blight, servility, adulation, larceny, hangar: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Proficient Plus set 55. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. blight · noun/blaɪt/

   a plant disease characterized by rapid and extensive discoloration and death of plant tissues

   The garden was affected by a terrible blight that made the leaves turn brown and fall off.

   Synonyms: disease, rot, decay

   Origin: Middle English blight, from Old English blīht; related to an Old Norse word 'blik', meaning to shine or to be bright, possibly referring to the discoloration of diseased plants.

2. servility · noun/sərˈvɪl.ɪ.ti/

   excessive willingness to serve or please others

   His servility to his boss made him very unpopular among his coworkers.

   Synonyms: obsequiousness, submissiveness, compliance

   Origin: from Latin 'servilis' meaning 'of a slave or service, servile'

3. adulation · noun/ˌædʒəˈleɪʃən/

   excessive flattery or admiration

   The singer received a lot of adulation from her fans after the concert.

   Synonyms: flattery, admiration, praise

   Origin: from Latin 'adulatio', meaning 'to flatter or to soothe'

4. larceny · noun/ˈlɑr.sə.ni/

   the unlawful taking of someone else's property with the intent to permanently deprive them of it

   The man was arrested for larceny after he stole a bike from the park.

   Synonyms: theft, stealing, robbery

   Origin: The word 'larceny' comes from the Latin 'larcinia', which means 'to steal'.

5. hangar · noun/ˈhæŋɚ/

   a large building used for storing and maintaining aircraft

   The airplane was parked inside the large hangar for repairs.

   Synonyms: shelter, garage, barn

   Origin: The word 'hangar' comes from the Old French 'hangar', meaning 'shelter' or 'shed'.