon suggestion or direction.

7. Organism. The state of being composed of different organs or parts, working together and each necessary to the whole.

8. Sensualism. The state which regards the gratification of the senses as the highest good.

  1. Apathy (a = without). State of being without feeling; lack of interest; mental indifference; sluggishness.

  2. Antipathy. A state of feeling against or antagonistic to a person or thing; as, antipathy to spiders.

  3. Anarchy (an = without). State of being without rule; social and political disorder.

  4. Bigamy (bi = two). State of being married twice; having two wives or two husbands at the same time.

  5. Euphony (eu = well). State of being agreeable in sound; well-sounding.

  6. Melancholy (melan = black). State of having black bile; gloomy state of mind arising from grief or natural indisposition.

  7. Misanthropy (mis = hatred). State of having hatred for mankind; ill will for people in general.

  9. Monopoly (mono = one). State of having the exclusive (sole) privilege or power to sell an article at a certain place and time.

11. Sympathy. State of feeling with another (as he feels) on account of his sufferings, misfortune, or joy.

Note.—The suffix y has the same meaning in the following words. They are, however, too simple to need defining; in fact, there are no simpler words on which to base definitions: airy, balky, bony, briny, chunky, downy, dusty, healthy, hearty, miry, musty, rusty, scaly, showy, sinewy, wealthy, worthy.

1. Pertaining to time; continuing a long time, as a chronic disease; hence mild as to intensity and slow as to progress.

2. Chronicler. One who records events in the order of their occurrence in time.

3. Chronology. The science of ascertaining the true historic order (in time) of past events and their exact dates.

4. Chronometer. Any instrument for measuring time; as, clock, watch, dial. Specifically, an instrument of great accuracy used on vessels for determining longitude.

5. Synchronous. Occurring together in time; happening or existing at the same time.

6. Anachronism (ana = back). Any error in respect to dates. Literally, state of being placed at a wrong time. The significance of ana in this word is not clear; the original meaning probably was, the referring of an event to a time back of its correct date.

1. Geography. A description (writing) of the earth and its inhabitants.

2. Geology. The science which treats of the structure of the earth; of its history as regards rocks, minerals, rivers, valleys, mountains, etc.

3. Geometry. That branch of mathematics which treats of the measurement of solids, surfaces, lines, and angles. So called because one of its earliest and most important applications was to the measurement of the earth's surface.

4. George. A tiller (worker) of the earth; a farmer.

Note 1.—Other words, kindred to the above, containing this root-form are: geometric, geometrical, geometrician, geographic, geologize, geologist.

Note 2.—O is no part of the root. It is the “wedding ring” that ties roots of families together.

  6. Graphite is a mineral used in lead pencils for writing.

  7. Lithograph. A writing on stone [Rare]. Made by printing (writing) from stone; as a picture.

  8. Monograph. A written account or description of a single thing, or class of things.

  9. Orthography. The art of writing words correctly (right), or according to standard usage.

10. Paragraph. (See fifth month, page 29.)

12. A photograph is produced by the action of light (writing, as it were,) upon chemically prepared paper.

13. Stenography is short (in a somewhat vague sense narrow) hand writing.

14. Topography. A written description of a particular place, town, or tract of land; especially the description of the physical features of a locality.

  1. Logic. The science of reason.

  3. An apology is a speech in defense of what appears to others wrong, the speaker thereby seeking relief from blame.

  5. Decalogue. The ten commandments (speeches) given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

  7. Epilogue. A speech or poem at the end of an argument or address; a speech upon (on top of, or in addition to) what has been said.

14. Psychology. The science which treats of the human soul (mind and spirit included) and its operations.

11. Advent. The second coming of Christ (to the earth).

12. To advertise goods is to cause the public to turn their attention to them.

13. To aggregate is to collect into a flock; to collect into a mass or sum.

14. To allure is to attempt to entice or draw (to) by the offer of some good, real or apparent.

15. To annex is to bind, join or add to, as a smaller thing to a greater.

16. Append means to hang or attach to, as by a string.

17. Affix. To fasten to; to add at the close or end.

18. Arrive literally means to come to the bank or shore (from out on the water). In present usage it means to reach any object or result.

19. Assail. To leap toward; to attack with violence.

20. Attach. To fasten to; to affix or connect.

1. Antecedent. That which goes before in time.

2. Antediluvian (di = away) (ian = one who). One who lived before the flood (wash away).

3. Antemeridian. Before the middle of the day. Generally abbreviated to A. M.

4. Antepenult (pen = almost). Before almost the last. The last syllable of a word but two.

  1. The biceps is a muscle which draws up the forearm; so called because it has two heads or origins.

  2. The bicuspid teeth have two points.

  3. A bicycle has two wheels or circles.

  4. Biennial means lasting two years or occurring once in two years.

  5. A bigamist is one who has been married twice, and who has two wives or two husbands at the same time.

  6. The bimana are animals having two hands; as man.

  7. A binomial in algebra is a quantity consisting of two terms.

  8. A biped is an animal having but two feet; as man.

  9. Biscuit were so called because formerly baked or cooked twice.

10. To bisect a line is to cut it into two equal parts.

11. Bivalve. Having two doors; as the clam. (Each side or shell is comparable to a door, opening and shutting on a hinge.)

12. Balances are so called because they consist of two plates or pans suspended from the balance beam.

  1. A building collapses when its sides fall together; when it tumbles down.

  2. To collect botanical specimens is to gather them together.

  3. Two objects collide when they strike together.

  4. A colloquy is a talking together of two or more people.

  5. Commingle means to mix together; as people in society.

  6. Commiserate. To feel sorrow, pain or pity (with another).

  7. A commotion is a moving together; a tumult.

  8. Commute. To change one thing (with) for another; to exchange. To substitute a less thing for a greater.

  9. Company formerly meant an assembly of people eating bread together.

10. Composition. The act of putting parts together to produce a harmonious whole.

11. One's compeer is the equal with himself in rank, age, prowess, etc.

12. Two people concur in regard to a matter when their minds run together; when they agree.

13. To confide in one is to have faith in him; to intrust secrets with him.

14. Concord means literally heart with heart; agreement; harmony.

15. Conflict. A striking together; hostile contest.

16. To congregate means to flock or assemble together.

17. Contact. A touching together; a close union of bodies.

18. Corroborate. To strengthen; to make more certain; to confirm. Two statements corroborate when one agrees with the other; each thus strengthens the other.

  1. Decapitate. To take the head from the body; to behead.

  2. The leaves of deciduous trees fall (down) once a year.

  3. Define. To put down, or mark out the bounds or limit; to fence from; to determine the precise meaning; to describe accurately.

  4. Degrade. To reduce from a higher (down) to a lower rank or degree.

  5. Dejected. Cast down in spirit; discouraged.

  6. Depose. To put down; especially to remove from a throne or high station.

  7. Depreciate. To put down the price; to reduce the value of.

  8. Descend. To climb down.

  9. Despicable. Deserving to be looked down upon; low, mean, contemptible.

10. Detract. To draw from; to take away; as, to take credit or reputation from.

1. Biceps. A large muscle of the upper arm, so called because it has two heads or origins.

2. Pertaining to the head; chief; principal; as the capital city.

3. One who is at the head; a leader; as the captain of a vessel, or a company of soldiers.

4. Capitulate. To surrender on stipulated terms or conditions; to draw up items under heads or chapters.

5. Decapitate. To take the head from the body.

6. Cabbage. A vegetable which has a head.

7. By the head; as a per capita tax.

8. A cap is a covering for the head.

9. A cape is a head of land.

1. Accede. To yield to; to agree; consent, concur; go to.

2. The antecedent of a pronoun is the noun which goes before it, and for which the pronoun stands.

3. Exceed. To go beyond what is needed or expected.

4. To go between two persons as a mediator; especially to plead with the person who has some advantage over the other.

5. Precede. To go before in order of time.

6. To go on or forward; as proceed with your work.

7. Recede. To go back from a given position.

8. To go aside; to separate; as to secede from the church.

9. To go or follow after in order of time; as, one shock succeeded another with great rapidity.

Note 1.—The principal parts of the Latin verb are cedo, cedere, cessi, cessum. From this it appears that words 10-18 above are kindred in meaning and correspond to words 1-9.

Note 2.—Observe that in three of these words the root is spelled ceed, in the others cede.

1. Happening once in a hundred years. The Centennial Exposition was held in Philadelphia in 1876, one hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

2. Divided into one hundred degrees. On the centigrade thermometer there are one hundred degrees between the freezing point and the boiling point.

3. Centimeter. The hundredth part of a meter (standard of measure).

4. Centiped. A segmented invertebrate animal of the class nyrapod (Greek for many feet), so called because it has a great many (indefinitely one hundred) feet.

5. By the hundred; as, six per cent; that is, six cents on the dollar.

1. Civic. Pertaining to a citizen, or the affairs of a city.

2. Civil. Fit to live in a state or society with citizens.

3. Civilize. To make civil. To instruct in the arts and customs of citizenship.

4. A civilian is one whose pursuits are those of a citizen and not of a soldier.

  5. To excuse is to relieve (take out) from the charge of blame.

10. To expedite is to hurry forward; especially by removing hinderances (as from the feet).

Note.—In defining the words in this list choose that meaning of the prefix from the four given above (in, into, on, not) which is most suitable; thus: imbibe means to drink in; immature, not ripe; immerse, to plunge into; indorse, to write on the back of.

  2. An illiterate person is one not familiar with letters; one who has little or no learning.

  5. Literally, anything is immense when it can not be measured; of vast extent.

  7. Immortal. Not liable to death.

10. Having no way through (per = through); as, cloth which is impervious to water; waterproof.

14. An impulse is a sudden mental motive or feeling which tends to drive one on to say or do something.

15. Not liable to punishment; freedom from the bad consequences which usually result from an act; as, the magician could eat fire with impunity.

16. In the flesh; as Christ was the incarnate Son of God.

17. Not mild, but harsh and severe; as inclement weather.

18. Not known; under an assumed name; disguised; as a nobleman traveling incognito.

21. A story is incredible when it is not capable of being believed; unworthy of belief.

26. Indent. To cut into points like a row of teeth.

29. Infant. A young babe (not yet able to speak).

35. Insect. A small animal apparently cut into segments.

40. Invert. To turn the outside in; to place in a contrary way.