Vocab 3

inculcate

in·cul·cate /inˈkəlˌkāt/ verb verb: inculcate, 3rd person present: inculcates, gerund or present participle: inculcating, past tense: inculcated, past participle: inculcated 1. instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction: "the failures of the churches to inculcate a sense of moral responsibility" instill in|implant in|fix in|impress in|imprint in|hammer into|drum into|drive into|drill into synonyms: ▪ teach (someone) an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction: "they will try to inculcate you with a respect for culture" Word Origin mid 16th century: from Latin inculcat- 'pressed in,' from the verb inculcare, from in- 'into' + calcare 'to tread'

infrastructure

in·fra·struc·ture /ˈinfrəˌstrək(t)SHər/ noun noun: infrastructure, plural noun: infrastructures 1. the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. Word Origin early 20th century: from French (see infra-, structure).

Interpolate

in·ter·po·late /inˈtərpəˌlāt/ verb verb: interpolate, 3rd person present: interpolates, gerund or present participle: interpolating, past tense: interpolated, past participle: interpolated 1. insert (something of a different nature) into something else: "illustrations were interpolated in the text" synonyms: insert, interpose, interject, enter, add, ... more ▪ insert (words) in a book or other text, especially in order to give a false impression as to its date. ▪ alter (a book or text) by insertion of new material. ▪ interject (a remark) in a conversation: ""I dare say," interpolated her employer" ▪ insert (an intermediate value or term) into a series by estimating or calculating it from surrounding known values. Word Origin early 17th century: from Latin interpolat- 'refurbished, altered,' from the verb interpolare, from inter- 'between' + -polare (related to polire 'to polish').

Irony

i·ro·ny /ˈīrənē/ noun noun: irony, plural noun: ironies 1. the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect: ""Don't go overboard with the gratitude," he rejoined with heavy irony" synonyms: sarcasm, causticity, cynicism, mockery, satire, ... moreantonyms: sincerity ▪ a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result: "the irony is that I thought he could help me" synonyms: paradox, incongruity, incongruousnessantonyms: logic ▪ a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character. Word Origin early 16th century (also denoting Socratic irony): via Latin from Greek eirōneia 'simulated ignorance,' from eirōn 'dissembler.'

jejune

je·june /jəˈjo͞on/ adjective 1. naive, simplistic, and superficial: "their entirely predictable and usually jejune opinions" 2. (of ideas or writings) dry and uninteresting: "the poem seems to me rather jejune" Word Origin early 17th century: from Latin jejunus 'fasting, barren.' The original sense was 'without food,' hence 'not intellectually nourishing.'

Kinetic

ki·net·ic /kəˈnedik/ adjective 1. of, relating to, or resulting from motion. ▪ (of a work of art) depending on movement for its effect. Word Origin mid 19th century: from Greek kinētikos, from kinein 'to move.'

Kowtow

kow·tow /ˌkouˈtou/ verb 1. act in an excessively subservient manner: "she didn't have to kowtow to a boss" synonyms: grovel to, be obsequious to, be servile to, be sycophantic to, fawn over/on, cringe to, bow and scrape to, toady to, truckle to, abase oneself before, humble oneself to, curry favor with, dance attendance on, ingratiate oneself with, suck up to, kiss up to, brown-nose, lick someone's boots 2. kneel and touch the ground with the forehead in worship or submission as part of Chinese custom. synonyms: prostrate oneself before, bow (down) to/ before, genuflect to/before, do/make obeisance to/before, fall on one's knees before, kneel before

laissez-faire

lais·sez-faire /ˌlesāˈfer/ noun noun: laissez-faire 1. a policy or attitude of letting things take their own course, without interfering. synonyms: noninterventionist, noninterventional, noninterfering, uninvolved, indifferent, ... more ▪ abstention by governments from interfering in the workings of the free market: "laissez-faire capitalism" synonyms: free enterprise, free trade, nonintervention, free-market capitalism, market forces Word Origin French, literally 'allow to do.'

Lexicon

lex·i·con /ˈleksiˌkän/ noun noun: lexicon, plural noun: lexicons 1. the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge: "the size of the English lexicon" ▪ a dictionary, especially of Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, or Arabic: "a Greek-Latin lexicon" synonyms: dictionary, wordbook, vocabulary list, glossary, thesaurus Word Origin early 17th century: modern Latin, from Greek lexikon (biblion) '(book) of words,' from lexis 'word,' from legein 'speak.'

loquacious

lo·qua·cious /lōˈkwāSHəs/ adjective 1. tending to talk a great deal; talkative. synonyms: talkative, voluble, communicative, expansive, garrulous, unreserved, chatty, gossipy, gossiping, having the gift of (the) gab, gabby, gassy, motormouthed, talky, windy Word Origin mid 17th century: from Latin loquax, loquac- (from loqui 'talk') + -ious.

lugubrious

lu·gu·bri·ous /ləˈɡ(y)o͞obrēəs/ adjective 1. looking or sounding sad and dismal. synonyms: mournful, gloomy, sad, unhappy, doleful Word Origin early 17th century: from Latin lugubris (from lugere 'mourn') + -ous.

Metamorphosis

met·a·mor·pho·sis /ˌmedəˈmôrfəsəs/ noun noun: metamorphosis, plural noun: metamorphoses 1. (in an insect or amphibian) the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages. ▪ a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means: "his metamorphosis from presidential candidate to talk-show host" synonyms: transformation, mutation, transmutation, change, alteration, conversion, modification, remodeling, reconstruction, transmogrification, transubstantiation Word Origin late Middle English: via Latin from Greek metamorphōsis, from metamorphoun 'transform, change shape.'

Mitosis

mi·to·sis /mīˈtōsəs/ noun noun: mitosis, plural noun: mitoses 1. a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth. Word Origin late 19th century: modern Latin, from Greek mitos 'thread.'

Moiety

moi·e·ty /ˈmoiədē/ noun noun: moiety, plural noun: moieties 1. each of two parts into which a thing is or can be divided. ▪ each of two social or ritual groups into which a people is divided, especially among Australian Aborigines and some American Indians. ▪ a part or portion, especially a lesser share. ▪ a distinct part of a large molecule: "the enzyme removes the sulfate moiety" Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French moite, from Latin medietas 'middle,' from medius 'mid, middle.'

Nanotechnology

nan·o·tech·nol·o·gy /ˌnanōˌtekˈnäləjē/ noun noun: nanotechnology 1. the branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers, especially the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. Derivatives 1. nanotechnological adjective 2. nanotechnologist n.

Nihilism

ni·hil·ism /ˈnīəˌlizəm/ noun noun: nihilism 1. the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. synonyms: skepticism, negativity, cynicism, pessimism, disbelief, unbelief, agnosticism, atheism ▪ extreme skepticism maintaining that nothing in the world has a real existence. ▪ the doctrine of an extreme Russian revolutionary party circa 1900, which found nothing to approve of in the established social order. Word Origin early 19th century: from Latin nihil 'nothing' + -ism.

Nonsectarian

non·sec·tar·i·an /ˌnänsekˈterēən/ adjective 1. not involving or relating to a specific religious sect or political group

Nomenclature

no·men·cla·ture /ˈnōmənˌklāCHər/ noun noun: nomenclature, plural noun: nomenclatures 1. the devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline. ▪ the body or system of names in a particular field: "the nomenclature of chemical compounds" ▪ the term or terms applied to someone or something: ""customers" was preferred to the original nomenclature "passengers."" Word Origin early 17th century: from French, from Latin nomenclatura, from nomen 'name' + clatura 'calling, summoning' (from calare 'to call').

Notarize

no·ta·rize /ˈnōdəˌrīz/ verb verb: notarize, 3rd person present: notarizes, gerund or present participle: notarizing, past tense: notarized, past participle: notarized 1. have (a document) legalized by a notary.

Obsequious

ob·se·qui·ous /əbˈsēkwēəs/ adjective 1. obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree: "they were served by obsequious waiters" synonyms: servile, ingratiating, sycophantic, fawning, unctuous, oily, oleaginous, groveling, cringing, subservient, submissive, slavish, brown-nosing, bootlicking, smarmy, ass-kissing Word Origin late 15th century (not depreciatory in sense in early use): from Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium 'compliance,' from obsequi 'follow, comply with.'