VOCABULARY

1. cower
   crouch or curl up
   The knaves lowered their weapons and shrank back cowering before him. 
   — Weyman, Stanley J.
2. wont
   an established custom
   He made his customary slick feeds to open teammates, but as is theirwont, the Nets struggled at times to convert points on his passes. 
   — New York Times (Feb 20, 2012)
3. tract
   a system of body parts that serve some particular purpose
   When probiotics flourish in the digestive tract, nutrients are better absorbed and bad bugs are held at bay, research suggests. 
   — Seattle Times (Jan 10, 2012)
4. canon
   a collection of books accepted as holy scripture
   For me, all novels of any consequence are literary, and they take their place, high and low, in the canon of English literature. 
   — The Guardian (Jan 10, 2011)
5. impel
   cause to move forward with force
   Some power beyond his comprehension was impelling him toward the neighboring city. 
   — Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente
6. latitude
   freedom from normal restraints in conduct
   Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom. 
   — Inc (Feb 21, 2012)
7. vacate
   leave behind empty; move out of
   Their number diminished sharply after Villaraigosa announced last week that he wanted protesters to vacate the grounds by Monday or be forcibly removed. 
   — Chicago Tribune (Nov 30, 2011)
8. undertaking
   any piece of work that is attempted
   "Let my epitaph be, Here lies Joseph, who was unsuccessful in all hisundertakings." 
   — Marvin, Frederic Rowland
9. slay
   kill intentionally and with premeditation
   "It were shame," said Lancelot, "for an armed to slay an unarmed man." 
   — Unknown
10. predecessor
    one who precedes you in time
    Heller fills in the blanks about Taft, overshadowed by colorfulpredecessor Teddy Roosevelt. 
    — Seattle Times (Feb 22, 2012)
11. delicacy
    the quality of being exquisitely fine in appearance
    This refinement appears in his works, which are full of artistic grace and dainty delicacy. 
    — Drake, Samuel Adams
12. forsake
    leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
    "I'm surprised," said Philip, cautiously opening fire, "that you were ever allowed to forsake your native land." 
    — Hay, Ian
13. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
    Utterly distraught, he ran up and down the bank, hunting for his clothes, calling, crying out, imploring, beseeching help from somewhere. 
    — Frank, Ulrich
14. philosophical
    relating to the investigation of existence and knowledge
    His arguments, like Einstein’s, were qualitative, verging on highlyphilosophical. 
    — Scientific American (Jan 30, 2012)
15. grove
    a small growth of trees without underbrush
    Soon after we came to Pasadena, father bought an orange grove of twenty-five acres. 
    — Chamberlain, James Franklin
16. frustrate
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    Frustrated after two years of missed budget targets, finance chiefs demanded Greek officials put their verbal commitments into law. 
    — BusinessWeek (Feb 13, 2012)
17. illustrious
    widely known and esteemed
    She will be joining an illustrious list of recipients that include Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II and Princess Diana. 
    — BBC (Feb 24, 2012)
18. device
    an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
    You’ve probably also noticed that the telephone and computer are no longer the only devices on your employees’ desks. 
    — Forbes (Feb 26, 2012)
19. pomp
    cheap or pretentious or vain display
    Throughout U.S. history, Americans have been fascinated by royalpomp -- even on a movie screen. 
    — Reuters (Feb 21, 2011)
20. entreat
    ask for or request earnestly
    "Let me go now, please," she entreated, her eyes unable to meet his any longer. 
    — Hope, Anthony