Lesson 11
Freshmen Vocabulary

1. capitulate verb to surrender
   The general, realizing he had no where to retreat finally capitulate.
   
   
2. catalyst noun a substance that alters the rate at which a physical or chemical reaction takes place, usually by making it go faster.
   If you want to be a catalyst for social change, you are bound to become a target for those opposing change.
   
   
3. caustic adj. able to burn, eat away, or destroy by chemical action; sarcastic or cutting in speech; corrosive
   Her comments became so caustic that the audience stopped laughing and began to fidget.
   
   
4. hierarchy noun a group of persons arranged in order of rank
   Queen Elizabeth is at the top of the English hierarchy of nobility.
   
   
5. homogeneous adj. having or consisting of the same parts; similar
   A heterogeneous group is a group in which every one is different; a homogeneous group is one in which every one is similar.
   
   
6. hypocritical adj. insincere, false; pretense of being better than one is
   Keith felt it was hypocritical of his sister to bounce a check after she had scolded him for financial irresponsibility.
   syn: two-faced      ant: honest, unfeigned
   
   
7. iconoclast noun a person who attacks and seeks to overthrow popular ideas
   Today's iconoclast attacking popular ideas, is tomorrow's conservative trying to maintain the status quo.
   
   
8. piety noun a pious act or thought; devotion to religious duties and practices
   No one could doubt the piety of Mother Teresa.
   syn: piousness, reverence      ant: blasphemy; irreverence
   
   
9. placid adj. calm; peaceful
   the sailing trip was made more enjoyable by the placid conditions of the sea.
   syn: tranquil, serene        ant: turbulent
   
   
10. pompous adj. acting with an air of great dignity; full of high sounding words or phrases; pretentious; self-important
    Billy always thought Tom a pompous person who needed to get down off his high horse.
    
    
11. sumptuous adj. of a size or splendor suggesting great expense
    My wife suggested I order a sumptuous meal, but my wallet didn't follow that.
    
    
12. surmise verb to reach a conclusion on slight evidence; to guess, presume
    If you surmise from his clothing that he is a poor man, you see how easily you may be mislead.
    
    
13. surreptitious adj. acting in a secret way; stealthy
    The commanders acted in a surreptitious manner in making their way to the enemy's headquarters.
    
    
14. susceptible adj. easily influenced or affected by; disposed to
    Once you catch the disease, your body is susceptible to other illnesses.
    
    
15. validate verb to confirm or support; to verify; to make official
    He had his parking ticket validated at the bank in order to prove he worked there.