PRECIOUS BLOOD - RIRUTA
ENGLISH DAY 10TH OCTOBER , 2025
SPELLING BEE COMPETITION WORDS
1. Abattoir
Noun
A slaughterhouse.
2. Abhorrent
Adjective
Inspiring disgust and loathing.
Child abuse is abhorrent and unacceptable behaviour.
3. Absenteeism
Noun
The practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason
The rate of absenteeism at this school must be reduced.
4. Acquisitive
Adjective
Meaning: Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things.
We live in a competitive and acquisitive society.
5. Amalgamate
Verb
Combine or unite to form one organisation or structure.
The organisations responsible for organising football for different communities in
the district must amalgamate to form one
association.
6. Anorexia
Noun
Lack of appetite in food. An emotional disorder characterised by an obsessive desire
to lose weight by refusing to eat.
Anorexia is a big problem with women who wish to have successful careers as
models.
7. Benevolent
Adjective
Well-meaning and kind.
He was a benevolent teacher who went out of his way to help poor and struggling
learners.
8. Bizarre
Adjective
Very strange and unusual.
The bizarre weather left the farmers confused.
9. Boisterous
Adjective
Noisy, energetic, and cheerful.
A group of boisterous lads danced the whole night at the new club.
10. Brigadier
Noun
A rank of an officer in the army, above colonel and below major general.
Brigadier Mulaudzi of the Hawks is currently addressing the Press Conference
regarding ongoing state capture investigations.
11. Bureaucracy
Noun
A system of government in which most decisions are taken by state officials rather
than by elected representatives or many rules and regulations that have to be
followed before simple tasks.
Many people have become frustrated with the unnecessary bureaucracy shown by
local government officials.
12. Chauffeur
Noun
A person employed to drive a car.
They arrived at the matric dance in a chauffeur- driven limousine.
13. Connoisseur
Noun
An expert in matters of taste such as music, art and cuisine.
She was invited to be a guest judge because she is considered to be a connoisseur of
music.
14. Debris
Noun
Scattered rubbish or remains.
Workmen were clearing the roads of the debris from shattered buildings after the
gale force winds.
15. Delinquency
Noun
Minor crime, especially those committed by young people.
There are distinct social causes of crime and delinquency.
16. Demeanour
Noun
Outward behaviour or bearing.
One’s demeanour can tell a lot about one’s
upbringing.
17. Dexterity
Noun
Skills in performing tasks especially with the hands.
Her dexterity with chopsticks is delightful.
18. Entourage
Noun
A group of people attending to or surrounding an important person.
An entourage of loyal courtiers.
19. Excruciating
Adjective
Intensely painful.
The pain from the knee operation was excruciating.
20. Exquisite
Adjective
Very beautiful and delicate.
She wore exquisite jewellery on her wedding.
21. Exuberant
Adjective
Lively and cheerful.
The headmaster told the exuberant learners about the exciting trip overseas.
22. Formidable
Adjective
Inspiring fear or respect through impressive size, strength or capability.
He took months to prepare for his fight against the formidable opponent.
[Link]
Adjective
Excessively talkative.
The garrulous cab driver kept me entertained throughout my journey.
23. Gesticulate
Verb
Gesture drastically in place of or to emphasise speech.
They were shouting and gesticulating frantically at drivers who did not slow down.
24. Incoherent
Adjective
Incomprehensible or confusing in speech or writing.
He screamed some incoherent threats at the criminal.
25. Indomitable
Adjective
Impossible to subdue or defeat.
The indomitable teacher fought for her learners’ rights against all odds.
26. Insecticide
Noun
A substance used for killing insects.
One must be careful when using insecticides in the home because many of them can
harm pets.
27. Insinuate
Verb
Suggest (something bad) in an indirect and unpleasant way.
It is very hard to deal with people who insinuate that you have done something
wrong, but do not come out honestly to accuse
you so that you can defend yourself.
28. Jeopardise
Verb
Put at risk of loss, harm, or failure.
If you are a lazy, unreliable worker, you are likely to jeopardise your career.
29. Kleptomania
Noun
A recurrent urge to steal.
There is no doubt that the goods in the store are being stolen; kleptomania is
obviously at work.
30. Lieutenant
Noun
A deputy or substitute acting for a superior in the force.
The co-pilot of a jet plane is often called the flight lieutenant.
31. Manoeuvre
Noun
A physical movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.
Snowboarders performed daring manoeuvres on precipitous slopes.
32. Masquerade
Noun
A false show or pretence.
Showing off and trying to impress others with your skills and influence is just a
masquerade to cover up your insecurities.
33. Mirage
Noun
An unrealistic hope or wish that cannot be achieved.
The hope of sanctuary initially proved to be a mirage.
34. Miscellaneous
Adjective
Of various type.
He picked up the miscellaneous papers in his in tray.
35. Mischievously
Adverb
Causing or disposed to mischief.
She met his eyes and smiled mischievously.
36. Mortgage
Noun
An agreement by which a bank or building society lends money at interest in which
exchange for talking title of the debtors property with the condition that onveyance
of title becomes void upon the payment of the debt.
I put down a hundred thousand in cash and took out a mortgage for the rest when I
bought my house.
37. Ominous
Adjective
Giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen.
The arrival of the police was an ominous sign.
38. Ostentations
Adjective
Characterised by pretentious show display; designed to impress.
Her ring is a simple design that is glamorous without being ostentatious.
39. Paraphernalia
Noun
Miscellaneous articles especially the equipment needed for a particular activity.
His car was filled with paper cups, streamers, balloons and other party paraphernalia.
40. Picturesque
Adjective
Visually attractive in a quaint or charming manner.
We got postcards featuring the ruined abbeys and picturesque villages we had seen.
41. Porcelain
Noun
A white vitrified translucent ceramic; china
I will use a porcelain bowl to serve the fruit salad.
42. Quiver
Verb
Shake or tremble with a slight rapid motion.
The growling dog made him quiver with fear.
43. Reincarnation
Noun
The rebirth of the soul in a new baby.
The Buddhists believe in the reincarnation of the human soul.
44. Solitaire
Noun
A game for one player played by removing pegs from a board one at time by
jumping others over them from an adjacent hole, the object to be left with only one
peg.
I like playing solitaire on my phone.
45. Sophisticated
Adjective
Showing worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture.
His dressing showed a sophisticated sense of style.
46. Souvenir
Noun
An item that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event.
The recording provides a souvenir of a great production.
47. Spontaneous
Adjective
Performed or occurring as a result of an
The uproar at the stadium was a spontaneous
48. Subpoena
Verb
To order a person to attend a court session (as a witness)
The Queen is above the law and cannot be subpoenaed.
49. Valour
Noun
Courage in the face of danger, especially in battle.
It was with sheer valour that the United Nations Peace forces managed to enforce
peace between the warring forces.
50. Poignant
Adjective
Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.
The sermon was a poignant reminder of the difficult life that my grandfather had
lived as a young man.
51. Pseudonym
Noun
A fictitious name, especially one used by the author.
I wrote the article under the pseudonym of Evelyn Hervey.
52. Questionnaire
Noun
A set of printed questions, usually with a choice of answers, devised for a survey or
statistical study.
To obtain the data she needed, she designed a questionnaire, which she asked a wide
range of people to answer.
53. Rapturous
Adjective
Feeling or showing great pleasure and enthusiasm.
He was greeted with a rapturous applause.
54. Rebuttal
Noun
A refutation or contradiction.
According to the judge, rebuttal without evidence is a criminal offense.
55. Recuperate
Verb
Recover from illness or exertion.
She has been recuperating from a knee injury.
56. Renaissance
Noun
The rival of art and literature under the influence of classical models in the 14th -
16th centuries; rebirth or revival.
Going to the cinema is enjoying something of a renaissance.
57. Repercussion
Noun
An indirect result of an event or action.
The move would have grave repercussions for the entire region.
58. Reservoir
Noun
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
The more water we use, the more land has to be flooded for reservoirs.
59. Resurgent
Adjective
Increasing or reviving after a period of little activity, popularity, or occurrence.
After a year of gloom, there was a sudden resurgent optimism.
60. Retentive
Adjective
(of a person’s memory ) effective in retaining facts
and impressions
My aunt’s retentive memory gradually faded when she was taken ill.
61. Reverberate
Verb
(Of a loud noise) be repeated as an echo.
Her laugh reverberates throughout the house.
62. Rowdy
Adjective
Noisy and disorderly.
It was a rowdy but good-natured crowd.
63. Scrupulous
Adjective
Diligent, thorough, and attentive to details.
The research has been carried out with scrupulous attention to detail.
64. Skirmish
Noun
An episode of irregular or unpremeditated fighting, especially between small or
outlying parts of armies.
The unit was caught in several skirmishes and the commanding officer was killed.
65. Squalor
Noun
The state of being squalid; dirty and unpleasant conditions.
Many people in Africa live in squalor.
66. Superstitious
Adjective
Having or showing belief in superstition.
The coach of the Bees Soccer Club is superstitious as he always wears a pink shirt
with the hope of repeating previous wins
during big games.
67. Tranquil
Adjective
Free from disturbance; calm.
My occasional drives in the Kruger National Park’s tranquil roads are always
refreshing.
68. Ubiquitous
Adjective
Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
The ubiquitous bicycle of university towns.
69. Versatile
Adjective
Able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities.
A pocketknife is a versatile device which is useful in many different situations.
70. Paediatrics
Noun
The branch of medicine concerned with children and their diseases.
My General Practitioner loves children so she went for training to specialise in
Paediatrics.
71. Paparazzo
Noun
A freelance photographer who pursues celebrities to get photographs of them.
She inclined her head graciously, permitting the paparazzo to take photographs of
her.
72. Patriarchy
Noun
A form of social organisation in which the father or oldest male is the head of the
family and descent is reckoned through the male line.
Some African cultures are so rooted in patriarchy that a young male is able to
make decisions for older female members of the family.
73. Percussion
Noun
The action of playing a musical instrument by striking or shaking it.
Percussion instruments form part of their jazz ensemble.
74. Perforation
Noun
A hole made by boring or piercing.
The perforations allow water to enter the well.
75. Permissible
Adjective
Allowable and permitted.
It is permissible to edit and rephrase the statement.
76. Pernicious
Adjective
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
The pernicious influences of the mass media sometimes take time to be visible.
77. Perpetrate
Verb
To carry out or commit (a harmful, illegal, or immoral
The criminal perpetrated illicit trade on the
78. Perpetuate
Verb
To propagate or cause to continue indefinitely.
People who perpetuate violence should receive heavy punishment.
79. Perplex
Verb
Couse (someone) to feel baffled.
The big words in his speech perplexed the students.
80. Predecessor
Noun
A person who held a job or office before the current holder.
The new President's foreign policy is very similar to that of his predecessor.
81. Prejudice
Noun
Preconceived opinion that is not based on a reason or actual experience.
English prejudice against foreigners.
82. Preposterous
Adjective
Utterly absurd or ridiculous.
The entire community saw his suggestion that we walk the entire journey as
preposterous.
83. Pretentious
Adjective
Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually
possessed.
The pretentious art films usually get more attention than they deserve.
84. Procrastinate
Verb
Delay or postpone action.
I always put things off for later so it can be said that I like to procrastinate.
85. Pronunciation
Noun
The way in which a word is pronounced.
Spelling does not necessarily determine
86. Prosthetics
Noun
Artificial body parts: prostheses.
It is impossible for the boy who lost both legs in the accident to walk without
prosthetics.
87. Quadrilateral
Noun
A four-sided figure.
I know that the square and rectangle are quadrilaterals.
88. Quintile
Noun
Each of five equal groups into which a population can be divided according to the
distribution of values and variable.
The quintile 1 schools do not charge school fees in South Africa.
89. Ransack
Verb
Go hurriedly through (a place) stealing things and causing damage.
The burglars ransacked her home.
90. Juvenescence
Noun
The renewal of youth or vitality.
Many companies sell miracle creams which promise skin juvenescence.
91. Reservoir
Noun
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
The more water we use, the more land has to be flooded for reservoirs.
92. Ridiculous
Adjective
Inviting ridicule; absurd.
Take off that ridiculous tartan cap.
93. Sceptic
Noun
A person inclined to question or doubt the truth of Christianity and other religious;
an atheist.
Even Mr Simon, the sceptic, now believes that Kenya can win the FIFA World Cup.
94. Superintendent
Noun
A person who supervises or is in charge of an organisation or department.
The southern area superintendent called a meeting today.
95. Surveillance
Noun
Close observation, especially by a suspected spy or criminal.
He found himself put under surveillance by British Military intelligence.
96. Syndicate
Noun
A group of individuals or organisations which combine to promote a common
interest.
There is a syndicate that collects the old Volkswagen Beetles in this town.
97. Tambourine
Noun
A percussion instrument resembling a shallow drum with metal discs around the
edge, played by being shaken or hit with the hand.
She played and danced with the tambourine during the festival.
98. Tenacious
Adjective
Not readily relinquishing something; keeping a firm hold.
He tenaciously gripped the rails to keep from falling.
99. Vengeance
Noun
Punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.
The father is ready to mete out vengeance on the culprits who beat his son.
100. Vicious
Adjective
Cruel or violent.
Any vicious assault should be reported to the police.