rubble, crevice, mote, treason, sincerity: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 2 set 14. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. rubble · noun/ˈrʌb.əl/

   broken fragments of stone or brick, typically resulting from demolition or destruction

   After the earthquake, the city was covered in rubble, making rescue operations extremely challenging.

   Synonyms: debris, wreckage, ruins

   Origin: Middle English 'rubel', from Old French 'rubel', related to the verb 'rubbler' meaning 'to rub off'.

2. crevice · noun/ˈkrɛvɪs/

   a narrow opening or fissure in a surface

   The small lizard quickly darted into a crevice between the rocks to avoid being seen.

   Synonyms: fissure, gap, crack

   Origin: from Middle English 'crevis', from Old French 'crevasse', stemming from Latin 'crepare' meaning 'to crack'.

3. mote · noun/moʊt/

   a tiny speck or particle, especially of dust

   A single mote of dust danced in the sunlight streaming through the window.

   Synonyms: speck, particle, fragment

   Origin: from Old English 'mōta', meaning 'small, thin particle'

4. treason · noun/ˈtriː.zən/

   the betrayal of one’s country or oath of allegiance

   The government charged the former official with treason after discovering he had secretly communicated with foreign agents.

   Synonyms: betrayal, disloyalty, treachery

   Origin: from Middle English 'treson', from Old French 'trahir', from Latin 'traditionem', meaning 'to hand over, deliver'.

5. sincerity · noun/sɪnˈsɪr.ɪ.ti/

   the quality of being honest and genuine in feelings and intentions

   Her sincerity and openness in the meeting helped build trust among the team members.

   Synonyms: honesty, genuineness, authenticity

   Origin: derived from Latin 'sinceritas', from 'sincerus' meaning 'clean, pure, whole'