Cornucopia

Word: Cornucopia

Part of Speech: Noun.

Definition: Traditionally a horn filled with an endless supply of food (“Horn of Plenty”), but also refers to any abundant supply. 

Synonyms: Bounty, plenty.

Antonyms: Dearth.

Helpful hints to remember: The Cornucopia is a common Thanksgiving motif. 

Sentences: 

There was a cornucopia of offerings from agents after the amateur model suffered a wardrobe malfunction onstage. 

The tome was a cornucopia of information about ancient beasts. 

Dowdy

Word: Dowdy

Part of Speech: Adjective.

Definition: Plain, disorganized, or not in style. 

Synonyms: Shabby, tacky. 

Antonyms: Chic.

Note: As a noun this word refers to a woman who is dowdy, or in other words, unattractive.

Sentences: 

Nobody wanted to date Frank's dowdy sister. 

Paul was horrified when his blind date turned out to be a dowdy. 

"You don't have to be dowdy to be a Christian." - Tammy Faye Bakker

Phrenic

Word: Phrenic

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: Relating to the mind or the diaphragm.

Synonyms: Cerebral

Antonyms: Ignorant

Helpful hints to remember: Your phrenic nerve reaches from your neck (think mind) to your diaphram. “Phren” is also the ancient Greek word for mind, which is where we get the word “phrenology” from, which is a psudoscientific field of study that predates modern psychology. 

Note: This word is rather rare, and is more likely to show up on the MCAT verbal section. 

Sentences: 

There are many websites that offer computers games to increase your phrenic capabilities. 

At first, the mother was most concerned about the horrible bruise on her son's head, but once he started slurring his speech, she began to fear that his injury might be more phrenic in nature. 

Banal

Word: Banal

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: Cliché, trite, or unoriginal. 

Synonyms: Hackneyed.

Antonyms: Fresh.

Sentences: 

The film critic mused to himself that he was not going to sit through another banal film at the festival, or else he would go mad. 

“You can control and censor a child's reading, but you can't control her interpretations; no one can guess how a message that to adults seems banal or ridiculous or outmoded will alter itself and evolve inside the darkness of a child's heart.”

Every patient hated the banal “smooth jazz” that pervaded the physician's waiting room.

Canard

Word: Canard

Part of Speech:

Definition: A rumor with no basis or “hoax” that is often meant to be damaging.

Synonyms: Sham

Antonyms: Fact

Helpful hints to remember: This is another French word that literally means “duck”. I am not sure why calling something a duck would equate to a hoax, 

Sentences: 

Rosie's rumor about her best friend being a slut was intended to make everyone hate Julia, but the canard ultimately worked against her when she was revealed to the lie's source.

"It has been my policy not to respond to each of the many canards which have been part of the campaign to discredit my investigation, nor to waste time trying to...”

Seminal

Word: Seminal

Part of Speech: Adjective.

Definition: Pertaining to seed or semen; able to create; or an original and influential forerunner that provides a basis for some form of future work.

Synonyms: Germinal.

Antonyms: Banal.

Helpful hints to remember: Germ cells are to germinal as semen is to seminal. 

Sentences: 

Andy Warhol is considered to be a seminal artist. 

“The seminal elements of what makes a story great - challenge, struggle, resolution - are the same whether we're talking about story content for a movie such as 'Rain Man,' or telling a purposeful story to forge new business relationships or conclude a fruitful transaction, such as acquiring an NBA franchise.”

The seminal fluid was the core piece of evidence in the rape case. 

Wax

Word: Wax

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To grow or increase 

Synonyms: Mount

Antonyms: Wane

Warning: I cannot stress enough how common this word is.  

Sentences: 

“Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive.”

Even though the old woman was quite surely, her grandchildren were always able to wax her kindness.

Note: The rising moon is to wax as the setting moon to wane.