Category: Glossary

Subconscious

Adjective


: existing in the part of the mind that a person is not aware of : existing in the mind but not consciously known or felt

: the part of a person’s mind that has ideas, feelings, etc., that the person is not aware of.
Source – merriam-webster
I encountered this word from the article “The Boston Photographs”, the sentence “….in an almost subconscious way, ….” In that article, I believe this word is being used to describe something, maybe the action or feeling. Now I really know the word means before I looked at the article.

Rapture

noun

an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion

(source-Merriam-Webster)

I encounter this word in the reading “Christian Fundamentalism”. The word is found in the sentence “The prediction is that before the final battle all the believers will be lifted out of their clothes and will float up to heaven in an event called the Rapture”. After I look up this word in dictionary, I know it means an expression of ecstasy or passion.

frictionless

noun

the act of rubbing one thing against another

(source-Merriam-Webster)

I encounter this word in the reading “Chaos theory: the butterfly and the el nino”. I found the word in the sentence ” Imagine a ball rolling across a frictionless surface and bouncing off circular obstacles”. Knowing it means the act of rubbing one thing against another, I better understand what the author is saying.

Duplication

Noun
: the act or process of copying something.

: the state of containing copies of something or being a copy of something

Source – merriam-webster

I encountered this word from the article “Brooklyn was mine.” I saw from the sentence “Cancel 3, they’re duplications.” When I looked at the dictionary, I knew the meaning of this words, found out the similar of this word. Now, I have an idea of this word means and uses.

riveting

adjective

  • very exciting or interesting

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riveting

I saw this word from the reading excerpt: ” The Boston Photographs”. On the line says ” When I talked to editors.. they used words like ‘interesting’ and ‘riveting’ and ‘gripping’ to describe them.”

Endearment

Noun
◊ A word or phrase that shows love or affection

â—Š A special word or name that friends or lovers use when they speak to each other is sometimes called a term of endearment.
Source – merriam-webster
I encountered this word from the article “Brooklyn was mine.” The sentence “We’re approaching Pacific St. again–was a typical sign-off, accompanied by endearments.” Now I looked the word, I have an idea of what this word means.

midair

noun

  •  a region in the air not close to the ground

source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midair

I saw this word from the reading excerpt: ” The Boston Photographs”. On the line says when the child almost fallen down from the building. At that time he was in midair.

 

Zany

noun

  • a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal

  • :  a slavish follower

  •  :  one who acts the buffoon to amuse others :  nut, kook

Source:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zany

I came across this word in the reading excerpt, “A Picture Of Language: The Fading Art Of Diagramming Sentences” by Juanna Summers. This word can be found in the sentence “If you weren’t taught to diagram a sentence, this might sound a little zany”. The sentence before says ” But sentence diagramming brings geometry into grammar”. I believe this word is being used in descriptive terms of foolish or crazy like a nut or kook. The author is saying that the idea of diagram sentence might sound crazy because it’s in a different format that not everyone is use to learning about sentences.

Memorabilia

noun

  • objects or materials that are collected because they are related to a particular event, person, etc.

Source:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memorabilia

I came across this word from a link we was going over in class (click here for link). This word can be found in the sentence “Of all the civil rights memorabilia I’ve collected over the years, the Emmett Till material upset my kids the most”. My first impression of this word was that it had something to do with memories. Technically this word is related to memories but more towards a particular range of memories. From learning what memorabilia meant, this sentence is saying the Emmett Till memorabilia was upsetting to the author’s kids since the kids were around Emmett Till age. The case of Emmett Till was a tragedy about a fourteen year old boy who was lynched because he whistled at a white girl.

Deterrent

adjective

  • serving to deter.
  • Deter(noun):  to prevent (something) from happening

Sources:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Deterrent

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deter

I came across this word in the reading excerpt, “A Picture Of Language: The Fading Art Of Diagramming Sentences” by Juanna Summers. This word can be found in the sentence “In 1985, the National Council of Teachers of English declared that “repetitive grammar drills and exercises” — like diagramming sentences — are “a deterrent to the improvement of students’ speaking and writing”. From learning what deterrent meant, this sentence is saying that repetitive grammar drills and exercises are preventing the improvement of students speaking and writing skills. It seems as though there’s no expansion of learning happening if students are being taught the same over and over again.

 

The OpenLab at City Tech:A place to learn, work, and share

The OpenLab is an open-source, digital platform designed to support teaching and learning at City Tech (New York City College of Technology), and to promote student and faculty engagement in the intellectual and social life of the college community.

Support

Help | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Credits

Accessibility

Our goal is to make the OpenLab accessible for all users.

Learn more about accessibility on the OpenLab

Copyright

Creative Commons

  • - Attribution
  • - NonCommercial
  • - ShareAlike
Creative Commons

top