Friday, February 23, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                           


   

 

 Word: Perforate

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance.
  • Example: Perforate the sheets of paper.

 

Word: Concisely

  • Parts of Speech: Adverb
  • Meaning: In a clear and brief manner, In a concise manner, in a few words.
  • Example: The history is summed up concisely in this book.

 

Word: Framework

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: Set of ideas from which more complicated ideas will be developed; The underlying structure.
  • Example: Providing a factual framework for future speech.

 

Word: Aspect

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: Parts, features, or characteristics. 
  • Example: You should first learn about the various aspects of her agenda.

 

Word: Objective

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: Based on the facts rather than feelings or opinions. 
  • Example:  If your objective is to learn a new word, you have succeeded.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                              


 

 Word: Personified

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: To give human characteristics to something that is not human.
  • Example: The two of us personified the mix of arts and technology.

 

Word: Divergent

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Differing from Others.
  • Example: The result was that students often got the best of our divergent approaches.
  • The triplets may look alike, but they have divergent personalities.

 

Word: Chutzpah

  • Parts of Speech: Informal Noun
  • Meaning: Extreme self-confidence, Impudence, shameless audacity.
  • Example: And if you have large ambitions and a measure of chutzpah, you can attempt to do it on a grand scale.

 

Word: Dissertation

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: A long piece of writing on a specific subject, particularly one written for a university degree.
  • Example: For her phD dissertation, she built a system called “Storytelling Alice."

 

Word: Peeved

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: To be annoyed or irritated.
  • Example: I was completely peeved at the camp directors.  

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References
Book: The Last Lecture
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

  


 

 Word:  Wary

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
  • Example: I’m a bit of an acquired taste in that sense, and after only one semester, some were still noticeably weary of me.

 

Word: Decree

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: An official order issued by a legal authority.
  • Example: I issued that decree mostly because those things have been done in computer games only about a zillion times, and I was looking for original thinking.

 

Word: Stupefy

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Make someone unable to think or feel properly.
  • Example: His answer left me stupefied. 

 

Word: Disservice

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: A harmful action.
  • Example: I’d only do them a disservice by putting it anywhere.

 

Word: Existential

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Relating to existence.
  • Example:  Some of my students created completely unlikely existential worlds populated by lovable 3-D creatures they first dreamed about us kids.

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References
Book: THE LAST LECTURE
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                                


 Word:  Unfazed

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Not disconcerted or perturbed.
  • Example: He saw the data ranking him in the bottom quartile and remained unfazed. 

 

Word: Visceral

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Instinctive, Innate, gut, deep-down, deep-rooted, emotional, inward.
  • Example: I had this visceral urge to grow up and create those kinds of rides. 

 

Word: Pitting

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Someone or something in conflict or competition with.
  • Example: There was an incredible fifteen minute battle scene on a rocky red planet, pitting clones against droids. 

 

Word: Quirky

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Eccentric, Idiosyncratic, Unconventional.
  • Example: I’d been my usual self - a tough teacher with high expectations and some quirky ways - and they weren’t at the point where they appreciated that.

 

Word: Pegged

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: Fix, Pin, Attach, Fasten, Hold down, Keep down.
  • Example: People who know me say I’m an efficiency freak. Obviously, they have me pegged.  

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References
Book: The Last Lecture.
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                                             


Word: Stroke

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: An act of hitting or striking someone or something; a blow.
  • Example: I think one key factor is that there is too much stroking and too little real feedback. 

 

Word: Pragmatic

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
  • Example: That was a pragmatic, statistically valid way to look at themselves.

 

Word: Peers 

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Fellow, colleague, partner, co-worker.
  • Example: Did his peers think he was working hard?

 

Word: Quartile

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: Each of four groups into which a population can be divided according to the distribution of values according to a particular variable.
  • Example: For one course I taught, I’d had the students assess each other in the same way, but only let them know the quartile in which they ranked. 

 

Word: Obnoxious

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Extremely unpleasant.
  • Example:  I remember a conversation, I had with one student whom others found particularly obnoxious.

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References
Book: The Last Lecture
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Friday, February 16, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                                               


 Word: Apt

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective / Noun
  • Meaning: Appropriate or suitable in circumstances.
  • Example: You are more apt to speed things along.

 

Word: Delegate

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: Representative, spokesperson, A person sent or authorized to represent others.
  • Example: It’s never too early to delegate.

 

Word: Cliche

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays the lack of original thought, stereotype.
  • Example: It is an accepted cliche in education that the number one goal of teachers should be to help students learn how to learn.

 

Word: Exert

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Apply or bring to bear a force, influence, or quality.
  • Example: We need to make sure that our students are exerting themselves.

 

Word: Resort

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: Recourse to, turning to, the use of.
  • Example:  When they talk of building self-esteem, they often resort to empty flattery rather than character-building honesty.

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References
Book: The Last Lecture
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                             


Word:  Fixation

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: An Obsessive interest in or feeling about someone or something.
  • Example: I firmly believe that one of my appropriate fixations has been to manage time well. 

 

Word: Railed

  • Parts of Speech: Noun / Verb
  • Meaning: Begin behaving in a strange, abnormal, or wildly uncontrolled way.
  • Example: I’ve railed about time management to my students.

 

Word: Banister

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: The structure formed by the uprights and handrail at the side of the staircase.
  • Handrail, railing.
  • Example: “It doesn’t matter how well you polish the underside of the banister." 

 

Word: Naive

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Showing lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement.
  • Example: I once put “get tenure” on my to-do list. That was naive. 

 

Word: Compulsive

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Resulting from or relating to an irresistable urge, especially one that is against one’s conscious wishes.
  • Example: She said I sounded way too compulsive for her tastes.

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References
Book: The Last Lecture.
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                                    


 Word:  Flatly

  • Parts of Speech: Adverb
  • Meaning: Showing little interest or emotion.
  • Example: “So you’ve got cancer,” he said flatly.

 

Word: Brazen

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Bold and without shame.
  • Example: And if by some chance I was the most brazen con man he’d ever stopped, well, he wasn’t taking this any further. 

 

Word: Trot

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Proceed or cause to proceed at a pace faster than a walk, lifting each diagonal pair of legs alternatively.
  • Example: As he trotted back to his police car, I had a realization. 

 

Word: Chirp

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Utter a short, sharp, high-pitched sound.
  • Example: The machine chirped, beeped and said I owed $16.55, but issued no receipt.

 

Word: Ordeal

  • Parts of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: A painful or horrific experience, especially a protracted one.
  • Example: The whole tedious ordeal could have stretched to ten or even fifteen minutes.

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References
Book: The Last Lecture
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                                     


 

 Word: Court

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Be involved romantically, typically with the Intention of marrying. Pay special attention.
  • Example: When I was courting her, I sent her flowers once a week. 

 

Word: Scribble

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Write or draw something carelessly or hurriedly.
  • Example: Before she starts scribbling in her journal, I owe it to her to straighten up my mess.

 

Word: Drift

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Be carried slowly by a current of water or air.
  • Example: I had drifted a few miles an hour over the speed limit. 

 

Word: Cocked

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Tilt something in a particular direction.
  • Example: The Officer Cocked his head and squinted at me.

 

Word: Squint

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Look at someone or something with one or both eyes partly closed in an attempt to see more clearly or as a reaction to strong light.
  • Example: The Officer cocked his head and squinted at me.  

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References
Book: The Last Lecture
Word Meanings: Google Search, Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Apple Lookup.

Monday, February 12, 2024

Lexicon Lift: 5 Daily Words (Are you familiar with these? And how do you use these words?)

                                                             



Word: Dread  

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Anticipate with great apprehension or fear.
  • Example: "It’s not helpful if we spend every day dreading tomorrow,” she says.

 

Word: Bittersweet

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Sweet with a bitter aftertaste.
  • Example: This last New Year’s Eve, though was very emotional and bittersweet in our house.

 

Word: Slam

  • Parts of Speech: Verb
  • Meaning: Shut forcefully and loudly.
  • Example: If my life were a movie, this scene of me and Dylan would get slammed by critics for over-the-top-shadowing.

 

Word: Meticulous

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Showing great attention to detail, Very careful and precise.
  • Example: Rather than showing Dylan and Logan the proper way to do it - carefully and meticulously - I just let them have at it haphazardly.

 

Word: Haphazard

  • Parts of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: Lacking any obvious principle of organization, unplanned, unsystematic, random, unmethodical.
  • Example: Rather than showing Dylan and Logan the proper way to do it - carefully and meticulously - I just let them have at it haphazardly.

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References
Book: The Last Lecture
Word Meanings: Google Search and Vocabulary.com, apple lookup.