z We often hear halcyon used along with such words as days
and times, as in “The elders of the village spoke wistfully of the
halcyon days of their youth,” or “The halcyon times of peace and
prosperity were a mere memory for the old woman who had to
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together in phrases, such as halcyon days and halcyon times, are
called collocates.
ż Because words are born and live in context—not in isolated
vocabulary lists—we need to examine how they actually
behave in their natural environment—in the context of phrases
and sentences.ż When we study a word with its collocates, we get a deeper
understanding of the word and are better equipped to actually
use the word when we speak or write.z In Greek mythology, Alcyone was the daughter of Aeolus, the god
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the second syllable “see” in the word halcyon, and think of a
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visual to help you remember the word halcyon.Quiescent (adjective)
Tranquilly at rest, inactive, still, quiet, or motionless.Propitiate (verb)
To appease; to make favorably inclined; to regain the favor of someone.z Propitiate is often used in religious contexts, as in: “The priest
SURSLWLDWHGWKHJRGVE\VDFUL¿FLQJDIDWWHGFDOI ́z Synonyms for propitiate include mollify, dulcify, conciliate, and
placate.