Lesson 09 (with audio)

Question 1

halcyon

(halʹ sē ǝn)

Answer 1

*adj. * calm, pleasant

The halcyon days of last month contrasted with the turbulent days of this month.

• syn: tranquil*
• ant: troubled, tumultuous*

Question 2

hallow

(hălʹ ō)

Answer 2

• (verb) * to make holy
• (adj.) * holy

We cannot hallow this field, for the men who died here made it holy.

Many colleges refer to their class buildings as hallowed halls of learning.

• syn: bless; consecrate*
• ant: desecrate*

Question 3

harbinger

(härʹ bĭn jǝr)

Answer 3

*(noun) * an omen or sign

The presence of the black cat was taken as a harbinger of ill luck.

syn: portent

Question 4

harlequin

(härʹ lǝ kwǝn)

Answer 4

*(noun) * a clown

One of Picasso’s famous paintings, Harlequin, is a painting of an old-fashioned clown.

Question 5

hector

(hĕkʹ tǝr)

Answer 5

*(verb) * to bully; to pester

Unless you stand up to him, that bully will hector you the entire year.

syn: browbeat

Question 6

hedonism

(hēdʹ n ĭz ǝm)

Answer 6

*(noun) * pursuit of pleasure, especially of the senses

John believed in hedonism, rather than self-sacrifice.

Question 7

hegira

(hĭ jīʹ rǝ)

Answer 7

*(noun) * flight, escape

During the Vietnam War, there was a hegira to Canada by people opposed to the war.

Question 8

hermetic

(hǝr mĕtʹ ĭk)

Answer 8

*(adj.) * tightly sealed

That medicine should be packed in hermetic containers.

syn: airtight

Question 9

heterogeneous

(hĕt ǝr ǝ jēʹ nē ǝs)

Answer 9

*(adj.) * different; dissimilar

The squad of soldiers in a typical war movie is a heterogeneous group of young men from quite varied backgrounds.

• syn: diverse, varied*
• ant: homogeneous, similar*

Question 10

hiatus

(hī āʹ tǝs)

Answer 10

*(noun) * a pause or gap

During the summer hiatus, the cast of the television show was free to pursue other interests.

Question 11

hoi polloi

(hoiʹ pǝ loiʹ)

Answer 11

*(noun) * common people; the masses

The hoi polloi loved to watch the Christians fight the lions.

Question 12

hospice

(hŏsʹ pĭs)

Answer 12

(noun) a shelter

The new hospice for cancer patients opened in July.

Question 13

hubris

(hyōōʹ brĭs)

Answer 13

*(noun) * excessive pride or self-confidence

The Greek warriors were known for their hubris and their fierceness in battle.

• syn: haughtiness, arrogance*
• ant: humility, diffidence*

Question 14

hybrid

(hīʹ brĭd)

Answer 14

• (noun) * anything of mixed origin
• (adj.)* mixed, assorted

The prize-winning roses were hybrids, combining the best whites and reds.

They were hybrid roses.

Question 15

idiosyncrasy

(ĭd ē ō sĭngʹ krǝ sē)

Answer 15

*(noun) * a peculiar personality trait

Hiding money in tin cans was only one of the old man’s idiosyncrasies.