Proficient Plus — Set 9

Set 9 of Proficient Plus covers 5 words: enshroud, mire, imbue, repudiate, curb. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. enshroud · verb/ɪnˈʃraʊd/

   to cover or envelop completely as if with a shroud

   The dense fog began to enshroud the town, making it difficult to see the streets.

   Synonyms: cover, cloak, conceal

   Origin: from the prefix 'en-' meaning 'to cause to be' and 'shroud', which comes from Old English 'scrūd' meaning 'a garment' or 'covering'.

2. mire · noun/maɪr/

   a stretch of swampy or boggy ground

   The hikers got stuck in the thick mire while trying to cross the swamp.

   Synonyms: swamp, bog, mud

   Origin: Middle English 'mire', from Old English 'myre', of Germanic origin

3. imbue · verb/ɪmˈbju/

   to instill or permeate with a feeling, quality, or idea

   The teacher wanted to imbue her students with a love for reading.

   Synonyms: infuse, permeate, instill

   Origin: from Latin 'imbuere', meaning 'to wet, soak, or saturate'

4. repudiate · verb/rɪˈpjuː.diˌeɪt/

   to refuse to accept or support something or someone

   The teacher decided to repudiate the student's unfair claims about the exam.

   Synonyms: reject, deny, dismiss

   Origin: from Latin 'repudiare' meaning 'to cast off, reject'

5. curb · noun/kɜrb/

   a restrained or controlled limit on something

   The city is trying to find a curb on traffic to reduce congestion.

   Synonyms: limit, restriction, control

   Origin: The word 'curb' originated from the Old French 'corbe', meaning 'a curve', which evolved in Middle English.