Set 5

Question 1

AGGREGATE (AG ruh gut)

Answer 1

n. sum total; a collection of separate things mixed together

Chili is an aggregate of meat and beans.

Question 2

AGNOSTIC (ag NAHS tik)

Answer 2

n. one who believes that the existence of a god can be neither proven nor disproven

An atheist is someone who does not believe in a god. An agnostic, on the other hand, isn’t sure. He or she doesn’t believe but doesn’t believe, either.

Question 3

AGRARIAN (uh GRAR ee un)

Answer 3

adj. relating to land; relating to the management or farming of land

Politics in this country often pit the rural, agrarian interests against the urban interests

Question 4

ALACRITY (uh LAK ri tee)

Answer 4

n. cheerful eagerness or readiness to respond

David could hardly wait for his parents to leave; he carried their luggage out to the car with great alacrity.

Question 5

ALLEGE (uh LEJ)

Answer 5

v. to assert without proof

If I say, “Cedrick alleges that I stole his hat,” I am saying two things:
1. Cedrick says I stole his hat.
2. I say I didn’t do it.

Question 6

ALLEVIATE (uh LEE vee ayt)

Answer 6

v. to relieve, usually temporarily or incompletely; to make bearable; to lessen

Visiting the charming pet cemetery alleviated the woman’s grief over the death of her canary

Question 7

ALLOCATE (AL uh kayt)

Answer 7

v. to distribute; to assign; to allot

The event had been a big failure, and David, Aaliyah, and Jan spent several hours attempting to allocate the blame. In the end, they decided it had all been Jan’s fault

Question 8

ALLOY (AL oy)

Answer 8

n. a combination of two or more things, usually metals

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, meaning you make brass by combining copper and zinc.