Mythology Vocabulary
Directions: Your Assignment (to be completed in the form of a chart of list)
a. find the etymology (history or ancient meaning ) of each word on your weekly list (set #1, set #2...
b. List the part (or parts) of speech for each word
c. Give the modern meaning of each word
d. Write a sentences for each word on the weekly list, using the modern meaning; or, you may write a story using all the words from that week's list.
e. You will receive extra credit for any of the words you find in print or hear on the radio or t.v. ( you must submit a written description of what word you saw or heard, and in what context you found it)
2) One set ( 10 words each) is due every week on Tuesday or the second working day of that week ( you must have completed letters "a" through "d" above).
3) There will be a shared quiz every Friday on the ten words you studied that week. You will be required to give both old and new meaning of each word.
4) After five weeks, there will be a larger test on 5 weeks of vocabulary. You will take this test on your own.
5) At the end, there will be a test on all of the words.( I bet you can learn them all !!)
6) DO NOT LOSE THIS SHEET. You will be expected to have it in your notebook at the front of your vocabulary section all semester. You will not receive a second copy.
Set 1
1. Achilles' heel: n. a vulnerable point
2. adonis: n.
1 : a youth loved by Aphrodite who is killed at hunting by a
wild boar and restored to Aphrodite from Hades for a part of each year
2 : a very handsome young man
3. aegis: n.
1 : a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with
Zeus and Athena
2 a : PROTECTION
<under the aegis of the constitution> b : controlling or
conditioning influence <many American mothers, under the aegis of
benevolent permissiveness ... actually neglect their children -- Time>
3 a : AUSPICES,
SPONSORSHIP
<under the aegis of the museum> b : control or guidance especially
by an individual, group, or system <acted under the court's aegis>
4. amazon: n.
1 capitalized : a member of a race of female warriors of Greek
mythology
2 : a tall strong often masculine woman
5. ambrosia: n.
1 a : the food of the Greek and Roman gods b :
the ointment or perfume of the gods
2 : something extremely pleasing to taste or smell
3 : a dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut
6. anthropomorphic: adj.
1 : described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes
<anthropomorphic deities>
2 : ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things <anthropomorphic
supernaturalism>
7. aphrodisiac: n.
1 : an agent (as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse
sexual desire
2 : something that excites
8. argosy: n.
1 : a large ship; especially : a large merchant ship
<three of your argosies are... come to harbor -- Shakespeare>
2 : a fleet of ships
3 : a rich supply <an argosy of railway folklore -- F. P.
Donovan>
9. atlas: n.
1 capitalized : a Titan who for his part in the Titans' revolt
against the gods is forced by Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders
2 capitalized : one who bears a heavy burden
3 a : a bound collection of maps often including illustrations,
informative tables, or textual matter b : a bound collection of
tables, charts, or plates
4 : the first vertebra of the neck
5 plural usually at·lan·tes /&t-'lan-(")tEz, at-/
: a male figure used like a caryatid as a supporting column or pilaster
-- called also telamon
10. auroral: n.
1 : DAWN
2 capitalized : the Roman goddess of dawn -- compare EOS
3 : a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light
appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions and is
caused by the emission of light from atoms excited by electrons accelerated
along the planet's magnetic field lines
Set 2
1. bacchanalian: n.
1 plural, capitalized : a Roman festival of Bacchus
celebrated with dancing, song, and revelry
2 :2, 3
2. caduceus: n.
1 : the symbolic staff of a herald; specifically : a
representation of a staff with two entwined snakes and two wings at the top
2 : an insignia bearing a caduceus and symbolizing a physician
3. cereal: adj. relating to grain or to the plants that produce it; also : made of grain
4. chaotic: n.
1 obsolete : CHASM,
ABYSS
2 a often capitalized : a state of things in which chance
is supreme; especially : the confused unorganized state of
primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms -- compare COSMOS
b : the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a natural
system (as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)
3 a : a state of utter confusion b : a confused mass
or mixture <a chaos of television antennas>
5. chorus: n.
1 a : a company of singers and dancers in Athenian drama
participating in or commenting on the action; also : a similar
company in later plays b : a character in Elizabethan drama who
speaks the prologue and epilogue and comments on the action c : an
organized company of singers who sing in concert : CHOIR;
especially : a body of singers who sing the choral
parts of a work (as in opera) d : a group of dancers and singers
supporting the featured players in a musical comedy or revue
2 a : a part of a song or hymn recurring at intervals b :
the part of a drama sung or spoken by the chorus c : a composition
to be sung by a number of voices in concert d : the main part of a
popular song; also : a jazz variation on a melodic theme
3 a : something performed, sung, or uttered simultaneously or
unanimously by a number of persons or animals <a chorus of boos>
<that eternal chorus of: "Are we there yet?" from the back
seat -- Sheila More> b : sounds so uttered <visitors are
taken to the woods by car to hear the mournful choruses of howling wolves
-- Bob Gaines>
6. chronicle: n.
1 : a usually continuous historical account of events arranged
in order of time without analysis or interpretation
2 : NARRATIVE
7. clue: n. : something that guides through an intricate procedure or maze of difficulties; specifically : a piece of evidence that leads one toward the solution of a problem
8. cornucopia: n.
1 : a curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of
grain that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance
2 : an inexhaustible store : ABUNDANCE
3 : a receptacle shaped like a horn or cone
9. crony: n. : a close friend especially of long standing : PAL
10. cyclopean: adj.
1 often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a
Cyclops
2 : HUGE,
MASSIVE
3 : of or relating to a style of stone construction marked typically by
the use of large irregular blocks without mortar
Set 3
1. cynical: adj.
1 : CAPTIOUS,
PEEVISH
2 : having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic;
especially : contemptuously distrustful of human nature and
motives <those cynical men who say that democracy cannot be honest and
efficient -- F. D. Roosevelt>
2. deify: transitive verb
1 a : to make a god of b : to take as an object
of worship
2 : to glorify as of supreme worth
3. Dionysian: adj.
1 a : of or relating to Dionysius
b : of or related to the theological writings once mistakenly
attributed to Dionysius
the Areopagite
2
a : devoted to the worship of Dionysus
b : characteristic of Dionysus
or the cult of worship of Dionysus;
especially : being of a frenzied or orgiastic character -- compare
APOLLONIAN
4. epicurean: adj.
1 capitalized : of or relating to Epicurus or
Epicureanism
2 : of, relating to, or suited to an epicure
5. epidemic: adj.
1 : affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large
number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time
<typhoid was epidemic>
2
a : excessively prevalent b : CONTAGIOUS
4 <epidemic laughter>
3 : of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic <the practice
had reached epidemic proportions>
6. epitome: n.
1 a : a summary of a written work b : a brief
presentation or statement of something
2 : a typical or ideal example : EMBODIMENT
<the British monarchy itself is the epitome of tradition -- Richard
Joseph>
3 : brief or miniature form -- usually used with in
7. erotic
8. Gordian knot: n.
1 : an intricate problem; especially : a problem
insoluble in its own terms -- usually used in the phrase cut the Gordian knot
2 : a knot tied by Gordius, king of Phrygia, held to be capable of
being untied only by the future ruler of Asia, and cut by Alexander the Great
with his sword
9. Gorgon: n.
1 capitalized : any of three snake-haired sisters in
Greek mythology whose appearance turns the beholder to stone
2 : an ugly or repulsive woman
10. halcyon: n.
1 : a bird identified with the kingfisher and held in ancient
legend to nest at sea about the time of the winter solstice and to calm the
waves during incubation
2 : KINGFISHER
Set 4
1. harpy: n.
1 capitalized : a foul malign creature in Greek
mythology that is part woman and part bird
2
a : a predatory person : LEECH
b : a shrewish woman
2. hectoring: v.
intransitive senses : to play the bully : SWAGGER
transitive senses : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal
pressure
3. hedonist: n.
1 : the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or
chief good in life
2 : a way of life based on or suggesting the principles of
hedonism
4. Hellenic: adj. : of or relating to Greece, its people, or its language; specifically : of or relating to ancient Greek history, culture, or art before the Hellenistic period
5. Hellenistic: adj.
1 : of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after
Alexander the Great
2 : of or relating to the Hellenists
6. herculean: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of Hercules
2 often not capitalized : of extraordinary power, extent,
intensity, or difficulty
7. hermetically: adj.
1 often capitalized a : of or relating to the
Gnostic writings or teachings arising in the first three centuries A.D.
and attributed to Hermes Trismegistus b : relating to or
characterized by occultism or abstruseness : RECONDITE
2 [from the belief that Hermes Trismegistus invented a magic seal to keep
vessels airtight] a : AIRTIGHT
<hermetic seal> b : impervious to external influence
<trapped inside the hermetic military machine -- Jack Newfield> c
: RECLUSE,
SOLITARY
<leads a hermetic life>
8. hypnotic: adj.
1 : tending to produce sleep : SOPORIFIC
2
a : of or relating to hypnosis
or hypnotism
b : readily holding the attention <a hypnotic
personality> <a simple hypnotic beat>
9. iridescent: adj. : having or exhibiting iridescence
10. janitor: n.
1 : DOORKEEPER
2 : one who keeps the premises of a building (as an apartment or
office) clean, tends the heating system, and makes minor repairs
Set 5
1. jovial: adj.
1 capitalized : of or relating to Jove
2 : markedly good-humored especially as evidenced by jollity and
conviviality
2. Junoesque: adj. : marked by stately beauty
3. labyrinthine: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth
: INTRICATE,
INVOLVED
2 : of, relating to, affecting, or originating in the internal ear
<labyrinthine lesions>
4. laconic: adj. : using or involving the use of a minimum of words :
concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious
5. lethargic: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or characterized by lethargy
: SLUGGISH
2 : INDIFFERENT,
APATHETIC
6. libation: n.
1 a : an act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice (as to a deity)
b : a liquid (as wine) used in a libation
2
a : an act or instance of drinking often ceremoniously b :
BEVERAGE;
especially : a drink containing alcohol
7. lotus eater: n.
1 : any of a people in Homer's Odyssey subsisting on the lotus
and living in the dreamy indolence it induces
2 : an indolent person
8. Lucullan: adj. : LAVISH, LUXURIOUS <a Lucullan feast>
9. lyric: n.
1 : a lyric composition; specifically : a lyric
poem
2 : the words of a song -- often used in plural
10. marathon: n.
1 : a long-distance race: a : a footrace run on
an open course usually of 26 miles 385 yards (42.2 kilometers) b :
a race other than a footrace marked especially by great length
2
a : an endurance contest b : something (as an
event, activity, or session) characterized by great length or concentrated
effort
Set 6
1. martial: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior
2 : relating to an army or to military life
3 : experienced in or inclined to war : WARLIKE
2. mentor: n.
1 capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the
education of Odysseus' son Telemachus
2
a : a trusted counselor or guide b : TUTOR,
COACH
3. mercurial: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury
2 : having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness
attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury
3 : characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of
mood
4 : of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury
4. metamorphosis: n.
1 a : change of physical form, structure, or substance
especially by supernatural means b : a striking alteration in
appearance, character, or circumstances
2 : a marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the
form or structure of an animal (as a butterfly or a frog) occurring subsequent
to birth or hatching
5. mneumonic
6. muse: v.
1 : to become absorbed in thought; especially :
to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively
2 archaic : WONDER,
MARVEL
transitive senses : to think or say reflectively
7. narcissism: n.
1 : EGOISM,
EGOCENTRISM
2 : love of or sexual desire for one's own body
8. nectar: n.
1 a : the drink of the Greek and Roman gods b :
something delicious to drink c : a beverage of fruit juice and
pulp <apricot nectar>
2 : a sweet liquid that is secreted by the nectaries
of a plant and is the chief raw material of honey
9. nemesis
10. nymph: n.
1 : any of the minor divinities of nature in classical
mythology represented as beautiful maidens dwelling in the mountains, forests,
trees, and waters
2 : GIRL
3 : any of various immature insects; especially : a
larva of an insect (as a grasshopper, true bug, or mayfly) with incomplete
metamorphosis that differs from the imago especially in size and in its
incompletely developed wings and genitalia -- compare NAIAD
2
Set 7
1. odyssey: n.
1 : a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes
of fortune
2 : an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest
2. Oedipal: adj. : of, relating to, or resulting from the Oedipus
complex
3. Olympian: adj.
1 : of or relating to Mount Olympus
in Thessaly
2 : befitting or characteristic of an Olympian; especially :
LOFTY
<his... formula of glib simplicity and Olympian arrogance -- Richard
Pollak>
4. oracle: n.
1 a : a person (as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom
a deity is believed to speak b : a shrine in which a deity reveals
hidden knowledge or the divine purpose through such a person c :
an answer or decision given by an oracle
2
a : a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions b
: an authoritative or wise expression or answer
5. paean: n. : a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph; broadly : ENCOMIUM, TRIBUTE
6. panacea: n. : a remedy for all ills or difficulties : CURE-ALL
7. Pandora's Box: n. : a prolific source of troubles
8. palladium: n. 1 capitalized : a statue of Pallas whose preservation was believed to ensure the safety of Troy
9. pandemonium: n.
1 : the capital of Hell in Milton's Paradise Lost
2 : the infernal regions : HELL
3 not capitalized : a wild uproar : TUMULT
10. panic: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or resembling the mental or emotional
state believed induced by the god Pan <panic fear>
2 : of, relating to, or arising from a panic <a wave of panic
buying>
3 : of or relating to the god Pan
Set 8
1. philippic: n. : a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation : TIRADE
2. phoenix: n. : a legendary bird which according to one account lived
500 years, burned itself to ashes on a pyre, and rose alive from the ashes to
live another period; also : a person or thing likened to the phoenix
3. platonic: adj.
1 capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of Plato or
Platonism
2 a : relating to or based on platonic love; also :
experiencing or professing platonic love b : of, relating to, or
being a relationship marked by the absence of romance or sex
3 : NOMINAL,
THEORETICAL
4. plutocrat: n.
1 : government by the wealthy
2 : a controlling class of the wealthy
5. procrustean: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or typical of Procrustes
2 : marked by arbitrary often ruthless disregard of individual
differences or special circumstances
6. protean: adj.
1 : of or resembling Proteus in having a varied nature or ability to
assume different forms
2 : displaying great diversity or variety : VERSATILE
7. psychic: adj.
1 : of or relating to the psyche
: PSYCHOGENIC
2 : lying outside the sphere of physical science or knowledge :
immaterial, moral, or spiritual in origin or force
3 : sensitive to nonphysical or supernatural forces and influences :
marked by extraordinary or mysterious sensitivity, perception, or understanding
8. pygmy: n.
1 often capitalized : any of a race of dwarfs described by
ancient Greek authors
2 capitalized : any of a small people of equatorial Africa ranging
under five feet (1.5 meters) in height
3 a : a short insignificant person : DWARF
b : something very small of its kind
9. Pyrrhic victory: adj. : achieved at excessive cost <a Pyrrhic victory>; also : costly to the point of negating or outweighing expected benefits <a great but Pyrrhic act of ingenuity>
10. saturnine: adj.
1 : born under or influenced astrologically by the planet Saturn
2 a : cold and steady in mood : slow to act or change b
: of a gloomy or surly disposition c : having a sardonic
aspect <a saturnine smile>
Set 9
1. satyr: n.
1 often capitalized : a sylvan deity in Greek mythology having
certain characteristics of a horse or goat and fond of Dionysian revelry
2 a : a lecherous man b : one having satyriasis
3 : any of various usually brown and gray satyrid
butterflies
2. somnolent: adj.
1 : of a kind likely to induce sleep <a somnolent sermon>
2 a : inclined to or heavy with sleep : DROWSY
b : SLEEPY
2 <somnolent rivers>
3. sophisticated: v.t.
1 : to alter deceptively; especially : ADULTERATE
2 : to deprive of genuineness, naturalness, or simplicity; especially
: to deprive of naïveté and make worldly-wise : DISILLUSION
3 : to make complicated or complex
4. sophomoric: adj.
1 : conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and
immature
2 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a sophomore
<a sophomoric prank>
5. stentorian: adj. : extremely loud
6. stoical: adj.
1 capitalized : of, relating to, or resembling the Stoics or
their doctrines <Stoic logic>
2 : not affected by or showing passion or feeling; especially :
firmly restraining response to pain or distress <a stoic indifference
to cold>
7. stygian: adj.
1 : of or relating to the river Styx
2 : extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding
8. sisyphean: adj. : of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus
9. sybaritic: n.
1 [from the notorious luxury of the Sybarites] : VOLUPTUARY,
SENSUALIST
2 capitalized : a native or resident of the ancient city of
Sybaris
10. tantalize: v.
transitive senses : to tease or torment by or as if by
presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of
reach
intransitive senses : to cause one to be tantalized
Set 10
1. terpsichorean: adj. : of or relating to dancing
2. theocracy: n.
1 : government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials
who are regarded as divinely guided
2 : a state governed by a theocracy
3. thespian: adj.
1 capitalized : of or relating to Thespis
2 often capitalized [from the tradition that Thespis was the originator
of the actor's role] : relating to the drama : DRAMATIC
4. titanic: adj. : having great magnitude, force, or power : COLOSSAL
5. tragedy: n.
1 a : a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing
the downfall of a great man b : a serious drama typically
describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny)
and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror c
: the literary genre of tragic
dramas
2 a : a disastrous event : CALAMITY
b : MISFORTUNE
3 : tragic
quality or element
6. Trojan horse: n.
1 : someone or something intended to defeat or subvert from within
2 : a seemingly useful computer program that contains concealed
instructions which when activated perform an illicit or malicious action (as
destroying data files); also : the concealed instructions of such
a program -- compare VIRUS
7. utopian: adj.
1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a utopia;
especially : having impossibly ideal conditions especially of
social organization
2 : proposing or advocating impractically ideal social and political
schemes <utopian idealists>
3 : impossibly ideal : VISIONARY
<recognised the utopian nature of his hopes -- C. S. Kilby>
4 : believing in, advocating, or having the characteristics of utopian
socialism <utopian doctrines> <utopian novels>
8. victory: n.
1 : the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist
2 : achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against
odds or difficulties
9. vulcanize: v.
transitive senses : to subject to vulcanization
intransitive senses : to undergo vulcanization
10. zephyr: n.
1 a : a breeze from the west b : a gentle breeze
2 : any of various lightweight fabrics and articles of clothing