Vocabulary Words Week 6

scuttlebutt -nautical speak for gossip, as well as for the water cooler, where such rumors originate and spread. The pirates gossiped by the scuttlebut, drinking clear fresh water as they discussed who had been last seen with scurvy.
bulwark -a wall, a fence, a buttress. We set up a bulwark to keep the armies out but they found a way in through our hearts.
hubris -arrogant pride. He was filled with hubris at the thought that he had two girls fighting for him.
dearth -an insufficiency, not enough of something. There is a dearth of water in Ethiopia.
deference -respect. Lady Gaga showed deference to the Queen of England when she performed relatively modestly.
emulate -to copy (has better connotation than bottom two). He wanted to emulate his hero's practices, even down to his favorite brand of socks.
imitate -to emulate. The dolphins imitated the tricks of their humans as a joke; they knew that they were the second most intelligent species on the planet.
mimic -to copy or imitate. Youngsters learn at a very young age that to mimic their parents or peers is a good way to win any argument.
endemic -common, originating (at a place), has a strong presence (there). Native Americans are endemic to America.
aborigine -native, indigenous peoples. The Aborigines of Australia must give birth while walking before catching up the rest of their tribe.
inchoate -recent, new, vague. His dreams were inchoate and fantastical.
precursor -something that comes before or leads to something else. The telephone was a precursor to little implants in all of our ears that do everything (tell time, play music, call people, surf the web, etc).
volatile -subject to rapid changes in temperament, temperature, status, or other characteristics. Stay back, this is a volatile mixture of boiled linseed oil and gasoline; it could burst into flames at any second!
pictures to be turned in