The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

112 Chapter 4 Other Useful English Words19. mammoth (adjective) măməthhuge; very largeProviding affordable health care is mammoth task.Millions of years ago, the mammoth arthropleura, an insectover six feet long, lived on forest floors.NOTE: The word mammoth originates in the Russian name for ahuge woolly elephant that is now extinct. Other animal names havebecome common words in English. A chicken is a coward. To parrotmeans to repeat. For more animal idioms, see the “Insight intoIdioms” section on page 332 in Chapter 10.20. mitigating (adjective) mĭtĭ-ga – tĭngmaking less severe or intense; moderatingAn ocean breeze has a mitigating effect on tropical heat.Declaring the thief’s young age a mitigating circumstance,the judge reduced his jail term. Common Phrasemitigating circumstance(s) Related Wordsmitigate (verb) Grandpa mitigated his harsh words with a wink.mitigation (noun) The city formulated a mitigation plan to minimizelosses through earthquakes and mudslides.21. pinnacle (noun) pĭnə-kəltop; highest pointThe pinnacle of Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth.At the pinnacle of her career, the newscaster earned $15 millionin one year.22. procrastinate (verb) pro – -krăstə-na – tto delay; to put offCredit card users who procrastinate paying balances windup with large late fees. Related Wordsprocrastinator (noun, person) The National Procrastinators’Club celebrates New Year’s Day in October.procrastination (noun) Procrastination is the strategy I usewhen it’s my turn to wash the dishes.Copyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.