to deal with the items on the agenda.- The angry school board circumvented the students’ effort to install televisions in every
classroom.
DISTINGUISH (di STING gwish) v to tell apart; to cause to stand out
- The rodent expert’s eyesight was so acute that he was able to distinguish between a
shrew and a vole from more than 500 feet away. - I studied and studied but I was never able to distinguish between discrete and discreet.
- His face had no distinguishing characteristics; there was nothing about his features that
stuck in your memory. - Lou’s uneventful career as a dogcatcher was not distinguished by adventure or
excitement.
MAGNATE (MAG nayt) n a rich, powerful, or very successful businessperson
- After graduating from Harvard Business School, she became a magnate in the music
industry, owning several record labels and production companies.
METAMORPHOSIS (met uh MOR fuh sis) n a magical change in form; a striking or sudden
change
- Damon’s metamorphosis from college student to Hollywood superstar was so sudden that it
seemed a bit unreal.
The verb is metamorphose. To undergo a metamorphosis is to metamorphose.
OMNISCIENT (ahm NISH unt) adj all-knowing; having infinite wisdom
Omni- is a prefix meaning “all.”
- To be omnipotent (ahm NIP uh tunt) is to be all-powerful.
- An omnivorous (ahm NIV ur us) animal eats all kinds of food, including meat and plants.
- Something omnipresent (AHM ni prez unt) seems to be everywhere. In March, mud is
omnipresent. - The novel’s narrator has an omniscient point of view, so his words often clue the reader
in to things the characters in the story don’t know. (Note: Sci- is a root meaning
“knowledge” or “knowing.” Prescient (PRESH unt) means knowing beforehand; nescient
(NESH unt) means not knowing, or ignorant.)
PERIPHERY (puh RIF uh ree) n the outside edge of something
- José never got involved in any of our activities; he was always at the periphery.
- The professional finger painter enjoyed his position at the periphery of the art world.
To be at the periphery is to be peripheral (puh RIF uh rul). A peripheral interest, for example, is
a secondary or side interest.