GRE Vocab Wednesday: “Mmmm” Words
|
Posted By: Hija Chang on July 22, 2016 By Chris Lele There are myriad ‘M’ words on the GRE. From maudlin to mellifluous, multifaceted to myrmidon (the last of these words I define below). Sadly, I’m limited here, but for ‘M’ words on a past Vocabulary Wednesday, google “Dial ‘M’ for Vocabulary”. Mountebank The mountebank took advantage of the public’s penchant to believe that anything in pill form must confer health; he started a website where he passed off mere vitamins as a panacea for chronic ailments. This word comes from the Italian Renaissance, when itinerants would come to town—or village—hawking phony medicines. They would stand on, or mount, a banco, an old school bench, the crowd encouraging them to mount en banco (get up on the bench!) Had the crowd been aware of the deceit and fraud pulled by these mountebanks, they would probably have pulled the bench from underneath a mountebank’s feet. Martyr As strongly as Larry felt about human rights, he was not about to make himself a martyr at the hands of the totalitarian government—he promptly retracted his incriminating article. This is a word that is quite common (“to die a martyr”, “don’t die a martyr”), yet one that people struggle to define exactly. A martyr is one who dies for a cause, typically religious or political. The word has taken on a broader—and humorous—connotation, describing anybody who exaggerates physical discomfort or stress in order to get sympathy or attention. Martinet Though as a child Kara dreaded her piano teacher, who was such a martinet that he demanded she practice scales four hours a day, she was thankful that she was able to play with great facility as an adult. Martinet comes down to us via a 17th century French drillmaster, known for being a rigid disciplinarian. Today, anyone who is extremely strict can be described as a martinet. But don’t worry: we’re not martinets here at Magoosh. So if you don’t learn for your vocab today, we won’t force you to do push-ups. Myrmidon At first none of the other dogs minded Chester, the tiny Pomeranian, but after a month he had recruited a German shepherd and a Doberman pinscher, his myrmidons who carried out his every whim with ruthless canine efficiency. All of these words seem to have a historical tie, and myrmidon is no exception. During the Trojan War, Achilles had these followers who would execute his every order—no questions asked. Today, the definition of this word means any henchman or follower who unquestioningly carries out the order of their superior. Myrmidons are the big scary guys in the action movie who say nothing but when the crime boss needs some limbs broken, they spring to action. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Graduate School Info
 |
Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunity!We, at www.stemuscenter.org, just completed our first two informational sessions on Research Fellowship opportunity for STEM and Social Science doctoral students.
The mission of our center is to te ...more
Manisha Maurya • 2,105 Views • October 23rd, 2024 |
 |
4 Habits for Success in Online SchoolOnline education has become an increasingly popular option for students over the years, especially due to the current global pandemic. However, succeeding in online school takes more than just a good ...more
Anica Oaks • 2,407 Views • February 1st, 2024 |
Popular Graduate School Info
 |
People Judge Your Intelligence Based on the Tone of Your Voice and How Fast You Speak
Do you want people to think you are intelligent? Has someone ever told you “You’re much smarter than you look.”?
No doubt it can sting to be perceived as less intelligent, particularly when you ...more
Hija Chang • 32,563 Views • June 12th, 2017 |
 |
How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension If youd like to improve your reading comprehension, try the SQ3R method. This is an acronym that means: Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review.
Heres how it works:
Survey Your Text
Prior t ...more
Hija Chang • 25,233 Views • June 12th, 2017 |
 |
Magna, Summa, and the Honor RollWhat does it mean to graduate with honors? Academic honors involve these Latin terms...
What is Cum Laude: Graduating With Honor means graduating cum laude. What does cum laude mean? Translators de ...more
Hija Chang • 24,603 Views • March 16th, 2016 |
 |
Never procrastinate and always free time…..One blog I read regularly is by Leo Babauta, called zen habits. Essentially, he writes all about simplifying your life. A while ago, Scott Young was a guest blogger for Babuata’s website and wrote a p ...more
Hija Chang • 14,199 Views • April 19th, 2018 |
 |
MVSU to host Graduate Expo March 1Why should you consider an advanced degree? How will you finance your graduate education? What program of study is the best fit for you?
For the answer to these questions and many more, attend Mis ...more
Hija Chang • 13,295 Views • February 27th, 2018 |
