VOCAB 06 FEB 17, 2016 Flashcards
ABOMINABLE
əˈbäm(ə)nəbəl |
Very unlikable, easy to hate, or disguisting.
Awful, hated, really bad or unpleasant, or gross.
adjective
causing moral revulsion: the uprising was suppressed with abominable cruelty.
• very bad or unpleasant: a cup of abominable tea.
— The young man had an odor that was so abominable that everyone in the room felt sick.
— abominable treatment of prisoners.
— abominable weather.
abominable
Abominable is as bad as it gets. So if the food at camp is abominable, the campers might start to shout, “Ick! Ick! Your stew is making us sick!”
Abominable is an adjective that should be used only when something is exceptionally bad or threatening, like a gigantic furry snowman who is terrorizing a village. Abominable is so absolutely awful that it causes physical revulsion. So odious that it brings even the toughest of tough guys to tears. Which is a bummer, because it’s a surprisingly fun word to say out loud.
— Fifth, war, besides being an abominable sin, ultimately leads to large scale population growth because the first four principles fail.
— Mastro’s neighbor became excited, too, when he saw Sanders approach with his grandchildren, dressed as the Abominable Snowman, a hedgehog and a witch.
— And they claim that abominable play against New England already is forgotten.
— He was an abominable person, but this must not minimize the scale of Hitler’s guilt.”
— The air was abominable, and no one knew when it would end.
— Those are the facts, the abominable and precious facts.
— First, he castigates some right-thinking orthodox Muslim authorities who believe slavery is an abominable legacy of the past.
— Expect traffic into the airport to be abominable till then.
— We have them in winter, accompanied by abominable amounts of snow, and we have them in summer, when they dump buckets of rain on us.
— The committee described FGM as an “abominable practice” and a “horrendous form of child abuse”.
ABOUND
əˈbound |
To exist in great sie or large numbers.
Have many of something.
To be plentiful, to have plenty;
verb [no obj.]
exist in large numbers or amounts: rumors of a further scandal abound.
• (abound in/with) have in large numbers or amounts: this land abounds with wildlife.
— The stream abounds with salmon, making it a popular sopt for people who love to fish.
— In areas where scorpions abound, spider populations are generally kept in check
When things abound, there are a lot of them. In spring, birds, flowers, rain, and frisbees abound.
This word has to do with an abundance of something. In cities like Buffalo, NY, snow abounds. In very hot weather, insects and suntan lotion abound. Dogs are happy at the park when squirrels abound — meaning there are a lot of squirrels. On the moon, rocks abound, but that’s about it.
— Though New York may be better known for its rat population, the city abounds in raccoons.
— The dreary Victorian house you’re asked to explore abounds in doors, drawers, cabinets, armoires, cupboards and trunks, each a potential reservoir of revelation.
— Job opportunities locally abound for nursing school graduates of all stripes.
— Plastic abounds in everything from decorative touches to pipes.
— Though casting news abounds, still no word yet about when audiences can expect the as yet untitled “Gilmore Girls” companion series to debut.
— On social media sites rumours abound about the disease and its causes.
— Natural-world shades abound, but two of the most striking pieces are more electric.
— Millennial survival guides abound in the form of countless blogs that offer advice on how to hack the new world.
— Back in the United States, wasteful spending abounds.
— “Many whirligigs and test machines and gizmos abound these days.”
— Albino and leucistic animals abound in the animal kingdom, from squirrels to crayfish.
— Who knows — this is politics, he’s been leading the polls in Iowa, and theories abound.
— Even the University of Southern California, where sunshine abounds, checks its varsity athletes’ vitamin D levels annually.
— Either the mosquito or an infected traveler can carry the virus to another country, and opportunities for global transmission abound.
— But arguments abound on why air fares are so high in America—and what regulators should do to cut them.
— In Hong Kong, Taiwan and now mainland China, expensive “Chinese” restaurants abound.
— Such examples of food confusion and misinformation abound.
— Opportunities abound for acquisitions in Latin America as larger institutions adjust their strategies to focus on core markets where they enjoy significant market share.
— Yet miracles abound: Windows glow gold; night skies bloom with stars.
— The Pacific Division isn’t winning style points right now, but that just means opportunities abound.
— Looking for a budget-friendly destination pulsing with music and abounding with inventive eateries?
— Not that it is an unchallenged one; complaints and conspiracy theories still abound.
— Pool tables and beer taps abound, but unfortunately, so did the indoor smoke, which assured I wasn’t staying long.
— For all its intricacy, the music abounds in texture and fantasy.
— Could have used some editing and there are some grossly overlooked spelling errors, but still…intrigue abounds!
— Smiles abounded as they retreated from the field into the locker room.
— That said, worries about the company still abound.
— Opportunities still abound for savvy investors but so do pitfalls for the ill-prepared.
ABSTRUSE
abˈstro͞os |
Difficult to understand.
Deep, hard to understand, or complicated.
Nearly impossible to understand or figure out
adjective
difficult to understand; obscure: an abstruse philosophical inquiry.
While exploring the caves near his home, Ted discovered some carvings written in an abstruse language that he’d never seen before.
Abstruse things are difficult to understand because they are so deep and intellectually challenging. It might be hard to figure out how a toilet flushes but the technology that goes into making the Internet function is abstruse.
The Latin roots of the word abstruse are about concealing or hiding something, which is a good way to remember the meaning of this word. It is useful when describing something that is overly confusing, or if someone is deliberately making a story or a situation more complicated than necessary. It sounds and looks like obtuse, but abstruse is almost its opposite. Obtuse is dull or lacking a sharpness of intellect. While Abstruse is president of the chess club, Obtuse is hanging out by the parking lot smoking cigarettes.
— Photoshop Elements: Sometimes a program becomes so bloated and abstruse, only professionals can invest the time and money to master it.
— There are also people who can run a mile in under 4 minutes, who can learn to sing opera, and who can comprehend abstruse mathematics.
— By the time she stepped down, code breaking had become dauntingly computerized and relied on abstruse techniques of higher mathematics.
— Though the principles of the banking trade may appear somewhat abstruse, the practice is capable of being reduced to strict rules.
— Each discovery is more expensive and often more abstruse.
— The problem might appear abstruse - and with little actual impact in the battle against jihadist extremists.
— No, I don’t mean economics, or the abstruse arguments about whether we should use monetary or fiscal policy.
— Mr. Gervasoni unites 13 abstruse couplets with a single tone row.
— I’ve long thought there are more pointless monuments and works of abstruse public art here than any emerging-economy country really needs.
— The film is an innately weird sell, with its abstruse narrative, copious dope and subversive themes.
— Sharp, penetrating language by Adam Liptak enlivens this potentially abstruse legal issue.
— Lest you think this abstruse field of science seems to be far afield of marketing, think again.
— At the time, Restoration Hardware issued an abstruse press release, saying only that Friedman was going to run a new, related company.
— That, at least, is the best I can extract from the six abstruse pages spelling out the detail.
— “Abstruse European rules”, she writes, has allowed countries like Germany to “wash their hands” of immigrants who come to Europe through Italy.
— Female voices come into the picture, splitting pleasant but abstruse melodies into short-syllable unisons and long vowel tones.
BALEFUL
ˈbālfəl |
Threatening and dangerous. Deadly.
Harmful, theatening, eveil in effect or intent.
adjective
threatening harm; menacing: Bill shot a baleful glance in her direction | the baleful light cast trembling shadows.
• having a harmful or destructive effect: drug money has had a baleful impact on the country.
— Greg watched the robbers’ baleful movements moments before they entered and robbed the bank.
Baleful means the foreshadowing of tragic or evil events. If no one’s listening in class and your teacher reprimands you with a baleful glance, expect a pop quiz.
If your car breaks down and you take refuge in a deserted mansion, you might huddle under a dusty blanket and find yourself thinking that the wind moaning at the windows sounds baleful — maybe it’s really the voice of a young woman murdered in the very bed where you sleep?
— “the Florida eagles have a fierce baleful look”
— The new findings on the baleful impacts of high temperatures should give rich countries an extra incentive to compromise.
— In a letter to his wife, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke defined the artist’s baleful choice: “Either happiness or art.”
— The gay-marriage controversy has had a baleful effect on current men’s fashion.
— She is walking a fine line by arguing that money has a baleful influence in politics generally but has left her, personally, unaffected—Clintonian exceptionalism.
— The baleful results of their insouciant map-drawing are still being felt today, notably in the turmoil of Syria and Iraq.
— Clinton’s positions were an example of the way financial industry donations exerted a baleful influence on the Democratic Party, Warren wrote.
— And their drumbeat of warnings about its baleful consequences grew louder over the years.
— And what other threats exist to Japan sufficient to justify the baleful presence of U.S. military bases in Japan?
— On the other hand, the cessation of pain or of baleful side effects produces wonders like nothing else.
— Luhrmann presents us with disturbing material showing the baleful influence religion has on its female adherents.
— The events of the last 24 hours have felt like revisiting episodes from that baleful past.
— Even the baleful green of the monster’s eyes seemed to dim before it.
— Overall, the impact on students, schools and employability has been baleful.
— But on Tuesday, when the post-Memorial Day week begins, my life seems real enough again in a gray and baleful way.
— At the time, Jamaican politicians were able to point to baleful threats coming from Washington as a reason not to move forward.
— The economy slipped into recession in the third quarter as the baleful impact of a hike in sales taxes lingered longer than anyone expected.
— In Japan, the flow of data has shown the economy still suffering the baleful effects of a sales tax hike in April.z
— This displays a baleful mindset, a complete misunderstanding of how we lived in shared space.
— He backed against a wall, his eyes lowered in a baleful glare.
— Her face is hard again, her eyes baleful.
— And things that cannot—that sit on dusty shelves like stuffed birds with baleful, sideways-staring eyes.
— The young knight gave his cousin a baleful glance and pulled the door shut forcefully behind him.
— His place is to be a lover, with his secrecy and his almost-empty rooms, and his baleful memories and bad dreams.
— Perhaps in portraying them this way — capturing them in a French style of painting — Ancher was unconsciously trying to neutralize their baleful influence.
— As my parents remained intransigent, in their blandly baleful, parentlike way, I had to resort to more exotic ways of slaking my thirst.
— When the direwolf raised his head, his eyes glowed red and baleful, and water streamed down from his jaws like slaver.
— That does not impress the protesters, who say a baleful legacy will live on until such laws are repealed.
— The debate about press regulation exists in a baleful little bubble of its own.
—
BALLYHOO
ˈbalēˌho͞o |
Loud talk or a noisy aproar.
Advertize noisily or blatantly.
noun
extravagant publicity or fuss: after all the ballyhoo, the film was a flop.
verb ( ballyhoos , ballyhooing, ballyhooed ) [with obj.]
praise or publicize extravagantly: (as adj. ballyhooed) : a much-ballyhooed musical extravaganza.
— The candidate for mayor created a great ballyhoo yesterday when he campaigned in the city center.
— He may have been ballyhooed a little too much.
— For all the talk about ballyhooed recruiting classes, the Terrapins still can’t compete with the big boys.
— The shares weakened a bit further Wednesday after Apple wrapped up its much ballyhooed annual event to showcase its new products.
— There’s something almost silly about the app’s finite scope, especially given how widely ballyhooed it’s been.
— Georgia continues to average 10 wins a season while falling short of the annual, ballyhooed expectations.
— Yet one much ballyhooed device will be absent from the conference: a new Apple TV, Apple’s set-top box for televisions.
— Jordan’s arrival was much ballyhooed, and has been mostly booed ever since.
— It was only a few months ago that pundits and analysts were ballyhooing: the new Microsoft.
— For the first time, some 34 million televiewers got a look at Hollywood’s most ballyhooed annual event.
— The Bagger shared another point of solidarity with him: he hadn’t been invited to Vanity Fair’s ballyhooed Oscar afterparty either.
— Two years ago, Thompson was a ballyhooed freshman who started at nickel in the 2012 season opener against San Diego State.
— He could be the most ballyhooed American Alpine athlete during the Sochi Games.
— The highly unusual decision to shut this ballyhooed investment fund carried a cost.
— Never has a local team been this ballyhooed while still on the rise.
CAPTIOUS
ˈkapSHəs |
Objecting to something or being critical of something.
Purpose of creating an argument, or fond of finding the mistakes of others.
Made only for the sake of argument.
Fond of catching others in mistakes.
~~ Captain is Cautious
~ Captain, who will always find and call attention to Faults which must be altered.
~ simiar to CAUTIOUS…cautious people FIND FAULTS in things
adjective formal
(of a person) tending to find fault or raise petty objections.
— The captious father, instread of congratulaing his son for getting excellent marks, asked why they weren’t all 100%.
captious
If someone tends to be hypercritical and find fault with everything, you can describe that person as captious. Try not to be described as a captious person yourself, however. No one likes a carping individual!
Captious comes from the Middle French word captieux, which is from the Latin word captiosus meaning fallacious or deceiving. This is, in fact, another meaning for the adjective captious, something is calculated to confuse or deceive — such as a captious explanation of the facts. When a person is described as captious, the sense is usually of nitpicking at faults or raising petty objections. It is usually used to imply a permanent character or personality flaw, as opposed to a momentary lapse in understanding.
— She can be a captious and irritable mother-in-law to Ruth, and you feel the friction between the dominating women in Walter’s life.
— Then suddenly she had become captious and uncertain.
— Why should I remain the butt of all the captious critics throughout the country?
— Every dish was more exquisite than the last, and everything was served in a way to please the most captious.
— The fact that he was a poor man240 was the only mitigating circumstance, leaving it open to the more captious to criticize the lady sharply.
— It was not the moment, however, for captious criticism.
— By degrees, he grew less civil, assumed a more imperious air, became fault-finding and captious, and seemed ready for an outbreak.
— Her mother was very captious, and the babies fell off.
— This very captious and subtle question seems to have taken the bishop by surprise.
— And he has become, for him, quite captious and irritable.
— Sewell, however, was no captious critic; he took what he got, and was thankful.
— He would not have an inquiry, which he perceived would be insufficient; he attempts to supply it by captious questions.
— The most captious could have found no fault with the new members of the crew while this portion of the task was being performed.
CAREEN
kəˈrēn |
To sway or lurch sideways, especially while moving rapidly.
To cause (a ship) to lean or lie on one side, as on a beach, for cleaning, repairs, etc.
Move sideways or in an unsteady way.
verb
1 [with obj.] turn (a ship) on its side for cleaning, caulking, or repair.
• [no obj.] (of a ship) tilt; lean over: a heavy flood tide caused my vessel to careen dizzily.
2 [no obj.] move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way in a specified direction: an electric golf cart careened around the corner.
— The winding road nearly caused Davis to careen his car into the ditch.
careen
Whether it’s an unsteady ship, a speeding bus, or a person who is woozy, use the verb careen to describe something that’s teetering from side to side.
When the word careen first entered the English language in the sixteenth century, it was used to describe a beached ship that was turned on its side for repair. The word can still refer to making those kinds of nautical repairs, but now you’re more likely to hear the word used to describe something that is swaying from side to side. You may feel like a ship out of control if you careen madly through a crowd or if you careen down a steep hill on skis.
— They are never rivals, they rarely fight, but instead egg each other on until they eventually careen over a cliff.
— A cleat on his snowshoe slipped, and in an instant he was careening toward a band of rocks below.
— The train has been careening down the tracks for years.
— Nine other buildings in the city collapsed and five careened.
— A bank building also careened, but no one was injured or trapped.
— All told, nine buildings collapsed and five careened in Tainan, the emergency management information center said.
— I leave Adam, Kim, and Willow in the lobby and I just start careening through the hospital.
— The car careened into a traffic pole and was sheared in half.
— A two-county search was underway Saturday night after a car careened into a river channel in La Palma and was found abandoned.
— There was still Bryant’s dunk, whatever it meant with the backdrop of a team careening toward its worst record ever.
— Maybe careening past you on the road at a high speed?
— The GOP presidential front-runner continued careening down a path of alienating large groups of Americans.
— Louisiana residents who have watched the state careen from budget crisis to budget crisis don’t seem to interpret his financial acumen quite the same way.
— One careened off the roadway, hitting and killing Roland Vilett, who was standing in a drainage ditch near his driveway.
— San Francisco’s fire chief says 20 people have been injured, six critically, by a sightseeing bus that careened through crowded Union Square.
— The network wants to rile up the masses as it careens toward a dramatic conclusion.
— The race then careens down Fifth Avenue and finishes in Central Park, next to the Tavern on the Green.
— A truck careened over the curb and into the driveway of the medical arts building, pinning Harris underneath.
DEBASE
diˈbās |
To lower in value, quality, or character or dignity.
To cheapen, or make lower in value or qualit.
Corrupt or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
— The vandal debased the priceless work of art by spraying it with paint.
verb [with obj.]
reduce (something) in quality or value; degrade: the love episodes debase the dignity of the drama.
• lower the moral character of (someone): war debases people.
• historical lower the value of (coinage) by reducing the content of precious metal.
debase
To debase something is to make it corrupt or impure. If your lemonade stand sells “pure lemonade,” you’d insist on using real lemons instead of a mix; using a mix would debase your product.
Debase is often used in the context of two things: coins and people. To debase a coin is to replace some of the precious metal in the coin with metal of lesser value. To debase a person is to corrupt them, often by driving them to perform an immoral act like (gasp!) using the lemonade mix. Just promise us you won’t do it.
— Once discrimination on this scale enters the political market, it debases the currency of a democracy and leaves everything weaker and everyone more divided.
— When, however, O’Reilly’s vast carelessness pollutes history and debases the historian’s craft, the mess is, unlike O’Reilly, to be taken seriously.
— For if the Fed were even perceived to be debasing the dollar, many would seek out a sounder alternative.
— Its very presence, the Leesburg Town Council was told by some residents, is debasing the good people of this 257-year-old city.
— Rather than indulge and debase himself for the most extreme people in his caucus, he quit.
— They have debased the currency of governing to the point that right now experience in office produces no dividends.
— And it was highly contentious, with some politicians and grandees warning that TV adverts would somehow debase society.
— In America, some Republicans think that QE is debasing the currency and will eventually lead to inflation.
— The Royal Mint soon began to melt down the debased currency, and new coins, bearing Elizabeth’s impressive profile, were minted in precious metals.
— We are outraged by those who debase these women, this work, and Planned Parenthood by distorting the facts for political ends.”
— They’ll be trying to redeem American politics, not debasing it.
— That allows her keep the status quo while debasing your feelings for both your father and her.
— That I am trying to imagine a place untainted by the usual debased human things, and this is true.
DEBILITATE
diˈbiliˌtāt, dē- |
To weaken, to sicken or to harm.
— The old man’s illness had debilitated him to such a state that he needed assistance to perform the simplest tasks.
verb [with obj.]
make (someone) weak and infirm: a weakness that debilitates him despite his overwhelming physical might | (as adj. debilitated) : a debilitated patient.
• hinder, delay, or weaken: hard drugs destroy families and debilitate communities.
debilitate
To debilitate something is to make it weaker. A bad flu may debilitate your powers of concentration, like the New Year’s resolutions that temporarily debilitate bakeries’ business.
The verb debilitate traces back to the Latin word debilis, meaning “lame, disabled, crippled.” It’s often used to describe what disability or illness does to a person’s health, but it can describe anything that has been weakened, like the sense of community that is slowly debilitated by people working longer hours and the lack of sidewalks that in many towns make it harder to walk around and meet the neighbors.
— Antibodies for the dengue and chikungunya viruses, which are far more debilitating than Zika, are often being found in infected patients.
— Of these diseases, hookworm, Stoll’s “great infection of mankind,” is one of the most debilitating and widely disseminated.
— Holloman found his phone, but they were stuck with the debilitated bus.
— A debilitating disorder, its symptoms include fatigue, joint and muscle pain, headaches, concentration and memory difficulties, gastrointestinal problems and skin rashes.
— Zika, which is primarily spread by mosquitoes, causes a debilitating but nonfatal disease that, by itself, would probably not deter most tourists and athletes.
— Additionally, excess salt consumption contributes to a number of chronic and debilitating illnesses.
— While not life threatening, it can affect fertility and bring debilitating pain.
— We believe in you and your pizza-eating abilities, but make sure you don’t end up in a debilitating food coma.
— Lyme disease is not fatal, but can be permanently debilitating if it’s not treated early enough, according to health experts.
— Chronic conditions can go untreated and become debilitating.
EMULATE
ˈemyəˌlāt |
To copy or imitate.
To try to equal by imitating or copying.
— Tony was so worried about the upcoming school dance that he spent much of his free time trying to emulate the cool dance moves he saw in music videos.
verb [with obj.]
match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation: lesser men trying to emulate his greatness.
• imitate: hers is not a hairstyle I wish to emulate.
• Computing reproduce the function or action of (a different computer, software system, etc.).
When you emulate someone, you imitate them, especially with the idea of matching their success.
When someone is impressive because of their great skills, brains, strength, or accomplishments, other will emulate. To emulate is to imitate and model yourself after someone. People emulate role models — people they want to be like. After Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, player after player tried to emulate Jordan’s game and success. It’s hard to be as good as someone like that, but having a hero to emulate can be helpful in many areas of life.
— “I worked hard to try to emulate his argument style,” Mr. Cruz wrote of Chief Justice Roberts’s 39 appearances before the court.
— One hopes that the person selected to replace Mr. Scalia will strive to emulate his principles even if that person cannot possibly emulate his brilliance.
— And it would give her another example of success at the highest level to emulate in whatever she decides to do.
— But she declined to name one particular designer she’d like to emulate, saying she didn’t want to reproduce someone else’s work.
— Prep athletes see college and pro athletes behaving badly, then emulate those whose footsteps they hope to follow.
— Clubs want to emulate the Kansas City Royals, who won their first World Series title since 1985 with a young, athletic roster.
ENCOMIUM
enˈkōmēəm |
Formal (warm, glowing) praise.
— At Henry’s retirement party, his boss delivered a brief encomium celebrating Henry’s five decades at the company.
noun ( pl. encomiums or encomia |-mēə| ) formal
a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.
encomium
An encomium is a fancy word for a formal speech or piece of writing that warmly praises someone or something.
Encomium comes from the Greek word enkomion which, in a nutshell, is to honor someone or something at a party in a poetic speech. It used to refer to the song for the winner of the Olympic Games, sung at a victory celebration. You might hear an encomium at a retirement party, after you publish a fabulous book, or even at a funeral (a eulogy, or speech at a funeral about the person who died, is a kind of encomium). It’s pronounced with a long O, en-CO-mium.
— Usually when someone dies, there are encomiums about how kind, generous and loving the person was.
— American royalty gets a well-deserved encomium in Beth Harrington’s fond documentary, “The Winding Stream: The Carters, the Cashes and the Course of Country Music.”
— Tsarnaev concluded his courtroom remarks with a few final encomiums to Allah.
— As the epigraph to her book, Mays quotes Milton’s encomium to Shakespeare’s poetry as his “live-long monument.”
— These aren’t just hollow encomiums from co-stars eager to sell the product.
— The celebration went on, as did the encomiums to Nigeria’s greatness.
LARCENY
ˈlärs(ə)nē |
Theft, robbery.
noun ( pl. larcenies )
theft of personal property. See also grand larceny, petty larceny.
— After being caught with the stolen goods, the burglar was charged with larceny.
Larceny is the legal term for stealing. Grand larceny is when you take something worth a lot of money, petty larceny when the stolen item is worth relatively little.
Larceny is used when talking about stealing someone’s property in regards to the law. If you illegally download music or plagiarize a text, that may be theft, but it is not larceny because there was no physical property involved. If you take a friend’s yoyo and don’t give it back, it’s stealing — unless your friend calls the police and has you arrested on charges of larceny.
— He pleaded guilty in December to charges including grand larceny, money laundering and securities fraud.
— Kiehm has been charged with five felony counts of grand larceny, identity theft and scheme to defraud.
— But they are far short of the ballyhooed rampant larceny.
— But there are a few lesser crimes thrown in, including identity theft, larceny and money laundering.
— He is charged with attempted armed robbery, larceny of a motor vehicle and assault.
LACHRYMOSE
ˈlakrəˌmōs, -ˌmōz |
Causing tears.
Causing or inclined to shed tears.
Someone who cries easily or something that causes sadness.
— Every time the mother began to leave the room, the child’s mood turned lachrymose and he began to fuss.
adjective formal or literary
tearful or given to weeping: she was pink-eyed and lachrymose.
• inducing tears; sad: a lachrymose children’s classic.
lachrymose
A good place to see a display of lachrymose sorrow is at a funeral — people sobbing openly or sniffling quietly into their hankies. To be lachrymose, in other words, is to be tearful.
Lachrymose is not a word used much in everyday speech; you wouldn’t say, for example, “I feel a bit lachrymose today.” No, you’d probably say, “I feel a bit weepy today.” Lachrymose is generally confined to use as a written critical term, often meaning much the same as sentimental. Books and plays and films can all be lachrymose, if their intent is to induce shameless sniveling.
— The new makeover focuses less on arcane vocabulary words like “lachrymose” and more on real-world learning and analysis by students.
— The majority of the ABC contestants became lachrymose at the drop of a spatula.
— The lachrymose British drama “Lilting” pivots on the prickly relationship between two people who are mourning a third.
— Because Mr. Lee’s character has none of her gumption, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of contempt for his lachrymose self-pity.
— “What do all of these lachrymose cliches mean?”
— There are also lachrymose headlines: “A modern romance that ended in tragedy”, , while talks about “A union full of kisses, tweets and turns”.
— Another is a love song from Serbia, White Roses, delivered with fists clenched to the side, and lachrymose melancholy.
— The lachrymose television guest is far less prone to emote on the page.
— She winked hard, she was determined not to get lachrymose.
MACHINATIONS
ˈmakəˌnāt, ˈmaSHə- |
Secret plots or schemes, usually with evil intent.
An artful or secret plot or scheme, esp. one with evil intent
— The criminals’ machinations were designed to capture the beautiful woman so they could hod her for ransom.
verb [no obj.]
engage in plots and intrigues; scheme.
machination
When a James Bond villain comes up with a plan to destroy the world, he doesn’t use a simple plan. No, he uses a machination — a complex plot that relies on numerous elements coming together to work.
Not surprisingly, machination derives from the Medieval French machina, meaning “machine.” And, like many a machine, a machination is subject to going wrong, often comically (see James Bond movies). Politicians love a good machination, and their machinations are frequently exposed in the press as scandals.
— He has rare insight into the machinations of the technology industry.
— He was just a new lawmaker in the minority party with zero involvement in the hidden machinations of the Capitol.
— Enron had been courting collapse for years with its audacious, criminal machinations.
— It looks no more likely to succeed than the president’s earlier machinations.
MAGNANIMOUS
magˈnanəməs |
Noble in mind.
Very generous and kind.
Big-hearted, noble and generous of spirit.
Highly moral, especially in showing kindness or forgiveness,
— Fred can certainly be said to be a magnanimous. The waitress meant well, but her carelessness caused her to spill his morning coffee.
adjective
very generous or forgiving, esp. toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself.
magnanimous
A magnanimous person has a generous spirit. Letting your little sister have the last of the cookies, even though you hadn’t eaten since breakfast, would be considered a magnanimous act.
Magnanimous comes from Latin magnus “great” and animus “soul,” so it literally describes someone who is big-hearted. A person can show that over-sized spirit by being noble or brave, or by easily forgiving others and not showing resentment. It implies superiority, and is something you should say of others rather than of yourself. Being magnanimous doesn’t require doling out tons of cash — just being an understanding and tolerant soul will do the trick.
— Is it possible that buildings might be renamed to honor the most magnanimous donors?
— In a heated debate, it was one of the more magnanimous gestures.
— The billionaire businessman initially struck a magnanimous tone after he came in second to Senator Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucuses on Monday night.
— Trump was atypically magnanimous as he spoke for just four minutes to supporters.
— Waving through the driver who’s trying to cut you off is not merely magnanimous but may be better for your heart.
— He’s instead labeled, by way of praising Clinton’s magnanimous decision to join his Cabinet, as “the man who defeated her.”
— But Apple’s customers expect it to be a magnanimous winner.
— The women create an atmosphere where guests are made to feel special and the host magnanimous.
PAEAN
ˈpēən |
A song of joy, triumph, praise, etc.
A song for a few words of praise or tribute.
A song that expresses great or enthusiastic joy or praise.
In ancient Greece, a hymn of thanksgiving to the gods, esp. to Apollo
— The song was a paean to innocent, romantic love.
noun
a song of praise or triumph.
• a thing that expresses enthusiastic praise: his books are paeans to combat.
A paean is a hymn of praise or thanksgiving. You might sing a paean in church, where many hymns extol the greatness of God.
Paean was originally a song of praise for Apollo, or Paian as he was sometimes called. You can now use paean to mean any song of praise, regardless of the deity, or to mean a formal expression of praise, like a eulogy. At your mother’s birthday dinner, it might be nice for you and your brothers and sisters to write and sing a paean to her good-natured love and support of you over many years.
— The book is a paean to the power of education and its potential to peacefully revolutionize a violent nation.
— This book is a paean to the many idiosyncratic words his countrymen have invented to describe their natural environment.
— Critics have called it a brilliant paean to Hollywood’s golden age.
— And even conservatives, despite their regular paeans to business, don’t want to hear someone brag about a record that includes firing 30,000 American workers.
— The paeans to immigrants were delivered by the man whose administration is brutally deporting them.
— Is it a paean to lost freedoms or a send-up of the emotional
— brutality that came with being a kid 40 years ago?
— His paean to peace is the reason why.
— Rubio also took on the moderators, turning a question about his personal finances into a paean to his humble roots.
PALATABLE
ˈpalətəbəl |
Agreeable to the taste.
Acceptable or agreeable to the mind or sensibilities: a palatable solution to the problem.
— Oh my, but this food si so palatable! I can hardly wait for each bite.
adjective
(of food or drink) pleasant to taste: a very palatable local red wine.
• (of an action or proposal) acceptable or satisfactory: a device that made increased taxation more palatable.
palatable
Something that is palatable is acceptable to one’s sense of taste—literally or figuratively. If it’s palatable, then you can put up with it — whether it’s leftovers or a mediocre made-for-TV movie.
The palate is the roof of the mouth, the combination of structures that separates the mouth from the nose. Early anatomists believed that the sense of taste was located in the palate, and, just as taste is metaphorically expanded to include sensibilities beyond the experience of food and drink, so palatable can be used to describe phenomena beyond the culinary. And, while palatable can mean pleasing or agreeable, it generally means merely tolerable—edible, rather than delicious.
— Silver watched Democratic and Republican presidential debates, seeing even seasoned politicians struggle to find palatable ways to tackle the gun debate.
— Roberts himself backed a change in federal law to make decisions to sell more palatable financially.
— But the club was as eager as Cole to reach a buyout that made his Galaxy deal palatable as well.
— He gives party leaders an option they find more palatable.
— Now, he can make the best case to unite establishment supporters who do not believe Cruz or Trump are palatable nominees.
— For conservatives, it could make a high-risk maneuver to limit spending more palatable.
— House Republicans on Thursday added a gradual income tax cut to their plan to make it more palatable, but it didn’t work.
— With Schengen under threat, few palatable options are available and time is running out.
— Mr. Bloomberg could figure that many Republicans might find him more palatable as Commander in Chief than the say-anything style of Mr. Trump.
— There are nonetheless some ways to make carbon prices more politically palatable.
— But the club was as eager as Cole to reach a buyout that made his Galaxy deal palatable as well.
— Recovery Road is a bold show wrapped up in a palatable and accessible teen drama that makes for fun television viewing.
— Roberts himself backed a change in federal law to make decisions to sell more palatable financially.
RABID
ˈrabəd, ˈrā- |
Fanatical, violent, or extremely expressive.
Being violent or uncontrollable, or fanatical in a belief.
Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.
Infected by rabies.
— There’s nothing wrong with supporting a team and cheering for them to win, but if fans get too rabid in their support, they can become rude and even violent when things don’t go their way.
adjective
1 having or proceeding from an extreme or fanatical support of or belief in something: a rabid feminist.
2 (of an animal) affected with rabies.
• of or connected with rabies.
Chances are that if the tail-wagging dog that just appeared on your doorstep is also foaming at the mouth and chewing on your welcome mat, it’s rabid and you should back away slowly; no petting for this infectious pup.
While you’ve likely heard it used to describe an animal infected by rabies, rabid (derived from the Latin verb rabere “be mad, rave”) can also dramatically describe a person exhibiting fanatical, extremely enthusiastic, or raging behavior. That guy who nearly knocked you off the stands at the football game with his energetic fist-pumping and then was later kicked out for getting into a fight with another fan? Rabid on both counts.
— Apple, for decades, was supported by a small but rabid fan base, until the iPod and later the iPhone broke through to the mainstream.
— I like to stream movies, my wife enjoys surfing the Web and streaming audio, and our son is a rabid online gamer.
— But if you’re a rabid daily fantasy sports player, you’ll want one of these wearable computers to keep your head in the game.
— New Jersey health officials say a raccoon that attacked a 6-year-old boy was rabid.
— State lawyers also say the law protects the source of the drugs from “rabid manipulations of death penalty opponents.”
— It appears Apple’s days of rabid growth are over.
— I quickly became a very passionate and rabid fan of the series.
— A spokesman for Bergen County said Friday that authorities have confirmed the raccoon was rabid.
RAMIFICATION
ˌraməfəˈkāSHən |
The result, effect, or consequence derived from an action, statement, decidsion, etc
— One of the unfrotunate ramifications of the recent economic troubles is an increase in prices due to an increase in government taxes.
noun (usu. ramifications)
a consequence of an action or event, esp. when complex or unwelcome: any change is bound to have legal ramifications.
• a subdivision of a complex structure or process perceived as comparable to a tree’s branches: an extended family with its ramifications of neighboring in-laws.
• formal or technical the action or state of ramifying or being ramified.
A ramification is an accidental consequence that complicates things. Remember that time you borrowed your father’s car without asking? The ramification was that Dad missed an important meeting, his company went under, and he had to sell the car. Oops!
The ramifications are the broader effects that fan out into the world from one situation, or decision, that kicks it all off. Ramification also refers to something branching out, like limbs on a tree — which is what bad decisions tend to do. Ramification is like consequence, but usually unintended and bad. The word is often used in political discussions about laws or government decisions because they might be made locally but could affect people worldwide.
— But the political ramifications will be felt well before that.
— The ramifications could be huge, he believes, as progress in one technology spurs breakthroughs in another.
— For their part, school officials remained cautious about the legal ramifications of school segregation receiving wider attention.
— A meeting of EU data watchdogs is set to have wide-ranging ramifications for the way businesses handle data.
— As ever, keen to hear expert opinions on any of these moves or their ramifications.
— CEN says the article has had major ramifications for its business.
— But one country illustrates the ramifications for the U.S. of a default.
— The ramifications will impact the franchise’s decision-making, both in the short and long term, on how it juggles the cap while improving the roster.
— The issue of state responsibility has ramifications beyond the Litvinenko case.
— This is a local problem with wider ramifications.
— The article addressed a very important problem in clinical cardiovascular medicine that has multiple ramifications.
— Some Republicans who voted for the legislation have said they did not realize its ramifications.
— Security Council is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the ramifications of the North Korean test.
— The deceleration of what is now the world’s second-largest economy could have ramifications for the U.S. and other nations.
SCOTCH
skäCH |
To put an end to or to crush.
— Many people find insects like mosquitoes annoying and try to scotch them whenever possible.
adjective
old-fashioned term for Scottish.
noun
1 short for Scotch whisky.
2 (as plural noun the Scotch) dated the people of Scotland.
3 dated the form of English spoken in Scotland.
— The prime minister scotched the rumors of her illness with a public appearance.
— Instead, slower growth this fall spooked fleet owners into scotching expansion plans.
— I think we can scotch that aspect of the plans and then move forward.
— But the judge scotched the trial on Tuesday because a settlement was reached — although no details were disclosed.
— After so many years of inactivity, the last thing claimants want now is to say something impolitic that might scotch the deal.
— However, the film-maker swiftly scotched rumours that he was going to offer an apology.
SCOURGE
skərj |
Whip, punish severely.
A whip, a method of inflicting hash punishement, or a cause of widesperad suffering.
Something causing misery or death.
A person who inspires fear or dread.
A whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor.
Cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly.
— Before putting criminals to death, Roman soldiers would strike prisiners over and over with a scourge, a whip made of leather straps.
noun
1 historical a whip used as an instrument of punishment.
2 a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering: the scourge of mass unemployment.
verb [with obj.]
1 historical whip (someone) as a punishment.
2 cause great suffering to: political methods used to scourge and oppress workers.
scourge
A scourge is a whip — or anything else that is punishing and dreadful. You could confront “a scourge of corruption” or “a scourge of hunger.”
As a verb, scourge means to cause suffering. Not surprisingly, it comes from the old French word meaning “to whip.” A dictatorship could scourge and oppress its citizens, and an infectious disease could scourge an entire community. When you see scourge, think “suffering.”
— He commanded bishops to be more proactive in facing down the scourge of narcotics and denounced gangs as dealers of death.
— He said the “scourge of terrorism” demands that they stay vigilant, share information and work together to protect their citizens.
— The scourge of gun proliferation fortunately is drawing attention beyond the D.C. line.
— Malaria, another mosquito-driven scourge that has been killing humans for centuries, is now the target of an ambitious global eradication effort.
— Everyone has a role to play to combat this scourge.
— He is already despised in the west, where he is seen as a scourge of the Islamists.
— These conservative Christians see much to admire in the doctrinaire scourge of Obama.
— The highly visible horrors of bodily corruption, notably infectious scourges like smallpox and leprosy, prompt aversive sentiments and even flight.
— Humans have tried to protect themselves against the scourge of mosquitoes for centuries.
— If two Missouri House Republicans get their way, the scourge of voter fraud could soon be wiped out for good in Missouri.
— The research, published in the journal Anthropocene, shows that no part of the planet is free of the scourge of plastic waste.
— There are several steps we can take to slow this scourge.
— Mangano is in full pitch mode, describing the wide scourge of stains, and the salvation of the Miracle Mop.
— He called on the justice secretary to “bring this terrible scourge to an end”.
UBIQUITOUS
yo͞oˈbikwətəs |
Appearing to be everywhere simultaneously, omnipresent.
Being everywhere at once
— The ubiquitous for slowly enveloped the entire forest, and visibility was reduced to almost nothing.
adjective
present, appearing, or found everywhere: his ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family | cowboy hats are ubiquitous among the male singers.
ubiquitous
It’s everywhere! It’s everywhere! When something seems like it’s present in all places at the same time, reach for the adjective ubiquitous.
“Cities like Singapore aim to cloak themselves in ubiquitous, free Wi-Fi in the next few years,” The Wall Street Journal reported recently — meaning that those savvy Singaporeans will find a wireless connection everywhere they go. The word, comes from the Latin ubique, meaning — you guessed it — “everywhere.” The usual pronunciation is “yoo-BIK-wih-tihs,” but Joseph Heller must have had the older variant “ooh-BIK-wih-tihs” in mind when he wrote in Catch-22 that a character “padded through the shadows fruitlessly like an ubiquitous spook.”
— When recruiters call you for the initial interview, be prepared for an alteration to the ubiquitous question, “Why should we hire you?”
— Smartphones, which have been around for a decade or more, are so ubiquitous and such an integral part of our daily…
— The maps would add a new symbol for convenience stores, which are ubiquitous in Japan - a sandwich and water bottle.
— The gaunt, 31-year-old artist nailed his scrotum to the pavement of Moscow’s iconic Red Square to protest ubiquitous police brutality in Russia.
— Arnie Alpert, an organizer with the group, said the banners would be ubiquitous at campaign events over the next week.
— Social marketing of contraceptives rests on mass media advertising and ubiquitous point of purchase.
— Her taste in fashion can be described as conservative or classic, although in her heyday pictures of Twiggy in a miniskirt were ubiquitous.
— Think of feldspar, quartz and mica - these are the ubiquitous species that everyone knows.
— Newspapers at the many street-side kiosks featured front page photos of the pope with the ubiquitous headline: Bienvendo, or Welcome.
— And some experts are worried that some poor neighborhoods, where air-conditioning is less ubiquitous, may be more vulnerable.
— In Mexico and Latin America, as well as the southwestern U.S., this image of the Virgin Mary is dynamic, ubiquitous and powerful.
— The ubiquitous artist’s fingerprints are all over the new sound of the city.
— She challenged the licensing fee and before long was joined by other plaintiffs who took aim at the publishing house’s claims over the ubiquitous song.
— Under the deal, Warner/Chappell will give up its claims to the ubiquitous song and reimburse those who paid licensing fees.
— The lawsuit was filed in 2013 by a group of filmmakers who believed the ubiquitous song should be in the public domain.
— He was there to play his crossover hit “Rockit,” an early hip-hop touchstone, ubiquitous in the clubs and on the street.
— It’s still called porridge, but it’s really a congee, and looks a bit more like an upscale risotto than the ubiquitous Asian rice soup.
— Traffic jams are ubiquitous in many African cities and some, such as Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, are embracing mass transit schemes to shuttle people around.
— That a remedy for something as ubiquitous as kids’ ear infections can become a profit center speaks volumes about what healthcare consumers are up against.
— He did not once mention his ubiquitous campaign slogan to “make America great again.”
ULTERIOR
ˌəlˈti(ə)rēər |
Beyond what is openly said or indicated.
Intentionally hidden, not revealed or below the surface.
— As Robert shook hands with Cecil, he had no idea that Cecil had an ulterior motive for wanting to meet with him.
adjective
existing beyond what is obvious or admitted; intentionally hidden: could there be an ulterior motive behind his request?
• beyond what is immediate or present; coming in the future: ulterior pay promised to the mariners.
ulterior
An ulterior interest, argument, or revelation is one you try to keep hidden, like your ulterior motive for weeding your grandmother’s garden is to have a conversation with your crush — and Grandma’s neighbor — who happens to be outside, too.
The adjective ulterior is a Latin word which means “more distant” or “future.” Something that is ulterior may lay the groundwork for what comes later, like a new friend who hangs out with you at your house but whose ulterior motive is to date one of your siblings, or the incredible popularity of a series of novels set in a real place having the ulterior consequences of that place becoming a tourist destination.
— But both Arians and Welter have rejected the idea there was an ulterior motive.
— If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
— Make the case and end the speculation about ulterior motives.
— I had an ulterior motive for walking these scrubby woods.
— Elevating the yuan might serve two ulterior purposes for the IMF.
— Build connections to build connections, and because you’re a person who cares about other people—not as a means to any other ulterior end.
— It also suggested U.S. authorities had an ulterior motive.
ABUSIVE
əˈbyo͞osiv, -ziv |
Treating someone or something badly or being harmful or insulting.
— The kid next door is abusive towards animals and never misses an opportunity to tease his goldfish.
adjective
1 extremely offensive and insulting: abusive language | he became quite abusive and swore at her.
2 engaging in or characterized by habitual violence and cruelty: abusive parents | an abusive relationship.
3 involving injustice or illegality: the abusive and predatory practices of businesses.
abusive
People or actions that are hurtful or harmful are abusive. Being abusive is one of the worst things a parent — or anyone else — can do.
Abusive is a strong word for serious actions. A parent asking you to take out the garbage is not being abusive, but a parent who hits you, locks you up, or yells at you repeatedly is being abusive, which is wrong and also illegal. Teachers can be abusive too, and so can bosses, co-workers, or other students. Anyone who has power has a lot of potential to be abusive in a physical or psychological (mental) way. One of the most important parts of being a parent, teacher, boss — or anyone else — is making sure you don’t do anything abusive. When you hear the word abusive, think “Someone is being hurt.”
— Seven women’s basketball players have sued the school claiming coach Matt Bollant and some staff created a racially abusive environment.
— He also falls in love with Rosa, and in a chilling filmed sequence, rescues her from an abusive boyfriend.
— Luke Culhane fought back against abusive messages and social media posts in a brave way - by appearing in his own powerful video, which went viral.
— Since his overthrow, many African countries have endured abusive dictators, warlords and large-scale bloodshed that has gone unpunished.
ACCLIVITY
əˈklivitē |
An upward slope (as of ground).
An upward slope, as of a hill.
— My bicycle ride ended when I hit the steep acclivity and could not go any farther.
noun ( pl. acclivities )
an upward slope.
An acclivity might be something to dread if you ride a bike a lot. An acclivity is an uphill slope, so you’ll have to pedal a little harder to get to the top.
The word acclivity traces back to the Latin word acclivis, meaning “ascending,” which is a combination of ad-, meaning “toward,” and clivus, meaning “slope.” If you encounter an acclivity, it’s going to be all uphill until you get to the top. The opposite of an acclivity is a declivity, which has a similar Latin origin. In the case of declivity, it’s the de- prefix, meaning “down,” that moves things in the opposite direction and gives it the meaning of “downhill slope.”
— A steep acclivity, as the slope of a hill, or the side of a ravine.
— The moment they bounded up the steep acclivity they were safe, and the wearied horsemen turned again to the camp.
— They had gone but a short distance up-stream when, as they ascended a slight acclivity, Bill was seized with intense excitement.
— In the rear was a narrow pass, with a steep acclivity on either side.
— It is pleasantly situated on the summit and slopes of an acclivity rising from the river, and has handsome squares, terraces, and streets.
— To gallop horses already blown against that steep acclivity would have been to kill them.
BOGUS
ˈbōgəs |
Fake or not real.
— John wore a bogus mustache to tray and fool everyone.
adjective
not genuine or true; fake: a bogus insurance claim.
Bogus means fake. A bogus dollar bill is counterfeit, a bogus Picasso was not painted by him, and a bogus attempt at reconciliation would come from someone who never intended to end a fight.
Perhaps appropriately, the word bogus originated in the US. Coined as a name for a machine that printed counterfeit money, it later became a trademark term among California surfers. In surfer speak, “totally bogus, dude” would describe any unfortunate situation.
— The people of Iran will never gain their freedom by participating in bogus elections.
— Tfl was hit with queries on social media by confused commuters reacting to the bogus news about the line closures.
— he government there says the move is aimed at stamping out bogus churches.
— She pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit health care fraud over bogus billing to Medicare.
ORNITHOLOGIST
ornithology |ˌôrnəˈTHäləjē|
noun
the scientific study of birds.
An ornithologist is a type of zoologist who focuses on birds. If you want to know anything about our fine feathered friends, consult an ornithologist.
Having a birdbath in your backyard doesn’t make you an ornithologist. An ornithologist is someone who studies ornithology — the branch of science devoted to birds. Ornithologists study every aspect of birds, including bird songs, flight patterns, physical appearance, and migration patterns. Birds are genetically related to dinosaurs, which is something else an ornithologist might study.
APPEND
əˈpend |
To add on or to attach.
Fix to; attach.
Add to the very end (“He appended a glossary to his novel where he used an invented language”).
— After watching too many people speed thorough his neighborhood, Doug decided to append a homemade reminder to the speed limit sign posted on his street.
verb [with obj.]
add (something) as an attachment or supplement: the results of the survey are appended to this chapter.
To append means to add on, usually to the end of something. You might want to append a clause onto a contract if you feel something has been left unsaid in it.
You’ve probably seen the word append before, at least as part of another word: appendix. An appendix is a final section appended onto a book that offers additional information or notes. You can also use append to mean to fix onto or to attach usually at the end. Sometimes you can change the meaning of a word by removing the suffix and appending another to it. You’d best not append your presentation with the remark that you actually don’t know what you are talking about.
— Rather, I will append a more personal perspective.
— However, one major caveat needs to be appended.
— The comments immediately appended to it confirmed this, with sick jokers speculating it was some kind of suicide note.
— If any other candidate makes such a proposal, we’ll append a note under pieces about them.”
— However, an appended statement signed by 44 scientists from 18 countries disputed the notion that there is a scientific justification for killing whales.
— Google appends examples of granted and non-granted requests to its report.
— Much of the document, which was appended to a 2013 patent filing, covers things we already know.
— he national recipes are written with trademarks appended.
— They had originally planned to call themselves the Women’s Party, but appended the state name when election officials insisted their original was too broadly worded.
— Mitra said that was an oversight and that the disclosure would be appended.
— Appending additional legislation to extension bills in the past has been cause for friction in the House.
— Souter carefully appended the lyrics of both songs to the Supreme Court opinion; presumably, he didn’t think he was infringing in doing so.
— The Times appended a correction to its original story on Friday afternoon, stating that the article “misstated the nature of the referral”.
— In hundreds of comments appended to Karma’s Web site, customers expressed disappointment and asked for discounts.
— But the alternative was an ever-growing mnemonic periodically appended with new words to accommodate discoveries.
— And Mr. Purdy said that he thought The Times probably took too long to append a correction in the first instance.
— Economists might wish that numbers were being appended to the discussion.
— They each outline what drew them to graphic medicine and append excerpts from favorite works.
— “I am still your CEO, have fun” he said and appended that with a smiley emoticon.
RESURRECTION
ˌrezəˈrekSHən |
The state of having risen from the dead or inactivity. It also means return or revival of something to public notice or common practice.
Coming back to life, or coming back into practice.
A rising from the dead, or coming back to life.
noun
the action or fact of resurrecting or being resurrected: the story of the resurrection of Osiris.
Resurrection describes something that has been brought back to life — literally or figuratively. A zombie resurrection may occur in that scary movie you’re watching, or a fashion designer may bring about the resurrection of the a-line skirt.
First used in the 13th century, the noun resurrection comes from the Latin word resurgere, meaning “rise again.” It can refer literally to a rising from the dead, but you’re more likely to hear the word describe something that’s figuratively brought back to life — meaning, it’s been revived after a time of inactivity or decline. If a pitcher who has been in a slump throws a perfect game, that could be considered a resurrection of his baseball career.
— “It’s not exactly a resurrection if I was never dead, is it?”
— It’s an original and inventive way to illuminate the well-known story, bringing a sense of rotting-flesh reality to this whole resurrection business.
— As a fan of the zombie genre, perhaps I should welcome the resurrection of George W Bush.
— There must also be permanence to the American way of war and a resurrection of the Weinberger Doctrine concerning overwhelming force.
— He has already pulled out of a TV appearance to promote the band’s resurrection.
REFERENDUM
ˌrefəˈrendəm |
A vote or submitting to a vote.
— The council for Elections sent out a referendum to the general public asking whether or not the president should be impeached.
noun ( pl. referendums or referenda |-də| )
a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision.
A referendum is an official vote on a specific issue. It’s often part of a larger election.
On many issues, our elected representatives argue, negotiate, and make a law, but sometimes there’s a referendum — the issue is put directly to the people for a vote as part of an election. Past referendums have been on gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana. Usually, a referendum is a yes or no question. Smaller groups can have referendums too — like a school system deciding whether or not to have school uniforms or a longer school year.
— Under the new law, if no deal can be reached with a company’s unions, employees may vote in a binding internal referendum.
— That seems especially so now, as Britain’s in-out referendum campaign gets rolling.
— Britain will hold a referendum on EU membership June 23.
— Voters are going to be told throughout the referendum campaign that the European Union affects their everyday lives.
AMBIANCE
ambience
(also ambiance )
ˈambēəns |
The atmosphere or mood of a place.
The atmosphere or feeling of a place.
The atmosphere of an environment
The special atmosphere or mood created by a particular environment: a restaurant known for its romantic ambiance.
— After several weeks of rainy weather, it was nice to et out to the park, have a picnic, and enjoy the pleasant ambiance.
noun
variant spelling of ambience.
noun [usu. in sing.]
the character and atmosphere of a place: the relaxed ambience of the cocktail lounge is popular with guests.
• background noise added to a musical recording to give the impression that it was recorded live.
An ambiance is the mood or setting of a place. You might like the ambiance of a certain restaurant because the lighting and decor makes you feel comfortable and happy.
Ambiance is pronounced “AHM-bee-ahns.” Most places have an ambiance made up of whatever sights, smells, sounds, and even sensations or textures fill the space. A fancy French restaurant gets its ambiance from the candlelight and chic black outfits worn by the wait staff while the diner off the highway might have a funky, retro ambiance because of its 1950s counter and jukebox full of golden oldies.
— Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Waimea offers an ambiance easily found in Bali or Thailand while keeping to its Hawaiian roots.
— “We wanted to attract people to the ambiance of downtown,” Jeanmarie said.
— “But a nice big warm fire has a good ambiance to it and is much more attractive than a gas fireplace.”
— Mirrors are especially appealing in dining rooms because they reflect candlelight and add to the overall ambiance, but mirrors also double your view.
— Smaller table lamps in the corners of the room help add ambiance.
— It’s happy space and the ambiance is good.
— You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to create a designer-inspired look or give your home an entirely new ambiance.
AUXILIARY
ôgˈzilyərē, -ˈzil(ə)rē |
Giving help or aid, reserve.
Something or someone used in a supporting role or used in reserve.
Giving help or aid; assisting or supporting.
Additional; supplementary; reserve
— Fortunately for Jay, when his car’s back tire went flat, he was able to use the auxiliary tire to replace the flat one.
adjective
providing supplementary or additional help and support: an auxiliary nurse | auxiliary airport staff.
• (of equipment) held in reserve: the ship has an auxiliary power source.
• (of troops) engaged in the service of a nation at war but not part of the regular army, and often of foreign origin.
• (of a sailing vessel) equipped with a supplementary engine.
noun ( pl. auxiliaries )
a person or thing providing supplementary or additional help and support: a nursing auxiliary | there are two main fuel tanks and two auxiliaries.
• a group of volunteers giving supplementary support to an organization or institution: members of the Volunteer Fire Department’s women’s auxiliary.
• (auxiliaries) troops engaged in the service of a nation at war but not part of the regular army, and often of foreign origin.
• Grammar an auxiliary verb.
• a naval vessel with a supporting role, not armed for combat.
When you’re offering something in support of an already existing thing, you’re offering something auxiliary. The auxiliary police will help out the regular police with things like directing traffic and crowd control when there’s a special event in town.
The Latin word auxilium means “help,” and so auxiliary means something that “helps” by providing backup or support. Think of auxiliary verbs (sometimes called helper verbs), that provide support within a verb phrase, as “is” does in “Helen is playing.” You can have an auxiliary engine in a car, an auxiliary cook at a restaurant, an auxiliary electrical network at a factory, or auxiliary troops standing by during battle. A “Ladies Auxiliary” functions as support for institutions such as churches, synagogues, or charities.
OGLE
ˈōgəl |
To look with love or desire.
To look at with great attention, often in an sexual way.
To stare in a way that shows desire.
To look at with amorous intentions.
To look or stare at, especially in a desirous manner.
— Bob ogled Mary as she stood next to him.
verb [with obj.]
stare at in a lecherous manner: he was ogling her breasts | [no obj.] : men who had turned up to ogle.
noun
a lecherous look.
When you ogle someone, you look at them with love or desire in mind. And if you’re a cartoon character, you might also be drooling.
Though it’s most often used to refer to the way people gaze at each other, the verb ogle can also be used when talking about any object of desire — like when you ogle those designer jeans or that red Ferrari. The word comes from the 1680s German word oeglen, meaning “look at.” Men are known to ogle women much more frequently than women ogle men. Ever seen a scene in a movie where a pretty lady walks into a bar and all the men turn on their bar stools to watch her pass by? That’s classic ogling.
— Predictably, gangs of teenagers crowd around him on Saturday nights, to smoke, posture and ogle members of the opposite sex.
— Maybe with nutty neighbor who borrows our plunger and makes to ogle the breasts of our daughter all the time.”
— On the second show, a camera crew went to a park and surreptitiously filmed guys ogling busty women.
— Why do you dress like that if you don’t want to be ogled?
— He’s ogling her, and she knows it and he knows she knows.
— While Beyoncé’s appearance makes her complicit, her role in the video is little more than being an object to ogle.
— I don’t think I missed much though, ogling George’s new toy rather than listening to the esteemed senator from Massachusetts.
— Fancy clothes, however, are fun to ogle, and to judge.
— I stand outside the door of Doug’s office, ogling his nameplate, thinking: “Man, he sometimes sits in there, the guy who wrote Leaving the Land.”
— People ogle from street corners and front porches as the cyclists roll through a city known for cars.
— As for the costumes, “Spandex has rarely served the cause of ogling so well,” he wrote.
— The song imagined a dance in which couples faced away from each other, the better to ogle other dancers.
SUFFRAGIST
ˈsəfrəjist |
An activist for voting rights.
The extension of political voting rights, especially to women.
— All the suffragists gathered in the town square in a rally in favor of women’s right to vote.
nounchiefly historical
a person advocating the extension of suffrage, esp. to women.
Before 1920, women did not have the right to vote in the U.S. The suffragist movement fought for these rights, and the people who were part of that movement were suffragists.
The word suffrage means the right to vote in elections. It does not have to do with suffering. In America, the individual states determine who may vote. However, the U.S. Constitution states in the 19th Amendment that women shall not be denied the vote based upon their sex. Suffragists fought hard to bring this constitutional amendment about. Back then, female suffragists were known as suffragettes.
— When I see the photos of the suffragists, I love them and I also remember they weren’t actually advocating for me.”
— She used tactics of civil disobedience that she’d learned while working with the suffragist movement in Britain.
— She was an early leader of America’s suffragist movement, working closely with another New Yorker, Susan B. Anthony.
— By this point, suffragists were tired of being portrayed as fire-starting militants and misguided housewives.
BUTTRESS
ˈbətris |
To support or reinforce something, often with brick, wood, or stone.
A support for a building usually made of brick or stone.
— After building the new concrete wall, the workers buttressed it with support beams in order to make sure the wall would dry properly.
noun
1 a projecting support of stone or brick built against a wall.
• a projecting portion of a hill or mountain.
2 a source of defense or support: there was a demand for a new stable order as a buttress against social collapse.
verb [with obj.]
1 provide (a building or structure) with projecting supports built against its walls: (as adj. buttressed) : a buttressed wall.
2 increase the strength of or justification for; reinforce: authority was buttressed by religious belief.
You can buttress an argument with solid facts or your financial portfolio with safe investments. You may find that giving compliments to everyone you meet buttresses your popularity. To buttress is to sustain or reinforce.
A buttress is a structure that adds stability to a wall or building, and this innovation played a significant role in the evolution of architecture. Think of a medieval cathedral. It’s an incredibly tall, open building filled with light from vast windows. Without buttresses supporting the walls and carrying the weight of the ceiling away from the building and down to the ground, this cathedral would be impossible. Picture this when you use buttress figuratively as a verb meaning to strengthen and support.
— To buttress his case, he reposted information on Twitter from the website Infowars, hosted by Mr. Jones, the conspiracy theorist.
— Both sides have used emails between the officials and their staffers to buttress their positions.
— Companies have buttressed their security to mollify outraged and distrustful customers.
— Sales have been buttressed so far by a stable job market.
— The White House has sought to buttress its argument for closing the prison by focusing on its high cost.
— Then he used them to buttress his main character and throw her own universe and conflict into colorful relief.
— But it has not yet buttressed other Microsoft businesses the way company executives had hoped.
APPROBATION
ˌaprəˈbāSHən |
Official approval.
An official approval, praise, or commendation.
Approval, sanction, or commendation.
— After carefully inspecting each side of beef, the government official gave his approbation t the met packaging company.
noun formal
approval or praise: the opera met with high approbation.
Approbation is an official, important-sounding, and somewhat old-fashioned word for approval or praise. A princess, for example, might only consider marrying a prince that is met with her father’s, the King’s, approbation.
How is it possible that approbation means approval when probation is a form of being in trouble in school? Remember that probation is a testing period, to see if you can be good. Approbation means it’s all good. Or you can remember this rhyme: “Filled with approbation, the audience gave a standing ovation.”
— The label is not met with approbation by everyone.
— It is not the kind of thing that generates tabloid headlines and public approbation.
— The audience responded immediately to Tocco’s artistically courageous program with shouts of approbation.
— I also don’t need the approbation of everybody about who I am.
— They are the skills that are met with bigger paychecks and public approbation.
— Afterward, riding home with him, Mariana hopes for some loving words of approbation.
— No agreement can be considered viable or enduring without such legislative approbation.
— The campaign has won widespread approbation from a variety of sources in and out of the data security industry.
MATRIARCH
ˈmātrēˌärk |
A woman who rules her family or tribe; it can also mean a highly respected elderly woman.
A woman who is a head of a family, or is a powerful mother figure.
— The country’s matriarch warmly greets her enthusiastic public every morning.
noun
a woman who is the head of a family or tribe.
• an older woman who is powerful within a family or organization: a domineering matriarch.
Rose Kennedy was the matriarch of the Kennedy clan — she was the female head of the family. This noun can also be used metaphorically. For instance, Alice Waters could be called the matriarch of Chez Panisse and the generation of chefs that her revolutionary restaurant inspired.
Although matriarch was created as a parallel term to patriarch, this eighteenth-century new creation was based on a false etymology. Although patri- might look related to the Latin pater “father,” it actually comes from the Greek patria “family.” Presumably, it was assumed that such a person would be a man. In any case, patriarch has come to mean the male head of a family or clan, while matriarch is used if the head of a family or clan is female.
— Margaret Thatcher, the matriarch of modern British conservatism, was among the first world leaders to raise the alarm on global warming.
— The family matriarch urged voters to give her son a longer look.
— Speaking at a New Hampshire middle school, the 90-year-old family matriarch declared her son the “world’s nicest man.”
— Please Look After Mom” is the story of a selfless matriarch who is abandoned by her children. “
— “I’m the matriarch, the last one,” she said. “I feel proud in a way.
— She wants be around a matriarch who believes in and celebrates the power of women.
— A 12-year-old female in the group took charge and linked her group to one with an older female matriarch.
LIMERICK
ˈlim(ə)rik |
A short humorous five-line poem.
— In the middle of dinner, Mitch recited a funny limerick.
a humorous, frequently bawdy, verse of three long and two short lines rhyming aabba, popularized by Edward Lear.
A limerick is a humorous form of poetry that rhymes and has five lines. Many limericks are dirty.
When you study literature, you’ll probably read some sonnets, sestinas, haiku, and plays written in verse: there might not be much attention given to limericks. That’s because limericks are a more popular, non-literary form of poetry: they’re mainly humorous and often sexual. A limerick has five lines and follows the rhyme scheme aabba, using what is called anapestic meter (which has to do with syllables). Many limericks involve a man from Nantucket, usually doing something unprintable with a bucket.
— He was also an enthusiastic crafter of limericks, a form in which his irreverence and flair for language flourished.
— Thomas is finally delivered to Yale, where he empties a faculty dinner party by reciting dirty limericks.
— How Bush, bored at a Paris meeting of world leaders, quietly started writing limericks about them.
— You could insert dirty limericks into the paper, and he wouldn’t care.
BESTOW
biˈstō |
To give or present as a gift.
To give as a gift, to present.
— The academy bestowed their Best Actor award upon an up-and-coming young man who was relatively unknown in Hollywood.
verb [with obj.]
confer or present (an honor, right, or gift): the office was bestowed on him by the chief of state | thank you for this honor that you have bestowed upon me | figurative : she bestowed her nicest smile on Jim.
When you present an honor or gift to someone, you bestow it, which is the same as giving it, but often classier and more respectful. Bestow comes from the Middle English stowen, "to place." Placing something really valuable or honoring in the hands of another, or conferring a position of responsibility on them, is to bestow it. For example, "She gave her teacher a ceramic apple she had made, knowing that her whole class would bestow the big honor of Teacher of the Year later that day," or, "The king praised her for working with the poor, and he would later bestow the medal of honor on her in a ceremony."
— Overseeing all this is Jonze, who operates not as a typical TV executive bestowing notes but rather as a friendly fellow artist.
— That particular Oscar was an outlier; it was one of the few that was bestowed on a work of mere entertainment.
— An unfair advantage bestowed by a famous father?
— Apropos, we must complain to the Royal Swedish Academy for bestowing their Nobel prizes exclusively to intellectuals.
— But earlier in the month, the Producers Guild bestowed its top honor on Adam McKay’s financial drama, “The Big Short.”
— The peace accords will not bestow amnesty on those who committed crimes against humanity or war crimes.
— Mr. Cruz’s victory may bestow enough momentum to attract less conservative voters.
— Green tea, one of those tested, bestowed no health or life span benefits, despite its popularity.
— Thank you so much for recognizing and bestowing us with such a wonderful honor.
ARMADA
ärˈmädə |
A large group of armed ships.
— The ships on the open sea formed a vast armada, as they gathered in great numbers preparing for the big fight.
noun
a fleet of warships: an armada of destroyers, minesweepers, and gunboats.
• ( the Spanish Armada )a Spanish naval invasion force sent against England by Philip II of Spain in 1588. It was defeated by the English fleet and almost completely destroyed by storms off the Hebrides.
If an armada is looking for you, that’s not good news — it’s a fleet of warships.
Even though armada sounds a little old-fashioned, they still exist. In fact, some armadas look for pirates — another old-fashioned-sounding group that still exists. Though an armada is part of a navy, armada sounds similar to “army,”, and it should: they both come ultimately from the same source, the Latin word armata, “armed.” Armies and navies are two of the oldest branches of a military power, and an armada is a military fleet — another word for a group of boats or ships.
— It has no “blue water” — or long-range — naval forces and relies heavily on a large but aging armada of small coastal patrol craft.
— Instead of capturing Pokemon to add to your battle armada, Snap put you in the role of wildlife Pokemon photographer.
ARCADE
ärˈkād |
A passage with an arched roof or any passageway.
A structure composed of a series of arches supported by columns.
noun
1 a covered passageway with arches along one or both sides.
• a covered walk with stores along one or both sides.
• Architecture a series of arches supporting a wall, or set along it.
2 short for video arcade.
An arcade is a structure made by enclosing a series of arches and columns. The word’s roots go back to the Latin word “arcus,” which means arc or bow.
An arched, covered passageway with shops or stalls on the sides is also called an arcade and was a precursor to the shopping mall. The Burlington Arcade in London opened in 1819 and was the first shopping arcade of its kind in Britain. It still exists and is the longest covered shopping street in England. As more of these shopping arcades opened, they also began offering games and eventually the word’s meaning came to include video arcades, where you can play coin-operated games.
— The new shopping center features a large arcade at its entrance.
— Its ground level has an arcade — once the entrance to the Catinat-Ciné movie house — where vendors hawk greeting cards and inexpensive artwork.
BRINDLED
ˈbrindl |
Gray with dark spots a spotty pattern.
Tawny or grayish with streaks or spots of a darker color.
noun
a brownish or tawny color of animal fur, with streaks of other color.
• an animal with such a coat.
The dog had a brindled coat with gray fur and dark spots.
Brindled refers to a pattern of brown or gray markings or streaks on an animal. Picture the brindled hounds running around the race track, or the brindledpit bulls around the hood.
A brindled French bulldog named “I’m on Fire” was a group winner at the 2010 Westminster Dog Show. Other breeds of dogs that may have brindled coats include pit bulls, boxers and bull mastiffs, but you can use this word to describe cats, pigs and horses as well. Brindled is a Middle English word related to the word burn and has come to mean the streaky brown and gray color of something burned.
— He was not an impressive sight: short, barrel-shaped, a bit homely, with brown and white brindled stripes.
— Indeed, I never saw such a place for bull-dogs–chiefly brindled ones–as Bordeaux.
— The general colour of the wild-cat is a brindled grey, with black stripes.
BULLION
ˈbo͝olyən |
Gold or silver in the form of bars or coins.
Gold and silver regarded as raw material.
Gold or silver in the form of ingots, bars, or sometimes coins.
noun
1 gold or silver in bulk before coining, or valued by weight.
2 (also bullion fringe )ornamental braid or trimming made with twists of gold or silver thread.
If you wanted to rob Fort Knox and take all of its gold, you’d plan a heist to get the bullion. Bullion is gold or silver in bulk, often in the shape of a bar.
Once upon a time, coins were made of actual precious metals. Before the coins were made, the gold and silver for them was stored bulk, in bullion. Try not to confuse this word with, bouillon, which is broth, or a cube of beef or chicken flavoring used to make broth. If you see the OU in the first syllable, it’s a clue that it’s the sOUp. If you just see a “bull,” think of the stock market and glittery gold.
— It can also mean a heavy fringe or lace of twisted gold or silver thread.
— “We love gold bullion buttons,” he said. “We still have chinos, oxfords, bomber jackets, blazers, but done in new ways.”
— Bullion hit $1,130 per ounce in early reading, as investors scurried for safe-havens in the face of recent weak economic data.
— Given all these options for minting bullion from the iPhone, the most alarming worries for Apple aren’t about the present.
— The bullion coins are bought by authorized dealers who then sell to the general public at a premium, which changes according to supply and demand.
— He was sentenced in 1986 to nine years in prison for handling stolen bullion.
— The coins are viewed as a more affordable form of investment in physical bullion than the much larger bars.
— The mint said in an email that it expected the last American Eagle silver bullion coin allocation for 2015 to be on Dec. 14.
— Carney is keen to show that the modern Bank of England is more than a bunch of economists sitting above a bullion vault.
