2. Combine these meanings in a definition, supplying additional words if necessary, to make the sense complete. In exceptional cases, however, the exact literal meanings of the parts cannot be put together in a good definition. One or more of the parts must then be omitted entirely, or represented by words which are not exactly literal.
3. Give an illustration of the use of the word.
(Caution: Carefully distinguish verbs, adjectives and nouns. Do not define adjectives as nouns or verbs, or vice versa. Do not, for illustration, say audible is that which can be heard; but rather say audible means capable of being heard.)
EXAMPLES.
| avert: | (1) a, away + vert, turn. |
| (2) To turn away; to ward off. | |
| (3) The evils which exist are necessary to avert greater evils. |
| deify: | (1) dei, god + fy, to make. |
| (2) To make a god of; to praise and revere as if a deity. | |
| (3) The people of India deify the Ganges River. |
| hostile: | (1) host, enemy + ile, belonging to. |
| (2) Belonging to or having the characteristics of an enemy. | |
| (3) Yon tower which rears its head so high invites the hostile winds. |
| portable: | (1) port, carry + able, capable of. |
| (2) capable of being carried or moved from place to place; not stationary. | |
| (3) A portable photograph gallery stopped for three days at the cross-roads near my home. |
| benefactor: | (1) bene, good + fact, make, do + or, one who. |
| (2) One who does good; especially one who makes a charitable donation. | |
| (3) “He is a true benefactor and alone worthy of honor who brings comfort where before was wretchedness, who dries the tear of sorrow.” |
A careful study of the five examples given above will reveal that to analyze words a pupil must—