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Back to 2014 Round 22
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Info
Stage: Preliminaries
Description: The Preliminaries consisted of 12 scored spelling words and 12 scored vocabulary questions which counted as Round One, one scored vocabulary question for Round Two and one scored vocabulary question for Round Three. Spellers could earn a maximum of 30 points for correct spellings and responses on the Preliminaries Test.
Target Score: To advance to the Semifinals in 2015, you’d have needed to earn at least 23 out of 30 possible points on the Preliminaries Test (including Round 2 Vocabulary and Round 3 Vocabulary) and spell correctly in Round 2 and Round 3. That would bring you to 29 out of 36 total points possible in the Preliminaries.
Word Count: 24
Value: 1 point each (these are the Round One words only; Rounds 2 and 3 Vocabulary are worth 3 points each)
Spelling
Test Questions
| 1. |
A. rhythmically |
B. rythmycally |
C. rhythymically |
D. rithmically |
E. rhythmicly |
| This word is from an originally Greek word that passed into Latin and then French. |
| (adverb) |
in a manner marked by or moving in a pronounced recurrent pattern. |
| The dancers moved _____ to the music. |
| 2. |
A. colatteral |
B. colateral |
C. collatteral |
D. collateral |
E. callateral |
| This word is from a Latin word that became French and then English. |
| (adjective) |
serving to support or reinforce. |
| Tanya knew her dog had eaten the cupcake because she could see smudges on the floor, but his guilty expression seemed to provide _____ evidence. |
| 3. |
A. giboom |
B. gybboom |
C. gyboom |
D. jiboom |
E. jibboom |
| The first part of this word is of unknown origin, and the second part is of Dutch origin. |
| (noun) |
a spar which serves as an extension of the bowsprit. |
| Doug secured a line to the _____ on his sailboat. |
| 4. |
A. capsaicin |
B. capsaisin |
C. capsaison |
D. capsaesin |
E. capceicin |
| This word is made up of Latin elements and an English combining form. |
| (noun) |
a colorless crystalline phenolic amide that is a powerful irritant and the pungent component of cayenne pepper. |
| _____ is used in topical medications to help relieve minor pain associated with arthritis or muscle sprains. |
| 5. |
A. parruche |
B. paroosh |
C. perousche |
D. perruche |
E. parouche |
| This word is from French. |
| (noun) |
a strong yellow green : parrot green. |
| Emily bought Max a shirt in the color of _____, saying it matched his eyes. |
| Please pay careful attention to the definition and part of speech. This word has a homonym or could be confused with a word that has a similar pronunciation. |
| 6. |
A. tarsorrhaphy |
B. taursoryphy |
C. ptarsorhaphy |
D. ptarsaurify |
E. tarsorify |
| This word is from Greek. |
| (noun) |
the operation of suturing the eyelids together entirely or in part. |
| _____ is a surgical means for temporarily protecting the cornea and ocular surface. |
| 7. |
A. chertacina |
B. certozina |
C. certosina |
D. certasina |
E. chertosina |
| This word is from Italian. |
| (noun) |
a Renaissance Italian style of elaborate inlay of bone, ivory, light-colored wood, metal, or other material in stylized designs against a dark background. |
| Greta admired the _____ on the small box in the museum’s Renaissance room. |
| 8. |
A. gorgonaian |
B. gorgoneion |
C. gorganyon |
D. gorganion |
E. gorguenion |
| This word is from Greek. |
| (noun) |
a representation of the face of a mythological woman having snake-entwined hair and glaring eyes frequently used to ward away evil in Greek art. |
| The _____ was sometimes depicted on mosaic floors near the threshold of a dwelling, presumably to protect the inhabitants from intruders. |
| Please pay careful attention to the definition and part of speech. This word has a homonym or could be confused with a word that has a similar pronunciation. |
| 9. |
A. menièrre |
B. megnère |
C. mernière |
D.munière |
E. meunière |
| This word is from French, which formed it from a Latin word. |
| (adjective) |
cooked in or served with browned butter. |
| During her trip to Paris, Julia tasted trout _____ for the first time. |
| 10. |
A. randavelle |
B. randavel |
C. rondavel |
D. rondavelle |
E. randevel |
| This word came to English from Afrikaans. |
| (noun) |
a round native hut of southern Africa usually made of mud and having a thatched roof of grass. |
| Sara spent several nights in a comfortable _____ during her safari. |
| 11. |
A. tobleta |
B. toblita |
C. tableta |
D. tabulita |
E. tablita |
| This word is from Spanish, which formed it from Latin. |
| (noun) |
a decorated headdress in the form of a colored panel or plaque worn by Pueblo Indian women in ceremonial dances. |
| The black-and-white photograph showed a Pueblo woman wearing a _____ while performing a corn dance. |
| 12. |
A. shmirkaeza |
B. schmearkaze |
C. smirkeze |
D. shmierkase |
E. schmierkase |
| This word is from German. |
| (noun) |
a soft uncured cheese made from soured skim milk. |
| While visiting the Pennsylvania Dutch country, George bought a cheesecake made with _____. |
| Please pay careful attention to the definition and part of speech. This word has a homonym or could be confused with a word that has a similar pronunciation. |
Correct Answers
| 1. |
A. rhythmically |
| 2. |
D. collateral |
| 3. |
E. jibboom |
| 4. |
A. capsaicin |
| 5. |
D. perruche |
| 6. |
A. tarsorrhaphy |
| 7. |
D. certosina |
| 8. |
B. gorgoneion |
| 9. |
E. meunière |
| 10. |
C. rondavel |
| 11. |
E. tablita |
| 12. |
E. schmierkase |
Words
| rhythmically |
| collateral |
| jibboom |
| capsaicin |
| perruche |
| tarsorrhaphy |
| certosina |
| gorgoneion |
| meunière |
| rondavel |
| tablita |
| schmierkase |
Vocabulary
Test Questions
| 13. What does it mean to be comestible? |
| A. |
able to be mixed together |
| B. |
pleasant in behavior |
| C. |
suitable to be eaten |
| D. |
likely to start a fire |
| 14. What is a gazetteer? |
| A. |
a journalist on a daily newspaper |
| B. |
a dictionary of place names |
| C. |
a small Asian antelope |
| D. |
a portable heater |
| 15. Lenitive means: |
| A. |
punishing |
| B. |
soothing |
| C. |
farseeing |
| D. |
transparent |
| 16. When people expatiate, they: |
| A. |
leave their country |
| B. |
remove their hats |
| C. |
slough off dead skin cells |
| D. |
speak at length |
| 17. Something described as lilliputian is very: |
| A. |
cheap |
| B. |
fragrant |
| C. |
small |
| D. |
ornate |
| 18. Which word is a synonym for vulpine? |
| A. |
hungry |
| B. |
sly |
| C. |
voluptuous |
| D. |
solitary |
| 19. Who would most likely receive plaudits? |
| A. |
a child opening a gift on Christmas Eve |
| B. |
a citizen who pays taxes late |
| C. |
a diner in a restaurant |
| D. |
an author releasing a new book |
| 20. What does it mean to enervate a person? |
| A. |
to frighten |
| B. |
to fill with energy |
| C. |
to implant artificial nerves through a surgical procedure |
| D. |
to make weak or feeble |
| 21. An abstemious person is likely to: |
| A. |
make people laugh |
| B. |
exercise frequently |
| C. |
eat sparingly |
| D. |
dress stylishly |
| 22. An otiose person is: |
| A. |
overweight |
| B. |
angry |
| C. |
idle |
| D. |
pretentious |
| 23. Something described as viridigenous: |
| A. |
is trustworthy |
| B. |
instigates the spread of infectious disease |
| C. |
is native to an area |
| D. |
produces greenness |
| 24. Which of the following best describes hypercryalgesia? |
| A. |
chronic clamminess of the hands |
| B. |
a severe form of colic in infants |
| C. |
increase of energetic activity after ingesting sugar |
| D. |
excessive pain due to cold |
Correct Answers
| 13. If you take flak from someone, you: |
Answer: receive criticism from them |
| 14. Which of the following is closest in meaning to restive? |
Answer: fidgety |
| 15. Something that is exculpatory: |
Answer: vindicates someone |
| 16. What does it mean for someone to raise Cain? |
Answer: create a disturbance through wild behavior |
| 17. An ailurophile would be most likely to have which of the following? |
Answer: several kittens |
| 18. What is a megillah? |
Answer: a long involved story |
| 19. Pyrosis is a synonym for: |
Answer: heartburn |
| 20. What is a haymaker? |
Answer: a knockout punch |
| 21. If something is cyclopean, it is: |
Answer: massive |
| 22. Which of these is a tritaph? |
Answer: a tomb containing three chambers |
| 23. Which of the following is another way to refer to an artist manqué? |
Answer: a frustrated artist |
| 24. Dianoia is: |
Answer: a process of thinking |
Words
| comestible |
| gazetteer |
| lenitive |
| expatiate |
| lilliputian |
| vulpine |
| plaudits |
| enervate |
| abstemious |
| otiose |
| viridigenous |
| hypercryalgesia |
All Words
| Spelling |
Vocabulary |
| rhythmically |
comestible |
| collateral |
gazetteer |
| jibboom |
lenitive |
| capsaicin |
expatiate |
| perruche |
lilliputian |
| tarsorrhaphy |
vulpine |
| certosina |
plaudits |
| gorgoneion |
enervate |
| meunière |
abstemious |
| rondavel |
otiose |
| tablita |
viridigenous |
| schmierkase |
hypercryalgesia |
Round Results