WORD POWER
The poet T. S. Eliot once wrote, “What we call the beginning is often the end ... The end is where we start from.” That’s certainly true of these words: Each begins and ends with the same letter. Start with the quiz below, then come full circle by checking the answers on the next page.
1. epitome n.
(ih-'pih-tuh-mee)
A exact center
B first edition
C ideal example
2. armada n.
(ar-'mah-duh)
A long pause
B fleet of ships
C expensive suit
3. tacit adj.
('tass-it)
A unspoken
B so-so
C sticky
4. rapier n.
('ray-pee-er)
A gang of thieves
B mountain climber
C two-edged sword
5. loll v.
(lahl)
A laugh
B lounge
C lick
6. hairsbreadth n.
('hairs-breth)
A short distance
B musty smell
C flower bud
7. nickelodeon n.
(nih-kuh-'loh-dee-un)
A discount store
B early movie theater
C amusement park
8. caustic adj.
('kaw-stik)
A sealed tight
B resulting from
C cruelly sarcastic
9. oratorio n.
(or-uh-'tor-ee-oh)
A choral work
B shell-shaped pasta
C official speech
10. magnum n.
('mag-num)
A hunter's rifle
B free thinker
C large wine bottle
11. winnow v.
('wih-no)
A zigzag
B persuade
C narrow
12. gulag n.
('goo-lahg)
A fool
B labor camp
C vegetable stew
13. incubi n.
('in-kyew-by)
A starlet's posse
B spider's eggs
C evil spirits
14. devoid adj.
(dih-'voyd)
A lacking
B cunning
C invalid
15. synthesis n.
('sin-thuh-sis)
A blend
B copy
C rebirth