Unit 7 Vocabulary:

The Choice to be Amish

Most definitions and
example sentences are
taken from either the
Merrium-Webster Online
Learnerss Dictionary or the
NorthStar 3 Reading and
Writing Book (3rd Edition)
 Pious
Synonyms: godly,
religious

Adjective: deeply
religious; devoted to a
particular religion

The Amish are a pious

people.
 Allow
Verb: permit to do
something
Allow love to flow threw
you.
 Convenience

Noun: things that make

life easier and more
comfortable

The Amish are known

for living without
modern conveniences
such as a computer.
 Socialize
Synonyms: hang out,
converse

Verb: to talk and do things

with other people in a
friendly way

The Amish meet in home-

based churches and
socialize with family and
friends from the
community.
 Bond
Synonym: connection,
closeness

Noun: a feeling of closeness

He is trying to maintain his

bonds with his family by using
the Internet, but living far
away has still been difficult.

Verb: to join (something)

together; to form a close
relationship with someone
 Maintain
Synonyms: keep,
preserve

Verb: to keep or continue

I want to maintain my
weight, so I need to eat
well and exercise.
As the years pass, the
Amish maintain their
simple farming style.
 Establish
Synonyms: set up, start,
found

Verb: to begin
something

Pious and hardworking,

the Amish established
farming communities.
 Settle down
Synonyms: stabilize, take root
Verb:
1. to become quiet, calm, or orderly
- The mother told the child to settle down.
2. to become a part of a community or region
(to begin to live a quiet and steady life by getting a regular
job, getting married)
- The Amish settled down in the United States and Canada.
- My mom is always asking me when I am going to settle down.
 Persecution
Synonyms: abuse,
mistreatment

Noun: cruel and unfair

treatment (especially
because of race, religious
or political beliefs).

Different groups have been

persecuted for their beliefs.
 Increase

Verb: to make great in

size or amount

The number of Amish

has not declined but has
increased.
 Decline

Verb: to decrease; to
become lower in
amount or less in
number

The number of Amish

has not declined but
has increased.
 Be up in the air

Verb phrase: to be
unable to decide

Ruth Irene was up in

the air about her
decision to marry Ottie.
 The pros and cons

Noun phrase: good and

bad sides

As Ruth and Ottie

developed a friendship,
she had to think about
the pros and cons of
being close to an
outsider.
 The deciding factor

Noun: the most important reason

He has the opportunity to start his own

business in Hong Kong. This was the deciding
factor for him.
 Be stuck between
a rock and a hard place
Verb phrase: having a
hard time with a difficult
choice

While she really liked

Ottie, she knew that if she
followed him into the
outside world, she would
lose her Amish
relationships. She was
really struck between a
rock and a hard place.
 Turn (someone) down

Verb: to say no to
someone

If she turned Ottie

down, she might never
see him again.
 Open up a can of worms

Verb phrase: to make a

problem more
complicated

Dont make things more

complicated than they
need to be; dont open
up a can of worms.
 Regret
Noun: a feeling of sadness
or disappointment about
something you did or
didnt do
Synonym: remorse
He knew that he would face
a lifetime of regret if he did
not try it.
Verb: to feel sad or sorry
about
I deeply regret what I said.