NN

Bandit

A bandit is a robber, thief, or outlaw. If you cover your face with a bandanna, jump on your horse, and rob the passengers on a train, you're a bandit.,A bandit typically belongs to a gang of bandits who commit crimes in remote, lawless, or out-of-the-way places. A bus traveling through an isolated location that's not policed might be at risk for being attacked by bandits. The word bandit comes from the Italian bandito, "outlaw," from the Vulgar Latin bannire, "to proclaim or proscribe," by way of a Germanic root that's shared by ban.

Barge

A barge is a big, flat boat that can transport heavy goods over water. You might see a barge carrying a load of new cars down a river.,Barges are useful for moving very heavy things along canals and rivers. A typical barge can hold more than a thousand tons of cargo, so it's ideal for bulky, weighty goods. Barge is also a verb, meaning both "move by barge" and "shove forward," as when you barge in the door of a crowded party or barge into your brother's room just to bother him. The root is believed to be the Greek baris, "Egyptian boat."

renegades

A renegade is a person who has deserted their cause or defied convention; they're rebels and sometimes outlaws, or even traitors.,A long, long time ago, a renegade was a Christian person who decided to become Muslim. That definition is pretty outdated, as these days a renegade is anyone who breaks laws or expectations to do their own thing or join the other side. It might sound kind of cool to be a renegade, like some rogue action hero. But in general, renegade actions are frowned, not smiled, upon.

suggestion

A suggestion is an idea someone proposes. You can accept or reject a suggestion.,When someone gives an order أ¢آ€آ" like in the military أ¢آ€آ" it has to be carried out. On the other hand, a suggestion is an idea that's optional. At a restaurant, a waiter may make a suggestion of a good soup. A friend could make a suggestion of a fun movie. If you're new in town, you might ask for suggestions of good neighborhoods. Suggestions are ideas that can be taken or rejected; itأ¢آ€آ™s up to the person who receives the suggestion.

Tenet

A tenet is a principle or belief honored by a person or, more often, a group of people. "Seek pleasure and avoid pain" is a basic tenet of Hedonism. "God exists" is a tenet of most major religions.,Tenet is pronounced "tenأ¢آ€آ™it." The word evolved from the Latin tenere "to hold." The noun tenet is an opinion or doctrine one holds. It usually refers to a philosophy or a religion, but it doesn't have to أ¢آ€آ" for instance, Eastern medicine has different tenets from Western medicine. One of the central tenets of succeeding in the workplace is that a good offense is the best defense.

Terraced

A terrace is a paved or brick outdoor area right next to a house or apartment. You might have a nice dinner out on your terrace, enjoying the sunset.,Terrace and patio are synonyms. Another meaning for terrace is "a block of row houses that are connected by shared walls and are built in a similar style." Terrace also refers to flat areas on a hillside where people farm or have built houses. That land has been terraced, meaning "made into shelves."

Avuncular

Everyone likes an avuncular guy, that is someone who is kind and patient and generally indulgent with people younger than he is. The Dalai Lama is an avuncular fellow. So is Santa Claus. Unless you haven't been good.,The word avuncular originally comes from the Latin avunculus, meaning "maternal uncle," and strictly speaking the term describes the relationship between an uncle and his nephew. Uncles, by their very definition, are supposed to be avuncular to their nephews. For many uncles though, Santa Claus is pretty hard to compete with.

Afflict

To afflict is to cause suffering, pain, or misery. Itأ¢آ€آ™s often associated with medical conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is most likely to afflict someone who spends many hours every day typing on our computers.,We get afflict from the Latin word affligere, meaning أ¢آ€آœto strike down,أ¢آ€آ‌ which is an old fashioned way of saying to get sick, or to have a condition of some kind. You could argue that chronic indecision was the main problem to afflict Hamlet, or that saying "um," "like," and "you know" are speech tics that afflict teens.

Utmost

Utmost means "the greatest extent or amount." When you work as part as you possibly can, you do your utmost to accomplish your goal.,Whenever something is the most, it can be described as the utmost. If a message is of the utmost importance, it's as important as it possibly can be. Any time you want to really want to emphasize that you believe in something more than anything else or truly intend to do something, do your utmost to use the word utmost.

Devoid

You're stranded in the ocean, miles from shore, clinging to a sinking boat, and you can't swim? Sorry to say, your situation is devoid of all hope.,When you fall off a cliff, you fall into the void. Void means empty. Devoid means empty of. When you use it, always answer the question "Of what?" "My wallet is devoid of cash. My teacher is devoid of pity. My cookie jar is devoid of cookies." These examples are devoid of anything not totally depressing!

Adversarial

empty

Agnosticism

empty

Ambulant

empty

Baring

empty

Corroding

empty

Gruelling

empty

Hackwork

empty

Orient

empty

Ozzed

empty

Pomade

empty

Rambunction

empty

Reed

empty

Schmaltzy

empty

Smog

empty

Spineless

empty

Tenured

empty

Thronged

empty

Undertone

empty

unbeknown

empty

Clump

A clump is a "bunch" or a "cluster." If you're a gardener, the last thing you want to see is a clump of weeds growing in the middle of your newly groomed lawn.,Essentially, a clump is a grouping. You might see a clump of sheep grazing in a field or you might throw a clump of clothes into the washing machine. Clump can also mean lump, like when you find a clump of grass stuck to your shoe. As a verb, clump means "to gather," as in "a flock of birds clumped together in a tree."

cue

A cue is the long stick used for playing pool. A cue is also a reminder or stimulus to do something.,In pool, you use the cue to hit the white ball into the red ball, aiming for a pocket. Other cues make things happen too. In acting, a lighting change or another actor's line could be a cue for you to enter the stage. During rehearsal, the actors need to learn their cues to make sure their timing is right. A cue can also be a clue or reminder of something. Anytime someone has good timing, they're on cue.

caveats

A caveat is a warning. When someone adds a caveat to something theyأ¢آ€آ™re telling you to beware أ¢آ€آ" maybe what theyأ¢آ€آ™re telling you comes with certain conditions or maybe thereأ¢آ€آ™s something dangerous lurking.,When your new friend gives you directions to her house, and then says, أ¢آ€آœThe caveat is that when it snows the driveway turns into an ice rink,أ¢آ€آ‌ she's warning you that your travels could be dangerous. Caveat is also a legal term for when a lawyer asks for a break in proceedings. If a lawyer issues a caveat, she's filing a formal notice to suspend a trial until her client gets a hearing.

Dunce

A dunce is a dummy أ¢آ€آ" someone who isn't smart. You might be tempted to call your little brother a dunce when he walks out the door with his shoes on the wrong feet.,It's not nice to call someone a dunce, though you might call yourself one when you study the wrong chapter before a big history test or get pulled over for yet another speeding ticket. The word dunce comes from a thirteenth century Scottish philosopher, John Duns Scotus, whose resistance to new ideas and mystical beliefs inspired opponents to equate his followers, the "Duns disciples," to "dullards." Later, some teachers made children wear pointed paper "dunce caps" when they misbehaved.

Polymath

A polymath is a person who knows a lot about a lot of subjects. If your friend is not only a brilliant physics student but has also published a poetry collection and won prizes at political debates, you can describe her as a polymath.,You can think of a polymath as a classic "Renaissance man." Imagine Leonardo da Vinci, for example, who was not only an amazing artist, but also an engineer, inventor, mathematician, and much more. When a person's knowledge covers many different areas, he or she is a polymath. The Greek word for it is polymathes, "having learned much," with poly meaning "much," and manthanein meaning "learn."

Relic

A relic is a fragment from the past أ¢آ€آ" one of Elvis's guitars, an ancient piece of pottery or even an outmoded way of thinking -أ¢آ€آ" that remains behind. Your dad might love his old albums, but to you, they're just relics.,The noun relic is derived from relinquere, Latin for "to leave behind." A crumbling Roman wall is a relic of a once-great civilization. The superstition that seven years of bad luck will follow if you break a mirror may be a relic of the old superstition that a mirror can trap the souls of those reflected in it. Whether it's an object or an idea, a relic is a remnant of the past. Religious relics are items, such as Buddhaأ¢آ€آ™s tooth or St. Anneأ¢آ€آ™s wrist bone, that have been preserved and venerated.

Amassed

Amass means bring together or assemble. It can be a real shock to enter a room and see your amassed friends shouting "Surprise!",Although the word amass should not be confused with "a mass," as in the thing you never want to hear has been found on your lung, they both derive from the Latin massa "lump." When you think about it, this makes sense. Whether soldiers or cancer cells, things that come together to form a whole أ¢آ€آ" in this case, a tumor or an army أ¢آ€آ" are amassed.

Aspirant

Ambition is the name of the game for an aspirant, a young person who sets her sights on rising to the top in her chosen field.,Every young person who wishes on a star for fame and fortune is an aspirant. Used mostly as a noun, the word also works as an adjective أ¢آ€آ" describing the desire to move up the corporate ladder, to receive national recognition for saving the world, or to achieve success on the Broadway stage أ¢آ€آ" whatever one aspires to: "The aspirant dancer had to start her career as an understudy to the prima ballerina."

Mystique

An air of mystery around someone gives that person a certain mystique, like your glamorous next door neighbor who's rumored to work for the CIA.,The noun mystique is good for describing someone you find fascinating, like your beautiful and mysterious French teacher with that special mystique. A place or an object can also be described this way; many travelers are attracted to India's mystique, for example. The root of mystique is thought to be the Greek word mystikos, "secret or mystic."

Ode

An ode is a kind of poem, usually praising something. A famous example is John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn." Apparently, Keats was really into urns.,An ode is a form of lyric poetry أ¢آ€آ" expressing emotion أ¢آ€آ" and it's usually addressed to someone or something, or it represents the poet's musings on that person or thing, as Keats' ode tells us what he thought as he looked at the Grecian urn. The word ode comes from a Greek word for "song," and like a song, an ode is made up of verses and can have a complex meter.

Appellation

Appellation means the name or title by which someone is known. Mark Twain is the famous appellation by which everyone remembers author and humorist Samuel Clemens.,An appellation is what people call a person or thing أ¢آ€آ" essentially, its name or title. George Herman Ruth's parents may have known him as George, but the rest of the world knew this famous slugger by his appellation, Babe. If you use the word appellation in a discussion of wine, you'd mean the name of the region or vineyard where the wine originated. Champagne is an appellation for the bubbly white wine that comes from the Champagne region of France.

Preeminent

Calling someone preeminent means they're truly outstanding or better than everyone else أ¢آ€آ" not in general, but in a specific field or specialty. Such as a preeminent geologist.,The adjective preeminent was first recorded in the mid 15th century and has its roots in the Latin praeeminentem, which means أ¢آ€آœto project forward, rise above.أ¢آ€آ‌ And anything that's been described as preeminent certainly does rise above the rest. Preeminent scholars or universities or craftsmen are the best at what they do and are well known because of it.

comport

Comport means to behave, and particularly to behave well. If you attend a school for social etiquette, you will learn how to comport yourself properly at the dinner table.,Youأ¢آ€آ™ll usually find comport in one of two phrases: with yourself, himself, etc., as in, "With all that burping, you did not comport yourself well at Aunt Ednaأ¢آ€آ™s party," or with the word with. When you see the second version, comport means something more like agree. For example, you could say, "I donأ¢آ€آ™t think your ripped jeans and beat up t-shirt really comport with the guidelines for Casual Friday."

Corollary

Corollary describes a result that is the natural consequence of something else. You could say that your weight gain is a corollary of the recent arrival of a bakery across the street from your house.,The noun corollary describes an action's consequence, such as having to study more, a corollary to getting a bad grade. The word is often seen with the prepositions أ¢آ€آœtoأ¢آ€آ‌ or أ¢آ€آœof," as in أ¢آ€آœa corollary to fortune is fame.أ¢آ€آ‌ Math enthusiasts may already be familiar with the word corollary, which can be used more formally to describe a new proof or proposition that follows naturally from an established one.

Dignified

Dignified means self-respecting and worthy. If you want to have a dignified memorial service, skip the karaoke machine and instead softly play the favorite music of the person you're remembering.,Something that has dignity is honorable and worthy, so something that is dignified acts in an honorable, worthy way, showing great self-respect and respect for others. If someone handles a terrible public embarrassment gracefully and without breaking down, we might compliment her dignified manner. You might be too dignified to engage in screaming at the wrestling match, or too dignified to beg for a job even in hard times.

Discernment

Discernment is the ability to make a smart judgment about something. If you're voting for Student Council President, you need to use discernment to pick the best candidate.,The noun discernment describes a wise way of judging between things, or a particularly perceptive way of seeing things. If you can understand something that's somewhat hidden or obscure أ¢آ€آ" if you figure out the themes of a confusing movie, for example أ¢آ€آ" you're using discernment. It comes from the Latin word discernere, meaning "separate." Discernment separates what's important or true from what's not.

foremost

Foremost is an adjective that means holding the highest position or rank. When naming advisors, presidents usually search for the foremost experts on various subjects.,If you are the foremost in your profession, you're the expert people will seek out for an opinion. If your foremost concern in a project is money, all other factors are secondary. You can also use this word as an adverb meaning "before anything else." The film, Gone With the Wind, is set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, but first and foremost, it is a love story.

Paraphernalia

Having lunch in the park might require you to first gather together a lot of picnic paraphernalia, such as blankets, coolers, Frisbees, and other miscellaneous items that are relevant to that activity.,This term dates back to the 17th century when it referred specifically to a womanأ¢آ€آ™s personal belongings, not including her dowry. Now, it can refer to any gear or equipment necessary for a sport or any undertaking. For example, a hockey playerأ¢آ€آ™s paraphernalia would include various pieces of protective padding, while a pastry chef has a different set of articles she needs for her task, such as baking tins and mixers.

hypnotic

Hypnotic things either relate to hypnosis أ¢آ€آ" putting people under spells أ¢آ€آ" or anything that is mesmerizing or spellbinding.,You know how hypnotists put people under spells and then make them quack like a duck, or do something equally silly? Hypnotic things relate to hypnosis أ¢آ€آ" like a hypnotist's calm, entrancing, hypnotic voice أ¢آ€آ" or other things that tend to grab people's attention in a similar way. The voice of a powerful public speaker could be described as hypnotic. Great music that you canأ¢آ€آ™t turn off could also be considered hypnotic. Anything hypnotic has a powerful hold on your attention.

Predicament

If you're engaged to get married, but suddenly fall in love with someone else, you have got yourself in quite a predicament. A predicament is a difficult, confusing, and unpleasant situation.,The Greek word that predicament originally descends from means "a state of being." Which makes sense considering the words that sound like predicate are all about states of beingأ¢آ€آ"أ¢آ€آ"predict, or say what's going to happen in the future, and predicate the second part of a sentence that's led by the verb. Think of predicament as an unpleasant state of being.

Gape

If Bigfoot walked down your street wearing a tutu, you might gape or stare at the man-ape with your mouth open. You'd really gape if the tutu had a gaping, or wide open, hole.,Gape is closely related to the word, gap, which means a space between things. When you gape at something, there is a lot of space between your teeth because your mouth is open in disbelief. You'll often hear mothers telling children not to gape. The fact is it's rude to stare at someone that way, even if they are a Sasquatch on the way to dance class.

Revered

If someone is revered, it means he or she is held in deep respect and devotion. Religious leaders, saints, and martyrs are often considered as revered. Celebrities? Not so much. There's a touch of the other worldly about revered.,The origins of revered reveal something about its slightly scary, awesome nature. It comes from the Latin word revereri, meaning "to fear," and the addition of the "re" at the beginning is an expression of intensive force, so the word literally means "to greatly fear." People whom are revered are not necessarily those we feel most comfortable around; we are too busy holding them in awe.

Quintessential

If someone tells you youأ¢آ€آ™re the quintessential rock musician, that means they think that everything about you screams أ¢آ€آœrock and roll.أ¢آ€آ‌ Quintessential means embodying or possessing the essence of something.,Some people think that baseball is the quintessential American sport. (Others might think it's stock car racing.) We also call something quintessential if itأ¢آ€آ™s absolutely necessary. A quintessential part of a lasting friendship is mutual respect. Good computer skills are quintessential if you want to become the worldأ¢آ€آ™s greatest hacker.

vicinity

If something is in your vicinity, it's in the surrounding area or nearby region أ¢آ€آ" it's in the neighborhood, so to speak. If there's a garbage dump in your vicinity, you'll certainly smell it.,The noun vicinity evolved from the Latin vicinitas, which means أ¢آ€آœof or pertaining to neighbors or a neighborhood.أ¢آ€آ‌ Not until 1796 did the word expand in meaning to also describe a أ¢آ€آœsurrounding district.أ¢آ€آ‌ Said American author Washington Irving, أ¢آ€آœA kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.أ¢آ€آ‌ Slang for vicinity include neck of the woods and turf.

Indelible

If something is indelible, you better hope you never regret it, like the indelible tattoo of the name of your favorite band or the indelible first impression it might give people you meet years from now, especially if your taste in music changes.,The adjective indelible describes something that can't be erased or removed, like marks made by an indelible marker, or an indelible moment you will never forget, like your first day of kindergarten or the first time you visit a new, exotic place. It comes from the Latin word indelebilis, meaning "not able to be destroyed."

Mete

If you "mete out" something (the word is usually followed by "out"), it means you dish it out in very careful measured amounts. Anyone who metes out their love probably isn't someone you want to have a relationship with.,Another word often used interchangeably with mete is dole, though there are slight differences in meaning: dole suggests a more lavish, unthinking form of activity than the more stingy and controlled mete, and while some nice things (like compassion or love) can be "doled out," it's very rare that anything pleasant or happy is "meted out."

Patina

If you have an old bronze sculpture with a surface that has oxidized and turned green or brown, that coating is called a patina. A patina can appear on anything made of metal.,A patina can also be the shiny surface on wooden furniture that you get after years and years of polishing. You can also use the word in a metaphorical sense, to describe somebody who has acquired some surface character that doesn't go very deep أ¢آ€آ" like the tycoon who has a patina of sophistication but only pretends to be interested in art and literature.

Satirical

If you know the movie you are about to see is satirical, you expect it to make fun some aspect of human nature or even our society, like a satirical take on the glamorous world of fashion that portrays all the designers as celebrity-obsessed and unconcerned with true artistry.,Satirical is an adjective that describes satire, a work that is intended to ridicule the shortcomings and antics of a person or group. So, something that is satirical often looks like the real thing in order to make fun of it. For example, a sketch on a comedy show in which a comedian sits behind a news anchor desk and uses a serious tone to "report" on absurd events that really happened takes a satirical approach to both the events and the concept of broadcast journalism.

Rave

If you rave about a book you just read, you're telling people you think it's great, or you're giving it a rave review.,Rave has two levels, one that implies you're very excited about something and the other that you are too excited, so you seem crazy. While raving about a movie means to talk it up, being a raving lunatic means you are engaging in a lot of crazy talk. When you rave about a performance, you talk enthusiastically about it. Take that enthusiastic talking to the next level, and you might be called raving in the crazy sense.

rancid

Rancid means sour, rotten, and nasty and refers most specifically to the sharp bad smell of decomposing oils or fats. "Rancid" is a great name for a post-punk band, but a lousy way to describe the sauce on your eggs Benedict.,If you've never had the pleasure of smelling something rancid, life has quite a wallop in store for you. As meat, fat, or oil decomposes the chemical change creates a sharp wretched stink that will cause you to recoil. It's just foul. The powerful horrendous fragrance of rancid butter, therefore, makes the word wonderfully potent to describe all sorts of things أ¢آ€آ" from a corrupt dictatorship to a party that's gone on a few hours too long.

repugnant

Repugnant refers to something you detest so thoroughly it threatens to make you physically sick, like the idea of marrying your sister. Or wearing last year's jeans.,A repugnant thing is a thing offensive, detestable, or obscene. It can be repugnant to your mind or your morals. It can also be physically repugnant, like the smell that comes from a restaurantأ¢آ€آ™s dumpster, which hasn't been emptied since the very exciting "Omelet Week," way back at the beginning of August. Makes you want to "re-PLUG-nant" your nose!

Scurry

Scurry means to move quickly, at a frenzied pace, and often also implies the urge to hide. When you come upon a mouse in your house, chances are it will scurry away.,Think of scurry this way أ¢آ€آ" anytime you describe someone as scurrying, you're comparing them to a mouse. When you say troops scurried back behind their defensive lines, you're insulting them. When you say children scurry around searching for eggs during an Easter egg hunt, you think they're cute.

Smitten

Smitten means overwhelmed or struck by something, usually love. The way you light up every time the waiter comes over to your table, itأ¢آ€آ™s obvious youأ¢آ€آ™re smitten with him.,Smitten is related to the verb smite, which comes from the Old English smitan, meaning أ¢آ€آœto hit, strike, beat.أ¢آ€آ‌ What do hitting and beating have to do with love, you may ask? Well, when some people fall in love they report feeling as though they've been "struck by lightning." Obviously those people have never actually been struck by lightning, because when you're struck by lightning you don't start saying things like, "Oh, you like the beach? Brad loves the beach!" and, "You have a cat? So does Brad!"

Slender

Something slender is slight, or skinny. A young colt is slender compared to the full grown horse it will grow into.,Slender can be used in both positive and negative ways. If someone tells you you have a slender figure, you'll probably be happy, unless you're going for muscle-mass. A slender portion of potatoes will not cheer a hungry growing boy. If you don't know much about something, you can say your knowledge of it is slender. And if you become an artist, get used to living on a slender budget. Now that's a nice way to put it.

Lopsided

Something that's lopsided is crooked or off-balance, like your grandma's lopsided hat, which sits askew on her head.,You can use the adjective lopsided to describe things that are crooked or asymmetrical. A bad toothache might cause one side of your jaw to swell, leaving your face feeling أ¢آ€آ" and looking أ¢آ€آ" lopsided. Your might say that your school's student council election is lopsided if one candidate is clearly more qualified than the other. The word lopsided was originally lapsided, and in the early 1700s it almost always referred to a tilting ship.

Suavity

Suavity is the art of making people like and want to be around you, like the celebrity whose suavity helped him land great movie roles أ¢آ€آ" even though he wasn't the most talented actor to audition.,Suavity, pronounced "SWAH-vuh-tee," depends on saying all the right things to "get in good" with everyone around. So, though it is a graceful and often helpful thing to have suavity, it also might be a little less than real: In avoiding any topic that might get the conversation moving in a more lively and even heated direction, those who possess great suavity may also make things a little boring, fake, even. Talking about the weather and where everyone went on vacation does get a bit old.

Taint

Taint means to contaminate. If your water supply is tainted with arsenic, you should stop drinking it right away.,Tainted and "tinted" are similarly spelled words with dissimilar meaningsأ¢آ€آ"-"tint" is what happens when you add color to somethingأ¢آ€آ"أ¢آ€آ"if you tint white with red, you get pink. On the other hand, if you taint something, you are somehow spoiling or corrupting it. If you taint meat with the salmonella virus, you have a disaster and a public panic.

Stream

That little rolling brook in your back yard is a stream. If it starts rising and threatens to flood, your father might let out a stream of expletives. A stream is a steady flow of something.,As a verb, stream means to flow out. If water streams from a faucet, it is pouring out. After a concert people stream out of a stadium and into the parking lot. On the web, you'll hear about something connected with music and video called streaming. This means that instead of having to download it to play, it is sent through your computer to listen to or watch, sort of like the way radio and TV work.

Amoral

The moral of a story is the lesson that story teaches about how to behave in the world.,Moral comes from the Latin word mores, for habits. The moral of a story is supposed to teach you how to be a better person. If moral is used as an adjective, it means good, or ethical. If you have a strong moral character, you are a good member of society. If someone is a cheat and a liar, you might say, "She is not a moral person."

Oeuvre

The oeuvre of a writer or artist refers to all their work combined. Writing one book isn't much of an oeuvre, but writing ten could be.,This is a French word often used by critics أ¢آ€آ" people who comment on the work of writers, painters, musicians, and other artists. An oeuvre is the total output of an artist. Just like critics give a thumbs up or down to a single movie, they give opinions on oeuvres as well. You could say a band's current album stinks, but since they've made great music for 10 years, they still have an impressive oeuvre.

Haul

To haul is to move or take something, usually big and heavy, and put it somewhere else. If you've ever moved to a new house, then you know that having to haul all your stuff there can really take the joy out of moving into a new place.,You'll want to reserve haul for situations in which carrying something takes a lot of effort and ain't a lot of fun. You don't haul a sack of feathers, for example. You haul a bag of boulders, or a box of books. Haul is usually a verb, but you can also use it as a noun, when you're talking about lot of something that you caught or won. We went digging for clamsأ¢آ€آ"look at our haul! After winning at blackjack, take your haul and hit the road. Don't risk losing it all on roulette.

Amputate

Use the verb amputate when you need to describe the surgical removal of a limb, such as an arm or a leg. For example, a doctor might amputate an accident victim's badly crushed arm.,No doubt you hope you'll never have to tell someone that you have to amputate, but if you do make sure you pronounce the word correctly, with the accent on the first syllable: "AM-pyo-tate." Amputate comes from the Latin word amputat-, meaning "lopped off." It can describe the removal of limbs or digits from both humans and animals.

Veteran

Veteran commonly refers to someone who has fought in a warأ¢آ€آ"أ¢آ€آ"think Veterans' Day, the Vietnam Veterans' Memorialأ¢آ€آ"أ¢آ€آ"but, in fact, the word can mean anyone with experience in a particular field.,Many veterans of World War II went to college afterward, through the G.I. Bill, and pursued professional careers. At the end of those careers, it was not unusual to find among the ranks of veteran teachers or veteran attorneys or veteran doctors men who were also veterans of the war.

Doggerel

We're not sure why poor dogs always seem to get used to describe something really dreadful, but it's the case with doggerel أ¢آ€آ" meaning irregularly rhyming, really bad poetry, usually comic in tone and fit only for dogs.,Sometimes doggerel has a non-critical meaning: plenty of popular comic poets (like Lewis Carroll or any limerick inventor) had no aim to make great art, just great light verse, and they succeeded brilliantly. They were masters of doggerel. But pity the earnest highbrow poet like the immortal Scotsman William McGonagall whose doggerel was so bad his audience frequently pelted him with eggs and rotting vegetables. Now his poetry was only fit for the dogs.

Poach

When people poach deer or ducks, they hunt them illegally. On the other hand, when you poach an egg, it's perfectly legal أ¢آ€آ" you just cook it in simmering water.,Hunters are only permitted to hunt certain animals during specific times of the year, and only in certain locations. If a hunter shoots a rabbit on another person's private land, you can say she poaches it. This meaning probably stems from the Middle French pocher, "to thrust." Another theory connects it to the "cook in hot liquid" meaning of poach and its Old French root pochأƒآ©, "put into a pocket."

Monolithic

When something is monolithic it's big, and made of one thing. A large piece of stone jutting from the earth is a monolith, and Detroit's economy when it depended entirely on the auto industry was monolithic.,Broken into its roots mono and lithic, monolithic means simply "one stone." When monolithic is used to describe something societal أ¢آ€آ" like a religion or an organization أ¢آ€آ" it has a slightly negative connotation. This is because anything made up of different people with different beliefs and goals is unlikely to be able to maintain monolithic status for long without force or oppression.

Patter

When something patters, it makes a light, rhythmic, tapping sound. On a rainy night, you might love lying in bed listening to the rain patter on the roof.,You can describe the way rain patters, or the way children's feet patter down the hallway on Christmas morning. The light, quick sound itself is also a patter: "Listen to the patter of sleet on the window!" Informally, a salesman's pitch can be called patter as well, from an older meaning, "talk rapidly," from pater, "mumble prayers rapidly." The tapping kind of patter has a different root, which it shares with pat.

visceral

When something's visceral, you feel it in your guts. A visceral feeling is intuitive أ¢آ€آ" there might not be a rational explanation, but you feel that you know what's best, like your visceral reaction against egg salad.,Your hatred of mice may not be rational, but it is visceral, and every time you see one, you feel like you're going to faint. And when you had to decide whether you were going to stay in Florida or move to Texas, even though you had a good job in Orlando you had a visceral feeling that Texas would be the right choice . . . and it turned out you were meant to be a rancher! Visceral can also mean أ¢آ€آœrelating to the viscera,أ¢آ€آ‌ with viscera being your organs.

Bastion

When the battle is getting long and the odds are getting longer, retreat to your bastion to regroup and prepare for the next round of fighting. A bastion is a stronghold or fortification that remains intact.,French Independence Day, or Bastille Day (July 14), commemorates the storming in 1789 of the French king's prison/fort, the Bastille. Bastion and Bastille share the root bast, which means "build." Bastion can refer to any place to which one turns for safety; that can include not only buildings but also concepts, ideas, and even beliefs. The Church, for example, is a bastion of many religious beliefs.

Cremated

When you cremate something, you burn it until only ashes are left. The word cremate is most often used to describe the ceremonial burning of dead bodies.,If you burn a grilled cheese sandwich and there is nothing but black ashes left in the pan, you can say you cremated it. Usually, however, people use the verb cremate when they're talking about a practical or ceremonial burning of a body. Many people are cremated after dying, with their ashy remains either buried or scattered in a beautiful place. The Latin root word is cremare, "to burn or consume by fire."

Scuttle

When you scuttle, you move with quick anxious steps, like a bug running for cover when a light is turned on.,Use the word scuttle when you want to describe running or fast walking thatأ¢آ€آ™s characterized by short, hasty steps, like someone or something that tries to hurry أ¢آ€آ" a person who is late for work scuttling through a crowd of slow-moving pedestrians أ¢آ€آ" but can't. It is also found in these well-known lines from T.S. Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": "I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas."

Sprawl

When you sprawl, you spread out in an ungainly way, like when you're lying down comfortably on the sofa with your legs and arms flung out around you.,As a noun, the most common use of this word nowadays is in the phrase "urban sprawl" (or "suburban sprawl"), which describes municipal development أ¢آ€آ" things like new neighborhoods, shopping malls, and office complexes أ¢آ€آ" that spreads out of control, according to no approved plan, and usually with pretty ugly results.

Eminently

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