1062 vocab words

euphemism

noun 1. the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt. 2. the expression so substituted: "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die."

satire

noun 1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. 2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule. 3. a literary genre comprising such compositions.

trepidation

noun 1. tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation. 2. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.

invective

noun 1. vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach. 2. a railing accusation; vituperation. 3. an insulting or abusive word or expression. adjective 4. vituperative; denunciatory; censoriously abusive.

turpitude

noun 1. vile, shameful, or base character; depravity. 2. a vile or depraved act.

dross

noun 1. waste matter; refuse. 2. Metallurgy . a waste product taken off molten metal during smelting, essentially metallic in character. 3. British . coal of little value.

lassitude

noun 1. weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor. 2. a condition of indolent indifference: the pleasant lassitude of the warm summer afternoon.

blandishment

noun Often, blandishments. something, as an action or speech, that tends to flatter, coax, entice, etc.: Our blandishments left him unmoved. We succumbed to the blandishments of tropical living.

diatribe

noun a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: repeated diatribes against the senator.

criterion

noun a standard of judgment or criticism; a rule or principle for evaluating or testing something.

consternation

noun a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay.

armistice

noun a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; truce: World War I ended with the armistice of 1918.

predilection

noun a tendency to think favorably of something in particular; partiality; preference: a predilection for Bach.

adage

noun a traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.

cupidity

noun eager or excessive desire, especially to possess something; greed; avarice.

prescience

noun knowledge of things before they exist or happen; foreknowledge; foresight.

disparity

noun lack of similarity or equality; inequality; difference: a disparity in age; disparity in rank.

proximity

noun nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation.

temerity

noun reckless boldness; rashness.

disinclination

noun the absence of inclination; reluctance; unwillingness.

preponderance

noun the fact or quality of being preponderant; superiority in weight, power, numbers, etc.: The preponderance of votes is against the proposal.

cartography

noun the production of maps, including construction of projections, design, compilation, drafting, and reproduction.

munificence

noun the quality of being munificent, or showing unusual generosity: The museum's collection was greatly increased by the munificence of the family's gift.

diffidence

noun the quality or state of being diffident.

tedium

noun the quality or state of being wearisome; irksomeness; tediousness.

complicity

noun the state of being an accomplice; partnership or involvement in wrongdoing: complicity in a crime.

palatable

adjective 1. acceptable or agreeable to the palate or taste; savory: palatable food. 2. acceptable or agreeable to the mind or feelings: palatable ideas.

germane

adjective 1. closely or significantly related; relevant; pertinent: Please keep your statements germane to the issue. 2. Obsolete . closely related.

uninterested

adjective 1. having or showing no feeling of interest; indifferent. 2. not personally concerned in something.

extant

adjective 1. in existence; still existing; not destroyed or lost: There are only three extant copies of the document. 2. Archaic. standing out; protruding.

terse

adjective 1. neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language. 2. abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

aboriginal

adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or typical of aborigines: aboriginal customs. 2. original or earliest known; native; indigenous: the aboriginal people of Tahiti. noun 3. aborigine ( def 1 ) . 4. ( initial capital letter ) aborigine ( def 2 ) .

kinetic

adjective 1. pertaining to motion. 2. caused by motion. 3. characterized by movement: Running and dancing are kinetic activities.

embryonic

adjective 1. pertaining to or in the state of an embryo. 2. rudimentary; undeveloped.

procrustean

adjective 1. pertaining to or suggestive of Procrustes. 2. ( often lowercase ) tending to produce conformity by violent or arbitrary means.

ominous

adjective 1. portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious: an ominous bank of dark clouds. 2. having the significance of an omen.

inveterate

adjective 1. settled or confirmed in a habit, practice, feeling, or the like: an inveterate gambler. 2. firmly established by long continuance, as a disease, habit, practice, feeling, etc.; chronic.

ancillary

adjective 1. subordinate; subsidiary. 2. auxiliary; assisting. noun 3. something that serves in an ancillary capacity: Slides, records, and other ancillaries can be used with the basic textbook.

mellifluous

adjective 1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: a mellifluous voice; mellifluous tones. 2. flowing with honey; sweetened with or as if with honey.

motile

adjective Biology . moving or capable of moving spontaneously: motile cells; motile spores.

erudite

adjective characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly: an erudite professor; an erudite commentary.

ubiquitous

adjective existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent: ubiquitous fog; ubiquitous little ants.

dispassionate

adjective free from or unaffected by passion; devoid of personal feeling or bias; impartial; calm: a dispassionate critic.

heinous

adjective hateful; odious; abominable; totally reprehensible: a heinous offense.

concentric

adjective having a common center, as circles or spheres.

impecunious

adjective having little or no money; penniless; poor.

tendentious

adjective having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose: a tendentious novel.

inalienable

adjective not alienable; not transferable to another or capable of being repudiated: inalienable rights.

incontrovertible

adjective not controvertible; not open to question or dispute; indisputable: absolute and incontrovertible truth.

insatiable

adjective not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased: insatiable hunger for knowledge.

implacable

adjective not to be appeased, mollified, or pacified; inexorable: an implacable enemy.

miserly

adjective of, like, or befitting a miser; penurious; stingy; niggardly.

despotic

adjective of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a despot or despotism; autocratic; tyrannical.

purported

adjective reputed or claimed; alleged: We saw no evidence of his purported wealth.

quasi

adjective resembling; seeming; virtual: a quasi member.

intrepid

adjective resolutely fearless; dauntless: an intrepid explorer.

punitive

adjective serving for, concerned with, or inflicting punishment: punitive laws; punitive action.

effulgent

adjective shining forth brilliantly; radiant.

apposite

adjective suitable; well-adapted; pertinent; relevant; apt: an apposite answer.

conciliatory

adjective tending to conciliate: a conciliatory manner; conciliatory comments.

endemic

adjective Also, en·dem·i·cal. 1. natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native; indigenous: endemic folkways; countries where high unemployment is endemic. 2. belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place: a fever endemic to the tropics. noun 3. an endemic disease.

anhydrous

adjective Chemistry . with all water removed, especially water of crystallization.

chaste

adjective, chast·er, chast·est. 1. refraining from sexual intercourse that is regarded as contrary to morality or religion; virtuous. 2. virgin. 3. not engaging in sexual relations; celibate. 4. free from obscenity; decent: chaste conversation. 5. undefiled or stainless: chaste, white snow. 6. pure in style; not excessively ornamented; simple. 7. Obsolete , unmarried.

askance

adverb 1. with suspicion, mistrust, or disapproval: He looked askance at my offer. 2. with a side glance; sidewise; obliquely.

demographics

noun ( used with a plural verb ) the statistical data of a population, especially those showing average age, income, education, etc.

atomistic

noun 1. Also called atomic theory. Philosophy . the theory that minute, discrete, finite, and indivisible elements are the ultimate constituents of all matter. 2. Psychology . a method or theory that reduces all psychological phenomena to simple elements.

facade

noun 1. Architecture . a. the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one. b. any side of a building facing a public way or space and finished accordingly. 2. a superficial appearance or illusion of something: They managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.

nadir

noun 1. Astronomy . the point on the celestial sphere directly beneath a given position or observer and diametrically opposite the zenith. 2. Astrology . the point of a horoscope opposite the midheaven: the cusp of the fourth house. 3. the lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair.

catalyst

noun 1. Chemistry . a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected. 2. something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected. 3. a person or thing that precipitates an event or change: His imprisonment by the government served as the catalyst that helped transform social unrest into revolution. 4. a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic.

paradigm

noun 1. Grammar . a. a set of forms all of which contain a particular element, especially the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme. b. a display in fixed arrangement of such a set, as boy, boy's, boys, boys'. 2. an example serving as a model; pattern.

precedent

noun 1. Law. a legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases. 2. any act, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations. adjective 3. preceding; anterior.

pluralism

noun 1. Philosophy . a. a theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle. Compare dualism ( def 2 ) , monism ( def 1a ) . b. a theory that reality consists of two or more independent elements. 2. Ecclesiastical . a. the holding by one person of two or more offices at the same time. b. plurality ( def 7a ) . 3. Sociology , cultural pluralism. 4. state or quality of being plural.

spectrum

noun 1. Physics. a. an array of entities, as light waves or particles, ordered in accordance with the magnitudes of a common physical property, as wavelength or mass: often the band of colors produced when sunlight is passed through a prism, comprising red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. b. this band or series of colors together with extensions at the ends that are not visible to the eye, but that can be studied by means of photography, heat effects, etc., and that are produced by the dispersion of radiant energy other than ordinary light rays. Compare band spectrum, electromagnetic spectrum, mass spectrum. 2. a broad range of varied but related ideas or objects, the individual features of which tend to overlap so as to form a continuous series or sequence: the spectrum of political beliefs.

neophyte

noun 1. a beginner or novice: He's a neophyte at chess. 2. Roman Catholic Church . a novice. 3. a person newly converted to a belief, as a heathen, heretic, or nonbeliever; proselyte. 4. Primitive Church. a person newly baptized.

edifice

noun 1. a building, especially one of large size or imposing appearance. 2. any large, complex system or organization.

polemic

noun 1. a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc. 2. a person who argues in opposition to another; controversialist. adjective 3. Also, po·lem·i·cal. of or pertaining to a polemic; controversial.

aspersion

noun 1. a damaging or derogatory remark or criticism; slander: casting aspersions on a campaign rival. 2. the act of slandering; vilification; defamation; calumniation; derogation: Such vehement aspersions cannot be ignored. 3. the act of sprinkling, as in baptism. 4. Archaic. a shower or spray.

shard

noun 1. a fragment, especially of broken earthenware. 2. Zoology . a. a scale. b. a shell, as of an egg or snail. 3. Entomology . an elytron of a beetle.

debacle

noun 1. a general breakup or dispersion; sudden downfall or rout: The revolution ended in a debacle. 2. a complete collapse or failure. 3. a breaking up of ice in a river. Compare embacle. 4. a violent rush of waters or ice.

multiplicity

noun 1. a large number or variety: a multiplicity of errors. 2. the state of being multiplex or manifold; manifold variety.

nexus

noun 1. a means of connection; tie; link. 2. a connected series or group. 3. the core or center, as of a matter or situation. 4. Cell Biology . a specialized area of the cell membrane involved in intercellular communication and adhesion.

affinity

noun 1. a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc. 2. a person, thing, idea, etc., for which such a natural liking or attraction is felt. 3. relationship by marriage or by ties other than those of blood ( distinguished from consanguinity ). 4. inherent likeness or agreement; close resemblance or connection. 5. Biology . the phylogenetic relationship between two organisms or groups of organisms resulting in a resemblance in general plan or structure, or in the essential structural parts. 6. Chemistry . the force by which atoms are held together in chemical compounds. adjective 7. of or pertaining to persons who share the same interests: to arrange charter flights for opera lovers and other affinity groups.

anathema

noun 1. a person or thing detested or loathed: That subject is anathema to him. 2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction. 3. a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication. 4. any imprecation of divine punishment. 5. a curse; execration.

dissident

noun 1. a person who dissents. adjective 2. disagreeing or dissenting, as in opinion or attitude: a ban on dissident magazines.

hedonistic

noun 1. a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification. adjective 2. Also, he·don·is·tic. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a hedonist or hedonism.

arsenal

noun 1. a place of storage or a magazine containing arms and military equipment for land or naval service. 2. a government establishment where military equipment or munitions are manufactured. 3. a collection or supply of weapons or munitions. 4. a collection or supply of anything; store: He came to the meeting with an impressive arsenal of new research data.

minion

noun 1. a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power. 2. a favored or highly regarded person. 3. a minor official. 4. Printing. a 7-point type. adjective 5. dainty; elegant; trim; pretty.

anagram

noun 1. a word, phrase, or sentence formed from another by rearranging its letters: "Angel" is an anagram of "glean." 2. anagrams, ( used with a singular verb ) a game in which the players build words by transposing and, often, adding letters. verb (used with object) 3. to form (the letters of a text) into a secret message by rearranging them. 4. to rearrange (the letters of a text) so as to discover a secret message.

fledgling

noun 1. a young bird just fledged. 2. an inexperienced person. adjective 3. young, new, or inexperienced: a fledgling diver.

celibacy

noun 1. abstention from sexual relations. 2. abstention by vow from marriage: the celibacy of priests. 3. the state of being unmarried.

affectation

noun 1. an effort to appear to have a quality not really or fully possessed; the pretense of actual possession: an affectation of interest in art; affectation of great wealth. 2. conspicuous artificiality of manner or appearance; effort to attract notice by pretense, assumption, or any assumed peculiarity. 3. a trait, action, or expression characterized by such artificiality: a man of a thousand affectations. 4. Obsolete . a. strenuous pursuit, desire, or aspiration. b. affection; fondness: his affectation of literature.

interstices

noun 1. an intervening space. 2. a small or narrow space or interval between things or parts, especially when one of a series of alternating uniform spaces and parts: the interstices between the slats of a fence. 3. Roman Catholic Church . the interval of time that must elapse, as required by canon law, before promotion to a higher degree of orders. 4. an interval of time.

aperture

noun 1. an opening, as a hole, slit, crack, gap, etc. 2. Also called aperture stop. Optics. an opening, usually circular, that limits the quantity of light that can enter an optical instrument.

warrant

noun 1. authorization, sanction, or justification. 2. something that serves to give reliable or formal assurance of something; guarantee, pledge, or security. Synonyms: warranty, surety. 3. something considered as having the force of a guarantee or as being positive assurance of a thing: The cavalry and artillery were considered sure warrants of success. 4. a writing or document certifying or authorizing something, as a receipt, license, or commission. Synonyms: permit, voucher, writ, order, chit. 5. Law. an instrument, issued by a magistrate, authorizing an officer to make an arrest, seize property, make a search, or carry a judgment into execution.

inception

noun 1. beginning; start; commencement. 2. British . a. the act of graduating or earning a university degree, usually a master's or doctor's degree, especially at Cambridge University. b. the graduation ceremony; commencement. 3. (in science fiction) the act of instilling an idea into someone's mind by entering his or her dreams.

dichotomy

noun 1. division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs. 2. division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups: a dichotomy between thought and action. 3. Botany . a mode of branching by constant forking, as in some stems, in veins of leaves, etc. 4. Astronomy . the phase of the moon or of an inferior planet when half of its disk is visible.

schism

noun 1. division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties. 2. the parties so formed. 3. Ecclesiastical . a. a formal division within, or separation from, a church or religious body over some doctrinal difference. b. the state of a sect or body formed by such division. c. the offense of causing or seeking to cause such a division.

prowess

noun 1. exceptional valor, bravery, or ability, especially in combat or battle. 2. exceptional or superior ability, skill, or strength: his prowess as a public speaker. 3. a valiant or daring deed.

surfeit

noun 1. excess; an excessive amount: a surfeit of speechmaking. 2. excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking. 3. an uncomfortably full or crapulous feeling due to excessive eating or drinking. 4. general disgust caused by excess or satiety. verb (used with object) 5. to bring to a state of surfeit by excess of food or drink. 6. to supply with anything to excess or satiety; satiate.

penury

noun 1. extreme poverty; destitution. 2. scarcity; dearth; inadequacy; insufficiency.

abstinent

noun 1. forbearance from any indulgence of appetite, especially from the use of alcoholic beverages: total abstinence. 2. any self-restraint, self-denial, or forbearance. 3. Economics . the conserving of current income in order to build up capital or savings. 4. the state of being without a drug, as alcohol or heroin, on which one is dependent.

blasphemy

noun 1. impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things. 2. Judaism. a. an act of cursing or reviling God. b. pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai. 3. Theology . the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God. 4. irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He uttered blasphemies against life itself.

dissonance

noun 1. inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony. 2. Music. a. a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion. b. an unresolved, discordant chord or interval. Compare consonance ( def 3 ) . See illus. under resolution. 3. disagreement or incongruity.

contumely

noun 1. insulting display of contempt in words or actions; contemptuous or humiliating treatment. 2. a humiliating insult.

plethora

noun 1. overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance. 2. Pathology Archaic. a morbid condition due to excess of red corpuscles in the blood or increase in the quantity of blood.

derision

noun 1. ridicule; mockery: The inept performance elicited derision from the audience. 2. an object of ridicule.

animosity

noun a feeling of strong dislike, ill will, or enmity that tends to display itself in action: a deep-seated animosity between two sisters; animosity against one's neighbor.

ennui

noun a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom: The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui.

oxymoron

noun a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in "cruel kindness" or "to make haste slowly."

perpetrator

noun a person who perpetrates, or commits, an illegal, criminal, or evil act: The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be found and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

philanthropist

noun a person who practices philanthropy.

charlatan

noun a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack.

censure

noun 1. strong or vehement expression of disapproval: The newspapers were unanimous in their censure of the tax proposal. 2. an official reprimand, as by a legislative body of one of its members. verb (used with object) 3. to criticize or reproach in a harsh or vehement manner: She is more to be pitied than censured. verb (used without object) 4. to give censure, adverse criticism, disapproval, or blame.

divergence

noun 1. the act, fact, or amount of diverging: a divergence in opinion. 2. (in physics, meteorology, etc.) the total amount of flux escaping an infinitesimal volume at a point in a vector field, as the net flow of air from a given region. 3. Ophthalmology . a turning motion of the eyeballs outward in relation to each other. 4. Electronics. the spreading of a stream of electrons resulting from their mutual electrostatic repulsion.

dminution

noun 1. the act, fact, or process of diminishing; lessening; reduction. 2. Music. the repetition or imitation of a subject or theme in notes of shorter duration than those first used.

infrastructure

noun 1. the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization. 2. the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools. 3. the military installations of a country.

gamut

noun 1. the entire scale or range: the gamut of dramatic emotion from grief to joy. 2. Music. a. the whole series of recognized musical notes. b. the major scale.

redress

noun 1. the setting right of what is wrong: redress of abuses. 2. relief from wrong or injury. 3. compensation or satisfaction for a wrong or injury. verb (used with object) 4. to set right; remedy or repair (wrongs, injuries, etc.). 5. to correct or reform (abuses, evils, etc.). 6. to remedy or relieve (suffering, want, etc.). 7. to adjust evenly again, as a balance.

sycophant

noun a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite.

effluvium

noun a slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, especially one that is disagreeable or noxious.

luster

noun 1. the state or quality of shining by reflecting light; glitter, sparkle, sheen, or gloss: the luster of satin. 2. a substance, as a coating or polish, used to impart sheen or gloss. 3. radiant or luminous brightness; brilliance; radiance. 4. radiance of beauty, excellence, merit, distinction, or glory: achievements that add luster to one's name. 5. a shining object, especially one used for decoration, as a cut-glass pendant or ornament. 6. a chandelier, candleholder, etc., ornamented with cut-glass pendants. 7. any natural or synthetic fabric with a lustrous finish. 8. Also called metallic luster. an iridescent metallic film produced on the surface of a ceramic glaze. 9. Mineralogy . the nature of a mineral surface with respect to its reflective qualities: greasy luster. verb (used with object) 10. to finish (fur, cloth, pottery, etc.) with a luster or gloss. verb (used without object) 11. to be or become lustrous. 12. noun lustrum 13. noun a person who lusts: a luster after power.

imprecation

noun formal a spoken curse: she hurled her imprecations at anyone who might be listening.

proclivity

noun, natural or habitual inclination or tendency; propensity; predisposition: a proclivity to meticulousness.

auspices

noun, plural aus·pic·es [aw-spuh-siz] Show IPA . 1. Usually, auspices. patronage; support; sponsorship: under the auspices of the Department of Education. 2. Often, auspices. a favorable sign or propitious circumstance. 3. a divination or prognostication, originally from observing birds.

duplicity

noun, plural du·plic·i·ties for 2, 3. 1. deceitfulness in speech or conduct, as by speaking or acting in two different ways to different people concerning the same matter; double-dealing. Synonyms: deceit, deception, dissimulation, fraud, guile, hypocrisy, trickery. Antonyms: candidness, directness, honesty, straightforwardness. 2. an act or instance of such deceitfulness. 3. Law. the act or fact of including two or more offenses in one count, or charge, as part of an indictment, thus violating the requirement that each count contain only a single offense. 4. the state or quality of having two elements or parts; being twofold or double.

efficacy

noun, plural ef·fi·ca·cies. capacity for producing a desired result or effect; effectiveness: a remedy of great efficacy.

amid

preposition 1. in the middle of; surrounded by; among: to stand weeping amid the ruins. 2. during; in or throughout the course of.

solicit

verb ( solicits, soliciting , solicited ) [ with obj. ] ask for or try to obtain (something) from someone: he called a meeting to solicit their views. • ask (someone) for something: historians and critics are solicited for opinions by the auction houses. • [ no obj. ] accost someone and offer one's or someone else's services as a prostitute: (as noun soliciting) : although prostitution was not itself an offense, soliciting was.

indict

verb (used with object) 1. (of a grand jury) to bring a formal accusation against, as a means of bringing to trial: The grand jury indicted him for murder. 2. to charge with an offense or crime; accuse of wrongdoing; castigate; criticize: He tends to indict everyone of plotting against him.

extort

verb (used with object) 1. Law. a. to wrest or wring (money, information, etc.) from a person by violence, intimidation, or abuse of authority; obtain by force, torture, threat, or the like. b. to take illegally by reason of one's office. 2. to compel (something) of a person or thing: Her wit and intelligence extorted their admiration.

deploy

verb (used with object) 1. Military . to spread out (troops) so as to form an extended front or line. 2. to arrange in a position of readiness, or to move strategically or appropriately: to deploy a battery of new missiles. verb (used without object) 3. to spread out strategically or in an extended front or line. 4. to come into a position ready for use: the plane can't land unless the landing gear deploys.

abrogate

verb (used with object) 1. to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal: to abrogate a law. 2. to put aside; put an end to.

rescind

verb (used with object) 1. to abrogate; annul; revoke; repeal. 2. to invalidate (an act, measure, etc.) by a later action or a higher authority.

confound

verb (used with object) 1. to perplex or amaze, especially by a sudden disturbance or surprise; bewilder; confuse: The complicated directions confounded him. 2. to throw into confusion or disorder: The revolution confounded the people. 3. to throw into increased confusion or disorder. 4. to treat or regard erroneously as identical; mix or associate by mistake: truth confounded with error. 5. to mingle so that the elements cannot be distinguished or separated. 6. to damn (used in mild imprecations): Confound it! 7. to contradict or refute: to confound their arguments. 8. to put to shame; abash. 9. Archaic. a. to defeat or overthrow. b. to bring to ruin or naught. 10. Obsolete . to spend uselessly; waste.

rebut

verb (used with object) 1. to refute by evidence or argument. 2. to oppose by contrary proof. verb (used without object) 3. to provide some evidence or argument that refutes or opposes.

abhor

verb (used with object) to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate.

disseminate

verb (used with object) to scatter or spread widely, as though sowing seed; promulgate extensively; broadcast; disperse: to disseminate information about preventive medicine.

protrude

verb (used without object) 1. to project. verb (used with object) 2. to thrust forward; cause to project.

inveigh

verb (used without object) to protest strongly or attack vehemently with words; rail (usually followed by against ): to inveigh against isolationism.

expostulate

verb (used without object) to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate: His father expostulated with him about the evils of gambling.

adjunct

Ads Online College 's www.webcrawler.com Search multiple engines for online college 's Earn Your Nursing Degree www.WGU.edu CCNE Accredited Programs Online. Affordable & Accelerated. Start Now ad·junct [aj-uhngkt] Show IPA noun 1. something added to another thing but not essential to it. 2. a person associated with lesser status, rank, authority, etc., in some duty or service; assistant. 3. a person working at an institution, as a college or university, without having full or permanent status: My lawyer works two nights a week as an adjunct, teaching business law at the college. 4. Grammar . a modifying form, word, or phrase depending on some other form, word, or phrase, especially an element of clause structure with adverbial function. adjective 5. joined or associated, especially in an auxiliary or subordinate relationship. 6. attached or belonging without full or permanent status: an adjunct surgeon on the hospital staff.

spacious

adjective (esp. of a room or building) having ample space.

sententious

adjective 1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book. 2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous. 3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims: a sententious poet. 4. of the nature of a maxim; pithy.

viable

adjective 1. capable of living. 2. Physiology . a. physically fitted to live. b. (of a fetus) having reached such a stage of development as to be capable of living, under normal conditions, outside the uterus. 3. Botany . able to live and grow. 4. vivid; real; stimulating, as to the intellect, imagination, or senses: a period of history that few teachers can make viable for students. 5. practicable; workable: a viable alternative.

prosaic

adjective 1. commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative: a prosaic mind. 2. of or having the character or form of prose rather than poetry.

homogenous

adjective 1. composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind; not heterogeneous: a homogeneous population. 2. of the same kind or nature; essentially alike. 3. Mathematics . a. having a common property throughout: a homogeneous solid figure. b. having all terms of the same degree: a homogeneous equation. c. relating to a function of several variables that becomes multiplied by some power of a constant when each variable is multiplied by that constant: x 2 y 3 is a homogeneous expression of degree 5. d. relating to a differential equation in which a linear combination of derivatives is set equal to zero.

covert

adjective 1. concealed; secret; disguised. 2. covered; sheltered. 3. Law. (of a wife) under the protection of one's husband. noun 4. a covering; cover. 5. a shelter or hiding place. 6. concealment or disguise. 7. Hunting. a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game. 8. Also called tectrix. Ornithology . one of the small feathers that cover the bases of the large feathers of the wings and tail. See diag. under bird. 9. covert cloth.

chronic

adjective 1. constant; habitual; inveterate: a chronic liar. 2. continuing a long time or recurring frequently: a chronic state of civil war. 3. having long had a disease, habit, weakness, or the like: a chronic invalid. 4. (of a disease) having long duration ( opposed to acute ). noun 5. Slang. cronic.

erratic

adjective 1. deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion; eccentric; queer: erratic behavior. 2. having no certain or definite course; wandering; not fixed: erratic winds. 3. Geology . noting or pertaining to a boulder or the like carried by glacial ice and deposited some distance from its place of origin. 4. (of a lichen) having no attachment to the surface on which it grows. noun 5. an erratic or eccentric person. 6. Geology . an erratic boulder or the like.

impeccable

adjective 1. faultless; flawless; irreproachable: impeccable manners. 2. not liable to sin; incapable of sin.

benign

adjective 1. having a kindly disposition; gracious: a benign king. 2. showing or expressive of gentleness or kindness: a benign smile. 3. favorable; propitious: a series of benign omens and configurations in the heavens. 4. (of weather) salubrious; healthful; pleasant or beneficial. 5. Pathology . not malignant; self-limiting.

convex

adjective 1. having a surface that is curved or rounded outward. Compare concave ( def 1 ) . 2. Mathematics . a. (of a polygon) having all interior angles less than or equal to 180°. b. (of a set) having the property that for each pair of points in the set the line joining the points is wholly contained in the set. noun 3. a convex surface, part, or thing.

plausible

adjective 1. having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable: a plausible excuse; a plausible plot. 2. well-spoken and apparently, but often deceptively, worthy of confidence or trust: a plausible commentator.

infamous

adjective 1. having an extremely bad reputation: an infamous city. 2. deserving of or causing an evil reputation; shamefully malign; detestable: an infamous deed. 3. Law. a. deprived of certain rights as a citizen, as a consequence of conviction of certain offenses. b. of or pertaining to offenses involving such deprivation.

predominant

adjective 1. having ascendancy, power, authority, or influence over others; preeminent. 2. preponderant; prominent: a predominant trait; the predominant color of a painting.

cognizant

adjective 1. having cognizance; aware (usually followed by of ): He was cognizant of the difficulty. 2. having legal cognizance.

omniscient

adjective 1. having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things. noun 2. an omniscient being. 3. the Omniscient, God.

perspicacious

adjective 1. having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning: to exhibit perspicacious judgment. 2. Archaic. having keen vision.

sinuous

adjective 1. having many curves, bends, or turns; winding: a sinuous path. 2. indirect; devious: sinuous questions. 3. characterized by a series of graceful curving motions: a sinuous dance. 4. Botany . sinuate, as a leaf.

sagacious

adjective 1. having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd: a sagacious lawyer. 2. Obsolete . keen of scent.

fervent

adjective 1. having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent: a fervent admirer; a fervent plea. 2. hot; burning; glowing.

torpid

adjective 1. inactive or sluggish. 2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic. 3. dormant, as a hibernating or estivating animal.

trenchant

adjective 1. incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting: trenchant wit. 2. vigorous; effective; energetic: a trenchant policy of political reform. 3. clearly or sharply defined; clear-cut; distinct.

lascivious

adjective 1. inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man. 2. arousing sexual desire: lascivious photographs. 3. indicating sexual interest or expressive of lust or lewdness: a lascivious gesture.

taciturn

adjective 1. inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation. 2. dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.

deleterious

adjective 1. injurious to health: deleterious gases. 2. harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.

didactic

adjective 1. intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry. 2. inclined to teach or lecture others too much: a boring, didactic speaker. 3. teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson. 4. didactics, ( used with a singular verb ) the art or science of teaching.

insidious

adjective 1. intended to entrap or beguile: an insidious plan. 2. stealthily treacherous or deceitful: an insidious enemy. 3. operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect: an insidious disease.

extraneous

adjective 1. introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign: extraneous substances in our water. 2. not pertinent; irrelevant: an extraneous remark; extraneous decoration.

amorphous

adjective 1. lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless: the amorphous clouds. 2. of no particular kind or character; indeterminate; having no pattern or structure; unorganized: an amorphous style; an amorphous personality. 3. Petrography, Mineralogy . occurring in a mass, as without stratification or crystalline structure. 4. Chemistry . not crystalline. 5. Biology . having structural components that are not clearly differentiated, as the nuclear material in certain bacteria.

dormant

adjective 1. lying asleep or as if asleep; inactive, as in sleep; torpid: The lecturer's sudden shout woke the dormant audience. 2. in a state of rest or inactivity; inoperative; in abeyance: The project is dormant for the time being. 3. Biology . in a state of minimal metabolic activity with cessation of growth, either as a reaction to adverse conditions or as part of an organism's normal annual rhythm. 4. undisclosed; unasserted: dormant musical talent. 5. (of a volcano) not erupting. 6. Botany . temporarily inactive: dormant buds; dormant seeds. 7. (of a pesticide) applied to a plant during a period of dormancy: a dormant spray. 8. Heraldry. (of an animal) represented as lying with its head on its forepaws, as if asleep.

hermetic

adjective 1. made airtight by fusion or sealing. 2. not affected by outward influence or power; isolated. 3. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of occult science, especially alchemy. 4. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to Hermes Trismegistus or the writings ascribed to him.

callous

adjective 1. made hard; hardened. 2. insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic: They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others. 3. having a callus; indurated, as parts of the skin exposed to friction. verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 4. to make or become hard or callous.

impromptu

adjective 1. made or done without previous preparation: an impromptu address to the unexpected crowds. 2. suddenly or hastily prepared, made, etc.: an impromptu dinner. 3. improvised; having the character of an improvisation. adverb 4. without preparation: verses written impromptu. noun 5. something impromptu; an impromptu speech, musical composition, performance, etc. 6. a character piece for piano common in the 19th century and having, despite its title, a clear-cut form.

phlegmatic

adjective 1. not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish. 2. self-possessed, calm, or composed. 3. of the nature of or abounding in the humor phlegm.

extrinsic

adjective 1. not essential or inherent; not a basic part or quality; extraneous: facts that are extrinsic to the matter under discussion. 2. being outside a thing; outward or external; operating or coming from without: extrinsic influences. 3. Anatomy . (of certain muscles, nerves, etc.) originating outside the anatomical limits of a part.

stagnant

adjective 1. not flowing or running, as water, air, etc. 2. stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water. 3. characterized by lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement: a stagnant economy. 4. inactive, sluggish, or dull.

spurious

adjective 1. not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. 2. Biology . (of two or more parts, plants, etc.) having a similar appearance but a different structure. 3. of illegitimate birth; bastard.

innocuous

adjective 1. not harmful or injurious; harmless: an innocuous home remedy. 2. not likely to irritate or offend; inoffensive; an innocuous remark. 3. not interesting, stimulating, or significant; pallid; insipid: an innocuous novel.

heterodox

adjective 1. not in accordance with established or accepted doctrines or opinions, especially in theology; unorthodox. 2. holding unorthodox doctrines or opinions.

obtuse

adjective 1. not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull. 2. not sharp, acute, or pointed; blunt in form. 3. (of a leaf, petal, etc.) rounded at the extremity. 4. indistinctly felt or perceived, as pain or sound.

insolvent

adjective 1. not solvent; unable to satisfy creditors or discharge liabilities, either because liabilities exceed assets or because of inability to pay debts as they mature. 2. pertaining to bankrupt persons or bankruptcy. noun 3. a person who is insolvent.

hypocritical

adjective 1. of the nature of hypocrisy, or pretense of having virtues, beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually possess: The parent who has a "do what I say and not what I do" attitude can appear hypocritical to a child. 2. possessing the characteristics of hypocrisy: Isn't a politician hypocritical for talking about human dignity while voting against reasonable social programs?

orthodox

adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or conforming to the approved form of any doctrine, philosophy, ideology, etc. 2. of, pertaining to, or conforming to beliefs, attitudes, or modes of conduct that are generally approved. 3. customary or conventional, as a means or method; established. 4. sound or correct in opinion or doctrine, especially theological or religious doctrine. 5. conforming to the Christian faith as represented in the creeds of the early church. 6. ( initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or designating the Eastern Church, especially the Greek Orthodox Church. 7. ( initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Orthodox Jews or Orthodox Judaism.

dogmatic

adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a dogma or dogmas; doctrinal. 2. asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated.

utopian

adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or resembling Utopia. 2. ( usually lowercase ) founded upon or involving idealized perfection. 3. ( usually lowercase ) given to impractical or unrealistic schemes of such perfection. noun 4. an inhabitant of Utopia. 5. ( usually lowercase ) an ardent but impractical political or social reformer; visionary; idealist.

noisome

adjective 1. offensive or disgusting, as an odor. 2. harmful or injurious to health; noxious.

pedantic

adjective 1. ostentatious in one's learning. 2. overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching.

vicarious

adjective 1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment. 2. taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute. 3. felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others: a vicarious thrill. 4. Physiology . noting or pertaining to a situation in which one organ performs part of the functions normally performed by another.

translucent

adjective 1. permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible: Frosted window glass is translucent but not transparent. 2. easily understandable; lucid: a translucent explication. 3. clear; transparent: translucent seawater.

static

adjective 1. pertaining to or characterized by a fixed or stationary condition. 2. showing little or no change: a static concept; a static relationship. 3. lacking movement, development, or vitality: The novel was marred by static characterizations, especially in its central figures. 4. Sociology . referring to a condition of social life bound by tradition. 5. Electricity . pertaining to or noting static electricity.

rudimentary

adjective 1. pertaining to rudiments or first principles; elementary: a rudimentary knowledge of geometry. 2. of the nature of a rudiment; undeveloped or vestigial. 3. primitive.

latent

adjective 1. present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential: latent ability. 2. Pathology . (of an infectious agent or disease) remaining in an inactive or hidden phase; dormant. 3. Psychology . existing in unconscious or dormant form but potentially able to achieve expression: a latent emotion. 4. Botany . (of buds that are not externally manifest) dormant or undeveloped.

effectual

adjective 1. producing or capable of producing an intended effect; adequate. 2. valid or binding, as an agreement or document.

acerbic

adjective 1. sour or astringent in taste: Lemon juice is acerbic. 2. harsh or severe, as of temper or expression: acerbic criticism.

commodious

adjective 1. spacious and convenient; roomy: a commodious apartment. 2. ample or adequate for a particular purpose: a commodious harbor.

abstemious

adjective 1. sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet. 2. characterized by abstinence: an abstemious life. 3. sparing: an abstemious diet.

dilatory

adjective 1. tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy. 2. intended to cause delay, gain time, or defer decision: a dilatory strategy.

expedient

adjective 1. tending to promote some proposed or desired object; fit or suitable for the purpose; proper under the circumstances: It is expedient that you go. 2. conducive to advantage or interest, as opposed to right. 3. acting in accordance with expediency. noun 4. a means to an end: The ladder was a useful expedient for getting to the second floor. 5. a means devised or employed in an exigency; resource; shift: Use any expedients you think necessary to get over the obstacles in your way.

tenuous

adjective 1. thin or slender in form, as a thread. 2. lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument. 3. thin in consistency; rare or rarefied. 4. of slight importance or significance; unsubstantial: He holds a rather tenuous position in history. 5. lacking in clarity; vague: He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life.

subtle

adjective 1. thin, tenuous, or rarefied, as a fluid or an odor. 2. fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand: subtle irony. 3. delicate or faint and mysterious: a subtle smile. 4. requiring mental acuteness, penetration, or discernment: a subtle philosophy. 5. characterized by mental acuteness or penetration: a subtle understanding.

taut

adjective 1. tightly drawn; tense; not slack. 2. emotionally or mentally strained or tense: taut nerves. 3. in good order or condition; tidy; neat.

contiguous

adjective 1. touching; in contact. 2. in close proximity without actually touching; near. 3. adjacent in time: contiguous events.

convoluted

adjective 1. twisted; coiled. 2. complicated; intricately involved: a convoluted way of describing a simple device.

disinterested

adjective 1. unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives: a disinterested decision by the referee. 2. not interested; indifferent.

esoteric

adjective 1. understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite: poetry full of esoteric allusions. 2. belonging to the select few. 3. private; secret; confidential. 4. (of a philosophical doctrine or the like) intended to be revealed only to the initiates of a group: the esoteric doctrines of Pythagoras.

tacit

adjective 1. understood without being openly expressed; implied: tacit approval. 2. silent; saying nothing: a tacit partner. 3. unvoiced or unspoken: a tacit prayer.

incendiary

adjective 1. used or adapted for setting property on fire: incendiary bombs. 2. of or pertaining to the criminal setting on fire of property. 3. tending to arouse strife, sedition, etc.; inflammatory: incendiary speeches. 4. tending to inflame the senses: an incendiary extravaganza of music and dance. noun 5. a person who deliberately sets fire to buildings or other property, as an arsonist. 6. Military . a shell, bomb, or grenade containing napalm, thermite, or some other substance that burns with an intense heat. 7. a person who stirs up strife, sedition, etc.; an agitator.

ironic

adjective 1. using words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning; containing or exemplifying irony: an ironic novel; an ironic remark. 2. of, pertaining to, or tending to use irony or mockery; ironical. 3. coincidental; unexpected: It was ironic that I was seated next to my ex-husband at the dinner.

credulous

adjective 1. willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence; gullible. 2. marked by or arising from credulity: a credulous rumor.

prudent

adjective 1. wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober. 2. careful in providing for the future; provident: a prudent decision.

malevolent

adjective 1. wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious: His failures made him malevolent toward those who were successful. 2. evil; harmful; injurious: a malevolent inclination to destroy the happiness of others. 3. Astrology . evil or malign in influence.

insipid

adjective 1. without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid: an insipid personality. 2. without sufficient taste to be pleasing, as food or drink; bland: a rather insipid soup.

incoherent

adjective 1. without logical or meaningful connection; disjointed; rambling: an incoherent sentence. 2. characterized by such thought or language, as a person: incoherent with rage. 3. not coherent or cohering: an incoherent mixture. 4. lacking physical cohesion; loose: incoherent dust. 5. lacking unity or harmony of elements: an incoherent public. 6. lacking congruity of parts; uncoordinated. 7. different or incompatible by nature, as things. 8. Physics. (of a wave) having a low degree of coherence. Compare coherent ( def 4 ) .

destitute

adjective 1. without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter. 2. deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often followed by of ): destitute of children. verb (used with object) 3. to leave destitute.

vehement

adjective 1. zealous; ardent; impassioned: a vehement defense; vehement enthusiasm. 2. characterized by rancor or anger; violent: vehement hostility. 3. strongly emotional; intense or passionate: vehement desire. 4. marked by great energy or exertion; strenuous: vehement clapping.

incipient

adjective beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage: an incipient cold.

quiescent

adjective being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless: a quiescent mind.

efficacious

adjective capable of having the desired result or effect; effective as a means, measure, remedy, etc.: The medicine is efficacious in stopping a cough.

capacious

adjective capable of holding much; spacious or roomy: a capacious storage bin.

appalling

adjective causing dismay or horror: an appalling accident; an appalling lack of manners.

ludicrous

adjective causing laughter because of absurdity; provoking or deserving derision; ridiculous; laughable: a ludicrous lack of efficiency.

acrimonious

adjective caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc.: an acrimonious answer; an acrimonious dispute.

voluble

adjective characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words; fluent; glib; talkative: a voluble spokesman for the cause.

ineluctable

adjective incapable of being evaded; inescapable: an ineluctable destiny. Synonyms: inevitable, unavoidable, irrevocable, unpreventable, unstoppable, inexorable. Antonyms: certain, sure, fated.

immutable

adjective not mutable; unchangeable; changeless.

hypothetical

adjective Also, hy·po·thet·ic (for defs 1-4). 1. assumed by hypothesis; supposed: a hypothetical case. 2. of, pertaining to, involving, or characterized by hypothesis: hypothetical reasoning. 3. given to making hypotheses. 4. Logic. a. (of a proposition) highly conjectural; not well supported by available evidence. b. (of a proposition or syllogism) conditional. noun 5. a hypothetical situation, instance, etc.: The Secretary of Defense refused to discuss hypotheticals with the reporters.

subliminal

adjective, Psychology . existing or operating below the threshold of consciousness; being or employing stimuli insufficiently intense to produce a discrete sensation but often being or designed to be intense enough to influence the mental processes or the behavior of the individual: a subliminal stimulus; subliminal advertising.

gratis

adverb 1. without charge or payment; free: The manufacturer provided an extra set of coat buttons gratis. adjective 2. free; gratuitous.

gambit

noun 1. Chess. an opening in which a player seeks to obtain some advantage by sacrificing a pawn or piece. 2. any maneuver by which one seeks to gain an advantage. 3. a remark made to open or redirect a conversation.

corollary

noun 1. Mathematics . a proposition that is incidentally proved in proving another proposition. 2. an immediate consequence or easily drawn conclusion. 3. a natural consequence or result.

rebuff

noun 1. a blunt or abrupt rejection, as of a person making advances. 2. a peremptory refusal of a request, offer, etc.; snub. 3. a check to action or progress. verb (used with object) 4. to give a rebuff to; check; repel; refuse; drive away.

compunction

noun 1. a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse. 2. any uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action.

eulogy

noun 1. a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor of a deceased person. 2. high praise or commendation.

edification

noun 1. an act of edifying. 2. the state of being edified; uplift. 3. moral improvement or guidance.

paean

noun 1. any song of praise, joy, or triumph. 2. a hymn of invocation or thanksgiving to Apollo or some other ancient Greek deity.

disclaimer

noun 1. the act of disclaiming; the renouncing, repudiating, or denying of a claim; disavowal. 2. a person who disclaims. 3. a statement, document, or assertion that disclaims responsibility, affiliation, etc.; disavowal; denial.

renumeration

noun 1. the act of remunerating. 2. something that remunerates; reward; pay: He received little remuneration for his services.

archetype

noun 1. the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype. 2. (in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.

eloquence

noun 1. the practice or art of using language with fluency and aptness. 2. eloquent language or discourse: a flow of eloquence.

altruism

noun 1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others ( opposed to egoism ). 2. Animal Behavior . behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.

acculturation

noun 1. the process of adopting the cultural traits or social patterns of another group. 2. the result of this process.

antiquity

noun 1. the quality of being ancient; ancientness: a bowl of great antiquity. 2. ancient times; former ages: the splendor of antiquity. 3. the period of history before the Middle Ages. 4. the peoples, nations, tribes, or cultures of ancient times. 5. Usually, antiquities. something belonging to or remaining from ancient times, as monuments, relics, or customs.

vacuity

noun 1. the state of being vacuous or without contents; vacancy; emptiness: the vacuity of the open sea. 2. absence of thought or intelligence; inanity; blankness: a mind of undeniable vacuity. 3. a time or state of dullness, lacking in mental or physical action or productivity: the vacuity of modern existence. 4. an empty space; void: a vacuity in the earth formed by erosion. 5. absence or lack of something specified: a vacuity of feeling.

discrepancy

noun 1. the state or quality of being discrepant; difference; inconsistency. 2. an instance of difference or inconsistency: There are certain discrepancies between the two versions of the story.

candor

noun 1. the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness: The candor of the speech impressed the audience. 2. freedom from bias; fairness; impartiality: to consider an issue with candor. 3. Obsolete , kindliness. 4. Obsolete , purity.

mediocrity

noun 1. the state or quality of being mediocre. 2. mediocre ability or accomplishment. 3. a mediocre person.

verity

noun 1. the state or quality of being true; accordance with fact or reality: to question the verity of a statement. 2. something that is true, as a principle, belief, idea, or statement: the eternal verities.

adulation

noun excessive devotion to someone; servile flattery.

acumen

noun keen insight; shrewdness: remarkable acumen in business matters.

equanimity

noun mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.

rapport

noun relation; connection, especially harmonious or sympathetic relation: a teacher trying to establish close rapport with students.

ascendancy

noun the state of being in the ascendant; governing or controlling influence; domination.

vituperation

noun verbal abuse or castigation; violent denunciation or condemnation.

affidavit

noun Law. a written declaration upon oath made before an authorized official.

captivate

verb (used with object) 1. to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him. 2. Obsolete . to capture; subjugate.

attest

verb (used with object) 1. to bear witness to; certify; declare to be correct, true, or genuine; declare the truth of, in words or writing, especially affirm in an official capacity: to attest the truth of a statement. 2. to give proof or evidence of; manifest: His works attest his industry. 3. to put on oath. verb (used without object) 4. to testify or bear witness (often followed by to ): to attest to the reliability of an employee. noun 5. Archaic. witness; testimony; attestation.

embellish

verb (used with object) 1. to beautify by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn. 2. to enhance (a statement or narrative) with fictitious additions.

embroil

verb (used with object) 1. to bring into discord or conflict; involve in contention or strife. 2. to throw into confusion; complicate.

propagate

verb (used with object) 1. to cause (an organism) to multiply by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock. 2. to reproduce (itself, its kind, etc.), as an organism does. 3. to transmit (hereditary features or elements) to, or through, offspring. 4. to spread (a report, doctrine, practice, etc.) from person to person; disseminate. 5. to cause to increase in number or amount.

instigate

verb (used with object) 1. to cause by incitement; foment: to instigate a quarrel. 2. to urge, provoke, or incite to some action or course: to instigate the people to revolt.

exhume

verb (used with object) 1. to dig (something buried, especially a dead body) out of the earth; disinter. 2. to revive or restore after neglect or a period of forgetting; bring to light: to exhume a literary reputation; to exhume old letters.

desiccate

verb (used with object) 1. to dry thoroughly; dry up. 2. to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dehydrate. verb (used without object) 3. to become thoroughly dried or dried up.

procure

verb (used with object) 1. to obtain or get by care, effort, or the use of special means: to procure evidence. 2. to bring about, especially by unscrupulous and indirect means: to procure secret documents. 3. to obtain (a person) for the purpose of prostitution. verb (used without object) 4. to act as a procurer or pimp.

aggrieve

verb (used with object) 1. to oppress or wrong grievously; injure by injustice. 2. to afflict with pain, anxiety, etc.

daunt

verb (used with object) 1. to overcome with fear; intimidate: to daunt one's adversaries. 2. to lessen the courage of; dishearten: Don't be daunted by the amount of work still to be done.

forestall

verb (used with object) 1. to prevent, hinder, or thwart by action in advance: to forestall a riot by deploying police. 2. to act beforehand with or get ahead of; anticipate. 3. to buy up (goods) in advance in order to increase the price when resold. 4. to prevent sales at (a fair, market, etc.) by buying up or diverting goods.

apportion

verb (used with object) to distribute or allocate proportionally; divide and assign according to some rule of proportional distribution: to apportion expenses among the three men.

elicit

verb (used with object) to draw or bring out or forth; educe; evoke: to elicit the truth; to elicit a response with a question.

abet

verb (used with object) to encourage, support, or countenance by aid or approval, usually in wrongdoing: to abet a swindler; to abet a crime.

ingratiate

verb (used with object) to establish (oneself) in the favor or good graces of others, especially by deliberate effort (usually followed by with ): He ingratiated himself with all the guests.

venerate

verb (used with object) to regard or treat with reverence; revere.

disambiguate

verb (used with object) to remove the ambiguity from; make unambiguous: In order to disambiguate the sentence "She lectured on the famous passenger ship," you'll have to write either "lectured on board" or "lectured about."

teem

verb (used without object) 1. to abound or swarm; be prolific or fertile (usually followed by with ). 2. Obsolete . to be or become pregnant; bring forth young. verb (used with object) 3. Obsolete . to produce (offspring). verb (used with object), verb (used without object) to empty or pour out; discharge.

emanate

verb (used without object) 1. to flow out, issue, or proceed, as from a source or origin; come forth; originate. Synonyms: arise, spring, flow. verb (used with object) 2. to send forth; emit.

desist

verb (used without object) to cease, as from some action or proceeding; stop.

virulent

adjective 1. actively poisonous; intensely noxious: a virulent insect bite. 2. Medicine/Medical . highly infective; malignant or deadly. 3. Bacteriology . causing clinical symptoms. 4. violently or spitefully hostile. 5. intensely bitter, spiteful, or malicious: a virulent attack.

auxiliary

adjective 1. additional; supplementary; reserve: an auxiliary police force. 2. used as a substitute or reserve in case of need: The hospital has an auxiliary power system in case of a blackout. 3. (of a boat) having an engine that can be used to supplement the sails: an auxiliary yawl. 4. giving support; serving as an aid; helpful: The mind and emotions are auxiliary to each other. Passion is auxiliary to art. noun 5. a person or thing that gives aid of any kind; helper. 6. an organization allied with, but subsidiary to, a main body of restricted membership, especially one composed of members' relatives: The men's club and the ladies' auxiliary were merged into one organization. 7. auxiliary verb. 8. auxiliaries, foreign troops in the service of a nation at war. 9. Navy. a naval vessel designed for other than combat purposes, as a tug, supply ship, or transport. 10. Nautical . a sailing vessel carrying an auxiliary propulsion engine or engines.

susceptible

adjective 1. admitting or capable of some specified treatment: susceptible of a high polish; susceptible to various interpretations. 2. accessible or especially liable or subject to some influence, mood, agency, etc.: susceptible to colds; susceptible to flattery. 3. capable of being affected emotionally; impressionable.

rational

adjective 1. agreeable to reason; reasonable; sensible: a rational plan for economic development. 2. having or exercising reason, sound judgment, or good sense: a calm and rational negotiator. 3. being in or characterized by full possession of one's reason; sane; lucid: The patient appeared perfectly rational. 4. endowed with the faculty of reason: rational beings. 5. of, pertaining to, or constituting reasoning powers: the rational faculty.

piquant

adjective 1. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic. 2. agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive: a piquant glance. 3. of an interestingly provocative or lively character: a piquant wit. 4. Archaic. sharp or stinging, especially to the feelings.

congruent

adjective 1. agreeing; accordant; congruous. 2. Mathematics . of or pertaining to two numbers related by a congruence. 3. Geometry . coinciding at all points when superimposed: congruent triangles.

pellucid

adjective 1. allowing the maximum passage of light, as glass; translucent. 2. clear or limpid: pellucid waters. 3. clear in meaning, expression, or style: a pellucid way of writing.

meretricious

adjective 1. alluring by a show of flashy or vulgar attractions; tawdry. 2. based on pretense, deception, or insincerity. 3. pertaining to or characteristic of a prostitute.

discrete

adjective 1. apart or detached from others; separate; distinct: six discrete parts. 2. consisting of or characterized by distinct or individual parts; discontinuous. 3. Mathematics . a. (of a topology or topological space) having the property that every subset is an open set. b. defined only for an isolated set of points: a discrete variable. c. using only arithmetic and algebra; not involving calculus: discrete methods.

specious

adjective 1. apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments. 2. pleasing to the eye but deceptive. 3. Obsolete . pleasing to the eye; fair.

posthumous

adjective 1. arising, occurring, or continuing after one's death: a posthumous award for bravery. 2. published after the death of the author: a posthumous novel. 3. born after the death of the father.

egalitarian

adjective 1. asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life. noun 2. a person who adheres to egalitarian beliefs.

mnemonic

adjective 1. assisting or intended to assist the memory. 2. pertaining to mnemonics or to memory. noun 3. something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or formula. 4. Computers. a programming code that is easy to remember, as STO for "store."

adventitious

adjective 1. associated with something by chance rather than as an integral part; extrinsic. 2. Botany, Zoology . appearing in an abnormal or unusual position or place, as a root.

scant

adjective 1. barely sufficient in amount or quantity; not abundant; almost inadequate: to do scant justice. 2. limited; meager; not large: a scant amount. 3. barely amounting to as much as indicated: a scant two hours; a scant cupful. 4. having an inadequate or limited supply (usually followed by of ): scant of breath. verb (used with object) 5. to make scant; diminish. 6. to stint the supply of; withhold. 7. to treat slightly or inadequately. adverb 8. Scot. and North England Dialect . scarcely; barely; hardly.

mendicant

adjective 1. begging; practicing begging; living on alms. 2. pertaining to or characteristic of a beggar. noun 3. a person who lives by begging; beggar. 4. a member of any of several orders of friars that originally forbade ownership of property, subsisting mostly on alms.

discordant

adjective 1. being at variance; disagreeing; incongruous: discordant opinions. 2. disagreeable to the ear; dissonant; harsh. 3. Geology . (of strata) structurally unconformable.

superficial

adjective 1. being at, on, or near the surface: a superficial wound. 2. of or pertaining to the surface: superficial measurement. 3. external or outward: a superficial resemblance. 4. concerned with or comprehending only what is on the surface or obvious: a superficial observer. 5. shallow; not profound or thorough: a superficial writer.

ulterior

adjective 1. being beyond what is seen or avowed; intentionally kept concealed: ulterior motives. 2. coming at a subsequent time or stage; future; further: ulterior action. 3. lying beyond or outside of some specified or understood boundary; more remote: a suggestion ulterior to the purposes of the present discussion.

superfluous

adjective 1. being more than is sufficient or required; excessive. 2. unnecessary or needless. 3. Obsolete . possessing or spending more than enough or necessary; extravagant.

arid

adjective 1. being without moisture; extremely dry; parched: arid land; an arid climate. 2. barren or unproductive because of lack of moisture: arid farmland. 3. lacking interest or imaginativeness; sterile; jejune: an arid treatment of an exciting topic. Synonyms: dull, tedious, dreary, vapid, uninspired, uninspiring; pedantic. Antonyms: lively, interesting, exciting, spirited, imaginative.

provincial

adjective 1. belonging or peculiar to some particular province; local: the provincial newspaper. 2. of or pertaining to the provinces: provincial customs; provincial dress. 3. having or showing the manners, viewpoints, etc., considered characteristic of unsophisticated inhabitants of a province; rustic; narrow or illiberal; parochial: a provincial point of view. 4. ( often initial capital letter ) Fine Arts. noting or pertaining to the styles of architecture, furniture, etc., found in the provinces, especially when imitating styles currently or formerly in fashion in or around the capital: Italian Provincial. 5. History/Historical . of or pertaining to any of the American provinces of Great Britain. noun 6. a person who lives in or comes from the provinces. 7. a person who lacks urban sophistication or broad-mindedness. 8. Ecclesiastical . a. the head of an ecclesiastical province. b. a member of a religious order presiding over the order in a given district or province.

intrinsic

adjective 1. belonging to a thing by its very nature: the intrinsic value of a gold ring. 2. Anatomy . (of certain muscles, nerves, etc.) belonging to or lying within a given part.

blatant

adjective 1. brazenly obvious; flagrant: a blatant error in simple addition; a blatant lie. 2. offensively noisy or loud; clamorous: blatant radios. 3. tastelessly conspicuous: the blatant colors of the dress.

onerous

adjective 1. burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship: onerous duties. 2. having or involving obligations or responsibilities, especially legal ones, that outweigh the advantages: an onerous agreement.

invidious

adjective 1. calculated to create ill will or resentment or give offense; hateful: invidious remarks. 2. offensively or unfairly discriminating; injurious: invidious comparisons. 3. causing or tending to cause animosity, resentment, or envy: an invidious honor. 4. Obsolete , envious.

serene

adjective 1. calm, peaceful, or tranquil; unruffled: a serene landscape; serene old age. 2. clear; fair: serene weather. 3. ( usually initial capital letter ) most high or august (used as a royal epithet, usually preceded by his, your, etc.): His Serene Highness. noun 4. serenity; tranquillity. 5. Archaic. a clear or tranquil expanse of sea or sky.

malleable

adjective 1. capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure from rollers. 2. adaptable or tractable: the malleable mind of a child.

ductile

adjective 1. capable of being hammered out thin, as certain metals; malleable. 2. capable of being drawn out into wire or threads, as gold. 3. able to undergo change of form without breaking. 4. capable of being molded or shaped; plastic.

tangible

adjective 1. capable of being touched; discernible by the touch; material or substantial. 2. real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary: the tangible benefits of sunshine. 3. definite; not vague or elusive: no tangible grounds for suspicion. 4. (of an asset) having actual physical existence, as real estate or chattels, and therefore capable of being assigned a value in monetary terms. noun 5. something tangible, especially a tangible asset.

intelligible

adjective 1. capable of being understood; comprehensible; clear: an intelligible response. 2. Philosophy . apprehensible by the mind only; conceptual.

caustic

adjective 1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue. 2. severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark. noun 3. a caustic substance. 4. Optics. a. caustic curve. b. caustic surface.

contrite

adjective 1. caused by or showing sincere remorse. 2. filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent: a contrite sinner.

detrimental

adjective 1. causing detriment; damaging; harmful. noun 2. a detrimental person or thing.

dismal

adjective 1. causing gloom or dejection; gloomy; dreary; cheerless; melancholy: dismal weather. 2. characterized by ineptness or lack of skill, competence, effectiveness, imagination, or interest; pitiful: Our team played a dismal game. 3. Obsolete . a. disastrous; calamitous. b. unlucky; sinister. noun 4. Southern U.S. a tract of swampy land, usually along the coast.

pernicious

adjective 1. causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie. 2. deadly; fatal: a pernicious disease. 3. Obsolete . evil; wicked.

abhorrent

adjective 1. causing repugnance; detestable; loathsome: an abhorrent deed. 2. utterly opposed, or contrary, or in conflict (usually followed by to ): abhorrent to reason. 3. feeling extreme repugnance or aversion (usually followed by of ): abhorrent of waste. 4. remote in character (usually followed by from ): abhorrent from the principles of law.

haphazard

adjective 1. characterized by lack of order or planning, by irregularity, or by randomness; determined by or dependent on chance; aimless. adverb 2. haphazardly. noun 3. mere chance; accident.

frivolous

adjective 1. characterized by lack of seriousness or sense: frivolous conduct. 2. self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose. 3. (of a person) given to trifling or undue levity: a frivolous, empty-headed person. 4. of little or no weight, worth, or importance; not worthy of serious notice: a frivolous suggestion.

cohesive

adjective 1. characterized by or causing cohesion: a cohesive agent. 2. cohering or tending to cohere; well-integrated; unified: a cohesive organization. 3. Physics. of or pertaining to the molecular force within a body or substance acting to unite its parts.

opulent

adjective 1. characterized by or exhibiting opulence: an opulent suite. 2. wealthy, rich, or affluent. 3. richly supplied; abundant or plentiful: opulent sunshine.

benevolent

adjective 1. characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings: a benevolent attitude; her benevolent smile. 2. desiring to help others; charitable: gifts from several benevolent alumni. 3. intended for benefits rather than profit: a benevolent institution.

ostentatious

adjective 1. characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: an ostentatious dresser. 2. (of actions, manner, qualities exhibited, etc.) intended to attract notice: Lady Bountiful's ostentatious charity.

sedentary

adjective 1. characterized by or requiring a sitting posture: a sedentary occupation. 2. accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise. 3. Chiefly Zoology . a. abiding in one place; not migratory. b. pertaining to animals that move about little or are permanently attached to something, as a barnacle.

obsequious

adjective 1. characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning: an obsequious bow. 2. servilely compliant or deferential: obsequious servants. 3. obedient; dutiful.

redundant

adjective 1. characterized by verbosity or unnecessary repetition in expressing ideas; prolix: a redundant style. 2. being in excess; exceeding what is usual or natural: a redundant part. 3. having some unusual or extra part or feature. 4. characterized by superabundance or superfluity: lush, redundant vegetation. 5. Engineering . a. (of a structural member) not necessary for resisting statically determined stresses. b. (of a structure) having members designed to resist other than statically determined stresses; hyperstatic. c. noting a complete truss having additional members for resisting eccentric loads. Compare complete ( def 8 ) , incomplete ( def 3 ) . d. (of a device, circuit, computer system, etc.) having excess or duplicate parts that can continue to perform in the event of malfunction of some of the parts.

sanguine

adjective 1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: a sanguine disposition; sanguine expectations. 2. reddish; ruddy: a sanguine complexion. 3. (in old physiology) having blood as the predominating humor and consequently being ruddy-faced, cheerful, etc. 4. bloody; sanguinary. 5. blood-red; red. 6. Heraldry. a reddish-purple tincture. noun 7. a red iron-oxide crayon used in making drawings.

belated

adjective 1. coming or being after the customary, useful, or expected time: belated birthday greetings. 2. late, delayed, or detained: We started the meeting without the belated representative. 3. Archaic. obsolete; old-fashioned; out-of-date: a belated view of world politics. 4. Archaic. overtaken by darkness or night.

spontaneous

adjective 1. coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned: a spontaneous burst of applause. 2. (of a person) given to acting upon sudden impulses. 3. (of natural phenomena) arising from internal forces or causes; independent of external agencies; self-acting. 4. growing naturally or without cultivation, as plants and fruits; indigenous. 5. produced by natural process.

conventional

adjective 1. conforming or adhering to accepted standards, as of conduct or taste: conventional behavior. 2. pertaining to convention or general agreement; established by general consent or accepted usage; arbitrarily determined: conventional symbols. 3. ordinary rather than different or original: conventional phraseology. 4. not using, making, or involving nuclear weapons or energy; nonnuclear: conventional warfare. 5. Art. a. in accordance with an accepted manner, model, or tradition. b. (of figurative art) represented in a generalized or simplified manner. 6. of or pertaining to a convention, agreement, or compact. 7. Law. resting on consent, express or implied. 8. of or pertaining to a convention or assembly.

assiduous

adjective 1. constant; unremitting: assiduous reading. 2. constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive: an assiduous student.

concerted

adjective 1. contrived or arranged by agreement; planned or devised together: a concerted effort. 2. done or performed together or in cooperation: a concerted attack. 3. Music. arranged in parts for several voices or instruments.

cogent

adjective 1. convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling. 2. to the point; relevant; pertinent.

voracious

adjective 1. craving or consuming large quantities of food: a voracious appetite. 2. exceedingly eager or avid: voracious readers; a voracious collector.

vociferous

adjective 1. crying out noisily; clamorous. 2. characterized by or uttered with vociferation: a vociferous manner of expression.

concave

adjective 1. curved like a segment of the interior of a circle or hollow sphere; hollow and curved. Compare convex ( def 1 ) . 2. Geometry . (of a polygon) having at least one interior angle greater than 180°. 3. Obsolete , hollow. noun 4. a concave surface, part, line, or thing. 5. Machinery . a concave piece, as one against which a drum rotates. verb (used with object) 6. to make concave.

recondite

adjective 1. dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter: a recondite treatise. 2. beyond ordinary knowledge or understanding; esoteric: recondite principles. 3. little known; obscure: a recondite fact.

meager

adjective 1. deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness; scanty; inadequate: a meager salary; meager fare; a meager harvest. 2. having little flesh; lean; thin: a body meager with hunger. 3. maigre.

delectable

adjective 1. delightful; highly pleasing; enjoyable: a delectable witticism. 2. delicious: a delectable dinner. noun 3. an especially appealing or appetizing food or dish: a buffet table spread with delectables.

arbitrary

adjective 1. subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. 2. decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute. 3. having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical: an arbitrary government. 4. capricious; unreasonable; unsupported: an arbitrary demand for payment. 5. Mathematics . undetermined; not assigned a specific value: an arbitrary constant.

capricious

adjective 1. subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic: He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react. 2. Obsolete . fanciful or witty.

turgid

adjective 1. swollen; distended; tumid. 2. inflated, overblown, or pompous; bombastic: turgid language.

furtive

adjective 1. taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret: a furtive glance. 2. sly; shifty: a furtive manner.

meticulous

adjective 1. taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise; thorough: a meticulous craftsman; meticulous personal appearance. 2. finicky; fussy: meticulous adherence to technicalities.

loquacious

adjective 1. talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous: a loquacious dinner guest. 2. characterized by excessive talk; wordy: easily the most loquacious play of the season.

contentious

adjective 1. tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome: a contentious crew. 2. causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy: contentious issues. 3. Law. pertaining to causes between contending parties.

untoward

adjective 1. unfavorable or unfortunate: Untoward circumstances forced him into bankruptcy. 2. improper: untoward social behavior. 3. Archaic. froward; perverse.

inadvertent

adjective 1. unintentional: an inadvertent insult. 2. not attentive; heedless. 3. of, pertaining to, or characterized by lack of attention.

confederate

adjective 1. united in a league, alliance, or conspiracy. 2. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to the Confederate States of America: the Confederate army. noun 3. a person, group, nation, etc., united with others in a confederacy; an ally. 4. an accomplice, especially in a mischievous or criminal act. 5. ( initial capital letter ) U.S. History . a supporter of the Confederate States of America. verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 6. to unite in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.

obdurate

adjective 1. unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding. 2. stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent: an obdurate sinner.

precocious

adjective 1. unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development: a precocious child. 2. prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc. 3. of or pertaining to premature development. 4. Botany . a. flowering, fruiting, or ripening early, as plants or fruit. b. bearing blossoms before leaves, as plants. c. appearing before leaves, as flowers.

inexorable

adjective 1. unyielding; unalterable: inexorable truth; inexorable justice. 2. not to be persuaded, moved, or affected by prayers or entreaties: an inexorable creditor.

importunate

adjective 1. urgent or persistent in solicitation, sometimes annoyingly so. 2. pertinacious, as solicitations or demands. 3. troublesome; annoying: importunate demands from the children for attention.

concise

adjective expressing or covering much in few words; brief in form but comprehensive in scope; succinct; terse: a concise explanation of the company's retirement plan.

nefarious

adjective extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.

despondent

adjective feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom: despondent about failing health.

solemn

adjective formal and dignified: a solemn procession. • not cheerful or smiling; serious: Tim looked very solemn. • characterized by deep sincerity: he swore a solemn oath to keep faith.

frenetic

adjective frantic; frenzied.

insouciant

adjective free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant.

cursory

adjective going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial: a cursory glance at a newspaper article.

indefatigable

adjective incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.

arcane

adjective known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric: She knew a lot about Sanskrit grammar and other arcane matters.

disingenuous

adjective lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere: Her excuse was rather disingenuous.

hackneyed

adjective made commonplace or trite; stale; banal: the hackneyed images of his poetry. noun 1. Also called hackney coach. a carriage or coach for hire; cab. 2. a trotting horse used for drawing a light carriage or the like. 3. a horse used for ordinary riding or driving. 4. ( initial capital letter ) one of an English breed of horses having a high-stepping gait. adjective 5. let out, employed, or done for hire. verb (used with object) 6. to make trite, common, or stale by frequent use. 7. to use as a hackney.

lugubrious

adjective mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner: lugubrious songs of lost love.

petulant

adjective moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over some trifling annoyance: a petulant toss of the head.

unobtrusive

adjective not obtrusive; inconspicuous, unassertive, or reticent.

disproportionate

adjective not proportionate; out of proportion, as in size or number.

irresolute

adjective not resolute; doubtful; infirm of purpose; vacillating.

pertinent

adjective pertaining or relating directly and significantly to the matter at hand; relevant: pertinent details.

conceptual

adjective pertaining to concepts or to the forming of concepts.

proactive

adjective serving to prepare for, intervene in, or control an expected occurrence or situation, especially a negative or difficult one; anticipatory: proactive measures against crime.

resplendent

adjective shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid: troops resplendent in white uniforms; resplendent virtues.

pervasive

adjective spread throughout: The corruption is so pervasive that it is accepted as the way to do business.

aghast

adjective struck with overwhelming shock or amazement; filled with sudden fright or horror: They stood aghast at the sight of the plane crashing.

contumacious

adjective stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient.

acquisitive

adjective tending or seeking to acquire and own, often greedily; eager to get wealth, possessions, etc.: our acquisitive impulses; acquisitive societies.

soporific

adjective tending to induce drowsiness or sleep: the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect. • sleepy or drowsy: some medicine made her soporific. • tediously boring or monotonous: a libel trial is in large parts intensely soporific. noun a drug or other agent of this kind.

derogatory

adjective tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory: a derogatory remark.

indomitable

adjective that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable: an indomitable warrior.

hapless

adjective unlucky; luckless; unfortunate.

loath

adjective unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse: to be loath to admit a mistake.

laconic

adjective using few words; expressing much in few words; concise: a laconic reply.

eviscerate

adjective verb (used with object) 1. to remove the entrails from; disembowel: to eviscerate a chicken. 2. to deprive of vital or essential parts: The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the leaders of the party. 3. Surgery . to remove the contents of (a body organ).

cryptic

adjective 1. mysterious in meaning; puzzling; ambiguous: a cryptic message. 2. abrupt; terse; short: a cryptic note. 3. secret; occult: a cryptic writing. 4. involving or using cipher, code, etc. 5. Zoology . fitted for concealing; serving to camouflage. noun 6. a cryptogram, especially one designed as a puzzle.

frugal

adjective 1. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: What your office needs is a frugal manager who can save you money without resorting to painful cutbacks. Synonyms: thrifty, chary, provident, careful, prudent, penny-wise, scrimping; miserly, Scotch, penny-pinching. Antonyms: wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, prodigal, profligate. 2. entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal. Synonyms: scant, slim, sparing, skimpy. Antonyms: luxurious, lavish, profuse.

effervescent

adjective 1. effervescing; bubbling. 2. vivacious; gay; lively; sparkling.

elusive

adjective 1. eluding clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define: an elusive concept. 2. cleverly or skillfully evasive: a fish too elusive to catch.

sumptuous

adjective 1. entailing great expense, as from choice materials, fine work, etc.; costly: a sumptuous residence. 2. luxuriously fine or large; lavish; splendid: a sumptuous feast.

volatile

adjective 1. evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor: Acetone is a volatile solvent. 2. tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive: a volatile political situation. 3. changeable; mercurial; flighty: a volatile disposition. 4. (of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly: volatile market conditions. 5. fleeting; transient: volatile beauty.

fastidious

adjective 1. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: a fastidious eater. 2. requiring or characterized by excessive care or delicacy; painstaking.

garrulous

adjective 1. excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters. 2. wordy or diffuse: a garrulous and boring speech.

innate

adjective 1. existing in one from birth; inborn; native: innate musical talent. 2. inherent in the essential character of something: an innate defect in the hypothesis. 3. originating in or arising from the intellect or the constitution of the mind, rather than learned through experience: an innate knowledge of good and evil.

inherent

adjective 1. existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute: an inherent distrust of strangers. 2. Grammar . standing before a noun. 3. inhering; infixed.

concomitant

adjective 1. existing or occurring with something else, often in a lesser way; accompanying; concurrent: an event and its concomitant circumstances. noun 2. a concomitant quality, circumstance, or thing.

lavish

adjective 1. expended, bestowed, or occurring in profusion: lavish spending. 2. using or giving in great amounts; prodigal (often followed by of ): lavish of his time; lavish of affection. verb (used with object) 3. to expend or give in great amounts or without limit: to lavish gifts on a person.

succinct

adjective 1. expressed in few words; concise; terse. 2. characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity. 3. compressed into a small area, scope, or compass. 4. Archaic. a. drawn up, as by a girdle. b. close-fitting. c. encircled, as by a girdle.

prolix

adjective 1. extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy. 2. (of a person) given to speaking or writing at great or tedious length.

prodigious

adjective 1. extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force, etc.: a prodigious research grant. 2. wonderful or marvelous: a prodigious feat. 3. abnormal; monstrous. 4. Obsolete , ominous.

egregious

adjective 1. extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant: an egregious mistake; an egregious liar. Synonyms: gross, outrageous, notorious, shocking. Antonyms: tolerable, moderate, minor, unnoticeable. 2. Archaic. distinguished or eminent.

audacious

adjective 1. extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless: an audacious explorer. 2. extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive: an audacious vision of the city's bright future. 3. recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; brazen. 4. lively; unrestrained; uninhibited: an audacious interpretation of her role.

overwrought

adjective 1. extremely or excessively excited or agitated: to become overwrought on hearing bad news; an overwrought personality. 2. elaborated to excess; excessively complex or ornate: written in a florid, overwrought style. 3. Archaic. wearied or exhausted by overwork.

conversant

adjective 1. familiar by use or study (usually followed by with ): conversant with Spanish history. 2. Archaic. having regular or frequent conversation; intimately associating; acquainted.

salutary

adjective 1. favorable to or promoting health; healthful. 2. promoting or conducive to some beneficial purpose; wholesome.

truculent

adjective 1. fierce; cruel; savagely brutal. 2. brutally harsh; vitriolic; scathing: his truculent criticism of her work. 3. aggressively hostile; belligerent.

obstinate

adjective 1. firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty. 2. characterized by inflexible persistence or an unyielding attitude; inflexibly persisted in or carried out: obstinate advocacy of high tariffs. 3. not easily controlled or overcome: the obstinate growth of weeds. 4. not yielding readily to treatment, as a disease.

resolute

adjective 1. firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion. 2. characterized by firmness and determination, as the temper, spirit, actions, etc.

gregarious

adjective 1. fond of the company of others; sociable. 2. living in flocks or herds, as animals. 3. Botany . growing in open clusters or colonies; not matted together. 4. pertaining to a flock or crowd.

fatuous

adjective 1. foolish or inane, especially in an unconscious, complacent manner; silly. 2. unreal; illusory.

squalid

adjective 1. foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy. 2. wretched; miserable; degraded; sordid.

candid

adjective 1. frank; outspoken; open and sincere: a candid critic. 2. free from reservation, disguise, or subterfuge; straightforward: a candid opinion. 3. informal; unposed: a candid photo. 4. honest; impartial: a candid mind. 5. Archaic. white. 6. Archaic. clear; pure. noun 7. an unposed photograph.

ingenuous

adjective 1. free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid; sincere. 2. artless; innocent; naive. 3. Obsolete . honorable or noble.

querulous

adjective 1. full of complaints; complaining. 2. characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish: a querulous tone; constant querulous reminders of things to be done.

timorous

adjective 1. full of fear; fearful: The noise made them timorous. 2. subject to fear; timid. 3. characterized by or indicating fear: a timorous whisper.

porous

adjective 1. full of pores. 2. permeable by water, air, etc.

tortuous

adjective 1. full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path. 2. not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous: tortuous negotiations lasting for months. 3. deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.

presumptuous

adjective 1. full of, characterized by, or showing presumption or readiness to presume in conduct or thought. 2. unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward. 3. Obsolete , presumptive.

explicit

adjective 1. fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal: explicit instructions; an explicit act of violence; explicit language. 2. clearly developed or formulated: explicit knowledge; explicit belief. 3. definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken: He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him. 4. described or shown in realistic detail: explicit sexual scenes. 5. having sexual acts or nudity clearly depicted: explicit movies; explicit books. 6. Mathematics . (of a function) having the dependent variable expressed directly in terms of the independent variables, as y = 3 x + 4. Compare implicit ( def 4 ) .

magnanimous

adjective 1. generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies. 2. high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler. 3. proceeding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character, etc.: a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness.

intemperate

adjective 1. given to or characterized by excessive or immoderate indulgence in alcoholic beverages. 2. immoderate in indulgence of appetite or passion. 3. not temperate; unrestrained; unbridled. 4. extreme in temperature, as climate.

rapacious

adjective 1. given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed. 2. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate: a rapacious disposition. 3. (of animals) subsisting by the capture of living prey; predacious.

gratuitous

adjective 1. given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary. 2. being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult. 3. Law. given without receiving any return value.

morose

adjective 1. gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood. 2. characterized by or expressing gloom.

verdant

adjective 1. green with vegetation; covered with growing plants or grass: a verdant oasis. 2. of the color green: a verdant lawn. 3. inexperienced; unsophisticated: verdant college freshmen.

incidental

adjective 1. happening or likely to happen in an unplanned or subordinate conjunction with something else. 2. incurred casually and in addition to the regular or main amount: incidental expenses. 3. likely to happen or naturally appertaining (usually followed by to ). noun 4. something incidental, as a circumstance. 5. incidentals, minor expenses.

fortuitous

adjective 1. happening or produced by chance; accidental: a fortuitous encounter. 2. lucky; fortunate: a series of fortuitous events that advanced her career.

refractory

adjective 1. hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient: a refractory child. 2. resisting ordinary methods of treatment. 3. difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal. noun 4. a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures. 5. refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.

abstruse

adjective 1. hard to understand; recondite; esoteric: abstruse theories. 2. Obsolete . secret; hidden.

noxious

adjective 1. harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being: noxious fumes. 2. morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious: a noxious plan to spread dissension.

raucous

adjective 1. harsh; strident; grating: raucous voices; raucous laughter. 2. rowdy; disorderly: a raucous party.

ambivalent

adjective 1. having "mixed feelings about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action: The whole family was ambivalent about the move to the suburbs. She is regarded as a morally ambivalent character in the play. 2. Psychology . of or pertaining to the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.

livid

adjective 1. having a discolored, bluish appearance caused by a bruise, congestion of blood vessels, strangulation, etc., as the face, flesh, hands, or nails. 2. dull blue; dark, grayish-blue. 3. enraged; furiously angry: Willful stupidity makes me absolutely livid. 4. feeling or appearing strangulated because of strong emotion. 5. reddish or flushed. 6. deathly pale; pallid; ashen: Fear turned his cheeks livid for a moment.

pejorative

adjective 1. having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: the pejorative affix -ling in princeling. noun 2. a pejorative form or word, as poetaster.

multifarious

adjective 1. having many different parts, elements, forms, etc. 2. numerous and varied; greatly diverse or manifold: multifarious activities.

inert

adjective 1. having no inherent power of action, motion, or resistance ( opposed to active ): inert matter. 2. Chemistry . having little or no ability to react, as nitrogen that occurs uncombined in the atmosphere. 3. Pharmacology . having no pharmacological action, as the excipient of a pill. 4. inactive or sluggish by habit or nature.

seamless

adjective 1. having no seams: seamless stockings. 2. smoothly continuous or uniform in quality; combined in an inconspicuous way: a seamless blend of art and entertainment.

indolent

adjective 1. having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful: an indolent person. 2. Pathology . causing little or no pain; inactive or relatively benign: an indolent ulcer that is not painful and is slow to heal.

obtrusive

adjective 1. having or showing a disposition to obtrude, as by imposing oneself or one's opinions on others. 2. (of a thing) obtruding itself: an obtrusive error. 3. protruding; projecting.

amiable

adjective 1. having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; affable: an amiable disposition. 2. friendly; sociable: an amiable greeting; an amiable gathering. 3. agreeable; willing to accept the wishes, decisions, or suggestions of another or others. 4. Obsolete . lovable or lovely.

scrupulous

adjective 1. having scruples; having or showing a strict regard for what one considers right; principled. 2. punctiliously or minutely careful, precise, or exact: a scrupulous performance.

emollient

adjective 1. having the power of softening or relaxing, as a medicinal substance; soothing, especially to the skin: emollient lotions for the face. Synonyms: relieving, palliative, healing, assuasive. noun 2. an emollient medicine, lotion, salve, etc.

transparent

adjective 1. having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen. 2. admitting the passage of light through interstices. 3. so sheer as to permit light to pass through; diaphanous. 4. easily seen through, recognized, or detected: transparent excuses. 5. manifest; obvious: a story with a transparent plot.

corrosive

adjective 1. having the quality of corroding or eating away; erosive. 2. harmful or destructive; deleterious: the corrosive effect of poverty on their marriage. 3. sharply sarcastic; caustic: corrosive comments on the speaker's integrity. noun 4. something corrosive, as an acid or drug.

commensurate

adjective 1. having the same measure; of equal extent or duration. 2. corresponding in amount, magnitude, or degree: Your paycheck should be commensurate with the amount of time worked. 3. proportionate; adequate. 4. having a common measure; commensurable.

bipolar

adjective 1. having two poles, as the earth. 2. of, pertaining to, or found at both polar regions. 3. characterized by opposite extremes, as two conflicting political philosophies. 4. Electronics. of or pertaining to a transistor that uses both positive and negative charge carriers.

nebulous

adjective 1. hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused: a nebulous recollection of the meeting; a nebulous distinction between pride and conceit. 2. cloudy or cloudlike. 3. of or resembling a nebula or nebulae; nebular.

tenacious

adjective 1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often followed by of ): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits. 2. highly retentive: a tenacious memory. 3. pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate. 4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous. 5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

implicit

adjective 1. implied, rather than expressly stated: implicit agreement. 2. unquestioning or unreserved; absolute: implicit trust; implicit obedience; implicit confidence. 3. potentially contained (usually followed by in ): to bring out the drama implicit in the occasion. 4. Mathematics . (of a function) having the dependent variable not explicitly expressed in terms of the independent variables, as x 2 + y 2 = 1. Compare explicit ( def 6 ) . 5. Obsolete , entangled.

invincible

adjective 1. incapable of being conquered, defeated, or subdued. 2. insuperable; insurmountable: invincible difficulties.

ineffable

adjective 1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy. 2. not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable: the ineffable name of the deity.

inscrutable

adjective 1. incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable. 2. not easily understood; mysterious; unfathomable: an inscrutable smile. 3. incapable of being seen through physically; physically impenetrable: the inscrutable depths of the ocean.

futile

adjective 1. incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful: Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile. 2. trifling; frivolous; unimportant.

desultory

adjective 1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation. 2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.

vapid

adjective 1. lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat: vapid tea. 2. without liveliness or spirit; dull or tedious: a vapid party; vapid conversation.

inane

adjective 1. lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions. 2. empty; void. noun 3. something that is empty or void, especially the void of infinite space.

copious

adjective 1. large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful: copious amounts of food. 2. having or yielding an abundant supply: a copious larder; a copious harvest. 3. exhibiting abundance or fullness, as of thoughts or words.

ephemeral

adjective 1. lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood. 2. lasting but one day: an ephemeral flower. noun 3. anything short-lived, as certain insects.

derelict

adjective 1. left or deserted, as by the owner or guardian; abandoned: a derelict ship. 2. neglectful of duty; delinquent; negligent. noun 3. a person abandoned by society, especially a person without a permanent home and means of support; vagrant; bum. 4. Nautical . a vessel abandoned in open water by its crew without any hope or intention of returning. 5. personal property abandoned or thrown away by the owner. 6. one guilty of neglect of duty. 7. Law. land left dry by a change of the water line.

ethereal

adjective 1. light, airy, or tenuous: an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination. 2. extremely delicate or refined: ethereal beauty. 3. heavenly or celestial: gone to his ethereal home. 4. of or pertaining to the upper regions of space. 5. Chemistry . pertaining to, containing, or resembling ethyl ether.

imminent

adjective 1. likely to occur at any moment; impending: Her death is imminent. 2. projecting or leaning forward; overhanging.

indelible

adjective 1. making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or the like: indelible ink. 2. that cannot be eliminated, forgotten, changed, or the like: the indelible memories of war; the indelible influence of a great teacher.

ignominious

adjective 1. marked by or attended with ignominy; discreditable; humiliating: an ignominious retreat. 2. bearing or deserving ignominy; contemptible.

tepid

adjective 1. moderately warm; lukewarm: tepid water. 2. characterized by a lack of force or enthusiasm: tepid prose; the critics' tepid reception for the new play.

defunct

adjective 1. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning: a defunct law; a defunct organization. 2. no longer in existence; dead; extinct: a defunct person; a defunct tribe of Indians. noun 3. the defunct, the dead person referred to: the survivors of the defunct.

turbid

adjective 1. not clear or transparent because of stirred-up sediment or the like; clouded; opaque; obscured: the turbid waters near the waterfall. 2. thick or dense, as smoke or clouds. 3. confused; muddled; disturbed.

unkempt

adjective 1. not combed: unkempt hair. 2. uncared-for or neglected; disheveled; messy: unkempt clothes; an unkempt lawn. 3. unpolished; rough; crude.

incorrigible

adjective 1. not corrigible; bad beyond correction or reform: incorrigible behavior; an incorrigible liar. 2. impervious to constraints or punishment; willful; unruly; uncontrollable: an incorrigible child; incorrigible hair. 3. firmly fixed; not easily changed: an incorrigible habit. 4. not easily swayed or influenced: an incorrigible optimist. noun 5. a person who is incorrigible.

intractable

adjective 1. not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate: an intractable disposition. 2. (of things) hard to shape or work with: an intractable metal. 3. hard to treat, relieve, or cure: the intractable pain in his leg. noun 4. an intractable person.

amoral

adjective 1. not involving questions of right or wrong; without moral quality; neither moral nor immoral. 2. having no moral standards, restraints, or principles; unaware of or indifferent to questions of right or wrong: a completely amoral person.

transient

adjective 1. not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory. 2. lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary: transient authority. 3. staying only a short time: the transient guests at a hotel. 4. Philosophy , transeunt. noun 5. a person or thing that is transient, especially a temporary guest, boarder, laborer, or the like. 6. Mathematics . a. a function that tends to zero as the independent variable tends to infinity. b. a solution, especially of a differential equation, having this property. 7. Physics. a. a nonperiodic signal of short duration. b. a decaying signal, wave, or oscillation. 8. Electricity . a sudden pulse of voltage or current.

transitory

adjective 1. not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2. lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary.

facetious

adjective 1. not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark. 2. amusing; humorous. 3. lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous: a facetious person.

impervious

adjective 1. not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable: The coat is impervious to rain. 2. incapable of being injured or impaired: impervious to wear and tear. 3. incapable of being influenced, persuaded, or affected: impervious to reason; impervious to another's suffering.

opaque

adjective 1. not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through. 2. not transmitting radiation, sound, heat, etc. 3. not shining or bright; dark; dull. 4. hard to understand; not clear or lucid; obscure: The problem remains opaque despite explanations. 5. dull, stupid, or unintelligent. noun 6. something that is opaque. 7. Photography . a coloring matter, usually black or red, used to render part of a negative opaque. verb (used with object) 8. Photography . to cover up blemishes on (a negative), especially for making a printing plate. 9. to cause to become opaque.

officious

adjective 1. objectionably aggressive in offering one's unrequested and unwanted services, help, or advice; meddlesome: an officious person. 2. marked by or proceeding from such forwardness: officious interference. 3. Obsolete . ready to serve; obliging.

surreptitious

adjective 1. obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance. 2. acting in a stealthy way. 3. obtained by subreption; subreptitious.

concurrent

adjective 1. occurring or existing simultaneously or side by side: concurrent attacks by land, sea, and air. 2. acting in conjunction; cooperating: the concurrent efforts of several legislators to pass the new law. 3. having equal authority or jurisdiction: two concurrent courts of law. 4. accordant or agreeing: concurrent testimony by three witnesses. 5. tending to or intersecting at the same point: four concurrent lines. noun 6. something joint or contributory. 7. Archaic. a rival or competitor.

rife

adjective 1. of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent; in widespread existence, activity, or use: Crime is rife in the slum areas of our cities. 2. current in speech or report: Rumors are rife that the government is in financial difficulty. 3. abundant, plentiful, or numerous. 4. abounding (usually followed by with ).

apocryphal

adjective 1. of doubtful authorship or authenticity. 2. Ecclesiastical . a. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to the Apocrypha. b. of doubtful sanction; uncanonical. 3. false; spurious: He told an apocryphal story about the sword, but the truth was later revealed.

ponderous

adjective 1. of great weight; heavy; massive. 2. awkward or unwieldy: He carried a ponderous burden on his back. 3. dull and labored: a ponderous dissertation.

astute

adjective 1. of keen penetration or discernment; sagacious: an astute analysis. 2. clever; cunning; ingenious; shrewd: an astute merchandising program; an astute manipulation of facts.

abysmal

adjective 1. of or like an abyss; immeasurably deep or great. 2. extremely or hopelessly bad or severe: abysmal ignorance; abysmal poverty.

monolithic

adjective 1. of or pertaining to a monolith. 2. made of only one stone: a monolithic column. 3. consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken: a boat with a monolithic hull. 4. constructed of monoliths or huge blocks of stone: the monolithic monuments of the New Stone Age. 5. characterized by massiveness, total uniformity, rigidity, invulnerability, etc.: a monolithic society. 6. Electronics. of or pertaining to an integrated circuit formed in a single chip.

pragmatic

adjective 1. of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations. 2. Philosophy . of or pertaining to pragmatism ( def 2 ) . 3. of or pertaining to pragmatics ( defs 1, 2 ) . 4. treating historical phenomena with special reference to their causes, antecedent conditions, and results. 5. of or pertaining to the affairs of state or community. 6. Archaic. a. busy; active. b. officious; meddlesome; interfering. c. dogmatic; opinionated. noun 7. pragmatic sanction. 8. Archaic. an officious or meddlesome person.

systemic

adjective 1. of or pertaining to a system. 2. Physiology, Pathology . a. pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole. b. pertaining to or affecting a particular body system. 3. (of a pesticide) absorbed and circulated by a plant or other organism so as to be lethal to pests that feed on it.

insular

adjective 1. of or pertaining to an island or islands: insular possessions. 2. dwelling or situated on an island. 3. forming an island: insular rocks. 4. detached; standing alone; isolated. 5. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of islanders. 6. narrow-minded or illiberal; provincial: insular attitudes toward foreigners. 7. Pathology . occurring in or characterized by one or more isolated spots, patches, or the like. 8. Anatomy . pertaining to an island of cells or tissue, as the islets of Langerhans. noun 9. an inhabitant of an island; islander.

aristocratic

adjective 1. of or pertaining to government by an aristocracy. 2. belonging to or favoring the aristocracy. 3. characteristic of an aristocrat; having the manners, values, or qualities associated with the aristocracy: aristocratic bearing; aristocratic snobbishness.

preemptive

adjective 1. of or pertaining to preemption. 2. taken as a measure against something possible, anticipated, or feared; preventive; deterrent: a preemptive tactic against a ruthless business rival. 3. preempting or possessing the power to preempt; appropriative; privileged: a commander's preemptive authority. 4. Bridge. pertaining to, involving, or noting an opening bid or an overcall in a suit that is at an unnecessarily high level and that is essentially a defensive maneuver designed to make communication between one's opponents more difficult: a preemptive bid; to give a preemptive response.

stoic

adjective 1. of or pertaining to the school of philosophy founded by Zeno, who taught that people should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submit without complaint to unavoidable necessity. 2. ( lowercase ) stoical. noun 3. a member or adherent of the Stoic school of philosophy. 4. ( lowercase ) a person who maintains or affects the mental attitude advocated by the Stoics.

mundane

adjective 1. of or pertaining to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly: mundane affairs. 2. common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative. 3. of or pertaining to the world, universe, or earth.

cardinal

adjective 1. of prime importance; chief; principal: of cardinal significance. 2. of the color cardinal. noun 3. Roman Catholic Church . a high ecclesiastic appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals and ranking above every other ecclesiastic but the pope. 4. Also called cardinal grosbeak. a crested grosbeak, Cardinalis cardinalis, of North America, the male of which is bright red. 5. any of various similar birds. 6. a deep, rich red color. 7. a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century. 8. cardinal number.

staid

adjective 1. of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious. 2. fixed, settled, or permanent. verb 3. Archaic. a simple past tense and past participle of stay1 .

luminous

adjective 1. radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright. 2. lighted up or illuminated; well-lighted: the luminous ballroom. 3. brilliant intellectually; enlightened or enlightening, as a writer or a writer's works: a luminous concept; luminous prose. 4. clear; readily intelligible: a concise, luminous report.

protean

adjective 1. readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable. 2. changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba. 3. (of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles. 4. ( initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or suggestive of Proteus.

palpable

adjective 1. readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident: a palpable lie; palpable absurdity. 2. capable of being touched or felt; tangible. 3. Medicine/Medical . perceptible by palpation.

amenable

adjective 1. ready or willing to answer, act, agree, or yield; open to influence, persuasion, or advice; agreeable; submissive; tractable: an amenable servant. 2. liable to be called to account; answerable; legally responsible: You are amenable for this debt. 3. capable of or agreeable to being tested, tried, analyzed, etc.

florid

adjective 1. reddish; ruddy; rosy: a florid complexion. 2. flowery; excessively ornate; showy: florid writing. 3. Obsolete . abounding in or consisting of flowers.

intransigent

adjective 1. refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible. noun 2. a person who refuses to agree or compromise, as in politics.

unilateral

adjective 1. relating to, occurring on, or involving one side only: unilateral development; a unilateral approach. 2. undertaken or done by or on behalf of one side, party, or faction only; not mutual: a unilateral decision; unilateral disarmament. 3. having only one side or surface; without a reverse side or inside, as a Möbius strip. 4. Law. a. pertaining to a contract that can be formed only when the party to whom an offer is made renders the performance for which the offeror bargains. b. pertaining to a contract in which obligation rests on only one party, as a binding promise to make a gift. 5. Botany . having all the parts disposed on one side of an axis, as an inflorescence.

arduous

adjective 1. requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult: an arduous undertaking. 2. requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous: making an arduous effort. 3. hard to climb; steep: an arduous path up the hill. 4. hard to endure; full of hardships; severe: an arduous winter.

exigent

adjective 1. requiring immediate action or aid; urgent; pressing. 2. requiring a great deal, or more than is reasonable.

recalcitrant

adjective 1. resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory. 2. hard to deal with, manage, or operate. noun 3. a recalcitrant person.

obstreperous

adjective 1. resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly. 2. noisy, clamorous, or boisterous: obstreperous children.

rotund

adjective 1. round in shape; rounded: ripe, rotund fruit. 2. plump; fat. 3. full-toned or sonorous: rotund speeches.

intermittent

adjective 1. stopping or ceasing for a time; alternately ceasing and beginning again: an intermittent pain. 2. alternately functioning and not functioning or alternately functioning properly and improperly. 3. (of streams, lakes, or springs) recurrent; showing water only part of the time.

allusion

noun 1. a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication: The novel's title is an allusion to Shakespeare. 2. the act or practice of making a casual or indirect reference to something; the act of alluding: The Bible is a fertile source of allusion in art. 3. Obsolete . a metaphor; parable.

epitome

noun 1. a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class: He is the epitome of goodness. 2. a condensed account, especially of a literary work; abstract.

moratorium

noun 1. a suspension of activity: a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons. 2. a legally authorized period to delay payment of money due or the performance of some other legal obligation, as in an emergency. 3. an authorized period of delay or waiting.

equipoise

noun 1. an equal distribution of weight; even balance; equilibrium. 2. a counterpoise. verb (used with object) 3. to equal or offset in weight; balance.

pariah

noun 1. an outcast. 2. any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided. 3. ( initial capital letter ) a member of a low caste in southern India and Burma.

qualm

noun 1. an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction: He has no qualms about lying. 2. a sudden feeling of apprehensive uneasiness; misgiving: a sudden qualm about the success of the venture. 3. a sudden sensation or onset of faintness or illness, especially of nausea.

accolade

noun 1. any award, honor, or laudatory notice: The play received accolades from the press. 2. a light touch on the shoulder with the flat side of the sword or formerly by an embrace, done in the ceremony of conferring knighthood. 3. the ceremony itself. 4. Music. a brace joining several staves. 5. Architecture . a. an archivolt or hood molding having more or less the form of an ogee arch. b. a decoration having more or less the form of an ogee arch, cut into a lintel or flat arch.

autonomy

noun 1. independence or freedom, as of the will or one's actions: the autonomy of the individual. 2. the state or condition of having independence or freedom, or of being autonomous; self-government, or the right of self-government: The rebels demanded autonomy from Spain. 3. a self-governing community.

disquiet

noun 1. lack of calm, peace, or ease; anxiety; uneasiness. verb (used with object) 2. to deprive of calmness, equanimity, or peace; disturb; make uneasy: The news disquieted him. adjective 3. Archaic. uneasy; disquieted.

hegemony

noun 1. leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation. 2. leadership; predominance. 3. (especially among smaller nations) aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination.

levity

noun 1. lightness of mind, character, or behavior; lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness. 2. an instance or exhibition of this. 3. fickleness. 4. lightness in weight.

aphorism

noun a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation, as "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" (Lord Acton).

apostasy

noun a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc.

subterfuge

noun an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.

hubris

noun excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

parsimony

noun extreme or excessive economy or frugality; stinginess; niggardliness.

disinformation

noun false information, as about a country's military strength or plans, publicly announced or planted in the news media, especially of other countries.

zeal

noun fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.

misanthropy

noun hatred, dislike, or distrust of humankind.

misogyny

noun hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women.

avarice

noun insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.

guile

noun insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity.

effrontery

noun insolent or impertinent behavior: one juror had the effrontery to challenge the coroner's decision.

probity

noun integrity and uprightness; honesty.

carcinogen

noun Pathology . any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer.

hyperbole

noun Rhetoric . 1. obvious and intentional exaggeration. 2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as "to wait an eternity."

substantive

noun, Grammar . 1. a noun. 2. a pronoun or other word or phrase functioning or inflected like a noun. adjective 3. Grammar . a. pertaining to substantives. b. used in a sentence like a noun: a substantive adjective. c. expressing existence: "to be" is a substantive verb. 4. having independent existence; independent. 5. belonging to the real nature or essential part of a thing; essential. 6. real or actual. 7. of considerable amount or quantity.

hiatus

noun, plural hi·a·tus·es, hi·a·tus. 1. a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc. 2. a missing part; gap or lacuna: Scholars attempted to account for the hiatus in the medieval manuscript. 3. any gap or opening. 4. Grammar, Prosody . the coming together, with or without break or slight pause, and without contraction, of two vowels in successive words or syllables, as in see easily. 5. Anatomy . a natural fissure, cleft, or foramen in a bone or other structure.

inure

verb (used with object) 1. to accustom to hardship, difficulty, pain, etc.; toughen or harden; habituate (usually followed by to ): inured to cold. verb (used without object) 2. to come into use; take or have effect. 3. to become beneficial or advantageous.

concede

verb (used with object) 1. to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit: He finally conceded that she was right. 2. to acknowledge (an opponent's victory, score, etc.) before it is officially established: to concede an election before all the votes are counted. 3. to grant as a right or privilege; yield: to concede a longer vacation for all employees. verb (used without object) 4. to make concession; yield; admit: She was so persistent that I conceded at last.

pique

verb (used with object) 1. to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, especially by some wound to pride: She was greatly piqued when they refused her invitation. 2. to wound (the pride, vanity, etc.). 3. to excite (interest, curiosity, etc.): Her curiosity was piqued by the gossip. 4. to arouse an emotion or provoke to action: to pique someone to answer a challenge. 5. Archaic. to pride (oneself) (usually followed by on or upon ). verb (used without object) 6. to arouse pique in someone: an action that piqued when it was meant to soothe. noun 7. a feeling of irritation or resentment, as from a wound to pride or self-esteem: to be in a pique. 8. Obsolete . a state of irritated feeling between persons.

entreat

verb (used with object) 1. to ask (a person) earnestly; beseech; implore; beg: to entreat the judge for mercy. 2. to ask earnestly for (something): He entreated help in his work. verb (used without object) 3. to make an earnest request or petition.

postulate

verb (used with object) 1. to ask, demand, or claim. 2. to claim or assume the existence or truth of, especially as a basis for reasoning or arguing. 3. to assume without proof, or as self-evident; take for granted. 4. Mathematics, Logic. to assume as a postulate. noun 5. something taken as self-evident or assumed without proof as a basis for reasoning. 6. Mathematics, Logic. a proposition that requires no proof, being self-evident, or that is for a specific purpose assumed true, and that is used in the proof of other propositions; axiom. 7. a fundamental principle. 8. a necessary condition; prerequisite.

allege

verb (used with object) 1. to assert without proof. 2. to declare with positiveness; affirm; assert: to allege a fact. 3. to declare before a court or elsewhere, as if under oath. 4. to plead in support of; offer as a reason or excuse. 5. Archaic. to cite or quote in confirmation.

assail

verb (used with object) 1. to attack vigorously or violently; assault. 2. to attack with arguments, criticism, ridicule, abuse, etc.: to assail one's opponent with slander. 3. to undertake with the purpose of mastering: He assailed his studies with new determination. 4. to impinge upon; make an impact on; beset: His mind was assailed by conflicting arguments. The light assailed their eyes.

antedate

verb (used with object) 1. to be of older date than; precede in time: The Peruvian empire antedates the Mexican empire. 2. predate ( def 1 ) . 3. to assign to an earlier date: to antedate a historical event. 4. to cause to return to an earlier time: to antedate one's thoughts by remembering past events. 5. to cause to happen sooner; accelerate: The cold weather antedated their departure from the country. 6. Archaic. to take or have in advance; anticipate. noun 7. a prior date.

implore

verb (used with object) 1. to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat: They implored him to go. 2. to beg urgently or piteously for (aid, mercy, pardon, etc.): implore forgiveness. verb (used without object) 3. to make urgent or piteous supplication.

dismay

verb (used with object) 1. to break down the courage of completely, as by sudden danger or trouble; dishearten thoroughly; daunt: The surprise attack dismayed the enemy. 2. to surprise in such a manner as to disillusion: She was dismayed to learn of their disloyalty. 3. to alarm; perturb: The new law dismayed some of the more conservative politicians. noun 4. sudden or complete loss of courage; utter disheartenment. 5. sudden disillusionment. 6. agitation of mind; perturbation; alarm.

pacify

verb (used with object) 1. to bring or restore to a state of peace or tranquillity; quiet; calm: to pacify an angry man. 2. to appease: to pacify one's appetite. 3. to reduce to a state of submission, especially by military force; subdue.

subjugate

verb (used with object) 1. to bring under complete control or subjection; conquer; master. 2. to make submissive or subservient; enslave.

arraign

verb (used with object) 1. to call or bring before a court to answer to an indictment. 2. to accuse or charge in general; criticize adversely; censure.

evoke

verb (used with object) 1. to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.): to evoke a memory. 2. to elicit or draw forth: His comment evoked protests from the shocked listeners. 3. to call up; cause to appear; summon: to evoke a spirit from the dead. 4. to produce or suggest through artistry and imagination a vivid impression of reality: a short passage that manages to evoke the smells, colors, sounds, and shapes of that metropolis.

infer

verb (used with object) 1. to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence: They inferred his displeasure from his cool tone of voice. 2. (of facts, circumstances, statements, etc.) to indicate or involve as a conclusion; lead to. 3. to guess; speculate; surmise. 4. to hint; imply; suggest. verb (used without object) 5. to draw a conclusion, as by reasoning.

decimate

verb (used with object) 1. to destroy a great number or proportion of: The population was decimated by a plague. 2. to select by lot and kill every tenth person of. 3. Obsolete . to take a tenth of or from.

dissuade

verb (used with object) 1. to deter by advice or persuasion; persuade not to do something (often followed by from ): She dissuaded him from leaving home. 2. Archaic. to advise or urge against: to dissuade an action.

chastise

verb (used with object) 1. to discipline, especially by corporal punishment. 2. to criticize severely. 3. Archaic. to restrain; chasten. 4. Archaic. to refine; purify.

deter

verb (used with object) 1. to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding: The large dog deterred trespassers. 2. to prevent; check; arrest: timber treated with creosote to deter rot.

bequeath

verb (used with object) 1. to dispose of (personal property, especially money) by last will: She bequeathed her half of the company to her niece. 2. to hand down; pass on. 3. Obsolete . to commit; entrust.

desecrate

verb (used with object) 1. to divest of sacred or hallowed character or office. 2. to divert from a sacred to a profane use or purpose. 3. to treat with sacrilege; profane.

allot

verb (used with object) 1. to divide or distribute by share or portion; distribute or parcel out; apportion: to allot the available farmland among the settlers. 2. to appropriate for a special purpose: to allot money for a park. 3. to assign as a portion; set apart; dedicate.

circumscribe

verb (used with object) 1. to draw a line around; encircle: to circumscribe a city on a map. 2. to enclose within bounds; limit or confine, especially narrowly: Her social activities are circumscribed by school regulations. 3. to mark off; define; delimit: to circumscribe the area of a science. 4. Geometry . a. to draw (a figure) around another figure so as to touch as many points as possible. b. (of a figure) to enclose (another figure) in this manner.

retract

verb (used with object) 1. to draw back or in: to retract fangs. verb (used without object) 2. to draw back within itself or oneself, fold up, or the like, or to be capable of doing this: The blade retracts. verb (used with object) 1. to withdraw (a statement, opinion, etc.) as inaccurate or unjustified, especially formally or explicitly; take back. 2. to withdraw or revoke (a decree, promise, etc.). verb (used without object) 3. to draw or shrink back. 4. to withdraw a promise, vow, etc. 5. to make a disavowal of a statement, opinion, etc.; recant.

corrugated

verb (used with object) 1. to draw or bend into folds or alternate furrows and ridges. 2. to wrinkle, as the skin or face. 3. Western U.S. to make irrigation ditches in (a field). verb (used without object) 4. to become corrugated; undergo corrugation. adjective 5. corrugated; wrinkled; furrowed.

disperse

verb (used with object) 1. to drive or send off in various directions; scatter: to disperse a crowd. 2. to spread widely; disseminate: to disperse knowledge. 3. to dispel; cause to vanish: The wind dispersed the fog. 4. Physical Chemistry . to cause (particles) to separate uniformly throughout a solid, liquid, or gas. 5. Optics. to subject (light) to dispersion. verb (used without object) 6. to separate and move apart in different directions without order or regularity; become scattered: The crowd dispersed. 7. to be dispelled; be scattered out of sight; vanish: The smoke dispersed into the sky. adjective 8. Physical Chemistry . noting the dispersed particles in a dispersion.

substantiate

verb (used with object) 1. to establish by proof or competent evidence: to substantiate a charge. 2. to give substantial existence to: to substantiate an idea through action. 3. to affirm as having substance; give body to; strengthen: to substantiate a friendship.

deprecate

verb (used with object) 1. to express earnest disapproval of. 2. to urge reasons against; protest against (a scheme, purpose, etc.). 3. to depreciate; belittle. 4. Archaic. to pray for deliverance from.

commiserate

verb (used with object) 1. to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity. verb (used without object) 2. to sympathize (usually followed by with ): They commiserated with him over the loss of his job.

caulk

verb (used with object) 1. to fill or close seams or crevices of (a tank, window, etc.) in order to make watertight, airtight, etc. 2. to make (a vessel) watertight by filling the seams between the planks with oakum or other material driven snug. 3. to fill or close (a seam, joint, etc.), as in a boat. 4. to drive the edges of (plating) together to prevent leakage. noun 5. Also, caulk·ing [kaw-king] Show IPA . a material or substance used for caulking.

inculcate

verb (used with object) 1. to implant by repeated statement or admonition; teach persistently and earnestly (usually followed by upon or in ): to inculcate virtue in the young. 2. to cause or influence (someone) to accept an idea or feeling (usually followed by with ): Socrates inculcated his pupils with the love of truth.

imbue

verb (used with object) 1. to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, etc.: The new political leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. 2. to saturate or impregnate with moisture, color, etc. 3. to imbrue.

incarcerate

verb (used with object) 1. to imprison; confine. 2. to enclose; constrict closely. adjective 3. imprisoned.

exacerbate

verb (used with object) 1. to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate. 2. to embitter the feelings of (a person); irritate; exasperate.

extrapolate

verb (used with object) 1. to infer (an unknown) from something that is known; conjecture. 2. Statistics. to estimate (the value of a variable) outside the tabulated or observed range. 3. Mathematics . to estimate (a function that is known over a range of values of its independent variable) to values outside the known range. verb (used without object) 4. to perform extrapolation.

chasten

verb (used with object) 1. to inflict suffering upon for purposes of moral improvement; chastise. 2. to restrain; subdue: Age has chastened his violent temper. 3. to make chaste in style.

foment

verb (used with object) 1. to instigate or foster (discord, rebellion, etc.); promote the growth or development of: to foment trouble; to foment discontent. 2. to apply warm water or medicated liquid, ointments, etc., to (the surface of the body).

induce

verb (used with object) 1. to lead or move by persuasion or influence, as to some action or state of mind: to induce a person to buy a raffle ticket. 2. to bring about, produce, or cause: That medicine will induce sleep. 3. Physics. to produce (an electric current) by induction. 4. Logic. to assert or establish (a proposition about a class of phenomena) on the basis of observations on a number of particular facts. 5. Genetics. to increase expression of (a gene) by inactivating a negative control system or activating a positive control system; derepress. 6. Biochemistry . to stimulate the synthesis of (a protein, especially an enzyme) by increasing gene transcription.

mitigate

verb (used with object) 1. to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate. 2. to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment. 3. to make (a person, one's state of mind, disposition, etc.) milder or more gentle; mollify; appease. verb (used without object) 4. to become milder; lessen in severity.

infest

verb (used with object) 1. to live in or overrun to an unwanted degree or in a troublesome manner, especially as predatory animals or vermin do: Sharks infested the coastline. 2. to be numerous in, as anything undesirable or troublesome: the cares that infest the day. 3. Archaic. to harass.

disdain

verb (used with object) 1. to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn. 2. to think unworthy of notice, response, etc.; consider beneath oneself: to disdain replying to an insult. noun 3. a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn.

inaugurate

verb (used with object) 1. to make a formal beginning of; initiate; commence; begin: The end of World War II inaugurated the era of nuclear power. 2. to induct into office with formal ceremonies; install. 3. to introduce into public use by some formal ceremony: Airmail service between Washington, D.C., and New York City was inaugurated in 1918.

alienate

verb (used with object) 1. to make indifferent or hostile: He has alienated his entire family. 2. to turn away; transfer or divert: to alienate funds from their intended purpose. 3. Law. to transfer or convey, as title, property, or other right, to another: to alienate lands.

promulgate

verb (used with object) 1. to make known by open declaration; publish; proclaim formally or put into operation (a law, decree of a court, etc.). 2. to set forth or teach publicly (a creed, doctrine, etc.).

augment

verb (used with object) 1. to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase: His salary is augmented by a small inheritance. 2. Music. a. to raise (the upper note of an interval or chord) by a half step. b. to double the note values of (a theme): In the fugue's development the subject is augmented. 3. Grammar . to add an augment to. 4. Heraldry. to grant an augmentation to (a coat of arms). verb (used without object) 5. to become larger. noun 6. Grammar . a prefixed vowel or a lengthening of the initial vowel that characterizes certain forms in the nonpresent inflection of verbs in Greek, Sanskrit, Armenian, and Phrygian.

elucidate

verb (used with object) 1. to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain: an explanation that elucidated his recent strange behavior. Synonyms: clarify, illuminate. verb (used without object) 2. to provide clarification; explain. Synonyms: clarify, clear up, illustrate.

corroborate

verb (used with object) 1. to make more certain; confirm: He corroborated my account of the accident. adjective 2. Archaic. confirmed.

perpetuate

verb (used with object) 1. to make perpetual. 2. to preserve from extinction or oblivion: to perpetuate one's name.

explicate

verb (used with object) 1. to make plain or clear; explain; interpret. 2. to develop (a principle, theory, etc.).

litigate

verb (used with object) 1. to make the subject of a lawsuit; contest at law. 2. Archaic. to dispute (a point, assertion, etc.). verb (used without object) 3. to carry on a lawsuit.

dilate

verb (used with object) 1. to make wider or larger; cause to expand. 2. Archaic. to describe or develop at length. verb (used without object) 3. to spread out; expand. 4. to speak or write at length; expatiate (often followed by on or upon ).

rectify

verb (used with object) 1. to make, put, or set right; remedy; correct: He sent them a check to rectify his account. 2. to put right by adjustment or calculation, as an instrument or a course at sea. 3. Chemistry . to purify (especially a spirit or liquor) by repeated distillation. 4. Electricity . to change (an alternating current) into a direct current. 5. to determine the length of (a curve).

enumerate

verb (used with object) 1. to mention separately as if in counting; name one by one; specify, as in a list: Let me enumerate the many flaws in your hypothesis. 2. to ascertain the number of; count.

amalgamate

verb (used with object) 1. to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine: to amalgamate two companies. 2. Metallurgy . to mix or alloy (a metal) with mercury. verb (used without object) 3. to combine, unite, merge, or coalesce: The three schools decided to amalgamate. 4. to blend with another metal, as mercury.

permeate

verb (used with object) 1. to pass into or through every part of: Bright sunshine permeated the room. 2. to penetrate through the pores, interstices, etc., of. 3. to be diffused through; pervade; saturate: Cynicism permeated his report. verb (used without object) 4. to become diffused; penetrate.

burnish

verb (used with object) 1. to polish (a surface) by friction. 2. to make smooth and bright. 3. Engraving. to flatten and enlarge the dots of (a halftone) by rubbing with a tool. noun 4. gloss; brightness; luster: the burnish of brass andirons.

diffuse

verb (used with object) 1. to pour out and spread, as a fluid. 2. to spread or scatter widely or thinly; disseminate. 3. Physics. to spread by diffusion. verb (used without object) 4. to spread. 5. Physics. to intermingle by diffusion. adjective 6. characterized by great length or discursiveness in speech or writing; wordy. 7. widely spread or scattered; dispersed. 8. Botany . widely or loosely spreading. 9. Optics. (of reflected light) scattered, as from a rough surface (opposed to specular ).

concoct

verb (used with object) 1. to prepare or make by combining ingredients, especially in cookery: to concoct a meal from leftovers. 2. to devise; make up; contrive: to concoct an excuse.

bestow

verb (used with object) 1. to present as a gift; give; confer (usually followed by on or upon ): The trophy was bestowed upon the winner. 2. to put to some use; apply: Time spent in study is time well bestowed. 3. Archaic. a. to provide quarters for; house; lodge. b. to put; stow; deposit; store.

preclude

verb (used with object) 1. to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of; make impossible: The insufficiency of the evidence precludes a conviction. 2. to exclude or debar from something: His physical disability precludes an athletic career for him.

adumbrate

verb (used with object) 1. to produce a faint image or resemblance of; to outline or sketch. 2. to foreshadow; prefigure. 3. to darken or conceal partially; overshadow.

engender

verb (used with object) 1. to produce, cause, or give rise to: Hatred engenders violence. 2. to beget; procreate. verb (used without object) 3. to be produced or caused; come into existence: Conditions for a war were engendering in Europe.

refute

verb (used with object) 1. to prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or charge. 2. to prove (a person) to be in error.

suppress

verb (used with object) 1. to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.): to suppress the Communist party. 2. to do away with by or as by authority; abolish; stop (a practice, custom, etc.). 3. to keep in or repress (a feeling, smile, groan, etc.). 4. to withhold from disclosure or publication (truth, evidence, a book, names, etc.). 5. to stop or arrest (a flow, hemorrhage, cough, etc.).

disarray

verb (used with object) 1. to put out of array or order; throw into disorder. 2. to undress. noun 3. disorder; confusion: The army retreated in disarray. 4. disorder of apparel.

peruse

verb (used with object) 1. to read through with thoroughness or care: to peruse a report. 2. to read. 3. to survey or examine in detail.

abate

verb (used with object) 1. to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc.; lessen; diminish: to abate a tax; to abate one's enthusiasm. 2. Law. a. to put an end to or suppress (a nuisance). b. to suspend or extinguish (an action). c. to annul (a writ). 3. to deduct or subtract: to abate part of the cost. 4. to omit: to abate all mention of names. 5. to remove, as in stone carving, or hammer down, as in metalwork, (a portion of a surface) in order to produce a figure or pattern in low relief. verb (used without object) 6. to diminish in intensity, violence, amount, etc.: The storm has abated. The pain in his shoulder finally abated. 7. Law. to end; become null and void.

debase

verb (used with object) 1. to reduce in quality or value; adulterate: They debased the value of the dollar. 2. to lower in rank, dignity, or significance: He wouldn't debase himself by doing manual labor.

abase

verb (used with object) 1. to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade. 2. Archaic. to lower; put or bring down: He abased his head.

implicate

verb (used with object) 1. to show to be also involved, usually in an incriminating manner: to be implicated in a crime. 2. to imply as a necessary circumstance, or as something to be inferred or understood. 3. to connect or relate to intimately; affect as a consequence: The malfunctioning of one part of the nervous system implicates another part. 4. Archaic. to fold or twist together; intertwine; interlace.

vilify

verb (used with object) 1. to speak ill of; defame; slander. 2. Obsolete . to make vile.

disparage

verb (used with object) 1. to speak of or treat slightingly; depreciate; belittle: Do not disparage good manners. 2. to bring reproach or discredit upon; lower the estimation of: Your behavior will disparage the whole family.

advocate

verb (used with object) 1. to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly: He advocated higher salaries for teachers. noun 2. a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually followed by of ): an advocate of peace. 3. a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor. 4. a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.

kindle

verb (used with object) 1. to start (a fire); cause (a flame, blaze, etc.) to begin burning. 2. to set fire to or ignite (fuel or any combustible matter). 3. to excite; stir up or set going; animate; rouse; inflame: He kindled their hopes of victory. 4. to light up, illuminate, or make bright: Happiness kindled her eyes. verb (used without object) 5. to begin to burn, as combustible matter, a light, fire, or flame. 6. to become aroused or animated. 7. to become lighted up, bright, or glowing, as the sky at dawn or the eyes with ardor. verb (used with object) 1. (of animals, especially rabbits) to bear (young); produce (offspring). verb (used without object) 2. (of animals, especially rabbits) to give birth, as to a litter. noun 3. a litter of kittens, rabbits, etc.

assert

verb (used with object) 1. to state with assurance, confidence, or force; state strongly or positively; affirm; aver: He asserted his innocence of the crime. 2. to maintain or defend (claims, rights, etc.). 3. to state as having existence; affirm; postulate: to assert a first cause as necessary. Idioms 4. assert oneself, to insist on one's rights, declare one's views forcefully, etc.: The candidate finally asserted himself about property taxes.

expunge

verb (used with object) 1. to strike or blot out; erase; obliterate. 2. to efface; wipe out or destroy.

divest

verb (used with object) 1. to strip of clothing, ornament, etc.: The wind divested the trees of their leaves. 2. to strip or deprive (someone or something), especially of property or rights; dispossess. 3. to rid of or free from: He divested himself of all responsibility for the decision. 4. Law. to take away or alienate (property, rights, etc.). 5. Commerce . a. to sell off: to divest holdings. b. to rid of through sale: The corporation divested itself of its subsidiaries.

presuppose

verb (used with object) 1. to suppose or assume beforehand; take for granted in advance. 2. (of a thing, condition, or state of affairs) to require or imply as an antecedent condition: An effect presupposes a cause.

quell

verb (used with object) 1. to suppress; put an end to; extinguish: The troops quelled the rebellion quickly. 2. to vanquish; subdue. 3. to quiet or allay (emotions, anxieties, etc.): The child's mother quelled his fears of the thunder.

assimilate

verb (used with object) 1. to take in and incorporate as one's own; absorb: He assimilated many new experiences on his European trip. 2. to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like; adapt or adjust: to assimilate the new immigrants. 3. Physiology . to convert (food) to substances suitable for incorporation into the body and its tissues. 4. to cause to resemble (usually followed by to or with ). 5. to compare; liken (usually followed by to or with ). 6. Phonetics . to modify by assimilation. verb (used without object) 7. to be or become absorbed. 8. to conform or adjust to the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like: The new arrivals assimilated easily and quickly. 9. Physiology . (of food) to be converted into the substance of the body; be absorbed into the system. 10. to bear a resemblance (usually followed by to or with ). 11. Phonetics . to become modified by assimilation. noun 12. something that is assimilated.

surmise

verb (used with object) 1. to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess. verb (used without object) 2. to conjecture or guess. noun 3. a matter of conjecture. 4. an idea or thought of something as being possible or likely. 5. a conjecture or opinion.

delineate

verb (used with object) 1. to trace the outline of; sketch or trace in outline; represent pictorially: He delineated the state of Texas on the map with a red pencil. 2. to portray in words; describe or outline with precision: In her speech she delineated the city plan with great care.

lionize

verb (used with object) 1. to treat (a person) as a celebrity: to lionize the visiting poet. 2. British . to visit or exhibit the objects of interest of (a place). verb (used without object) 3. to pursue celebrities or seek their company. 4. British . to visit the objects of interest of a place.

flout

verb (used with object) 1. to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock: to flout the rules of propriety. verb (used without object) 2. to show disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff, mock, or gibe (often followed by at ). noun 3. a disdainful, scornful, or contemptuous remark or act; insult; gibe.

acquit

verb (used with object), ac·quit·ted, ac·quit·ting. 1. to relieve from a charge of fault or crime; declare not guilty: They acquitted him of the crime. The jury acquitted her, but I still think she's guilty. 2. to release or discharge (a person) from an obligation. 3. to settle or satisfy (a debt, obligation, claim, etc.). 4. to bear or conduct (oneself); behave: He acquitted himself well in battle. 5. to free or clear (oneself): He acquitted himself of suspicion.

appraise

verb (used with object), ap·praised, ap·prais·ing. 1. to estimate the monetary value of; determine the worth of; assess: We had an expert appraise the house before we bought it. 2. to estimate the nature, quality, importance, etc.: He tried to appraise the poetry of John Updike.

assuage

verb (used with object), as·suaged, as·suag·ing. 1. to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: to assuage one's grief; to assuage one's pain. 2. to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve: to assuage one's hunger. 3. to soothe, calm, or mollify: to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger.

comprise

verb (used with object), com·prised, com·pris·ing. 1. to include or contain: The Soviet Union comprised several socialist republics. 2. to consist of; be composed of: The advisory board comprises six members. 3. to form or constitute: Seminars and lectures comprised the day's activities. Idioms 4. be comprised of, to consist of; be composed of: The sales network is comprised of independent outlets and chain stores.

condone

verb (used with object), con·doned, con·don·ing. 1. to disregard or overlook (something illegal, objectionable, or the like). 2. to give tacit approval to: By his silence, he seemed to condone their behavior. 3. to pardon or forgive (an offense); excuse. 4. to cause the condonation of. 5. Law. to forgive or act so as to imply forgiveness of (a violation of the marriage vow).

coagulate

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 1. to change from a fluid into a thickened mass; curdle; congeal: Let the pudding stand two hours until it coagulates. 2. Biology . (of blood) to form a clot. 3. Physical Chemistry . (of colloidal particles) to flocculate or cause to flocculate by adding an electrolyte to an electrostatic colloid. adjective 4. Obsolete , coagulated.

congeal

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 1. to change from a soft or fluid state to a rigid or solid state, as by cooling or freezing: The fat congealed on the top of the soup. 2. to curdle; coagulate, as a fluid. 3. to make or become fixed, as ideas, sentiments, or principles: Some philosophic systems lost their vitality and congealed.

distend

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 1. to expand by stretching, as something hollow or elastic: Habitual overeating had distended his stomach. 2. to spread in all directions; expand; swell: The sea distended about them.

conjoin

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 1. to join together; unite; combine; associate. 2. Grammar . to join as coordinate elements, especially as coordinate clauses.

abrade

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 1. to wear off or down by scraping or rubbing. 2. to scrape off.

ameliorate

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve; meliorate.

cajole

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.

careen

verb (used without object) 1. (of a vehicle) to lean, sway, or tip to one side while in motion: The car careened around the corner. 2. (of a ship) to heel over or list. 3. career ( def 7 ) . 4. South Midland U.S. to lean or bend away from the vertical position: The barn was careening a little. verb (used with object) Nautical . 5. to cause (a ship) to lie over on a side, as for repairs or cleaning; heave down. 6. to clean or repair (a ship lying on its side for the purpose). 7. to cause (a ship) to heel over or list, as by the force of a beam wind. noun 8. a careening. 9. Nautical . the position of a careened ship.

concur

verb (used without object) 1. to accord in opinion; agree: Do you concur with his statement? 2. to cooperate; work together; combine; be associated: Members of both parties concurred. 3. to coincide; occur at the same time: His graduation concurred with his birthday. 4. Obsolete . to run or come together; converge.

comply

verb (used without object) 1. to act or be in accordance with wishes, requests, demands, requirements, conditions, etc.; agree (sometimes followed by with ): They asked him to leave and he complied. She has complied with the requirements. 2. Obsolete . to be courteous or conciliatory.

encroach

verb (used without object) 1. to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads: A dictatorship of the majority is encroaching on the rights of the individual. 2. to trespass upon the property, domain, or rights of another, especially stealthily or by gradual advances.

suffice

verb (used without object) 1. to be enough or adequate, as for needs, purposes, etc. verb (used with object) 2. to be enough or adequate for; satisfy.

accede

verb (used without object) 1. to give consent, approval, or adherence; agree; assent; to accede to a request; to accede to the terms of a contract. 2. to attain or assume an office, title, or dignity; succeed (usually followed by to ): to accede to the throne. 3. International Law. to become a party to an agreement, treaty, or the like, by way of accession.

coalesce

verb (used without object) 1. to grow together or into one body: The two lakes coalesced into one. 2. to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc.: The various groups coalesced into a crowd. 3. to blend or come together: Their ideas coalesced into one theory. verb (used with object) 4. to cause to unite in one body or mass.

accrue

verb (used without object) 1. to happen or result as a natural growth, addition, etc. 2. to be added as a matter of periodic gain or advantage, as interest on money. 3. Law. to become a present and enforceable right or demand.

grovel

verb (used without object) 1. to humble oneself or act in an abject manner, as in great fear or utter servility. 2. to lie or crawl with the face downward and the body prostrate, especially in abject humility, fear, etc. 3. to take pleasure in mean or base things.

discriminate

verb (used without object) 1. to make a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group, class, or category to which the person or thing belongs rather than according to actual merit; show partiality: The new law discriminates against foreigners. He discriminates in favor of his relatives. 2. to note or observe a difference; distinguish accurately: to discriminate between things. verb (used with object) 3. to make or constitute a distinction in or between; differentiate: a mark that discriminates the original from the copy. 4. to note or distinguish as different: He can discriminate minute variations in tone. adjective 5. marked by discrimination; making or evidencing nice distinctions: discriminate people; discriminate judgments.

stipulate

verb (used without object) 1. to make an express demand or arrangement as a condition of agreement (often followed by for ). verb (used with object) 2. to arrange expressly or specify in terms of agreement: to stipulate a price. 3. to require as an essential condition in making an agreement: Total disarmament was stipulated in the peace treaty. 4. to promise, in making an agreement. 5. Law. to accept (a proposition) without requiring that it be established by proof: to stipulate the existence of certain facts or that an expert witness is qualified.

demur

verb (used without object) 1. to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object: They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred. 2. Law. to interpose a demurrer. 3. Archaic. to linger; hesitate. noun 4. the act of making objection. 5. an objection raised. 6. hesitation. 7. Law. Obsolete . a demurrer.

abound

verb (used without object) 1. to occur or exist in great quantities or numbers: a stream in which trout abound. 2. to be rich or well supplied (usually followed by in ): The region abounds in coal. 3. to be filled; teem (usually followed by with ): The ship abounds with rats.

transpire

verb (used without object) 1. to occur; happen; take place. 2. to emit or give off waste matter, watery vapor, etc., through the surface, as of the body or of leaves. 3. to escape, as moisture or odor, through or as if through pores. 4. to be revealed or become known. verb (used with object) 5. to emit or give off (waste matter, watery vapor, an odor, etc.) through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.

persevere

verb (used without object) 1. to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly. 2. to persist in speech, interrogation, argument, etc.; insist. verb (used with object) 3. to bolster, sustain, or uphold: unflagging faith that had persevered him.

meander

verb (used without object) 1. to proceed by or take a winding or indirect course: The stream meandered through the valley. 2. to wander aimlessly; ramble: The talk meandered on. verb (used with object) 3. Surveying . to define the margin of (a body of water) with a meander line. noun 4. Usually, meanders. turnings or windings; a winding path or course. 5. a circuitous movement or journey. 6. an intricate variety of fret or fretwork.

culminate

verb (used without object) 1. to reach the highest point, summit, or highest development (usually followed by in ). 2. to end or arrive at a final stage (usually followed by in ): The argument culminated in a fistfight. 3. to rise to or form an apex; terminate (usually followed by in ): The tower culminates in a tall spire. 4. Astronomy . (of a celestial body) to be on the meridian, or reach the highest or the lowest altitude. verb (used with object) 5. to bring to a close; complete; climax: A rock song culminates the performance.

abdicate

verb (used without object) 1. to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner: The aging founder of the firm decided to abdicate. verb (used with object) 2. to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc.), especially in a voluntary, public, or formal manner: King Edward VIII of England abdicated the throne in 1936.

subside

verb (used without object) 1. to sink to a low or lower level. 2. to become quiet, less active, or less violent; abate: The laughter subsided. 3. to sink or fall to the bottom; settle; precipitate: to cause coffee grounds to subside.

capitulate

verb (used without object) 1. to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms. 2. to give up resistance: He finally capitulated and agreed to do the job my way.

oscillate

verb (used without object) 1. to swing or move to and fro, as a pendulum does. 2. to vary or vacillate between differing beliefs, opinions, conditions, etc.: He oscillates regularly between elation and despair. 3. Physics. to have, produce, or generate oscillations. 4. Mathematics . (of a function, sequence, etc.) to tend to no limit, including infinity: The sequence 0, 1, 0, 1, ... oscillates. verb (used with object) 5. to cause to move to and fro; vibrate.

converge

verb (used without object) 1. to tend to meet in a point or line; incline toward each other, as lines that are not parallel. 2. to tend to a common result, conclusion, etc. 3. Mathematics . a. (of a sequence) to have values eventually arbitrarily close to some number; to have a finite limit. b. (of an infinite series) to have a finite sum; to have a sequence of partial sums that converges. c. (of an improper integral) to have a finite value. d. (of a net) to be residually in every neighborhood of some point. verb (used with object) 4. to cause to converge.

cogitate

verb (used without object) 1. to think hard; ponder; meditate: to cogitate about a problem. verb (used with object) 2. to think about; devise: to cogitate a scheme.

vacillate

verb (used without object) 1. to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute: His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader. 2. to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger. 3. to oscillate or fluctuate.

abscond

verb (used without object) to depart in a sudden and secret manner, especially to avoid capture and legal prosecution: The cashier absconded with the money.

equivocate

verb (used without object) to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order to mislead; prevaricate or hedge: When asked directly for his position on disarmament, the candidate only equivocated.

prevaricate

verb (used without object) to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.

acquiesce

verb (used without object), ac·qui·esced, ac·qui·esc·ing. to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent: to acquiesce halfheartedly in a business plan.

proliferate

verb (used without object), verb (used with object) 1. to grow or produce by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division, or by procreation. 2. to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively.

epistemology

noun a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge.

enmity

noun a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.

elation

noun a feeling or state of great joy or pride; exultant gladness; high spirits.

quixotic

adjective 1. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) resembling or befitting Don Quixote. 2. extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable. 3. impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.

pandemic

adjective 1. (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area. 2. general; universal: pandemic fear of atomic war. noun 3. a pandemic disease.

tawdry

adjective 1. (of finery, trappings, etc.) gaudy; showy and cheap. 2. low or mean; base: tawdry motives. noun 3. cheap, gaudy apparel.

incandescent

adjective 1. (of light) produced by incandescence. 2. glowing or white with heat. 3. intensely bright; brilliant. 4. brilliant; masterly; extraordinarily lucid: an incandescent masterpiece; incandescent wit. 5. aglow with ardor, purpose, etc.: the incandescent vitality of youth.

sporadic

adjective 1. (of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional: sporadic renewals of enthusiasm. 2. appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease. 3. isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others. 4. occurring singly or widely apart in locality: the sporadic growth of plants.

replicate

adjective 1. Also, rep·li·cat·ed. folded; bent back on itself. verb (used with object) 2. to bend or fold back: a replicated leaf. 3. to repeat, duplicate, or reproduce, especially for experimental purposes. verb (used without object) 4. to undergo replication. noun 5. something that is replicated, as an experiment or procedure.

astringent

adjective 1. Medicine/Medical . contracting; constrictive; styptic. 2. harshly biting; caustic: his astringent criticism. 3. stern or severe; austere. 4. sharply incisive; pungent: astringent wit. noun 5. Medicine/Medical . a substance that contracts the tissues or canals of the body, thereby diminishing discharges, as of mucus or blood. 6. a cosmetic that cleans the skin and constricts the pores.

replete

adjective 1. abundantly supplied or provided; filled (usually followed by with ): a speech replete with sentimentality. 2. stuffed or gorged with food and drink. 3. complete: a scholarly survey, replete in its notes and citations. noun 4. Entomology . (among honey ants) a worker with a distensible crop in which honeydew and nectar are stored for the use of the colony.

legitimate

adjective 1. according to law; lawful: the property's legitimate owner. 2. in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards. 3. born in wedlock or of legally married parents: legitimate children. 4. in accordance with the laws of reasoning; logically inferable; logical: a legitimate conclusion. 5. resting on or ruling by the principle of hereditary right: a legitimate sovereign. 6. not spurious or unjustified; genuine: It was a legitimate complaint. 7. of the normal or regular type or kind. 8. Theater . of or pertaining to professionally produced stage plays, as distinguished from burlesque, vaudeville, television, motion pictures, etc.: an actor in the legitimate theater. verb (used with object) 9. to make lawful or legal; pronounce or state as lawful: Parliament legitimated his accession to the throne. 10. to establish as lawfully born: His bastard children were afterward legitimated by law. 11. to show or declare to be legitimate or proper: He was under obligation to legitimate his commission. 12. to justify; sanction or authorize: His behavior was legitimated by custom. noun 13. the legitimate, the legitimate theater or drama. 14. a person who is established as being legitimate.

contingent

adjective 1. dependent for existence, occurrence, character, etc., on something not yet certain; conditional (often followed by on or upon ): Our plans are contingent on the weather. 2. liable to happen or not; uncertain; possible: They had to plan for contingent expenses. 3. happening by chance or without known cause; fortuitous; accidental: contingent occurrences. 4. Logic. (of a proposition) neither logically necessary nor logically impossible, so that its truth or falsity can be established only by sensory observation. noun 5. a quota of troops furnished. 6. any one of the representative groups composing an assemblage: the New York contingent at a national convention. 7. the proportion that falls to one as a share to be contributed or furnished. 8. something contingent; contingency.

precarious

adjective 1. dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood. 2. dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration. 3. exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: the precarious life of an underseas diver. 4. having insufficient, little, or no foundation: a precarious assumption.

empirical

adjective 1. derived from or guided by experience or experiment. 2. depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory, especially as in medicine. 3. provable or verifiable by experience or experiment.

derivative

adjective 1. derived. 2. not original; secondary. noun 3. something derived. 4. Also called derived form. Grammar . a form that has undergone derivation from another, as atomic from atom. 5. Chemistry . a substance or compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another substance or compound. 6. Also called differential quotient;, especially British, differential coefficient. Mathematics . the limit of the ratio of the increment of a function to the increment of a variable in it, as the latter tends to 0; the instantaneous change of one quantity with respect to another, as velocity, which is the instantaneous change of distance with respect to time. Compare first derivative, second derivative. 7. a financial contract whose value derives from the value of underlying stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, etc.

eccentric

adjective 1. deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice, etc.; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd: eccentric conduct; an eccentric person. 2. Geometry . not having the same center; not concentric: used especially of two circles or spheres at least one of which contains the centers of both. 3. (of an axis, axle, etc.) not situated in the center. 4. Machinery . having the axis or support away from the center: an eccentric wheel. 5. Astronomy . deviating from a circular form, as an elliptic orbit. noun 6. a person who has an unusual, peculiar, or odd personality, set of beliefs, or behavior pattern. 7. something that is unusual, peculiar, or odd. 8. Machinery . a device for converting circular motion into rectilinear motion, consisting of a disk fixed somewhat off-center to a revolving shaft, and working freely in a surrounding collar (eccentric strap) to which a rod (eccentric rod) is attached.

heterogenous

adjective 1. different in kind; unlike; incongruous. 2. composed of parts of different kinds; having widely dissimilar elements or constituents: The party was attended by a heterogeneous group of artists, politicians, and social climbers. 3. Chemistry . (of a mixture) composed of different substances or the same substance in different phases, as solid ice and liquid water.

sedulous

adjective 1. diligent in application or attention; persevering; assiduous. 2. persistently or carefully maintained: sedulous flattery.

haughty

adjective 1. disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious: haughty aristocrats; a haughty salesclerk. 2. Archaic. lofty or noble; exalted.

iridescent

adjective 1. displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow. noun 2. an iridescent cloth, material, or other substance: new fall dresses of imported iridescents.

reticent

adjective 1. disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved. 2. reluctant or restrained.

malignant

adjective 1. disposed to cause harm, suffering, or distress deliberately; feeling or showing ill will or hatred. 2. very dangerous or harmful in influence or effect. 3. Pathology . a. tending to produce death, as bubonic plague. b. (of a tumor) characterized by uncontrolled growth; cancerous, invasive, or metastatic.

repugnant

adjective 1. distasteful, objectionable, or offensive: a repugnant smell. 2. making opposition; averse. 3. opposed or contrary, as in nature or character.

disconcerting

adjective 1. disturbing to one's composure or self-possession; upsetting, discomfiting. 2. confusing, usually in the face of something totally unexpected; perplexing.

dubious

adjective 1. doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt: a dubious reply. 2. of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable: a dubious compliment; a dubious transaction. 3. of uncertain outcome: in dubious battle. 4. wavering or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt.

pliable

adjective 1. easily bent; flexible; supple: pliable leather. 2. easily influenced or persuaded; yielding: the pliable mind of youth. 3. adjusting readily to change; adaptable.

tractable

adjective 1. easily managed or controlled; docile; yielding: a tractable child; a tractable disposition. 2. easily worked, shaped, or otherwise handled; malleable.

irascible

adjective 1. easily provoked to anger; very irritable: an irascible old man. 2. characterized or produced by anger: an irascible response.

lucid

adjective 1. easily understood; completely intelligible or comprehensible: a lucid explanation. 2. characterized by clear perception or understanding; rational or sane: a lucid moment in his madness. 3. shining or bright. 4. clear; pellucid; transparent.

fecund

adjective 1. producing or capable of producing offspring, fruit, vegetation, etc., in abundance; prolific; fruitful: fecund parents; fecund farmland. 2. very productive or creative intellectually: the fecund years of the Italian Renaissance.

exorbitant

adjective exceeding the bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, especially in amount or extent; highly excessive: to charge an exorbitant price; exorbitant luxury.

superlative

adjective 1. of the highest kind, quality, or order; surpassing all else or others; supreme; extreme: superlative wisdom. 2. Grammar . of, pertaining to, or noting the highest degree of the comparison of adjectives and adverbs, as smallest, best, and most carefully, the superlative forms of small, good, and carefully. Compare comparative ( def 4 ) , positive ( def 20 ) . 3. being more than is proper or normal; exaggerated in language or style. noun 4. a superlative person or thing. 5. the utmost degree; acme. 6. Grammar . a. the superlative degree. b. a form in the superlative.

precipitous

adjective 1. of the nature of or characterized by precipices: a precipitous wall of rock. 2. extremely or impassably steep: precipitous mountain trails. 3. precipitate.

corporeal

adjective 1. of the nature of the physical body; bodily. 2. material; tangible: corporeal property.

quintessential

adjective 1. of the pure and essential essence of something: the quintessential Jewish delicatessen. 2. of or pertaining to the most perfect embodiment of something: the quintessential performance of the Brandenburg Concertos.

splenetic

adjective 1. of the spleen; splenic. 2. irritable; peevish; spiteful. 3. Obsolete . affected with, characterized by, or tending to produce melancholy. noun 4. a splenetic person.

serpentine

adjective 1. of, characteristic of, or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement. 2. having a winding course, as a road; sinuous. 3. shrewd, wily, or cunning. noun 4. a device on a harquebus lock for holding the match. 5. a cannon having any of various bore sizes, used from the 15th to the 17th century. 6. Skating. a school figure made by skating two figure eights that share one loop. verb (used without object) 7. to make or follow a winding course: The stream serpentines through the valley.

lethargic

adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or affected with lethargy; drowsy; sluggish. 2. producing lethargy.

integral

adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or belonging as a part of the whole; constituent or component: integral parts. 2. necessary to the completeness of the whole: This point is integral to his plan. 3. consisting or composed of parts that together constitute a whole. 4. entire; complete; whole: the integral works of a writer. 5. Arithmetic . pertaining to or being an integer; not fractional. 6. Mathematics . pertaining to or involving integrals. noun 7. an integral whole. 8. Mathematics . a. Also called Riemann integral. the numerical measure of the area bounded above by the graph of a given function, below by the x -axis, and on the sides by ordinates drawn at the endpoints of a specified interval; the limit, as the norm of partitions of the given interval approaches zero, of the sum of the products of the function evaluated at a point in each subinterval times the length of the subinterval. b. a primitive. c. any of several analogous quantities. Compare improper integral, line integral, multiple integral, surface integral.

impetuous

adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: an impetuous decision; an impetuous person. 2. having great impetus; moving with great force; violent: the impetuous winds.

fulsome

adjective 1. offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone or gross: fulsome praise that embarrassed her deeply; fulsome décor. 2. disgusting; sickening; repulsive: a table heaped with fulsome mounds of greasy foods. 3. excessively or insincerely lavish: fulsome admiration. 4. encompassing all aspects; comprehensive: a fulsome survey of the political situation in Central America. 5. abundant or copious.

ambiguous

adjective 1. open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal: an ambiguous answer. 2. Linguistics . (of an expression) exhibiting constructional homonymity; having two or more structural descriptions, as the sequence Flying planes can be dangerous. 3. of doubtful or uncertain nature; difficult to comprehend, distinguish, or classify: a rock of ambiguous character. 4. lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct: an ambiguous shape; an ambiguous future.

indigenous

adjective 1. originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often followed by to ): the plants indigenous to Canada; the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. 2. innate; inherent; natural (usually followed by to ): feelings indigenous to human beings.

incongruous

adjective 1. out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming: an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior. 2. not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts: an incongruous mixture of architectural styles. 3. inconsistent: actions that were incongruous with their professed principles.

ostensible

adjective 1. outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness. 2. apparent, evident, or conspicuous: the ostensible truth of their theories.

incisive

adjective 1. penetrating; cutting; biting; trenchant: an incisive tone of voice. 2. remarkably clear and direct; sharp; keen; acute: an incisive method of summarizing the issue. 3. adapted for cutting or piercing. 4. of or pertaining to the incisors: the incisive teeth.

perfunctory

adjective 1. performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial: perfunctory courtesy. 2. lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic: In his lectures he reveals himself to be merely a perfunctory speaker.

marginal

adjective 1. pertaining to a margin. 2. situated on the border or edge. 3. at the outer or lower limits; minimal for requirements; almost insufficient: marginal subsistence; marginal ability. 4. written or printed in the margin of a page: a marginal note. 5. Sociology . marked by contact with disparate cultures, and acquiring some but not all the traits or values common to any one of them. 6. Economics . a. selling goods at a price that just equals the additional cost of producing the last unit supplied. b. of or pertaining to goods produced and marketed at margin: marginal profits.

salient

adjective 1. prominent or conspicuous: salient traits. 2. projecting or pointing outward: a salient angle. 3. leaping or jumping: a salient animal. 4. Heraldry. (of a beast) represented as leaping: a lion salient. noun 5. a salient angle or part, as the central outward-projecting angle of a bastion or an outward projection in a battle line. 6. Physical Geography . a landform that extends out beyond its surroundings, as a spur projecting from the side of a mountain. Compare reentrant ( def 4 ) .

aesthetic

adjective 1. pertaining to a sense of the beautiful or to the philosophy of aesthetics. 2. of or pertaining to the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty; of or relating to the science of aesthetics. 3. having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty. 4. pertaining to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality. noun 5. the philosophical theory or set of principles governing the idea of beauty at a given time and place: the clean lines, bare surfaces, and sense of space that bespeak the machine-age aesthetic; the Cubist aesthetic. 6. Archaic. the study of the nature of sensation.

residual

adjective 1. pertaining to or constituting a residue or remainder; remaining; leftover. 2. Mathematics . a. formed by the subtraction of one quantity from another: a residual quantity. b. (of a set) having complement of first category. 3. of or pertaining to the payment of residuals. 4. Medicine/Medical . remaining in an organ or part following normal discharge or expulsion: residual air. 5. Geology . remaining after the soluble elements have been dissolved: residual soil. noun 6. a residual quantity; remainder. 7. Often, residuals. something that remains to discomfort or disable a person following an illness, injury, operation, or the like; disability: His residuals are a weak heart and light-headedness. 8. Mathematics . a. the deviation of one of a set of observations or numbers from the mean of the set. b. the deviation between an empirical and a theoretical result. 9. Navigation . a slight deviation of an adjusted compass on a certain heading. 10. Usually, residuals. additional pay given to a performer for reruns, repeated use of a film, radio or TV commercial, or the like, in which the performer appears.

tangential

adjective 1. pertaining to or of the nature of a tangent; being or moving in the direction of a tangent. 2. merely touching; slightly connected: tangential information. 3. divergent or digressive, as from a subject under consideration: tangential remarks. 4. tending to digress or to reply to questions obliquely.

metaphysical

adjective 1. pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics. 2. Philosophy . a. concerned with abstract thought or subjects, as existence, causality, or truth. b. concerned with first principles and ultimate grounds, as being, time, or substance. 3. highly abstract, subtle, or abstruse. 4. designating or pertaining to the poetry of an early group of 17th-century English poets, notably John Donne, whose characteristic style is highly intellectual and philosophical and features intensive use of ingenious conceits and turns of wit. 5. Archaic. imaginary or fanciful.

forensic

adjective 1. pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law or public discussion and debate. 2. adapted or suited to argumentation; rhetorical. noun 3. forensics, ( used with a singular or plural verb ) the art or study of argumentation and formal debate.

seminal

adjective 1. pertaining to, containing, or consisting of semen. 2. Botany . of or pertaining to seed. 3. having possibilities of future development. 4. highly original and influencing the development of future events: a seminal artist; seminal ideas.

bilateral

adjective 1. pertaining to, involving, or affecting two or both sides, factions, parties, or the like: a bilateral agreement; bilateral sponsorship. 2. located on opposite sides of an axis; two-sided, especially when of equal size, value, etc. 3. Biology . pertaining to the right and left sides of a structure, plane, etc. 4. Chiefly Law. (of a contract) binding the parties to reciprocal obligations. 5. through both parents equally: bilateral affiliation. Compare unilateral ( def 7 ) . noun 6. Informal. a bilateral agreement, especially regarding international trade.

peripheral

adjective 1. pertaining to, situated in, or constituting the periphery: peripheral resistance on the outskirts of the battle area. 2. concerned with relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question. 3. Anatomy . near the surface or outside of; external. 4. Computers. of or pertaining to a peripheral. noun 5. Computers. a device or unit that operates separately from the CPU but is connected to it, as a magnetic disk or tape unit or a printer.

savory

adjective 1. pleasant or agreeable in taste or smell: a savory aroma. 2. piquant: a savory jelly. 3. pleasing, attractive, or agreeable. noun 4. British . an aromatic, often spicy course or dish served either as an appetizer or as a dessert, as pickled fish or brandied fruit.

affable

adjective 1. pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite: an affable and courteous gentleman. 2. showing warmth and friendliness; benign; pleasant: an affable smile.

bland

adjective 1. pleasantly gentle or agreeable: a bland, affable manner. 2. soothing or balmy, as air: a bland southern breeze. 3. nonirritating, as food or medicines: a bland diet. 4. not highly flavored; mild; tasteless: a bland sauce. 5. lacking in special interest, liveliness, individuality, etc.; insipid; dull: a bland young man; a bland situation comedy. 6. unemotional, indifferent, or casual: his bland acknowledgment of guilt.

antecedent

adjective 1. preceding; prior: an antecedent event. noun 2. a preceding circumstance, event, object, style, phenomenon, etc. 3. antecedents. a. ancestors. b. the history, events, characteristics, etc., of one's earlier life: Little is known about his birth and antecedents. 4. Grammar . a word, phrase, or clause, usually a substantive, that is replaced by a pronoun or other substitute later, or occasionally earlier, in the same or in another, usually subsequent, sentence. In Jane lost a glove and she can't find it, Jane is the antecedent of she and glove is the antecedent of it. 5. Mathematics . a. the first term of a ratio; the first or third term of a proportion. b. the first of two vectors in a dyad. 6. Logic. the conditional element in a proposition, as "Caesar conquered Gaul," in "If Caesar conquered Gaul, he was a great general."

propitious

adjective 1. presenting favorable conditions; favorable: propitious weather. 2. indicative of favor; auspicious: propitious omens. 3. favorably inclined; disposed to bestow favors or forgive: propitious gods.

prolific

adjective 1. producing offspring, young, fruit, etc., abundantly; highly fruitful: a prolific pear tree. 2. producing in large quantities or with great frequency; highly productive: a prolific writer. 3. profusely productive or fruitful (often followed by in or of ): a bequest prolific of litigations. 4. characterized by abundant production: a prolific year for tomatoes.

auspicious

adjective 1. promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: an auspicious occasion. 2. favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate.

eclectic

adjective 1. selecting or choosing from various sources. 2. made up of what is selected from different sources. 3. not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. 4. noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during a certain period, that derive from a wide range of historic styles, the style in each instance often being chosen for its fancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client. noun 5. Also, ec·lec·ti·cist [ih-klek-tuh-sist] Show IPA . a person who follows an eclectic method, as in philosophy or architecture.

austere

adjective 1. severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidding: an austere teacher. 2. rigorously self-disciplined and severely moral; ascetic; abstinent: the austere quality of life in the convent. 3. grave; sober; solemn; serious: an austere manner. 4. without excess, luxury, or ease; simple; limited; severe: an austere life. 5. severely simple; without ornament: austere writing. 6. lacking softness; hard: an austere bed of straw. 7. rough to the taste; sour or harsh in flavor.

licentious

adjective 1. sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd. 2. unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral. 3. going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules.

brazen

adjective 1. shameless or impudent: brazen presumption. 2. made of brass. 3. like brass, as in sound, color, or strength. verb (used with object) 4. to make brazen or bold. Verb phrases 5. brazen outthrough, to face boldly or shamelessly: He prefers to brazen it out rather than admit defeat.

acute

adjective 1. sharp or severe in effect; intense: acute sorrow; an acute pain. 2. extremely great or serious; crucial; critical: an acute shortage of oil. 3. (of disease) brief and severe ( opposed to chronic ). 4. sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception: an acute observer. 5. extremely sensitive even to slight details or impressions: acute eyesight. 6. sharp at the end; ending in a point. 7. Geometry . a. (of an angle) less than 90°. See diag. under angle. b. (of a triangle) containing only acute angles. See diag. under triangle. 8. consisting of, indicated by, or bearing the mark ´, placed over vowel symbols in some languages to show that the vowels or the syllables they are in are pronounced in a certain way, as in French that the quality of an e so marked is close; in Hungarian that the vowel is long; in Spanish that the marked syllable bears the word accent; in Ibo that it is pronounced with high tones; or in classical Greek, where the mark originated, that the syllable bears the word accent and is pronounced, according to the ancient grammarians, with raised pitch ( opposed to grave ): the acute accent; an acute e. noun 9. the acute accent.

pungent

adjective 1. sharply affecting the organs of taste or smell, as if by a penetrating power; biting; acrid. 2. acutely distressing to the feelings or mind; poignant. 3. caustic, biting, or sharply expressive: pungent remarks. 4. mentally stimulating or appealing: pungent wit. 5. Biology . piercing or sharp-pointed.

mordant

adjective 1. sharply caustic or sarcastic, as wit or a speaker; biting. 2. burning; corrosive. 3. having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing. noun 4. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter, especially a metallic compound, as an oxide or hydroxide, that combines with the organic dye and forms an insoluble colored compound or lake in the fiber. 5. an adhesive substance for binding gold or silver leaf to a surface. 6. an acid or other corrosive substance used in etching to eat out the lines, areas, etc. 7. Music. mordent. verb (used with object) 8. to impregnate or treat with a mordant.

flagrant

adjective 1. shockingly noticeable or evident; obvious; glaring: a flagrant error. 2. notorious; scandalous: a flagrant crime; a flagrant offender. 3. Archaic. blazing, burning, or glowing.

avid

adjective 1. showing great enthusiasm for or interest in: an avid moviegoer. Synonyms: enthusiastic, ardent, keen; devoted, dedicated; zealous, fanatic. Antonyms: indifferent, apathetic; reluctant. 2. extremely desirous (often followed by for or sometimes of ): avid for pleasure; avid of power. Synonyms: eager; hungry, greedy, insatiable; covetous. Antonyms: disdainful, loath.

sullen

adjective 1. showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve. 2. persistently and silently ill-humored; morose. 3. indicative of gloomy ill humor. 4. gloomy or dismal, as weather or a sound. 5. sluggish, as a stream.

anterior

adjective 1. situated before or at the front of; fore ( opposed to posterior ). 2. going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier: events anterior to the outbreak of war. 3. Linguistics . (in distinctive feature analysis) articulated in the region extending from the alveolar ridge to the lips; alveolar, dental, or labial. 4. (in animals and embryos) pertaining to or toward the head or forward end of the body. 5. (in humans) pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds. 6. Botany . on the front side and away from the main axis, as the lower lip of a flower.

servile

adjective 1. slavishly submissive or obsequious; fawning: servile flatterers. 2. characteristic of, proper to, or customary for slaves; abject: servile obedience. 3. yielding slavishly; truckling (usually followed by to ). 4. extremely imitative, especially in the arts; lacking in originality. 5. being in slavery; oppressed. 6. of, pertaining to, or involving slaves or servants. 7. of or pertaining to a condition of servitude or property ownership in which a person is held as a slave or as partially enslaved: medieval rebellions against servile laws.

saturnine

adjective 1. sluggish in temperament; gloomy; taciturn. 2. suffering from lead poisoning, as a person. 3. due to absorption of lead, as bodily disorders.

profuse

adjective 1. spending or giving freely and in large amount, often to excess; extravagant (often followed by in ): profuse praise. 2. made or done freely and abundantly: profuse apologies. 3. abundant; in great amount.

resilient

adjective 1. springing back; rebounding. 2. returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched. 3. recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.

disparate

adjective distinct in kind; essentially different; dissimilar: disparate ideas.

gullible

adjective easily deceived or cheated.

articulate

adjective 1. uttered clearly in distinct syllables. 2. capable of speech; not speechless. 3. using language easily and fluently; having facility with words: an articulate speaker. 4. expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness: an articulate thought. 5. made clear, distinct, and precise in relation to other parts: an articulate form; an articulate shape; an articulate area. 6. (of ideas, form, etc.) having a meaningful relation to other parts: an articulate image. 7. having parts or distinct areas organized into a coherent or meaningful whole; unified: an articulate system of philosophy. 8. Zoology . having joints or articulations; composed of segments. verb (used with object) 9. to utter clearly and distinctly; pronounce with clarity. 10. Phonetics . to make the movements and adjustments of the speech organs necessary to utter (a speech sound). 11. to give clarity or distinction to: to articulate a shape; to articulate an idea. 12. Dentistry. to position or reposition (teeth); subject to articulation. 13. to unite by a joint or joints. 14. to reveal or make distinct: an injection to articulate arteries so that obstructions can be observed by x-ray. verb (used without object) 15. to pronounce clearly each of a succession of speech sounds, syllables, or words; enunciate: to articulate with excessive precision. 16. Phonetics . to articulate a speech sound. 17. Anatomy, Zoology . to form a joint. 18. Obsolete . to make terms of agreement. noun 19. a segmented invertebrate.

profligate

adjective 1. utterly and shamelessly immoral or dissipated; thoroughly dissolute. 2. recklessly prodigal or extravagant. noun 3. a profligate person.

evanescent

adjective 1. vanishing; fading away; fleeting. 2. tending to become imperceptible; scarcely perceptible.

diaphanous

adjective 1. very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent. 2. delicately hazy.

rampant

adjective 1. violent in action or spirit; raging; furious: a rampant leopard. 2. growing luxuriantly, as weeds. 3. in full sway; prevailing or unchecked: a rampant rumor. 4. (of an animal) standing on the hind legs; ramping. 5. Heraldry. (of a beast used as a charge) represented in profile facing the dexter side, with the body upraised and resting on the left hind leg, the tail and other legs elevated, the right foreleg highest, and the head in profile unless otherwise specified: a lion rampant.

prodigal

adjective 1. wastefully or recklessly extravagant: prodigal expenditure. 2. giving or yielding profusely; lavish (usually followed by of or with ): prodigal of smiles; prodigal with money. 3. lavishly abundant; profuse: nature's prodigal resources. noun 4. a person who spends, or has spent, his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance; spendthrift.

circumspect

adjective 1. watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent: circumspect behavior. 2. well-considered: circumspect ambition.

felicitous

adjective 1. well-suited for the occasion, as an action, manner, or expression; apt; appropriate: The chairman's felicitous anecdote set everyone at ease. 2. having a special ability for suitable manner or expression, as a person.

notorious

adjective 1. widely and unfavorably known: a notorious gambler. Synonyms: infamous, egregious, outrageous, arrant, flagrant, disreputable. 2. publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait: a newspaper that is notorious for its sensationalism. Synonyms: notable, renowned, celebrated, prominent, conspicuous, famous, widely known.

vacuous

adjective 1. without contents; empty: the vacuous air. 2. lacking in ideas or intelligence: a vacuous mind. 3. expressing or characterized by a lack of ideas or intelligence; inane; stupid: a vacuous book. 4. purposeless; idle: a vacuous way of life.

elaborate

adjective 1. worked out with great care and nicety of detail; executed with great minuteness: elaborate preparations; elaborate care. Synonyms: perfected, painstaking. Antonyms: simple. 2. marked by intricate and often excessive detail; complicated; ornate. verb (used with object) 3. to work out carefully or minutely; develop to perfection. Synonyms: refine, improve. 4. to add details to; expand. 5. to produce or develop by labor. 6. Physiology . to convert (food, plasma, etc.) by means of chemical processes into a substance more suitable for use within the body. verb (used without object) 7. to add details in writing, speaking, etc.; give additional or fuller treatment (usually followed by on or upon ): to elaborate upon a theme or an idea. Synonyms: refine, improve.

exemplary

adjective 1. worthy of imitation; commendable: exemplary conduct. 2. serving as a warning: an exemplary penalty. 3. serving as an illustration or specimen; illustrative; typical: The sentences read are exemplary of the style of the essay as a whole. 4. serving as a model or pattern: The authoritative and exemplary text of the work is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. 5. of, pertaining to, or composed of exempla: the exemplary literature of the medieval period.

introspective

adjective characterized by introspection, the act or process of looking into oneself.

clandestine

adjective characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception; private or surreptitious: Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years.

putative

adjective commonly regarded as such; reputed; supposed: the putative boss of the mob.

laudatory

adjective containing or expressing praise: overwhelmed by the speaker's laudatory remarks.

incessant

adjective continuing without interruption; ceaseless; unending: an incessant noise.

somber

adjective dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy: the night skies were somber and starless. • oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave: he looked at her with a somber expression.

perfidious

adjective deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful: a perfidious lover.

culpable

adjective deserving blame or censure; blameworthy.

reprehensible

adjective deserving of reproof, rebuke, or censure; blameworthy.

banal

adjective devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite: a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier.

obscure

adjective, ob·scur·er, ob·scur·est, verb, ob·scured, ob·scur·ing, noun. adjective 1. (of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain: an obscure sentence in the contract. 2. not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive: obscure motivations. 3. (of language, style, a speaker, etc.) not expressing the meaning clearly or plainly. 4. indistinct to the sight or any other sense; not readily seen, heard, etc.; faint. 5. inconspicuous or unnoticeable: the obscure beginnings of a great movement. 6. of little or no prominence, note, fame, or distinction: an obscure French artist. 7. far from public notice, worldly affairs, or important activities; remote; retired: an obscure little town. 8. lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky: an obscure back room. 9. enveloped in, concealed by, or frequenting darkness. 10. not bright or lustrous; dull or darkish, as color or appearance. 11. (of a vowel) having the reduced or neutral sound usually represented by the schwa (ə). verb (used with object) 12. to conceal or conceal by confusing (the meaning of a statement, poem, etc.). 13. to make dark, dim, indistinct, etc. 14. to reduce or neutralize (a vowel) to the sound usually represented by a schwa (ə). noun 15. obscurity.

apropos

adverb 1. fitting; at the right time; to the purpose; opportunely. 2. Obsolete . by the way. adjective 3. opportune; pertinent: apropos remarks. Idioms 4. apropos of, with reference to; in respect or regard to: apropos of the preceding statement.

metaphor

noun 1. a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in "A mighty fortress is our God." Compare mixed metaphor, simile ( def 1 ) . 2. something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.

simile

noun 1. a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in "she is like a rose." Compare metaphor. 2. an instance of such a figure of speech or a use of words exemplifying it.

spate

noun 1 [ usu. in sing. ] a large number of similar things or events appearing or occurring in quick succession: a spate of attacks on travelers. 2 chiefly Brit.a sudden flood in a river, esp. one caused by heavy rains or melting snow. 3 a sudden, almost overwhelming, outpouring: a spate of angry words.

slough

noun 1 a swamp. • a muddy side channel or inlet. 2 a situation characterized by lack of progress or activity: the economic slough of the interwar years. verb [ with obj. ] (usu. slough something off) shed or remove (a layer of dead skin): a snake sloughs off its old skin | exfoliate once a week to slough off any dry skin. • get rid of (something undesirable or no longer required): he is concerned to slough off the country's bad environmental image. • [ no obj. ] (slough off) (of dead skin) drop off; be shed. • [ no obj. ] (slough away/down) (of soil or rock) collapse or slide into a hole or depression. noun the dropping off of dead tissue from living flesh: the drugs can cause blistering and slough.

sloth

noun 1 reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness: three-toed sloth he should overcome his natural sloth and complacency. 2 a slow-moving tropical American mammal that hangs upside down from the branches of trees using its long limbs and hooked claws.

chimera

noun 1. ( often initial capital letter ) a mythological, fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. 2. any similarly grotesque monster having disparate parts, especially as depicted in decorative art. 3. a horrible or unreal creature of the imagination; a vain or idle fancy: He is far different from the chimera your fears have made of him. 4. Genetics. an organism composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues, as an organism that is partly male and partly female, or an artificially produced individual having tissues of several species.

atrophy

noun 1. Also, a·tro·phi·a [uh-troh-fee-uh] Show IPA . Pathology . a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage. 2. degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse: He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought. verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 3. to affect with or undergo atrophy.

platitude

noun 1. a flat, dull, or trite remark, especially one uttered as if it were fresh or profound. 2. the quality or state of being flat, dull, or trite: the platitude of most political oratory.

antipathy

noun 1. a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion. 2. an instinctive contrariety or opposition in feeling. 3. an object of natural aversion or habitual dislike.

metamorphosis

noun 1. Biology . a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly. Compare complete metamorphosis. 2. a complete change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation by magic or witchcraft. 3. any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc. 4. a form resulting from any such change. 5. Pathology . a. a type of alteration or degeneration in which tissues are changed: fatty metamorphosis of the liver. b. the resultant form. 6. Botany . the structural or functional modification of a plant organ or structure during its development.

latitude

noun 1. Geography . a. the angular distance north or south from the equator of a point on the earth's surface, measured on the meridian of the point. b. a place or region as marked by this distance. 2. freedom from narrow restrictions; freedom of action, opinion, etc.: He allowed his children a fair amount of latitude. 3. Astronomy . a. celestial latitude. b. galactic latitude. 4. Photography . the ability of an emulsion to record the brightness values of a subject in their true proportion to one another, expressed as the ratio of the amount of brightness in the darkest possible value to the amount of brightness in the brightest: a latitude of 1 to 128.

libel

noun 1. Law. a. defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures. b. the act or crime of publishing it. c. a formal written declaration or statement, as one containing the allegations of a plaintiff or the grounds of a charge. 2. anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents. verb (used with object) 3. to publish a libel against. 4. to misrepresent damagingly. 5. to institute suit against by a libel, as in an admiralty court.

legacy

noun 1. Law. a gift of property, especially personal property, as money, by will; a bequest. 2. anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor: the legacy of ancient Rome. 3. an applicant to or student at a school that was attended by his or her parent. 4. Obsolete . the office, function, or commission of a legate. adjective 5. of or pertaining to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.

syntax

noun 1. Linguistics . a. the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language. b. the study of the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words. c. the rules or patterns so studied: English syntax. d. a presentation of these: a syntax of English. e. an instance of these: the syntax of a sentence. 2. Logic. a. that branch of modern logic that studies the various kinds of signs that occur in a system and the possible arrangements of those signs, complete abstraction being made of the meaning of the signs. b. the outcome of such a study when directed upon a specified language. 3. a system or orderly arrangement. 4. Computers. the grammatical rules and structural patterns governing the ordered use of appropriate words and symbols for issuing commands, writing code, etc., in a particular software application or programming language.

parameter

noun 1. Mathematics . a. a constant or variable term in a function that determines the specific form of the function but not its general nature, as a in f ( x ) = ax, where a determines only the slope of the line described by f ( x ). b. one of the independent variables in a set of parametric equations. 2. Statistics. a variable entering into the mathematical form of any distribution such that the possible values of the variable correspond to different distributions. 3. Computers. a variable that must be given a specific value during the execution of a program or of a procedure within a program. 4. Usually, parameters. limits or boundaries; guidelines: the basic parameters of our foreign policy. 5. characteristic or factor; aspect; element: a useful parameter for judging long-term success.

placebo

noun 1. Medicine/Medical, Pharmacology . a. a substance having no pharmacological effect but given merely to satisfy a patient who supposes it to be a medicine. b. a substance having no pharmacological effect but administered as a control in testing experimentally or clinically the efficacy of a biologically active preparation. 2. Roman Catholic Church . the vespers of the office for the dead: so called from the initial word of the first antiphon, taken from Psalm 114:9 of the Vulgate.

barrage

noun 1. Military . a heavy barrier of artillery fire to protect one's own advancing or retreating troops or to stop the advance of enemy troops. 2. an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms: a barrage of questions. 3. Civil Engineering . an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water, facilitate irrigation, etc. 4. Mycology . an aversion response of sexually incompatible fungus cultures that are growing in proximity, revealed by a persistent growth gap between them. verb (used with object) 5. to subject to a barrage.

coda

noun 1. Music. a more or less independent passage, at the end of a composition, introduced to bring it to a satisfactory close. 2. Ballet. the concluding section of a ballet, especially the final part of a pas de deux. 3. a concluding section or part, especially one of a conventional form and serving as a summation of preceding themes, motifs, etc., as in a work of literature or drama. 4. anything that serves as a concluding part. 5. Phonetics . the segment of a syllable following the nucleus, as the d- sound in good. Compare core ( def 14 ) , onset ( def 3 )

osmosis

noun 1. Physical Chemistry, cell Biology . a. the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane. b. the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions. Compare endosmosis, exosmosis. 2. a subtle or gradual absorption or mingling: He never studies but seems to learn by osmosis.

paranoia

noun 1. Psychiatry. a mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of others, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense or as a mission. 2. baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others.

paragon

noun 1. a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence: a paragon of virtue. Synonyms: ideal, standard, epitome, quintessence; example, exemplar, paradigm. 2. someone of exceptional merit: Just who is this paragon whose name is on everyone's lips? Synonyms: nonesuch, nonpareil. 3. Printing. a 20-point type. 4. an unusually large, round pearl. verb (used with object) 5. Rare. to compare; parallel. 6. Archaic. to be a match for; rival. 7. Obsolete . to surpass. 8. Obsolete . to regard as a paragon.

archives

noun 1. Usually, archives. documents or records relating to the activities, business dealings, etc., of a person, family, corporation, association, community, or nation. 2. archives, a place where public records or other historical documents are kept. 3. any extensive record or collection of data: The encyclopedia is an archive of world history. The experience was sealed in the archive of her memory. 4. Digital Technology . a. a long-term storage device, as a disk or magnetic tape, or a computer directory or folder that contains copies of files for backup or future reference. b. a collection of digital data stored in this way. c. a computer file containing one or more compressed files. d. a collection of information permanently stored on the Internet: The magazine has its entire archive online, from 1923 to the present. verb (used with object) 5. to place or store in an archive: to vote on archiving the city's historic documents. 6. Digital Technology . to compress (computer files) and store them in a single file.

synopsis

noun 1. a brief or condensed statement giving a general view of some subject. 2. a compendium of heads or short paragraphs giving a view of the whole. 3. a brief summary of the plot of a novel, motion picture, play, etc.

compendium

noun 1. a brief treatment or account of a subject, especially an extensive subject; concise treatise: a compendium of medicine. 2. a summary, epitome, or abridgment. 3. a full list or inventory: a compendium of their complaints.

litany

noun 1. a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations or supplications with responses that are the same for a number in succession. 2. the Litany, the supplication in this form in the Book of Common Prayer. 3. a recitation or recital that resembles a litany. 4. a prolonged or tedious account: We heard the whole litany of their complaints.

idiosyncrasy

noun 1. a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual. 2. the physical constitution peculiar to an individual. 3. a peculiarity of the physical or the mental constitution, especially susceptibility toward drugs, food, etc. Compare allergy ( def 1 ) .

genre

noun 1. a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like: the genre of epic poetry; the genre of symphonic music. 2. Fine Arts. a. paintings in which scenes of everyday life form the subject matter. b. a realistic style of painting using such subject matter. 3. genus; kind; sort; style. adjective 4. Fine Arts. of or pertaining to genre. 5. of or pertaining to a distinctive literary type.

artifice

noun 1. a clever trick or stratagem; a cunning, crafty device or expedient; wile. 2. trickery; guile; craftiness. 3. cunning; ingenuity; inventiveness: a drawing-room comedy crafted with artifice and elegance. 4. a skillful or artful contrivance or expedient.

menagerie

noun 1. a collection of wild or unusual animals, especially for exhibition. 2. a place where they are kept or exhibited. 3. an unusual and varied group of people.

precept

noun 1. a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct. 2. an injunction as to moral conduct; maxim. 3. a procedural directive or rule, as for the performance of some technical operation. 4. Law. a. a writ or warrant. b. a written order issued pursuant to law, as a sheriff's order for an election.

epilogue

noun 1. a concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel. 2. a speech, usually in verse, delivered by one of the actors after the conclusion of a play. 3. the person speaking this.

melee

noun 1. a confused hand-to-hand fight or struggle among several people. 2. confusion; turmoil; jumble: the melee of Christmas shopping. 3. noun a group of diamonds, each weighing less than 0.25 carat.

fallacy

noun 1. a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief, etc.: That the world is flat was at one time a popular fallacy. 2. a misleading or unsound argument. 3. deceptive, misleading, or false nature; erroneousness. 4. Logic. any of various types of erroneous reasoning that render arguments logically unsound. 5. Obsolete , deception.

respite

noun 1. a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief: to toil without respite. 2. temporary suspension of the execution of a person condemned to death; reprieve. verb (used with object) 3. to relieve temporarily, especially from anything distressing or trying; give an interval of relief from. 4. to grant delay in the carrying out of (a punishment, obligation, etc.).

reprobate

noun 1. a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person: a drunken reprobate. 2. a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. adjective 3. morally depraved; unprincipled; bad. 4. rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. verb (used with object) 5. to disapprove, condemn, or censure. 6. (of God) to reject (a person), as for sin; exclude from the number of the elect or from salvation.

anomaly

noun 1. a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form. Synonyms: abnormality, exception, peculiarity. 2. someone or something that is abnormal or incongruous, or does not fit in; an anomalous person or thing: With his quiet nature, he was an anomaly in his exuberant family. Synonyms: abnormality, exception, peculiarity. 3. an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality, etc. 4. an incongruity or inconsistency. 5. Astronomy . a quantity measured in degrees, defining the position of an orbiting body with respect to the point at which it is nearest to or farthest from its primary. 6. Meteorology . the amount of deviation of a meteorological quantity from the accepted normal value of that quantity. 7. Grammar , irregularity.

calumny

noun 1. a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something: The speech was considered a calumny of the administration. 2. the act of uttering calumnies; slander; defamation.

canard

noun 1. a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor. 2. Cookery. a duck intended or used for food. 3. Aeronautics . a. an airplane that has its horizontal stabilizer and elevators located forward of the wing. b. Also called canard wing. one of two small lifting wings located in front of the main wings. c. an early airplane having a pusher engine with the rudder and elevator assembly in front of the wings.

propensity

noun 1. a natural inclination or tendency: a propensity to drink too much. 2. Obsolete . favorable disposition or partiality.

flux

noun 1. a flowing or flow. 2. the flowing in of the tide. 3. continuous change, passage, or movement: His political views are in a state of flux. 4. Physics. a. the rate of flow of fluid, particles, or energy. b. a quantity expressing the strength of a field of force in a given area. 5. Chemistry, Metallurgy . a. a substance used to refine metals by combining with impurities to form a molten mixture that can be readily removed. b. a substance used to remove oxides from and prevent further oxidation of fused metal, as in soldering or hot-dip coating. c. (in the refining of scrap or other metal) a salt or mixture of salts that combines with nonmetallic impurities, causing them to float or coagulate. 6. fusion. verb (used with object) 7. to melt; make fluid. 8. to fuse by the use of flux. 9. Obsolete . to purge.

confluence

noun 1. a flowing together of two or more streams, rivers, or the like: the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. 2. their place of junction: St. Louis is at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. 3. a body of water formed by the flowing together of two or more streams, rivers, or the like. 4. a coming together of people or things; concourse. 5. a crowd or throng; assemblage.

alchemy

noun 1. a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life. 2. any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.

amnesty

noun 1. a general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction. 2. Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, especially to a class of persons as a whole. 3. a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense. verb (used with object) 4. to grant amnesty to; pardon.

cohort

noun 1. a group or company: She has a cohort of admirers. 2. a companion or associate. 3. one of the ten divisions in an ancient Roman legion, numbering from 300 to 600 soldiers. 4. any group of soldiers or warriors. 5. an accomplice; abettor: He got off with probation, but his cohorts got ten years apiece. 6. a group of persons sharing a particular statistical or demographic characteristic: the cohort of all children born in 1980. 7. Biology . an individual in a population of the same species.

incursion

noun 1. a hostile entrance into or invasion of a place or territory, especially a sudden one; raid: The bandits made brief incursions on the village. 2. a harmful inroad. 3. a running in: the incursion of sea water.

parody

noun 1. a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy. 2. the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations. 3. a burlesque imitation of a musical composition. 4. any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc. 5. the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass (parody Mass) 6. a poor or feeble imitation or semblance; travesty: His acting is a parody of his past greatness. verb (used with object) 7. to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire. 8. to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.

exposition

noun 1. a large-scale public exhibition or show, as of art or manufactured products: an exposition of 19th-century paintings; an automobile exposition. Synonyms: exhibit, demonstration, display, presentation. 2. the act of expounding, setting forth, or explaining: the exposition of a point of view. 3. writing or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain; a detailed statement or explanation; explanatory treatise: The students prepared expositions on familiar essay topics. Synonyms: elucidation, commentary; critique, interpretation, exegesis, explication. 4. the act of presenting to view; display: The singer gave a splendid exposition of vocal talent. 5. exposure ( def 10 ) . 6. the state of being uncovered, revealed, or otherwise exposed; exposure. 7. Music. the first section of a fugue or a sonata form, in which the principal themes normally are introduced. 8. (in a play, novel, etc.) dialogue, description, etc., that gives the audience or reader the background of the characters and the present situation.

pundit

noun 1. a learned person, expert, or authority. 2. a person who makes comments or judgments, especially in an authoritative manner; critic or commentator. 3. pandit.

echelon

noun 1. a level of command, authority, or rank: After years of service, she is now in the upper echelon of city officials. Synonyms: place, rank, hierarchy, authority, grade, office; row, tier, rung; social standing, position, class, standing. 2. a level of worthiness, achievement, or reputation: studying hard to get into one of the top echelon colleges. Synonyms: degree, position, tier. 3. Military . a formation of troops, ships, airplanes, etc., in which groups of soldiers or individual vehicles or craft are arranged in parallel lines, either with each line extending to the right of the one in front (right echelon) or with each line extending to the left of the one in front (left echelon) so that the whole presents the appearance of steps. 4. Military . one of the groups of a formation so arranged. 5. Archaic . any structure or group of structures arranged in a steplike form. 6. Also called echelon grating. Spectroscopy. a diffraction grating that is used in the resolution of fine structure lines and consists of a series of plates of equal thickness stacked in staircase fashion. verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 7. to form in an echelon.

panegyric

noun 1. a lofty oration or writing in praise of a person or thing; eulogy. 2. formal or elaborate praise.

stigma

noun 1. a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's reputation. 2. Medicine/Medical . a. a mental or physical mark that is characteristic of a defect or disease: the stigmata of leprosy. b. a place or point on the skin that bleeds during certain mental states, as in hysteria. 3. Zoology . a. a small mark, spot, or pore on an animal or organ. b. the eyespot of a protozoan. c. an entrance into the respiratory system of insects. 4. Botany . the part of a pistil that receives the pollen. See diag. under flower. 5. stigmata, marks resembling the wounds of the crucified body of Christ, said to be supernaturally impressed on the bodies of certain persons, especially nuns, tertiaries, and monastics.

imbroglio

noun 1. a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations. 2. an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation. 3. a confused heap.

quandary

noun a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma.

precursor

noun 1. a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor. 2. a person, animal, or thing that goes before and indicates the approach of someone or something else; harbinger: The first robin is a precursor of spring. 3. Chemistry, Biochemistry . a chemical that is transformed into another compound, as in the course of a chemical reaction, and therefore precedes that compound in the synthetic pathway: Cholesterol is a precursor of testosterone. 4. Biology . a cell or tissue that gives rise to a variant, specialized, or more mature form.

bane

noun 1. a person or thing that ruins or spoils: Gambling was the bane of his existence. 2. a deadly poison (often used in combination, as in the names of poisonous plants): wolfsbane; henbane. 3. death; destruction; ruin. 4. Obsolete . that which causes death or destroys life: entrapped and drowned beneath the watery bane.

iconoclast

noun 1. a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition. 2. a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious veneration.

ascetic

noun 1. a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons. 2. a person who leads an austerely simple life, especially one who abstains from the normal pleasures of life or denies himself or herself material satisfaction. 3. (in the early Christian church) a monk; hermit. adjective Also, as·cet·i·cal. 4. pertaining to asceticism. 5. rigorously abstinent; austere: an ascetic existence. 6. exceedingly strict or severe in religious exercises or self-mortification.

adherent

noun 1. a person who follows or upholds a leader, cause, etc.; supporter; follower. adjective 2. sticking; clinging; adhering: an adherent substance. 3. bound by contract or other formal agreement: the nations adherent to the Geneva Convention. 4. Biology , adnate. 5. Grammar . standing before and modifying a noun; attributive.

harbinger

noun 1. a person who goes ahead and makes known the approach of another; herald. 2. anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign: Frost is a harbinger of winter. 3. a person sent in advance of troops, a royal train, etc., to provide or secure lodgings and other accommodations. verb (used with object) 4. to act as harbinger to; herald the coming of.

pedestrian

noun 1. a person who goes or travels on foot; walker. adjective 2. going or performed on foot; walking. 3. of or pertaining to walking. 4. lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction, etc.; commonplace; prosaic or dull: a pedestrian commencement speech.

virtuoso

noun 1. a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field. 2. a person who excels in musical technique or execution. 3. a person who has a cultivated appreciation of artistic excellence, as a connoisseur or collector of objects of art, antiques, etc. 4. Obsolete . a person who has special interest or knowledge in the arts and sciences; scientist; scholar. adjective 5. Also, vir·tu·os·ic [vur-choo-os-ik] Show IPA . of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a virtuoso: a virtuoso performance.

interloper

noun 1. a person who interferes or meddles in the affairs of others: He was an athiest who felt like an interloper in this religious gathering. 2. a person who intrudes into a region, field, or trade without a proper license.

narcissist

noun 1. a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish. 2. Psychoanalysis . a person who suffers from narcissism, deriving erotic gratification from admiration of his or her own physical or mental attributes.

recluse

noun 1. a person who lives in seclusion or apart from society, often for religious meditation. 2. Also, incluse. a religious voluntary immured in a cave, hut, or the like, or one remaining within a cell for life. adjective 3. shut off or apart from the world; living in seclusion, often for religious reasons. 4. characterized by seclusion; solitary.

predecessor

noun 1. a person who precedes another in an office, position, etc. 2. something succeeded or replaced by something else: The new monument in the park is more beautiful than its predecessor. 3. Archaic. an ancestor; forefather.

insurgent

noun 1. a person who rises in forcible opposition to lawful authority, especially a person who engages in armed resistance to a government or to the execution of its laws; rebel. 2. a member of a section of a political party that revolts against the methods or policies of the party. adjective 3. of or characteristic of an insurgent or insurgents. 4. surging or rushing in: The insurgent waves battered the shore.

fanatic

noun 1. a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics. adjective 2. fanatical.

elocution

noun 1. a person's manner of speaking or reading aloud in public: The actor's elocution is faultless. 2. the study and practice of oral delivery, including the control of both voice and gesture.

affront

noun 1. a personally offensive act or word; deliberate act or display of disrespect; intentional slight; insult: an affront to the king. 2. an offense to one's dignity or self-respect. verb (used with object) 3. to offend by an open manifestation of disrespect or insolence: His speech affronted all of us. 4. to make ashamed or confused; embarrass. 5. Archaic. to front; face; look on. 6. Obsolete . to meet or encounter face to face; confront.

stratagem

noun 1. a plan, scheme, or trick for surprising or deceiving an enemy. 2. any artifice, ruse, or trick devised or used to attain a goal or to gain an advantage over an adversary or competitor: business stratagems.

blueprint

noun 1. a process of photographic printing, used chiefly in copying architectural and mechanical drawings, which produces a white line on a blue background. 2. a print made by this process. 3. a detailed outline or plan of action: a blueprint for success. verb (used with object) 4. to make a blueprint of or for.

tirade

noun 1. a prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation: a tirade against smoking. 2. a long, vehement speech: a tirade in the Senate. 3. a passage dealing with a single theme or idea, as in poetry: the stately tirades of Corneille.

codicil

noun 1. a supplement to a will, containing an addition, explanation, modification, etc., of something in the will. 2. any supplement; appendix.

enigma

noun 1. a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation: His disappearance is an enigma that has given rise to much speculation. 2. a person of puzzling or contradictory character: To me he has always been an enigma, one minute completely insensitive, the next moved to tears. 3. a saying, question, picture, etc., containing a hidden meaning; riddle. 4. ( initial capital letter ) a German-built enciphering machine developed for commercial use in the early 1920s and later adapted and appropriated by German and other Axis powers for military use through World War II.

foray

noun 1. a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder: Vikings made a foray on the port. 2. a quick, sudden attack: The defenders made a foray outside the walls. 3. an initial venture: a successful foray into politics. verb (used without object) 4. to make a raid; pillage; maraud. 5. to invade or make one's way, as for profit or adventure: foreign industries foraying into U.S. markets. verb (used with object) 6. to ravage in search of plunder; pillage.

attrition

noun 1. a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength: Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away. 2. a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition. 3. a gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced. 4. the act of rubbing against something; friction. 5. a wearing down or away by friction; abrasion. 6. Theology . imperfect contrition. See under contrition ( def 2 ) .

conundrum

noun 1. a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper. 2. anything that puzzles.

scrutiny

noun 1. a searching examination or investigation; minute inquiry. 2. surveillance; close and continuous watching or guarding. 3. a close and searching look.

axiom

noun 1. a self-evident truth that requires no proof. 2. a universally accepted principle or rule. 3. Logic, Mathematics . a proposition that is assumed without proof for the sake of studying the consequences that follow from it.

anecdote

noun 1. a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature. 2. a short, obscure historical or biographical account.

analogy

noun 1. a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based: the analogy between the heart and a pump. 2. similarity or comparability: I see no analogy between your problem and mine. 3. Biology . an analogous relationship. 4. Linguistics . a. the process by which words or phrases are created or re-formed according to existing patterns in the language, as when shoon was re-formed as shoes, when -ize is added to nouns like winter to form verbs, or when a child says foots for feet. b. a form resulting from such a process. 5. Logic. a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be similar to another thing in a certain respect, on the basis of the known similarity between the things in other respects.

dilemma

noun 1. a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives. 2. any difficult or perplexing situation or problem. 3. Logic. a form of syllogism in which the major premise is formed of two or more hypothetical propositions and the minor premise is a disjunctive proposition, as "If A, then B; if C then D. Either A or C. Therefore, either B or D."

euphoria

noun 1. a state of intense happiness and self-confidence: She was flooded with euphoria as she went to the podium to receive her Student Research Award. 2. Psychology . a feeling of happiness, confidence, or well-being sometimes exaggerated in pathological states as mania.

affliction

noun 1. a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery: They sympathized with us in our affliction. 2. a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution.

anarchy

noun 1. a state of society without government or law. 2. political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control: The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy. Synonyms: lawlessness, disruption, turmoil. 3. anarchism ( def 1 ) . 4. lack of obedience to an authority; insubordination: the anarchy of his rebellious teenage years. 5. confusion and disorder: Intellectual and moral anarchy followed his loss of faith. It was impossible to find the book I was looking for in the anarchy of his bookshelves. Synonyms: chaos, disruption, turbulence; license; disorganization, disintegration.

paradox

noun 1. a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. 2. a self-contradictory and false proposition. 3. any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature. 4. an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.

aversion

noun 1. a strong feeling of dislike, opposition, repugnance, or antipathy (usually followed by to ): a strong aversion to snakes and spiders. 2. a cause or object of dislike; person or thing that causes antipathy: His pet aversion is guests who are always late. 3. Obsolete . the act of averting; a turning away or preventing.

revulsion

noun 1. a strong feeling of repugnance, distaste, or dislike: Cruelty fills me with revulsion. 2. a sudden and violent change of feeling or response in sentiment, taste, etc. 3. the act of drawing something back or away. 4. the fact of being so drawn. 5. Medicine/Medical . the diminution of morbid action in one part of the body by irritation in another.

appendage

noun 1. a subordinate part attached to something; an auxiliary part; addition. 2. Anatomy, Zoology . any member of the body diverging from the axial trunk. 3. Botany, Mycology . any subsidiary part superadded to another part. 4. a person in a subordinate or dependent position, especially a servile or parasitic follower.

alloy

noun 1. a substance composed of two or more metals, or of a metal or metals with a nonmetal, intimately mixed, as by fusion or electrodeposition. 2. a less costly metal mixed with a more valuable one. 3. standard; quality; fineness. 4. admixture, as of good with evil. 5. anything added that serves to reduce quality or purity. verb (used with object) 6. to mix (metals or metal with nonmetal) so as to form an alloy. 7. to reduce in value by an admixture of a less costly metal. 8. to debase, impair, or reduce by admixture; adulterate.

veneer

noun 1. a thin layer of wood or other material for facing or inlaying wood. 2. any of the thin layers of wood glued together to form plywood. 3. Building Trades. a facing of a certain material applied to a different one or to a type of construction not ordinarily associated with it, as a facing of brick applied to a frame house. 4. a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance: a cruel person with a veneer of kindliness. verb (used with object) 5. to overlay or face (wood) with thin sheets of some material, as a fine wood, ivory, or tortoise shell. 6. to face or cover (an object) with any material that is more desirable as a surface material than the basic material of the object; revet. 7. to cement (layers of wood veneer) to form plywood. 8. to give a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance to.

rubric

noun 1. a title, heading, direction, or the like, in a manuscript, book, statute, etc., written or printed in red or otherwise distinguished from the rest of the text. 2. a direction for the conduct of divine service or the administration of the sacraments, inserted in liturgical books. 3. any established mode of conduct or procedure; protocol. 4. an explanatory comment; gloss. 5. a class or category 6. Archaic. red ocher. adjective 7. written, inscribed in, or marked with or as with red; rubrical. 8. Archaic. red; ruddy.

cascade

noun 1. a waterfall descending over a steep, rocky surface. 2. a series of shallow or steplike waterfalls, either natural or artificial. 3. anything that resembles a waterfall, especially in seeming to flow or fall in abundance: a cascade of roses covering the wall. 4. (in a drain or sewer) a chain of steps for dissipating the momentum of falling water in a steep place in order to maintain a steady rate of flow. 5. an arrangement of a lightweight fabric in folds falling one over another in random or zigzag fashion. 6. a type of firework resembling a waterfall in effect. 7. Chemistry . a series of vessels, from each of which a fluid successively overflows to the next, thus presenting a large absorbing surface, as to a gas. 8. Electricity . an arrangement of component devices, as electrolytic cells, each of which feeds into the next in succession. 9. Biochemistry . a series of reactions catalyzed by enzymes that are activated sequentially by successive products of the reactions, resulting in an amplification of the initial response. verb (used without object) 10. to fall in or like a cascade. verb (used with object) 11. to cause to fall in a cascade. 12. Electricity . to arrange (components) in a cascade.

mentor

noun 1. a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. 2. an influential senior sponsor or supporter. verb (used without object) 3. to act as a mentor: She spent years mentoring to junior employees. verb (used with object) 4. to act as a mentor to: The brash young executive did not wish to be mentored by anyone.

pillory

noun 1. a wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision. verb (used with object) 2. to set in the pillory. 3. to expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse: The candidate mercilessly pilloried his opponent.

acronym

noun 1. a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words, as Wac from Women's Army Corps, OPEC from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or loran from long-range navigation. 2. an acrostic. verb (used with object) 3. to make an acronym of: The committee's name has been acronymed MIKE.

connotation

noun 1. a. the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning: A possible connotation of "home" is "a place of warmth, comfort, and affection." b. the suggesting of additional meanings by a word or expression, apart from its literal meaning; the act of connoting. Compare denotation ( def 1 ) . 2. something suggested or implied by a word or thing, rather than being explicitly named or described: "Religion" has always had a negative connotation for me. 3. Logic. the set of attributes constituting the meaning of a term and thus determining the range of objects to which that term may be applied; comprehension; intension.

apathy

noun 1. absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement. 2. lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting. 3. Also, ap·a·thei·a, ap·a·thi·a [ap-uh-thee-uh] Show IPA . Stoicism. freedom from emotion of any kind.

malapropism

noun 1. an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, especially by the confusion of words that are similar in sound. 2. an instance of this, as in "Lead the way and we'll precede."

delusion

noun 1. an act or instance of deluding. 2. the state of being deluded. 3. a false belief or opinion: delusions of grandeur. 4. Psychiatry. a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact: a paranoid delusion.

partisan

noun 1. an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance. 2. Military . a member of a party of light or irregular troops engaged in harassing an enemy, especially a member of a guerrilla band engaged in fighting or sabotage against an occupying army. adjective 3. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of partisans; partial to a specific party, person, etc.: partisan politics. 4. of, pertaining to, or carried on by military partisans or guerrillas.

incense

noun 1. an aromatic gum or other substance producing a sweet odor when burned, used in religious ceremonies, to enhance a mood, etc. 2. the perfume or smoke arising from such a substance when burned. 3. any pleasant perfume or fragrance. 4. homage or adulation. verb (used with object) 5. to perfume with incense. 6. to burn incense for. verb (used without object) 7. to burn or offer incense.

commodity

noun 1. an article of trade or commerce, especially a product as distinguished from a service. 2. something of use, advantage, or value. 3. Stock Exchange. any unprocessed or partially processed good, as grain, fruits, and vegetables, or precious metals. 4. Obsolete . a quantity of goods.

critique

noun 1. an article or essay criticizing a literary or other work; detailed evaluation; review. 2. a criticism or critical comment on some problem, subject, etc. 3. the art or practice of criticism. verb (used with object) 4. to review or analyze critically.

fiat

noun 1. an authoritative decree, sanction, or order: a royal fiat. Synonyms: authorization, directive, ruling, mandate, diktat, ukase. 2. a fixed form of words containing the word fiat, by which a person in authority gives sanction, or authorization. 3. an arbitrary decree or pronouncement, especially by a person or group of persons having absolute authority to enforce it: The king ruled by fiat.

grave

noun 1. an excavation made in the earth in which to bury a dead body. 2. any place of interment; a tomb or sepulcher: a watery grave. 3. any place that becomes the receptacle of what is dead, lost, or past: the grave of unfulfilled ambitions. 4. death: O grave, where is thy victory? Idioms 5. have one foot in the grave, to be so frail, sick, or old that death appears imminent: It was a shock to see my uncle looking as if he had one foot in the grave. 6. make (one) turn / turn overin one's grave, to do something to which a specified dead person would have objected bitterly: This production of Hamlet is enough to make Shakespeare turn in his grave. adjective 1. serious or solemn; sober: a grave person; grave thoughts. 2. weighty, momentous, or important: grave responsibilities. 3. threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; critical: a grave situation; a grave illness. 4. Grammar . a. unaccented. b. spoken on a low or falling pitch. c. noting or having a particular accent (`) indicating originally a comparatively low pitch (as in French père ), distinct syllabic value (as in English belovèd ), etc. ( opposed to acute ). 5. (of colors) dull; somber. noun 6. the grave accent. verb (used with object) 1. to carve, sculpt, or engrave. 2. to impress deeply: graven on the mind. verb (used with object), Nautical . to clean and apply a protective composition of tar to (the bottom of a ship). adjective 1. slow; solemn. adverb 2. slowly; solemnly.

idiom

noun 1. an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics. 2. a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people. 3. a construction or expression of one language whose parts correspond to elements in another language but whose total structure or meaning is not matched in the same way in the second language. 4. the peculiar character or genius of a language. 5. a distinct style or character, in music, art, etc.: the idiom of Bach.

hindrance

noun 1. an impeding, stopping, preventing, or the like. 2. the state of being hindered. 3. a person or thing that hinders.

dearth

noun 1. an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack: There is a dearth of good engineers. 2. scarcity and dearness of food; famine.

incarnation

noun 1. an incarnate being or form. 2. a living being embodying a deity or spirit. 3. assumption of human form or nature. 4. the Incarnation, ( sometimes lowercase ) Theology . the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man. 5. a person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like: The leading dancer is the incarnation of grace. 6. the act of incarnating. 7. state of being incarnated.

perquisite

noun 1. an incidental payment, benefit, privilege, or advantage over and above regular income, salary, or wages: Among the president's perquisites were free use of a company car and paid membership in a country club. 2. a gratuity or tip. 3. something demanded or due as a particular privilege: homage that was once the perquisite of royalty.

innuendo

noun 1. an indirect intimation about a person or thing, especially of a disparaging or a derogatory nature. 2. Law. a. a parenthetic explanation or specification in a pleading. b. (in an action for slander or libel) the explanation and elucidation of the words alleged to be defamatory. c. the word or expression thus explained.

excise

noun 1. an internal tax or duty on certain commodities, as liquor or tobacco, levied on their manufacture, sale, or consumption within the country. 2. a tax levied for a license to carry on certain employments, pursue certain sports, etc. 3. British . the branch of the civil service that collects excise taxes. verb (used with object) 4. to impose an excise on. verb (used with object) 1. to expunge, as a passage or sentence, from a text. 2. to cut out or off, as a tumor.

cartel

noun 1. an international syndicate, combine, or trust formed especially to regulate prices and output in some field of business. 2. a coalition of political or special-interest groups having a common cause, as to encourage the passage of a certain law. 3. a written agreement between belligerents, especially for the exchange of prisoners. 4. a written challenge to a duel.

interlude

noun 1. an intervening episode, period, space, etc. 2. a short dramatic piece, especially of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments. 3. one of the early English farces or comedies, as those written by John Heywood, which grew out of such pieces. 4. any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play. 5. an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.

interim

noun 1. an intervening time; interval; meantime: in the interim. 2. a temporary or provisional arrangement; stopgap; makeshift. 3. ( initial capital letter ) Church History . any of three provisional arrangements for the settlement of religious differences between German Protestants and Roman Catholics during the Reformation. adjective 4. for, during, belonging to, or connected with an intervening period of time; temporary; provisional: an interim order. adverb 5. meantime.

labyrinth

noun 1. an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit. Synonyms: maze, network, web. 2. a maze of paths bordered by high hedges, as in a park or garden, for the amusement of those who search for a way out. 3. a complicated or tortuous arrangement, as of streets or buildings. Synonyms: warren, maze, jungle, snarl, tangle, knot. 4. any confusingly intricate state of things or events; a bewildering complex: His papers were lost in an hellish bureaucratic labyrinth. After the death of her daughter, she wandered in a labyrinth of sorrow for what seemed like a decade. Synonyms: wilderness, jungle, forest; morass. 5. ( initial capital letter ) Classical Mythology . a vast maze built in Crete by Daedalus, at the command of King Minos, to house the Minotaur. 6. Anatomy . a. the internal ear, consisting of a bony portion (bony labyrinth) and a membranous portion (membranous labyrinth) b. the aggregate of air chambers in the ethmoid bone, between the eye and the upper part of the nose. 7. a mazelike pattern inlaid in the pavement of a church. 8. Also called acoustic labyrinth, acoustical labyrinth. Audio. a loudspeaker enclosure with air chambers at the rear for absorbing sound waves radiating in one direction so as to prevent their interference with waves radiated in another direction.

penchant

noun a strong inclination, taste, or liking for something: a penchant for outdoor sports.

artifact

noun 1. any object made by human beings, especially with a view to subsequent use. 2. a handmade object, as a tool, or the remains of one, as a shard of pottery, characteristic of an earlier time or cultural stage, especially such an object found at an archaeological excavation. 3. any mass-produced, usually inexpensive object reflecting contemporary society or popular culture: artifacts of the pop rock generation. 4. a substance or structure not naturally present in the matter being observed but formed by artificial means, as during preparation of a microscope slide. 5. a spurious observation or result arising from preparatory or investigative procedures. 6. any feature that is not naturally present but is a product of an extrinsic agent, method, or the like: statistical artifacts that make the inflation rate seem greater than it is.

abomination

noun 1. anything abominable; anything greatly disliked or abhorred. 2. intense aversion or loathing; detestation: He regarded lying with abomination. 3. a vile, shameful, or detestable action, condition, habit, etc.: Spitting in public is an abomination.

countenance

noun 1. appearance, especially the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance. 2. the face; visage. 3. calm facial expression; composure. 4. approval or favor; encouragement; moral support. 5. Obsolete . bearing; behavior. verb (used with object) 6. to permit or tolerate: You should not have countenanced his rudeness. 7. to approve, support, or encourage. Idioms 8. out of countenance, visibly disconcerted; abashed: He was somewhat out of countenance at the prospect of an apology.

approbation

noun 1. approval; commendation. 2. official approval or sanction. 3. Obsolete . conclusive proof.

fruition

noun 1. attainment of anything desired; realization; accomplishment: After years of hard work she finally brought her idea to full fruition. 2. enjoyment, as of something attained or realized. 3. state of bearing fruit.

sanction

noun 1. authoritative permission or approval, as for an action. 2. something that serves to support an action, condition, etc. 3. something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc. 4. Law. a. a provision of a law enacting a penalty for disobedience or a reward for obedience. b. the penalty or reward. 5. International Law. action by one or more states toward another state calculated to force it to comply with legal obligations. verb (used with object) 6. to authorize, approve, or allow: an expression now sanctioned by educated usage. 7. to ratify or confirm: to sanction a law. 8. to impose a sanction on; penalize, especially by way of discipline.

aptitude

noun 1. capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent: She has a special aptitude for mathematics. 2. readiness or quickness in learning; intelligence: He was placed in honors classes because of his general aptitude. 3. the state or quality of being apt; special fitness.

alacrity

noun 1. cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness: We accepted the invitation with alacrity. 2. liveliness; briskness.

duress

noun 1. compulsion by threat or force; coercion; constraint. 2. Law. such constraint or coercion as will render void a contract or other legal act entered or performed under its influence. 3. forcible restraint, especially imprisonment.

demeanor

noun 1. conduct; behavior; deportment. 2. facial appearance; mien.

retrospect

noun 1. contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc. verb (used without object) 2. to look back in thought; refer back (often followed by to ): to retrospect to a period in one's youth. verb (used with object) 3. to look back upon; contemplate retrospectively. Idioms 4. in retrospect, in looking back on past events; upon reflection: It was, in retrospect, the happiest day of her life.

demise

noun 1. death or decease. 2. termination of existence or operation: the demise of the empire. 3. Law. a. a death or decease occasioning the transfer of an estate. b. a conveyance or transfer of an estate. 4. Government . transfer of sovereignty, as by the death or deposition of the sovereign. verb (used with object) 5. Law. to transfer (an estate or the like) for a limited time; lease. 6. Government . to transfer (sovereignty), as by the death or abdication of the sovereign. verb (used without object) 7. Law. to pass by bequest, inheritance, or succession.

malice

noun 1. desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness: the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy. 2. Law. evil intent on the part of a person who commits a wrongful act injurious to others.

decorum

noun 1. dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc. 2. the quality or state of being decorous; orderliness; regularity. 3. Usually, decorums. an observance or requirement of polite society.

impunity

noun 1. exemption from punishment. 2. immunity from detrimental effects, as of an action.

guise

noun 1. general external appearance; aspect; semblance: an old principle in a new guise. 2. assumed appearance or mere semblance: under the guise of friendship. 3. style of dress: in the guise of a shepherd. 4. Archaic. manner; mode. verb (used with object) 5. to dress; attire: children guised as cowboys. verb (used without object) 6. Scot. and North England . to appear or go in disguise.

bureaucracy

noun 1. government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials. 2. the body of officials and administrators, especially of a government or government department. 3. excessive multiplication of, and concentration of power in, administrative bureaus or administrators. 4. administration characterized by excessive red tape and routine.

disservice

noun 1. harmful or injurious service; an ill turn. verb (used with object) 2. to provide inadequate or faulty service to: Small shippers are most often disserviced by transportation breakdowns.

ebullience

noun 1. high spirits; exhilaration; exuberance. 2. a boiling over; overflow.

eminence

noun 1. high station, rank, or repute: philosophers of eminence. 2. a high place or part; a hill or elevation; height. 3. ( initial capital letter ) Roman Catholic Church . a title of honor, applied to cardinals (usually preceded by His or Your ). 4. Anatomy . an elevation or projection, especially on a bone.

correlation

noun 1. mutual relation of two or more things, parts, etc.: Studies find a positive correlation between severity of illness and nutritional status of the patients. Synonyms: similarity, correspondence, matching; parallelism, equivalence; interdependence, interrelationship, interconnection. 2. the act of correlating or state of being correlated. 3. Statistics. the degree to which two or more attributes or measurements on the same group of elements show a tendency to vary together. 4. Physiology . the interdependence or reciprocal relations of organs or functions. 5. Geology . the demonstrable equivalence, in age or lithology, of two or more stratigraphic units, as formations or members of such.

propinquity

noun 1. nearness in place; proximity. 2. nearness of relation; kinship. 3. affinity of nature; similarity. 4. nearness in time.

impediment

noun 1. obstruction; hindrance; obstacle. 2. any physical defect that impedes normal or easy speech; a speech disorder. 3. Chiefly Ecclesiastical Law. a bar, usually of blood or affinity, to marriage: a diriment impediment. 4. Usually, impediments. impedimenta.

facet

noun 1. one of the small, polished plane surfaces of a cut gem. 2. a similar surface cut on a fragment of rock by the action of water, windblown sand, etc. 3. aspect; phase: They carefully examined every facet of the argument. 4. Architecture . any of the faces of a column cut in a polygonal form. 5. Zoology . one of the corneal lenses of a compound arthropod eye. 6. Anatomy . a small, smooth, flat area on a hard surface, especially on a bone. 7. Dentistry. a small, highly burnished area, usually on the enamel surface of a tooth, produced by abrasion between opposing teeth in chewing. verb (used with object) 8. to cut facets on.

heresy

noun 1. opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, especially of a church or religious system. 2. the maintaining of such an opinion or doctrine. 3. Roman Catholic Church . the willful and persistent rejection of any article of faith by a baptized member of the church. 4. any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs, customs, etc.

antithesis

noun 1. opposition; contrast: the antithesis of right and wrong. 2. the direct opposite (usually followed by of or to ): Her behavior was the very antithesis of cowardly. 3. Rhetoric . a. the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas, as in "Give me liberty or give me death." b. the second sentence or part thus set in opposition, as "or give me death." 4. Philosophy , See under Hegelian dialectic.

pretense

noun 1. pretending or feigning; make-believe: My sleepiness was all pretense. 2. a false show of something: a pretense of friendship. 3. a piece of make-believe. 4. the act of pretending or alleging falsely. 5. a false allegation or justification: He excused himself from the lunch on a pretense of urgent business.

recidivist

noun 1. repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime. 2. Psychiatry. the chronic tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns.

homage

noun 1. respect or reverence paid or rendered: In his speech he paid homage to Washington and Jefferson. 2. the formal public acknowledgment by which a feudal tenant or vassal declared himself to be the man or vassal of his lord, owing him fealty and service. 3. the relation thus established of a vassal to his lord. 4. something done or given in acknowledgment or consideration of the worth of another: a Festschrift presented as an homage to a great teacher.

deference

noun 1. respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another. 2. respectful or courteous regard: in deference to his wishes.

piety

noun 1. reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations: a prayer full of piety. 2. the quality or state of being pious: saintly piety. 3. dutiful respect or regard for parents, homeland, etc.: filial piety. 4. a pious act, remark, belief, or the like: the pieties and sacrifices of an austere life.

brevity

noun 1. shortness of time or duration; briefness: the brevity of human life. 2. the quality of expressing much in few words; terseness: Brevity is the soul of wit.

paucity

noun 1. smallness of quantity; scarcity; scantiness: a country with a paucity of resources. 2. smallness or insufficiency of number; fewness.

increment

noun 1. something added or gained; addition; increase. 2. profit; gain. 3. the act or process of increasing; growth. 4. an amount by which something increases or grows: a weekly increment of $25 in salary. 5. one of a series of regular additions: You may make deposits in increments of $500. 6. Mathematics . a. the difference between two values of a variable; a change, positive, negative, or zero, in an independent variable. b. the increase of a function due to an increase in the independent variable.

anachronism

noun 1. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare. 2. an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one: To assign Michelangelo to the 14th century is an anachronism.

appurtenance

noun 1. something subordinate to another, more important thing; adjunct; accessory. 2. Law. a right, privilege, or improvement belonging to and passing with a principal property. 3. appurtenances, apparatus; instruments.

nemesis

noun 1. something that a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc.: The performance test proved to be my nemesis. 2. an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome. 3. ( initial capital letter ) Classical Mythology . the goddess of divine retribution. 4. an agent or act of retribution or punishment.

configuration

noun 1. the relative disposition or arrangement of the parts or elements of a thing. 2. external form, as resulting from this; conformation. 3. Astronomy . a. the relative position or aspect of heavenly bodies. b. a group of stars. 4. Chemistry . an atomic spatial arrangement that is fixed by the chemical bonding in a molecule and that cannot be altered without breaking bonds ( contrasted with conformation ). 5. Computers. the totality of a computer and the devices connected to it: A common microcomputer configuration consists of a computer, two disk drives, a monitor, and a printer.

complement

noun 1. something that completes or makes perfect: A good wine is a complement to a good meal. 2. the quantity or amount that completes anything: We now have a full complement of packers. 3. either of two parts or things needed to complete the whole; counterpart. 4. full quantity or amount; complete allowance. 5. the full number of officers and crew required on a ship. 6. Grammar . a. a word or group of words that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object, as small in The house is small or president in They elected her president. Compare object complement, subject complement. b. any word or group of words used to complete a grammatical construction, especially in the predicate, including adverbials, as on the table in He put it on the table, infinitives, as to go in They are ready to go, and sometimes objects, as ball in He caught the ball. 7. Geometry . the quantity by which an angle or an arc falls short of 90° or a quarter of a circle. Compare supplement ( def 4 ) . 8. Also called absolute complement. Mathematics . the set of all the elements of a universal set not included in a given set. 9. Music. the interval that completes an octave when added to a given interval. 10. Immunology . a. a system in vertebrate blood of 12 or more proteins that react in a cascade to a cell displaying immune complexes or foreign surfaces, acting in various combinations to coat the cell and promote phagocytosis, make holes in the cell wall, or enhance the inflammatory response. b. any of the proteins in the complement system, designated C1, C2, etc. 11. complementary color. verb (used with object) 12. to complete; form a complement to: This belt complements the dress better than that one. 13. Obsolete . to compliment. verb (used without object) 14. Obsolete . to compliment.

entity

noun 1. something that has a real existence; thing: corporeal entities. 2. being or existence, especially when considered as distinct, independent, or self-contained: He conceived of society as composed of particular entities requiring special treatment. 3. essential nature: The entity of justice is universality.

aftermath

noun 1. something that results or follows from an event, especially one of a disastrous or unfortunate nature; consequence: the aftermath of war; the aftermath of the flood. 2. a new growth of grass following one or more mowings, which may be grazed, mowed, or plowed under.

stupor

noun 1. suspension or great diminution of sensibility, as in disease or as caused by narcotics, intoxicants, etc.: He lay there in a drunken stupor. 2. mental torpor; apathy; stupefaction.

abeyance

noun 1. temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension: Let's hold that problem in abeyance for a while. 2. Law. a state or condition of real property in which title is not as yet vested in a known titleholder: an estate in abeyance.

attenuation

noun 1. the act of attenuating or the state of being attenuated. 2. the process by which a virus, bacterium, etc., changes under laboratory conditions to become harmless or less virulent. 3. Physics. a decrease in a property, as energy, per unit area of a wave or a beam of particles, occurring as the distance from the source increases as a result of absorption, scattering, spreading in three dimensions, etc.

coercion

noun 1. the act of coercing; use of force or intimidation to obtain compliance. 2. force or the power to use force in gaining compliance, as by a government or police force.

aberration

noun 1. the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course. 2. the act of deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type. 3. deviation from truth or moral rectitude. 4. mental irregularity or disorder, especially of a minor or temporary nature; lapse from a sound mental state. 5. Astronomy . apparent displacement of a heavenly body, owing to the motion of the earth in its orbit. 6. Optics. any disturbance of the rays of a pencil of light such that they can no longer be brought to a sharp focus or form a clear image. 7. Photography . a defect in a camera lens or lens system, due to flaws in design, material, or construction, that can distort the image.

effusion

noun 1. the act of effusing or pouring forth. 2. something that is effused. 3. an unrestrained expression, as of feelings: poetic effusions. 4. Pathology . a. the escape of a fluid from its natural vessels into a body cavity. b. the fluid that escapes. 5. Physics. the flow of a gas through a small orifice at such density that the mean distance between the molecules is large compared with the diameter of the orifice.

perturbation

noun 1. the act of perturbing. 2. the state of being perturbed. 3. mental disquiet, disturbance, or agitation. 4. a cause of mental disquiet, disturbance, or agitation. 5. Astronomy . deviation of a celestial body from a regular orbit about its primary, caused by the presence of one or more other bodies that act upon the celestial body.

ramification

noun 1. the act or process of ramifying. 2. a branch: ramifications of a nerve. 3. a related or derived subject, problem, etc.; outgrowth; consequence; implication: The new tax law proved to have many ramifications unforeseen by the lawmakers. 4. Botany . a. a structure formed of branches. b. a configuration of branching parts.

dissolution

noun 1. the act or process of resolving or dissolving into parts or elements. 2. the resulting state. 3. the undoing or breaking of a bond, tie, union, partnership, etc. 4. the breaking up of an assembly or organization; dismissal; dispersal. 5. Government . an order issued by the head of a state terminating a parliament and necessitating a new election. 6. death; decease. 7. a bringing or coming to an end; disintegration; decay; termination. 8. legal termination, especially of business activity, with the final distribution of assets, the fixing of liabilities, etc. 9. Chemistry . the process by which a solid, gas, or liquid is dispersed homogeneously in a gas, solid, or, especially, a liquid.

ideology

noun 1. the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group. 2. such a body of doctrine, myth, etc., with reference to some political and social plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation. 3. Philosophy . a. the study of the nature and origin of ideas. b. a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation. 4. theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.

ontology

noun 1. the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being as such. 2. (loosely) metaphysics.

pathology

noun 1. the science or the study of the origin, nature, and course of diseases. 2. the conditions and processes of a disease. 3. any deviation from a healthy, normal, or efficient condition.

synthesis

noun 1. the combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity ( opposed to analysis, ) the separating of any material or abstract entity into its constituent elements. 2. a complex whole formed by combining. 3. Chemistry . the forming or building of a more complex substance or compound from elements or simpler compounds. 4. Philosophy . the third stage of argument in Hegelian dialectic, which reconciles the mutually contradictory first two propositions, thesis and antithesis. 5. Biology , modern synthesis, a consolidation of the results of various lines of investigation from the 1920s through the 1950s that supported and reconciled the Darwinian theory of evolution and the Mendelian laws of inheritance in terms of natural selection acting on genetic variation.

liaison

noun 1. the contact or connection maintained by communications between units of the armed forces or of any other organization in order to ensure concerted action, cooperation, etc. 2. a person who initiates and maintains such a contact or connection. 3. an illicit sexual relationship. 4. Cookery. the process of thickening sauces, soups, etc., as by the addition of eggs, cream, butter, or flour. 5. Phonetics . a speech-sound redistribution, occurring especially in French, in which an otherwise silent final consonant is articulated as the initial sound of a following syllable that begins with a vowel or with a silent h, as the z- and n- sounds in Je suis un homme

protocol

noun 1. the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette. 2. an original draft, minute, or record from which a document, especially a treaty, is prepared. 3. a supplementary international agreement. 4. an agreement between states. 5. an annex to a treaty giving data relating to it.

opprobrium

noun 1. the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy. 2. a cause or object of such disgrace or reproach.

brink

noun 1. the edge or margin of a steep place or of land bordering water. 2. any extreme edge; verge. 3. a crucial or critical point, especially of a situation or state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs: We were on the brink of war.

apotheosis

noun 1. the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god. 2. the ideal example; epitome; quintessence: This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

denotation

noun 1. the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any individual speaker because of personal experience. Compare connotation. 2. a word that names or signifies something specific: "Wind" is the denotation for air in natural motion. "Poodle" is the denotation for a certain breed of dog. 3. the act or fact of denoting; indication. 4. something that denotes; mark; symbol. 5. Logic. a. the class of particulars to which a term is applicable. b. that which is represented by a sign.

discernment

noun 1. the faculty of discerning; discrimination; acuteness of judgment and understanding. 2. the act or an instance of discerning.

denouement

noun 1. the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel. 2. the place in the plot at which this occurs. 3. the outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences.

ebb

noun 1. the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea ( opposed to flood, flow ). 2. a flowing backward or away; decline or decay: the ebb of a once great nation. 3. a point of decline: His fortunes were at a low ebb. verb (used without object) 4. to flow back or away, as the water of a tide ( opposed to flow ). 5. to decline or decay; fade away: His life is gradually ebbing.

conjecture

noun 1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof. 2. an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; guess; speculation. 3. Obsolete . the interpretation of signs or omens. verb (used with object) 4. to conclude or suppose from grounds or evidence insufficient to ensure reliability. verb (used without object) 5. to form conjectures.

pedagogy

noun 1. the function or work of a teacher; teaching. 2. the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.

rationale

noun 1. the fundamental reason or reasons serving to account for something. 2. a statement of reasons. 3. a reasoned exposition of principles.

empathy

noun 1. the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. 2. the imaginative ascribing to an object, as a natural object or work of art, feelings or attitudes present in oneself: By means of empathy, a great painting becomes a mirror of the self.

allegiance

noun 1. the loyalty of a citizen to his or her government or of a subject to his or her sovereign. 2. loyalty or devotion to some person, group, cause, or the like.

clemency

noun 1. the quality of being clement; disposition to show forbearance, compassion, or forgiveness in judging or punishing; leniency; mercy. 2. an act or deed showing mercy or leniency. 3. (of the weather) mildness or temperateness.

irreverence

noun 1. the quality of being irreverent; lack of reverence or respect. 2. an irreverent act or statement. 3. the condition of not being reverenced, venerated, respected, etc.

pathos

noun 1. the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion. 2. pity. 3. Obsolete , suffering.

turbulence

noun 1. the quality or state of being turbulent; violent disorder or commotion. 2. Hydraulics . the haphazard secondary motion caused by eddies within a moving fluid. 3. Meteorology . irregular motion of the atmosphere, as that indicated by gusts and lulls in the wind.

depravity

noun 1. the state of being depraved. 2. a depraved act or practice.

sacrilege

noun 1. the violation or profanation of anything sacred or held sacred. 2. an instance of this. 3. the stealing of anything consecrated to the service of God.

oblique

noun. adjective 1. neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given line or surface; slanting; sloping. 2. (of a solid) not having the axis perpendicular to the plane of the base. 3. diverging from a given straight line or course. 4. not straight or direct, as a course. 5. indirectly stated or expressed; not straightforward: oblique remarks about the candidate's honesty. 6. indirectly aimed at or reached, as ends or results; deviously achieved. 7. morally, ethically, or mentally wrong; underhand; perverse. 8. Typography. (of a letter) slanting toward the right, as a form of sans-serif, gothic, or square-serif type. 9. Rhetoric . indirect (applied to discourse in which the original words of a speaker or writer are assimilated to the language of the reporter). 10. Anatomy . pertaining to muscles running obliquely in the body as opposed to those running transversely or longitudinally. 11. Botany . having unequal sides, as a leaf. 12. Grammar . noting or pertaining to any case of noun inflection except nominative and vocative: Latin genitive, dative, accusative, and ablative cases are said to be oblique. 13. Drafting. designating a method of projection (oblique projection) in which a three-dimensional object is represented by a drawing (oblique drawing) in which the face, usually parallel to the picture plane, is represented in accurate or exact proportion, and all other faces are shown at any convenient angle other than 90°. Compare axonometric, cabinet ( def 19 ) , isometric ( def 5 ) . See illus. under isometric. adverb 14. Military . at an angle of 45°. verb (used without object) 15. Military . to change direction obliquely. noun 16. something that is oblique. 17. Grammar . an oblique case. 18. Anatomy . any of several oblique muscles, especially in the walls of the abdomen.

evince

verb (used with object) 1. to show clearly; make evident or manifest; prove. 2. to reveal the possession of (a quality, trait, etc.).

exemplify

verb (used with object) 1. to show or illustrate by example. 2. to furnish or serve as an example of: The plays of Wilde exemplify the comedy of manners. 3. Law. to transcribe or copy; make an attested copy of (a document) under seal.

brandish

verb (used with object) 1. to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish: Brandishing his sword, he rode into battle. noun 2. a flourish or waving, as of a weapon.

entail

verb (used with object) 1. to cause or involve by necessity or as a consequence: a loss entailing no regret. 2. to impose as a burden: Success entails hard work. 3. to limit the passage of (a landed estate) to a specified line of heirs, so that it cannot be alienated, devised, or bequeathed. 4. to cause (anything) to descend to a fixed series of possessors. noun 5. the act of entailing. 6. the state of being entailed. 7. any predetermined order of succession, as to an office. 8. something that is entailed, as an estate. 9. the rule of descent settled for an estate.

polarize

verb (used with object) 1. to cause polarization in. 2. to divide into sharply opposing factions, political groups, etc.: The controversy has polarized voters into proabortion and antiabortion groups. 3. to give polarity to. verb (used without object) 4. to become polarized.

perplex

verb (used with object) 1. to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally: Her strange response perplexed me. 2. to make complicated or confused, as a matter or question. 3. to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.

synchronize

verb (used with object) 1. to cause to indicate the same time, as one timepiece with another: Synchronize your watches. 2. to cause to go on, move, operate, work, etc., at the same rate and exactly together: They synchronized their steps and walked on together. 3. Movies, Television. a. to cause (sound and action) to match precisely: to synchronize the sound of footsteps with the actor's movements. b. to match the sound and action in (a scene). 4. to cause to agree in time of occurrence; assign to the same time or period, as in a history. 5. to adjust the periodicities of (two or more electrical or mechanical devices) so that the periods are equal or integral multiples or fractions of each other. verb (used without object) 6. to occur at the same time or coincide or agree in time. 7. to go on, move, operate, work, etc., at the same rate and exactly together; recur together.

admonish

verb (used with object) 1. to caution, advise, or counsel against something. 2. to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner: The teacher admonished him about excessive noise. 3. to urge to a duty; remind: to admonish them about their obligations.

impugn

verb (used with object) 1. to challenge as false (another's statements, motives, etc.); cast doubt upon. 2. Archaic. to assail (a person) by words or arguments; vilify. 3. Obsolete . to attack (a person) physically.

cull

verb (used with object) 1. to choose; select; pick. 2. to gather the choice things or parts from. 3. to collect; gather; pluck. noun 4. act of culling. 5. something culled, especially something picked out and put aside as inferior.

exonerate

verb (used with object) 1. to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame; exculpate: He was exonerated from the accusation of cheating. 2. to relieve, as from an obligation, duty, or task.

occlude

verb (used with object) 1. to close, shut, or stop up (a passage, opening, etc.). 2. to shut in, out, or off. 3. Physical Chemistry . (of certain metals and other solids) to incorporate (gases and other foreign substances), as by absorption or adsorption. verb (used without object) 4. Dentistry. to shut or close, with the cusps of the opposing teeth of the upper and lower jaws fitting together. 5. Meteorology . to form an occluded front.

infringe

verb (used with object) 1. to commit a breach or infraction of; violate or transgress: to infringe a copyright; to infringe a rule. verb (used without object) 2. to encroach or trespass (usually followed by on or upon ): Don't infringe on his privacy.

garble

verb (used with object) 1. to confuse unintentionally or ignorantly; jumble: to garble instructions. 2. to make unfair or misleading selections from or arrangement of (fact, statements, writings, etc.); distort: to garble a quotation. 3. Archaic. to take out the best of. noun 4. the act or process of garbling. 5. an instance of garbling; a garbled phrase, literary passage, etc.

obfuscate

verb (used with object) 1. to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy. 2. to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information. 3. to darken.

ossify

verb (used with object) 1. to convert into or cause to harden like bone. verb (used without object) 2. to become bone or harden like bone. 3. to become rigid or inflexible in habits, attitudes, opinions, etc.: a young man who began to ossify right after college.

ascribe

verb (used with object) 1. to credit or assign, as to a cause or source; attribute; impute: The alphabet is usually ascribed to the Phoenicians. 2. to attribute or think of as belonging, as a quality or characteristic: They ascribed courage to me for something I did out of sheer panic.

castigate

verb (used with object) 1. to criticize or reprimand severely. 2. to punish in order to correct.

adulterate

verb (used with object) 1. to debase or make impure by adding inferior materials or elements; use cheaper, inferior, or less desirable goods in the production of (any professedly genuine article): to adulterate food. adjective 2. adulterated. 3. adulterous ( def 1 ) .

excoriate

verb (used with object) 1. to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated for his mistakes. 2. to strip off or remove the skin from: Her palms were excoriated by the hard labor of shoveling.

proscribe

verb (used with object) 1. to denounce or condemn (a thing) as dangerous or harmful; prohibit. 2. to put outside the protection of the law; outlaw. 3. to banish or exile. 4. to announce the name of (a person) as condemned to death and subject to confiscation of property.

gainsay

verb (used with object) 1. to deny, dispute, or contradict. 2. to speak or act against; oppose.

enervate

verb (used with object) 1. to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken. Synonyms: enfeeble, debilitate, sap, exhaust. adjective 2. enervated.

deduce

verb (used with object) 1. to derive as a conclusion from something known or assumed; infer: From the evidence the detective deduced that the gardener had done it. 2. to trace the derivation of; trace the course of: to deduce one's lineage.

infiltrate

verb (used with object) 1. to filter into or through; permeate. 2. to cause to pass in by filtering. 3. to move into (an organization, country, territory, or the like) surreptitiously and gradually, especially with hostile intent: The troops infiltrated the enemy lines. 4. to pass a small number of (soldiers, spies, or the like) into a territory or organization clandestinely and with hostile or subversive intent: The intelligence agency infiltrated three spies into the neighboring country. verb (used without object) 5. to pass into or through a substance, place, etc., by or as by filtering. 6. Pathology . to penetrate tissue spaces or cells. noun 7. something that infiltrates. 8. Pathology . any substance penetrating tissues or cells and forming a morbid accumulation.

upbraid

verb (used with object) 1. to find fault with or reproach severely; censure: The military tribunal upbraided the soldier for his cowardice. 2. (of things) to bring reproach on; serve as a reproach to. verb (used without object) 3. Archaic. to utter reproaches.

ascertain

verb (used with object) 1. to find out definitely; learn with certainty or assurance; determine: to ascertain the facts. 2. Archaic. to make certain, clear, or definitely known.

inundate

verb (used with object) 1. to flood; cover or overspread with water; deluge. 2. to overwhelm: inundated with letters of protest.

forebode

verb (used with object) 1. to foretell or predict; be an omen of; indicate beforehand; portend: clouds that forebode a storm. 2. to have a strong inner feeling or notion of (a future misfortune, evil, catastrophe, etc.); have a presentiment of. verb (used without object) 3. to prophesy. 4. to have a presentiment.

stratify

verb (used with object) 1. to form or place in strata or layers. 2. to preserve or germinate (seeds) by placing them between layers of earth. 3. Sociology . to arrange in a hierarchical order, especially according to graded status levels. verb (used without object) 4. to form strata. 5. Geology . to lie in beds or layers. 6. Sociology . to develop hierarchically, especially as graded status levels.

absolve

verb (used with object) 1. to free from guilt or blame or their consequences: The court absolved her of guilt in his death. 2. to set free or release, as from some duty, obligation, or responsibility (usually followed by from ): to be absolved from one's oath. 3. to grant pardon for. 4. Ecclesiastical . a. to grant or pronounce remission of sins to. b. to remit (a sin) by absolution. c. to declare (censure, as excommunication) removed.

emancipate

verb (used with object) 1. to free from restraint, influence, or the like. 2. to free (a slave) from bondage. 3. Roman and Civil Law. to terminate paternal control over.

extricate

verb (used with object) 1. to free or release from entanglement; disengage: to extricate someone from a dangerous situation. 2. to liberate (gas) from combination, as in a chemical process.

subsidize

verb (used with object) 1. to furnish or aid with a subsidy. 2. to purchase the assistance of by the payment of a subsidy. 3. to secure the cooperation of by bribery; buy over.

amass

verb (used with object) 1. to gather for oneself; collect as one's own: to amass a huge amount of money. 2. to collect into a mass or pile; gather: He amassed his papers for his memoirs. verb (used without object) 3. to come together; assemble: crowds amassing for the parade.

embody

verb (used with object) 1. to give a concrete form to; express, personify, or exemplify in concrete form: to embody an idea in an allegorical painting. 2. to provide with a body; incarnate; make corporeal: to embody a spirit. 3. to collect into or include in a body; organize; incorporate. 4. to embrace or comprise.

dissemble

verb (used with object) 1. to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of: to dissemble one's incompetence in business. 2. to put on the appearance of; feign: to dissemble innocence. 3. Obsolete . to let pass unnoticed; ignore. verb (used without object) 4. to conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically.

accentuate

verb (used with object) 1. to give emphasis or prominence to. 2. to mark or pronounce with an accent.

construe

verb (used with object) 1. to give the meaning or intention of; explain; interpret. 2. to deduce by inference or interpretation; infer: He construed her intentions from her gestures. 3. to translate, especially orally. 4. to analyze the syntax of; to rehearse the applicable grammatical rules of: to construe a sentence. 5. to arrange or combine (words, phrases, etc.) syntactically. verb (used without object) 6. to admit of grammatical analysis or interpretation. noun 7. the act of construing. 8. something that is construed.

renounce

verb (used with object) 1. to give up or put aside voluntarily: to renounce worldly pleasures. 2. to give up by formal declaration: to renounce a claim. 3. to repudiate; disown: to renounce one's son. verb (used without object) 4. Cards. a. to play a card of a different suit from that led. b. to abandon or give up a suit led. c. to fail to follow the suit led. noun 5. Cards. an act or instance of renouncing.

circumvent

verb (used with object) 1. to go around or bypass: to circumvent the lake; to circumvent the real issues. 2. to avoid (defeat, failure, unpleasantness, etc.) by artfulness or deception; avoid by anticipating or outwitting: He circumvented capture by anticipating their movements. 3. to surround or encompass, as by stratagem; entrap: to circumvent a body of enemy troops.

precede

verb (used with object) 1. to go before, as in place, order, rank, importance, or time. 2. to introduce by something preliminary; preface: to precede one's statement with a qualification. verb (used without object) 3. to go or come before. noun 4. Journalism. copy printed at the beginning of a news story presenting late bulletins, editorial notes, or prefatory remarks.

enfranchise

verb (used with object) 1. to grant a franchise to; admit to citizenship, especially to the right of voting. 2. to endow (a city, constituency, etc.) with municipal or parliamentary rights. 3. to set free; liberate, as from slavery.

abridge

verb (used with object) 1. to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents: to abridge a reference book. 2. to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminish; curtail: to abridge a visit; to abridge one's freedom. 3. to deprive; cut off.

attribute

verb (used with object) 1. to regard as resulting from a specified cause; consider as caused by something indicated (usually followed by to ): She attributed his bad temper to ill health. 2. to consider as a quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc., indicated: He attributed intelligence to his colleagues. 3. to consider as made by the one indicated, especially with strong evidence but in the absence of conclusive proof: to attribute a painting to an artist. 4. to regard as produced by or originating in the time, period, place, etc., indicated; credit; assign: to attribute a work to a particular period; to attribute a discovery to a particular country. noun 5. something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property: Sensitivity is one of his attributes. 6. something used as a symbol of a particular person, office, or status: A scepter is one of the attributes of a king. 7. Grammar . a word or phrase that is syntactically subordinate to another and serves to limit, identify, particularize, describe, or supplement the meaning of the form with which it is in construction. In the red house, red is an attribute of house. 8. Fine Arts. an object associated with or symbolic of a character, office, or quality, as the keys of St. Peter or the lion skin of Hercules. 9. Philosophy . (in the philosophy of Spinoza) any of the essential qualifications of God, thought and extension being the only ones known. Compare mode1 ( def 4b ) . 10. Logic. (in a proposition) that which is affirmed or denied concerning the subject. 11. Obsolete . distinguished character; reputation.

repudiate

verb (used with object) 1. to reject as having no authority or binding force: to repudiate a claim. 2. to cast off or disown: to repudiate a son. 3. to reject with disapproval or condemnation: to repudiate a new doctrine. 4. to reject with denial: to repudiate a charge as untrue. 5. to refuse to acknowledge and pay (a debt), as a state, municipality, etc.

palliate

verb (used with object) 1. to relieve or lessen without curing; mitigate; alleviate. 2. to try to mitigate or conceal the gravity of (an offense) by excuses, apologies, etc.; extenuate.

obliterate

verb (used with object) 1. to remove or destroy all traces of; do away with; destroy completely. 2. to blot out or render undecipherable (writing, marks, etc.); efface.

extirpate

verb (used with object) 1. to remove or destroy totally; do away with; exterminate. 2. to pull up by or as if by the roots; root up: to extirpate an unwanted hair.

sequester

verb (used with object) 1. to remove or withdraw into solitude or retirement; seclude. 2. to remove or separate. 3. Law. to remove (property) temporarily from the possession of the owner; seize and hold, as the property and income of a debtor, until legal claims are satisfied. 4. International Law. to requisition, hold, and control (enemy property).

nullify

verb (used with object) 1. to render or declare legally void or inoperative: to nullify a contract. 2. to deprive (something) of value or effectiveness; make futile or of no consequence.

revamp

verb (used with object) 1. to renovate, redo, or revise: We've decided to revamp the entire show. noun 2. an act or instance of restructuring, reordering, or revising something; overhaul: a revamp of the nation's foreign policy.

supersede

verb (used with object) 1. to replace in power, authority, effectiveness, acceptance, use, etc., as by another person or thing. 2. to set aside or cause to be set aside as void, useless, or obsolete, usually in favor of something mentioned; make obsolete: They superseded the old statute with a new one. 3. to succeed to the position, function, office, etc., of; supplant.

extenuate

verb (used with object) 1. to represent (a fault, offense, etc.) as less serious: to extenuate a crime. 2. to serve to make (a fault, offense, etc.) seem less serious. 3. to underestimate, underrate, or make light of: Do not extenuate the difficulties we are in. 4. Archaic. a. to make thin, lean, or emaciated. b. to reduce the consistency or density of.

transcend

verb (used with object) 1. to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed: to transcend the limits of thought; kindness transcends courtesy. 2. to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.; surpass; excel. 3. Theology . (of the Deity) to be above and independent of (the universe, time, etc.). verb (used without object) 4. to be transcendent or superior; excel: His competitiveness made him want to transcend.

immolate

verb (used with object) 1. to sacrifice. 2. to kill as a sacrificial victim, as by fire; offer in sacrifice. 3. to destroy by fire.

intersperse

verb (used with object) 1. to scatter here and there or place at intervals among other things: to intersperse flowers among shrubs. 2. to diversify with something placed or scattered at intervals: to intersperse a dull speech with interesting anecdotes.

dissipate

verb (used with object) 1. to scatter in various directions; disperse; dispel. 2. to spend or use wastefully or extravagantly; squander; deplete: to dissipate one's talents; to dissipate a fortune on high living. verb (used without object) 3. to become scattered or dispersed; be dispelled; disintegrate: The sun shone and the mist dissipated. 4. to indulge in extravagant, intemperate, or dissolute pleasure.

relegate

verb (used with object) 1. to send or consign to an inferior position, place, or condition: He has been relegated to a post at the fringes of the diplomatic service. 2. to consign or commit (a matter, task, etc.), as to a person: He relegates the less pleasant tasks to his assistant. 3. to assign or refer (something) to a particular class or kind. 4. to send into exile; banish.

rend

verb (used with object) 1. to separate into parts with force or violence: The storm rent the ship to pieces. 2. to tear apart, split, or divide: a racial problem that is rending the nation. 3. to pull or tear violently (often followed by away, off, up, etc.). 4. to tear (one's garments or hair) in grief, rage, etc. 5. to disturb (the air) sharply with loud noise. 6. to harrow or distress (the heart) with painful feelings. verb (used without object) 7. to split or tear something. 8. to become torn or split.

sunder

verb (used with object) 1. to separate; part; divide; sever. verb (used without object) 2. to become separated; part.

allocate

verb (used with object) 1. to set apart for a particular purpose; assign or allot: to allocate funds for new projects. 2. to fix the place of; locate.

emulate

verb (used with object) 1. to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass: to emulate one's father as a concert violinist. 2. to rival with some degree of success: Some smaller cities now emulate the major capitals in their cultural offerings. 3. Computers. a. to imitate (a particular computer system) by using a software system, often including a microprogram or another computer that enables it to do the same work, run the same programs, etc., as the first. b. to replace (software) with hardware to perform the same task. adjective 4. Obsolete , emulous.

estrange

verb (used with object) 1. to turn away in feeling or affection; make unfriendly or hostile; alienate the affections of: Their quarrel estranged the two friends. 2. to remove to or keep at a distance: The necessity for traveling on business has estranged him from his family. 3. to divert from the original use or possessor.

enunciate

verb (used with object) 1. to utter or pronounce (words, sentences, etc.), especially in an articulate or a particular manner: He enunciates his words distinctly. 2. to state or declare definitely, as a theory. 3. to announce or proclaim: to enunciate one's intentions. verb (used without object) 4. to pronounce words, especially in an articulate or a particular manner.

aggrandize

verb (used with object) 1. to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend. 2. to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor. 3. to make (something) appear greater.

recant

verb (used with object) 1. to withdraw or disavow (a statement, opinion, etc.), especially formally; retract. verb (used without object) 2. to withdraw or disavow a statement, opinion, etc., especially formally.

eschew

verb (used with object) to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid: to eschew evil.

obviate

verb (used with object) to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures; render unnecessary: to obviate the risk of serious injury.

placate

verb (used with object) to appease or pacify, especially by concessions or conciliatory gestures: to placate an outraged citizenry. noun, Armor. a piece of plate armor of the 15th to the 18th century protecting the lower part of the torso in front: used especially as a reinforcement over a breastplate.

expiate

verb (used with object) to atone for; make amends or reparation for: to expiate one's crimes.

pervade

verb (used with object) to become spread throughout all parts of: Spring pervaded the air.

adduce

verb (used with object) to bring forward in argument or as evidence; cite as pertinent or conclusive: to adduce reasons in support of a constitutional amendment.

exculpate

verb (used with object) to clear from a charge of guilt or fault; free from blame; vindicate.

deplete

verb (used with object) to decrease seriously or exhaust the abundance or supply of: The fire had depleted the game in the forest. Extravagant spending soon depleted his funds.

dispirit

verb (used with object) to deprive of spirit, hope, enthusiasm, etc.; depress; discourage; dishearten.

divulge

verb (used with object) to disclose or reveal (something private, secret, or previously unknown).

debunk

verb (used with object) to expose or excoriate (a claim, assertion, sentiment, etc.) as being pretentious, false, or exaggerated: to debunk advertising slogans.

disabuse

verb (used with object) to free (a person) from deception or error.

misinformation

verb (used with object) to give false or misleading information to.

apprise

verb (used with object) to give notice to; inform; advise (often followed by of ): to be apprised of the death of an old friend.

emaciate

verb (used with object) to make abnormally lean or thin by a gradual wasting away of flesh.

alleviate

verb (used with object) to make easier to endure; lessen; mitigate: to alleviate sorrow; to alleviate pain.

propitiate

verb (used with object) to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate.

debilitate

verb (used with object) to make weak or feeble; enfeeble: The siege of pneumonia debilitated her completely.

suffuse

verb (used with object) to overspread with or as with a liquid, color, etc.

envision

verb (used with object) to picture mentally, especially some future event or events: to envision a bright future.

juxtapose

verb (used with object) to place close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

extol

verb (used with object) to praise highly; laud; eulogize: to extol the beauty of Naples.

propound

verb (used with object) to put forward or offer for consideration, acceptance, or adoption; set forth; propose: to propound a theory.

disgruntle

verb (used with object) to put into a state of sulky dissatisfaction; make discontent.

demystify

verb (used with object) to rid of mystery or obscurity; clarify: to demystify medical procedures.

incite

verb (used with object) to stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action: to incite a crowd to riot.

abjure

verb (used with object), ab·jured, ab·jur·ing. 1. to renounce, repudiate, or retract, especially with formal solemnity; recant: to abjure one's errors. 2. to renounce or give up under oath; forswear: to abjure allegiance. 3. to avoid or shun.

flourish

verb (used without object) 1. to be in a vigorous state; thrive: a period in which art flourished. 2. to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc. 3. to be successful; prosper. 4. to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant. 5. to make dramatic, sweeping gestures: Flourish more when you act out the king's great death scene. 6. to add embellishments and ornamental lines to writing, letters, etc. 7. to sound a trumpet call or fanfare. verb (used with object) 8. to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with: a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo. 9. to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines. noun 10. an act or instance of brandishing. 11. an ostentatious display. 12. a decoration or embellishment, especially in writing: He added a few flourishes to his signature. 13. Rhetoric . a parade of fine language; an expression used merely for effect. 14. a trumpet call or fanfare. 15. a condition or period of thriving: in full flourish.

prevail

verb (used without object) 1. to be widespread or current; exist everywhere or generally: Silence prevailed along the funeral route. 2. to appear or occur as the more important or frequent feature or element; predominate: Green tints prevail in the upholstery. 3. to be or prove superior in strength, power, or influence (usually followed by over ): They prevailed over their enemies in the battle. 4. to succeed; become dominant; win out: to wish that the right side might prevail. 5. to use persuasion or inducement successfully: He prevailed upon us to accompany him.

germinate

verb (used without object) 1. to begin to grow or develop. 2. Botany . a. to develop into a plant or individual, as a seed, spore, or bulb. b. to put forth shoots; sprout; pullulate. 3. to come into existence; begin. verb (used with object) 4. to cause to develop; produce. 5. to cause to come into existence; create.

condescend

verb (used without object) 1. to behave as if one is conscious of descending from a superior position, rank, or dignity. 2. to stoop or deign to do something: He would not condescend to misrepresent the facts. 3. to put aside one's dignity or superiority voluntarily and assume equality with one regarded as inferior: He condescended to their intellectual level in order to be understood. 4. Obsolete . a. to yield. b. to assent.

delve

verb (used without object) 1. to carry on intensive and thorough research for data, information, or the like; investigate: to delve into the issue of prison reform. 2. Archaic. to dig, as with a spade. verb (used with object) 3. Archaic. to dig; excavate.

intervene

verb (used without object) 1. to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate. 2. to occur or be between two things. 3. to occur or happen between other events or periods: Nothing important intervened between the meetings. 4. (of things) to occur incidentally so as to modify or hinder: We enjoyed the picnic until a thunderstorm intervened. 5. to interfere with force or a threat of force: to intervene in the affairs of another country. 6. Law. to interpose and become a party to a suit pending between other parties.

confer

verb (used without object) 1. to consult together; compare opinions; carry on a discussion or deliberation. verb (used with object) 2. to bestow upon as a gift, favor, honor, etc.: to confer a degree on a graduate. 3. Obsolete . to compare.

dissent

verb (used without object) 1. to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often followed by from ): Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision. 2. to disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view. 3. to disagree with or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church. noun 4. difference of sentiment or opinion. 5. dissenting opinion. 6. disagreement with the philosophy, methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government. 7. separation from an established church, especially the Church of England; nonconformity.

fulminate

verb (used without object) 1. to explode with a loud noise; detonate. 2. to issue denunciations or the like (usually followed by against ): The minister fulminated against legalized vice. verb (used with object) 3. to cause to explode. 4. to issue or pronounce with vehement denunciation, condemnation, or the like. noun 5. one of a group of unstable, explosive compounds derived from fulminic acid, especially the mercury salt of fulminic acid, which is a powerful detonating agent.

degenerate

verb (used without object) 1. to fall below a normal or desirable level in physical, mental, or moral qualities; deteriorate: The morale of the soldiers degenerated, and they were unable to fight. 2. to diminish in quality, especially from a former state of coherence, balance, integrity, etc.: The debate degenerated into an exchange of insults. 3. Pathology . to lose functional activity, as a tissue or organ. 4. Evolution. (of a species or any of its traits or structures) to revert to a simple, less highly organized, or less functionally active type, as a parasitic plant that has lost its taproot or the vestigial wings of a flightless bird. verb (used with object) 5. to cause degeneration in; bring about a decline, deterioration, or reversion in. adjective 6. having fallen below a normal or desirable level, especially in physical or moral qualities; deteriorated; degraded: a degenerate king. 7. having lost, or become impaired with respect to, the qualities proper to the race or kind: a degenerate vine. 8. characterized by or associated with degeneracy: degenerate times. 9. Mathematics . pertaining to a limiting case of a mathematical system that is more symmetrical or simpler in form than the general case. 10. Physics. a. (of modes of vibration of a system) having the same frequency. b. (of quantum states of a system) having equal energy. noun 11. a person who has declined, as in morals or character, from a type or standard considered normal. 12. a person or thing that reverts to an earlier stage of culture, development, or evolution. 13. a sexual deviate.

ensue

verb (used without object) 1. to follow in order; come afterward, especially in immediate succession: As the days ensued, he recovered his strength. 2. to follow as a consequence; result: When those two friends meet, a battle of wits ensues.

deem

verb (used without object) 1. to form or have an opinion; judge; think: He did not deem lightly of the issue. verb (used with object) 2. to hold as an opinion; think; regard: He deemed it wise to refuse the offer.

fester

verb (used without object) 1. to form pus; generate purulent matter; suppurate. 2. to cause ulceration, as a foreign body in the flesh. 3. to putrefy or rot. 4. to rankle, as a feeling of resentment. verb (used with object) 5. to cause to rankle: Malice festered his spirit. noun 6. an ulcer; a rankling sore. 7. a small, purulent, superficial sore.