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con • sti • tu • tion n., physical makeup of a person. Fran’s constitution suffered from sitting at a desk for hours with no time to exercise.

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a • vail vi., be of use or advantage. Maurice’s attempts to get concert tickets availed nothing, for they were sold out.

gulf n., wide, deep gap or separation. People cross gulfs upon fallen trees in the movies, but I dared not cross the cavernous drop myself.

con • triv • ance n., invention; ingenious plan. I feared we’d be trapped in the pit for days, but Mara’s clever contrivance freed us in no time.

sov • er • eign adj., above or superior to all others. With sovereign power, the superintendent decided the truant student’s fate.

sub • serve vt., be useful or helpful; serve. The pious nun subserved her God.

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loath • some adj., disgusting. The loathsome beast left a trail of slime in the wake of its destruction.

ab • hor vt., shrink from in disgust. “I abhor snakes,” said my aunt, looking at my reptilian pet with disgust.

pro • voke vt., anger, irritate, annoy. “Don’t poke the dog with that stick. You’ll only provoke him,” Derek said.

as • cribe vt., assign; attribute. Glenda ascribed her success at basketball to her mother’s coaching.

in • cense vt., make very angry. Muriel was incensed when she found Myron had stolen her idea.

in • duce vt., persuade; prevail on. Despite the rising flood waters, no one could induce Otto to leave his home.