Nouns
Ability, capacity.
1. The capacity of man’s memory is great.
2. Capacity for learning and ability for doing are secrets of success.
What idea do these words share?
Acceptance, acceptation.
1. His acceptance was graceful.
2. You use the word in its usual acceptation.
Each of these words contains the idea to take. In what sense may this be said?
Access, accession.
1. Access to the director is easy.
2. The library has received an accession of books.
3. She was seized with an access of grief.
4. The Tsar celebrated his accession to the throne.
Each of these words contains the idea of entrance. Access means the entrance of a person into a room or into the presence of another; also the entrance of a flood of emotion into the mind. Accession means the entrance of a person into the rights of a position; also the entrance of books or other objects to a collection,—an addition to the collection.
Act, action.
1. Character is developed by action.
2. Our own acts for good or ill speak for us.
Explain how both these words hold the idea of do.
Advance, advancement.
1. The swallow comes with the advance of the season.
2. He has received advancement.
3. Each advance of Napoleon was swift.
What idea have these two words in common? Explain how they differ.
Alternative, choice.
1. There is no alternative; he must go.
2. There are only three choices.
Alternative is a choice between —— things.
Avocation, vocation.
1. My regular calling, or vocation, is teaching; but for an avocation I spend my holidays in photography.
2. Dr. Weir Mitchell is a physician; but his regular vocation of medicine doesn’t prevent him from following the delightful avocation of letters.
Both these words have the idea of calling. Explain how they differ. (What does ab mean in Latin?)
Balance, remainder.
1. The balance of the sum is due.
2. The remainder of the day is spent.
What relation exists between balancing (a book) and remainder?
Character, reputation.
1. His reputation for integrity is good.
2. His character is beyond reproach.
3. A man cannot always control his reputation, but he can control his character.
Character is what a man ——; reputation is what people —— of him.
Compliment, complement.
1. Woman’s mind is by many considered the complement of man’s, supplying certain things that the masculine mind has not.
2. His compliments are really flatteries.
3. The secretary supplied the army with its complement of stores.
Council, counsel.
1. His counsel defended him in the trial.
2. Let good counsel prevail.
3. The council of ten gave good counsel.
Define these two words. What idea have they in common?
Falseness, falsity.
Arnold was a traitor; and the falseness of his character was proved by the falsity of his statements.
What idea do these words share? Frame definitions.
Invention, discovery.
Edison discovered certain laws of sound and by them invented the phonograph. This invention is not as yet very useful; but the discovery of the laws was important.
What idea do these words share? Frame definitions.
Limit, limitation.
1. There should be no limitation of the commander’s authority.
2. There were no limits to his delight.
What common idea have these words? Define each.
Majority, plurality.
A majority is more than half the whole number. A plurality is the excess of votes received by one candidate above another. When there are several candidates, the one who receives more votes than any other has a plurality.
In what respect are these words alike in meaning? in what unlike?
Observation, observance.
1. His observation of the habits of birds was keen.
2. His observance of the Sabbath was strict.
Is watch the best word for the idea shared by these words? Discuss.
Observation, remark.
1. Johnson’s observations of men were keen.
2. Johnson’s observations were made with his eyes; his remarks, with his tongue; and Boswell, by recording the remarks, recorded the observations.
What relation has a remark to an observation?
Party, person.
1. A party in a silk hat must be a party of Liliputians.
2. The party of the first part was two persons.
3. A seedy person joined the party.
4. I refuse to be a party to the deed.
Is the idea of a part always contained in the word party? Discuss.
Part, portion.
1. Esau sold his portion, the part allotted him.
2. The human body has many parts.
3. Waiter, one portion of roast beef will do!
What is a portion?
Prominent, predominant.
There were many prominent men in Lincoln’s cabinet, but the President was always predominant among them.
Consult the unabridged as to the origin of these words.
Recipe, receipt.
If receipt comes from the Latin meaning “taken,” it is easy to see why when money is taken a receipt is given. Recipe is a Latin imperative, meaning “take”; naturally it is the right word for a formula in cooking; “take” so much salt, so much meal, so much water—and lo! a johnny cake.
Relative, relation.
One may have many relatives with whom he does not keep up close relations.
Is relation preferably an abstract noun, or a concrete?
Residence, house.
1. Do not say residence when you mean house; the simpler word is the better.
2. He has his residence in his house.
3. His residence, or place of residence, is Montreal.
Sewage, sewerage.
The sewage flows through the system of sewerage.
Site, situation.
1. Lovely is Zion for situation.
2. The site of Troy was repeatedly built upon, each new Troy being in turn destroyed by fire or by some enemy.
3. The situation of Chicago by the lake gives the city fresh breezes.
What kind of place is a site? What is a situation?