Brave New World — Vocabulary
Aldous Huxley
(Edited)

Book sample Uses ACT/SAT
24 top 1000
syntheticartificial (man-made rather than natural)
...the centrifugal pump that kept the liquid moving over the placenta and drove it through the synthetic lung and waste product filter.p.12.823 more
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The couch is covered with synthetic leather.more
Show general definition artificial (man-made rather than natural); or not genuine
11 top 1000
avertavert → averted:turned away
  A great shout suddenly went up from the mob; a wave of movement drove it menacingly towards the Savage.
  "Ford help him!" said Bernard, and averted his eyes.p.213.510 more
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She averted her eyes from the violence on TV.more
Show general definition for avert (as in: avert her eyes) turn away or aside -- often to turn your eyes away from something
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accompanyaccompany → accompanied:traveled with
"So long," he said patronizingly to the Warden, who had accompanied him as far as the lift gates.p.142.32 more
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The nurse accompanies the old woman everywhere.more
accompany → accompanies:travels with
Show general definition for accompany (as in: accompany on the journey) to travel along with
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accompany#2accompany → accompanies:goes with
...he feels in himself that radical sense of weakness, of listlessness, of discomfort, which accompanies the advance of age;p.232.82 more
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The trend is easily seen in the accompanying graph.more
accompany → accompanying:provided together
Show general definition for accompany (as in: the accompanying chart) to be present with at the same time and/or location -- sometimes provided to make something more complete or better
2 top 100
composecompose → composed:wrote
He wrote regularly for The Hourly Radio, composed feely scenarios, and had the happiest knack for slogans and hypnopaedic rhymes.p.67.12 more
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The assignment is to compose a poem.more
write
Show general definition for compose (as in: compose a poem) to write or create something with care
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compose#2make up
Not philosophers but fret-sawyers and stamp collectors compose the backbone of society.p.4.62 more
Show context notes Someone who saws wood into pieces is called a sawyer. A fret-sawyer is someone who saws with a type of saw called a fretsaw which is made for intricate cutting that often involves tight curves.
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The United States is composed of 50 states.more
compose → composed:made up
Show general definition for compose (as in: composed of many parts) to create something by arranging parts
8 top 2000
deridederide → derisively:in a manner that showed no respect for his feelings or ideas
The singing words mocked him derisively.
"How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world…"p.209.57 more
Show context notes We first hear John quote these lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest when he is joyful. Shakespeare wrote, "How beauteous mankind is. O brave new world that has such people in it." It expresses delight in the beauty of humanity. This time, when John says the words, he is looking at dozens of factory-created identical twins and is feeling very different.
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She relentlessly mocks and derides the younger students.more
deride → derides:criticizes with strong disrespect
Show general definition to criticize with strong disrespect -- often with humor
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compensatecompensate → compensations:things to make up for something else
Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery.p.221.53 more
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She uses several techniques to help compensate for her dyslexia.more
make up
Show general definition for compensate (as in: she compensates with extra effort) make up for; or adjust for
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illustratehelp make clear
I always illustrate my lecture with a lot of technical examples.p.180.7
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Pictures of flooding help to illustrate the problem of global warming.more
make clear
Show general definition for illustrate (as in: as illustrated by this example) to help make clear -- typically by example
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engageengage → engaged:involved
Half a dozen nurses ... were engaged in setting out bowls of roses in a long row across the floor.p.19.54 more
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She engaged in conduct that is a violation of the honor code.more
engage → engaged:was involved
Show general definition for engage (as in: engage in conversation) to interact in various ways -- such as to participate, involve, interest, or attract
The exact meaning of this sense of engage depends upon its context. For example:
  • "They engaged in debate." -- participated
  • "She engaged him in conversation." -- involved
  • "She is an engaging conversationalist." -- interesting
  • "She has an engaging smile." -- attractive (attracting interest and interaction)
  • "The proposal engages the interest of many young voters." -- attracts and involves
  • "She engages with her constituents." -- interacts in a meaningful way
  • "She engaged in foolish behavior." -- entered into
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engage#2engage → engagement:activity
He has an unexpected engagement.p.165.24 more
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The school district engaged the services of her architectural firm.more
engage → engaged:hired
Show general definition for engage (as in: engage her services) hire, reserve, book, or occupy
3 top 2000
engage#3engage → disengage:separate
Red in the face, he tried to disengage himself from her embrace.p.150.94 more
Show context notes The prefix "dis-" in disengage means not or opposite. It reverses the meaning of engage as seen in words like disagree, disconnect, and disappear.
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The gears will not engage.more
move into position to work
Show general definition for engage (as in: engage the gears) move into position to work; or start
35
embryoin this book: a human organism between the time of fertilization and birth
Nothing like oxygen-shortage for keeping an embryo below par.p.14.434 more
Show context notes A biology teacher will tell you that embryo describes the first eight weeks of human development prior to the fetal stage when organs have formed. But embryonic is also used to describe anything in the early stages of development, and Huxley uses embryo loosely to describe the developing human organism up until the time of birth.
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The doctor implanted multiple embryos to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.more
embryo → embryos:a human in the first eight weeks of development (prior to the fetal stage and then birth)
Show general definition an organism in the early stages of growth prior to birth, hatching, or sprouting; in humans the first eight weeks of development (prior to the fetal stage)
27
surrogatesubstitute
They say somebody made a mistake when he was still in the bottle–thought he was a Gamma and put alcohol into his blood-surrogate.p.46.726 more
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The candidate stays positive by using surrogates to attack her opponent.more
surrogate → surrogates:people taking the place of another
Show general definition someone (or something) taking the place of another
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adaptadapt → adapting:adjusting (to fit a situation)
In the nurseries, the Elementary Class Consciousness lesson was over, the voices were adapting future demand to future industrial supply. "I do love flying," they whispered, "I do love flying, I do love having new clothes, I do love…"p.48.91 more
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Ideas contained in passages for this test, some of which are excerpted or adapted from published material, do not necessarily represent the opinions of the College Board.more
adapt → adapted:changed (to fit this situation)
Show general definition for adapt (as in: adapted to the new rules) changed to fit a different situation; or made suitable
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adaptedadapted → well adapted:well suited
The Warden was a blond and brachycephalic Alpha-Minus, short, red, moon-faced, and broad-shouldered, with a loud booming voice, very well adapted to the utterance of hypnopaedic wisdom.p.101.21 more
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Penguins are especially well adapted for cold weather.more
Show general definition for adapted (as in: the species is well adapted for) to be especially well suited or appropriate for something
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tonequality of the voice expressing a general feeling, mood, or attitude
Lenina blushed scarlet; but her eyes, the tone of her voice remained defiant.p.40.931 more
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Which of the following words best maintains the tone established in this passage.more
general feeling
Show general definition for tone (as in: the tone of the essay) the general feeling, mood, or attitude of something -- especially of something said or written
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indignantindignant → indignation:anger at something unjust
The news was received with indignation. The men were furious at having been tricked into behaving politely to this insignificant fellow with the unsavoury reputation and the heretical opinions.p.173.412 more
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"I am not a fool," she said indignantly.more
indignant → indignantly:with anger or annoyance at something unjust or wrong
Show general definition angered or annoyed at something unjust or wrong
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comprehendcomprehend → incomprehensible:not understandable
He began to talk a lot of incomprehensible and dangerous nonsense.p.93.79 more
Show context notes The prefix "in-" in incomprehensible means not and reverses the meaning of comprehensible. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
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I don't think she comprehends how dangerous this has become.more
comprehend → comprehends:fully understands
Show general definition to understand something -- especially to understand it completely
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profoundprofound → profoundly:intensely
Well, of course, our readers would be profoundly interested…p.249.49 more
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Her apology was heartfelt--expressing profound sorrow and regret.more
intense (of great emotional depth)
Show general definition for profound (as in: profound sadness) of greatest intensity or emotional depth