Set 5 Flashcards
invariably
in‧var‧i‧a‧bly
/ɪnˈveəriəbli $ -ˈver-/
If something invariably happens or is invariably true, it always happens or is always true: ALWAYS, every time, each time, on every occasion, at all times, without fail, without exception, whatever happens, universally, regularly, constantly
…It invariably rains when I go there.
…They almost invariably get it wrong.
…Their teamwork was invariably good.
…Invariably, he keeps the refrigerator well stocked.
> in- (“not, opposite of”) + variabilis “changeable”, Borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Old French variable, from Latin variare (“to change”), from varius (“different, various”). Equates to English vary + -able + -ly
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
voracious
voracious
> mid 17th century: from Latin vorax, vorac- (from vorare ‘devour’) + -ious.
> Oxford Dictionary of English
incongruity
in·con·gru·i·ty
/ˌinkənˈɡro͞oədē,ˌinkäNGˈɡro͞oədē/
[countable, uncountable] the fact that something is strange, unusual, or unsuitable in a particular situation; The incongruity of something is its strangeness when considered together with other aspects of a situation: INAPPROPRIATENESS, discrepancy, inconsistency, disparity
…She smiled at the incongruity of the question.
→ incongruity between
…the almost absurd incongruity between her wealth and her lifestyle
—incongruous adjective SYNONYMS out of place, out of keeping, inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited
> early 17th century: from Latin incongruus (from in- ‘not’ + congruus “suitable, agreeing,” from congruere “to agree, correspond with,” literally “to come together,” from assimilated form of com “with, together” (see con-) + a lost verb *gruere, *ruere “fall, rush”) + -ity.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
trope
trope
/trōp/
TECHNICAL
words, phrases, images etc that are used for an unusual or interesting effect; (art, literature) Something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature, such as the ‘mad scientist’ of horror movies or the use of the phrase ‘once upon a time’ as an introduction to fairy tales; a motif.
…cinematic tropes
…My sense that philosophy has become barren is a recurrent trope of modern philosophy.
USAGE NOTES:
In the art or literature sense, the word trope is similar to archetype and cliché, but is not necessarily pejorative /pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv $ -ˈdʒɔː-, -ˈdʒɑː-/.
> 1530s, from Latin tropus “a figure of speech,” from Greek tropos “a turn, direction, course, way; manner, fashion,” in rhetoric, “turn or figure of speech,” related to trope “a turning” and trepein “to turn,” from PIE root *trep- “to turn.” Technically, in rhetoric, “a figure of speech which consists in the use of a word or phrase in a sense other than that which is proper to it” [OED], “as when we call a stupid fellow an ass, or a shrewd man a fox” [Century Dictionary].
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
veterinarian
veterinarian
/veh·tr·uh·neh·ree·uhn/
indigestion
in‧di‧ges‧tion
/in·duh·jes·chn/
1 inability to digest or difficulty in digesting something
2 a case or attack of indigestion marked especially by a burning sensation or discomfort in the upper abdomen
Examples:
…The patient complained of indigestion and nausea.
…I like spicy foods but they always give me indigestion.
…Eating more than that can come with not-so-fun side effects like heartburn, indigestion, or diarrhea, Poulson says.
—Ashia Aubourg, SELF, 9 Oct. 2023
> late 14c., “difficulty or inability in digesting food,” from Old French indigestion (13c.), from Late Latin indigestionem (nominative indigestio), from in- “not, opposite of” (see in- (1)) + digestionem “arrangement, distribution” (see digestion).
> digestion (n.): late 14c., digestioun, “conversion of food to a state in which it can be absorbed into the blood from the alimentary canal,” from Old French digestion (13c.) and directly from Latin digestionem (nominative digestio) “digestion, arrangement,” noun of action from past-participle stem of digerere “to separate, divide, arrange,” etymologically “to carry apart,” from dis- “apart” (see dis-) + gerere “to carry” (see gest).
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
pacify
pacify
1 to make someone calm, quiet, and satisfied after they have been angry or upset.
2 to stop groups of people from fighting or protesting, often by using force.
> late 15th century (earlier (late Middle English) as pacification ): from Old French pacefier, from Latin pacificare, based on pax, pac- ‘peace’.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English
kaput
ka‧put
/kəˈpʊt/
INFORMAL
If you say that something is kaput, you mean that it is completely broken, useless, or finished: BROKEN, malfunctioning, broken-down, inoperative; ruined, destroyed
…‘What’s happened to your car?’—’It’s kaput.’
…The TV’s gone kaput.
…He finally admitted that his film career was kaput.
> From German kaputt (“broken, out of order”), from French capot (“to be without a trick in the card game Piquet”). Cognate to Dutch kapot.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
to run for cover
to run for cover
a) to run towards a place where you will be safe, especially to avoid bullets.
b) to attempt to avoid the fallout from some negative outcome or encounter.
…The company had one of the highest stock prices on the market, but the recent scandal has sent many investors running for cover.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, The Free Dictionary
indiscretion
in‧dis‧cre‧tion
/ˌɪndɪˈskreʃən/
[countable, uncountable] an action or remark that shows a lack of good judgment, especially one that is morally unacceptable: IMPRUDENCE, injudiciousness, lack of caution, incaution, irresponsibility; recklessness
…Occasionally they paid for their indiscretion with their lives.
…Earl describes his past links with the racist group as a youthful indiscretion.
…rumors of the former president’s sexual indiscretions
> Middle English: from late Latin indiscretio(n- ), from in- (expressing negation) + discretio ‘separation’ (in late Latin ‘discernment’), from discernere ‘separate out, discern’: From Middle English discernen, from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, discern”), from dis- (“apart”) + cernere (“to separate”)
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
quibble
quib‧ble
/ˈkwɪbəl/
verb
to argue about small unimportant details: SPLIT HAIRS, carp about, cavil at /ˈkævəl/, prevaricate
quibble about
quibble over
…Let’s not quibble over minor details.
…Council members spent the day quibbling over the final wording of the resolution.
noun
a small complaint or criticism about something unimportant: MINOR CRITICISM, trivial objection, trivial complaint
> quib + -le. Quib is probably from Latin quibus (“in what respect? how?”), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
veterinarian
veterinarian
solidarity
sol‧i‧dar‧i‧ty
/ˌsɒləˈdærəti $ ˌsɑː-/
/saa·luh·deh·ruh·tee/
: unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards; If a group of people show solidarity, they show support for each other or for another group, especially in political or international affairs: UNITY, harmony, unification, accord
…The vote was a show of solidarity.
show/express/demonstrate your solidarity (with sb)
…Supporters want to march tomorrow to show solidarity with their leaders.
…I come before you today to express my solidarity with the people of New York.
…As protesters passed by, some motorists raised fists in the air and honked in solidarity.
—Author: Bruce Schreiner, Sophia Tulp, Anchorage Daily News, 2 June 2020
> English solidary + -ity, from French solidarité (“solidarity”), from solidaire (“characterized by solidarity”), from Latin solidum (“whole sum”), neuter of solidus (“solid”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary
admonition
ad‧mo‧ni‧tion
/ˌædməˈnɪʃən/
/ad·muh·ni·shn/
FORMAL
Bringing a skateboard to school is a great way to get an admonition from a teacher not to ride it down the halls. An admonition is advice with a hint of scolding, a warning not to do something.
a criticism or warning about behavior; a warning or expression of disapproval about someone’s behavior; An admonition is a warning or criticism about someone’s behavior.
…The most common parental admonition must surely be “Don’t stay out late”.
…She ignored the admonitions of her mother.
…Many illiterates can not read the admonition on a pack of cigarettes.
…The remarks came after months of public and private admonitions from the Biden administration for Israel to take a more surgical approach in a conflict that has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza.
—Erica L. Green, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024
—admonitory /ədˈmɒnətəri $ -ˈmɑːnətɔːri/ adjective
…an admonitory glance
…admonitory remarks
> admonition (n.): late 14c., amonicioun “reminding, instruction,” from Old French amonicion “admonition, exhortation,” from Latin admonitionem (nominative admonitio) “a suggestion, a reminding; an admonition,” noun of action from past-participle stem of admonere “to advise, warn” (see admonish).
> admonish (v.): From Middle English admonesten, admonissen, from Old French amonester (modern French admonester), from an unattested Late Latin or Vulgar Latin *admonestrāre, from Latin admoneō (“remind, warn”), from ad- (“to”) + moneō (“warn, advise”). (see premonition).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline
edifice
ed‧i‧fice
/ˈedɪfɪs/
/eh·duh·fuhs/
1 FORMAL
An edifice is a large and impressive building: BUILDING, structure, construction, erection, pile, complex, assembly; property, development, premises, establishment, place
…a magnificent edifice with a domed ceiling
…The U.S. Capitol is one of our nation’s most impressive edifices.
…The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.
…The town hall is the only edifice surviving from the 15th century.
2 FORMAL
a complex system of beliefs; a large abstract structure; a system that has been established for a long time; You can describe a system of beliefs or a traditional institution as an edifice.
…an edifice of British constitutional tradition
…the concepts on which the edifice of capitalism was built
…holds together the social edifice
—R. H. Tawney
…It looks as if the whole political edifice of the country is about to collapse.
> late 14c., from Old French edifice “building” (12c.), from Latin aedificium “building,” from aedificare “to build, establish,” from aedis, variant of aedes “temple, sanctuary,” usually a single edifice without partitions, also, in the plural, “dwelling house, building,” originally “a place with a hearth” + combining form of facere “to make, to do” (from PIE root dhe- “to set, put”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
dicey
dic‧ey
/ˈdaɪsi/
Something that’s dicey is unpredictable — and it may even be risky or downright dangerous. Bringing up controversial subjects like politics at Thanksgiving dinner with your relatives can be dicey.
slightly dangerous or uncertain : RISKY, UNPREDICTABLE
…The company’s finances look a little dicey.
…The future looks pretty dicey for small businesses.
…Starting a business can be quite a dicey proposition.
…The weather looks a little dicey this morning. I hope it doesn’t rain.
…Consulting firms face an even dicier future, as the Bain and Mintz raids underscore.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 2 Feb. 2024
…To make things even dicier for the Biden administration, the Supreme Court recently gutted a major policy tool that could limit the EPA’s authority over power plant operations.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 11 May 2023
> If you fix your motorcycle yourself, you may feel like it’s a pretty dicey vehicle for riding on the highway, and when you’re not at all sure how you did on your biology final, you might say, “Phew, that was dicey.” Dicey is an informal word that comes from the idea of the unknown outcome of “a roll of the dice,” from aviator’s jargon around 1940.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster
capitulate
ca‧pit‧u‧late
/kəˈpɪtʃəleɪt/
To capitulate means to give in to something. If your parents refuse to raise your allowance, you might try to argue until they capitulate. Good luck!
1a FORMAL
to surrender often after negotiation of terms
…The enemy was forced to capitulate unconditionally.
…The country still refuses to capitulate despite its weakening army and dwindling resources.
1b FORMAL
to cease resisting; to accept defeat, or to give up or give in; If you capitulate, you stop resisting and do what someone else wants you to do: SURRENDER, give in, yield, admit defeat, concede defeat, give up the struggle, submit, back down, climb down, give way, cave in, succumb; relent, acquiesce, accede, come to terms; be beaten; lay down one’s arms, raise/show the white flag; informal throw in the towel, throw in the sponge
…The club eventually capitulated and now grants equal rights to women.
…The company capitulated to the labor union to avoid a strike.
…I capitulated and let my daughter go with her friends.
…In less than two hours Cohen capitulated to virtually every demand.
…Now the union has forced Sanders to capitulate on wages and health care.
—Marc A. Thiessen, The Mercury News, 24 July 2019
USAGE NOTES:
-
Capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.
- officials capitulated to the protesters’ demands
> 1590s, “to draw up a writing in chapters or articles” (i.e., under “headings”), in part a back-formation from capitulation (q.v.), in part from Medieval Latin capitulatus, past participle of capitulare “to draw up in heads or chapters,” hence “arrange conditions,” from capitulum “chapter,” in classical Latin “heading,” literally “a little head,” diminutive of caput (genitive capitis) “head” (from PIE root kaput- “head”). ~ Etymonline
> To capitulate is to surrender outright or to give in under certain terms. Either way, you’re agreeing to something you don’t really want. The word comes from the Latin roots caput (“head”) and capitulum (“headings”), a reference to the official agreement drawn up when someone formally surrendered. ~ Vocabulary.com
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
zenith
zen‧ith
/ˈzenəθ $ ˈziː-/
1 the best, highest, or most successful point or time; The zenith of something is the time when it is most successful or powerful: HIGHEST POINT, high point, crowning point, height, top, acme, peak, pinnacle, apex, apogee, vertex, tip, crown, crest, summit, climax, culmination, maximum, optimum, prime, meridian, flower; informal high noon
…at the zenith of her career as a dancer
…The Roman Empire reached its zenith around the year 100.
…His career is now at its zenith.
…Their popularity reached its zenith in the mid-1990s.
…In the 1860s, Tolstoy was at the zenith of his achievement.
…The zenith of Perugia’s influence came with the defeat of Siena in 1358.
2 The zenith is the point at which the sun or moon is directly above you and seems to be at its highest.
…The sun rises, reaches its zenith and sets.
…The summer sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky.
…A pall of cloud muffled the whole expanse of sky from zenith to horizon.
> “point of the heavens directly overhead at any place,” late 14c., from Old French cenith (Modern French zénith), from Medieval Latin cenit, senit, bungled scribal transliterations of Arabic samt “road, path,” abbreviation of samt ar-ras, literally “the way over the head.” Letter -m- misread as -ni-.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
communal
com‧mu‧nal
/ˈkɒmjənəl, kəˈmjuːnl $ ˈkɑː-/
1 You use communal to describe something that is shared by a group of people: SHARED, joint, common, general, public
…We each have a separate bedroom but share a communal kitchen.
2 (of conflict) between different communities, especially those having different religions or ethnic origins;
…Communal violence broke out in different parts of the country.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
queasy
quea‧sy
/ˈkwiːzi/
1 INFORMAL
feeling that you are going to vomit; If you feel queasy or if you have a queasy stomach, you feel rather ill, as if you are going to be sick: NAUSEOUS /ˈnɔːziəs, -siəs $ -ˈnɒːziəs, -ʃəs/, nauseated, bilious, sick; seasick, carsick, trainsick, airsick, travel-sick, suffering from motion sickness, suffering from altitude sickness; ill, unwell, poorly, bad, out of sorts, dizzy, peaky, liverish, green around the gills; British off, off colour; North American sick to one’s stomach; informal funny, peculiar, rough, lousy, rotten, awful, terrible, dreadful, crummy; vulgar slang crappy
…The sea got rougher, and I began to feel queasy.
…The boat ride made me a little queasy.
…Just the thought of blood makes me queasy.
…She complained of a queasy stomach.
2 INFORMAL
feeling worried, unhappy, or uncertain about something; If you feel queasy about something, you are a little worried about it: UNEASY, concerned, worried, troubled
…Her descriptions of extreme poverty and deprivation can give you a queasy feeling.
queasy about
…Some people feel queasy about how their names and addresses have been obtained.
…Many Democrats felt queasy about the issue.
…He feels queasy about taking the test.
> Perhaps from or influenced by Anglo-French queisier, from Old French coisier “to wound, hurt, make uneasy,” which seems to be from the same Germanic root as kveisa.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
spellbound
spell‧bound
/ˈspelbaʊnd/
held by or as if by a spell; having your attention completely held by something, so that you cannot think about anything else; If you are spellbound by something or someone, you are so fascinated that you cannot think about anything else: ENTHRALLED, fascinated, rapt, riveted, transfixed, gripped, entranced, captivated, bewitched, under someone’s spell, enraptured, enchanted, mesmerized, hypnotized; informal hooked
…The children were spellbound by the puppet show.
…At the circus, the children are spellbound, watching the acrobats perform.
…She’s a storyteller that will hold you spellbound.
…‘King Lear’ still holds audiences spellbound.
…His audience had listened like children, spellbound by his words.
…He was in awe of her; she held him spellbound.
…The images from the National Mall and Rev. King’s speech left him spellbound.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2023
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
byword
by‧word
/ˈbaɪwɜːd $ -wɜːrd/
1 → be a byword for sth
to be so well known for a particular quality that your name is used to represent that quality; Someone or something that is a byword for a particular quality is well-known for having that quality: PERFECT EXAMPLE OF, classic case of, model of, exemplar of, embodiment of, incarnation of, personification of, epitome of, typification of; synonymous with
…His name has become a byword for honesty in the community.
…His name became a byword for luxury.
…the Rolls-Royce brand name, a byword for quality
…For Americans, Benedict Arnold is a byword for treason.
…As a result of heavy-handed and improvident state intervention in the economy for the better part of a century, Argentina has become a byword for economic decline.
—The Editors, National Review, 23 Jan. 2024
2 a word or expression summarizing a thing’s characteristics or a person’s principles; a word, phrase, or saying that is very well known; A byword is a word or phrase which people often use: SLOGAN, motto, maxim, axiom, dictum, mantra, catchword, watchword, formula, cry, battle cry, rallying cry; nickname, middle name
…“Small is beautiful” may be the byword for most couturiers.
…Caution should be a byword for investors.
> From Middle English byword, byworde (“proverb”), from Old English bīword, bīwyrd, bīwyrde (“proverb, household word, word or phrase used proverbially”); see by + word (n.). Formed on the model of Latin proverbium or Greek parabole. The meaning “something that has become proverbial” (usually in a satirical or bad sense) is from 1530s.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
wiggle
wig‧gle
/ˈwɪɡəl/
verb
to move with small movements from side to side or up and down, or to make something move like this; If you wiggle something or if it wiggles, it moves up and down or from side to side in small quick movements: JIGGLE, wriggle, twitch, flutter, shimmy, joggle, wag, wobble, shake, twist, squirm, writhe, wave, quiver, jerk, bobble; informal waggle
…Henry wiggled his toes.
…The baby wiggled in her sleep.
…He tried wiggling the control stick but nothing happened.
…She wiggled her toes in the water.
…Her hips wiggle as she walks.
…Renewable energy now wiggles its way around via pipes cleverly hidden in the eaves.
—Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024
noun
a wiggling movement
…a slight wiggle of the hips
…With a wiggle of her hips, she pulled up her trousers.
> wiggle (v.): From Middle English wiglen, probably from Middle Dutch wigelen (“to wiggle”) and perhaps Middle Low German wigelen, frequentative of wiegen (“to rock”), from wiege (“cradle”), from PIE root wegh- “to go, move, transport in a vehicle.” Related: Wiggled; wiggling. The noun is attested from 1816.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline
squander
squan‧der
/ˈskwɒndə $ ˈskwɑːndər/
to spend extravagantly or foolishly; to carelessly waste money, time, opportunities etc; If you squander money, resources, or opportunities, you waste them: WASTE, misspend, misuse, throw away, dissipate, fritter away, run through, lose, lavish, spend recklessly, spend unwisely, make poor use of, be prodigal with, spend money like water; informal blow, splurge, pour/throw money down the drain; British informal blue, splash out
…The home team squandered a number of chances in the first half.
…He vowed not to squander this opportunity.
…Government should not squander the taxpayers’ money.
…Don’t squander your opportunities when you are young.
…squandered all her money gambling in casinos
…Tuesday marked the second time in three games the Panthers have squandered a lead in the third period, also doing so in their shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
…And Bayern only won the Bundesliga title last year because Borussia Dortmund squandered its chance on the final day.
—Ciarán Fahey, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
squander sth on sth
…They squandered the profits on expensive cars.
USAGE NOTES:
- Squander used to mean scatter, and the way we use it now implies throwing something (like money) all over the place. You can squander time as well as money. If you have a big deadline but you are chatting away or looking at social networking sites, you are squandering your time. If you have an opportunity to play for a major league baseball team but show up late to tryouts and criticize the coach, you have probably squandered your chance.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
knock on wood
knock on wood
said after a confident or positive statement, to express a hope for one’s good luck to continue (used when knocking on something wooden to assure continued good luck).
Also (esp. Brit.): touch wood
…I haven’t been banned yet, knock on wood.
…The deal will be agreed on Wednesday, knock on wood.
…The car’s still in good shape, knock on wood.
…I haven’t had a cold all winter, knock on wood.
…Hopefully, knock on wood, Lieby is going to be in there most of the time.
> There are connections between ancient spirituality and trees influencing fortune. In the pre-Christian beliefs of the Germanic peoples, for example, three Norns send fate up into the universe through a tree. Languages descended from these peoples include concepts such as “knock on wood”, “touch wood” or “three times wood”, although only the first two expressions are in the descended English language specifically. Meanwhile, the ancient Celtic peoples also believed that the act of touching wood called on spirits or gods of the trees. Christians tie the practice to the symbolism of the wood of the cross of crucifixion. Folklore researcher Steve Roud suggests that the widespread, modern use however derives from a form of tag called “Tiggy Touchwood” in which players are safe from being tagged if they are touching wood.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Wikipedia
partake
par‧take
/pɑːˈteɪk $ pɑːr-/
(past tense partook /-ˈtʊk/, past participle partaken /-ˈteɪkən/)
1 FORMAL
to take part in; If you partake in an activity, you take part in it: PARTICIPATE IN, take part in, engage in, enter into, join in, get involved in, share in, play a part in, contribute to, have a hand in, have something to do with.
…a woman’s fundamental right to partake in club affairs
…Video conferencing allows executives to partake in negotiations abroad.
…You will probably be asked about whether you partake in very vigorous sports.
…She was happy to partake in the festivities.
2 FORMAL
to have a portion (as of food or drink); If you partake of food or drink, you eat or drink some of it: CONSUME, have, eat, drink, take, devour, polish off, ingest; informal tuck into, wolf down, dispose of, get outside of; British informal get one’s laughing gear round
…She had partaken of a cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee.
…Would you care to partake of a little wine with us?
…Feel free to partake of the food and drink displayed on tables.
3 FORMAL
to possess or share a certain nature or attribute; If something partakes of a particular quality, it has that quality to some extent: HAVE THE QUALITIES/ATTRIBUTES OF, suggest, evoke, be characterized by, hint at, evince, manifest
…Conducting is a mysterious art, but also partakes of the nature of an elemental force.
…Bohemia is where eastern and western Europe meet, partaking of both, part of neither
USAGE NOTES:
-
Partake implies accepting or acquiring a share especially of food or drink.
- partook freely of the refreshments
> 1560s, “to take or have a part, portion, or share in common with others,” back-formation from Middle English part-taking “a sharing” (late 14c.), or part-taker “a sharer” (c. 1400), both translations of Latin particeps “participant” (n.), also “sharing, partaking” (see participation). Meaning “to share in some degree the nature, character, or peculiarities of” is from 1610s. Related: Partook; partaking.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
precipitate
pre‧cip‧i‧tate
verb
/prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/
1 FORMAL
to make something serious happen suddenly or more quickly than was expected: HASTEN /ˈheɪsən/, QUICKEN, trigger, accelerate, further
…The riot was precipitated when four black men were arrested.
2 → precipitate sb into sth
to force someone or something into a particular state or condition.
…The drug treatment precipitated him into a depression.
adjective
/prɪˈsɪpɪtət/
1 A precipitate action or decision happens or is made more quickly or suddenly than most people think is sensible: HASTY, overhasty, rash, hurried, rushed; IMPETUOUS, impulsive
…I must apologize for my staff—their actions were precipitate.
…a precipitate decision
…Many of our current problems have been caused by precipitate policy making in the past.
2 (of an event or situation) occurring suddenly or abruptly: SUDDEN, rapid, swift, abrupt, meteoric, headlong, speedy, quick, fast, hurried, breakneck
…a precipitate decline in the party’s fortunes
> precipitate (v.): Early 16th century: from Latin praecipitat- ‘thrown headlong’, from the verb praecipitare, from praeceps, praecip(it)- ‘headlong’, from prae ‘before’ + caput ‘head’. The original sense of the verb was ‘hurl down, send violently’; hence ‘cause to move rapidly’, which gave rise to sense 1 (early 17th century). Earliest use in English is figurative, “to hurl or cause (someone) to fall (into some state or condition). Meaning “to cause to happen suddenly, hurry the beginning of” is recorded from 1620s. The chemical sense “cause to fall as a sediment to the bottom of a vessel” is from 1620s (intransitive sense from 1640s). The meteorological sense (intransitive) is attested by 1863. Related: Precipitated; precipitating.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
wallop
wal‧lop
/ˈwɒləp $ ˈwɑː-/
/waa·luhp/
A wallop is a hard punch or another strong hit. A boxer sometimes wins a match with one single, well-aimed wallop to their opponent.
A wallop is not just a physical blow, but it can also be a huge effect or impact. A principal’s strongly worded lecture to a group of bullies might pack a wallop, for example, resulting in a major change in behavior. Use this word as a verb and it means “punch” or “defeat completely,” so you’ll frequently hear it in sports reporting: “The Wizards score the last points of the game and wallop the Pacers.”
verb
INFORMAL
to hit (someone or something) very hard; If you wallop someone or something, you hit them very hard, often causing a dull sound: HIT, strike, beat, batter, thump, pound, attack, assault, knock, rap, smack, thwack, slap, pummel, punch, rain blows on, belabor, hammer, cudgel, thrash, bang, drub, welt, cuff, crack, buffet, box someone’s ears; informal bash, clobber, clout; British informal stick one on, slosh; North American informal boff, bust, slug, light into, whale
…She walloped the ball.
…Once, she walloped me over the head with a frying pan.
…a tennis player who wallops the ball so hard that it often finishes out of court
…walloped the branches of the pear tree with a stick in an effort to knock down some fruit
— often used figuratively
…The city got walloped by a major blizzard.
…He got walloped in the finals. (=he was easily defeated in the finals)
…Yamamoto, the 25-year-old Japanese acquisition who signed the biggest contract by any pitcher outside of Ohtani, was walloped in a one-inning, five-run debut, amplifying questions about his ability to thrive in the majors.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
…At the same time, Joann was walloped by higher costs after China hiked tariffs on imports, an issue that occurred when the company was also spending a lot of money remodeling its stores.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024
…Reports of tornadoes were made in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas and more on Thursday as the storm system that walloped Kansas and Missouri the day prior blew through the region.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024
noun
a heavy blow or punch
…She gave the ball a wallop.
…felt the wallop of a car crashing into their front porch
…gave the ball a good wallop with the bat
…He took a wallop to his head.
— sometimes used figuratively
…The comedy packs an unexpected emotional wallop.
> late 14c., “to gallop,” possibly from Old North French *waloper (13c., Old French galoper), from Frankish compound *walalaupan “to run well” (compare Old High German wela “well,” see well (adv.); and Old Low Franconian loupon “to run, leap,” from Proto-Germanic *hlaupan; see leap (v.)). The meaning “to thrash” (1820) and the noun meaning “heavy blow” (1823) may be separate developments, of imitative origin. Related: Walloped; walloping.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Britannica, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
cavalier
cav‧a‧lier
/ˌkævəˈlɪə◂ $ -ˈlɪr◂/
/ka·vuh·leer/
Someone who is cavalier has a dismissive attitude and regards other people as inferior. If you think you know more than your teacher and never bother doing homework, your parents might complain that you are cavalier about your studies.
showing a lack of proper concern; offhand; marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters; If you describe a person or their behavior as cavalier, you are criticizing them because you think that they do not consider other people’s feelings or take account of the seriousness of a situation: OFFHAND /ˌɒfˈhænd◂ $ ˌɒːf-/, indifferent, casual, dismissive, insouciant, uninterested, unconcerned; SUPERCILIOUS /ˌsuːpəˈsɪliəs◂ $ -pər-/, patronizing, condescending, haughty, arrogant, lofty, lordly, disdainful, scornful; informal off, offish, couldn’t-care-less, take-it-or-leave-it
…a cavalier attitude toward public health concerns
…She has a cavalier attitude about spending money.
…He has a cavalier disregard for the rights of others.
…They are too cavalier in their treatment of others.
…The writer is very cavalier (=careless) about the truth.
…But some wondered if comedians would be so cavalier cracking jokes about other deadly conditions, such as cancer or cystic fibrosis.
—Jason Mast Reprints, STAT, 20 Dec. 2023
—cavalierly adverb
…He cavalierly disregarded their advice.
> 1580s, “a horseman,” especially if armed, from Italian cavalliere “mounted soldier, knight; gentleman serving as a lady’s escort,” from Late Latin caballarius “horseman,” from Vulgar Latin *caballus, the common Vulgar Latin word for “horse”
> The word cavalier dates from mid-16th-century French, from the Latin caballus, meaning “horse.” If you have a cavalier attitude, you look down on other people — as if you are sitting on a very tall horse and other people are sitting down there on the ground.
> The sense was extended in Elizabethan English to “a knight; a courtly gentleman,” but also, pejoratively, “a swaggerer.” The meaning “Royalist, adherent of Charles I” is from 1641.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Britannica, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
restraint
restraint
1 Restraints are rules or conditions that limit or restrict someone or something: CONSTRAINT, check, control, restriction, limitation, curtailment; rein, bridle, brake, damper, deterrent, hindrance, impediment, obstacle, retardant, inhibition; informal clampdown, wet blanket
…The Prime Minister is calling for new restraints on trade unions.
…With open frontiers, criminals could cross into the country without restraint.
2 Restraint is calm, controlled, and unemotional behavior: SELF-CONTROL, self-restraint, self-discipline, control, moderation, temperateness, abstemiousness, nonindulgence, prudence, judiciousness
…They behaved with more restraint than I’d expected.
…I’ll speak to the staff and ask them to exercise restraint and common sense.
…The police were praised for their restraint in handling the demonstrators.
show/exercise restraint
…He urged the millions of protesters to exercise restraint.
> restraint (n.): late Middle English: from Old French restreinte, feminine past participle of restreindre ‘hold back’.
> restrain (v.): Middle English: from Old French restreign-, stem of restreindre, from Latin restringere, from re- ‘back’ + stringere ‘to tie, pull tight’.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
gingerly
gin‧ger‧ly
/ˈdʒɪndʒəli $ -ər-/
adverb
very cautiously and carefully; If you do something gingerly, you do it in a careful manner, usually because you expect it to be dangerous, unpleasant, or painful: CAUTIOUSLY, carefully, with caution, with care, circumspectly, delicately, warily, charily, guardedly, prudently, judiciously, on one’s guard, on the alert, on the lookout, on the qui vive
…She was touching the dressing gingerly with both hands.
…I drove gingerly past the security check points.
…He stepped gingerly onto the ice.
…Today, IVF specialists around the world routinely incubate human eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish and then gingerly transfer a fertilized egg to the mother’s uterus.
—Kathy A. Fackelmann
…And while European defense firms are gingerly opening operations in Ukraine, major American weapons producers have yet to commit to setting up shop in the middle of a war.
—Lara Jakes, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
…British newspapers have treated paparazzi photos gingerly since the death of Princess Diana, William’s mother, in a car crash in Paris in 1997, after a high-speed pursuit by photographers.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
adjective
showing great care or caution
…With strangers the preliminaries are taken at a gingerly pace.
…gave the cork on the bottle of champagne a gingerly twist
> gingerly (adv.): (1500-1600) Perhaps from Old French gensor “more small and graceful”, from gent “born into high rank, small and graceful”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
infirmary
in‧fir‧ma‧ry
/ɪnˈfɜːməri $ -ɜːr-/
1 a large medical facility : HOSPITAL; It is now used mainly in the names of hospitals.
…the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford
2 a room in a school or other institution where people can get medical treatment
> late Middle English: from medieval Latin infirmaria, from Latin infirmus (See infirm).
> infirm (adj.): late Middle English (in the general sense ‘weak, frail’): from Latin infirmus, from in- ‘not’ + firmus ‘firm’.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster
preempt
pre‧empt
/priːˈempt/
1 FORMAL
to prevent (something) from happening; If you preempt an action, you prevent it from happening by doing something that makes it unnecessary or impossible: FORESTALL, prevent; steal a march on, anticipate, get in before; informal get one’s retaliation in first
…The contract preempts lawsuits by the company’s clients.
…The salesperson may try to pre-empt the customer’s objections.
…Powerful cable operators were trying to preempt competition from satellite services by offering a similar service.
…He seized on the claims, determined to preempt any political criticism of his government (=He quickly took hold of the allegations or statements and was resolute in his efforts to prevent any political criticism of his government by addressing them before they could be used against him. It suggests a proactive approach to handling potential criticism.)
2 FORMAL
to take the place of (something)
…The state law was preempted by a federal law.
3 to be shown instead of (another television program)
…The President’s speech preempted regular programming.
> preempt (v.): Back-formation from preemption.
> preemption (n.): also preemption, c. 1600, “a purchase by one before an opportunity is offered to others,” originally as a right; literally “a purchasing before others,” from pre- “before” + emption “purchase.”
> emption (n.): late 15c., “purchase,” from Latin emptionem (nominative emptio) “a buying, purchasing; thing bought,” noun of action from emptus, past-participle of emere “to buy” (from PIE root em- “to take, distribute”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
conduit
con‧duit
/ˈkɒndjuət, -dɪt $ ˈkɑːnduɪt/
1 TECHNICAL
A conduit is a small tunnel, pipe, or channel through which water or electrical wires go.
…the major conduit for carrying water to the military base
…water flowed along the conduit to the fountain
2 FORMAL
a means of transmitting or distributing; a connection between two things that allows people to pass ideas, news, money, weapons, drugs etc from one place to another; A conduit is a person or country that links two or more other people or countries.
→ conduit for
…Drug traffickers have used the country as a conduit for shipments to the U.S.
…He was welcomed and used as a trusted conduit for information.
…For the sake of appearances, Beijing sometimes used North Korea as the conduit for these purchases.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
> Middle English: from Old French, from medieval Latin conductus, from Latin conducere “to lead or bring together; contribute, serve,” from assimilated form of com “with, together” (see con-) + ducere “to lead” (from PIE root deuk- “to lead”).
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Etymonline
rodent
ro‧dent
/ˈrəʊdənt $ ˈroʊ-/
any small animal of the type that has long sharp front teeth, such as a rat or a rabbit
…They expect to catch rodents, mostly mice.
…After testing new drug compounds that appear to mimic the physical benefits of exercise in rodents, scientists say a pill may someday be able to do the same in humans.
—Lindsey Leake, Fortune Well, 18 Mar. 2024
> “a rodent mammal” 1835 (as an adjective 1833), from Modern Latin Rodentia, the order name, from Latin rodentem (nominative rodens), “the gnawers,” present participle of rodere “to gnaw, eat away,” which is of uncertain etymology, possibly is from an extended form of PIE root red- “to scrape, scratch, gnaw.” Uncertain connection to Old English rætt (see rat (n.)). They are characterized by having no canine teeth and strong incisors.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
flabbergast
flab‧ber‧gast
/ˈflæbəɡɑːst $ -bərɡæs-/
INFORMAL
to overwhelm with shock, surprise, or wonder : DUMBFOUND: ASTONISH, astound, amaze, surprise, startle, shock, take aback, take by surprise; dumbfound, strike dumb, render speechless, stun, stagger, stop someone in their tracks, take someone’s breath away, confound; informal bowl over, knock for six, knock sideways, knock the stuffing out of, floor
…It flabbergasts me to see how many people still support them.
…News that activists could be fined for protesting against the policy will flabbergast most people.
…When I heard how much money we’d made, I was flabbergasted.
…Your decision to suddenly quit your job flabbergasts me.
…Doctors said they were flabbergasted at the decision to close the hospital.
…He was flabbergasted how it turned out.
…Despite Cook’s assertions that the headset will be a game changer, the product was met with a mixed reception, with many impressed by its capabilities but flabbergasted by the hefty price tag.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 7 June 2023
> The origin of the verb is uncertain; possibly dialectal (Suffolk), from flabby or flap (“to strike”) + aghast.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
hoodlum
hood‧lum
/ˈhuːdləm/
Hoodlums are young people who are involved in crime or generally up to no good. A car full of hoodlums might drive down the street and smash mailboxes with a baseball bat. Hoodlums are into mean stuff like that.
INFORMAL
a violent person, especially one who is member of a group of criminals; A hoodlum is a violent criminal, especially one who is a member of a group: THUG, HOOLIGAN, ruffian, vandal
…Hoodlums robbed two people in a convenience store, police said.
…Bennett was once shot and wounded in a confrontation with a hoodlum.
—Jack Kresnak, Detroit Free Press, 28 Jan. 2024
> Of unknown origin, though newspapers of the day printed myriad fanciful stories concocted to account for it. A guess perhaps better than average is that it is from German dialectal (Bavarian) Huddellump “ragamuffin” [Barnhart].
> Herbert Asbury’s book The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld (1933, A. A. Knopf, New York) says the word originated in San Francisco from a particular street gang’s call to unemployed Irishmen to “huddle ‘em” (to beat up Chinese migrants), after which San Francisco newspapers took to calling street gangs “hoodlums”.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline
impetuous
im‧pet‧u‧ous
/ɪmˈpetʃuəs/
/uhm·peh·choo·uhs/
tending to do things very quickly, without thinking carefully first, or showing this quality; If you describe someone as impetuous, you mean that they are likely to act quickly and suddenly without thinking or being careful: IMPULSIVE, rash, hasty, overhasty, reckless, heedless, foolhardy, incautious, imprudent, injudicious, ill-conceived, ill-considered, unplanned, unreasoned, unthought-out, unthinking; spontaneous, impromptu, spur-of-the-moment, precipitate, precipitous, headlong, hurried, rushed
…He was high-spirited and impetuous.
…He’s so impetuous - why can’t he think things over before he rushes into them?
…The governor may now be regretting her impetuous promise to reduce unemployment by half.
…Then, impetuous as I was, I bought a new car before I even got a job.
…She might live to regret this impetuous decision.
…In comparison to the impetuous, error-prone Tepper, Chargers owner Dean Spanos and family come off as stable football geniuses.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
USAGE NOTES:
- Precipitate, Headlong, Abrupt, Impetuous, Sudden mean showing undue haste or unexpectedness.
-
Precipitate /prəˈsɪpətət/ stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.
- the army’s precipitate withdrawal
-
Headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.
- a headlong flight from arrest
-
Abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.
- an abrupt refusal
-
Impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.
- an impetuous lover proposing marriage
-
Sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.
- flew into a sudden rage
> impetuous (adj.): late 14c., “hot-tempered, fierce;” late 15c., “done or given with a rush of force,” from Old French impetuos (13c., Modern French impétueux) and directly from Late Latin impetuosus “impetuous, violent” (source also of Spanish and Italian impetuoso), from Latin impetus “attack” (see impetus). Related: Impetuously; impetuousness.
> impetus (n.): early 15c., impetous “rapid movement, rush;” 1640s, with modern spelling, “force with which a body moves, driving force,” from Latin impetus “an attack, assault; rapid motion; an impulse; violence, vigor, force;” figuratively “ardor, passion,” from impetere “to attack,” from assimilated form of in- “into, in, on, upon” (from PIE root en “in”) + petere “aim for, rush at” (from PIE root pet- “to rush, to fly”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
portend
por‧tend
/pɔːˈtend $ pɔːr-/
to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad; If something portends something, it indicates that it is likely to happen in the future: PRESAGE /preh·suhj/, augur, foreshadow, foretell, prophesy; BE A SIGN OF, be a warning of, warn of, be an omen of, be an indication of, be a harbinger of; indicate, herald, signal, bode
…The distant thunder portended a storm.
…Countries such as Germany and France are concerned by what such a shift would portend for EU immigration and climate policies.
—Ciarán Giles and Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2023
> portend (v.): “to presage, foreshadow, signify in advance,” early 15c., portenden, from Latin portendere “foretell, reveal; point out, indicate,” originally “to stretch forward,” from por- (variant of pro-; see pro-) “forth, forward” + tendere “to stretch, extend,” from PIE root *ten- “to stretch.” The literal Latin sense “stretch forth, extend” was occasional in English 17c.-18c. Related: Portended; portending.
> So you might imagine portend as having a literal meaning of “stretching forward to predict.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
beckon
beckon
seminal
seminal
wince
wince
dilapidated
dilapidated
contrived
contrived
prerogative
prerogative
laud
laud
carnage
carnage
superimpose
superimpose
the bee’s knees
the bee’s knees
shabby
shabby
wail
wail
unintelligible
impossible to understand
commandeer
commandeer
weigh in
weigh in
1 to have your weight measured before taking part in a competition.
→ weigh in at
…Higgins weighed in at just over 100 kilos.
2 INFORMAL
to bring one’s weight or influence to bear especially as a participant, contributor, or mediator; to make a forceful contribution to a competition or argument; to become involved in an argument or discussion in a forceful way
→ weigh in on
If you weigh in on a plan, decision, or discussion, you add your advice or comments to it.
…The President’s political advisers also weighed in on the plan.
…Cranston and others were improperly trying to weigh in on the decision.
→ weigh in with
…Several leading architects weighed in with criticisms regarding the design of the new museum.
…The senator weighed in with a blistering attack on welfare cheats.
…The new Transport Secretary, Stephen Byers, weighed in with a demand that the industry should improve its performance.
> Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary
onshore
onshore
verbatim
verbatim
deference
deference
dispersion
dispersion
flunky
noun
1 a liveried manservant or footman.
1a a person who performs relatively menial tasks for someone else, especially obsequiously.
> mid 18th century (originally Scots): perhaps from flank in the sense ‘a person who stands at one’s flank’.
> Oxford Dictionary of English
abscond
abscond
preach to the choir
preach to the choir
oversight
oversight
Live a little
Live a little
tribulation
tribulation
grouchy
grouchy
adequacy
adequacy
truant
truant
cleave
cleave
surpass
surpass
tardy
tardy
skimp
skimp
swindler
swindler
interim
interim
obstetrician
obstetrician
whimsy
whimsy
bosom
bosom
scum
scum
bender
bender
smothering
smothering
malfeasance
malfeasance
