Grade 8 Word Definitions

Definition:

To end a law, system, institution, custom or practice.

Example:

“Slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century.”

Definition:

To render fit, suitable, or correspondent; to adapt.

Example:

“to accommodate ourselves to circumstances”

Definition:

An imaginary rock or mineral of impenetrable hardness; a name given to the diamond and other substances of extreme hardness.

Definition:

To stick fast or cleave, as a glutinous substance does; to become joined or united.

Example:

“wax adhered to his finger”

Definition:

The study of art or beauty.

Definition:

Open to multiple interpretations.

Example:

“The politician was criticized for his ambiguous statements and lack of precision.”

Definition:

An animal of the subkingdom Articulata.

Definition:

Showing willingness to take bold risks; recklessly daring.

Definition:

To turn aside or away.

Example:

“To avert the eyes from an object.”

Definition:

A state or other armed participant in warfare

Example:

“The UN sent a treaty proposal to the belligerents.”

Definition:

Kind; gentle; mild.

Definition:

A disguise or covering up.

Definition:

A person employed to drive a private motor car or a hired car of executive or luxury class (like a limousine).

Definition:

Unified; sticking together; making up a whole.

Definition:

A colloquial word or phrase, colloquialism

Definition:

To honour the memory of someone or something with a ceremony or object.

Example:

“On November 11th we commemorate the fallen with a march.”

Definition:

To drive together, round up

Definition:

To make concise; to abridge or summarize.

Definition:

To come down from one's superior position; to deign (to do something).

Definition:

Thorough, careful, or vigilant in one’s task performance.

Example:

“He was a thoughtful and conscientious worker.”

Definition:

Obvious or easy to notice.

Example:

“He was conspicuous by his absence.”

Definition:

One who defies opposition.

Definition:

A trade-line on a credit report that includes negative credit history.

Definition:

To prevent something from happening.

Definition:

Performing with industrious concentration; hard-working and focused.

Example:

“Scientists are very diligent in their work.”

Definition:

To make smaller.

Definition:

An act or instance of dispelling.

Definition:

One who does not behave like others.

Definition:

To evade, or escape from someone or something, especially by using cunning or skill

Definition:

To continue or carry on, despite obstacles or hardships; to persist.

Example:

“The singer's popularity endured for decades.”

Definition:

To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.); aggravate; exasperate.

Example:

“The proposed shutdown would exacerbate unemployment problems.”

Definition:

An example, or typical instance.

Definition:

One who has been released from something.

Definition:

To cheer, to cheer up, to gladden, to make happy.

Example:

“Good news exhilarates the mind; wine exhilarates the drinker.”

Definition:

(of people) Very high-spirited; extremely energetic and enthusiastic.

Example:

“exuberant feeling”

Definition:

Glib; speaking with ease and rapidity

Definition:

A continuous variable, especially one with respect to time in Newton's Method of Fluxions.

Definition:

Causing fear, dread, awe, or discouragement as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive feature; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment.

Definition:

Wildly hurried or upset.

Definition:

Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native

Definition:

(of a person) Describing one who enjoys being in crowds and socializing.

Definition:

A gullible person; someone easily fooled or tricked.

Definition:

To move or act in a quick fashion.

Definition:

To make difficult to accomplish; to act as an obstacle; to frustrate.

Example:

“A drought hinders the growth of plants.”

Definition:

The contrivance of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, while concealing real character or inclinations, especially with respect to religious and moral beliefs; hence in general sense, dissimulation, pretence, sham.

Definition:

A behavior or way of thinking that is characteristic of a person.

Definition:

To put under the surface of a liquid; to dunk.

Example:

“Archimedes determined the volume of objects by immersing them in water.”

Definition:

Perfect, without faults, flaws or errors

Example:

“He grew up in Norway, but he writes impeccable English.”

Definition:

To establish or apply by authority.

Example:

“Congress imposed new tariffs.”

Definition:

Without pause or stop; not ending, especially to the point of annoyance.

Example:

“The dog's incessant barking kept the girl awake all night.”

Definition:

Something that is predictable, necessary, or cannot be avoided.

Definition:

To introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into something (e.g. the body) or someone, such as to produce immunity to a specific disease.

Definition:

To ask (about something).

Definition:

Having, characterized by, or done with good judgment or sound thinking.

Definition:

A prepubescent child.

Definition:

To give out extremely generously; to squander.

Example:

“They lavished money on the dinner.”

Definition:

A person born to a legally married couple.

Definition:

A lenitive; an emollient.

Definition:

Sluggish, slow

Definition:

Of, pertaining to, or as a result of malice or spite

Definition:

The planned movement of troops, vehicles etc.; a strategic repositioning; (later also) a large training field-exercise of fighting units.

Example:

“Joint NATO maneuvers are as much an exercise in diplomacy as in tactics and logistics.”

Definition:

A period of time consisting of one thousand years.

Definition:

To change part of.

Definition:

Having an unvarying tone or pitch.

Definition:

An unremarkable, ordinary human being.

Definition:

Careless, without appropriate or sufficient attention.

Definition:

A nonaligned state, or a member of such a state.

Definition:

A longing for home or familiar surroundings; homesickness.

Definition:

Extremely unpleasant or offensive; very annoying, odious or contemptible.

Example:

“He was an especially obnoxious and detestable specimen of a man.”

Definition:

To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious.

Definition:

Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or exhibiting an omen; significant.

Definition:

Continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure.

Definition:

To go on stubbornly or resolutely.

Definition:

The supreme ruler of Ancient Egypt; a formal address for the sovereign seat of power as personified by the 'king' in an institutional role of Horus son of Osiris; often used by metonymy for Ancient Egyptian sovereignty

Definition:

Copying of another person's ideas, text or other creative work, and presenting it as one's own, especially without permission; plagiarizing.

Example:

“Copy from one, it's plagiarism. Copy from two, it's research.”

Definition:

Seemingly or apparently valid, likely, or acceptable; conceivably true or likely

Example:

“a plausible excuse”

Definition:

To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand; to outnumber others.

Example:

“Red colour prevails in the Canadian flag.”

Definition:

The deep; the sea; the ocean.

Definition:

Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct; careful, discreet, sensible; — opposed to rash; directed by prudence or wise forethought; evincing prudence

Definition:

A rational number: a number that can be expressed as the quotient of two integers.

Example:

“The quotient of two rationals is again a rational.”

Definition:

To exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing.

Definition:

Unrelenting or unyielding in severity.

Definition:

Opposing; offering resistance (to).

Definition:

An act of reminiscence.

Definition:

Exactly and carefully conducted.

Example:

“He is scrupulous in his finances.”

Definition:

To cut free.

Example:

“After he graduated, he severed all links to his family.”

Definition:

An illustrated outline filled in with a solid color(s), usually only black, and intended to represent the shape of an object without revealing any other visual details; a similar appearance produced when the object being viewed is situated in relative darkness with brighter lighting behind it; a profile portrait in black, such as a shadow appears to be.

Example:

“I could see a silhouette of a figure looking out from the window, but I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman.”

Definition:

To make sombre or dark; to make shady.

Definition:

In excess of what is required or sufficient.

Example:

“With a full rain suit, carrying an umbrella may be superfluous.”

Definition:

Close observation of an individual or group; person or persons under suspicion.

Definition:

A physical object, something that can be touched.

Definition:

Clinging to an object or surface; adhesive.

Definition:

Based on unanimity, assent or agreement.

Example:

“The debate went on for hours, but in the end the decision was unanimous.”

Definition:

To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.

Definition:

A region of space that contains no matter.

Definition:

A person who acts with valor, showing hero-like characteristics in the midst of danger.

Definition:

Watchful, especially for danger or disorder; alert; wary

Example:

“Be vigilant for signs of disease in your garden.”

Definition:

To clear of an accusation, suspicion or criticism.

Example:

“to vindicate someone's honor”

Definition:

Relating to, or characteristic of life.

Example:

“vital energies; vital functions; vital actions”

Definition:

Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, trickery, and dangers; suspiciously prudent

Example:

“He is wary of dogs.”