Lesson 15   -   edHelper.com
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Date ___________________

Multiple Choice

Select the definition that most nearly defines the given word.

______ 1. detest
   a. to make or become worse or inferior in character, quality, value, etc.
   b. to feel abhorrence of; hate; dislike intensely.
   c. a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
______ 2. detract
   a. a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing.
   b. to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder.
   c. to separate from some whole.
   d. to draw away or divert; distract
______ 3. despise
   a. to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe.
   b. feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom
   c. to upset greatly; have an overwhelming effect on.
______ 4. diatribe
   a. a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing.
   b. to prevent; check; arrest
   c. to pour (a liquid or gas) or to allow to flow out, and spread freely.
______ 5. diffuse
   a. to soften or break up (light), as by reflection from an uneven surface.
   b. to feel abhorrence of; hate; dislike intensely.
   c. causing harm, disadvantage, or deterioration.
______ 6. detain
   a. a well-known saying; maxim.
   b. having no money or other means of living; impoverished.
   c. to prevent from going on; stop or delay.
   d. the conversation between characters in a novel, drama, etc.
______ 7. devour
   a. to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.
   b. to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder.
   c. to swallow or eat up hungrily, voraciously, or ravenously.
______ 8. desert
   a. teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.
   b. an area of the ocean in which it is believed no marine life exists.
   c. to engulf or swallow up.
   d. to take away a part, as from quality, value, or reputation (usually fol. by from).
______ 9. destitute
   a. Physics. to spread by diffusion.
   b. to leave destitute.
   c. to draw away or divert; distract
______ 10. deviate
   a. to turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.
   b. to strip of possessions, things of value, etc.; rob; plunder; pillage.
   c. to upset greatly; have an overwhelming effect on.
   d. not the straightest, most direct way; winding; roundabout.
______ 11. desecration
   a. to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.
   b. an exchange of ideas or opinions on a particular issue, esp. a political or religious issue, with a view to reaching an amicable agreement or settlement.
   c. to violate the sacredness of; treat sacrilegiously.
______ 12. despondent
   a. to feel abhorrence of; hate; dislike intensely.
   b. causing harm, disadvantage, or deterioration.
   c. feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom
______ 13. didactic
   a. a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing.
   b. feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom
   c. teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.
______ 14. detrimental
   a. causing harm, disadvantage, or deterioration.
   b. to pour (a liquid or gas) or to allow to flow out, and spread freely.
   c. conversation between two or more persons.
______ 15. despoil
   a. to prevent; check; arrest
   b. showing or having a tendency to teach, preach, or moralize.
   c. to strip of possessions, things of value, etc.; rob; plunder; pillage.
   d. a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
______ 16. desist
   a. to strip of possessions, things of value, etc.; rob; plunder; pillage.
   b. to stop acting in a certain way.
   c. not the straightest, most direct way; winding; roundabout.
______ 17. dictum
   a. to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding
   b. to stop acting in a certain way.
   c. a saying; maxim.
______ 18. devious
   a. a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
   b. departing from the proper or accepted way; roundabout
   c. to strip of possessions, things of value, etc.; rob; plunder; pillage.
______ 19. deter
   a. the accent, inflection, intonation, and speech-sound quality manifested by an individual speaker, usually judged in terms of prevailing standards of acceptability; enunciation.
   b. to prevent; check; arrest
   c. to lay waste; render desolate
   d. to prevent from going on; stop or delay.
______ 20. diction
   a. in the physical sciences, to cause to become mixed and evenly distributed as a result of movement toward regions of lower concentration; scatter; disperse.
   b. way of pronouncing words; enunciation.
   c. Mil. to send away (a regiment, ship, etc.) on a special mission.
______ 21. detach
   a. to unfasten and separate; disengage; disunite.
   b. to hate or feel contempt for.
   c. a formal or official pronouncement, as of a judge's opinion on a point of law.
______ 22. dialogue
   a. to separate from some whole.
   b. conversation between two or more persons.
   c. to upset greatly; have an overwhelming effect on.
   d. deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often fol. by of )
______ 23. devastate
   a. to hate; loathe.
   b. to lay waste; render desolate
   c. to strip of possessions, things of value, etc.; rob; plunder; pillage.
______ 24. deteriorate
   a. to leave destitute.
   b. to make or become worse or inferior in character, quality, value, etc.
   c. intended for instruction; instructive
______ 25. dignitary
   a. a person who holds a high rank or office, as in the government or church.
   b. to stray from normal or accepted behavior.
   c. to pour out and spread, as a fluid.