The Road — Vocabulary
Cormac McCarthy
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Exemplary sample	Uses	ACT/SAT
	4	top 500
desolateempty, providing no shelter or sustenance The photos show the desolate surface of the moon.more Show sample from book The dead grass thrashed softly. Out there a gray desolation.3 more desolate → desolation:a state of emptiness that provides no shelter or sustenance
	4	top 1000
tauttight The string is pulled taut.more Show sample from book The flesh cloven along the bones, the ligaments dried to tug and taut as wires.†3 more pulled or drawn tight; OR subjected to great tension Show general definition pulled or drawn tight; or: subjected to great tension
	5	top 2000
ashenvery pale She gasped; her face suddenly ashen.more Show sample from book Then he just sat there holding the binoculars and watching the ashen daylight congeal over the land.†4 more Show general definition for ashen (as in: ashen face) very pale - often due to illness or fear
	3	top 1000
remnantremnant → remnants:small amounts that remains after the rest is gone They are working to eliminate remnants of al-Qaeda in that area.more Show sample from book His feet were still wrapped in the remnants of the coat and the shreds of tarp and...2 more Show general definition a small amount that remains after the rest is gone -- sometimes specifically of cloth
	3	top 1000
coaxgently persuade Although she has retired from public life, we are going to try to coax her to accept the award.more Show sample from book I tried to coax it to come but it would not.†2 more try to obtain a result through gentle and careful effort Show general definition for coax (as in: coax her to join us) try to obtain a result through gentle and careful effort -- often gentle persuasion
	3	top 2000
perimeterouter edges Don't go beyond the perimeter of the campgrounds.more Show sample from book He was standing there checking the perimeter when the boy turned and buried his face against him.2 more the outer edge Show general definition the outer edge The exact meaning of perimeter can depend upon its context. For example: "Stay inside the defensive perimeter." -- the outer edges of the area that is defended "It is common on the city's perimeter." -- the outer edges of the city "What is the perimeter of the square?" -- the sum of the length of the sides of a geometric shape
	3	top 2000
plunderplunder → plundered:stole goods The conquerors plundered the town and surrounding countryside.more Show sample from book He walked out through the woods to where they'd left the cart. It was still lying there but it had been plundered.2 more plunder → plundered:stolen from (things of value had been stolen from the cart) Show general definition to steal -- often after conquering the location with the goods or: the goods stolen
	3	top 2000
interstatefreeway, or highway that runs between states There was an accident on the interstate.more Show context notes When a word begins with the prefix, "inter-", the prefix often means between. In this case, interstate means between different states. Interstate is often used as an abbreviation for interstate highway, a highway that runs between states. It has also come to mean freeway in a place like Hawaii where no major highway connects to another state. Show sample from book The long concrete sweeps of the interstate exchanges like the ruins of a vast funhouse against the distant murk.†2 more freeway, or highway that runs between states… Show context notes When a word begins with the prefix, "inter-", the prefix often means between. In this case, interstate means between different states. Interstate is often used as an abbreviation for interstate highway, a highway that runs between states. It has also come to mean freeway in a place like Hawaii where no major highway connects to another state. Show general definition for interstate (as in: interstate commerce) freeway, or highway that runs between states or: relating to the mutual relations between states -- especially of the United States Show editor's word notes Note that interstate is often contrasted with intrastate. An intrastate highway is used to move from one location in a state to another, rather than to move between states. Similarly, interstate commerce is business between states; whereas intrastate commerce affects a state without affecting other states. Under the U.S. Constitution, the interstate/intrastate distinction is important when determining when the federal government has authority to override state government.
	2	top 1000
perilperil → perils:dangers The mountaineers faced many perils on their ascent to the summit, including treacherous icefalls and avalanches.more Show sample from book He said the right dreams for a man in peril were dreams of peril and all else was the call of langilor and of death.† danger Show general definition danger
	2	top 2000
creedset of beliefs Freedom of religion allows people to follow any creed they choose without fear of persecution.more Show sample from book Runic slogans, creeds misspelled.1 more creed → creeds:statements of belief Show general definition any system of principles or beliefs
	1	top 100
precedeprecede → preceded:were before in time Stone tools preceded bronze tools.more Show sample from book No fall but preceded by a declination.† precede → preceded:went or was before Show general definition to go or do before
	2	top 2000
chroniclechronicle → chronicles:records or reports She chronicles daily events of interest in Twitter.more Show sample from book There is no prophet in the earth's long chronicle who's not honored here today.1 more record of events Show general definition a record of events; or the act of creating such a record or telling others of the events
	2
junctiona place where things come together The store is at the junction of the 10 and 5 freeways.†more Show sample from book He sat studying the twisted matrix of routes in red and black with his finger at the junction where he thought that they might be.1 more place where roads come together Show general definition a place where two or more things come together
	2	top 2000
ravinedeep, narrow, steep-sided valley The car plunged into a 15-foot ravine.more Show sample from book That night they camped in a ravine and built a fire against a small stone bluff and ate their last tin of food.†1 more Show general definition a deep, narrow, steep-sided gorge or valley -- especially one formed by running water
	4	top 2000
sullendarkened by clouds The town looked more depressing than normal under the sullen sky.more Show sample from book Beyond the edge of the fields the sullen haze hung over earth and sky alike.3 more gloomy (dark and unpleasant looking) Show general definition for sullen (as in: a sullen sky) darkened by clouds; or the color of a gloomy sky
	3
effigyeffigy → burned in effigy:burned a crude straw man or dummy made to represent a person During the Spanish Inquisition, if the condemned died before their trial was finished, they were burned in effigy.more Show sample from book In the produce section in the bottom of the bins they found a few ancient runner beans and what looked to have once been apricots, long dried to wrinkled effigies of themselves.†2 more effigy → effigies:models or other representations Show general definition for effigy (as in: burned in effigy) a model or other representation -- typically of a person -- often of someone hated, so that it can be mocked and abused
	2	top 2000
implementimplement → implements:small tools They found a skeleton along with a number of implements belonging to the Stone Age.more Show sample from book Finally he rose and went to the table and hooked up the little two burner gas stove and lit it and got out a frying pan and a kettle and opened the plastic box of kitchen implements.1 more implement → implements:small tools or other useful object Show general definition for implement (as in: a small implement) a small tool or other useful object
	2
secularnon-religious Many countries of the Middle East and North Africa maintain a dual system of secular courts and religious courts, in which the religious courts mainly regulate marriage and inheritance.more Show sample from book They were crossing the broad coastal plain where the secular winds drove them in howling clouds of ash to find shelter where they could.†1 more not religious Show general definition for secular (as in: a secular organization) not religious
	2
temporalconcerned with material things She focuses more on the spiritual while his main concern is with temporal existence.more Show sample from book The ashes of the late world carried on the bleak and temporal winds to and fro in the void.1 more earthly Show general definition for temporal (as in: temporal world) concerned with the material (in contrast to the spiritual) world
	1	top 1000
sumptuousmagnificent The guests were treated to a sumptuous feast, with an array of delicious dishes and desserts.more Show sample from book They ate a sumptuous meal by candlelight.† magnificent (impressively wonderful) -- often indicating something expensive Show general definition magnificent (impressively wonderful) -- often indicating something expensive