Spelling List

Easy Round

1. abalone

- [ˌabəˈlōnē, ˈabəˌlōnē]
- noun
- an edible mollusk of warm seas, with a shallow ear-shaped shell lined with mother-of-
pearl and pierced with a line of respiratory holes.
- Abalone are considered a delicacy in many fish restaurants.

2. accelerator

- [əkˈseləˌrādər]
- noun
- a person or thing that causes something to happen or develop more quickly:
- The country has been the main accelerator of global growth for a decade.

3. ampere

- [ˈamˌpir, ˈamˌper]
- noun
- the SI base unit of electrical current
- Amperes are used to express flow rate of electric charge.

4. eclectic

- [əˈklektik]
- adjective
- deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources
- The restaurant serves an eclectic mix of seafood, poultry, red-meat and vegetarian dishes.

5. emigrant

- [ˈeməɡrənt]
- NOUN
- a person who leaves their own country to settle permanently in another
- The men knew there were waterless tracts in the desert that the emigrant must avoid.

6. gazetteer

- [ˌɡazəˈtir]
- noun
- a geographical index or dictionary
- This article provides a gazetteer for the whole of England.
7. knickknack

- [ˈniknak]
- noun
- a small worthless object, especially a household ornament:
- The room was filled with tables, knickknacks, and a large three-piece suite.

8. neurosis

- [n(y)o͝oˈrōsəs]
- noun
- a relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms
of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behavior, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of
touch with reality
- The person cured of neurosis has really become another human being.

9. oxymoron

- [ˌäksəˈmôrˌän]
- noun
- a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other
- A pregnant man seems to be an oxymoron, doesn't it?

10. reticular

- [rəˈtikyələr]
- adjective
- characterized by a fine network or netlike structure
- The lungs exhibited a yellowish surface with a reticular pattern.
Average Round

1. absenteeism

- [ˌabsənˈtēˌizəm]
- noun
- the practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason
- The student’s absenteeism has caused him to miss a lot of work.

2. carcinogen

- [kärˈsinəjən, ˈkärsənəˌjen]
- noun
- a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue
- The carcinogens in tobacco smoke alter the genes in the lungs.

3. colloquial

- [kəˈlōkwēəl]
- adjective
- (of language) used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary
- We are fallen upon harsh and colloquial times.

4. contemporaneous

- [kənˌtempəˈrānēəs]
- adjective
- existing or occurring in the same period:
- Pythagoras was contemporaneous with Buddha.

5. fallacious

- [fəˈlāSHəs]
- adjective
- based on a mistaken belief
- Such an argument is misleading, if not wholly fallacious.

6. obstetrician

- [ˌäbstəˈtriSHən]
- noun
- a physician or surgeon qualified to practice in obstetrics
 - An obstetrician will be on hand in case of medical emergency.

7. sobriquet

- [ˈsōbrəˌkā, ˈsōbrəˌket]
- noun
- a person's nickname
- Homer was popularly known by the sobriquet "Blind Poet".

8. thievery

- [ˈTHēv(ə)rē]
- noun
- the action of stealing another person's property
- Heretofore there has been no thievery in my house.

9. trichinosis

- [ˌtrikəˈnōsəs]
- noun
- a disease caused by trichinae, typically from infected meat, especially pork, characterized
by digestive disturbance, fever, and muscular rigidity.
- Sausage can cause trichinosis.

10. turducken

- [tərˈdəkən]
- noun
- a roast dish consisting of a boned chicken inside a boned duck which is then placed inside
a partially boned turkey
- Some people make turducken at Thanksgiving.
Difficult Round

1. anachronistic

- [əˌnakrəˈnistik]
- adjective
- belonging to a period other than that being portrayed:
- “Titus” benefits from the effective use of anachronistic elements like cars and
loudspeakers.

2. cacophony

- [kəˈkäfənē]
- noun
- a harsh discordant mixture of sounds
- On passing under the building a cacophony of kettle drums and trumpets would once
have announced the arrival of any important visitor.

3. concierge

- [känˈsyerZH]
- noun
- a hotel employee whose job is to assist guests by arranging tours, making theater and
restaurant reservations, etc.
- He rang the bell hurriedly and the concierge appeared.

4. disenfranchise

- [ˌdisənˈfran(t)SHīz]
- verb
- deprive (someone) of the right to vote:
- The law disenfranchised some 3,000 voters on the basis of a residence qualification.

5. incontrovertible

- [ˌinkäntrəˈvərdəb(ə)l]
- adjective
- not able to be denied or disputed
- The evidence that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer is incontrovertible.

6. largesse

- [lärˈjes, lärˈZHes]
- noun
- generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others
 - You give largesse with both hands when a simple coin would have been enough.

7. pertinacious

- [ˌpərtnˈāSHəs]
- adjective
- holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action:
- He worked with a pertinacious resistance to interruptions.

8. sacrilegious

- [ˌsakrəˈlijəs]
- adjective
- involving or committing sacrilege (disrespect)
- Leading clerics condemned the book as a sacrilegious attack on their faith.

9. vociferous

- [vōˈsifərəs]
- adjective
- (especially of a person or speech) fervent or loud:
- He was a vociferous opponent of the takeover.

10. zoophyte

- [ˈzōəˌfīt]
- noun
- a plantlike animal, especially a coral, sea anemone, sponge, or sea lily.
- Malta has several species of zoophytes, sponges, mollusca and crustacea.
Clincher

1. amorphous

- [əˈmôrfəs]
- adjective
- without a clearly defined shape or form
- A dark, strangely amorphous shadow filled the room.

2. apocryphal

- [əˈpäkrəfəl]
- adjective
- (of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true
- There is an apocryphal story about a disgraced rock star who ended up in bankruptcy
court.

3. attenuate

- [attenuate]
- verb
- reduce the force, effect, or value of
- This research provides a glimmer of hope that coral reefs can attenuate the effects of
ocean acidification.

4. commensurate

- [kəˈmensərət, kəˈmenSHərət]
- adjective
- corresponding in size or degree; in proportion
- Salary will be commensurate with experience.

5. imperturbable

- [ˌimpərˈtərbəb(ə)l]
- adjective
- unable to be upset or excited, calm
- She was one of those imperturbable people who never get angry or upset.

6. neckerchief
 - [ˈnekərˌCHif, ˈnekərˌCHēf]
- noun
- a square of cloth worn around the neck
- A khaki-colored crowned hat, neckerchief and webbed belt completed the uniform.

7. poultice

- [ˈpōltəs]
- noun
- a soft, moist mass of material, typically of plant material or flour, applied to the body to
relieve soreness and inflammation and kept in place with a cloth
- The leaves and bark have been used medicinally as a poultice.

8. sycophantic

- [ˌsikəˈfan(t)ik]
- adjective
- behaving or done in an obsequious way to gain advantage
- The trusty had a silly, sycophantic manner of raising one hand in salute.

9. tripartite

- [trīˈpärˌtīt]
- adjective
- shared by or involving three parties
- The role of elected assemblies is largely reduced to legitimizing policy formulation
in tripartite planning councils.

10. unconscionable

- [ˌənˈkänSH(ə)nəbəl]
- adjective
- not right or reasonable
- We must stand up and be strong, condemning unconscionable acts.