5 • Lesson 8 Word List

(v) 1. To bring together into a group; to gather.
At two o’clock we assembled at the door of the museum for a tour.

2. To put or fit together.
You need only a screwdriver to assemble the bookcase.

assembly (n) 1. A group of people gathered for a certain purpose.
At the assembly this morning, the fire chief will talk to us about fire prevention.

2. The fitting together of various parts.
The assembly of the new desk took less than an hour.

(n) A large meal for many people; a feast.
Fancy foods were served at the banquet, which was given in honor of the teachers who were retiring.

(n) The load carried by a plane or ship.
The cargo going to Chile was put into containers and loaded onto the boat.

(n) A barrel-shaped container, especially one for holding liquids.
In the 1800s, ships carried drinking water for the sailors in large casks.

(v) To honor something in a special way.
Americans celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence every Fourth of July.

celebrated (adj) Famous.
Marian Anderson, the celebrated African American singer, performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

(v) To become smaller or less.
After June 22, the length of the day gradually decreases.

(n) The amount by which something becomes smaller.
An outbreak of flu caused a decrease in school attendance during January.

(adj) 1. Reckless because of feelings of despair.
The action star in the movie jumped from a five-story building in a desperate attempt to escape her captors.

2. So serious as to be almost hopeless.
The situation of the homeless in our big cities is becoming increasingly desperate.

(adj) Safe or fit to be eaten.
Are you certain those mushrooms are edible?

(n) An item of food; anything that can be eaten.
We’ll serve the beverages at this end of the table and the sandwiches and other edibles at the other end.

(adj) Not serious or important; silly.
Spending money on items like comic books seems frivolous.

frivolity (n) Silly or lighthearted play.
The giggling children had to be reminded that there is no place for frivolity during detention.

(n) 1. The gathering of ripe crops for a season.
In Spain, the grape harvest begins in late summer.

2. The quantity of crops gathered.
Iowa’s corn harvest is the largest in years.

(v) To gather in the crops.
We usually harvest the first peas in April.

(v) 1. To chop down or cut with blows from an ax.
Let’s hew these dead branches from the tree before they fall and cause damage.

2. To cut or shape with blows of an ax or similar tool.
The Tlingit of the Northwest hewed totem poles from tree trunks.

(adj) Unfriendly; of or like an enemy.
The hostile audience would not permit the speaker to finish the speech.

hostility (n) The expression of unfriendly feelings.
The governor’s plan to close the neighborhood school met with so much hostility that it was quickly dropped.

(v) To make a serious promise.
A dozen local store owners have pledged their support for the new arts program.

(n) A serious promise.
Our class signed a pledge to respect one another.

(v) To succeed, especially in terms of money.
Alaska prospered when oil was found there.

prosperous (adj) Enjoying growth and success.
The prosperous family always helps people who are having a tough time.

(n) A piece of work that needs to be done.
Cutting our way through the jungle was a difficult task.

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