Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 18 - Day 4

Word List
  • tortuous [tôr´ chü əs]
    winding
    → “The tortuous descent down the mountain resulted in one additional fatality, this time a sure-footed Sherpa guide.” Winston Adair, “Everest Takes Its Toll”
  • itinerant [ī tin´ ər ənt]
    wandering
    → “Hamlet greeted the group of itinerant actors and made them part of a plan to trap Claudius.” Barron’s Educational Series, Book Notes
  • peregrination [per ə grə nā´ shən]
    travel
    → “Each step he took represented an inward peregrination.” Gretel Ehrlich, “On the Road With God’s Fool”
  • conjugal [kon´ jə gəl]
    relating to marriage
    → Hillary is Our Lady of Perpetual Conjugal Suffering; the patron saint of every woman who’s ever been wronged.” Maureen Dowd, “Rudy in Reverse,” New York Times, 6/6/99
  • barometer [bə rom´ ə tər]
    instrument for measuring change
    → “We watched carefully to see the ties that Mr. Smythe would wear as they were a sure barometer of the mood he would be in.” Loring Brewster, “Vermont’s Mr. Chips”

Chimps in the laboratory have demonstrated their ability to find their way out of the most tortuous maze. They can press buttons, manipulate levers, avoid shocks, etc. When food is placed out of reach, the animals can prepare a ladder of boxes to reach it. In his natural habitat* the chimpanzee is something of an itinerant. He goes his nomadic* way through the jungle, living on fruit, insects, and vegetables. With the aid of his long, powerful hands he can swing rapidly from tree to tree and cover considerable ground in his peregrinations. Chimps are loyal in their conjugal relationships, taking only one mate at a time. That may be another barometer of these animals’ superior intelligence.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

  1. The other drivers were nettled* about the ease with which our car ascended* the __________ road.
  2. Arguments over money have often led to __________ havoc.*
  3. The sedentary* twin was content to follow his brother’s __________ on a map.
  4. Signs were posted in the lobby to prevent __________ beggars and others of that ilk* from entering.
  5. The warmth of Mr. Smythe’s greeting each morning may be construed* as an excellent __________ of his health.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

  1. a. wandering
  2. b. winding
  3. c. travel
  4. d. relating to marriage
  5. e. instrument for measuring change
  1. tortuous __________
  2. itinerant __________
  3. peregrination __________
  4. conjugal __________
  5. barometer __________

Answer Key
to wink at—to pretend not to see
There was a plethora* of evidence to show that the border guards would wink at illegal shipments if they were paid in advance.

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