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

Words to Learn 177A Website for the DisabledJay Cohen, born with the congenital condition of spinal muscular dystrophy,has dedicated his life to helping others with disabilities. His site,www.disabledonline.com gives information on education, employment, legaldevelopments, and entertainment to individuals with disabilities. It also featuresa chat room. You can access the site through the Student CompanionWebsite at www.cengage.com/devenglish/richek8e.NOTE: Congenital can also mean doing something as a habit, as in“He is a congenital liar.”5. degenerate (verb) dĭ-jĕnə-ra – t; (adjective, noun) dĭ-jĕnər-ĭtFrom Latin: de- (worsen) gen (type)a. to become worse; to deteriorate (verb) dĭ-jĕnə-ra – tThe calm meeting unexpectedly degenerated into afist fight.b. becoming worse (adjective) dĭ-jĕnər-ĭtThe patient’s degenerate lung condition was due to hislife-long smoking habit.c. a corrupt or vicious person (noun, adjective) dĭ-jĕnər-ĭtIn TV police dramas, the cops are always chasingthieves, thugs, and other degenerates. (noun)Only a degenerate person could like the horrifyingviolence in that movie. (adjective)Copyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved. Related Wordsdegeneration (noun) Wet macular degeneration is a visual problemcaused by problems in the retina of the eye.degenerative (adjective) Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative conditionthat worsens with time.6. genesis (noun) jĕnĭ-sĭs (Plural: geneses)From Greek: gen (birth) (Genesis meant “birth” or “origin” inancient Greek.)origin; beginningPre-Hispanic customs are the genesis of many Mexicanholiday traditions.Careful observation is the genesis of many scientificdiscoveries.The first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis, describesthe creation of the world.