Webster Essential Vocabulary

photosynthesis(foh toh SIN thi sis) n. the chemical process by which a green
plant combines water and carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight to form sugars

• Photosynthesisis the process by which a green plant manufactures its own
  food.


• Chloroplasts contain the green substance, chlorophyll, which must be
  present for photosynthesisto occur.
  placate(PLAY kayt) vt. to stop from being angry; to appease; pacify


• Hailee needed to be placatedafter Sebastian ran off with her toy.


• Neville Chamberlain’s big mistake was trying to placateHitler by allowing
  him to march into Austria.
  [-d, placating] [Syn. pacify]

Quick Review #115.

Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.

316 Essential Vocabulary

1. peccadillo


2. pedantry


3. pedestrian


4. peripatetic


5. perish


6. perjury


7. permeable


8. perturb


9. pervade


10. philistine


11. photosynthesis


12. placate

a process

b. uncultured

c. disappear

d. spread

e. disturb

f. pacify

g. pettiness

h. itinerant

i. misdeed

j. false testimony

k. ordinary

l. passable

placid(PLAS id) adj. peaceful; undisturbed; tranquil; calm

• The sea was placidfollowing the passage of the violent storm.


• A good businessman always keeps a placiddemeanor while around customers.
  [-ly adv.] [Syn. calm]
  plaintive(PLAYN tiv) adj. sorrowful; mournful; expressing sorrow or melan-
  choly; sad


• Laurie felt very plaintiveafter the loss of her pet parakeet.


• Robbie was plaintiveafter he struck out, making the final out of the game.
  [-ly adv.] [Syn. sad]