Chapter 1

Question 1

apparel

Answer 1

n
clothing
You can find dresses in the Ladies Apparel section of the store.

Question 2

besiege

Answer 2

v
to attack by surrounding with military forces;
to cause worry or trouble
The troops besieged the rebel camp so they were forced to surrender.

Question 3

compress

Answer 3

v
to press together;
to reduce in size or volume
They had to compress the files so they would all fit on the flashdrive.
n
a folded cloth or pad applied to an injury or person with an illness
Mom put a cold compress on my head when I had a fever.

Question 4

denounce

Answer 4

v
to condemn openly; to accuse formally
The United Nations (UN) decided to publicly denounce the terrorists’ actions.

Question 5

dispatch

Answer 5

v
to send off or out for a purpose; to kill
n
an official message; promptness or speed; the act of killing
We will dispatch a crew right away to help with emergency.

Question 6

douse

Answer 6

v
to plunge into a liquid
They doused the flames with water.

Question 7

expressly

Answer 7

adv
plainly, for a particular purpose
At the meeting, parents expressly stated their approval for requiring students to wear a uniform.

Question 8

famished

Answer 8

adj
extremely hungry
Since the group hadn’t eaten since breakfast, they were famished and ready for dinner.

Question 9

forsake

Answer 9

v
to give up, to leave or abandon
Loving parents will never forsake their children.

Question 10

gainful

Answer 10

adj
profitable
I hope to find gainful employment in my new town.

Question 11

immense

Answer 11

adj
very large
The immense mountain would take weeks to climb.

Question 12

inept

Answer 12

adj
totally without skill
The inept mechanic put windshield wiper fluid into the engine.

Question 13

ingenious

Answer 13

adj
showing remarkable originality or resourcefulness
The students found an ingenious solution to their difficult problem.

Question 14

instantaneous

Answer 14

adj
immediate
When working on the internet, we are annoyed if we don’t get an instantaneous response.

Question 15

irk

Answer 15

v
to annoy or make weary
The constant chatter of her students irked the teacher.

Question 16

libel

Answer 16

n
a written statement that unfairly or falsely harms someone’s reputation
v
to write or publish a written statement that harms someone’s reputation.

Question 17

misgiving

Answer 17

n
feeling of fear or doubt
They had misgivings about joining the club because they didn’t know any other members.

Question 18

oaf

Answer 18

n
a big, stupid, clumsy person
He generally moved like an oaf, so I was surprised that he was so graceful on the dance floor.

Question 19

recede

Answer 19

v
to go or move backward
When the flood waters recede, we can start cleaning up the mess.

Question 20

repast

Answer 20

n
a meal, food
Let’s get together after the show for a late night repast.