(v) To carry away by force; to kidnap.
Bandits stopped the car and abducted the driver.
abduction (n) The act or instance of abducting.
According to Greek myth, the abduction of Helen was the cause of the Trojan War.
(n) The place where one lives; home.
My summer abode was a small cabin that I shared with two other camp counselors.
(n) 1. A deep opening in the earth.
We were afraid to look down as we crossed the abyss on a swaying rope bridge.
2. Anything too deep to measure.
The Hubble Space Telescope was built to probe the abyss of space.
(v) To settle a disagreement between two parties by having a third party make a decision after hearing both sides.
The student council will arbitrate the dispute between the French club and the Spanish club.
arbitration (n) The act of arbitrating.
We hope the arbitration will end the argument between the two friends.
(v) To think of as coming from or belonging to a particular person or thing.
The song was wrongly attributed to the Beatles.
(n) A quality or feature associated with a person or thing.
Wisdom is often considered an attribute of old age.
(adj) Likely to change quickly for no obvious reason.
I am always changing from a winter coat to a spring jacket because of our capricious weather.
(v) 1. To settle a disagreement by having each side give up something.
We compromised by getting a pizza with peppers on one half for my sister and mushrooms on the other half for me.
2. To expose to the possibility of criticism or shame.
The manager will not compromise the restaurant?s reputation by serving bad food.
(n) A settlement reached by each side giving up something.
The compromise required my cousin to work late on Fridays so that she could have Saturdays off.
(adj) 1. Very religious.
Devout Muslims try to make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca.
2. Sincere.
I am a devout believer in the goodness of people.
(adj) Deeply disturbed; very troubled.
The children were distraught when their pet rabbit died.
(v) To inform or instruct; to give knowledge or truth to.
I asked my dad to enlighten me as to why he wouldn?t let me stay out late.
enlightened (adj) Free from ignorance or prejudice.
This day-care center takes an enlightened approach to early childhood education.
(v) 1. To slope or lean.
Instead of being vertical, the post inclines slightly to the left.
2. To be likely to; to have a fondness for.
I am inclined to talk too much.
3. To bend or bow (the head).
I inclined my head so that the barber could trim the back of my neck.
(n) A sloping surface.
The house lay at the top of a grassy incline.
(v) To enter in order to help or settle something.
The playground supervisor intervened when the children couldn?t agree about whose turn it was.
intervention (n) The act or instance of intervening.
The teacher?s timely intervention kept the discussion from becoming too heated.
(n) 1. Anything that cannot be done without or that is greatly needed.
Insect repellent is a necessity when camping.
2. The condition of being needed.
I don?t see the necessity for taking separate cars.
(n) The path taken by an object around a heavenly body such as a star, planet, or moon.
The moon?s orbit around Earth takes just over twenty-seven days.
(v) To put into or be in orbit.
In 1961, the Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to orbit Earth.
(adj) 1. Holy; having to do with religion.
The Western Wall in Jerusalem is sacred to the Jewish people.
2. Worthy of being given the greatest honor or respect.
The engaged couple asserted that they consider marriage vows to be sacred.