WordMasters BLUE – Fall 2007 – Session 1 – Grade 6

Word	Short definition of the word^* sample sentence using the word (see also: connected WordMaster words)
backslide	slip back, return to a previous way or state, usually back towards a bad or sinful way The month away at summer camp caused him to backslide on his table manners. (see also: relapse, recoup)
coup	an unexpected success or triumph, a clever action; pronounce coup like koo, the ‘p’ is silent The chess master won with a skillful coup using his queen and rook. (see also: falter, flounder, rout)
dabbler	a beginner or amateur, to do something off & on She was well known as a fiction writer, but she was also a dabbler in poetry. (see also: delve)
delve	to look into, search, dig deeper After her teacher read them a story about Rome, Beth wanted to delve into Roman history. (see also: dabbler)
diagnostic	a tool for figuring something out A modern hospital has diagnostic equipment like CAT scans and X-ray machines.
falter	pause, hesitate, weaken, or fade As she climbed the stairs to the stage we knew she was nervous because of her faltering steps. (see also: coup, flounder, rout)
flounder	1) to struggle, have difficulty, hesitate The team started the game floundering, but then their playing became more robust and they won. (see also: coup, falter, rout) 2) an edible flat bottom dwelling fish They were trying to catch crabs, but only one small flounder took the bait.
fop	a man who is really concerned about his appearance Even though all his clothes were slightly out of style, everyone knew he was a fop. (see also: natty, suave)
glib	off-hand, not thoughtful, slightly rude, insincere She began to doubt his friendship after he made some glib comments about her appearance. (see also: poise, robust, suave, taciturn, vibrant)
languid	slow, lacking interest, unhurried, lazy The whole class late to lunch because of the languid pace of the line leader. (see also: meander, mosey)
meander	1) wander, drift about, stroll, slow walk Rather than playing at recess, she just meandered around the playground. (see also: languid, mosey) 2) zigzag, back and forth, twist After passing the Fall Line, most rivers in Virginia meander their way to the ocean.
mosey	to wander, to walk in a relaxed way, saunter, stroll One way to relax is to mosey down a beach looking for shells and driftwood. (see also: meander, languid)
natty	dressed neat, trim, and tidy The gentleman was clearly a fop as his whole outfit was natty, from his head to toes. (see also: fop, suave)
pinnacle	high point, very top, peak The pinnacle of her career was when she won the Nobel Prize for literature. (see also: zenith)
pinpoint	locate the exact location, isolate, identify By using a diagnostic test you can pinpoint which math skills you need to work on the most.
poise	1) posture, upright, with dignity Even though she had a troubled childhood, she walked with grace and poise. (see also: glib, robust, suave, taciturn, vibrant) 2) hover, ready to act, perch The cat was poised to jump onto the mouse.
recoup	recover, get back something that was gone or lost; unlike the word coup, you DO say the ‘p’ in recoup: re-koop He finally got a lucky poker hand and was able to recoup everything he had lost. (see also: relapse, backslide)
relapse	to go back, usually to something bad After three weeks of being healthy she had a relapse and the sickness came back. (see also: recoup, backslide)
robust	healthy, strong, hearty, vigorous The team started the game floundering, but then their playing became more robust and they won. (see also: poise, glib, suave, taciturn, vibrant)
rout	to easily beat, crush, trounce The teams were so uneven that the game was a rout. (see also: coup, falter, flounder)
schism	split, break, separation In colonial America, there was a schism over whether to fight for independence or to be a loyalist.
suave	smooth, polite, charming, courteous We believe him because he had poise and was suave. (see also: fop, natty, poise, glib, robust, taciturn, vibrant)
taciturn	silent, quiet, seeming cold & uncaring The taciturn man sat in the corner all evening just watching us talk. (see also: glib, robust, suave, vibrant)
vibrant	1) lively, exciting, bubbly, talkative Her illness was long gone and she was robust and vibrant again. (see also: glib, robust, suave, taciturn) 2) bright, dazzling, colorful Somehow she mixed the paint colors so that her rainbow picture was vibrant and realistic.
zenith	straight overhead, very top, highest point When the North Star is at your zenith it means you are standing at the North Pole. (see also: pinnacle)