(a) Tom broke a VASE. -> A vase is something that Tom broke OR: A vase is something that a person can break. (a generalization) (b) All chances for agreement were now gone, and compromise would now be impossible; in short, an IMPASSE had been reached. -> An impasse is something that is reached when all chances for agreement are gone and compromise is impossible. (c) All the students made very good grades on the tests, so their teacher COMMENDED them for doing so well. -> Commending is something that a teacher does when students do well/get good grades OR: Commending is something that a person does when another person does something well. (a generalization) (d) Sandra had won the dance contest and the audience's cheers brought her to the stage for an encore. "Every step she takes is so perfect and graceful," Ginny said GRUDGINGLY, as she watched Sandra dance. -> Grudgingly is the way that Ginny said "..." as she watched Sandra dance OR: Grudgingly is a way that a person can say something (OR: praise someone) when they watch someone do something well. (e) Dan heard the door open and wondered who had arrived. He couldn't make out the voices. Then he recognized the LUMBERING footsteps on the stairs and knew it was Aunt Grace. -> Lumbering is a property of Aunt Grace's footsteps on stairs OR: Lumbering is a property (maybe a sound) of a person's footsteps. (f) Joe and Stan arrived at the party at 7 o'clock. By 9:30 the evening seemed to drag for Stan. But Joe really seemed to be having a good time at the party. "I wish I could be as GREGARIOUS as he is," thought Stan. -> Being gregarious is a way that Joe, who was having a good time, behaved at the party. OR: Being gregarious is a way that a person who is having a good time can behave. Note: See point 7, below, for an alternative way to get an initial hypothesis! That's probably enough examples. Each one can, using PK, generate a host of questions, which the reader can seek answers for: (a) What kinds of things might Tom break? What kinds of things can be broken? (Possible answers: fragile physical objects, laws or rules) (b) What can you do/can't you do when compromise is impossible? (c) What kinds of things do you do when someone else does something well? (d) In what ways can you praise a person? (Note that possible answers to this question might include things like "sarcastically" or "unwillingly".) (e) What kinds of properties might footsteps have? What noises can they make? What kinds of footstep noises are made by small people/big people? (f) How do people behave at parties when they're having a good time? Answers to questions like these can refine the initial hypothesis. So: * Create an initial hypothesis by making the unfamiliar word the subject of a sentence * Think about the answers to questions that can be asked about this hypothesis. ... 6. Continue reading, looking for more clues/constraints, possibly/preferably in contexts containing further occurrences of the unfamiliar term. If you come across the term again, does your current definitional hypothesis make sense? If so, fine; if not, you'll need to revise it. In any case, you might find more clues/constraints to help you refine it. If you revise your hypothesis, does it make sense in all contexts in which you have seen the term? (Or only in the current context? If the latter, then you've probably made a mistake!). 7. We probably need to say something about the two situations in which you might already think you know what the word means. Case 1: The "smite" case: Suppose you believe (but perhaps not too strongly) that you know what the unknown term means. That can be your initial hypothesis for revision (see point 2, above). But perhaps the current use of the term is inconsistent with what you think it means. Either you're wrong, or the author is using the term differently. In either case, you need to revise your hypothesis. Case 2: The "dress" case: Suppose you believe storngly that you know what the unknown term means, but that the author is using it very differently. You're unwilling to change your beliefs. In this case, perhaps the term is polysemous/ambiguous, and you need to find its new meaning. Once you have the new meaning, you might see if there's some more general meaning under which both your old meaning and the new one fall.