Vocabulary list for high school admissions tests
This list is derived from HSPT, COOP, SSAT, etc. practice tests
Best practices for memorizing vocabulary
- human memory works through connections
- one-to-one memorization requires repetitive "encoding"
- more effective than brute-memorization is memorization through connections
- visual (imagery, visualization)
- spatial (in relation to something else)
- experiential (memory or personal experience)
- emotional (attachment to a positive or negative experience or memory)
High school admissions tests words to know vocabulary list
- notes
- italicized word origins are Latin or Greek
- PIE = proto-Indo-European language
- = the common origin language for modern Indo-European languages
Vocabulary list
| Word | Part of Speech / Definition | Word Origin | Etymology/ Connection/ Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| conceited | adj. exaggerated view of oneself; thinking highly of oneself | past participle of conceit (v)
“to conceit” = to flatter, so conceited = to flatter oneself |
conceive = capere = con- “with” + PIE *kap- “to grasp” = “w/ understanding”
click Expand for words related to PIE *kap- (to grasp, run after, hunt) to grasp:
accept; anticipate; anticipation; behave; behoof; behoove; cable; capable; capacious; capacity; caption; captious; captivate; captive; captor; capture; case. to run after, hunt: catch; catchpoll; cater; chase; conceive; cop; copper; deceive; emancipate; except; forceps; gaffe; haft; have; hawk; heave; heavy; heft; incapacity; inception; incipient; intercept; municipal; occupy; participation; perceive; precept; prince; purchase; receive; recipe; recover; recuperate; sashay; susceptible. |
| sage | adj. wise, knowledgeable, learned
n. a wise person |
sabius, sapere for "have taste, be wise" | PIE *sap "to taste"
as a noun sage = an herb, but has different PIE origin *sol- fo "whole, well-kept", thus called for its healing properties > which makes a good connection to adj. "sage" for "wise" |
| sagacious | adj. perceptive, discerning, wise | -ous = adjective
related to "seek", thus "perceptive, discerning" |
has different PIE root from "sage" : *sag- for "to track down, trace, seek" |
| brittle | adj. stiff, breaks easily | from Old English *brytel | from PIE *bhreu- to break or cut up (from which "bruise" is derived)
something that is brittle breaks apart easily, breaks and doesn't bend |
| content | v. to make happy
adj. happy, satisfied with the way things are n. what is contained, what is in (pl. "the contents") |
v. from contentare for "to give satisfaction)
adj. from contentus for "contained, satisfied" n. from contentum for "that which is contained" |
con- (with) + tenere (to hold)
from PIE *ten- (to stretch) click Expand for words related to PIE *ten- (to stretch > to incline > to offer > shelter/bulding): abstain; abstention; abstinence; abstinent; atelectasis; attend; attenuate; attenuation; baritone; catatonia; catatonic; contain; contend; continue; detain; detente; detention; diatonic; distend; entertain; extend; extenuate; hypotenuse; hypotonia; intend; intone; lieutenant; maintain; monotony; obtain; ostensible; peritoneum; pertain; pertinacious; portend; pretend; rein; retain; retinue; sitar; subtend; sustain; temple; temple; temporal; tenable; tenacious; tenacity; tenant; tend; tendency; tender; tendon; tenement; tenet; tennis; tenon; tenor; tense; tension; tensor; tent; tenuous; tenure; thin; tone; tonic.
|
| gaunt | adj. lean, haggard | possibley from Old Norse (viking) gand for "a thin stick" | so a gaunt man could mean "a tall thin man who is bent over"
"gand" makes it connected to "gander" which means "a male goose" due to its long neck; and the verb "to gander" for to take a long look at something |
| ladle | n. utensil to serve liquids | from Old English hladan for "to load; to draw up water" | from related to "handle"
also related to verb "lade" for "to load, to heap" or "to draw water"; from PIE *klā- "to spread out flat" |
| hamper | v. to impede, imprison, or confine
n. large basket (used to confine or hold something) |
from Old/Middle English hampren | possibly connected to Middle English hamelian for "to maim" |
| hinder | v. to harm, injure, repress or "stop from happening" | Old English hindrian ("back, behind") and hindan ("from behind) | related to adj. hind for "rear, back, posterior" |
| incredulous | adj. not believing, unbelieving | in- (not) + credo (belief)
-ous makes an adj. |
"credo" comes from PIE *kerd- for heart (accord, cardio, cordial, courage, credence, credible, credit; credo; credulous; creed; discord; grant; heart; miscreant; myocarditus; record; |
| stout | adj. having large or strong body; bulky physique | from Old French "estout" for "brave, fierce, proud"
from PIE *stel- "to put, stand, put in order" n: apostle; epistle; forestall; install; installment; pedestal; peristalsis; peristaltic; stale stalk; stall (noun); stall (verb); stallion; stele; stell; still; stilt; stole; stout; stultify | |
| svelte | adj. thin, slender | French "svelte" | from Latin exvellere for "out" + "plucked" as in :pulled out, stretched" |