Recently I've come upon a plentiful supply (wealth) of new-to-me words. Some of these words I may have encountered before, but I seem to forget the meaning of them as soon as I move on to new books. To counteract this, I decided to come up with a new post series that will put my fluency to the test... along with yours. The frequency of this feature will depend on how many new words I come across, as well as how long my backlog of them lasts. I will give the word, the sentence in which I first discovered it, and three different possibilities as to definition, only one of which is correct.
The first word is: ameliorate
The sentence in which I found it:
And yet, when I endeavored to ameliorate my condition, the cry has been so fearful against me as to cause me to forget my own identity, and suppose I had plundered the nation, indeed, and committed murder.
From Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Keckley, as written in a letter to her by Mary Lincoln
a. become more like Amelia Earhart
b. calm something, or tame it
c. make better, or improve
The second word is: aplomb
Because the sentence in which I found it also gives the definition, I'll make up a sentence for it.
The veteran teacher handled his students' questions with great aplomb.
a. confident composure or self-assurance
b. deficiency or limitation
c. emotiveness or passion
The third word is: pecuniary
The sentence in which I found it:
I received numerous orders, and was relieved from all pecuniary embarrassments.
From Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Keckley
a. relating to the prison system or imprisonment
b. of or relating to money
c. not known about; obscure
Correct Answers (Highlight to View):
1. (ameliorate) c. make better, or improve 2. (aplomb) a. confident composure of self-assurance 3. (pecuniary) b. of or relating to money
