Concoct — A Vocabulary Story
Mei's Marvellous Mixture
Mei had decided that Mum's birthday present would be perfume. Proper perfume cost pounds and pounds, so Mei would concoct her own in the garden shed.
Concoct means to make something by mixing different ingredients together. It can also mean to invent a story, plan, or excuse, often a dishonest one.
She collected rose petals, a squirt of lemon, three mint leaves and — because it was a lovely colour — a splash of water from the flower vase. She stirred it all in a jam jar with a lolly stick, feeling very much like a scientist.
Then she sniffed it.
"Urgh!" The mixture smelt like a pond wearing wellies. The vase water had been sitting there for a week, and it showed.
Her little brother Jun poked his head round the door. "What died in here?"
"Nothing died. I'm concocting perfume," said Mei, holding her nose.
"For Mum? She'll smell like a swamp at her own birthday tea!"
Mei refused to give up. She tipped the jar out, rinsed it twice, and started again — fresh petals, fresh mint, and this time water straight from the tap. Jun donated a strawberry from his snack, squashing it in with great seriousness.
The new mixture smelt of summer. Mostly. There was a whiff of shed, but you had to sniff hard to find it.
On her birthday, Mum dabbed the perfume behind her ears like a film star. "Did you two concoct this yourselves? It's gorgeous."
"First try," said Mei.
Jun opened his mouth. Mei stood, very gently, on his foot.
"First try," agreed Jun, wincing.
Word Definition
concoct
meaning
to make something by mixing different ingredients together; to invent a story, plan, or excuse, often a dishonest one
synonyms
invent · devise · fabricate · brew · contrive
antonyms
destroy · dismantle · unravel
example sentence
She tried to concoct a tasty stew from the leftovers.