Thursday, April 24, 2008
Siege
Etymology:The term derives from the Latin word for "seat" or "sitting.
The enemy laid siege to the city,leaving the city with no other way to run,and no reinforcements or supplies could reach them.
Malcolm Tan(27) 1-5
miracle
Definition:
Any amazing or wonderful occurrence.
A marvellous event manifesting a supernatural act of God
Etymology: First used in the bible, 1502. Replaced O.E. wundortacen, wundorweorc. Probably means wonderful.
It was truly a miracle for John, as the doctors predicted that he would face imminent death due to the massive loss of blood during the freak accident. Yet against all odds, he overcome the fatal accident and the odds to stand here telling us about his experience.
Ang Khar Tsin. 1-5
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
t-bird
Definition: Thunderbird; a large birdlike creature and is believed to be the source of a mythical bird
Etymology: probably evolved from an egyptian word 'Teratornis merriami'
Sentence: The thunderbird sped through the streets, with the police car chasing after them





Koh Kian Woon. 1-5
Regular chip off the block

Definition:if someone is a regular chip off the block, they are very similar in looks, behaviour and character to one of their parents or to another older member of their family
Word origin/etymology: Middle English, to be said that a person who looked really like his father and thus created this phrase
Sentence : James was a regular chip off the block with his grey eyes and his father's smile
Kelvin Kong(10) 1.4
Reformatory
A reformatory is a juvenile prison where legal minors are sent by (juvenile or general) courts to spend a custodial sentence, separate from the bad example of and abuse by adult (often hardened) convicts, usually gender-separated (mainly boys).
It is generally designed not just as a punishment but as a means for (re)education, to reform (hence the name) their hopefully still mendable character, through a combination of strict discipline (symbolic for its harsh reputation is the term reformatory cane) and schooling (hence many are officially called reformatory school or simply school) and/or labor.
The reality has all too often tended rather to penal harm and/or exploitation. Alternative forms of juvenile reeducation have therefore been devised, such as community services, in some cases with better results.
ETYMOLOGY:
This word is related to two-words:brave man.
A well-known example is the British borstal.
Pictures of reformatory:
Sentence:The boy who stole from a shop is sent to the reformatory
All Brawn and no Brains

Origin: 'Brawn' from 'head cheese', which means a terrine of meat from the head of a calf or pig
hide-out
Definition:
A safe place to hide, especially from the law.
Etymology:
O.E. hyd, from P.Gmc. *khudiz (cf. O.N. huð, O.Fris. hed, M.Du. huut, Ger. Haut "skin"), related to O.E. verb hydan "to hide," the common notion being of "covering," from PIE base *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal" (cf. Skt. kostha "enclosing wall," skunati "covers;" Arm. ciw "roof;" L. cutis "skin," scutum "shield," ob-scurus "dark;" Gk. kytos "a hollow, vessel," keutho "to cover, to hide," skynia "eyebrows;" Rus. kishka "gut," lit. "sheath;" Lith. kiautas "husk," kutis "stall;" O.N. sky "cloud;" M.H.G. hode "scrotum;" O.H.G. scura, Ger. Scheuer "barn;" Welsh cuddio "to hide").
Sentence:
The fugitives met at their hide-out every Thursday night.
Craigton Lian(5) 1-6
Clobbered

Clobbered

Include pictures?

Well-done:) You've each contributed to the learning of all the students in the level through this blog. Good for you:)
Some of the pictures are really well-chosen and captures the meaning or implication of the words very well. I'm very proud of you:)
Those of you who didn't manage to post the pictures, pls feel free to log in and edit to post your picture if you do find one. Pictures make the blog so much more visually interesting and exciting:)
Hope you all had fun:)
Mrs Lim
Bewildering
Etymology: to bewilder (third-person singular simple present bewilders, present participle bewildering, simple past and past participle bewildered)
(transitive) To confuse, puzzle or befuddle someone, especially with many different things.
All the different possible options may bewilder us.
(transitive) To disorientate someone.
Sentences: The choice of excursions was bewildering.
Notion
Baloney

Baloney
Definition:
- slang - foolish or exaggerated talk or behavior; nonsense
- pretentious or silly talk or writing
Etymology:
- slang for "nonsense," 1922, Amer.Eng. (popularized 1930s by N.Y. Gov. Alfred E. Smith), from earlier sense of "idiot" (probably influenced by blarney), usually regarded as being from bologna sausage, a type traditionally made from odds and ends, named for the city in Italy.
- Alteration (influenced by baloney) of bullshit.
Sentences:
- "Don't give that baloney," he said, winking at Christopher.
- That's a load of baloney!
Tay Chi Shien (28) - 1-5
Dandy
sentence: A Dandy is a clothes-wearing Man, a Man whose trade, office and existence consists in the wearing of Clothes.
Southern gentleman
Definition : A well-dressed man from the south with good manners.
Etymology : c.1275
Sentence : John was extremely impressed by the good manners of the southern gentleman.
Kerk Zhi Peng ( 14 ), Sec 1 -5
Premonition
1)A feeling of anticipation of or anxiety over a future event; presentiment.
2)A forewarning, a feeling of evil to come.
A sentence formed with the word premonition.
He had a vague premonition of danger.
Sng Kai Zhou Derek(29)
Class-1-4
Premonition
1)A feeling of anticipation of or anxiety over a future event; presentiment.
2)A forewarning, a feeling of evil to come.
A sentence formed with the word premonition.
He had a vague premonition of danger.
indignant

Definitation: Feeling or showing anger and surprise because you think that you haver been treated unfairly
Etymlogy: Latin indignant-, indignans, present participle of indignari to be indignant, from indignus unworthy, from in- + dignus worthy
They were indignant that they hadn't been invited.
Khor Rui En. 1-5
racking
blickering
2: to move withy a rapidly repeateated noise
Kuah quan fang (15) class 1-2
Wide-eyed
Palomino colt
Etymology:Old English colt a young horse, or camel, Anglo-Saxon colt; compare to dial. Swedish kullt a boy, lad.
Sentence- He looks like a palomino colt who is always running away.
Low Jia Da 1-6
Elude
- If something that you want eludes you, you fail to obtain it.
- If you elude someone or something, you avoid them or escape from them.
- If a fact or idea eludes you, you do not succeed in understanding it, realizing it, or remembering it.
Sentence:
- At 62, Brian found the celebrity and status that had eluded him for so long.
Aaron 1-5
towheaded
Definition: ash-blonde; platinum-blonde
Etymology: tow means 'flax ', so tow-headed is literally 'flaxen haired'. This meaning of tow comes from Middle Low German touw, which means 'flax'.
John walked into the shopping centre and attracted almost everyone's attentions, as he was towheaded, unlike the others who did not have platinum-blonde hair.
Leow Wei Jing_1-6
Corn-poney
Etymology: A french word used as a slang
Sentence: I was a totally ashamed when my brother sounded corn-poney in front of my friends.
Sim Zuo Heng ( 28 ) Class 1-4
Quivering
1st meaning:
quiver (plural quivers) (Weapon) A container for arrows, crossbows or darts, such as those fired from a bow, crossbow or blowgun.
Etymology 1
From Middle English via Anglo-Norman quiveir, from Old French quivre and cuevre, from West Germanic *kokar-, whence also Old English cocer, Old High German kohhar
2nd meaning:
Adjective quiver (comparative more quiver, superlative most quiver)
Positivequiver
Comparative more quiver
Superlative most quiver (archaic) Nimble, active. 1598: ... there was a little quiver fellow, and 'a would manage you his piece thus; and 'a would about and about, and come you in and come you in. — William Shakespeare, Henry V, Part II, Act III, Scene II, line 281.
Etymology 2
From Middle English cwiver, from Old English *cwifer
3rd meaning:
Verb to quiver (intransitive)
To shake or move with slight and tremulous motion; to tremble; to quake; to shudder; to shiver. 1593: The birds chaunt melody on every bush, The snake lies rolled in the cheerful sun, The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind And make a checker'd shadow on the ground. — William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, Act II, Scene III, line 12.
Etymology 3
From Middle English quiveren (“‘lang-enm’”), probably from the adjective.
Done by:Chua Wei Ren 1-4(2)
Rattle on
Origin - c.1330, perhaps in O.E., but not recorded
Sentence - Tom kept rattling on his new car.
Lee kai wen (11) 1-4
flopping
Example 1): there is a basketball match and the offensive player is going towards the enemy side and he had physical contact with the defensive player on the other team.
Example 2) Jason earned his second major win by flopping a chip out of deep rough to 2 feet for birdie on the final hole for a one-shot victory
etymology:Since Japanese is usually written from right to left in works of fiction, manga is drawn and published this way in Japan. When various titles were first translated to other languages, the artwork and layouts were flipped and reversed in a process known as "flopping", so that the book could be read from left-to-right
Tan You Hong (30) 1-4
Twitching
Entymology:
The term originates with the Greek medical term, hysterikos. This referred to a medical condition, thought to be particular to women, caused by disturbances of the uterus, hystera in Greek.
Hysteria, in its colloquial use, describes a state of mind, one of unmanageable fear or emotional excesses. The fear is often centered on a body part, most often on an imagined problem with that body part (disease is a common complaint). People who are "hysterical" often lose self-control due to the overwhelming fear
SENTENCE:
Upon realising that he had passed up a $50'000 deal just to do some homework, John broke into hysterics
Shawn Lim (18) 1-6
clowning around
Hauled in
Include pictures?
Well-done:) You've each contributed to the learning of all the other boys in the level through your effort. I noticed some of you didn't include pictures.
If possible, pls include pictures as this makes the vocab blog more interesting?
Thanks:)
Mrs Lim
SORRy
Sim Kai Wen(26)
1-6
rip-roaring
1834, altered from riproarious (1830), from rip (v.) "tear apart" + (up)roarious (1819)
Paul had a rip-roaring time on his trip to Japan.
Chen Guan Yu 1-4
Clinking
Root word for clinking: Clink
DEFINITION OF CLINK:
A short light metallic sound
a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government
a prison; jail; lockup.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Etymology of Clinking:Comes from the root word: “Clink.”
The root word “clink” comes from
[Origin: 1275–1325; ME clinken, perh. < MD clinken to sound, ring, resound ]
Origin: 1505–15; after Clink, name of prison in Southwark, London, perh. < D klink door-latch ]
(Synonym of Clink: Jail)
_____________________________________________________________________________________Sentence Phrasing:
1)The clinking sound of coins and keys could be heard from the table beside us.
2)When the couple said “bottoms-up,” the sound of their clinking glass could be heard in a distance.
Zhang bowen(1-4) (37)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
quarter horses
juvenile delinquent
ETYMOLOGY : From 1810-20
SENTENCE : That juvenile delinquent has been caught for the act of vandalism and fighting on the street.
juvenile delinquent
ETYMOLOGY : From 1810-20
SENTENCE : That juvenile delinquent has been caught for the act of vandalism and fighting on the street.
juvenile delinquent
ETYMOLOGY : From 1810-20
SENTENCE : That juvenile delinquent has been caught for the act of vandalism and fighting on the street.
juvenile delinquent
ETYMOLOGY : From 1810-20
SENTENCE : That juvenile delinquent has been caught for the act of vandalism and fighting on the street.
slouching stride

walk with an awkward, drooping, excessively
relaxed posture with long steps
sentence: He must have come down over the crown of the hill, with his long slouching stride, as if his legs had been half pulled away from his body by his heavy boots in the furrows when a ploughboy.
word origin: from authors
Pan Hao Zhe(24) 1-4
Gorged
Word Origin- The verbal meaning "eat greedily" (c.1300) is from O.Fr.
Sentence-She gorged herself on cream-cakes.
Yan Wei Cheng(33) 1-5
The Outisders word

Definition:If you are bewildered, you are very confused and cannot understand something or decide what you should do.
Snynomyns: Perplexed
Example: I was looking for a particular book about mysteries in the library and when I got there, I was bewildered by the large variety of books which were present there.
Lee Zhe Wei
(17) 1-5
Panic-stricken
pacing
Definition: a rate of movement, esp. in stepping, walking, etc
Etymology:"a step," c.1280, from O.Fr. pas, from L. passus. The verb is first attested 1513,
from the noun. Also, "a measure of five feet"
I saw him pacing tiredly back to his room after he came back from work just now.

Ng Juan Yong (22) 1-5
Fiend

bumming around
Etymology: as shortening of bumf or bumfodder and as shortening of bum bag
Sentence : Monday, I did not go to school but bumming around in Junction8 with my friends.
War Council

Half-Hearted
Etymology:-(cannot find on internet)
Example:I can't do anything half-heartedly. I have to do everything 100 per cent.
Markus Ng(23) 1-6
spiderwebby
Etymology: evolved from English word “spiderweb”
Sentence: When ponyboy entered the abandoned church,he was totally disgusted by the spiderwebby table.
Han zhong liang 1-5
unceasingly
Definition:not ceasing or stopping; continuous
Etymology: uncesynge 1350-1400
Sentence:The criticism came unceasingly until John had enough and fought it out with the bully.
IvanLim 1-4
squaw
2. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a. a wife.
b. any woman or girl.
Etymology: Origin: 1625–35, Americanism; < Massachusett (E sp.) squa, ussqua woman, younger woman < Proto-Algonquian *eθkwe·wa
Sentence: John went to north america and met a squaw.
Ostin(1-6)
cuss
Definition:To swear at or curse
Etymology:From Amer English. First recorded in 1775. An alteration of the word "curse"
Sentence: The tussle turned horrendous after the twosome began cussing each other.
Terence Yeo 1-5
The word sub-zero weather
Word origin:1850-55 sub+temperate
Sentence:At the polar regions,there is sub-zero weather everyday
Goh Mok Cheong 1-4
drawled
Etymology: Probably from Low German drauelen, to loiter, delay
a Southern drawl is a kind of speaking language
Maung tin sein win 1-6
glint off

1. a tiny, quick flash of light off something
2. gleaming brightness; luster on something
3. a brief or slight manifestation or occurrence; inkling
–verb (used without object)
4. to shine with a glint on something.
5. to move suddenly; dart.
–verb (used with object)
6. to cause to glint; reflect on an object
Sentence:The strong rays of sunlight glinted off the the surface of the shiny dagger.
________________________________________
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME glint, var. of obs. glent; cf. Dan glente, Sw dial. glänta to glimpse, brighten ]
Posted by Tay Zhi Qi[32] 1-4
Plasma

Definition:
The clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood, lymph, or intramuscular fluid in which cells are suspended.
Ethomology:
New Latin, from Late Latin, image, figure, from Greek, from plassein, to mold; see.
Sentence:
Mark was knocked unconscious, barely moving, the paramedics carried him on to the stretcher and gave him plasma to treat his wounds.
Zachary Lau 1-6
Plasma

Definition:
The clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood, lymph, or intramuscular fluid in which cells are suspended.
Ethomology:
New Latin, from Late Latin, image, figure, from Greek, from plassein, to mold; see.
Sentence:
Mark was knocked unconscious, barely moving, the paramedics carried him on to the stretcher and gave him plasma to treat his wounds.
Plasma

Definition:
The clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood, lymph, or intramuscular fluid in which cells are suspended.
Ethomology:
New Latin, from Late Latin, image, figure, from Greek, from plassein, to mold; see.
Sentence:
Mark was knocked unconscious, barely moving, the paramedics carried him on to the stretcher and gave him plasma to treat his wounds.
Shifty-eyed
Etymology: Dr Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon, a psychologist at the University of Stirling
Sentence: The children were shifty-eyed when the teacher was talking to them.
Ng Wilson 1-4
dark to the hilt


Word:Gagged
Definition:To cover or block a
person's mouth by
pushing somthing in, thus
preventing speech or shouts;
to retch or choke.
Etymology of word:1400–50;late ME gaggen
to suffocate; perh. imit.
of the sound made in
choking.
Sentence:The victim of the kidnappers
was gagged as the kidnappers
were afraid that he would
shout for help.
Name: Alric Yeow(35)
Class: 1-5
Pleading
Vital
etymology: c.1386, "of or manifesting life," from L. vitalis "of or belonging to life," from vita "life," related to vivere "to live," from PIE base *gwei- (cf. O.Pers. *jivaka- "alive;" Gk. bios "life," zoon "animal;" Lith. gyvata "(eternal) life;" O.E. cwic, cwicu "living, alive;" O.Ir. bethu "life;" cf. also bio-). The sense of "necessary or important" is from 1619, via the notion of "essential to life" (1482). Vital statistics is attested from 1837, with ref. to birth, marriage, death, etc.; meaning "a woman's bust, waist, and hip measurements" is from 1952. Vitality is from 1592; vitals "organs of the body essential to life" first recorded 1610, from the adj., taken as a noun.
Sentence: Water and food is vital for human life.
The Meaning of CONVICTION
e.g.:The judge sentence him to a 10 years in jail as a conviction for homicide.
Meadow Larks
Corn-poney
Etymology: A french word used as a slang
Sentence: I was totally ashamed when my brother sounded corn-poney in front of my friends.
Sim Zuo Heng ( 28 ) Class 1-4
Elvis

Elvis Presley is an American pop singer often known as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll". He was nurtured on gospel, blues and country music and was the first white singer to




He was born on January 8, 1935 and he died on 16 August 1977.
As Elvis Presley step out of the Ferrari he was driving, the crowd started screaming trying very hard to have close contact with him.
Darius Seow, 1-4
Panic-stricken

Meadow Larks
Honor Roll

Eytomology: C.1200, "glory, renown, fame earned," from Anglo-Fr. honour, from O.Fr. honor, from L. honorem (nom. honos) The verb is recorded from c.1290.
Sentence: My first challenge at Wilson High School was studying enough to make good grades and stay on the honor roll.
Tan Hui Yang (1-6)
Quavered

Meaning of quavered: To quiver, as from weakness; tremble, to speak in a quivering voice;utter a quivering sound.
Etymology of the word quavered: Middle English quaveren, frequentative of cwavien, quaven, to tremble.
Sentence of word quavered: Mina quavered in fright when she saw the school's bully walking towards her.
Maverick Lee 1-4 (18)
War council

Smarting Like Ants
Definition: To be in extreme pain like ants stinging and smarting
Etymology: NIL (Creative Writing)
Sentence: The debris fell on them, smarting like ants.
Lau Aaron(10) Sec 1-6
Yankee

- A native or inhabitant of New England.
- A native or inhabitant of a northern U.S. state, especially a Union soldier during the Civil War.
- A native or inhabitant of the United States.
Etymology: Yankee has been a fighting word. We first come across it in the names of pirates: one Captain Yankey, also known as Yankey Duch (presumably meaning "Dutch"), mentioned in 1683 and 1684, and a Captain John Williams, known as Yankey or Yanky, in 1687 and 1688.
It is an offence for speakers of British English to refer to anyone from the United States as a Yankee.
bewilderment
Conviction
Wolfishly
Etymology: The root word, wolf, comes from Avestan vehrka.
Sentence: All the pupils regard that teacher as wolfish.
Done by: Lim Boon Chun(18) 1-5
towheaded
Definition: ash-blonde hair; platinum-blonde hair
Etymology: tow means 'flax', so tow-headed is literally 'flaxen haired'. This meaning of tow comes from Middle Low German touw, which means 'flax'.
John walked into the shopping centre and attracted almost everyone's attention, as he was towheaded, unlike the others who did not have platinum-blonde hair.
Leow Wei Jing_1-6
scowling

Scowled
Definition: to contract the forehead in displeasure; frown, glower, have an angry or gloomy facial expression
Etymology: 1340, from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. skule "look furtively, squint, look embarrassed," Dan. skule "to scowl"). Probably related to O.E. sceolh "wry, oblique," O.H.G. scelah "curved," Ger. scheel "squint-eyed;" from PIE base *sqel- "crooked, curved, bent." The noun is attested from 1500.
Sentence:I always feel my father scowling at me whenever that cat's around the place. ...
Choo Han Yang Ernest (4) 1-6
Rat Race

goofed around
definition:be silly: to behave in a playful or silly way ( informal )
etymology:The Disney character of that name began life as Dippy Dawg c.1929. Goofball "narcotic" is from 1938; as an intensive of goof, it dates from 1959.
Once the pressure of exams was off, the students just goofed around.
zhang tai ru 1-5
towheaded
etymology of towheaded:tow which is referring to a yellowish white colour is used to describe the hair on a person's head and thus people formed the word towheaded.
Winston was a towheaded and shifty-eyed guy who looks rather cool.
Ng Shao Yan 1/4