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Spawn and today's word engender are close synonyms meaning "to breed, to bring into being." But while spawn reminds us of little masses of eggs laid by cold-blooded creatures, engender is more warm-blooded--and more warm.
When you need to avoid that whole reproductive metaphor, though, you might pick the word in____: it's from a Latin word meaning "to put into rapid motion," and like spawn and engender, it means "to breed, to cause something to happen." Can you recall it?
make your point with...
"ENGENDER"
To engender something is to cause it, or to bring it into being.
Pronunciation:
en JEN dur
Part of speech:
Transitive verb.
(Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object.
You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone.
Likewise, you engender something, or something engenders something else.)
Other forms:
engendered, engendering
How to use it:
Like I mentioned above, "engender" reminds us of warm-blooded animals being born: it suggests reactions so strong that they seem to live and breathe. But unlike the purely negative words "spawn" and "instigate," and unlike the positive word "stimulate," "engender" by itself is neither positive nor negative. It's just warm, and strong.
Talk about people, statements, and actions that engender emotions and reactions. For example, we engender dialogue and controversy, trust and respect, empathy and sympathy, friendship and camaraderie, admiration and devotion, love and hatred, passion, interest and excitement, hope and false hope, optimism and pessimism, jealousy, resentment, pride and shame, anger, chaos, unrest, divisiveness, and discrimination.
You might also engender things between, among, or within people or groups, or engender things for or against someone or something.
examples:
By opening up about his struggle to quit drinking, the actor engendered a nationwide outpouring of support and encouragement.
The article tells a sad story. A beloved store is failing, its owners driven out by vicious political harassment. But below the article, in the comments section, it's apparent that the story has engendered little sympathy and a great deal of skepticism.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "engender" means when you can explain it without saying "give birth to, figuratively" or "produce a reaction."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "The only thing (someone or something) is capable of engendering is _____."
Example: "The only thing excessive homework is capable of engendering is stress."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing with lines of poetry that include words we've checked out together in previous issues. I’ll give you a few lines from the poem, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it. Each answer will appear in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:
From Evan Kennedy's poem "(The) Abashed:"
"My only security has been to garden civility
in city boots scuffled along the way
by im_____enta to my solace."
Definition: things that slow you down or make it hard for you to move forward. (Hint: five syllables.)
Answer: impedimenta.
Try this today:
From Walt Whitman's poem "A Noiseless Patient Spider:"
"Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the ________ thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul."
Definition: so thin, light, and delicate that it reminds you of the stuff spiderwebs are made of. (Hints: three syllables, starts with G.)
review today's word:
1. The opposite of ENGENDER is
A. CHECK
B. KILL
C. VEX
2. McKeachie's Teaching Tips offers college instructors strategies to engender _____.
A. plagiarism
B. productive class discussions
C. helicopter parents who still try to influence their children's instructors
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. B
Spawn and today's word engender are close synonyms meaning "to breed, to bring into being." But while spawn reminds us of little masses of eggs laid by cold-blooded creatures, engender is more warm-blooded--and more warm.
"ENGENDER" To engender something is to cause it, or to bring it into being. Part of speech:
By opening up about his struggle to quit drinking, the actor engendered a nationwide outpouring of support and encouragement.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "engender" means when you can explain it without saying "give birth to, figuratively" or "produce a reaction."
Fill in the blanks: "The only thing (someone or something) is capable of engendering is _____."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of ENGENDER is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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