Word List
anachronism(a ̆·nak·ro ̆·niz·e ̆m) n.1. something that is placed into an
incorrect historical period. 2. a person, custom, or idea that is out of date.
The authenticity and credibility of the 1920s movie was damaged by the many
anachronisms that appeared throughout the scenes.
archaic(ahr·kay·ik) adj.belonging to former or ancient times; character-
istic of the past. Samantha laughed at her grandfather’s archaic views of dating
and relationships.
arduous(ahr·joo·u ̆s) adj.1. very difficult, laborious; requiring great effort.
- difficult to traverse or surmount. Commander Shackleton’s arduous journey
through the Arctic has become the subject of many books and movies.
coeval(koh·ee·va ̆l) adj.of the same time period; contemporary. The growth
of personal computers and CD players was coeval during the twentieth century.
cornucopia(kor·nyu ̆·koh·pi·a ̆) n.abundance; a horn of plenty. The first-
graders made cornucopias for Thanksgiving by placing papier-mâché vegetables
into a hollowed-out horn.
dilatory(dil·a ̆·tohr·ee) adj.slow or late in doing something; intended to
delay, especially to gain time. Resentful for having to work the holiday, Miguel’s
dilatory approach to getting himself up and dressed was his own small act of pas-
sive resistance.
epicurean(ep·i·kyoor·i·a ̆n) n.a person devoted to the pursuit of pleasure
and luxury, especially the enjoyment of good food and comfort. While on
vacation at a posh resort hotel, Joan became a true epicurean.
lucrative(loo·kra ̆·tiv) adj.profitable, producing much money. Teaching is
a very rewarding career, but unfortunately it is not very lucrative.
malinger(ma ̆·lin·e ̆r) v.to pretend to be injured or ill in order to avoid
work. Stop malingering and give me a hand with this job.
onus(oh·nu ̆s) n.duty or responsibility of doing something; task, burden.
It was Clark’s idea, so the onus is on him to show us that it will work.
perfunctory(pe ̆r·funk·to ̆·ree) adj.done out of a sense of duty or routine
but without much care or interest; superficial, not thorough. We were not
satisfied with his perfunctory work; we felt a more thorough job could have been
done.
primeval(pr ̄·mee·va ̆l) adj.ancient, original; belonging to the earliest ages.
The primeval art found in the caves was discovered by accident.