Question

vocabulary for unit 1: list 1
activity 1: words in context
directions: use context clues to determine the meaning of each of your new vocabulary words. write
your best guess at the definition in the right - hand column.

word	in context from the great gatsby	possible definition

| ambiguous | \i knew he was below me. everybody kept saying to me:
‘lucille, that man’s way below you!’ but if i hadn’t met
chester, he’d of got me sure.\
\yes, but listen,\ said myrtle wilson, nodding her head up
and down, \at least you didn’t marry him.\
\i know i didn’t.\
\well, i married him,\ said myrtle, ambiguously. \and
that’s the difference between your case and mine.\ | |
| apathetic | mrs. wilson was first concerned with the dog. a reluctant
elevator boy went for a box full of straw and some milk, to
which he added on his own initiative a tin of large, hard
dog biscuits — one of which decomposed apathetically in
the saucer of milk all afternoon. | |
| coherence | a subdued impassioned murmur was audible in the room
beyond, and miss baker leaned forward unashamed,
trying to hear. the murmur trembled on the verge of
coherence, sank down, mounted excitedly, and then
ceased altogether. | |
| condescend | instead of rambling, this party had preserved a dignified
homogeneity, and assumed to itself the function of
representing the staid nobility of the countryside — east
egg condescending to west egg and carefully on guard
against its spectroscopic gaiety. | |
| contemptuous| \and you found he was an oxford man,\ said jordan
helpfully.
\an oxford man!\ he was incredulous. \like hell he
is!...oxford, new mexico,\ snorted tom contemptuously,
\or something like that.\ | |

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Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each word using context clues:

Ambiguous

• Context: Myrtle’s statement about marriage has unclear intent (she says she married him, but tone/meaning is not straightforward).
• Possible Definition: Having more than one meaning; unclear or open to interpretation.

Apathetic

• Context: The dog biscuit decomposed without any “care” or reaction (just sat in milk).
• Possible Definition: Showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion; indifferent.

Coherence

• Context: The murmur “trembled on the verge of coherence” (tried to become clear/organized) then stopped.
• Possible Definition: Logical consistency; the quality of being clear, organized, and easy to understand.

Condescend

• Context: East Egg (upper class) acts superior to West Egg (new money), “condescending” (looking down) on it.
• Possible Definition: To behave in a way that shows you think you are better or more important than others; to patronize.

Contemptuous

• Context: Tom snorts and mocks the idea of someone being an “Oxford man” (thinks it’s absurd/false), showing disrespect.
• Possible Definition: Showing or feeling contempt (disgust, disrespect, or scorn) for someone/something.

(These definitions are inferred from how the words are used in The Great Gatsby excerpts, focusing on context clues like tone, actions, and surrounding text.)

For example, if we take "Ambiguous" as the focus:

In the context, Myrtle’s statement about her marriage has an unclear, open - to - interpretation tone. So "ambiguous" likely means having more than one possible meaning or being unclear.

Answer:

Having more than one meaning; unclear or open to interpretation (for the word "Ambiguous", similar reasoning applies to other words as above)