CONTEXT

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If you're trying to expand your vocabulary, you really need to pay attention to context. Context means the total surroundings of a word - the ideas and discussion that lead up to a word and that follow a word. That framework often contains clues that allow you to figure out what an unknown word means without going near a dictionary. But you have to know what the clues are and how to use them. That's what we'll discuss in this podcast.

(1) Word Clues
         Sometimes the writer deliberately includes a definition near a difficult word and uses word clues to alert you to that fact. Some of the word clues are very subtle, like the various forms of the verb to be: They act as = signs:

·      An aglet is the plastic or metal tip at the end of a shoelace.

·      Lipomas are fatty tumors.

·      Haruspication was the practice of foretelling the future by examining animal entrails.

·      In medieval times, falciform swords were sickle-shaped in order to behead enemies with a single blow.

         Sometimes the word clues, instead of being subtle, club you over the head by using obvious terms such as this means, may be defined as, is called, was referred to as, is known as, that is.

·      Stenoky means the ability of an organism to live only under a very narrow range of environmental conditions.

·      Tenacity is defined as the ability to hold firm to one's beliefs under pressure.

·      The medieval system that bound peasants to their master's land was called serfdom.

·      A generalized feeling of ill-being with symptoms such as heightened anxiety, discontent, or vague physical discomfort is known as dysphoria.

·      Some people are contumelious. That is, they are rudely contemptuous, insulting, and enjoy humiliating their victims.

 

(2) Punctuation Clues
         Sometimes a writer will include a definition near a difficult word and use the following punctuation marks as a signal: commas, dashes, or parentheses. The definition might be inside these marks, or the difficult word might be inside these marks. Either way, it's a very useful clue.

·      Duplicity, deliberate deceptiveness in action or speech, is one of the surest ways to destroy a friendship.

·      Appositives -- words, phrases, or clauses placed next to a noun -- often contain definitions.

·      Small molecules may be combined in complex ways to form larger molecules (macromolecules).

·      Substances through which electrons will not flow easily, insulators, include glass, hard rubber, porcelain, and plastic.

·      Prosopagnosia -- difficulty in recognizing familiar faces -- is associated with damage to the right hemisphere of the brain.

 

(3) Synonyms
         A synonym is a word with a meaning very close to the meaning of another word; it can replace the other word. When the synonym is simpler than the unknown word, it can act as a clue to the meaning. Sometimes the difficult word is accompanied by a cluster of easier words meaning the same thing. Sometimes the synonym shows up in a later sentence as a replacement for the difficult word. Watch for equivalent terms, for the same thing said in a different way.

·      She is one of the most perceptive, insightful, and perspicacious persons that I have ever known.

·      Beware of politicians who make nebulous and vague promises.

·      Ostriches are the most familiar of the ratites. Such flightless birds date back at least 135 million years.

·      In regard to religion, Socrates spoke of gods in the plural. By that, he meant the traditional Greek deities.

·      Her reputation as a stubborn, refractory, and bull-headed individual doomed her chances to run for office.

·      Phobias are found in all age groups, and these irrational fears make life difficult for those who suffer from them.

 

(4) Examples or Description
         Quite often, a writer will not include an actual definition for an unknown word. However, if he or she has used examples or has described something closely connected with that word, it's almost as good as a definition -- if you're paying attention. When it comes to examples, look for signal words such as for example, for instance, such as, and like.

·      Misdemeanors, for example, include drunkenness, disorderly conduct, petty thefts, trespassing, and loitering in public places.

·      He exhibited misogynistic tendencies, such as constantly belittling women, denying their intelligence, and claiming that the only thing they were good for was having babies.

·      The contract was too convoluted. For instance, it required three signatures just to change an email address.

·      The stock market is very volatile, like a runaway horse bolting in unpredictable directions.

 

Descriptions, on the other hand, do not use signal words. Instead, you have to look for words that involve seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, and hearing. Pay attention and let the scene sink in to help you understand the meaning of a difficult or unknown word.

·      Delbert was emaciated. His clothes hung loosely from his frame. His arms and legs looked like toothpicks. His face looked like A Halloween skeleton mask. A strong wind would have blown him away.

·      There's a drug dealer who sits on the bench in a park near my house almost every day. His ears are oddly pointed, he has beady little red-rimmed eyes, a long snout, and sharp, razorlike teeth. His head is constantly twitching in nervous little jerks as if sniffing the air. He is the most murine-like person I have ever seen.

·      I'm never going to dine out with my cousin Bonnie again because she is so querulous. Last night, when the waiter greeted us with a smile and a cheery good evening, she snapped at him for being too familiar. When she learned that they had run out of lobster tail, her loud complaints reached every corner of the restaurant. When she paid her share of the bill, she complained that the cashier took way too much time to complete the transaction. And on the way out, she criticized the plants decorating the lobby.

 

(5) Contrasts or Opposites
         Sometimes a writer will highlight a word by emphasizing words that mean the opposite. In that case, you have to reverse the meaning