NS 2016-Vocab

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obfuscate

: obfuscated, to confuse or make muddy

adduce

: to bring forward (as an example, reason, or proof) for consideration in a discussion, analysis, or contention : offer , present , cite <in the light of the parallels which I have adduced , the hypothesis appears legitimate — J. G. Frazer> <let me adduce more pleasing evidence — A. T. Quiller-Couch>

infuriating

: to make furious : enrage , madden <his book will ... infuriate , enlighten, and rejoice different types of readers — D. W. Brogan>

polarity

: the quality or state of being polar : such as a : the quality or condition inherent in a body that exhibits opposite properties or powers in opposite parts or directions or that exhibits contrasted properties or powers in contrasted parts or directions : the having of poles — compare magnet b : direction or attraction (as of inclination, feeling, or thought) toward a particular object : tendency or trend in a specific direction c : the particular either positive or negative state (as of a body) with reference to the two poles or to electrification d (1) : the observed axial differentiation of an organism or tissue into parts with distinctive properties or form (as head and tail or shoot and root) (2) : the underlying structural orientation held to account for orderly regeneration of lost parts of normal type in proper axial relation to the body as a whole (as in the growth of roots from the base of a cutting or the growth of a head at the anterior end of a planaria fragment) — compare gradient concept e (1) : the principle, property, or condition of diametrical opposition (as in nature, tendency, or action) <a cabinet system ... produces a certain polarity in a nation — Ernest Barker> <the acute polarity between extreme passion and extreme control — Gilbert Highet> (2) : an instance or case of such a relationship : something that is or is held to be diametrically opposite from something else f (1) : the relationship existing between two apparently opposed objects that nevertheless involve each other usually by being dependent upon a mutual factor (as day and night or birth and death) —compare dialectic 2b (2) : an instance or case of such a relationship

alliteration

: the repetition usually initially of a sound that is usually a consonant in two or more neighboring words or syllables (as w ild and w oolly, thr eatening thr ongs)

legalese

: the specialized language of the legal profession that is usually wordy and complicated and often unintelligible to an outsider <befogged far beyond the ordinary achievements of military legalese — Bernard DeVoto>

allude

: to have or make indirect reference (as in passing or by suggestion) : refer indirectly — used with to <proposals ... always alluded to slightingly as innovations — Compton Mackenzie> <though any reference to his deformity annoyed him, there were times when she felt obliged to allude to it — Ellen Glasgow> <a letter alluding to some unspecified family difficulties>

disgruntled

: to put in bad humor : arouse peevish dissatisfaction in — dis·grun·tle·ment \-mənt\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -s

surrogate

: to put in the place of another: a : to appoint as successor, deputy, or substitute for oneself b : substitute

revere

: to regard with reverence or profound respect and affection : practice an affectionate deference toward : show love and honor to <whom he rather revered as his father than treated as his partner — Joseph Addison>

revamp

: to vamp again or anew: such as a : to put in repair (as an old house) : renovate , reconstruct < revamped cherry wood showcases — Jeweler's Circular-Keystone > < revamping old cars> b : to revise (as a play) by bringing up to date or by fitting to a new need <a story a hundred years old, revamped every few years — Edward Bok> < revamp much of what was heretofore believed true — Science News Letter >

Variegated

: varied <a variegated throng — Adrian Bell> especially : marked with different colors or tints in spots, streaks, or stripes <a variegated tulip>

vet

: veterinarian , veterinary

brio

: vivacity , spirit , fire <the rector sang with such brio — Christopher Morley> <driving with the brio of a Paris taxi-driver — J. M. O'Brien> — see con brio

gyrate

: winding or coiled round : curved , ringed , convoluted <a gyrate branch>

cum

: with : combined with <the entertainment- cum -profit motive — Newsweek > including : along with <house- cum -farm> <the members of this orchestra- cum -ballet — New Yorker >

impromptu

: without previous study, preparation, or consideration : on the spur of the moment : extemporaneously <being able to speak impromptu and at length on any given subject — Bryan MacMahon> <any cry of contribution that ever came impromptu from a human being — C. E. Montague>

fulsome

1 : very full and abundant : copious <The magnolia was in fulsome bloom, great waxy cups in dark green saucers pressing against the windows. — Caroline Graham, The Killings at Badger's Drift , 1987> < Fulsome bird life. The feeder overcrowded with rose-breasted grosbeaks, purple finches, and half a dozen goldfinches queued up on the clothesline awaiting an opportunity. — Maxine Kumin, In Deep , 1987> 2 a (1) : notably or appealingly full or rounded in shape : plump , shapely <In an effort to get glamorous roles, former child star Margaret O'Brien, now a fulsome 20-year-old, unsheathes sinuous curves in a sophisticated style. — Life , 19 May 1957> <Blond hair aside, she looked a lot like his mother when young: those fulsome English lips, ... big hazel eyes. — Zadie Smith, White Teeth , 2001> (2) obsolete : fat , corpulent b : impressively full and well developed in sound < ... she was in generally fulsome , limpid voice ... — Thor Eckert, Jr., Christian Science Monitor , 13 Feb. 1980> 3 obsolete : lustful , wanton 4 a obsolete : offensive to the senses : nauseating , sickening b archaic : offensive to moral or aesthetic sensibility : repulsive , disgusting < ... that odious word; you know I detest it; such fulsome stuff is nauseous to the ears of a woman of strict virtue. — Henry Fielding, The Fathers , 1778> 5 a : exceeding the bounds of good taste : overdone <The fulsome chromium glitter of the escalators dominating the central hall ... — Lewis Mumford, New Yorker , 10 Mar. 1951> especially : excessively or insincerely complimentary <Her servility and fulsome compliments when Emmy was in prosperity were not more to that lady's liking. — William Thackeray, Vanity Fair , 1848> <He was sick of them. They were blighters. Creatures that it would be fulsome flattery to describe as human beings. — P. G. Wodehouse, Love Among the Chickens , 1906> <His old colleague ..., who has not done as well in the years since they were boys together in the mailroom, comes in to congratulate him — very fulsome congratulations, tinged with sycophancy ... — Edith Oliver, New Yorker , 16 May 1988> b : expressed with or expressing full and unrestrained emotion or approval < ... the greetings have been fulsome , the farewells tender ... — Simon Gray, Times Literary Supplement (London), 2 Sept. 1983> < ... Grant gave fulsome praise to the Navy's contributions in both his official report and again in his Memoirs. — James R. Arnold, Naval History , September/October 1999> <In a letter to the Jewish Chronicle newspaper, he offered an " unreserved, wholehearted and fulsome apology " ... — Associated Press, 18 Dec. 2011> <With 18 novels to her credit, Ms. Tyler is a past master of writer's craft. Her novels have received fulsome praise from the likes of John Updike ... — James E. Person Jr., Washington Times , 22 Jan. 2010> — ful·some·ly adverb — ful·some·ness noun , plural -es

clout

1 a now dialectal British : a patch especially of cloth or leather : a shred or rag especially of cloth b : cloth ; especially : a cloth for household use (as a towel or cover) c : an article of clothing (as for infants); specifically : diaper 2 a : an iron plate on an axletree or other wood to keep it from wearing b : clout nail 3 : a blow especially with the fist <gave him a clout on his old head — Arnold Bennett> : a hit especially in baseball <a long clout over the fence> 4 a : the mark shot at in archery; specifically : a white cloth placed on a stake or stretched on a hoop or frame used as a target in distance shooting — see clout shooting b : a hit in the clout 5 : pull , influence <had a lot of clout with the governor>

zap

1 — used to express a sound made by or as if by a gun 2 — used to indicate a sudden or instantaneous occurrence

scam

: a confidence scheme in which an established business is taken over, merchandise is purchased on credit and quickly sold, and then the business is abandoned or bankruptcy is declared; broadly : a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation <insurance swindles, credit-card rackets, and practically every scam devised by man — Joe Flaherty>

hors d'oeuvre

: any of various savory foods (as olives, anchovies, or spiced crab apples) usually served as appetizers at the beginning of a meal — usually used in plural —compare canapé 1

scathing

: bitterly severe <silenced him with a scathing look> <braved his scathing scorn> <looked as though he had been through some scathing ordeal — Agnes M. Cleaveland> — scath·ing·ly adverb

culinary

: of or relating to the kitchen or cookery < culinary art> : suited for cooking < culinary herbs>

beguiling

: provoking pleased interest and diverting from concern or vexation : attractive , pleasing , intriguing — be·guil·ing·ly adverb

resplendent

: shining brilliantly : lustrous

deference

: the act or attitude of deferring : a yielding of judgment or preference out of respect for the position, wish, or known opinion of another : courteous, complacent, or ingratiating regard for another's wishes <the conquered population should be treated with extreme deference — N. J. G. Pounds> — in deference to preposition : in consideration of : in view of <a shorter campaign ... in deference to the belief ... that television is the political weapon — Walter Goodman>

meld

transitive verb : to show or announce (a card or combination of cards that has scoring or other value in a game being played) usually by placing face up on the table < melding four kings in pinochle> intransitive verb : to show or announce a card or combination of cards as a meld

pragmatic

1 : concerned with or relating to matters of fact or practical affairs : practical rather than idealistic or theoretical <a pragmatic leader> <a pragmatic approach to reform> < ... their pragmatic successors like Benjamin Franklin were concerned with lightning's ... power but not its thrilling scenic value. — John Updike, New York Review of Books , 15 Aug. 2002> < ... and her mysticism never failed to exasperate her pragmatic , mountain-climbing daughter. — Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses , 1989> : concerned with practical results or consequences <Philosophical questions about means and ends interest him very little. His viewpoint is pragmatic —not so much " Is it right? " as " Will it work? " — Dwight MacDonald, New Yorker , 11 July 1953> <Most imaginative programming is still done on a wholly pragmatic ... basis—we make this change, and we see what happens. — Martin Meyer, Esquire , January 1969> 2 : of or relating to the affairs of a community or state <In its most simple form, the compromise divided the Habsburg Empire into a western, " German, " half and an eastern or " Hungarian " half and placed foreign, military, and financial affairs ... as pragmatic affairs under the authority of shared ministries. — Robert A. Selig, German Life , August 2007> — see also pragmatic sanction 3 : dealing with historical events in a way that shows their interconnection <What we get is a pragmatic history of economic cause and effect, an insider's account of why China, which dominated the world economy into the 19th century, fell so far behind the West and how it has come roaring back. — James Pressley, Chicago Tribune , 16 Jan. 2012> < ... the pragmatic history emerging from the inscriptions on dynastic monuments ... — Norman Hammond, Antiquity , 1 June 2004> 4 : relating to or being in accordance with philosophic pragmatism ; especially : of or relating to the philosophic pragmatism of Peirce, James, and Dewey <James ' s embrace of uncertainty goes to the heart of the pragmatic philosophy, which denies the existence of fixed, absolute truth and seeks to undermine the notion that first principles are reliable guides to human behavior. For the pragmatist, truth is not a static essence but rather a provisional, ever-evolving relationship between ideas and their consequences. A true idea is one that, if put into practice, achieves its intended result. — Theo Anderson, Wilson Quarterly , Summer 2007> — see also pragmatic anthropology , pragmatic maxim 5 archaic : active in affairs : busy ; often : officious , meddling 6 archaic : having strong and unchangeable opinions : opinionated , dogmatic <But the expression of Wolf Larsen's face never changed. He did not change his position either, but continued to gaze down with a great curiosity. For all his pragmatic certitude, it seemed as if he watched the play and movement of life in the hope of discovering something more about it ... — Jack London, The Sea-Wolf , 1904>

disconcert

: lack of concert : the state of being disconcerted < ... the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company ... — Edgar Allan Poe, The Masque of the Red Death , 1842>

twain

archaic : two <Nature's twain circumscriptions of man's station — H. B. Alexander>

sate

archaic past tense of sit

heyday

archaic — used to express frolicsomeness, exultation, or sometimes wonder

globule

1 : a small often minute spherical mass (as of a liquid or semiliquid substance) : a small globular body (as a drop of water or a bead of sweat) : a tiny globe or ball < globules of mercury> < globules of fat> specifically : a small spherical pill of compressed sugar usually saturated with an alcoholic tincture and used in homeopathy 2 : the male reproductive organ of a plant of the family Characeae

ambidextrous

1 : capable of using both hands with equal ease < ambidextrous tennis players are rare> 2 : unusually skillful : versatile , facile <completely ambidextrous ... completely able to express himself in verse or prose — T. S. Eliot> 3 : characterized by duplicity : double-dealing <unordained, uneducated, and theologically ... ambidextrous — G. H. Genzmer> — am·bi·dex·trous·ly adverb

despondence

1 : desponding <his sudden despondence surprised us> 2 : despondency <often the prey of doubt and fear, of bleak despondence , stark anxiety — Walter de la Mare>

veracity

1 : devotion to the truth : truthfulness <have no confidence in the veracity of this witness> 2 : power of conveying or perceiving truth : correctness <the veracity of his vision> 3 : conformity with truth or fact : accuracy <any fool may write a most valuable book by chance, if he will only tell us what he heard and saw with veracity — Thomas Gray> 4 : something that is true <a convincing speaker who can make lies sound like veracities >

juggernaut

1 : a massive inexorable force or object that advances irresistibly and crushes whatever is in its path <war has always been represented as a juggernaut — H. L. Matthews> <the tank ... a formidable juggernaut , is the modern scientific equivalent of the armored knight — G. R. Harrison> 2 or juggernaut lorry British : a large, heavy truck <The heaviest goods vehicles, juggernauts to the person in the street, have a bad public image and their functions are misunderstood by the greater part of the population. The usual perception of a juggernaut is that it is dirty, noisy and an environmental nuisance. — Colin Bamford, Geographical Magazine , July 1988>

savant

1 : a person of learning; especially : one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field (as of science or literature) : scholar 2 : idiot savant 1

straddle

intransitive verb 1 a : to part the legs wide : stand, sit, or walk, with the legs wide apart; especially : to sit astride b of the legs : to spread apart 2 : to spread out irregularly : sprawl <branches straddled in every direction> 3 : to be noncommittal : favor or seem to favor two apparently opposite sides 4 : to buy in one market and sell short in another transitive verb 1 : to stand, sit, or be astride of 2 : to be noncommittal in regard to : favor or seem to favor both sides of < straddle an issue> 3 : to double (the blind) in playing poker 4 a : to bracket with artillery fire b : to land a straddle on — used especially of a firing ship with respect to a target

ovation

1 : a ceremony attending the entering of Rome by a general who had won a victory of less importance than that for which a triumph was granted 2 archaic : exultation 3 : enthusiastic popular homage or a public expression of it : an enthusiastic popular reception or tribute <received an ovation as he entered the hall>

paladin

1 : a champion of a medieval prince : a legendary hero 2 : a person of outstanding worth or quality who is firm in support of some cause or objective : protagonist <was the paladin of our civil liberties of modern times — Herbert Elliston>

axis

1 : a genus of Asian deer (family Cervidae ) comprising the axis deer and related species (such as the hog deer ) 2 axis plural axis also ax·is·es : a deer of the genus Axis ; especially : axis deer <On the second day, I watched a small herd of axis , with the big buck included, feeding across a flat several hundred yards away from where I sat scouting. — Mike Leggett, Austin American-Statesman , 11 Mar. 2012>

renegade

1 : a person who leaves one religious faith for another : a religious apostate 2 : a deserter from one cause, principle, party, or allegiance to another often hostile one : turncoat , traitor <venom the renegade can summon up against his former beliefs and associates — New Yorker > 3 : an individual who rejects the restraints of law or convention

trilogy

1 : a series of three dramas or sometimes three literary or musical compositions that although each is in one sense complete have a close mutual relation and form one theme or develop aspects of one basic concept 2 : a group of three connected classical Greek tragedies played serially (as at the festival of Dionysus) 3 : a group of three related things, topics, or sayings : triad

winsome

1 : causing joy or pleasure : agreeable , pleasant , winning < winsome tableaux of old-fashioned literary days — J. D. Hart> <the wide-eyed and winsome lass — Current Biography > 2 : very lighthearted : cheerful <misled by ill example and a winsome nature — Francis Jeffrey>

commemorative

1 : commemorating or intended as a commemoration <a commemorative speech in his honor> specifically : issued temporarily in commemoration of some notable event and bearing a design and inscription symbolizing that event <a commemorative stamp> <Beginning in 1999 the U.S. Mint issued a series of commemorative quarters marking each state's admittance into the Union.> 2 : of or relating to a commemorative coin or postage stamp <a commemorative display> — com·mem·o·ra·tive·ly adverb

malnourished

1 : exhibiting the physical and physiological results of an inadequate diet 2 : undernourished

tether

1 : something (as a rope or chain) by which an animal is fastened so that it can range or feed only within the radius allowed 2 : something (as a rope or cable) used in a way suggesting a tether 3 : the limit of one's strength or resources : scope <poverty-stricken farmer is at his last tether — Leslie Rees> — used especially in the phrase the end of one's tether

tirade

1 \ ˈ tī- ˌ rād also ti- ˈ rād, tī-\ (audio pronunciation) : a protracted speech usually marked by intemperate, vituperative, or harshly censorious language : a prolonged fire of invective : long-drawn-out harangue <a tantrum of the utmost frenzy, screaming a tirade of protest and rage — Marcia Davenport> 2 \ti- ˈ räd\ (audio pronunciation) : a baroque musical ornament consisting of a rapid run connecting two melody notes

compendium

1 a : a brief compilation or composition consisting of a reduction and condensation of the subject matter of a larger work : abridgment , abstract <a one-volume compendium of the multivolume original> b : a work treating in brief form the important features of a whole field of knowledge or subject matter category <a compendium of physics> c : a list of a number of brief items : catalog , inventory <a compendium of all the fashionable faults likely to be found in a young ... novelist — Time > 2 archaic : saving , economy 3 : a folder containing writing paper and envelopes

nomenclature

1 a : name , appellation , designation <the patricians—mainly of Etruscan origin and nomenclature — R. A. Hall, born 1911> <the generally accepted nomenclature of Theileria was proposed — John Legg> <whose main obsession was his nomenclature — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin > <an example of the odd nomenclature of coal patches — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania > <has a magnitude of nomenclature second to none — St. Clair McKelway> <the changing nomenclature of her streets is even more baffling — Cornelia O. Skinner> b : the collective names given to or borne by places in a particular area or region <whose names are preserved in the village nomenclature of the Danelaw — F. M. Stenton> 2 : the act or process or an instance of naming <by an odd quirk of nomenclature — Green Peyton> <problems of nomenclature > < nomenclature ... is at its simplest the task of assigning a name to each distinct species — R. I. Smith> 3 a : list , catalog <no more than an annotated nomenclature of the rich and varied writings — R. L. Bruckberger> b obsolete : vocabulary , dictionary , glossary 4 a : a system or set of names, designations, or symbols used by a person or group <the following nomenclature is used in the paper — A. W. Cochardt> <employs a very strange nomenclature > <most textual critics have refused to adopt this nomenclature — B. M. Metzger> b : a system or set of names or designations used in a particular science, discipline, or art and formally adopted or sanctioned by the usage of its practitioners : terminology <the course includes a survey of the nature of law; its subject matter ... and nomenclature — College of William & Mary Catalog > <the standard nomenclature of diseases and operations — Journal of the American Medical Association > <reflects changes in the aircraft nomenclature — William Wallrich> <the nomenclatures of politics and law — E. J. Kimble> c : an international vocabulary of New Latin names of kinds and groups of kinds of animals and plants standardized under rules set up by international commissions sponsored by the basic biological taxonomic disciplines — see binary nomenclature , binomial nomenclature — compare family , genus , order , species , -aceae , -ales , -idae , -inae , taxonomy d : a set of chemical names that may be systematic (as according to decisions of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) or not and that aims to tell the composition and often the structure of a given compound by naming the elements, groups, radicals, or ions present and employing suffixes denoting function (as -ic and -ate for acids and salts, -ane, -ol, -one for hydrocarbons and some of their derivatives, -ine for organic bases), prefixes denoting composition (as hypo-, per-, chloro- , Greek numerical prefixes), configuration prefixes (as cis-, syn-, xylo-, meso- ), operational prefixes (as cyclo-, dehydro-, deoxy-, homo- ), arabic numbers or Greek letters for indicating structure (as positions of substituents), or Roman numerals for indicating oxidation state — see geneva system , stock system — compare structural formula

conjecture

1 obsolete a : interpretation of signs or omens; also : a conclusion so drawn b : supposition <now entertain conjecture of a time when — Shakespeare> 2 : inference from defective or presumptive evidence : the act of making or state of being absorbed in making such inference <lost in conjecture > 3 : an inference or conclusion drawn or deduced by surmise or guesswork <a mistaken conjecture > specifically : a conjectural emendation of a text

orthodontist

: a specialist in orthodontics

philatelist

: a specialist in philately : one that collects or studies stamps <the primary motive which actuates collectors (as opposed to philatelists ) is cash value — A. E. Hopkins>

quandary

: a state of perplexity or doubt : dilemma <in a quandary as to where my road should lie — Clyde Higgs>

penchant

: a strong leaning or attraction : strong and continued inclination; broadly : liking <a penchant for sharp criticism that often offended> : decided taste <a penchant for art>

efficacious

: characterized by qualities giving power to bring about an intended result <written propaganda is less efficacious than the habits and prejudices, the class loyalties ... of the readers — Aldous Huxley> <an efficacious law>

cacophonous

: marked by cacophony : harsh-sounding <as cacophonous as a henyard — John McCarten> <whose writing is ... uniformly cacophonous — Brand Blanshard> <a cacophonous melody> < cacophonous laughter> — ca·coph·o·nous·ly adverb

nonproliferation

: providing for the stoppage of proliferation especially of nuclear weapons <a nonproliferation treaty> — nonproliferation noun (proliferation = rapid increase in number)

whimsy

1 : whim , caprice , vagary <applies the results of scientific knowledge ... to satisfy material human needs and whimsies — I. I. Rabi> <our peculiar whimseys , prejudices, or intellectual limitations — M. R. Cohen> <carved by the whimsy of ancient glaciers — Christian Science Monitor > 2 : whimsicality <the decor, stylish but with a touch of Lone Star whimsy , matches the food — Dolly Griffith> 3 : a fanciful or fantastic device, object, or creation especially in writing, art, or decoration <can mix realism with an agreeable touch of poetry and fantasy that never degenerates into whimsy — Times Literary Supplement > <tells himself that myth is mere whimsy having no relevance to human life — Richard Chase> <Victorian whimsy returned ... and glitter and embroidery replaced the lack of fabric trimming — Fashion Digest > 4 : whim 3a

silhouette

1 a : a representation of the outlines of an object filled in with black or some other uniform color < silhouettes cut from paper> <a book illustrated with silhouettes > b : a style of representation in which outlines are filled in with black or some other uniform color : outline 2a <illustrations done in silhouette > 2 : the outline or a delineation of the outline of a person or thing especially when used as a means of characterizing or identifying <learn to identify ships or planes by their varying silhouettes > <the silhouette of a new-model automobile> <the robin's handsome silhouette — Morris Gilbert> <for a moment they were in silhouette against a morning sky — Ross Santee> specifically : the outline or contour of a fashionable costume or part of such a costume varying from year to year and period to period <this year's full-skirted silhouette > <an hourglass silhouette in women's clothes> 3 : a photograph of essentially only two tones showing the subject against a light background 4 : a halftone with background dots etched or cut away 5 : a target shaped to approximate the silhouette of a man 6 : the visible outline of the body in a moment of action in the dance

regimen

1 a : a systematic plan (as of diet, therapeutic and sanitary measures, and medication) designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient or to control a particular ailment b : a regulation or treatment intended to benefit by gradual operation 2 : governing , government , rule , administration 3 : government 5a 4 : the characteristic behavior or orderly procedure of a natural phenomenon or process (as of a river or a glacier)

bicker

1 a : an act of bickering : contention , altercation : petulant quarreling b : a sound of or as if of bickering <the bicker and plash of the fountain> 2 Scottish : tussle , brawl , fracas — bick·er·er noun , plural bick·er·ers <Though they are at worst characterized as skeptics and idle bickerers , in fact they and their students did political and legal work in the polis . — Susan C. Jarratt, Rereading the Sophists: Classical Rhetoric Refigured , 1998>

progenitor

1 a : an ancestor in the direct line : forefather b : a biologically ancestral form 2 : one that originates or precedes : one that serves as a guide or pattern : originator , precursor <biographical study of the progenitor of the atmospheric story — New Yorker > < progenitors of socialist ideas — Times Literary Supplement >

concerted

1 a : mutually contrived or planned : agreed on <carefully concerted signals> b : performed in unison : done together <a concerted sigh that should have been heard in Australia — Bill Alcine> 2 : arranged in parts for several voices, musical instruments, or dancers (as a trio, string ensemble, or ballet)

cherish

1 a : to hold dear : feel or show fond affection for <he admired them ... cherished and protected them like pets — Edmund Wilson> b : to keep or guard with care and affection <a birthright of freedom to be cherished and fought for> <to cherish an illusion> <to love and to cherish , till death us do part — Book of Common Prayer > c : to care for, tend, cultivate, or nurture usually with care, affection, or love <sought to cherish whatever of these forms could be made to work — John Buchan> < cherish the seeds of love> d archaic : pat , fondle 2 obsolete : entertain 3 archaic : warm 4 a : to have a heart : think of fondly or reverentially <Socrates would have men cherish preciously this fraction of knowledge — Irving Babbitt> b : to contemplate, imagine, or recall fondly with joy or pleasure <she only cherishes her illness as an instrument of power — Scott Fitzgerald> c : to entertain or harbor in one's mind deeply and resolutely, often tacitly and often pleasurably <a large school of thought cherishes a curious animus against what it calls intellectualism — W. R. Inge> <few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency — Jane Austen> — cher·ish·able \ ˈ cher-i-shə-bəl, ˈ che-ri-\ (audio pronunciation) adjective <a cherishable memory> <What will last forever, though, are those specific cherishable moments in close games, shutouts, ties, wins, losses and anything in between. — Dustan Sedgwick, Daily Guide (Waynesville, Missouri), 22 Sept. 2012> — cherished adjective <a cherished memory of happy times> <By substituting ingredients with lower fat and lower calorie content for higher calorie and higher fat ingredients, those cherished holiday foods can still be delicious, but healthier. — Karma Champagne, Daily Iberian (New Iberia, Louisiana), 13 Dec. 2012> — cher·ish·er noun , plural cher·ish·ers <The book ... concludes, among other things, that religions urge us to trust women as the principal cherishers and caretakers of life. — Stephanie Innes, Arizona Daily Star , 18 May 2002>

ambiance

: a surrounding or pervading atmosphere : environment , milieu <moves out of provincial society and out of the ambience of exclusively female friendships — Lionel Trilling>

precocious

: exceptionally early in development: a : manifesting at an early age some of the mental or physical characteristics usually associated with maturity <a precocious child> <a precocious genius> also : characterizing, done, or made by an individual exhibiting early development or maturity <a precocious achievement> <at the precocious age of 25 he had written a masterpiece> < precocious puberty> b botany : flowering, fruiting, or developing before the usual time : early or prematurely ripe or developed — used of a plant or its organs c : appropriate to a period later than that of actual occurrence <a precocious culture> <a precocious heat wave> — pre·co·cious·ly adverb <a precociously mature child> — pre·co·cious·ness noun

hearten

transitive verb 1 : to give heart to : inspire with fresh zeal, hope, or courage : rouse from indifference or discouragement <people ... whose presence either heartened the spirit or kindled the mind — Jan Struther> <their supporters are enormously heartened — Mollie Panter-Downes> 2 archaic : to restore fertility or strength to (as land) intransitive verb : to take courage : become imbued with fresh spirit and energy <then the engine would hearten up and show off its paces — William Baucke>

dissemble

transitive verb 1 : to hide under a false appearance : conceal with intent to deceive : feign <the propagandist ... is a man so convinced of the truth of a certain proposition that he dissembles the facts that tell against it — Katharine F. Gerould> 2 obsolete : overlook , ignore 3 archaic : to put on the appearance of : make pretense of : simulate <he soon dissembled a sleep — Tatler > intransitive verb : to put on a false appearance : conceal facts, motives, intentions, or feelings under some pretense <we are all brought up to have a strict regard for the truth, but in adult life we learn to dissemble >

reconnoiter

transitive verb 1 : to make an exploratory or preliminary survey, inspection, or examination of : make a reconnaissance of < reconnoitering enemy territory> 2 obsolete : recall , remember intransitive verb : to make a reconnaissance

idealize

transitive verb 1 : to make ideal : give an ideal form or value to : attribute ideal characteristics and excellences to <tended to idealize her friends> 2 : to treat (an artistic subject) idealistically intransitive verb 1 : to form ideals 2 : to work idealistically — ide·al·iz·er also British ide·al·is·er \-zə(r)\ noun , plural -s

ponder

transitive verb 1 : to weigh in the mind : evaluate , appraise < pondered the child, and the life she had thus far lived — Elizabeth M. Roberts> 2 : to deliberate over : think out < ponder the shape and size of a new product> 3 : to think about : muse over < ponder the events of history> intransitive verb : to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply — often used with on or over < ponder over a moral issue>

radon

1 : a heavy radioactive gaseous element of the group of inert gases formed by disintegration of radium and used similarly to radium in medicine — symbol Rn — called also radium emanation — see element table uranium series 2 : an isotope of radon: such as a : actinon b : thoron

histrionic

1 : of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater <an able actor ever seeking histrionic perfection> 2 : deliberately affected : theatrical , staged <her heart attacks were as histrionic as her sister's fits of temper> — his·tri·on·i·cal·ly adverb

hooligan

1 : hoodlum 1 2 : a person that as a representative of some special interest (as a political or racial philosophy) attempts to override the legal and human rights of other people 3 : a gambling game played with 10 dice in which a player attempts to throw a selected number 26 or more times in 13 throws

confiscatory

: effecting or constituting confiscation : characterized by confiscations < confiscatory taxation>

envoy

: envoi 1

illicit

: not permitted : not allowed : unlawful < illicit trade> — il·lic·it·ly adverb — il·lic·it·ness \( ˌ )i(l)- ˈ li-sət-nəs\ (audio pronunciation) noun <Going to the cinema in Kano is a visceral event, often charged with feelings of danger, illicitness , eroticism, and excitement. — Brian Larkin, Signal and Noise , 2008>

unprepossessing

: not prepossessing : creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression <a very unprepossessing lot ... being fat, skinny, old, young, gawky, commonplace — Rex Ingamells>

hulking

: of great size or powerful build : husky , massive <a big hulking figure of a man with thick shoulders and no neck worth mentioning — Claudia Cassidy> <three hulking battleships — Norris Houghton>

newspeak

: propagandistic language characterized by euphemism, circumlocution, and the inversion of customary meanings

raft

archaic past tense of reave

kith and kin

1 : friends and kindred 2 : kindred , relations

acclimate

: acclimatize

christen

obsolete : christian

juju

1 : a fetish, charm, or amulet of West African tribes <the juju consisted of a bunch of chicken feathers well soaked in chicken blood and held together by strips of snakeskin — Time > 2 : the magic attributed to or associated with the use of a juju <no one ever would have thought that the old man ... was in any way connected with juju — H. L. Ballowe>

noel

1 : a Christmas carol 2 : the Christmas season

demand deposit

1 : a bank deposit that is subject to payment by check and that may be withdrawn without notice 2 : a bank deposit payable within 30 days

pod

1 : a bit socket in a brace 2 : a straight groove or channel in the barrel of a pod auger or similar tool

kinescope

1 : a cathode-ray tube having at one end a screen of luminescent material on which are produced visible images (as television pictures or oscillograph curves) 2 : a motion picture made from a kinescope image

malady

1 : a disease, distemper, disorder, or indisposition of the animal body proceeding from impaired or defective functions <told by his physicians that he had a fatal malady — Willa Cather> 2 : an unwholesome or disordered state or condition <some deep malady of the soul — Van Wyck Brooks> <analyze the nature and the causes of the malady from which the nation suffers — Reinhold Niebuhr> <the critical malady of our age — Louis Kronenberger>

dowdy

1 : a dowdy woman 2 : pandowdy

amelioration

1 : act of ameliorating or state of being ameliorated : improvement <the amelioration of human affairs — J. S. Mill> 2 Canadian law : betterment 1a

aberration

1 : act of wandering away or of going astray : deviation from truth or a moral standard, from the natural state, or from a normal type < aberrations of character> < aberrations of structure> 2 : failure of a mirror, refracting surface, or lens to produce exact point-to-point correspondence between an object and its image 3 : unsoundness of the mind; especially : unsoundness insufficient to constitute insanity 4 : a small periodic change of apparent position in the stars and other heavenly bodies due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer 5 : an aberrant organ or individual : sport 6

inversion

1 : an act or result of turning inside out or upside down : flexure , doubling : such as a : a folding back of rock strata upon themselves by which their sequence seems reversed b : a dislocation of a bodily organ in which it is turned partially or wholly inside out < inversion of the uterus> c : a condition of being turned inward < inversion of the foot> d : retroflexion 3 2 : a reversal of position, order, or relationship: such as a : the reverse of an established pattern <the structure of an insect ... is an almost complete inversion of what prevails in a vertebrate animal — A. D. Imms> <so strange an inversion of the paternal and filial relations as this proposition of his son to pay him a hundred pounds — George Eliot> b (1) : inverted order (2) : anastrophe c : a change of cadence by the introduction in a metrical series of a foot in which arsis and thesis have positions symmetrically opposed to the positions they have in the normal especially adjacent feet of the series : shift of cadence from rising to falling or from falling to rising — compare substitution d (1) : the raising of the lower note or the lowering of the upper note of a musical interval ( see interval 2c ) by an octave (2) : the moving of a musical chord ' s root ( see 1 root 7 ) into some voice other than the bass — compare first inversion , second inversion , third inversion (3) : a version of a melody in which each ascending interval becomes the corresponding descending interval and vice versa (4) : an operation performed on a tone row in twelve-tone music in which each pitch class is replaced by its complement modulo 12 (5) : the transposition of an upper and a lower voice part in double counterpoint (6) : the transferring of a pedal point from the bass to an upper part e logic : the operation of immediate inference which gives an inverse proposition —see 3 inverse 2 f (1) : a breaking off of a chromosome section and its subsequent reattachment in reversed position (2) : such a chromosome section 3 a : a change in the order of the terms of a mathematical proportion effected by inverting each ratio b : the operation of inverting or forming the inverse either of a magnitude or of an operation c : a change from the order in which elements or parcels of objects are arranged naturally or normally 4 : homosexuality 5 a : a conversion of a substance showing dextrorotation into one showing levorotation or vice versa <the inversion of sucrose involves hydrolysis of a dextrorotatory material to an equimolar mixture of d -glucose and d -fructose that is levorotatory> b : a substitution of one of the groups attached to the asymmetric atom of an optically active organic molecule so that an original clockwise arrangement of atoms or groups becomes counterclockwise c : a change of a crystalline substance from one polymorphic form into another 6 : a conversion of direct current into alternating current 7 : a reversal of normal atmospheric temperature gradient : increase of temperature of the air with increasing altitude 8 : a corporate reorganization in which a U.S. corporation merges with or acquires a foreign corporation and restructures the U.S. corporation as a subsidiary of the the newly created multinational company for the purpose of establishing a domicile in a foreign country and taking advantage of the country's corporate tax structure — called also corporate inversion , tax inversion

dystopia

1 : an imaginary place which is depressingly wretched and whose people lead a fearful existence 2 : a work describing a dystopia — dys·to·pi·an \-ēən\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

crestfallen

1 : with drooping crest or hanging head : dispirited , dejected , cowed <let it make thee crestfallen — Shakespeare> 2 of a horse : having the upper part of the neck hanging to one side — crest·fall·en·ly adverb — crest·fall·en·ness noun , plural -es

glitch

1 : an unwanted brief surge of electric power : a false or spurious electronic signal 2 a : malfunction <a glitch in the fuel cell of a spacecraft> also : bug 2 b : a minor problem that causes a temporary setback : snag <a glitch in the schedule> 3 : a sudden change in the period of rotation of a neutron star — glitchy \ ˈ gli-chē\ (audio pronunciation) adjective < glitchy technology> < glitchy software>

despotic

1 : belonging to or having the character of an absolute ruler <God's universal law gave to the man despotic power over his female — John Milton> <the introduction of European civilization was forced from above by despotic rulers chiefly for military and political reasons — M. R. Cohen> 2 : ruling as or ruled by a despot <the government of China was based upon natural law and was that of a despotic emperor — A. E. Nuquist> <moved from a feudal to a despotic order — K. A. Wittfogel> especially : exhibiting imperious and usually oppressive exercise of absolute power <his administration remained arrogant and despotic > 3 : generally domineering and arbitrary <as despotic as an old-time schoolmaster>

synchronous

1 : happening, existing, or arising at the same time <having their beginning at different times, although their endings were synchronous — Encyclopedia Americana > <recovery was synchronous with therapy — Journal of the American Medical Association > 2 : recurring or operating at exactly the same periods : marked by strict and exact coincidence in time, rate, or rhythm <the synchronous action of a bird's wings in flight> < synchronous set of clocks> 3 : involving or indicating synchronism < synchronous account of World War II> 4 : having the same period; also : having the same period and phase < synchronous vibrations> < synchronous oscillations> 5 : of, used in, or being digital communication (as between computers) in which a common timing signal is established that dictates when individual bits can be transmitted, in which characters are not individually delimited, and which allows for very high rates of data transfer

rapt

1 : lifted (as by supernatural force) and carried up or away : transported in spirit or to another place < rapt into future times, the bard began — Alexander Pope> 2 : transported with emotion (as love, delight) : enraptured <the rapt exaltation of the devotee — J. A. Symonds> 3 : wholly absorbed or engrossed (as in feeling, meditation, or special interests) < rapt in secret studies — Shakespeare> 4 obsolete : abducted , raped — rapt·ly adverb — rapt·ness noun , plural -es

coherent

1 : having the quality of cohering <two coherent substances> <the felting of the individual fibers into a coherent sheet requires the use of a bonding agent — A. C. Morrison> <a coherent plan> <a coherent speech> <a place and time coherent with a plan of action> specifically , botany : displaying cohesion —compare adnate 1 2 : logically consistent and ordered <a coherent way of explaining> <a coherent thinker> 3 : relating to electromagnetic waves that have a definite relationship to each other: such as a : composed of two wave trains with a constant difference in phase b : producing coherent light <a coherent source> — co·her·ent·ly adverb

malevolent

1 : having, showing, or indicative of intense often vicious ill will : filled with or marked by deep-seated spite or rancor or hatred <a gossipy malevolent old woman> <a malevolent lie> 2 : productive of harm or evil : hurtful , injurious <have lived malevolent and criminal lives and have been despised by men and punished by society — E. G. Conklin> — ma·lev·o·lent·ly adverb

intangible

1 : incapable of being touched or perceived by touch : not tangible : impalpable , imperceptible <that more subtle and intangible thing, the soul — John Buchan> <the intangible constituent of energy — James Jeans> 2 : incapable of being defined or determined with certainty or precision : vague , elusive <with an intangible feeling of impending disaster — Guy Fowler> <this menace from the North was intangible and evasive — John Buchan> — in·tan·gi·ble·ness noun — in·tan·gi·bly \( ˌ )in- ˈ tan-jə-blē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

bulbous

1 : like or being a plant bulb <a thick bulbous root> < bulbous and tuberous structures> 2 a : bearing or producing bulbs b : growing from a bulb < bulbous plants> 3 : resembling or suggesting a bulb especially in roundness or in the gross enlargement of a part <thick bulbous fingers> <an oak table mounted on a bulbous pedestal>

ornate

1 : marked by elaborate rhetoric or florid style < ornate poems can be more satisfactorily translated than simple ones — Walter Silz> <is clear and simple rather than ornate and pompous — Times Literary Supplement > 2 : elaborately ornamented : amply or excessively decorated <the most ornate carving and gold of the baroque churches — Lewis Mumford>

penurious

1 : marked by or suffering from penury <actually saved money in these penurious times — R. V. Mills> 2 : given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality <as keen on the penny as a penurious weaver — G. D. Brown>

infallible

1 : not fallible : incapable of error : unerring < infallible marksman> < infallible ear for pitch in music> < infallible memory> 2 : not liable to mislead, deceive, or disappoint : sure , certain , indubitable < infallible remedy> <his accent is an almost infallible index of his family background and education — Richard Joseph> < infallible scheme for making money> 3 : incapable of error in defining doctrines touching faith or morals

autocratic

1 : of the nature of or relating to an autocrat : having absolute and sole control : favoring autocracy : despotic <an autocratic ruler> <those who have long been in the habit of exercising power become autocratic and quarrelsome — Bertrand Russell> 2 : of the nature of or relating to an autocracy : having the characteristics of an autocracy : marked by the exercising or favoring of absolute and sole control <an autocratic government> <history of autocratic political rule and economic backwardness — Vera M. Dean>

surreal

1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of surrealism <a surrealist film> < surrealist art> < surrealist literature> <a surrealist painter> 2 : of, relating to, or resembling mental free association

angler

1 : one that angles 2 a : a European and American marine fish ( Lophius piscatorius ) of the order Pediculati that reaches a length of from three to five feet, has a large broad depressed head and large mouth, and lies partly buried on the bottom enticing other fishes within its reach by movements of a lure on its head and fleshy appendages around its mouth b : any of several closely related fishes (family Lophiidae)

philologist

1 : one that loves learning or literature : a learned or literary man : a scholar especially of classical antiquity 2 : linguist 2; especially : one that concerns himself with human speech as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history

sleeper

1 : one that sleeps : such as a : one that is inclined to sleep a great deal <a great sleeper and fond of his bed — W. M. Thackeray> b : one that is asleep <at such a distance from the sleeper that their low words could hardly disturb her — Anthony Trollope> 2 : a strong piece of wood or other material used as a support: such as a (1) : a horizontal beam placed on or near the ground to support a floor or superstructure (2) : one of the heavy strips of wood that are set in or on a concrete floor base so that a wooden floor can be nailed down over the concrete base b : one of the knees that connect the transoms to the after timbers on a ship's quarter c archaic : the rafter of a roof valley d chiefly British : a railroad tie e : one of the longitudinal beams in a wooden bridge on which the transverse logs or planks are laid 3 : dormouse 4 a : a fish of the family Eleotridae b : greenland shark 5 a : a bet that is accidentally left standing on the layout of a gambling game b : a bet on a dead card in faro 6 : something (such as a vehicle) that provides accommodation for sleeping : such as a : sleeping car b : a truck with a sleeping compartment 7 : one that has no apparent importance and remains unnoticed for some time before becoming very important: such as a : a racehorse that wins after a series of poor performances b : an article of merchandise having a value that is much greater than its recognized worth c : a book that sells well year after year without being advertised d : a movie whose box-office returns are out of proportion to the cost of its production and publicity and far exceed the expectations of the producers e : a piece of music that unexpectedly becomes a hit f : a provision, clause, or amendment inconspicuously introduced into legislation in the hope that it will be adopted without consideration before its actual intent or force is recognized by potential opponents g : a security apparently overlooked by investors and therefore selling too low in relation to the market as a whole 8 : a calf that has been earmarked but not branded 9 a : ruddy duck b : dowitcher 10 : a sleeping garment especially for children: such as a : pajamas often with feet b : a sleeping bag for babies 11 : an article of merchandise that sells slowly <his unerring sense of what to buy, rarely gets stuck with sleepers — E. O. Hauser> 12 : a foal that is born comatose and usually dies within a few days of birth due to intrauterine septicemic infection with one of the organisms ( Shigella equirulis or S. equuli ) commonly associated with navel ill 13 : a bowling pin that cannot be seen easily because it is directly behind another pin 14 chiefly British : a small usually gold earring or stud worn especially in a recently pierced ear to prevent the hole from closing 15 : 3 mole 5

tycoon

1 : shogun 2 a : a businessman of exceptional wealth, power, and influence b : a masterful and potent leader (as in politics)

destitution

1 : state of being deprived of or lacking something : destitute condition <many historic dwellings remain, sinking stage by stage from indigence to squalor, from squalor to grimy destitution — Lewis Mumford> <and what destitution of the spirit did he owe to his harsh memories of his father — Charles Lee> usually : deprivation of the necessaries of life : poverty especially when extreme <forgotten men and women living at below the destitution level — R. H. S. Crossman> 2 archaic : dismissal from office

docile

1 : teachable < docile pupils looking for instruction — H. O. Taylor> 2 : tractable , obedient <a good docile lass ever ready to help her fellows> often : lacking in independence : submissive <the docile masses of an enslaved nation>

magistracy

1 : the quality or state of being a magistrate 2 : the office of a magistrate : magisterial power and dignity <outlaws who ... set at defiance the justice and magistracy of the country — Sir Walter Scott> 3 : the collective body of magistrates <escorted with great pomp ... by the magistracy of the city — T. B. Macaulay>

appease

1 : to bring to a state of peace or quiet : calm , settle <instead of appeasing the quarrel the government's action intensified it — J. H. Plumb> 2 : to cause to subside : allay , assuage <the man had appeased his great hunger — Elizabeth M. Roberts> <the same kind of supposition which had appeased Mrs. Bennet's curiosity — Jane Austen> 3 a : to bring to a state of ease or content : conciliate , satisfy <when he has once tasted the blood of popular applause, he is a tiger, nevermore to be appeased — C. H. Grandgent> b : to conciliate or buy off (a potential aggressor) by political or economic concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles <the attempt to appease the Nazis at Munich>

poach

1 : to cook in a liquid kept just below the boiling point <trout poached in bouillon> 2 : to cook (as an egg) in a poacher

undermine

1 : to excavate the earth beneath especially for the purpose of causing to fall : form a mine under : sap < undermine a wall> 2 a : to wash away supporting material from under <flood water undermined the building's foundation> <stream undermines the glacier> b : to make a passage under <fence undermined by dogs> c : to erode underneath or the underlayer of <an ulcer may undermine the adjacent mucous membrane> 3 : to remove the foundation or support of subtly or by underhand means : subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly <the way a writer handles the social situation either supports or undermines it — Peter Crowcroft> <selling below cost ... to undermine competition — Time > < undermine public confidence in its judicial system> 4 : to weaken or ruin by degrees <prolonged overwork had undermined his health>

confute

1 : to overwhelm by argument : refute conclusively : overcome , silence <rugged individualism ... is ... confuted in our social legislation and social habits — New York Times > 2 obsolete : to bring to naught : confound

remunerate

1 : to pay an equivalent for (as a service, loss, expense) 2 : to pay an equivalent to (a person) for a service, loss, or expense : recompense , compensate

eradicate

1 : to pull up (something, such as a weed) by the roots : uproot <perennial creeping rootstocks that are difficult to eradicate > 2 : to do away with (something not wanted) : root out : destroy completely <aerial sprays that eradicate weeds, diseases, and insect pests from the wheat fields> <a campaign that virtually eradicated illiteracy in the country>

codify

1 : to reduce to a code (as laws) 2 a : systematize : arrange in systematic or comprehensible order b : to make an appropriate part of a system or classification : classify

appraise

1 : to set a value on (something, such as goods, lands, or the estate of a deceased person) : estimate the amount of (something, such as a loss by fire) 2 : to judge and analyze the worth, significance or status of; especially : to give a definitive expert judgment of the merit, rank, or importance of < appraise recent American poetry> < appraise a political trend> < appraise the cost of an objective in terms of human life — O. N. Bradley>

advent

1 Advent : the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by many Christians as a season of prayer and fasting 2 Advent : the coming of Christ: a : incarnation b : second coming 3 [borrowed from Latin adventus ] : any coming or arrival <the advent of spring> <changes that followed the advent of the railroad and the telegraph> <was watched in his advent and departure — Mary Webb> <his advent to the presidency was greeted by the guns of Fort Sumter — Edmund Wilson> <the advent of the Cold War — New Yorker >

hector

1 Hector in Greek mythology : a son of Priam , husband of Andromache, and Trojan champion slain by Achilles 2 : one that hectors : bully , braggart

over the top

1 a (1) : the highest point, level, or part of something : the upper end, edge, or extremity : summit , crown <looked over the tops of his half-spectacles — Marcia Davenport> <slopes leading toward the mesa- top — American Antiquity > <the top of the beach — Sally Carrighar> <the top of the pass> (2) : the highest part of the body : the head or top of the head — used especially in the phrase top to toe (3) : the head of a plant; especially : the part of a plant with edible roots that is above ground <beet tops > (4) : the part of a cut gem above the girdle : crown , bezel (5) : the upper part of a garment; especially : the jacket of pajamas (6) : a garment worn on the upper body (7) : top milk b (1) : the highest or uppermost region or parts <dive bombers ... dive off the top of the sky — Ira Wolfert> especially : the uppermost story (as the attic) of a building <at the top of the house lived a medical student — W. B. Yeats> — compare treetop (2) : the surface normally or at present facing upward as opposed to the undersurface : the side that overlies the whole <cumulus clouds ... with flat bases and rounded tops — O. W. Perrie> <marked at several places to indicate where the top of the concrete should be — Building, Estimating & Contracting > (3) : the part of a thing placed uppermost in use <the top of the page> (4) : the surface of the land or ocean <the submarine came to the top > also : the point at which an underground shaft, tunnel, or well reaches the surface 2 a dialectal : a crowning tuft: (1) : the hair on the head (2) : crest 1a b dialectal : a tuft of textile fiber; specifically : a bunch of flax tow placed on a distaff c (1) : a continuous strand of the longer wool fibers after straightening and separating from the short fibers by combing (2) : a similar strand of rayon staple fiber 3 : a fitted, integral, or attached part or unit serving as an upper piece, endpiece, lid, or covering <an ornamented steamboat smokestack top — Frederick Way> <saving box tops for premiums> <a jar with a threaded top > : such as a : a metal, plastic, or fabric roof over the passenger compartment of a vehicle that is permanent or capable of being folded back, lowered, or removed b : the turndown part or band on a top boot c British : a ceiling especially in a mine d : the upper of a shoe; especially : the parts above the vamp e : a circus or carnival tent 4 a : a platform surrounding the head of a lower mast that serves to spread the topmast rigging, strengthen the mast, and furnish a standing place for men aloft b : a comparable part of the superstructure; especially : such a part on a warship used as a fire-control station or antiaircraft gun platform 5 : the part that is nearest in space or time to the source or beginning <the top of the lake> <the top of the morning> specifically : the first half of an inning in the game of baseball 6 : topsail 7 a (1) : the highest degree conceivable, attainable, or attained : acme , pinnacle <singing at the top of a form that is unmatched anywhere — Theatre Arts > <the high temperature reading ... compared with an 87.2 top on Friday — New York Times > (2) : the loudest or highest range of a sound <shouted at the top of his lungs> <a soprano with a weak top > (3) British : 3 high 2b (4) : the price of the most expensive seats for a performance <a show having a six-dollar top > b archaic : the highest realization or embodiment : the most perfect actualization or instance c : the height at which something that has been advancing recedes : culminating point : maximum <sail with the top of the tide — Rachel Henning> <the all-time top for fishermen's earnings — Pacific Fisherman > <stocks bought at the top of the market> 8 a (1) : the highest position in rank, achievement, honor, success, or fame <the top of his profession> < top of the bill> <the top of his class> especially : the position of a person or group wielding supreme authority <bribery has reached from the top right down to the lowest clerical level — Atlantic > <access to someone very near the top — Thomas Barman> (2) : a person or thing at the top <the news of the rising situation got through ... to the Congress ... tops — Spark > b (1) : a playing card higher than any held in the same suit by an opponent (2) tops plural : aces and kings in a hand or the three highest honors in a suit (3) or top score : the highest match-point score made at duplicate bridge on a particular board or the highest total of match points scored during a session by one contestant or team 9 a : the choicest part : the best or finest of its lot or kind : cream , pick b tops plural : the choicest animals in a flock or herd c tops plural , British : aristocrats 10 a : the part of a thing that is conventionally highest or occupies the most important position <the arctic, the frozen top of the world — Carey Longmire> <our pilots rolled to the top of the runway — P. J. C. Friedlander> <the top of the room> <set her down at the top of the street — Maurice Hewlett> b : the end of a billiard table opposite to that marked with the balkline in English billiards <a top -of-the-table game> 11 : top boot 12 : a button finished (as by plating) only on the face 13 : a forward spin given to a ball (as in golf, tennis, billiards, or cricket) by striking it on or near the top or above the center; also : the blow or stroke so given 14 : first sergeant 1 15 : the most volatile part that passes over first on distillation — often used in plural <refinery tops > 16 : a die marked with usually only three different numbers rather than the usual six 17 : an outer ornamental or protective coating or layer <a stainless steel watch band with a gold top > — compare blacktop 18 physics : a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of +2/3 and a measured energy of approximately 175 GeV <The Standard Model describes the interactions among these building blocks. It requires that leptons and quarks each come in pairs, often called generations. Physicists had known that the top must exist since 1977, when its partner, the bottom, was discovered. — Tony M. Liss et al., Scientific American , September 1997> — often used before another noun <The quark hypothesis, validated by the discovery of the top quark, was supposed to simplify rather than complicate our understanding of the way the world works. — Popular Mechanics , July 1996> ; also : the flavor characterizing this particle <This should mean that the three heaviest of the six quark flavors—charm, bottom, and top —should be rare within the proton. The lightest, up and down, should be present in equal amounts, and strange quarks, with a slightly higher mass, should be a bit less numerous. — Andrew Watson, Science , 22 Jan. 1999> — off one's top : in a state of insanity or mental agitation — on top adverb (or adjective) 1 a : in a state of accomplishment, success, or dominance <extreme reactionary ... elements have come out on top — Nation > b : in the lead <the horse went on top in the backstretch> 2 also on the top British : in high gear 3 : above the clouds or bad weather <when flying on top , your plane is in brilliant sunshine — What Goes On Up There > — on top of preposition 1 a : in control of <acted like a man on top of his job — Newsweek > b : informed about <readers right on top of all the news that's fit to print — New York Times > 2 : in sudden and unexpected proximity to 3 : in addition to : superadded to <writing on top of a regular job becomes a matter of stamina — N. M. Loomis> — on top of the world : in a position of eminent success, happiness, or fame <she was young, and prettier than the sea, and I was on top of the world — Barnaby Conrad> — over the top adverb (or adjective) 1 : over the front of a trench in attacking 2 : over the assigned goal or limit <the drive had gone over the top and considerably more than 200 dollars was collected — Irish Digest > 3 : beyond the bounds of what is expected, usual, normal, or appropriate — the top of one's head or the top of one's mind : mental elements not directly involved in a present task or only partially directed or controlled <with the top of his mind he listened to them — William Faulkner> <countless conferences at which everyone talked off the top of their heads — Goodman Ace>

spur

1 a : a U-shaped implement with a pointed or rowel-tipped projection that is secured to the heel of a horseman for pricking, managing, or urging on the horse b spurs plural [Middle English spores knighthood (as in winnen ones spores to earn knighthood by a deed of valor] : recognition and reward for achievement <would have won his spurs had not a knee injury ... put him out of the game — Rugger > <these guys have earned their battle spurs — L. M. Uris> 2 : an inciting force or stimulus to action : goad , incentive <he shot up fast, his spur the determination to make money and a name — E. A. Weeks> <two professors were immediate spurs to trying her hand at writing — Current Biography > <the book is a spur to both the intellect and the imagination — Ellen L. Buell> 3 : any of various diagonally set props, braces, or members usually used in construction: such as a : a brace (such as a rafter or crossbeam) strengthening a post and some connected part : strut b : a reinforcing buttress of masonry c (1) : a piece of timber fixed on the bilge ways before launching with the upper ends bolted to the vessel's side (2) : a curved piece of timber serving as a half-beam to support the deck where a whole beam cannot be placed (3) : spur shore 4 : a growth, formation, or projection suggestive of a spur in shape or relative size: such as a : a stiff sharp spine (as on the wings or legs of a bird or insect); especially : a horny modification of the skin surrounding a bony core attached to the metatarsus of a cock's leg and used in fighting b : bone spur <painful heel spurs > c : a projecting root or short branch of a tree: such as (1) : a short branch bearing fruit buds (2) : a branch kept short by annual pruning <a vine cut to 4 spurs > d : a hollow projecting appendage of a corolla or calyx (as in larkspur or columbine) 5 : a sharp or pointed usually metallic object similar to a spur: such as a : a gaff for a gamecock b : a climbing iron : gaff c : the bow ram of a warship d : a projection or prong on the arm of an anchor e : an article like a stilt resting on three points and having one pointing upward to support ceramic ware during firing f : the central point on an auger bit or lathe center g : 2 griffe 1 h : the metallic point on either end of a weaving shuttle i : the projection of the external hammer of a gun on which the thumb presses in cocking the weapon j : one of two or more adjustable buttons or spikes affixed to the back of a wall clock in order to allow the pendulum to swing clear of the walls k : one of several clamps with points attached to the hoop of a bass drum to prevent it from rolling and to hold it off the floor l : a bundle of several sheets of paper hung to dry in a loft 6 : an angular projection, offshoot, or branch extending out beyond or away from a main body or formation: a obsolete : an outer work or salient of a fortification b : a ridge or lesser elevation that projects from a mountain, a range of mountains, or a higher land surface to some distance at right angles or in a lateral direction <the western edge is notched ... by coves and valleys which are separated by fingerlike spurs pointing towards the northwest — American Guide Series: Tennessee > c : a wing dam built out to deflect a river current d (1) : spur track (2) : siding 3 (3) : a side or connecting road running from a main highway or turnpike <problems ... in the construction of thruway spurs — New York Times > e : a branch of a vein of a mine 7 : spur gear — on the spur of the moment : on impulse : prompted by the occasion : quickly , suddenly <asked him how he could think up such language on the spur of the moment — Max Eastman>

belabor

1 a obsolete : to work diligently on or at b : to work on or at to absurd lengths < belabor an argument> : to explain or insist on excessively < belabor the obvious> <You needn't belabor the point.> 2 a : to beat soundly b : assail , attack ; especially : to attack verbally <she belabors the foibles of grandparents, great-aunts, uncles, and cousins — Virgilia Peterson>

glower

1 dialectal, British : to look intently; especially : to stare in amazement 2 : to look or stare with sullen brooding annoyance or anger : gaze blackly : scowl , lower

limber

1 now dialectal, England : the shaft of a cart, wagon, or carriage — usually used in plural 2 a : a horse-drawn 2-wheeled vehicle to which a gun or caisson may be attached by means of a lunette that is slipped over a pintle and that includes a pole to which the horses are joined and an ammunition chest that serves as a seat for cannoneers b : a similar vehicle designed to be drawn by a tractor

actuary

1 obsolete : a clerk or registrar originally of a law court 2 : one trained in mathematics and statistics whose business it is to calculate insurance and annuity premiums, reserves, and dividends

limbo

1 often capitalized : an abode of souls that died in a state of original sin (as the souls of unbaptized infants or of virtuous people who died before the coming of Jesus Christ) and that are barred from heaven according to Roman Catholic theology 2 a : a place or state of restraint or confinement <trapping travelers in an airless limbo — Samuel Boal> <trapped by its own sense of inadequacy in a limbo of boredom — William Murray> b : a place or state of neglect or oblivion <the limbo of forgotten things> <vanished into the limbo of profitless products — S. H. Adams> <disappeared into the limbo of lost ships — E. L. Beach> c : an intermediate or transitional place or state : a middle ground <the infinitely complex pattern of business practices which occupies the limbo between competition and monopoly — S. M. Fine> <half-man, half-child, and yet neither, the adolescent occupies a special human limbo — New Republic > d : a state of uncertainty <Twenty years after the soccer boom was deemed imminent in the United States, the future of the game here is in limbo . — Jaime Diaz, Sports Illustrated , 27 Oct. 1986>

tyro

: a beginner in any field : one familiar with the rudiments of a subject but lacking in practical experience : novice <advice from the expert to the tyro >

Jumpmaster

: a person in charge of the jumping (as of parachute troops)

bionics

: a branch of science concerned with the application of data about the functioning of biological systems to the solution of engineering problems

glossary

: a collection of textual glosses <an edition of Shakespeare with a good glossary > or of terms limited to a special area of knowledge <a glossary of technical terms> or usage <a glossary of dialectal words>

oxymoron

: a combination for epigrammatic effect of contradictory or incongruous words (as cruel kindness, laborious idleness ) — ox·y·mo·ron·ic (audio pronunciation) adjective

limerick

: a fishhook of a shape first made in Ireland

grande dame

: a lady usually elderly and of great social or professional prestige, of high rank, or of extremely dignified or imposing manner

delegate

: a person sent and empowered to act for another : deputy , representative , commissioner : such as a : a representative to a convention or conference (as of a political party) b : a member of a committee for some branch of university business at Oxford University c : a representative of a U.S. territory in the House of Representatives who has the right to debate but not to vote d : a member of the lower house of the legislature of Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia

figurine

: a small carved or molded figure ; especially : a statuette in terracotta or similar material that is often adorned with painting or gilding and that is found in ancient tombs and ruins — compare tanagra

modicum

: a small portion : a limited quantity or amount <a falsehood without even a modicum of truth in it>

cardiologist

: a specialist in cardiology

durable

: able to exist for a long time with retention of original qualities, abilities, or capabilities : lasting , enduring , unchangeable , strong <traditional controversies between member nations ... must be settled before there can be created the general goodwill that makes economic union durable — Alan Valentine> <the durable Michelangelo who lived to be 89 — Time > <the less durable rocks were gradually worn away to form the valley> <the small body of durable poetry written in our time — T. S. Eliot> — compare perdurable

acid rain

: acid precipitation in the form of rain

provocateur

: agent provocateur

chronometer

: an instrument for measuring time: a : a portable timepiece usually having a detent escapement and compensation balance and beating half seconds for keeping time where great accuracy is essential (as in determining longitude at sea) — called also box chronometer , marine chronometer b : a watch of great especially officially certified accuracy c obsolete : metronome

pedometer

: an instrument usually in watch form that records the distance a walker covers by responding to his body motion at each step — compare passometer

transnational

: extending or going beyond national boundaries <an abatement of nationalism and the creation of transnational institutions which will render boundaries of minor importance — New Republic > <by the diffusion of culturally important words ... transnational vocabularies have grown up — Edward Sapir>

retroactive

: having relation or reference to or efficacy in a prior time: such as a : operative, binding, and taking effect prior to enactment, promulgation or imposition <the retroactive effect of the Redemption> < retroactive decree> < retroactive tax> b : consisting of an increase in wages effective as of an earlier date < retroactive pay> — ret·ro·ac·tive·ly adverb

nefarious

: heinously or impiously wicked : detestable , iniquitous < nefarious schemes> < nefarious practice> <race prejudice is most nefarious on its politer levels — H. E. Clurman>

lacerate

: lacerated

alluring

: marked by allure : attractive , enticing , tempting <not an alluring prospect> <declines any path, however alluring , that does not commend itself to his intellect — Brand Blanshard> <a land of mystery, remote and alluring > — al·lur·ing·ly adverb — al·lur·ing·ness noun , plural -es

teleological

: of or relating to teleology ; specifically : having the nature of or relating to, design, purpose, final intention, or cause — tel·e·o·log·i·cal·ly \-jə ̇ k(ə)lē, -jēk-, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

simian

: of, relating to, characteristic of, or resembling monkeys or apes

trajectory

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a trajectory

cursory

: rapidly often superficially performed with scant attention to detail : marked by hurried passing over or through something that invites exhaustive treatment : hasty <investigations were cursory to the point of being slapdash — Norman Moss> <studied three months in a cursory fashion — C. G. Bowers> <issued either no reports at all or only extremely cursory ones — John Brooks>

self-effacing

: retiring <essentially humble, modest, and self-effacing — B. K. Malinowski> — self-effacingly adverb

blandishment

: speech, action, or device that flatters and tends to coax or cajole : allurement — often used in plural <he refuses to yield to their blandishments — Irving Babbitt>

wanderlust

: strong or unconquerable longing for or impulse toward wandering or traveling — wan·der·lust·er \ ˈ wän-dər- ˌ lə-stər also ˈ w ȯ n-\ (audio pronunciation) noun — wan·der·lust·ful \ ˈ wän-dər- ˌ ləst-fəl also ˈ w ȯ n-\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

inherent

: structural or involved in the constitution or essential character of something : belonging by nature or settled habit : intrinsic , essential < inherent rights> <shortcomings inherent in our approach — David Cherin> <an inherent laziness> — in·her·ent·ly adverb

Stockholm syndrome

: the psychological tendency of a hostage to bond with, identify with, or sympathize with his or her captor

pizzazz

: the quality of being exciting or attractive: such as a : glamour , appeal <bemoans the lack of color and provocative pizzazz in today's stars — Vernon Scott> b : spirit , vitality <we had four numbers with pizzazz and the rest of the show died around them — Gower Champion> c : flashiness <pure promotional pizzazz — Jim Powell>

ungainliness

: the quality or state of being ungainly

vehemence

: the quality or state of being vehement : intensity , violence

disabuse

: to set free from mistakes (as in reasoning or judgment) : undeceive : set right < disabused us of the old belief that the universe revolved about the home of man — P. E. More> <he couldn't however disabuse his mind of the idea — F. M. Ford>

trounce

: to trash or punish severely: such as a : flog , cudgel b : to defeat decisively c : to censure sternly : castigate verbally d dialectal, chiefly England : indict , sue

mutate

: to undergo or cause to undergo mutation

undefiled

: untainted , uncorrupted , pure <learn to speak pure English undefiled — Van Wyck Brooks>

UV index

Ultra Violet index - a simple and informative way of describing the daily danger of solar UV radiation intensity. Each point on the Index scale is equivalent to 25 milliWatts/square metre of UV radiation

winebibber

a habitual drinker of alcohol

circulatory

chemistry, obsolete : a vessel (as a pelican) in which to circulate liquids

whit

chiefly dialectal variant of white

coup

dialectal, British : exchange , barter

groin

dialectal, British : the nose and sometimes the upper lip of an animal (as a swine)

tine

dialectal, England : close , shut , enclose

hackles

now dialectal, England : any of various coverings: such as a : the natural coat of an animal b : a bird's plumage c : a straw covering for a bee skep

demerit

obsolete : merit , desert ; also : a deserving or praiseworthy act

cloven

past participle of 2 cleave

held

past tense of hold

posturing

to pose: ceremonial pantomiming in China accompanied by music and formerly performed in a ritual manner at state sacrifices

plagiarize

transitive verb : to steal and pass off as one's own (the ideas or words of another) : use (a created production) without crediting the source <a learned book of his ... had been coolly plagiarized and issued in short version — Times Literary Supplement > intransitive verb : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

sear

variant spelling of 1 sere

eon

variant spelling of aeon

Caesarean

variant spelling of cesarean

baksheesh

especially in northern Africa & southwestern Asia : a gift of money (as for a favor or as a reward) : tip <knowing our porters could go no farther in their light clothes, we gave them their wages, plus liberal baksheesh , and sent them back — Edmund Hillary> also : alms <assailed by hordes of homeless street waifs and their age-old wail of " baksheesh " — C. G. Pepper>

glint

intransitive verb 1 a archaic : to move rapidly and usually obliquely; specifically : to glance off an object struck <the majority of the shells struck armor and simply glinted off — W. A. M. Goode> b of rays of light : to strike a reflecting surface obliquely and dart out at an angle <light gleaming and sparkling on the sea ... glinting from the sand — J. L. Lowes> 2 a : to shine usually by reflection: (1) : to shine with tiny bright flashes : sparkle <the slightly ruffled surface of the lake was glinting brilliantly in the morning sunlight> <little tin cups that glint like bright money — Lillian Smith> <you can see the rocks and pebbles glinting under the shimmering veil of water — William Goyen> (2) : to shine with a hard bright metallic luster of scattered light : glitter <eyes glinting with anger> <sunlight glinted on the vicious edges of the bottle fragments — Harriet La Barre> (3) : to shine with a subdued scattered light : gleam <moonlight glinted on the brass bed — Sloane Wilson> b : to emit scattered rays of light <held a magnifying glass over my hand and let the sun glint through — Charles Spielberger> 3 : to look quickly or briefly : peep 4 : to appear briefly, faintly, or transiently <across the river the village ... glinted through the palms — H. O. Forbes> transitive verb : to cause to glint : reflect in tiny flashes or gleams <the dark surface of the water caught the lights of the boat and glinted them brightly back>

hurtle

intransitive verb 1 archaic : to meet violently : hit with impact : collide <together hurtled both their steeds — Edward Fairfax> 2 : to progress with the sound or suddenness of violent motion : clatter , crash <boulders hurtled down the cliffs> <the morning gun ... sent its echoes hurtling through the coco palms — G. P. Insh> <stubbed his foot against the doorjamb and hurtled into the hall — Liam O'Flaherty> 3 : to move rapidly : dash headlong : rush , shoot <you can hurtle along at supersonic speeds — Irwin Edman> <somehow he had hurtled past the propellers' blades — Time > <the country was hurtling toward disaster — Sidney Warren> transitive verb 1 : to propel violently : catapult , fling <the subway hurtles hordes of workers daily into lower Manhattan> <Indians hurtle flaming arrows over the stockade wall> <when he hurtles himself into a dance — John Mason Brown> 2 dialectal, England : crouch

mope

intransitive verb 1 chiefly dialectal British : to act in a distracted, bewildered, or stupid manner <a wretched and peevish fellow ... to mope with his fat-brained followers so far out of his knowledge — Shakespeare> 2 : to give oneself up to brooding : become dull, dejected, or listless <doesn't pretend he is glad to be retired but he is not moping about it — Katharine Hamill> <the moping owl does to the moon complain — Thomas Gray> 3 : to move slowly or aimlessly : dawdle <even when the little woman does mope along in traffic — Paul Jones> <sadly turned his back on us, moped into the sea, and took to swimming — Harper's > transitive verb 1 : to make dull, dejected, or listless : cause to brood <you must come about with me and not mope yourself — Thomas Hughes> 2 : to pass (as a period of time) in a dull, dejected, or listless state <directs him not to shut himself up in a cloister alone, there to mope ... away his life — George Horne †1792>

stalk

intransitive verb 1 obsolete : to walk cautiously or furtively : steal , slip 2 : to pursue quarry or prey stealthily or under cover (as behind a stalking horse) : still-hunt <deer are hunted chiefly by stalking — Encyclopedia Americana > — compare drive 3 a : to walk with a stiff ungainly stride <long-legged water birds stalk along the shore> b : to walk with long measured steps : stride loftily <turned on his heel, and stalked stiffly out — Kenneth Roberts> c : to move in a silent deliberate manner — used of ghosts and half-personified evils <a specter that stalked along the castle walls at midnight> <the terror that stalks through the city> transitive verb 1 a : to pursue (as game) stealthily and often under cover for the purpose of killing < stalk deer> < stalk an enemy patrol> <watch a tiger stalk its prey> b : to pursue or follow in a stealthy, furtive, or persistent manner <the man was stalking him as remorselessly as if he were a criminal — Time > 2 : to move through, recur to, or follow as a specter or evil : dog , haunt <a nightmare that stalks his sleep> <the starvation that stalked the winter-devastated land — New York Times Book Review > 3 : to go through (an area) in search of prey or other quarry < stalk the woods for deer>

synchronize

intransitive verb : to happen or take place at the same time : by synchronous <the voyages of discovery synchronized with the emergence of a capitalist economy — H. J. Laski> <action and sound must synchronize perfectly> transitive verb 1 : to represent or arrange (events) so as to indicate coincidence or coexistence < synchronize events of biblical and classical history> 2 : to cause to agree in time < synchronize two watches> : make synchronous in operation < synchronize troop movements and artillery fire> < synchronize factory operations> 3 a : to make (dialogue, music, or sound effects) exactly simultaneous with the action shown in a motion picture b : to maintain a time interlock throughout (a television system) so that the scanning beams in the studio and the receiver move together c : to adjust (a camera shutter) so that a flashbulb fires at the instant the shutter opens

gibe

intransitive verb : to utter taunting sarcastic words : express scorn : sneer — often used with at <his friends gibed at him for his cowardice — B. L. K. Henderson> transitive verb : to reproach with taunting sarcastic words : sneer at : mock <you gibed each other ... over the extent to which you found yourself shifted from the firm ground of reasoned conclusion — Mary Austin>

hex

intransitive verb [Pennsylvania German hexe , from German hexen , from hexe , noun] : to practice witchcraft transitive verb [Pennsylvania German ver hexe , from ver for- + hexe , verb] 1 : to practice witchcraft upon : put a hex on <he can ... hex him, and he knows it — J. H. Allen> 2 : to affect as if by an evil spell : jinx , queer <giving in to an unscientific fear of hexing the whole project — Daniel Lang> < hexes the acoustics — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News >

accost

intransitive verb obsolete : to lie alongside <all the shores which to the sea accost — Edmund Spenser> transitive verb 1 : to approach and speak to <they were accosted by the immigration officials> : speak to without having first been spoken to <the host walked up and accosted the two silent guests> 2 : to confront, usually in a somewhat challenging or defensive way <Mrs. Berry, wishing first to see herself as she was, mutely accosted the looking glass — George Meredith> 3 : to address abruptly (as in a chance meeting) and usually with a certain degree of impetuosity or boldness <a beggar accosted me in the street> 4 : to solicit (as a man) for sexual immorality

tout

intransitive verb 1 : to canvass for customers : solicit patronage : urge with annoying persistence <peeled potatoes ... and when otherwise unoccupied touted for custom from the passersby — E. M. Lustgarten> 2 a chiefly British : to spy out the movements of racehorses at their trials or to get by stealth or other improper means the secrets of the stable for betting purposes b : to give a tip on a racehorse transitive verb 1 : to spy on : watch closely <candidates are touted for possible political faux pas> 2 a British : to spy out information about (as a racing stable or horse) b : to give a tip on (a racehorse) to a bettor with the expectation of sharing in his winnings 3 : to solicit importunately <supplied the ideas and touted ... businessmen for orders — Geoffrey Household> : peddled in an annoyingly persistent manner <the old woman of eighty who touted Paris-Soir ... from café and café — Bruce Marshall>

connive

intransitive verb 1 : to pretend ignorance or unawareness of something one ought morally or officially or legally to oppose : fail to take action against a known wrongdoing or misbehavior — usually used with at < connive at the violation of a law> 2 a : to be indulgent, tolerant, or secretly in favor or sympathy : wink — usually used with at < connive at youthful follies> b : to cooperate secretly : have a secret understanding — usually used with with <officials who were not above conniving with him in importing goods — J. A. Krout> 3 : conspire , intrigue <she loved to connive with her friends in their amours — Helen Howe> <he had declared that no candidate was ever chosen without conniving — Time > transitive verb obsolete : to shut the eyes to : wink at

impinge

intransitive verb 1 : to strike or dash especially with a sharp collision : come into sharp contact — usually used with on, upon , or against <when an elastic ball impinges on another — K. K. Darrow> <the creak of oarlocks impinged on his ear> <something impinges violently on your senses — Peggy Durdin> <a strong light impinging on the eyes and causing a sudden pain> 2 : to come into a relationship as if impinging : make an impression : touch closely or bear directly — usually used with on or upon <waiting for the germ of a new idea to impinge upon my mind — Phyllis Bentley> <the objects that impinged upon his imagination with the greatest impact — Times Literary Supplement > <in that line of reasoning we impinge upon an abstruse metaphysical problem> <political forces that impinge on everyone's daily life> 3 : encroach , infringe — usually used with on < impinging on other people's rights> <not that I want to impinge on any man's recreation — Ezra Pound> transitive verb : to cause (as a gas or a flame) to strike < impinging live steam on the printed surface — Chemical & Engineering News >

gabble

intransitive verb 1 : to talk fast, idly, foolishly, or without meaning : jabber , chatter <with a mighty throat clearing, he would gabble through his prayer — Ernest Beaglehole> <he loves to gabble with housewives at church suppers — Andrew Hamilton> <spent his time gabbling in bars> <the clerk had gabbled about a fee due> <saying nothing comprehensible, just babbling and gabbling , half unconsciously — Arnold Bennett> 2 : to utter inarticulate sounds (as of a chicken) rapidly <a skein of duck came across, gabbling softly to themselves in the high air — Naomi Mitchison> transitive verb : to say with incoherent rapidity : babble <our excitement exploded and we gabbled the story over and over — Santha Rama Rau>

dally

intransitive verb 1 a : to act playfully : play , sport , toy < dallying with a glass of wine — Victoria Sackville-West> <the winter that merely dallies and trifles — Alfred Buchanan> especially : to play amorously < dallied with a young Mexican girl — Green Peyton> b : to play mockingly < dallying with a serious proposition> 2 a : to waste time (as in frivolity, idleness, or trifling) b : linger , delay , tarry <while the men dallied , the dogs set off — J. T. McNish> transitive verb 1 obsolete : to evade or delay by trifling 2 archaic : to consume or spend (as time) in dalliance or by dallying — used with away < dallying away precious time — Sir Walter Scott> — dal·li·er noun , plural dal·li·ers <At least half of us are only just beginning to think about what to buy—and there are less than four weeks until December 25. ... Men, it appears, are the worst dalliers . — Gail Barnsley, Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia), 29 Nov. 1997>

bushwhack

intransitive verb 1 a : to clear a path through thick woods especially by chopping down bushes and low branches b : to propel a boat by pulling on bushes along the bank 2 a : to make repeated emphatic gestures while speaking specifically in a manner felt to resemble the chopping of bushes b : to make a speech accompanied by such gestures 3 a : to hide out in the woods b : to travel through thick woods (as in making a thorough search) 4 : to fight as a bushwhacker transitive verb 1 : to propel (a boat) by pulling on bushes along the bank 2 : to fight or attack as a bushwhacker : ambush

ramble

intransitive verb 1 a : to move usually by walking from place to place without conscious aim or goal : stroll here and there : rove , wander < rambling till suppertime through the orderly avenues between the lines of English walnut trees — Jean Stafford> <to ramble through the country and to talk about books — J. P. Marquand> b : to explore without any particular purpose <most students rambled around among a lot of different subjects — Sloan Wilson> 2 : to talk or write in a desultory fashion <this essay rambles a great deal, darting ... from point to point — Saturday Review > <great temptation ... to ramble on interminably in praise of the delights of sailing — E. J. Schoettle> 3 a : to grow at random <roses that ramble over our summer house — Nora Waln> b : to extend or stretch seemingly without design or plan <a little tame wood which rambled up from the village — Audrey Barker> <roads and drives ramble past great estates — American Guide Series: North Carolina > transitive verb : to wander over : roam < rambling the streets of London — Virginia Woolf> < rambling the woods with his father on quiet Sunday afternoons>

flinch

intransitive verb 1 a : to withdraw or shrink (as from an enterprise or responsibility) usually because of danger, difficulties, or distress involved or foreseen < flinch at the thought of their own participation in partisan politics — John Lodge> <perilous to flinch from making the attempt — A. J. Toynbee> b : to shrink from or as if from physical pain : wince , start < flinching from the vile air — Marcia Davenport> < flinching from a dart of neuralgia — Ellen Glasgow> often : to tense the muscles suddenly and involuntarily in anticipation of some startling unpleasant event <many young shooters spoil their scores by flinching just before they pull the trigger> 2 obsolete : to slink off or away transitive verb archaic : to draw back or hold back from (as some indulgence)

comport

intransitive verb 1 a archaic : bear , endure b obsolete : behave , act 2 : agree , accord , suit — used with with <the emphasis on the beautiful ... that comports with the conventional conception of culture as a life of traditionally molded refinement — Edward Sapir> transitive verb 1 archaic : to put up with : bear , tolerate 2 : conduct , behave <the probationer who comports himself blamelessly remains obscure, while the one who reverts to crime is likely to hit the headlines — Telford Taylor> 3 : carry or bring especially together <positivism ... tried to make of philosophy ... a technique of existence comporting an inventory of behavior, a description of conduct — Times Literary Supplement >

foster

Scottish : a foster child

denizen

1 : a dweller in a certain place or region : inhabitant , resident < denizens of the village> <the denizens of the bayous love a holiday — R. M. Hodesh> 2 : one admitted to residence in a foreign country; especially : an alien admitted by favor to all or a part of the rights of citizenship 3 : one that has been naturalized — used especially of a word, animal, or plant 4 a : one that remains in a place temporarily or for a period of time b : one that occupies or goes to a place frequently : habitué < denizens of out-of-town theaters>

locution

1 : a particular form of expression : a peculiarity of phrasing; especially : a word, phrase, or expression characteristic of a region, group, or cultural level < locutions which nearly all ... hill people use daily — American Guide Series: Arkansas > 2 obsolete : the act of uttering : speech <and give locution from a thousand tongues — W. L. Lewis> 3 : style of discourse : phraseology <the vein of Homeric feeling and the general style of locution ... would be maintained — George Grote>

purple patch

1 : a passage conspicuous for brilliancy or effectiveness in a work that is characteristically dull, commonplace, or uninspired 2 : a piece of obtrusively ornate writing

cohesive

1 : cohering <a beautifully cohesive whole — Arthur Knight> <a cohesive family unit> 2 : causing to cohere : producing cohesion < cohesive forces> — co·he·sive·ly adverb — co·he·sive·ness noun , plural -es

irascible

1 : marked by hot temper and resentful anger : having or showing a disposition to be easily incensed <his proud, irascible individualism that went out of its way to pick a quarrel — V. L. Parrington> <became so irascible that within six months he lost his wife and half of his office staff — Herman Wouk> 2 a : moved by desire for that which is attained only with difficulty or danger b : stirred by combative emotions (as anger, pride, courage, fear) — opposed to concupiscible

kamikaze

1 often capitalized : a member of a Japanese air attack corps assigned to make a suicidal crash on a target (as a ship) 2 : an airplane containing explosives to be flown in a suicide crash on a target

avian

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of birds < avian families> < avian studies> 2 : derived from a bird < avian tubercle bacilli in a goat>

coruscate

1 : to gleam with intermittent flashes : glitter , sparkle <polished brass, coruscating helmets and horses shining like table silver — Edith Wharton> 2 : to be brilliant or showy in technique or style <an ornate style that coruscated with verbal epigrams — Aldous Huxley> : be brilliant or keen in intelligence or wit <far-darting, restlessly coruscating soul — Thomas Carlyle>

doldrums

1 doldrums plural a : a spell of listlessness or despondency : blues b : a state of bafflement : quandary 2 archaic : a sluggish or slow-witted person 3 doldrums plural a : a region over the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls, and light baffling winds b : the calms met with in that region 4 doldrums plural : a condition of inactivity, retardation, or stagnation: a : a downswing, slump, or slack period (as in business or industry) <through the economic doldrums of the late forties — Drew Middleton> <bring the antiques business out of the depression doldrums — Alice Winchester> : a period of sagging or falling off (as in sales or financial or political activity) b : a deterioration to a low ebb of vigor, creative power, or effectiveness <that American fiction is at present in the doldrums is borne out anew — Amy Loveman>

gimbal

: a contrivance that permits a body to incline freely in any direction or suspends something (as a barometer or a ship's compass) so that it will remain level when its support is tipped and that consists of a ring in which the body can turn on an axis through a diameter of the ring while the ring itself is so pivoted to its support that it can turn about a diameter at right angles to the first — usually used in plural

complicity

: association or participation in or as if in guilt <two men acting in complicity > < complicity in election abuses — J. G. Randall> <mischievous complicity between brothers>

karaoke

: a device that plays instrumental accompaniments for a selection of songs to which the user sings along and that records or transmits the user's voice with the music; also : a form of entertainment involving the use of a karaoke machine (as in a bar)

reappraisal

: a second or fresh appraisal : revaluation <if reforms do emerge from whatever agonizing reappraisal is now to be attempted — H. S. Commager>

onslaught

: an especially fierce attack <the tremendous onslaught across the Rhine — Sir Winston Churchill> <an onslaught of disease> <less resilient under his wife's verbal onslaughts — D. G. Gerhaty>

elusive

: tending to elude : evasive : such as a : tending to avoid or evade grasp or pursuit <shy elusive denizens of the deep woods> often : incapable of being prolonged < elusive pleasures of a sunny afternoon in childhood> b : not easily comprehended or defined : baffling <that elusive thing, the soul> <an elusive person> c : hard to pin down, isolate, or identify <use of egg cultures to isolate certain hitherto elusive viruses> <a haunting elusive odor> <the elusive atomic particles called mesons — John Pfeiffer> — elu·sive·ly \|ə ̇ vlē, -li\ adverb

annulment

: the act of annulling or of being annulled : nullification ; specifically : a judicial pronouncement declaring the invalidity of a marriage — distinguished from divorce and separation

cant

dialectal, England : lively , vigorous , cheerful

ossify

intransitive verb 1 : to form or be transformed into bone <additional cartilages ossify with age> 2 : to become callous or hardened : become set in a conventional pattern <so easy for the mind to ossify and generous ideals to end in stale platitudes — John Buchan> transitive verb 1 : to change (as cartilage) into bone <osteoblasts ossify the tissue> 2 : to make callous, rigid, or inactive : mold firmly in a conventional pattern : harden <guilds that won freedom by combination and then ossified it into monopoly — D. C. Coyle>

snitch

intransitive verb : to give incriminating evidence against someone, especially an associate : inform , tattle <a Congressional witness doesn't have to snitch on far-past Red acquaintances if ... his information serves no legislative purpose — New Republic > transitive verb [probably influenced in meaning by 1 snatch ] : to take by stealth < snitch a ride on the back of a streetcar> specifically : to steal (as something of small value) in a stealthy manner <started out snitching hubcaps and ended up stealing cars>

amazon

river about 3900 miles (6276 kilometers) long in northern South America flowing from the Peruvian Andes into the Atlantic in northern Brazil ◆ By volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the world. — see ucayali , solimões

fulminate

transitive verb 1 : to utter or send out with denunciation or censures < fulminate a decree> 2 : to cause to explode intransitive verb 1 : to issue or send forth censures or invectives menacingly or authoritatively 2 : to make a sudden loud noise : detonate , explode 3 of a disease : to come on suddenly and intensely

prorate

transitive verb : to divide, distribute, or assess proportionately <in the sale of real estate, it is usual to prorate the taxes between the seller and the buyer — Journal of Accountancy > intransitive verb : to make a pro rata distribution

snicker

variant snigger : intransitive verb 1 : to laugh in a slight, covert, or partly suppressed manner (as in derision or from embarrassment) <they snicker at my graftin', and I laugh in my sleeve ... at their penetration — T. C. Haliburton> <a fantastic caricature of the Edwardian dandy his grandfather probably snickered at — P. D. Whitney> <like a small boy taking you into a corner to snigger at a bawdy story — H. J. Laski> titter <chuckled at his readers, snickered at his correspondents, smiled at his own folly — Martin Gardner> 2 : to make a sound like a snicker <the irreverent red squirrels ... run and snicker at my approach — John Burroughs> transitive verb : to utter with or express by a snicker

canopy

1 : a covering usually for shelter or protection <from midships aft she was covered with a vast canopy of solid construction — C. S. Forester> a : a covering usually of cloth suspended from the four high posts of a bed b : a covering typically of cloth carried on poles above an exalted personage or sacred object : baldachin c : sky <the wild blue canopy above> d : a temporary or permanent cover providing shelter and decoration (as over a door or window) e : a formation of branches affording a cover of foliage <the fabulous avenue ... covered with a canopy of chestnut trees — Horace Sutton> specifically : the uppermost spreading branchy layer of a forest — see understory f : an awning or marquee often stretching from doorway to curb or covering a section of grandstand 2 a : the rooflike construction above the stage of an Elizabethan theater b : a curtained recess at the back of such a stage 3 : an ornamental rooflike structure that provides or suggests shelter and that projects from a wall or is supported by columns 4 : a metal covering used to enclose wiring where an electric fixture protrudes (as from a ceiling) 5 a : the transparent enclosure over an airplane cockpit b : the lifting or supporting surface of a parachute

badger

1 : a dealer licensed in former times to buy grain in one place and sell it in another 2 now dialectal, England : an itinerant dealer in commodities used for food : hawker , huckster

syllogism

1 : a deductive logical scheme or analysis of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion and that may be used either to prove a conclusion by showing that it follows from known premises or to test the truth of premises by showing what follows from them (as in " every virtue is laudable; kindness is a virtue; therefore kindness is laudable " ) 2 : explication of the relations of ideas especially in accordance with syllogistic principles : deductive method <a man knows first, and then he is able to prove syllogistically; so that syllogism comes after knowledge — John Locke> —compare induction 2 3 : a subtle, specious, or crafty argument, piece of reasoning, or method of attaining one's end <blithely accepts the perilous syllogism that the end justifies the means — C. B. Davis>

scrim

1 : a durable plainwoven fabric usually of cotton woven loosely with fine to coarse meshes and given various finishes for use in clothing, curtains, building trades, and industry 2 : thin canvas glued on the inside of a panel to prevent distortion (as by shrinking or checking) 3 a : a theater drop that appears opaque when a scene in front is lighted and transparent or translucent when a scene in back is lighted b : something likened to a theater scrim <the sky was a scrim of creeping mists — Darryl Pinckney> <people perceive bias through the scrim of ideology — Wendy Kaminer> 4 : a gauze or mesh panel placed outside of the range of a camera to diffuse harsh light

brooch

1 : a fastening device often of precious metal and decked with gems and usually with a clasp or tongue for making it fast (as to a garment) that is now used chiefly for ornament on women's apparel 2 obsolete : a jewel or jeweled ornament

melee

1 : a fight or contest between individuals mingled in a confused mass : a confused struggle <killed in a border melee > <this week's wrestling card includes two team melees > 2 : a cavalry exercise in which two groups of riders try to cut paper plumes off the helmets of their opponents 3 : a confused mingling together of often incongruous elements : mélange <pushing their ... way through a melee of taxis, bicycles, and people — Atlantic >

abdicate

transitive verb 1 : disown , disinherit <a father who abdicates his son> 2 obsolete : to separate (oneself) formally from or divest (oneself) of <the ruler abdicated himself from the government> 3 : to cast off : discard < abdicate an opinion> 4 : to relinquish formally (as sovereign power) : renounce : lay down : surrender intransitive verb : to renounce a throne, high office, dignity, or function <leadership that abdicates >

eschew

transitive verb 1 : to abstain from (as something wrong, inappropriate, distasteful, or harmful) : shun <trained to eschew private passions and pursuits — E. A. Mowrer> <some of the millionaires eschewed palatial magnificence — F. L. Allen> <despite the engagement to eschew violence, disorders and bloodshed took place — Collier's Year Book > <the normal vegetarian only eschews fish, flesh, and fowl — N. C. Wright> 2 obsolete : to keep free of : escape intransitive verb obsolete : escape

scald

transitive verb 1 : to burn with hot liquid or steam : pain or injure by contact with any hot fluid or irritating chemicals 2 a : to subject to the action of boiling water or steam (as for loosening hair or feathers on a slaughtered animal, for loosening skin of fruits or vegetables, or for stopping enzyme action or bacterial growth) < scald a tomato before peeling it> < scald dishes> — compare blanch , parboil b : to immerse in a boiling liquid or chemical c : to bring (a liquid) to a temperature just below the boiling point < scald milk> d : to cook (a slurry of grain meal and water) as the first step in the mashing process by pouring boiling water over the meal or by using live steam to heat the mixture usually in a pressure cooker 3 : to affect as painfully as by the application of boiling water <tears that scald the cheek> 4 : scorch <sun- scalded ground — Myrtle R. White> 5 chiefly Irish : worry , torment <it scalds my heart> intransitive verb 1 : to produce the effects of boiling water or scorching heat : inflict agonizing pain <a desert of dry scalding sand — Daniel Defoe> 2 a : to suffer the effects of boiling water or scorching heat b : to be affected by scald <the apples scalded severely in storage>

squander

transitive verb 1 : to cause to disperse or spread : scatter <they drive and squander the huge Belgian fleet — John Dryden> 2 : to expend extravagantly or foolishly especially to the point of depletion : throw away : dissipate <tied up their fortunes in trust funds so that they could not be squandered by their heirs — Lucien Price> <willing to squander their lives on the gratuitous work that great art demands — Edmund Wilson> <the most brilliant journalist of my generation ... often squanders his genius for invective — T. S. Eliot> < squandering away income by gambling — Bingham Dai> intransitive verb 1 : roam , wander 2 : to spend in a wasteful manner <they often squandered , but they never gave — Richard Savage> 3 : to scatter in various directions <many of the enemy ... squandered like quail from a flushed covey — B. A. Williams>

germinate

transitive verb 1 : to cause to sprout or grow < germinate a broad bean on damp flannel — John Percival> 2 : to cause to originate or develop <until recently the university presses germinated no ideas at all — M. S. Watson> intransitive verb 1 archaic : to shoot forth like a plant : effloresce <the stone on which the native alum ... germinates is black and shining — William Brownrigg> 2 : to begin to grow : sprout — used especially of a spore or seed <the seed ... germinates on access of water, air, and warmth — W. F. Ganong> 3 : to come into being : evolve <before Western civilization began to germinate — A. L. Kroeber>

curdle

transitive verb 1 : to change (milk) into curds : cause curds to form in (milk) <the milk is curdled > 2 : to cause to coagulate : congeal , freeze < curdle the whites of eggs> 3 : spoil , addle , sour , embitter <disappointments curdling his previously cheerful disposition> intransitive verb 1 : to form curds : change into curd : coagulate <the milk has curdled > 2 : to appear as though covered with curds : accumulate scurf 3 : congeal , freeze <the latex curdles in small lumps> 4 : to become bitter : go bad or wrong : spoil , sour <envy soon curdles into hate — J. A. Froude> <how ambition frustrated will curdle — Robert Hatch> — curdle the blood : to fill with horror <his account fairly curdled my blood >

stanch

transitive verb 1 : to check or stop the flowing of <charity ... stanching the widow's tears — W. E. H. Lecky> : stop the flow of blood from (a wound) 2 archaic a : allay , satisfy b : quench , extinguish 3 a : to stop or check in its course : put an end to <have somewhat stanched the drain on gold and dollar reserves — Time > b : to make watertight : stop up < stanch a leak in a ship> intransitive verb archaic : to cease flowing or bleeding

petrify

transitive verb 1 : to convert into stone; specifically : to convert (organic matter) into stone or a substance of stony hardness through the infiltration of water containing dissolved mineral matter 2 : to make hard, rigid, or inert like or as if like stone: a : to make lifeless or inactive : deaden <slogans are apt to petrify a man's thinking — Saturday Review > <his independence had not petrified his sympathies — Times Literary Supplement > b : to confound with fear, amazement, or awe : paralyze , stupefy <the original purpose of the aboriginal objects was to petrify uninitiated members of the tribe — T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings> <is petrified of talking in public — Alan Frank> intransitive verb 1 : to become stone or a substance of stony hardness 2 : to become hard, rigid, or inert like or as if like stone <principles and rules ... have petrified with the accumulated weight of precedent on precedent — B. N. Cardozo> <her face had petrified into the fearsome pioneer resolution of unremitting housewifery — Nigel Dennis>

seethe

transitive verb 1 : to cook in a boiling or simmering liquid : boil , stew <allowed to eat anything that is roasted or seethed — William Chomsky> <thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk — Exodus 23:19 (Authorized Version)> 2 a : to soak or saturate in a liquid : reduce by soaking or boiling to a flabby lifeless condition b : to dull (as the brain or blood) by heat or intoxicating liquor intransitive verb 1 archaic : to be cooked by boiling : come to a boil 2 a : to be in a state of rapid and agitated movement <a dark mass in which seethed houses, freight cars, trees, and animals — V. G. Heiser> <swarms of flies seethed everywhere — Francis Birtles> b : to bubble or foam as if boiling : boil , churn <when the surge was seething free — Alfred Tennyson> 3 : to suffer violent internal excitement or commotion : be in a state of agitation or turmoil : ferment <his brain seethed with answers, with retorts, with crushing arguments — Francis Hackett> <when the colonies were beginning to seethe with the spirit of revolt — Nation's Business >

daub

transitive verb 1 : to cover or coat (as lath, a wall, a building) with soft adhesive matter (as plaster, pitch, mud) : plaster , close , smear < daub the crack with plaster> < daub a surface with glue> 2 : to coat with something that smirches or stains < daubed his fingers with ink> soil <generally daubs himself with soup and grease — Earl of Chesterfield> 3 obsolete : to cover with a specious or deceitful exterior <he daubed his vice with show of virtue — Shakespeare> 4 dialectal, England : to array tastelessly especially in a gaudy manner 5 : to apply paint or other coloring material crudely, hastily, or unskillfully to < daubed the top of the tutor's cap with white paint — Anthony Trollope> < daubed her lips with lipstick> : apply (colors) in such a way <like an artist daubing unimportant touches of paint on a finished picture — Winifred Bambrick> intransitive verb 1 now dialectal : to put on a false exterior in order to make an impression 2 : to paint or apply colors in a crude, amateur, or unskillful manner <Awful Arts Club ... which has been daubing for ten years — Joseph Alger>

hew

transitive verb 1 : to cut with hard or rough blows of a heavy cutting instrument (as an ax, broadsword, or large chisel) <the miners who hew out the coal — G. B. Shaw> 2 : to fell (as a tree) by blows of an ax : cut down 3 : to shape, form, create, or bring into being with or as if with hard rough blows or efforts <my own grandparents hewed their farms from the wilderness — J. T. Shotwell> < hew out a rock tomb> intransitive verb 1 : to make rough heavy cutting blows (as with an ax) 2 : adhere , conform , stick <each of his ... masterpieces hews to its stanza form with meticulous accuracy — Clement Wood> <if he is elected ... he will hew to the constitutional law — New York Times > <avoiding sentimentality by hewing doggedly to domestic realism — Roger Pippett> — often used in the phrase hew to the line

expatriate

transitive verb 1 : to drive into exile : banish <this minister after having been expatriated outlived his great enemy — Isaac D'Israeli> 2 a : to withdraw (oneself) from residence in one's native country < expatriated himself for years at the Cape of Good Hope — R. W. Emerson> b : to withdraw (oneself) from allegiance to one's native country <although the father had ... expatriated himself, the son was appointed a cadet " at large " at West Point — T. M. Spaulding> intransitive verb : to leave one's native country <the population again died out or expatriated — George Grote> specifically : to renounce allegiance to one's native country

reciprocate

transitive verb 1 : to give and take reciprocally : exchange mutually : interchange <the two countries reciprocated pledges of friendship> 2 : to cause to move in alternate directions 3 : to return in kind or degree : respond in like measure to : repay < reciprocate the compliments just paid them — J. G. Cozzens> <is peevish and sensitive when his advances are not reciprocated — G. B. Shaw> intransitive verb 1 : to make a return for something done, given, or said <hope in a few days to reciprocate for your verses by sending you a few remarks — O. W. Holmes †1935> 2 : to move forward and backward alternately usually in a straight line <a tiny knife reciprocating rapidly up and down — J. V. A. Long> 3 : to be equivalent or correspondent

excavate

transitive verb 1 : to hollow out : form a cavity or hole in < excavating the side of a hill> <an excavated wisdom tooth> 2 : to form by hollowing : shape by removing material so as to leave a space <will excavate the cellar as soon as the frost goes> < excavated a tunnel under the river> 3 : to dig out and remove (as earth or mineral matter) <over a million tons of rich ore were excavated from that one pocket> 4 : to expose to view by or as if by digging away a covering < excavated the remains of 10 separate cultures> < excavated several forgotten accounts of the brawl> intransitive verb : to make excavations or become hollowed out <the mollusk uses its pointed foot to excavate in the mud> <an area of infarction in soft tissue often tends to excavate >

burnish

transitive verb 1 : to make shiny or lustrous : polish — often used figuratively <a publicity campaign to help burnish their reputation> ; specifically : to polish by friction with something hard and smooth < burnish metal> < burnished leather> <a burnished planchet> <a burnished coin> 2 of a deer : to rub (the head) so as to remove the dead velvet and polish the antlers 3 : to rub with a burnisher : such as a : to fix with a burnisher < burnish a glass into a metal rim> b : to make an area of (a halftone printing plate) darker by rubbing down the dots and thus enlarging them intransitive verb : to take a polish : become lustrous under burnishing — bur·nish·ing \ ˈ bər-ni-shiŋ\ noun , plural bur·nish·ings <Waxed copy can be positioned and re-positioned in a paste-up as many times as necessary before a final burnishing . — British Printer , March 1976>

dandle

transitive verb 1 : to move (as a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knee : toss up and down in or as if in affectionate play 2 : to treat fondly (as a child) : make much of : pamper , pet <editors, scholars, merchants, even the noble lords and ladies feted and dandled him — Max Eastman> 3 obsolete : to play or trifle with intransitive verb 1 : dangle <one leg, even if the hose wrinkle a little, must dandle over the other — Christopher Morley> 2 : trifle , toy , play < dandled with one art after another>

rend

transitive verb 1 : to pull violently from a person or thing : remove from place by violence : tear out or away : wrench , wrest <glaciers may ... rend boulders from their beds — G. W. Tyrrell> < rend manhood out of him in fear — G. D. Brown> 2 a : to split or tear apart or in pieces by violence : cleave <saw lightning rend a tree> dismember <many a carcass they left ... for the horny-nibbed raven to rend — Alfred Tennyson> b : to convert straight-grained wood into (laths) by splitting 3 : to tear (the hair or clothing) as a sign of anger, grief, or despair <foam, fling myself flat, rend my clothes to shreds — Robert Browning> 4 : to affect as if tearing or splitting: such as a : to lacerate (as the heart) with painful feelings <look in his face ... and rend him with her scorn — Ellen Glasgow> b : to pierce with sound <suddenly this dead stillness was rent by a shot — Zane Grey> c : to divide (as a nation) into parties : disintegrate <a long dispute over where it should be built rent the community — American Guide Series: Virginia > intransitive verb 1 : to perform an act of tearing or splitting <a time to rend and a time to sew — Ecclesiastes 3:7 (Revised Standard Version)> 2 : to become torn or split <made of rotten black cloth ... or else it would not have rent — Edmund Hickeringill>

actuate

transitive verb 1 : to put into mechanical action or motion <most of the hydraulically operated items of equipment are actuated by pistons and cylinders — W. R. Sears> 2 : to move to action <cultural developments which actuate and guide stylistic trends in art — Ralph Wickiser> : stir or inspire to activity <motives which actuate religious fanatics — M. R. Cohen> <individuals actuated by economic self-interest — Douglas Bush> intransitive verb : to become active

interrogate

transitive verb 1 : to question typically with formality, command, and thoroughness for full information and circumstantial detail < interrogate a witness> 2 obsolete : to ask questions about 3 : to examine in detail : research into the causes, reasons, nature of <modern potters interrogate in their laboratories the glazes used in ancient China — C. E. Montague> 4 : to give or send out a signal to (as a transponder or computer) for triggering an appropriate response intransitive verb : to ask questions of someone : conduct an examination <frank I will respond as you interrogate — Robert Browning> — in·ter·ro·ga·tee \in- ˌ ter-ə-( ˌ )gā- ˈ tē, - ˌ te-rə-\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural in·ter·ro·ga·tees <Busting through a door without a search warrant is the least of Creegan's sins. He roughs up interrogatees and defaults to vigilantism when due process fails. — The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), 6 Aug. 2010>

exalt

transitive verb 1 : to raise high : put in an eminent position : elevate <sold at exalted prices> 2 : to raise especially in rank, dignity, wealth, power, or character <the king exalted his victorious admiral to a place on the privy council> dignify <a nation exalted by fair dealings> 3 : to elevate by praise or in estimation <my father exalted dramatic poetry above all other kinds — W. B. Yeats> magnify , extol , glorify < exalt ye the Lord — Psalms 99:5 (Authorized Version)> 4 obsolete : to lift up (as with joy, pride, or success) : inspire with delight or satisfaction : elate 5 a : to enhance the activity of : stimulate to greater or higher activity : heighten , intensify < exalting the imagination to new flights of fancy> b : refine , concentrate — used especially in alchemy c archaic : to make more complete or perfect d : to cause (virulence) to increase <virulence exalted by addition of mucin to a bacterial culture> also : to increase the virulence of < exalt a virus by repeated rapid passage through susceptible hosts> intransitive verb : to induce exaltation : elevate <the power of brilliant conversation to excite and exalt > <the exalting beauty of the forest>

assuage

transitive verb 1 : to reduce the intensity of : make less severe or violent : allay , mitigate , ease <stroking her right wrist with her left hand as though to assuage the ache — Jean Stafford> <forgetting her own sorrow in her effort to assuage his — B. A. Williams> 2 : to reduce to a state of peace, calm, or quiet : mollify , pacify <she found herself ... pleasantly assuaged by the sense of anonymity which enveloped her — Helen Howe> 3 : to put an end to by satisfying : appease , quench <surrounded with more than enough to assuage its hunger — F. G. Kay> 4 obsolete : to reduce especially in size : diminish intransitive verb archaic : to grow less : abate , subside <God made a wind to pass over the earth and the waters assuaged — Genesis 8:1 (Authorized Version)>

depose

transitive verb 1 : to remove from a throne or other high position : divest or deprive of office or rank : dethrone <striving to depose the king in favor of his brother> < deposed from his post as prime minister — Time > <they deposed Philip Carteret as governor — American Guide Series: New Jersey > < deposed as unfit to hold office> 2 obsolete a : to take away : remove b : divest , dispossess c : to lay aside : divest oneself of 3 : to let fall : put down : deposit <she carelessly deposed costly trinkets on the table — Arnold Bennett> <the practice ... of deposing the sacrament in a carved recess — Francis Berry> 4 a [Middle English deposen , from Medieval Latin depos- , perfect stem of deponere to assert under oath, from Latin, to put down] : to say under oath : testify ; especially : to give witness of by an affidavit or other sworn statement in writing < depose before the court that he had seen the man in the act of murder> b : affirm , assert <a fat grocer was deposing that he thought it was I who had stolen five feet of pork sausages from him — Carolyn Hannay> c obsolete : to put under oath : call upon as witness intransitive verb [Middle English deposen , from Medieval Latin depos- , perfect stem of deponere to assert under oath] : to bear witness : make a deposition : testify <he was a bit shaky when it came his turn to depose >

resuscitate

transitive verb 1 : to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness <try to resuscitate a nearly drowned person by artificial respiration> 2 : to restore from a state of desuetude or decay <withered plants resuscitated by rain> <plans to resuscitate the liberal party> intransitive verb : to come to : regain vigor or vitality : revive

usurp

transitive verb 1 : to seize and hold (as office, place, functions, powers, or rights) in possession by force or without right < usurp a throne> <by use of the treaty-making power, the president can usurp legislative powers that do not belong to him — J. J. Del Castillo> 2 : to occupy (as land or a city) by or as if by force : take possession of <the bogs, like inland seas, usurp the earth — Sacheverell Sitwell> 3 : to employ wrongfully : use without authority 4 : to take the place of by or as if by force : supplant <gloom was beginning to usurp mirth — O. S. J. Gogarty> 5 archaic : to appropriate (a word or expression) for use intransitive verb : to act as a usurper : a : to seize or exercise authority or possession wrongfully b : to practice usurpation upon a person — used with on or upon c : to encroach or infringe upon a right or privilege — used with on or upon

preempt

transitive verb 1 : to settle upon (public land) with a right of preemption : take by preemption 2 : to seize upon to the exclusion of others : take for oneself : appropriate <prose has preempted a lion's share of the territory once held ... by poetry — J. L. Lowes> <as the immigrants preempted the central areas of the cities, the older stock moved out toward the ... suburbs — Oscar Handlin> 3 : to replace with something considered to be of greater value or priority : take precedence over <the busing issue has preempted discussion of more basic problems — William Serrin> 4 : to gain a commanding or preeminent place in <lost the 1970 congressional race ... but ran so well that he preempted the Democratic field for a rematch two years later — R. M. Williams> 5 : to prevent from happening or taking place : forestall , preclude <the alcohol completely preempted any kind of dialogue — R. A. Sokolov> intransitive verb : to make a preemptive bid in bridge

banter

transitive verb 1 : to speak to or address in a witty and teasing manner <the students enjoyed their teacher's bantering them about mistakes> : act playfully and teasingly with < banter the ladies> 2 archaic : to delude or trick especially by way of jest 3 obsolete : ridicule 4 chiefly South & Midland : dare , challenge <I'll banter you to a game of checkers> <he bantered him for a fight> 5 chiefly South & Midland : to coax into action by argument or haggling : wheedle <he'd like to banter you for a horse swap> intransitive verb : to tease good-naturedly : speak or act playfully or wittily <he bantered and romped with his grandchildren — Time > — ban·ter·er noun , plural ban·ter·ers <He was still a banterer , and Dana only gradually realized that the banter was always at someone's expense, and that banter is not the same thing as conversation, and that the cleverness he most admired tended toward spin and scam. — Janet Burroway, Bridge of Sand , 2009>

ambush

transitive verb 1 : to station in ambush <he ambushed his force in a canebrake — J. F. H. Claiborne> 2 : to lie in wait for and attack by surprise : waylay <units in superior strength had ambushed ... the 2d and 19th regiments — R. C. Cameron> intransitive verb : to lie in wait : lurk <imaginary persons ambushed in the fog — Marguerite Young> — am·bush·er noun , plural am·bush·ers <Much of the program focuses on skills like protecting convoys, detecting roadside bombs and defeating ambushers . — Kirk Moore, Asbury Park Press , 26 June 2007>

coveted

transitive verb 1 : to wish for earnestly : crave possession or enjoyment of : long for <winning coveted honors> <her invitations came to be coveted by people who were desirous of moving in good society — G. B. Shaw> 2 : to desire (another's possession or attribute) inordinately or culpably <neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant — Deuteronomy 5:21 (Authorized Version)> <this region originally belonged to the Sioux but was coveted for its rich resources by the Chippewa — American Guide Series: Minnesota > intransitive verb : to feel or cherish inordinate desire or craving for another's possession or attributes <you should be content with what you have ... it is a sin to covet — Edna S. V. Millay> — formerly used with for or after <the wealth that many had coveted after was willed to various charities>

synthesis

1 : a loose garment of ancient Rome sometimes worn in place of the more formal toga 2 a : composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole < synthesis of those arts ... completely blended to achieve ... performance at its finest — Miles Kastendieck> b : the production of a chemical compound by the union of elements or simpler compounds or by the degradation of a complex compound especially by laboratory or industrial methods < synthesis of water from hydrogen and oxygen> < synthesis of ascorbic acid from glucose> < synthesis of phthalic anhydride by oxidation of naphthalene> broadly : the artificial production of a substance — called also analysis — compare biosynthesis , photosynthesis , reaction c : the combining of often varied and diverse ideas, forces, or factors into one coherent or consistent complex; also : the complex so formed <a summa is a synthesis of the philosophy of an age> <only political parties can produce the synthesis or compromise of interest necessary to make representative government work — D. D. McKean> 3 a : deductive reasoning from general principles or causes to particular instances or effects b : the combination of separate elements of sensation or thought into a whole (as of simple into complex conceptions or of species into genera) c Hegelianism : the combination of the partial truths of a thesis and its antithesis into a higher stage of truth — compare dialectic 4 : the combination of radical and modifying elements into single words (such as Latin patri to the father) : frequent and systematic use of inflected grammatical forms — called also analysis — compare polysynthesism

smorgasbord

1 : a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (such as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, sausages, cheeses, salads, relishes) 2 : mélange , hodgepodge

modus operandi

1 : a manner of operating or working <the modus operandi of a particularly nasty type of middle-class woman — John Nerber> <the company's debut last December was a perfect illustration of Branson's modus operandi : using shameless stunts and self-promotion to get free advertising for his brand — Alan Deutschman> 2 : a distinct pattern or method of procedure thought to be characteristic of an individual criminal and habitually followed by him <got her picture identified, discovered her modus operandi , and put a stakeout on her neighborhood — Time > — abbreviation M.O.

kangaroo court

1 : a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted: a : one held by vagabonds or by prisoners in a jail or prison camp < kangaroo courts ... are vicious organizations controlled by the most perverted and brutal prisoners — J. V. B. Bennett> <non-Communist prisoners sentenced to death by Red kangaroo courts — Army-Navy-Air Force Journal > b : one involving comic procedures and ludicrous penalties designed for the amusement of the participants and spectators < kangaroo courts —to which anyone not in Western garb can be hauled and find — Helen Gould> 2 : a court or a similar body (as a legislative investigating committee) characterized by irresponsible, unauthorized, or irregular status or procedures <in Czechoslovakia ... kangaroo courts have been handing down stiff sentences for " labor sabotage " — C. L. Sulzberger> <two committee jobs which put him ... in the position of conducting his own kangaroo court — Atlantic >

isthmus

1 : a narrow strip of land running through a body of water and connecting two larger land areas (as two continents or a peninsula and the mainland) 2 : a contracted part or passage connecting two larger structures or cavities: such as a : an embryonic constriction separating midbrain from hindbrain b : the lower portion of the uterine corpus c : the fleshy area on the throat of a fish between the gills d : a narrow intermediate portion of the pharynx of many nematodes e : the constricted connection between the main parts of a desmid

conduit

1 : a natural or artificial channel through which water or other fluid passes or is conveyed : aqueduct , pipe <the conduit of a volcano> <all the conduits of my blood froze up — Shakespeare> 2 archaic : fountain <the conduits round the garden sing — D. G. Rossetti> 3 a obsolete : a passage within or between parts of a building b : a narrow often underground passage for private communication 4 : pipe, tube, or tile for receiving and protecting electric wires or cables (as for telephones or power lines) 5 : a means of conveying or distributing money <the doctrine that corporations are a conduit for profits — J. T. Norman>

rotor

1 : a part that revolves in a stationary part: such as a : the rotating member of an electrical machine b : the rotating wheel or group of wheels in a steam turbine — compare stator 2 : a revolving vertical cylinder of a rotor ship 3 : a complete system of rotating airfoils that supplies all or a major part of the lift supporting an aircraft <the rotor of a helicopter>

faction

1 : a party, combination, or clique (as within a state, government, or other association) often contentious, self-seeking, or reckless of the common good 2 : party spirit or tumult especially as manifested in discord, dissension, or intrigue < faction , or the irreconcilable conflict of parties — Ernest Barker> 3 obsolete a : action , deed , behavior b : a set or class of persons c : dispute , quarrel , intrigue 4 : one of the divisions of charioteers contesting in the ancient Roman circus and distinguished by the color of their costumes; often : the part of the populace favoring and supporting one of these factions

harbinger

1 : a person sent before to provide lodgings; especially : an officer of the English royal household formerly sent ahead to prepare lodgings (as on a royal progress) 2 a archaic : a person sent before to announce the coming of someone : herald <be myself the harbinger and make joyful the hearing of my wife — Shakespeare> b : one who pioneers in or initiates a major change (as in art, science, or doctrine) : precursor , forerunner , trailblazer , apostle <the harbingers of organized religion in Oregon were four ... Indians — American Guide Series: Oregon > <the great legal harbinger of the New Deal revolution — Time > <the harbingers of peace to a hitherto distracted ... people — David Livingstone> c : something that presages or foreshadows what is to come : portent , omen , sign , indication , symbol <robins are revered ... as harbingers of spring — E. A. Bauer> <the sinister white owl ... the harbinger of destruction — Alan Moorehead> <a proper wife is the surest harbinger of success for the soldier — H. H. Arnold & I. C. Eaker> <winter's sad harbingers , the yellow leaves — J. G. Frazer>

constituents

1 : a person who appoints another to act for him or her as attorney-in-fact : principal 2 a : a member of a body of citizens entitled to elect a representative to a legislative assembly or to a public office b : a resident of an electoral district 3 a : a thing, person, or organism that along with others serves in making up a complete whole or unit : an essential part : component <matter and radiation, the two constituents of the physical universe — James Jeans> <society is held together by the mutual needs of its constituents — Abram Kardiner> b (1) : an element or radical that is part of a chemical compound (as hydrogen or oxygen in water) (2) : a phase of a chemical system —compare component 3 c : a part of an alloy or metallic mixture that can be distinguished microscopically d : one of two or more linguistic forms that enter into a construction or a compound and are either immediate and normally two in number (as he and writes for the stage in the construction " he writes for the stage " ) or ultimate and of any number (as he, write, -s, for, the , and stage in the same construction)

insurgent

1 : a person who rises in revolt against civil authority or an established government : rebel ; especially : a rebel not recognized as a belligerent — compare riot , treason 2 : one that acts contrary to the policies and decisions of his political party

caper

1 : a plant of the genus Capparis ; especially : a low prickly shrub ( C. spinosa ) of the Mediterranean region cultivated in Europe for its buds — see capparis 2 ca·pers plural : the immature greenish flower buds of the caper plant pickled and used as a condiment in sauces and dressings 3 : a marsh marigold ( Caltha palustris )

lampoon

1 : a polemic satire usually directed against an individual <had written a " scurrilous lampoon " in Latin verse about him — Douglas Stewart> <corridors hung with colored lampoons of English barristers — Louis Auchincloss> — compare pasquinade 2 : a light mocking satire <the old farces and later musical lampoons — G. J. Nathan>

psychobabble

1 : a predominantly metaphorical language for expressing one's feelings <a variety of psychobabble , betraying a horror of responsibility and a mindless self-indulgence — Paul Robinson> 2 a : psychological jargon <listening to the psychobabble of social workers and therapists — A. S. Regnery> b : trite or simplistic language derived from the field of psychotherapy <repeating the usual psychobabble about self-discovery — Mark Coleman> — psychobabble verb — psy·cho·babbler \"+\ (audio pronunciation) noun

fiscal

1 : a public officer (as a prosecutor or policeman) or colonial magistrate usually concerned with law enforcement or revenue 2 : a prosecuting attorney in the Philippines 3 [ 2 fiscal ] : revenue stamp 4 : fiscal year 5 also fiscal shrike [Afrikaans fiskaal , a government official, fiscal shrike, from fiskaal , adjective, fiscal, from Latin fiscalis ] : a common black-and-white African shrike ( Lanius collaris )

respite

1 : a putting off of that which was appointed : extension of time : postponement , delay : such as a : temporary suspension of the execution of a capital offender : reprieve b : a delay of appearance at court granted to a jury 2 : temporary intermission of labor or of any process or operation : interval of rest 3 obsolete : delay in acting 4 obsolete : leisure , opportunity 5 : one that is reprieved

pirouette

1 : a rapid whirling about of the body (as in a dance); specifically : a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet 2 : an advanced movement in horsemanship executed at a gallop in which a horse's shoulders describe a circle while his hind legs serve as a pivot

inundation

1 : a rising and spreading of water over land not usually submerged : flood <the threat of inundation by the sea — Lewis Mumford> <his tears were not drops but a little inundation down his cheeks — Glenway Wescott> <fossil shells give evidence of prehistoric inundations > 2 : deluge , swarm <an inundation of telegrams> <an inundation of tourists>

dinghy

1 : a rowboat or sailboat used to carry passengers or cargo on the coasts of India especially in sheltered waters around the peninsula 2 : any of various small boats propelled by oars, sails, or motors: such as a : a man-of-war's or merchant ship's small boat b : a rowboat used as a tender and lifeboat in a yacht c : a sailboat or yacht used in racing d : an inflatable rubber life raft used by fliers forced to parachute into the sea

ethnology

1 : a science that deals with the division of human beings into races, with their origin, distribution, and relations, and with the peculiarities that characterize them — see ethnogeny , ethnography 2 : cultural or social anthropology including the comparative and analytical study of cultures and excluding the subject matter of archaeology and physical anthropology 3 : the materials of ethnology <the ethnology of the American Indian>

archipelago

1 : a sea or other expanse of water having many scattered islands 2 : a group or cluster of islands 3 : something resembling an archipelago; especially : a group or scattering of similar things <an archipelago of small parks within the city>

fritter

1 : a small quantity of batter often containing fruit or meat and fried in deep fat or sautéed <apple fritters > <corn fritters > <clam fritters > 2 New England : griddle cake

ditty

1 : a song or short poem intended to be sung; especially : one of a simple unaffected character <a plaintive ditty sung by a Highland lass> 2 obsolete : the words or subject of a song as distinguished from its tune

fanfare

1 : a sounding of trumpets (as in coming into the lists); specifically : a short and lively air performed on hunting horns during the chase 2 : a showy outward display or motion : flourish <such devout phrases could easily be classed as introductory fanfare — Paul Blanshard> <great political fanfare > 3 : an orchestral passage in which the brass instruments are prominent

charisma

1 : a spiritual gift or talent regarded as divinely granted to a person as a token of grace and favor and exemplified in early Christianity by the power of healing, gift of tongues, or prophesying 2 a : a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (as a political leader or military commander) <already potential presidents are waiting hopefully in the wings, and while none of them possesses the general's charisma , at least one or two are both widely popular and highly competent — L. H. Clark, Jr.> b : a special magnetic charm or appeal <offers solutions that are independent of the personal charisma of the teacher — Psychology Today >

lodestar

1 : a star that leads or guides; especially : polestar 1 2 : someone or something that serves as a guiding star or as a focus of hope or attention <a strangely compelling ... human lodestar whose influence half the time was unsuspected — Struthers Burt> <inconstancy and opportunism were the lodestars of the day — Saturday Review >

cliche

1 : a stereotype or electrotype; especially : a single stamp of which a number are joined to form a plate for printing a whole sheet of stamps at once 2 a : a trite or stereotyped phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it b : a hackneyed theme, plot, or situation in fiction or drama : an overworked idea or its expression in music or one of the other arts <such photographic clichés as indicating change of seasons by the transition from snow to fruit in the orchards — John McCarten> 3 : something (such as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace <The New England country inn has become a cliche . Sometime in the last two decades, hordes of New Yorkers moved north and bought old farmhouses. ... They put shingles out proclaiming " guest rooms " and baked muffins for breakfast. — Sandy MacDonald, Ski , November 1994> <The plate is a British deluxe-dining cliché : beautiful, bland beef glistening with juice accompanied by ... Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and Savoy cabbage. — Gourmet , March 2005>

catacomb

1 : a subterranean cemetery consisting of galleries or passages with side recesses for tombs — usually used in plural <the catacombs at Rome> 2 : a place like a catacomb: such as a : a subterranean passageway or vault or a group of such passageways or vaults used especially for storing the bones of the dead <the underground stone quarries which form the catacombs of Paris> b : a complex set of interrelated passageways or rooms <the sulphurous catacombs of Liverpool Street Station in London — Fred Majdalany>

inroad

1 : a sudden hostile incursion or forcible entrance : raid , foray <protecting their crops of barley from the inroads of sparrows — J. G. Frazer> <their new homes would be reserved to them against future inroads by whites — P. W. Gates> 2 : an advance or penetration especially at the expense of something or someone : a serious encroachment <another sharp inroad on the principle of free speech — Civil Liberties > <the inroads of the conformist spirit on American literary life — C. J. Rolo> <make inroads on the domestic markets of their local competitors — Patrick McMahon> <synthetic materials made deep inroads into the use of leather — J. F. W. Anderson>

quirk

1 : a triangular shaped area: such as a (1) dialectal, England : a hosiery clock (2) : a small gusset set in at the base of a thumb or the fingers of a glove b : a diamond-shaped windowpane 2 : an abrupt turn, twist, or curve or other deviation from a regular course or pattern : bend , crook : such as a (1) : a turn of a pen in writing : flourish (2) obsolete : a sudden whimsical turn or phrase in music b (1) : a clever retort : conceit , quip (2) : a clever or cunning evasion : subterfuge , quibble c : a peculiarity of action, behavior, or bearing : mannerism 3 obsolete : a sudden fit : short paroxysm 4 a : a small channel or groove separating a bead or other molding from the adjoining members — see quirk molding b : the bead or fillet of a grooving plane in woodworking

bushing

1 : a usually removable lining or sleeve of metal or other material that is inserted or screwed into an opening (as of a mechanical part) to limit its size, resist wear or erosion, or serve as a guide 2 : an insulating sleeve inserted in an opening in a metal plate or case (as of a microphone or electric clock) to protect a through conductor from abrasion and possible short circuit 3 : an internally and externally threaded plug for connecting a pipe or fitting with another of different size

megalopolis

1 : a very large city 2 : a thickly populated region centering around a metropolis ◆ The highly urbanized region of the northeastern U.S. stretching between the metropolitan areas of Boston on the northeast and Washington, D.C. on the southwest was labeled Megalopolis by French geographer Jean Gottmann in the mid twentieth century. That usage subsequently became widely accepted amongst geographers, and as a result of increasing urbanization the definition was expanded to include the region between Maine and Virginia.

nostalgia

1 : a wistful or sentimental yearning for a return to or the return of some real or romanticized period of the past or some irrecoverable past condition or setting < nostalgia for his more impressionable youth> <felt a wave of nostalgia for her college days> <His memoir of childhood, adolescence, and early manhood embodies a sterlingly rendered fondness for times past shorn of nostalgia . — Brad Hooper, Booklist , 1 Feb. 1991> 2 a archaic : a severe melancholia caused by protracted absence from home or native place b : homesickness <I have an idea that some men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them amid certain surroundings, but they have always a nostalgia for a home they know not. — Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence , 1919> — nos·tal·gic \nə ˈ staljik, ( ˈ )nä ¦ s-, -jēk sometimes ( ˈ )n ȯ ¦ s or ( ˈ )nō ¦ s- or -täl-\ (audio pronunciation) adjective < nostalgic memories> <feeling nostalgic > <The drawings have the nostalgic feel of nineteenth-century engravings. — Stephen Schiff, New Yorker , 9 Nov. 1992> — nostalgic noun , plural nostalgics < ... doo-wop music, a genre of rock-and-roll quartet and quintet singing which had its heyday in the late fifties and has enjoyed a minor renaissance over the last decade or so, among both middle-aged nostalgics and new devotees. — New Yorker, 2 Mar. 1987> — nos·tal·gi·cal·ly \-jə ̇ k(ə)lē, -jēk-, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb <thinking nostalgically of her childhood>

proficiency

1 : advancement toward the attainment of a high degree of knowledge or skill : progress <made little proficiency in fashionable or literary accomplishments — T. B. Macaulay> 2 : the quality or state of being proficient : adeptness , expertness <aim at giving their students a certain proficiency — W. F. Mackey>

myopic

1 : affected by myopia : of, relating to, or exhibiting myopia 2 : lacking in foresight, discernment, or liberality <the myopic perspective of the specialist — Erwin Schrödinger> <policies which are dangerously self-centered and myopic — N. D. Palmer> — my·o·pi·cal·ly \-pə ̇ k(ə)lē, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

auspicious

1 : affording an especially favorable auspice : favoring or conducive to success : propitious <an auspicious beginning> 2 : attended by good auspices : fortunate , prosperous 3 archaic : kindly disposed

retrieval

1 : an act or process of retrieving <the application of punched-card machines for the organization and retrieval of information — American Documentation > <any retrieval of his error became more and more difficult — George Eliot> 2 : possibility of being retrieved or of recovering <beyond retrieval >

inception

1 : an act, process, or instance of beginning (as of an institution, organization, or concept) : commencement , initiation 2 : an act of incepting : such as a : a public lecture in which the candidate for a master's degree in a medieval university demonstrated his learning and competence to teach b : ingestion

catapult

1 : an ancient military device used for hurling heavy missiles (as stones) or for hurling other missiles (as spears, arrows) with extreme force; especially : onager 2 2 British : slingshot 3 a : any of various mechanical devices utilizing the recoil of a spring (as for hurling grenades or bombs) b : a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier) usually consisting of a carriage accelerated on a track by the explosion of powder, by hydraulic pressure, or by steam pressure

incursion

1 : an entering into a territory with hostile intention : a sudden invasion : a predatory or harassing inroad : raid <partners in the Suez incursion — Newsweek > 2 a : a running, bringing, or entering in or into < incursion of water through a weakened seam> <his only incursion into the arts> <the inevitable incursion of new techniques> b : such action involving vigorous, forceful, or determined effort <the barrier should have been sufficient to protect the adjoining owner against the incursions , not of all pigs, but of pigs of average vigor and obstinacy — B. N. Cardozo> <a very sudden incursion of " ah " into London speech between 1780 and 1790 — C. H. Grandgent>

talisman

1 : an object cut or engraved with a sign or character under various superstitious observances or influences of the heavens and thought to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune <the stone had become a ... talisman on which the fertility of their crops depended — Edward Clodd> 2 : something that produces extraordinary or apparently magical or miraculous effects <truth is a talisman of which the charm never fails — Arnold Bennett> <her pride ... as the sort of talisman that would save her from every kind of ill — Hugh Walpole> <representative government is ... not in itself a talisman — W. C. Brownell>

memoir

1 : an official note or report : memorandum , record <wrote a memoir on the subject for his royal master> 2 a : a history or narrative composed from or stressing personal experience and acquaintance with the events, scenes, or persons described <a satirical memoir of the city of his birth — Saxe Commins> — usually used in plural <have written memoirs of the event — Ruth McKenney> b : an autobiographical account often anecdotal or intimate in tone whose focus of attention is usually on the persons, events, or times known to the writer <a best-selling memoir that a duke paid a fortune to keep unpublished — New York Herald Tribune > <an autobiographical memoir by the dean of American literary historians — Saturday Review > — usually used in plural <in his memoirs he describes the framework — American Guide Series: Minnesota > <a secret emergency fund ... for the acquisition of just such memoirs — S. H. Adams> c : a biography or biographical sketch usually based on personal acquaintance with the subject and sometimes having the character of a memorial <a memoir of his brilliant pupil ... who died early — Sarah G. Bowerman> <its spirit is so devout as to make it ... more a memoir than a biography — A. J. Nock> <a memoir ... by his colleague — Edmund Wilson> 3 a : an account of something regarded as noteworthy : a record of investigations of some subject : dissertation , report <the work described and discussed in this memoir represents a first-class investigation — J. A. Steers> b memoirs plural : the record of the proceedings of a learned society

vermin

1 : animals that cause trouble for humans: such as a : small common harmful animals (such as lice, bedbugs, mice) that tend to occur in great numbers and are difficult to control b : birds and mammals (such as owls and weasels) that prey upon game c : animals that at a particular time and place compete with humans or domestic animals (as for food) <deer are considered vermin in New Zealand> 2 : a noxious or offensive person or persons

proton

1 : anlage 2 : an elementary particle that is identical with the nucleus of the hydrogen atom, that along with neutrons is a constituent of all other atomic nuclei, that carries a positive charge numerically equal to the charge of an electron, and that has a mass of 1.672 × 10 −24 gram — pro·ton·ic \prō ˈ tänik\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

mite

1 : any of numerous small to very minute arachnids of the order Acarina that have a body without a constriction between the cephalothorax and abdomen, mandibles generally chelate or adapted for piercing, usually four pairs of short legs in the adult and but three in the young larvae, and often breathing organs in the form of tracheae and that include parasites of insects and vertebrates some of which are important disease vectors, parasites of plants in which they frequently cause gall formation, pests of various stored products, and completely innocuous free-living aquatic and terrestrial forms — see blister mite , cheese mite , clover mite , itch mite 2 [Middle English, from Middle French or Middle Dutch; Middle French, small Flemish copper coin, from Old French, from Middle Dutch] a (1) : lepton 2 <a certain poor widow ... threw in two mites — Mark 12:42 (Authorized Version)> (2) : half a farthing b : a very small theoretical unit of value or coin; specifically : a unit of value that was used in England in about 1600 and was worth usually 1 ⁄ 24 penny 3 : an old moneyer s' unit of weight equal to 1 ⁄ 20 grain that is no longer used 4 a : a very little : bit , jot <only a mite of what it could have taught was seen and learned — Tom Fitzsimmons> — often used adverbially with a <his voice is a mite less luscious than formerly — R. C. Bagar> b : a very small object, creature, or person <a little kindergarten ... mite — Marie Imelda>

chic

1 : artistic cleverness and dexterity especially in painting 2 : easy elegance and sophistication of dress or manner : style , swank , charm 3 : vogue , fashion , modishness <the chic of the latest hats>

malleable

1 : capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers <most metals are malleable > — compare ductile 2 : capable of being formed or transformed : susceptible of being fashioned into a new or different form or shape : not rigidly fixed in condition or direction : plastically open to outside forces or influences : adaptable to other conditions or needs or uses : impressionable <finds a sort of malleable mind in front of him that he can play with as he will — John Masefield> <the malleable character of youth> <tactics that are malleable and vary with circumstances>

caustic

1 : capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action : corrosive : such as a : capable of destroying animal or other organic tissue <silver nitrate and sulfuric acid are caustic agents> b : strongly alkaline < caustic liquors> < caustic lyes> 2 : marked by or indicative of tart sharpness; specifically : characterized by incisive wit <a caustic reply> <a bitter, caustic , and backbiting humor — Sir Walter Scott> <a caustic and disillusioned satirist, trenchant, arrogant — J. L. Lowes> — caus·ti·cal·ly \ ˈ k ȯ -sti-k(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) or caus·tic·ly \ ˈ k ȯ -sti-klē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb — caus·tic·ness \ ˈ k ȯ -stik-nəs\ noun , plural -es

idiosyncrasy

1 : characteristic peculiarity of habit or structure 2 a : a peculiarity of physical or mental constitution or temperament : a characteristic distinguishing an individual; broadly : eccentricity b : individual hypersensitiveness (as to a drug or food) <anemia accompanying the use of a sulfa drug is usually considered to be due to idiosyncrasy >

nexus

1 : connection , interconnection , tie , link 2 : a connected group or series 3 : a predicative relation or a construction consisting of grammatical elements either actually or felt as so related — compare junction , rank 4 plural nexi \ ˈ nek- ˌ sī\ (audio pronunciation) [Latin, from nexus (past participle)] Roman law : a person bound by a contract of nexum 5 : a point of focus or intersection : center < " one little spot on earth " that has served as the nexus of three great religions — John J. O'Connor>

farcical

1 : constituting or resembling farce in boisterous or nonsensical disregard of the serious or through extravagance or unnaturalness <a wild farcical exuberance of the clownish and swinish side of man — W. L. Sullivan> 2 : receiving or meriting laughter or amused scorn as utterly without claim to serious consideration or as laughably inept <am I such a farcical bungler ... that I should erect an obvious dummy and expect that some of the sharpest men in Europe would be deceived? — A. Conan Doyle>

ambivalence

1 : contradictory emotional or psychological attitudes especially toward a particular person or object and often with one attitude inhibiting the expression of another <a heightened ambivalence which is expressed in behavior by alternating obedience and rebellion, followed by self-reproach — G. S. Blum> specifically : simultaneous attraction toward and repulsion from an object, person, or action <Apache ambivalence in attitude and behavior toward death — C. K. Kluckhohn> 2 a : continual oscillation (as between one thing and its opposite) : fluctuation <Thackeray's major novels are vitiated by an ambivalence between satire and sentimentalism — J. L. Davis> b : uncertainty as to which approach, attitude, or treatment to follow <the English film ... because of a nervous ambivalence toward its subject matter ... fails to produce the chuckles — John McCarten>

arbitrary

1 : depending on choice or discretion; specifically : determinable by decision of a judge or tribunal rather than defined by statute <an arbitrary decision> < arbitrary punishment> 2 a (1) : arising from unrestrained exercise of the will, caprice, or personal preference : given to expressing opinions that arise thus (2) : selected at random or as a typical example <such arbitrary items as clothing, room furnishings, travel — Official Register of Harvard University > b : based on random or convenient selection or choice rather than on reason or nature <an arbitrary symbol> < arbitrary division of historical studies into watertight compartments — A. J. Toynbee> c British, of a printing character : not usually found in the ordinary type font 3 a : given to willful irrational choices and demands : imperious <a man of iron will and arbitrary decision> b : characterized by absolute power or authority : despotic , tyrannical < arbitrary rule> <an arbitrary governor>

grunge

1 : dirt or filth : grungy material <public restroom grunge > 2 : rock music incorporating elements of punk rock and heavy metal; also : the untidy fashions typical of fans of grunge — grung·er \ ˈ grən-jər\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural grung·ers < ... until the grungers came along, the Eighties were one of the most forgettable and least innovative times in rock. — David Standish, Playboy , November 1996>

languid

1 : drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion : lacking vigor : weak <arms too languid with happiness to embrace him — John Galsworthy> 2 : sluggish in character or disposition : dull , listless < languid enjoyment of the daydream — Nathaniel Hawthorne> <stretched out a languid hand — Dorothy Sayers> 3 : lacking force or vividness : slow <heard ... in a moment of exhausted or languid interest — A. T. Quiller-Couch> <contrast between his huge bulk and his languid , almost effeminate, demeanor — Robert Hichens>

volatile

1 : easily passing off by evaporation : readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature < volatile matter> < volatile solvents> 2 a : characterized by quick or unexpected changes : not steady or predictable : changeable , fickle <as giddy and volatile as ever — Jonathan Swift> <the most volatile of men, and what is true today may be quite false before the winter snows ... have melted — Bruce Bliven, born 1889> <this volatile element of reader preference — Printers' Ink > b : subject to or characterized by wide price fluctuations < volatile markets> < volatile common stocks> c : tending to burst forth or erupt into violent action : explosive <faced with a highly volatile social situation ... with the problem of reconciliation in this city of forty-eight different ethnic groups — Jean Burden> <world government ... could halt rigidly and abruptly whatever danger of war might proceed out of the highly volatile competition for military supremacy between the two — Norman Cousins> 3 a : easily aroused or moved : easily affected by circumstances <if, as mortals, they are violent and volatile , it is because their emotions are near the surface — John Mason Brown> <the developments which even my volatile suspicions hadn't allowed me to foresee — Ralph Ellison> b : airy , lighthearted , lively <people think that I am volatile because I dance and go to the movies — Ellen Glasgow> <had a volatile mind and was furiously interested in Indians and geography — Bernard DeVoto> 4 : difficult to capture or hold permanently : evanescent , transitory <so volatile an essence that he escaped definition — Elinor Wylie> <what we actually traffic in are living ideas; the books are only containers for a more volatile commodity — Publishers' Weekly > 5 : passing through the air on wings : having the power to fly : flying ; also : moving about as if by flight

frugal

1 : economical in the use or expenditure of resources : not wasteful or lavish : saving , thrifty <the cost of the war was appalling to his frugal mind — C. S. Forester> <a frugal farm family> 2 : reflecting or displaying economy in the use or expenditure of resources : scanty , mean <a small and frugal apartment — T. B. Costain> <insistence on a frugal diet — Lillian Smith>

conscript

1 : enrolled into service by compulsion : conscripted , drafted < conscript soldiers> <a hospital served by conscript nurses> 2 : made up of impressed or drafted persons < conscript armies> <a conscript labor camp>

commutation

1 : exchange , trade , barter <the transatlantic commutation of experts — Fortune > 2 archaic : change , alteration 3 : substitution , interchange , replacement 4 : substitution in a charge, assessment, payment, or remuneration of one form, method, schedule, or amount for another : an arrangement effecting such substitution : money or other value involved < commutation by money payment in place of the exacted service> <a commutation whereby the remaining payments were lumped together> <officers living off the post receiving rental allowance commutation > 5 a : change of a legal penalty or punishment to a lesser one < commutation of the death sentence to a long prison term> b : substitution of one work for another in fulfilling a religious vow 6 : act of commuting : travel back and forth between two points, especially between home and work, repeated a certain number of times within a given interval 7 a : reversal or transference of the connections between an armature coil and the external circuit in a direct-current dynamo or motor b : the partial overlapping of successive cycles of current from successive anodes in a polyphase rectifier

formidable

1 : exciting fear, dread, or apprehension <a grim and formidable foe> <a formidable prospect> <the first attack was dangerous, but a second must be more formidable still — William Cowper> 2 : able seriously to impede a projected interaction or course of action usually by interposing difficulties, hardships, or obstructions <the mountains were a formidable barrier to our progress> <these qualities ... made the Miltonic sentence a formidable construction — R. M. Weaver> broadly : difficult < formidable coloratura passages> 3 : tending to inspire awe or wonder usually by reason of notable size, quantity, superiority, or excellence <had a formidable array of compositions to his credit — Joseph Wechsberg> broadly : large , superior , outstanding <in a society based on oral tradition the memory of the elders is formidable > <a social lioness of formidable glamour> <his formidable accomplishments in art> — for·mi·da·ble·ness \-nə ̇ s\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -es — for·mi·da·bly \-əblē, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

rueful

1 : exciting pity or sympathy : pitiable , woeful < rueful squalid poverty that crawled by every wayside — John Morley> 2 : feeling or expressing sorrow or pity : mournful , regretful , sad <troubled her with a rueful disquiet — W. M. Thackeray> often : quizzically mournful <looked up ... with a rueful grin — Elmer Davis>

regnant

1 : exercising rule or authority : reigning <a queen regnant > 2 a : having the chief power : exercising sway : dominant <filled with a regnant determination to defend herself — Gilbert Parker> b : of common or widespread occurrence : prevalent <the vices regnant — Jonathan Swift>

paramilitary

1 : existing where there are no military services or existing alongside the military services and professedly nonmilitary but formed on an underlying military pattern as a potential auxiliary or diversionary military organization <a paramilitary police force> 2 : of or relating to a paramilitary organization

vicariously

1 : experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another <a vicarious thrill> < vicarious joy/suffering> <was getting a vicarious kick out of watching a fellow female preening herself over the capitulation of the male — Helen Howe> 2 a : having the function of a substitute : serving instead of someone or something else <memory is vicarious experience in which there is all the emotional value of actual experience — John Dewey> b : that has been delegated < vicarious authority> 3 : performed or suffered by one person as a substitute for another or to the benefit or advantage of another : substitutionary < vicarious sacrifice> 4 medical : occurring in an unexpected or abnormal part of the body instead of the usual one <bleeding from the gums sometimes replaces the discharge from the uterus in vicarious menstruation> 5 a : of, relating to, or being closely related kinds of organisms that occur in similar environments or as fossils in corresponding strata but in distinct and often widely separated areas b : made up of or characterized by the presence of such organisms < vicarious pairs> <a vicarious area> — vi·car·i·ous·ly adverb <we want vicarious and temporarily to be other people in other worlds — C. A. Smart> <parents living vicariously through their children> — vi·car·i·ous·ness noun

derisory

1 : expressive of derision : derisive <scornful derisory smiles — Katherine A. Porter> 2 : worthy of derision : ridiculous < derisory sales of contemporary verse — Cyril Connolly> <a derisory excuse for an automobile — A. J. Liebling> especially : laughably small <land could be bought for a derisory sum>

defection

1 : failing , failure , loss <fell into a defection of spirit> 2 obsolete : imperfection , defect 3 : the act of abandoning a person, cause, or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie (as of allegiance or duty) : desertion , apostasy

subliminal

1 : falling below the threshold of stimulation (as for nerve or muscle) : inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception : too small for discrimination 2 a : existing or functioning outside the area of conscious awareness : influencing thought, feeling, or behavior in a manner unperceived by personal or subjective consciousness < subliminal perception> <the subliminal mind> — compare subconscious , supraconscious , unconscious b : designed to influence the mind on levels other than that of conscious awareness and especially by presentation too brief to be consciously perceived < subliminal techniques in TV advertising> — sub·lim·i·nal·ly adverb

inconceivable

1 : falling outside the limit of what can be comprehended, accepted as true or real, or tolerated: such as a : impossible to comprehend in the absence of actual experience or knowledge : unimaginable <color is inconceivable to those born blind> b : impossible to entertain in the mind : unthinkable <it is inconceivable that a thing can both be and not be> c : impossible to accept as an article of faith : incredible , unbelievable <it is inconceivable that God should wantonly inflict suffering> 2 : hard to believe or believe in <it is inconceivable that such losses should continue> < inconceivable losses of revenue> — in·conceivableness \"+\ (audio pronunciation) noun — in·conceivably \"+\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

propitious

1 : favorably disposed : graciously inclined : benevolent <we may succeed if the gods are propitious > 2 : being of good omen : auspicious , encouraging , favorable <no conditions seem so propitious for a practical confederation as those of South America — Norman Angell> 3 : tending to favor or assist : helpful , advantageous , opportune <conditions propitious to the development of democracy — A. N. Christensen>

indignant

1 : filled with or marked by indignation <grew suddenly quite indignant about the matter — James Hilton> < indignant at the injustice — W. M. Thackeray> <were indignant over their mistreatment> <felt quite indignant with them> 2 : arising from or prompted by or indicative of indignation <wrote an indignant letter> <looked at her with an indignant frown>

foment

1 : fomentation 2 : a state of excitation : ferment

aggregate

1 : formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount : collective <the aggregate sentiments of mankind — J. F. Byrnes> a (1) of a flower : clustered in a dense mass or head (2) of a fruit : formed from the several separate or fused ovaries of a single flower — distinguished from multiple b of a rock (1) : composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds (2) : composed of mineral or rock fragments c (1) of a colonial animal : united in a somewhat continuous mass (2) of a hibernating animal : gathered into a compact mass d : formed into clusters or groups of lobules 2 : aggregative 2 — ag·gre·gate·ly adverb — ag·gre·gate·ness noun , plural -es

cadre

1 : frame , framework , scheme : skeletal organization <the current specialisms and cadres of our university curricula — H. M. McLuhan> 2 a : a nucleus or core group especially of trained personnel or active members of an organization who are capable of assuming leadership or of training and indoctrinating others <a highly skilled cadre of technicians and workers — Economist > <only a cadre of maintenance men worked here in the winter — T. W. Duncan> <the permanent cadre of the Indian Civil Service — H. N. Brailsford> : such as (1) : a group of key officers and enlisted persons assigned to a new unit as a nucleus for its formation, administration, and training (2) [probably from Russian kadr , from French cadre ] : a cell of indoctrinated leaders active in promoting the interests of a revolutionary party <a cadre of dedicated men ready to initiate any violence the party demanded> b [probably from Russian kadr , from French cadre ] : a member of a cadre, especially a political cadre <Ho and the Communist leadership left in the South in covert status an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 military and civilian cadres . — Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie , 1988> c : a group of people having some unifying relationship <a cadre of lawyers>

hale

1 : free from defect, disease, or infirmity : sound , healthy , robust <a hale body> < hale in youth> 2 chiefly Scottish : whole

jocular

1 : given or disposed to jesting : acting in jest : overtly jocose <grew jocular and began to tease the others about their fears> 2 : said or done in joke : of, containing, or of the character of a joke : playful , merry <set the table laughing with his jocular remarks> <the more solemn dances were organized by the chiefs ... the more jocular ones, however, took place without authority — Irving Rouse>

noxious

1 : harmful or destructive to man or to other organisms <dust, fumes, effluvia, sometimes noxious for human organisms — Lewis Mumford> <the noxious wastes in the stream killed the fish> < noxious weeds that prevent the growth of food plants> 2 : having or regarded as capable of having a harmful influence on thought or behavior : injurious , pernicious <a noxious book> <a noxious doctrine> <a noxious system of education> 3 : distasteful , obnoxious <this noxious political scandal — H. L. Ickes> <the Transcendentalists and their noxious crew — Van Wyck Brooks>

incisive

1 : having a cutting edge or piercing point : facilitating cutting or piercing <as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang — T. B. Costain> 2 : marked by sharpness and penetration especially in keen clear unmistakable resolution of a matter at issue or in pointed decisive effectiveness of presentation <the clear, incisive genius which could state in a flash the exact point at issue — A. N. Whitehead> <the ... incisive irony ... serves to put the literary crackpots in their proper place — S. C. Chew> 3 : of, relating to, or situated near the incisors

comely

1 : having a pleasing appearance : attractive through a measure of good looks, good proportions, pleasing coloration, neat or wholesome aspect : not homely or plain <those dark-featured comely womenfolk healthy and tall — Robert Browning> 2 : generally pleasant and attractive-looking : seemly ; specifically : pleasurably conforming to notions of fitness, proportion, or decorum <going in with him, they observed that all was neat and comely — Willa Cather> <the best architect seeks to present ... the comeliest possible fulfillment of certain practical requirements — C. E. Montague>

marsupial

1 : having a pouch for carrying the young 2 : of, relating to, or constituting a marsupium 3 [New Latin Marsupialia ] : of or relating to the Marsupialia

testy

1 : having a quick temper : easily annoyed : irritable , waspish <a testy man, given to incalculable fits of temper — Adrienne Koch> <became testy when a long-winded doctor of divinity overprayed the time allotted to him on a commencement program — A. W. Long> 2 : marked by or indicative of impatience or ill humor : caustic , exasperated <a somewhat testy emphasis on contemporary barbarians — H. A. Finch> <made testy noises with her tongue — Nigel Dennis>

morose

1 : having a sullen and gloomy disposition : not friendly or sociable <always found her silent even to the pitch of appearing morose — Compton Mackenzie> <when deprived of spirits, he became gloomy, morose , and irritable — C. B. Nordhoff & J. N. Hall> 2 : marked by or expressive of gloom <a morose little essay on the low state of the short story — James Kelly> <a long, morose dressing gown grotesquely capped with a derby — Brooks Atkinson>

transitive verb 1 : to write (as one's name) underneath : sign (one's name) to a document 2 a : to sign with one's own hand : give consent to or bind oneself to the terms of (something written) by appending one's name b : to attest by appending one's name <officers subscribe their official acts> c obsolete : to sign away : resign , yield d (1) : to promise to give <each man subscribed ten dollars> (2) : contribute <each subscribing ... that which it can do best — W. J. Haley> 3 chiefly British : to give support to or concur in : favor , sanction <unable to ... subscribe their beliefs — T. E. Lawrence> 4 obsolete : to declare with or as if with signature : publish intransitive verb 1 : to sign one's name to a letter or other document 2 a : to give approval to something written by signing — often used with to <found him unwilling to subscribe to the agreement> b : to set one's name to a paper in token of promise to give something (such as a sum of money); also : to give something in pursuance of a promise so made c (1) : to enter one's name for a publication (such as a book or newspaper) or service — usually used with for and sometimes with to (2) : to agree to take and pay for something (such as stock) by signing one's name to a formal agreement; especially : to make a signed application for securities of a new offering — usually used with for < subscribed for 1000 shares> 3 obsolete : to become surety 4 obsolete : yield , submit 5 a : to be in accord : acquiesce , agree — usually used with to < subscribe to a doctrine> b : adhere , belong < subscribe to the masculine gender>

extort

transitive verb 1 a (1) : to obtain from an unwilling or reluctant person by physical force, intimidation, or the abuse of legal or official authority : get by compelling : force , exact <till the injurious Romans did extort this tribute from us we were free — Shakespeare> < extort bribes> (2) : to obtain from an unwilling or reluctant person by importunity, argument, or ingenuity < extort a confession> <she did at last extort from her father an acknowledgment that the horses were engaged — Jane Austen> < extorted his resignation in exchange — Seymour Freidin> b : to elicit from someone unwilling by the obvious or apparent existence of an intrinsic compelling force <his intelligence extorted the admiration even of his worst enemies> 2 : to derive (as a meaning or conclusion) by strained or perverse reasoning <they extorted a bizarre sense from the few words that had been spoken> intransitive verb archaic : to obtain something forcibly from someone unwilling

scrounge

transitive verb 1 a : to collect by foraging : round up : find , salvage < scrounge wood from bombed-out areas — A. W. Bromage> — often used with up <manpower might be summoned ... and feed material scrounged up — R. E. Lapp> b : to acquire by other expedient means (as by borrowing, stealing, or swapping) <got a shave and a haircut from a fellow prisoner who had scrounged a pair of clippers somewhere — E. J. Kahn> <had to scrounge water from the engine for their tea — Jack Wadsworth> 2 : to obtain by persuasion : cadge , wheedle <the more money they can scrounge out of local communities, the more projects they can build — New Republic > 3 chiefly dialectal : scrouge <a number of his colleagues ... are scrounged down into two columns under the cartoon — A. J. Liebling> intransitive verb 1 : to make a search : poke around : forage , hunt < scrounged for food in a burned field — Look > — often used with around < scrounge around and persuade someone to run off mimeographed copies for you — Infantry Journal > <not ashamed to scrounge around at night, picking up useful things — Richard Harrington> 2 : wheedle <on relief and scrounging for more of the city's money than they were entitled to — Harrison Smith>

tinge

transitive verb 1 a : to color with a slight shade or stain : tint <kill plants that ... will tinge the edge of the melting snow with early green — Allan Fraser> <the scarlet glare of the flames tinged her flesh with the color of rusty iron — Ellen Glasgow> <the sun ... tingeing with colors of the rainbow the sandy beach — A. C. Whitehead> b : to affect or modify with a slight odor or taste <the roses tinge the air with their fragrance> 2 : to affect, modify, or influence in character, tone, or sensibility <social relationships ... peculiarly tinged by this postulate of intrinsic equality — Theodore Bienenstok> <a vague exasperation tinges his world view — Selig Harrison> <a darkling Renaissance look that might tinge mischief with cruelty — Claudia Cassidy> <the same deep respect tinged ... with love and humor instead of hatred and fear — Nancy Mitford> intransitive verb : to undergo change in color or aspect <day was breaking, the east was tingeing with strange fires — R. L. Stevenson>

adulterate

transitive verb 1 a : to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or a baser substance : prepare (as for sale) with one or more ingredients included that are not part of the alleged substance < adulterated food> b : to alter or treat (as an article) especially deceptively in order to give a false value or to hide defects through some method or process not involving the addition of a spurious substance: (1) : to remove a valuable or necessary ingredient from < adulterating milk by removing the cream> (2) : to sell (a commodity) under the name of another commodity (3) : to offer as acceptable (what is in reality diseased, infected, or tainted) (4) : to conceal artificially the defects of (5) : to cause to simulate a better article 2 : to lessen the full intensity of (as a state of happiness) through the addition of extraneous, incongruous, or discordant elements or through the removal of a vital element : lessen the purity of : make spurious intransitive verb obsolete : to commit adultery

vilify

transitive verb 1 a : to make less valuable or important : lower in estimation <declare that opposition to the established system was an effort to destroy and vilify religion — C. L. Jones> b obsolete : to make morally despicable or abhorrent : degrade <themselves they vilified to serve ungoverned appetite — John Milton> 2 a obsolete : to speak slightingly or contemptuously of <the disposition of vulgar minds to ridicule and vilify what they cannot comprehend — Samuel Johnson> b : to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : denounce unjustly or abuse as hateful or vile : defame , traduce <his policies ... attacked; his personal character vilified — William Peden> intransitive verb 1 : to cause a person to become vile <nothing vilifies and degrades more than pride — Earl of Chesterfield> 2 : to utter or publish slander

rejuvenate

transitive verb 1 a : to make young or youthful again : restore to youth : impart renewed vitality to : reinvigorate <the fruit ... rejuvenates even the most decrepit old men — Robert Graves> < rejuvenate and reorganize ... economic and social life — A. R. Williams> b : to restore to a condition resembling an original or new state <fenders ... that can be rejuvenated and kept — Buick Magazine > < rejuvenate four tired chairs — McCall's Needlework > 2 : to restore to a more youthful condition; specifically : to restore sexual vigor in (as by hormones or an operation) 3 a : to stimulate (as by uplift) to renewed erosive activity — used of streams b : to develop youthful features of topography in (an area previously worn down nearly to base level) <recently rejuvenated glaciated mountains — R. L. Ives> intransitive verb 1 : to cause or bring about rejuvenation <creams that rejuvenate as you sleep — Lois Long> <nothing rejuvenates like being on the offensive — Mollie Panter-Downes> 2 : to undergo rejuvenation <her novices continued to rejuvenate till their mental outlook was almost that of eight-year-olds — Times Literary Supplement >

disseminate

transitive verb 1 a : to spread or send out freely or widely as though sowing or strewing seed : make widespread <as citizens devoted to the use of books and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating them — American Library Association Bulletin > <distrusting the great city twenty miles away that disseminated its virus through the outlying villages and farms — V. L. Parrington> b : to foster general knowledge of : broadcast , publicize <unlicensed preachers went about the country disseminating heresies and notorious errors — G. G. Coulton> < disseminating information about the latest scientific discoveries> < disseminate the latest events, regardless of the inconclusive shape they are in — Harvey Breit> 2 a : to disperse throughout in small particles : distribute in every part : diffuse , permeate <reported that copper was disseminated through the rock> b : to spread out : extend widely : strew or scatter over a large area or into many places <silt from the Amazon is disseminated for hundreds of miles> intransitive verb : to spread widely : become found widely <seeds, wind-borne, disseminate over quite a wide area from the parent plant>

evolve

transitive verb 1 archaic a : unfold , unroll b : to disclose by degrees to view : disentangle 2 : to give off : emit <natural cheese, during the course of its aging, evolves carbon dioxide — Modern Packaging > 3 a : derive , educe <from these premises he evolved a startling new set of philosophic axioms> <out of their writings ... Hitler and his disciples evolved the racial myth — Raoul de R. de Sales> b : to work out or develop especially by experience, experimentation, or intensive care or effort < evolved ... a fresh and personal approach to residential design — American Guide Series: New York > < evolve a solution for the problem> <independently evolved a lamp based upon this principle — S. F. Mason> < evolved a new and improved variety of this plant> c : to develop or produce by natural evolutionary processes <the Protozoa ... evolved the types that were transitional to higher animals — R. W. Miner> intransitive verb : to develop by or as if by evolution : undergo evolutionary change <hygiene ... has evolved into preventive medicine — Victor Robinson> <show ... that life has evolved according to a Creator's plan — J. P. Marquand>

collate

transitive verb 1 obsolete : confer , bestow , grant 2 a : to bring together for close comparison : compare critically with careful attention to particulars and minute points : verify fidelity of to an original b : to collect , compare carefully in order to verify, and often to integrate or arrange into informative or significant order <the data gathered by the local study groups are being collated for publication — Saturday Review > c : 1 gather 2d d printing : to assemble in final order (as matter set in more than one typeface or by more than one typesetter) 3 : to admit and institute (a cleric) to a benefice —compare collation 4a 4 a : to examine (a set of gathered sheets or a book) to verify the order and number of signatures, pages, plates, or maps b : to arrange or assemble (paper, sheets, or forms) according to an orderly system < collating the pages of the report> 5 civil law : to bring into an estate for equal division intransitive verb 1 : to appoint a cleric to a benefice 2 civil law : to bring goods into an estate for division

endow

transitive verb 1 obsolete : to furnish with a dower 2 : to furnish (as an institution) with an income <a millionaire who endowed several hospitals> 3 a : to provide or equip gratuitously — usually used with with <nature endowed him with good eyesight> b : enrich , heighten , enhance — usually used with with <Shakespeare took these words ... and endowed them with new significance — C. S. Kilby> c : to consider usually favorably as the possessor of a quality : credit 5a — usually used with with <during the 19th century the ether was endowed with some very remarkable properties — W. V. Houston> intransitive verb of an insurance policy : to mature or become payable

corroborate

transitive verb 1 obsolete : to make strong or strengthen in body or construction 2 : to establish or make firm < corroborate his authority> : establish legally or by law 3 : to provide evidence of the truth of : make more certain : confirm <the authority of religion and science did not corroborate Bellamy's high view of man — Joseph Schiffman> intransitive verb : to give evidence or confirmation

infringe

transitive verb 1 obsolete a : to break down : destroy b : defeat , frustrate c : confute , refute d : impair , weaken 2 : to commit a breach of < infringe the peace> : neglect to fulfill or obey : violate , transgress < infringe a treaty> < infringe an edict> < infringe a contract> < infringe a patent> < infringe a copyright> <both these limits of gradient and curve must be infringed to reach the plateau — James Bird> <the statute ... would infringe fundamental principles — O. W. Holmes †1935> intransitive verb : encroach , trespass — used with on or upon <where the siesta is no catnap and a ten-o'clock dinner practically infringes on tea time — Claudia Cassidy>

averse

1 : having an active feeling of repugnance, dislike, or distaste for something and tending to avoid, spurn, or evade it as a result — usually + to < ... is not averse to embellishing his own legend here and there ... — Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated , 18 Aug. 1986> <He lived well into the age of photography and was never averse to posing for the camera ... — Alan Walker, Times Literary Supplement (London), 10 July 1987> < ... Daniels grew increasingly averse to the liberal values of his professors. — Franklin Foer, Atlantic , March 2004> — formerly also + from , especially in British English < ... would have rubbed his hands with satisfaction had he not been constitutionally averse from every superfluous exertion. — Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent , 1907> — now commonly used in compounds like risk-averse , both with and without a hyphen <The fact that U.S. long-term interest rates now exceed British interest rates for only the third time in this century is striking testimony to how risk averse potential U.S. bond buyers have become. — David Hale, Wall Street Journal , 8 Aug. 1983> <From CEOs to ordinary families, we are a nation that is more cautious, more fearful, and more risk-averse . — Robert J. Samuelson, Newsweek , 20 Dec. 2010> <It is unusual because Draper, a national correspondent for GQ magazine, was given extraordinary access to this press-averse president and his aides ... — Anthony Lewis, New York Times Book Review , 4 Nov. 2007> See Usage Discussion at adverse 2 obsolete : turned backward or away 3 obsolete : opposite 4 botany : turned away from the stem or axis —compare adverse 3b

iridescent

1 : having iridescence : showing colors like those of the rainbow especially in shifting patterns of hues and shades that vary with a change of light or point of view <a beetle with an iridescent back> <as softly iridescent as the rays from a jewel — Ellen Glasgow> <smart, lean glass towers with iridescent washrooms — Brooks Atkinson> <crunchy, iridescent , lovely snow — Elaine W. Neal> nacreous , opalescent 2 a : having a gleaming or glittering quality suggestive of the phenomenon of iridescence : brilliant , flashing <two wickedly witty and iridescent novels — Time > <a man for whom the map of the present was always iridescent with the glories of the past — H. C. Wolfe> <his iridescent performance as an art, music, and drama critic — John Mason Brown> b : having the constantly shifting fluid character of an iridescence <the life of iridescent revery — Edmund Wilson> <that iridescent play of meanings — Susanne K. Langer> 3 of a fabric : changeable 4 <curtains of an iridescent material, purple in one light, golden brown in another — Howard Moss> <a filmy iridescent green carpet — American Guide Series: Tennessee >

momentous

1 : having moment : of moment or consequence : very important : weighty <on the eve of another momentous election — New York Times > <the momentous character of the choice — M. R. Cohen> <brought about the momentous changes that affect us all — W. S. Maugham> 2 : having importance or influence — used of a person <these three mates—Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask, were momentous men. They it was who by universal prescription commanded three of the Pequod's boats as headsmen — Herman Melville> — mo·men·tous·ly adverb

vivid

1 : having the appearance of vigorous life or freshness : animated , spirited , fresh , lively <figures so vivid that they seemed to breathe and speak before us — L. P. Smith> <an exuberant vivid young girl> 2 of a color : very strong : very high in chroma <the whole plant, turning red, is vivid against the alkali — American Guide Series: Nevada > 3 : producing a strong or clear impression on the senses : sharp , keen , intense <a vivid sensation of pain> <the first vivid notes of the bugle> specifically : producing or tending to produce distinct and lifelike mental images <a vivid description> 4 : acting with distinctness and force : active — used especially of a mental faculty <a vivid imagination> <thanks to her vivid eye, she re-creates fourteenth century England with broad strokes — Nardi Campion> < vivid emotions> — viv·id·ly adverb — viv·id·ness noun , plural -es

synonymous

1 : having the character of a synonym : alike or nearly alike in meaning < glad is synonymous with joyful > : capable of being substituted for another word or expression in a statement without essentially changing the statement's meaning 2 : having the same connotations, implications, or reference : suggesting the same thing — usually used with with <Newark has become virtually synonymous in the public mind with long-distance air travel — American Guide Series: New Jersey > <believed that lack of knowledge of English is synonymous with stupidity — C. S. Stine> — syn·on·y·mous·ly adverb — syn·on·y·mous·ness noun , plural -es

legislative

1 : having the power or performing the function of legislating <the legislative power may not rule by arbitrary decrees — J. H. Hallowell> <a national constitutional convention is clearly a legislative body — M. O. Hudson> — compare administrative , executive , judicial 2 a : of or relating to a legislature < legislative committees> < legislative clerk> < legislative act> : composed of members of a legislature < legislative cabinet> < legislative caucus> <a presession legislative conference> b : created by a legislature especially as distinguished from an executive or judicial body < legislative budget> < legislative justice> c : designed to assist a legislature or its members < legislative reference bureau> < legislative research agency> 3 : of, concerned with, or created by legislation < legislative advocate> < legislative courts> < legislative home rule>

corporeal

1 : having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body: such as a : not spiritual <some few traces of a diviner nature which look out through his corporeal baseness — Robert Browning> b : not immaterial or intangible : substantial <that which is created is of necessity corporeal and visible and tangible — Benjamin Jowett> 2 archaic : of, relating to, or affecting the human body : corporal 3 : tangible and palpable : not insubstantial : material < corporeal property> < corporeal hereditaments, mainly land and large savings>

delectable

1 : highly pleasing : delightful 2 : deliciously flavored : savory

miscreant

1 : holding a religious faith or doctrine regarded as false : unbelieving , heretical <either weakminded or miscreant for holding that we are incapable of any rational knowledge of God — James Collins> 2 : depraved , vicious , villainous <a miscreant gang>

ineffable

1 : incapable of being expressed in words : unutterable , indescribable < ineffable joy> < ineffable torture> unspeakable < ineffable disgust> < ineffable bungler> 2 : not to be uttered : taboo <the ineffable name of Jehovah> — in·ef·fa·ble·ness \-nə ̇ s\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -es — in·ef·fa·bly \-blē, -bli\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

incredulous

1 : indisposed to admit or accept what is related as true : not able or willing to believe something < incredulous of such statements> <On hearing this most unexpected sound, Mr. Bumble looked, first incredulous , and afterwards amazed. — Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist , 1838> <Like every newcomer to the Northwest, Clarkwas incredulous at the monotonous fall rainsthat soaked the country west of the Cascades. — Jonathan Raban, Harper's , August 1993> <Firstreported by incredulous researchers at theturn of the century, OCD remains a medicalmystery, and many people haven't even heard ofit. — Michael W. Miller, Wall Street Journal , 25 Apr. 1994> 2 : caused by disbelief or incredulity : showing a lack of belief <an incredulous stare> 3 : not to be believed : incredible — in·cred·u·lous·ly adverb — in·cred·u·lous·ness noun

punitive

1 : inflicting, awarding, or involving punishment or penalties : aiming at punishment <a punitive law> < punitive justice> <a punitive expedition> 2 : constituting or serving as a severe or discriminatory penalty < punitive taxes> — pu·ni·tive·ly adverb — pu·ni·tive·ness noun , plural -es

fervor

1 : intense heat <those deserts ... whose ... fervors scarce allowed a bird to live — P. B. Shelley> 2 a : intensity of feeling or expression : passion <rejected communism with as much fervor as they had accepted it — Margaret Marshall> <she cried quietly but with fervor — Robert Murphy> specifically : deep or excited interest in or enthusiasm for something <the book has been greeted by Frenchmen with a fervor that no previous book on art ever aroused — George Duthuit> earnestness <the moral fervor of a reformer> <ages of spiritual fervor ... in which ... men have been unusually excited about their souls — Clive Bell> zeal <the tackling on both sides attains the fervor of a holy war — New Yorker > b : an instance of emotional fervor <the almost hysterical fervors of wartime>

fallible

1 : liable to err <all men are fallible > 2 : liable to be erroneous or inaccurate <a fallible rule> — fal·li·ble·ness \-bəlnə ̇ s\ noun , plural -es — fal·li·bly \-blē, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

alleviate

1 : lighten , lessen , relieve , moderate : such as a : to make easier to be endured (as physical or mental suffering) <does not cure but alleviates the disease> <a lotion for alleviating the itching of poison ivy> <little can be done for the sufferer beyond alleviating his agony — V. G. Heiser> <helped slightly to alleviate his sorrow> b : to remove or correct in part (as a troublesome condition or state of mind) <measures for alleviating the critical labor shortage> <could alleviate the causes of conflicts among nations — Vera M. Dean> <efforts which do nothing to alleviate that hate — New Republic > <how these problems are aggravated or alleviated by advances in technical knowledge — Clyde Kennedy> — opposed to aggravate 2 archaic : extenuate < alleviates his fault by an excuse — Samuel Johnson>

colossal

1 : like or relating to a colossus : of very great size <a colossal statue> 2 : characterized by extremely great bulk, extent, force, strength, power, or effect, approaching or suggesting the stupendous or incredible <the colossal speed of 15,000 miles a second — James Jeans> <their wars have now become so colossal that every woman's husband, father, son, brother, or sweetheart ... must go to the trenches — G. B. Shaw> 3 : characterized by an exceptional or astonishing degree < colossal impudence>

steep

1 : lofty , tall , elevated , high — used chiefly of a sea <ships steaming into steep head seas — Manual of Seamanship > <the elusive periscope almost impossible to detect in such steep seas — Stanley Rogers> 2 a : making a large angle with the plane of the horizon : having a side or slope approaching the perpendicular : precipitous < steep hills> <a steep road> <area of cleared, steep ground — Evan Williams> b of twill : having an angle greater than 45 degrees in the twill line 3 a : mounting or falling precipitously : headlong <a steep flight of stairs> b : characterized by a very rapid decline or increase <the steep but comparatively brief depression — Clark Warburton> <the persistently steep fall in immigration — Peter Scott> <a period of steep decline in our literary standards — Malcolm Cowley> 4 : having precipitious or sharply pitched sides <a steep roof> <its steep wooded valleys — R. M. Lockley> 5 : difficult to accept, meet, or perform : arduous , extreme , excessive , exorbitant , incredible <a steep story> <a steep tax> <prices are rather steep > <a steep task>

bona fide

1 : made in good faith without fraud or deceit <a bona fide contract> : legally valid <return of such persons to place of bona fide residence — U.S. Code > 2 : sincere <the only bona fide friends of democracy and self-determination — Sinclair Lewis> : made with earnest or wholehearted intent <a bona fide proposal> 3 : not specious or counterfeit : genuine <just what a bona fide United States flag looked like — E. J. Kahn> < bona fide dinosaur eggs> < bona fide pockets below the waistline — Women's Wear Daily >

emaciated

1 : made lean by impairment (as from hunger) < emaciated bony hands> also : meager , narrow <an emaciated outlook on life> <the succession of emaciated parsonages — Ellery Sedgwick> 2 : enfeebled , attenuated <failed to pass even this emaciated version of the original bill> <the emaciated state of the controversy>

lodestone

1 : magnetite possessing polarity 2 : something that strongly attracts : magnet <was a scholastic lodestone himself, and students ... flocked to his classes — T. S. Lovering> <devotion to the law—the lodestone of his life — Newsweek >

benevolent

1 : marked by a kindly disposition to promote the happiness and prosperity of others or by generosity in and pleasure at doing good works <a benevolent donor> <All whom I have conversed with, and I have in my youth seen some who knew Rob Roy personally, give him the character of a benevolent and humane man " in his way. " — Walter Scott, Rob Roy , 1817> 2 : marked by or suggestive of goodwill or benign feelings : lacking any hostility <a benevolent judge> <a benevolent smile> 3 : arising from or prompted by motives of charity or a sense of benevolence : philanthropic <a benevolent society> — be·nev·o·lent·ly adverb <smiling benevolently > < ... I strove to drown my exasperated feelings towards the scrivener by benevolently construing his conduct. — Herman Melville, Bartleby, the Scrivener , 1853> — be·nev·o·lent·ness noun

concise

1 : marked by brevity in expression or by compact statement without elaboration or superfluous detail 2 : accomplished in little time : brief and curtailed : cut short <the effect is a concise panorama of the city's character — American Guide Series: Texas >

orthodox

1 : marked by conformity to doctrines or practices especially in religion that are held as right or true by some authority, standard, or tradition <the simple security of the old orthodox assumptions has vanished — A. N. Whitehead> : such as a : conforming to the Christian faith as formulated in the church creeds and confessions <an orthodox Christian> b : according to or congruous with the doctrines of Scripture as interpreted in some standard (as the creed of a church or decree of a council) < orthodox belief> <an orthodox book> — contrasted with heretical and heterodox 2 Orthodox : of, relating to, or constituting any of various conservative religious or political groups: such as a : eastern orthodox b : of or relating to Orthodox Judaism 3 a : of, relating to, or characterizing the dominant or officially approved form of something < orthodox Marxism> <the orthodox form of a text> < orthodox economic theory> <the orthodox approach> b : conservative <very orthodox in her belief and practices> <simple, dark, orthodox clothes — English Digest > c : conventional < orthodox routes to Europe — Geography Journal > < orthodox in treatment and subject — Charles Lee> — or·tho·dox·ness noun , plural -es

atrocious

1 : marked by or given to extreme wickedness <leading an atrocious life> <an atrocious criminal> 2 a : marked by or given to extreme brutality or cruelty : grossly inhumane <his atrocious treatment in prison — Hugh Byas> <an atrocious dictatorship> b : outrageous : violating the bounds of common decency : uncivilized , barbaric <the atrocious exploitation of human beings in mines and mills — M. R. Cohen> 3 a : extremely painful : marked by intense distress : grievous <he had known long and atrocious sufferings from wounds in the war — Rebecca West> b : marked by extreme violence : savagely fierce : murderous < atrocious assault and battery> 4 : of such a kind as to fill with fright or dismay : appalling , terrible <the atrocious truth blazed in the night like lightning — Elinor Wylie> <an atrocious accident> 5 a : utterly revolting : abominable < atrocious weather> < atrocious working conditions> b : markedly inferior in quality <an atrocious speller> < atrocious manners>

unheralded

1 : not publicly acclaimed : anonymous , unrecognized < unheralded in his large charities — D. S. Muzzey> <a new and unheralded talent — Eric Newton> 2 : unexpected , unforeseen <a totally unheralded telegram that his daughter ... died last night — M. A. D. Howe>

inadvertent

1 : not turning the mind to a matter : heedless , negligent , inattentive <an inadvertent remark> 2 : unintentional < inadvertent violations of trade laws — Current Biography > — in·ad·ver·tent·ly adverb

illustrious

1 : notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity (as of birth, rank, position) or because of achievements or actions or because of qualities possessed : very distinguished : greatly respected : eminent , famous <a man who comes of an illustrious family> <the illustrious heroes of antiquity> < illustrious accomplishments> 2 archaic a : shining brightly with light b : clearly evident — il·lus·tri·ous·ly adverb — il·lus·tri·ous·ness noun , plural -es

conspicuous

1 : obvious to the eye or mind : easily noticed : plainly visible <a sign placed at a conspicuous location> < conspicuous at a great distance> <an intention conspicuous only to his friends> <a conspicuous error> <He was conspicuous by his absence . [=his absence was very noticeable] > 2 : attracting or tending to attract attention : striking , eminent <a conspicuous success> < conspicuous bravery> <a conspicuous tower> < conspicuous statesmen> 3 : undesirably noticeable by reason of violation of good taste or sense <a conspicuous necktie> <against spending money for cement sidewalks, which he considered conspicuous waste — E. W. Smith> — con·spic·u·ous·ly \kən- ˈ spi-kyə-wəs-lē, -kyü-əs-\ adverb — con·spic·u·ous·ness \kən- ˈ spi-kyə-wəs-nəs, -kyü-əs-\ (audio pronunciation) noun

fortuitous

1 : occurring by chance without evident causal need or relation or without deliberate intention <the fortuitous rencounters, the strange accidents of fortune — Henry Miller> <by which the events of life are no longer regarded as isolated and fortuitous moments — P. E. More> 2 a : fortunate , lucky <from a cost standpoint, the company's timing is fortuitous — Business Weekly > b : coming or happening by a lucky chance <belted down the stairs, and there was a fortuitous train — Doris Lessing>

Machiavellian

1 : of or relating to Machiavelli or his political theory (as the doctrine that any means however lawless or unscrupulous may be justifiably employed by a ruler in order to establish and maintain a strong central government) 2 : resembling or suggesting the principles of conduct laid down by Machiavelli : characterized by political cunning, duplicity, or bad faith

collegial

1 : of or relating to a college or university : collegiate 2 a : of or relating to a collegium ; especially : marked by power or authority vested equally in each of a number of colleagues <an increasing tendency to turn from collegial to one-man management — Merle Fainsod> b : characterized by equal sharing of authority especially by Roman Catholic bishops 3 : marked by camaraderie among colleagues — col·le·gi·al·ly adverb

demographic

1 : of or relating to demography : relating to the dynamic balance of a population especially with regard to density and capacity for expansion or decline < demographic pressures determining trends> 2 : of or relating to demographics ( see 2 demographic ) ; especially : relating to or intended for a segment of the population identified by demographics <a demographic edition of a magazine> < demographic advertising> — de·mo·graph·i·cal·ly \-fə ̇ k(ə)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

mercantile

1 : of or relating to merchants or trading : appropriate to or characteristic of merchants : engaged in trade <the mercantile North was forging ahead — Van Wyck Brooks> 2 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of mercantilism < mercantile system> < mercantile theories> 3 : having or exhibiting the motives of a merchant : having gain as its objective : mercenary <preached a mercantile and militant patriotism — John Buchan>

mortify

transitive verb 1 obsolete a : to put to death : destroy <if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live — Romans 8:13 (Authorized Version)> b : to destroy the strength, vitality, or functioning of : deaden the effect of <the tendons were mortified and ... he could never have the use of his leg — Daniel Defoe> <the knowledge of future evils mortifies present felicities — Sir Thomas Browne> 2 : to subdue or deaden (as the body or bodily appetites) by abstinence, self-discipline, or self-inflicted pain or discomfort <the flesh tended to corruption, and to achieve the pious ends of life one must mortify it ... lessening its appetites by fasting and abstention — Lewis Mumford> <one is taught in the noviceship to mortify one's palate at least once during every meal — Monica Baldwin> 3 Scots law : to grant in mortmain for religious, charitable, or public uses <to administer and manage the whole revenue and property of the University including funds mortified for bursaries and other purposes — Edinburgh University Calendar > 4 obsolete : to make (meat) tender by aging 5 : to subject to or cause to feel embarrassment, chagrin, or vexation : humiliate <it would mortify me that you shouldn't be perfectly dressed — W. S. Maugham> <was no longer mortified by comparisons between her sisters' beauty and her own — Jane Austen> intransitive verb 1 : to practice mortification : lead an ascetic life <a sort of mammoth lay monastery relieved of the obligation to mortify — James Binder> 2 : to lose organic structure : become gangrenous : decay

surmise

transitive verb : to imagine without certain knowledge : infer on slight grounds : form a notion of on slight proof : guess , suppose <then she knew that what before she but surmised was true — John Dryden> <a delicate matter to surmise the thoughts of men — Emma Hawkridge> <he surmised that this was the true situation> intransitive verb : to make a surmise or guess : indulge in conjecture

exhort

transitive verb : to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly : advise , warn <we have been exhorted to drive all negative fears out of our minds — W. J. Reilly> intransitive verb : to give warnings or advice : make urgent appeal : preach 2 <ministers and converted Christians rushed about the camp praying and exhorting — J. C. Brauer>

intuit

transitive verb : to know or apprehend directly or by intuition <only through the sensuous can the ideal be intuited — Murray Krieger> <an imaginative artist intuiting the motives of men long dead — Howard M. Jones> intransitive verb : to have knowledge directly or by intuition

elucidate

transitive verb : to make clear; especially : to make intelligible by clear explanation or careful analysis < elucidated the pattern of ancient roadways> <served to elucidate the policy of the government> <critical notes that elucidate the text> intransitive verb : to provide a clarifying explanation <well, elucidate , my boy; you know all the answers>

tantalize

transitive verb : to tease or torment by presenting something to the view and exciting desire but continually frustrating the expectations by keeping it out of reach <anchors, dots, and arrows on the rocks ... have long tantalized treasure hunters — American Guide Series: Oregon > < tantalized by dreams of being ... his country's savior — John Buchan> < tantalize their publishers by submitting synopses that sparkle — Bennett Cerf> intransitive verb obsolete : to suffer in a manner resembling Tantalus

aesthetic

1 : relating to or dealing with aesthetics or its subject matter < aesthetic theories> < aesthetic philosophers> 2 a : relating to the beautiful as distinguished from the merely pleasing, the moral, and especially the useful and utilitarian <a purely aesthetic reaction> < aesthetic criteria> b : artistic <the illustrations made the book an aesthetic success> <a work of aesthetic value> c : pleasing in appearance : attractive < ... easy-to-use keyboards, clear graphics, and other ergonomic and aesthetic features. — Mark Mehler> 3 : appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful <an aesthetic person> <he lived in an aesthetic age> 4 : relating to sensuous cognition: a : involving pure feeling or sensation especially in contrast to ratiocination <the aesthetic component of knowledge> b : based on or derived from immediate especially sensuous experience <gustatory and tactile aesthetic delights> < aesthetic feeling> 5 : done or made to improve a person ' s appearance or to correct defects in a person ' s appearance < aesthetic plastic surgery> <Dentists are still drilling and filling, but the fastest growing part of the practices are aesthetic procedures, such as bleaching teeth and using tooth-colored material for fillings ... — Sarah Skidmore, San Diego Union-Tribune , 8 May 2005> — aes·thet·i·cal·ly \es- ˈ the-ti-k(ə-)lē, British usually ēs-\ (audio pronunciation) also es·thet·i·cal·ly adverb <a happy ending is morally and aesthetic satisfying — J. C. Bushman>

dyspeptic

1 : relating to or suffering from pain caused by digestive problems : having or relating to dyspepsia < dyspeptic symptoms> < dyspeptic patients> 2 : having or showing a bad temper : irritable , ill-tempered <In the first new episode since February, the dyspeptic doc is perplexed by an ER patient whose excessively nice behavior may be a symptom of his illness. — TV Guide , 19 Jan. 2001> — dyspeptically adverb < ... the narrator dyspeptically anticipates critical reaction. — Scott Brown, Entertainment Weekly , 19 Jan. 2001>

proactive

1 : relating to, caused by, or being interference between previous learning and the recall or performance of later learning < proactive inhibition of memory> 2 : acting in anticipation of future problems or needs <a proactive company> — pro·ac·tive·ly adverb

psychosomatic

1 : relating to, involving, or resulting from the interaction between mind or emotions and body : relating to or involving both mind and body < psychosomatic medicine> 2 : resulting from the influence of emotional stress or conflict on a predisposed somatic area, organ, or bodily system <a psychosomatic disorder> 3 : evidencing bodily symptoms or bodily and mental symptoms as a result of emotional conflict <a psychosomatic patient> — psy·cho·so·mat·i·cal·ly \ ¦ sī-( ˌ )kō-sə- ¦ ma-ti-k(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

refractory

1 : resisting control or authority : stubborn , unmanageable , perverse <to persuade her refractory daughter to agree to the propriety of what she was going to do — Anthony Trollope> <bold attempts to reduce refractory material to poetic treatment — F. B. Millett> <the boy was solitary and refractory to all education save that of wide and desultory reading — F. J. Mather> 2 a : resistant to treatment or cure <a refractory fulminating lesion> b : unresponsive to stimulus <the refractory period of a muscle fiber> c : resistant or not responding to an infectious agent : immune , insusceptible <after recovery the animals were completely refractory to reinfection> 3 : resisting treatment under ordinary or various extraordinary conditions : difficult to fuse, corrode, reduce, or draw out < refractory ore> < refractory metals> especially : capable of enduring or resisting high temperature < refractory clays> < refractory brick> < refractory mortar>

Mulch

1 : rotting straw strewn over the ground and often mixed with mud or manure <maids walking in pattens ... to keep their shoes above the mulch — Thomas Hardy> 2 : a protective covering (as of sawdust, moss, compost, gravel, or paper) spread or left upon the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, or enrich the soil : litter , topdressing — compare stubble mulch 3 : dust mulch

somber

1 : so shaded or full of shadows as to be dark and gloomy : lacking light or brightness : characterized by gloom or shadow : depressingly dark, dusky, or obscure <narrow, somber streets — American Guide Series: Virginia > <the bell-chamber was somber and almost menacing — Dorothy Sayers> 2 a (1) : gloomy, sullen, melancholy, or dejected in appearance or mood <the city made him somber and restless — John Cheever> (2) : of a serious mien : grave < somber ... merchant dignitaries — J. H. Randall> b : of a melancholy, dismal, or depressing character < somber thoughts> <a somber mood> 3 : conveying gloomy suggestions or ideas : depressing , grave , melancholy <took on a more somber and threatening aspect — Emporia (Kansas) Gazette > <know the truth, somber though it may be — Sir Winston Churchill> 4 a of color or a color : of a dull or heavy cast or shade < somber tone> <a more somber hue> <house ... painted a somber Puritan color — A. W. Long> b : having or characterized by such a color : dark colored <the somber leaves of the copper beech — American Guide Series: New Jersey >

nonentity

1 : something that does not exist or exists only in the imagination <the whole realm of nonentities , such as " the round square " ... " Apollo " , " Hamlet " — Herbert Feigl & W. S. Sellars> <in one day ... high-heaped money-wages became fairy-money and nonentity — Thomas Carlyle> 2 : the quality or state of not existing : nonexistence 3 a : a person who is totally undistinguished or unimpressive in mind, character, or achievement : one of small or mediocre talents <manifested by hacks and nonentities put in nomination — New Republic > <there can be no leaders if all the followers are nonentities — W. L. Sullivan> <becoming a moral nonentity — Lionel Trilling> b : something of no consequence or significance : something totally lacking in distinction <this building therefore sinks ... a nonentity , into the dismal swamp of buildings around it — Lewis Mumford> c : the condition of being a nonentity <his shrunken figure relapsed into drab nonentity — Gerald Beaumont> <emerging from the unfathomable abyss of nonentity — H. L. Mencken> <after five and a half months of political nonentity — Time >

presage

1 : something that foreshadows or portends a future event : a warning or indication of something about to happen : omen , prognostic <the coming of the swallow is a true presage of the spring — John Worlidge> <sees a lunar rainbow ... as a presage of good fortune — Van Wyck Brooks> 2 : an intuition or feeling of what is going to happen in the future : foreboding , presentiment <feel in his nerves the presage of a storm — Charlton Ogburn> <artists whom the presage of an early death stimulates — Roger Fry> 3 archaic : an utterance foretelling something future : prediction , prognostication <expected as ill a presage ... from those fortune tellers — Edward Hyde> 4 : foreknowledge of the future : prescience <if there be aught of presage in the mind — John Milton> 5 : augury 3 <hand ... raised in presage of volunteered information — New Yorker > <a firm steel bridge as presage of what is ahead — William Sansom> <birds of evil presage — Edmund Burke>

repast

1 : something that is taken as food <crow is hardly a palatable repast for the average citizen — Phoenix Flame > specifically : a supply of food and drink served as a meal <a delicious repast of simple but perfectly cooked food> 2 a : the act of taking food <if, before repast , it shall please you to gratify the table with a grace — Shakespeare> b : the time or occasion of eating a meal <preferred to be alone during his evening repast >

stimuli

1 : something that rouses the mind or spirits or incites to activity : incentive <the war proved a stimulus to agriculture, industry, and commerce — American Guide Series: New Jersey > 2 : something that produces a temporary increase of physiological activity in an organism or in any of its parts; especially : an agent (such as an environmental change) capable of directly influencing the activity of living protoplasm (as by inducing a tropism, exciting a sensory end organ, or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion) — see heterologous stimulus , homologous stimulus

gig

1 : something that whirls: such as a obsolete : top , whirligig b or gig mill : a rotary cylinder covered with teasels or wire teeth for napping fabrics (as wool) c : a three-number combination selected to appear among the numbers to be drawn from a lottery wheel 2 a archaic : joke , whim b dialectal, England : fun , sport c : a person of odd or grotesque appearance : oddity , fool <we would look like a lot of gigs in that rig-out — Punch > 3 a : a long light ship's boat for oars or sail usually clinker-built and fast and usually appropriated for the commanding officer <the captain's gig > also : a boat designed for the captain's exclusive use b : a rowboat designed for speed rather than for work or carrying 4 : a light carriage that has one pair of wheels and is drawn by one horse : chaise

abrasive

1 : tending to abrade : producing abrasion 2 : causing irritation < abrasive relationships between member nations> — abra·sive·ly adverb <an abrasively worn surface> < ... had already acquired a reputation for behaving abrasively in public. — Gwen Knapp, San Francisco Chronicle , 18 July 2010> — abra·sive·ness noun < ... designed to handle low- to medium-density materials that have low to medium abrasiveness ... — Engineering and Mining Journal , June 2010> <Durocher's open abrasiveness would not sit well with today's players ... — Heywood Hale Broun, New York Times , 14 July 1991>

conjunction

1 : the act of conjoining or state of being conjoined : union , association , combination <things not normally seen in conjunction > <the view that cause is constant conjunction — E. H. Madden> 2 : an instance of conjoining or coming together : union , association <quartering ... was the normal way of indicting a conjunction of lordships — A. R. Wagner> 3 : occurrence together : concurrence especially of events or routes <from the state line route 17 proceeds in conjunction with route 6 for a few miles> 4 obsolete : sexual union : union in wedlock 5 a : the apparent meeting or passing of two or more celestial bodies in the same degree of the zodiac b : a configuration in which two celestial bodies have their least apparent separation <a conjunction of Mars and Jupiter> — compare opposition 6 : a linguistic form (as an uninflected word) that joins together words or word groups such as sentences (as but in " He tried. But he failed " ), clauses (as if in " I'll go if you will " ), phrases (as and in " over the river and through the woods " ), words (as or in " first or last " ), or a word and a phrase (as and in " my brother and I " ) 7 logic a : a statement that is true only if both its components are true — called also joint assertion — see truth table b : the binary connective used in logic c : the logical operation of forming a conjunction

denomination

1 : the act of denominating or naming 2 : that by which something is denominated or styled : appellation , name , designation , title ; especially : a general name for a class of like individuals : category <a sort of tribute under the denomination of presents — Tobias Smollett> 3 : a class or society of individuals called by the same name; especially : a religious group or organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices <Methodists, Baptists, and other Christian denominations > 4 : a value or size naming one of a particular series of values or sizes (as of monetary issues, stamps, units of weight or measure) <bills in $5 and $10 denominations > <liter is a metric denomination > 5 : the suit or no-trump named in a bridge bid

rider

1 : one that rides horseback: such as a archaic : a mounted highwayman, freebooter, or moss-trooper b : cowboy 3a c : a circus performer who rides horses d : a mounted agent employed on a plantation — compare ditch rider e : jockey 2 : one that rides a vehicle <train rider > <motorcycle rider > 3 a [translation of Dutch rijder ] : rijder b : a Scotch gold coin issued in the late 15th century by James III and his successor 4 a : an addition or amendment to a manuscript, printer's proof, or other document often attached on a separate piece of paper : allonge , annex , codicil b : something added as an extra to a seemingly completed statement or act c British : a recommendation by a jury appended to its verdict d : a clause appended to a legislative bill to secure an object usually entirely distinct from that of the bill itself <wantonly violates the Constitution in attaching legislative riders to appropriation bills — New Republic > 5 : something used to overlie or cover another (as an upper tier of casks, a turn of a rope, or a tree placed on a wall) 6 a : a rail laid slanting in the forks of the cross stakes at the corner of a worm fence as a reinforcement b : a small movable adjusting weight on the beam of a balance resembling the weight on a steelyard c : a pipe above and parallel to a main pipe into which part of the flow is diverted over a considerable distance and from which the flow is redirected into the main 7 archaic : traveling salesman 8 a : the top raker of a set of raking shores b : the strap of a hinge 9 : endorsement 2b 10 a : a thin parallel coal seam or mineral vein overlying a larger seam or vein b : the country rock between them c : a body of barren or country rock occurring as a horse within a vein 11 : a vibrating steel roller that rests on and rotates in contact with a form roller to augment the distribution of printing ink 12 : a man who rides a freight car being switched over the hump of a railroad classification yard in order to set the brakes and stop the car at the proper point 13 : an extra rib timber set in between the frames of a wooden ship 14 : a logger who drives a horse or mule to haul rigging equipment back to the woods after each log has been skidded to the yard or landing

solicitor

1 : one that solicits ; especially : a person that acts as an agent in the soliciting of something (such as contributions to charity, subscriptions to periodicals, or business for a firm) 2 a (1) : a person formerly admitted to practice law in an English court of chancery or equity (2) : a person currently admitted to practice law and conduct litigation in any English court including the officers formerly called attorney-at-law and proctor but distinguished from the barrister in not having the right to plead in open court except in a few minor courts b : a law officer of a city, town, department, or government <the city solicitor > <the solicitor of the Interior Department>

plaintiff

1 : one who commences a personal action or lawsuit to obtain a remedy for an injury to his rights — opposed to defendant — compare prosecutor 2 : the complaining party in any litigation including demandant in real actions, the complainant in equity, and the libelant in divorce

malefactor

1 : one who commits an offense against the law; especially : felon 2 : one who does ill toward another : evildoer <a sinister malefactor abusing his power — Iron Age >

connoisseur

1 : one who is expert in a subject; especially : one who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge 2 : a discriminating judge or critic of something : one who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties <a connoisseur of his own responses> <a connoisseur of rare tobaccos>

proponent

1 : one who makes a proposal : one who lays down and defends a proposition : one who argues in favor of something (as an institution, a policy, a legislative measure, a doctrine) : advocate , supporter — opposed to opponent 2 : the propounder of a legal instrument (as a will for probate)

benighted

1 : overtaken by darkness or night < benighted travelers ... have seen his midnight candle glimmering — W. B. Yeats> 2 : in a state of intellectual, moral, or social darkness : unenlightened <to some benighted souls even antiquarians seem peculiar — Antiques > <how long have you been in this benighted country — Charles Beadle> — be·night·ed·ly adverb < " That young girl, " he added unexpectedly, " is one of the least benightedly unintelligent organic life-forms it has been my profound lack of pleasure not to be able to avoid meeting. " — Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything , 1982> — be·night·ed·ness noun , plural -es

plebiscite

1 : plebiscitum 1 2 : a vote or decree of the people usually by universal suffrage on some measure submitted to them by some person or body having the initiative — compare referendum 3 a : a vote of the people usually by universal adult suffrage of some specified district or region on the question put before them by a treaty of peace or by an international body as to choice of sovereignty b : the political machinery for expressing self-determination

potsherd

: a piece of a broken earthen pot : a pottery fragment < potsherds unearthed at an excavation>

satellite

1 : a hired agent or obsequious follower : minion , sycophant <armed satellites of great men, were forced to seek an independent source of livelihood — G. E. Fussell> <no satellite on whom he could bestow recognition with a maestro bow — Marjorie Brace> 2 a : a celestial body orbiting another of larger size : secondary planet : moon <Jupiter has twelve satellites , and Saturn probably has millions of them in its rings — Time > b : a man-made object or vehicle intended to orbit the earth, the moon, or another celestial body and usually instrumented for the transmission of space data <such far-soaring objects as missiles, satellites , and lunar probes — Newsweek > <talks of a manned satellite to be used for meteorological observation — J. K. Hutchens> 3 a : one that resembles a celestial satellite <the central sun he became for a host of surroundings satellites — Irving Kolodin> <in both the film and radio firmaments Ireland tends to be a satellite of Great Britain — Paul Blanshard> b : one that is subject to external influence: such as (1) : a political entity within the sphere of influence of a stronger power <when demoralized, disorganized, ideologically confused groups collaborate with a powerful, tightly organized world conspiracy ... they do not become allies but only satellites or puppets — Edmond Taylor> < satellites have sovereignty, although they lack supremacy — H. D. Lasswell & Abraham Kaplan> <conversion of local regions into federal satellites poses a threat deadly to our liberties — D. D. Eisenhower> (2) : a subordinate area or suburban community dependent upon a metropolis for economic support <economic activities of the satellite are closely geared to those of the central city — C. D. Harris & E. L. Ullman> (3) : an associated or subsidiary enterprise <the hotel moved two blocks away ... and immediately attracted new shops as satellites — Hal Burton> <a main base in the Little America area from which two satellites ... will be supplied — Glen Jacobsen> c : a usually independent urban community situated near but not immediately adjacent to a large city 4 : one that is secondary or adjacent: such as a (1) : a short segment separated from the main body of a chromosome by a constriction — called also trabant (2) : the secondary or later member of a chain of gregarines in syzygy (3) : a bodily structure lying near or associated with another (as a vein accompanying an artery) b : a smaller lesion accompanying a main one and situated nearby c : a spectral line of low intensity having a frequency close to that of another stronger line to which it is closely related (as by having a common energy level) d : an auxiliary airfield of limited facilities serving as a dispersal point for a main air base and as a base of operations if the main field is put out of action 5 : one that accompanies : complement <maize and its satellites —squashes and beans — A. L. Kroeber> 6 : satellite television

swarthy

: possessing or being a dark color, complexion, or cast : dusky

pigeon

1 : a bird of the widely distributed family Columbidae (order Columbiformes) having a stout body with rather short legs, a bill horny at the tip but with a soft cere at the base, and smooth and compact plumage; especially : a member of one of the many domesticated varieties derived from the rock pigeon ( Columba livia ) of the coasts of Europe —see bill illustration 2 : a young girl <he was taking out a very pretty pigeon > 3 : one who is an easy mark : dupe 4 : clay pigeon 5 [alteration of pidgin ] : an object of special concern : accepted business or interest <she's not our pigeon unless she's an accessory — Ngaio Marsh> <tennis was not his pigeon > 6 : the final card received in a deal of stud poker when it makes the hand a winner 7 : a pari-mutuel ticket that is counterfeit or has been canceled 8 : a dark purplish gray that is redder and paler than slate, redder, lighter, and stronger than charcoal, and redder and lighter than taupe gray

zealot

1 usually capitalized : one of a fanatical sect bitterly opposing the Roman domination of Palestine during the great rebellion and the siege of Jerusalem and opposing not only the Romans but other Jewish factions — see sicarius 2 a : one who is zealous : one who embraces a cause and supports it with vigor and enthusiasm b : one who is carried away by his zeal : a fanatical partisan

cynicism

1 usually capitalized : the doctrine of the Cynics 2 a : cynical quality <developed the salty cynicism that stayed with him throughout his newspaper and political career — Frances Perkins> b : an expression of or characteristic of such quality <pungent cynicisms >

linguistics

: the study of human speech in its various aspects (as the units, nature, structure, and modification of language, languages, or a language including especially such factors as phonetics, phonology, morphology, accent, syntax, semantics, general or philosophical grammar, and the relation between writing and speech) — called also linguistic science , science of language — compare philology

ad nauseam

: to a sickening degree : so as to disgust

dillydally

: to act with unusual or improper slowness : waste time by loitering or delay <for a month the governor had dillydallied over the choice of a successor>

imperil

: to bring into peril : expose to danger of imminent harm or loss : endanger or threaten danger to <a jungle of aggressive power politics which imperils ... the healing of the wounds of war — Mark Starr> <people whose investments were imperiled — G. W. Johnson> <stray mines ... began to turn up off the Pacific coast, imperiling commercial shipping — Alan Hynd>

bedeck

: to deck out : ornament profusely : decorate in a showy manner < bedecked in fine silks and laces>

hover

intransitive verb 1 a : to hang fluttering in the air or on the wing <the hawk hovered searching the ground below> : remain floating or suspended about or over a place or object <clouds of smoke hovered over the building> b of an airplane : to maintain altitude without forward motion 2 a : to hang about : move to and fro near a place threateningly, watchfully, uncertainly, irresolutely <doormen annoy me ... hovering anxiously over people — Evelyn Barkins> <the shark was still hovering about — Francis Birtles> <the thermometer hovered around 90> <the boat hovered outside the three-mile limit> b : to be in a state of uncertainty, irresolution, or suspense <when he was hesitating or hovering over a word — David Abercrombie> < hovering uncomfortably behind a cigar — Tennessee Williams> <the country hovered on the brink of famine> 3 : to crouch in hiding : cower <as if a gash had been torn in the web of restraint behind which she forced him to hover — Marcia Davenport> <the bathtub fell ... and crushed the woman hovering in the cellar — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union > 4 dialectal, British : wait , linger transitive verb 1 obsolete : to flutter (the wings) so as to remain suspended in air 2 : to brood over <a hen hovers her chicks> 3 : to position (a computer cursor) over something (such as an image or icon) without selecting it <Many in the class hovered their cursors over words and icons for long periods before committing to clicking their mouse. Researchers who study seniors call the phenomenon " cautious clicking " and say it is unique to older generations. While young computer users are eager to experiment and explore, older users raised in an era of mechanical devices harbor the feeling that one wrong click could break the machine. — Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican , 25 Mar. 2007> <You start typing in a search term, then hover your cursor over the item you want to delete and press the delete key. — Jay Lee, Houston Chronicle , 15 Nov. 2011>

vulpine

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox 2 : marked by slyness or predatoriness : crafty <believed the mildest house agent grew vulpine at sight of them — Audrey Barker>

ad-lib

1 : spoken or composed extempore <free and easy ad-lib questioning — New York Times > 2 a : available for free or spontaneous use or consumption <dinner, with wine ad-lib — Bernard Smith> b : made or done spontaneously : not controlled by a schedule < ad-lib feeding of animals>

glade

1 a (1) : an open space surrounded by woods : clearing (2) : a wooded or open area lying between wooded slopes (3) archaic : an open stretch or group of interconnected openings forming a passage through woodland b : grove ; especially : an open grove of tall old trees 2 : a marshy and usually low-lying area: such as a South : a periodically inundated grassy marsh often running between adjacent slopes b : a marshy area bounding or forming the headwaters of a stream 3 obsolete : a bright streak or patch of light

garner

1 a : a building in which grain is stored : granary b : a bin for the storage of grain; specifically : a bin in a grain elevator in which grain is collected for weighing c : something that resembles a garner <you may be gathered into the garner of mortality before me — Sir Walter Scott> 2 : something that is collected : accumulation <makes an entirely fresh garner each year — Donald Davidson>

Gothic

1 a : of, relating to, or resembling the Goths, their civilization, or their language b : teutonic , germanic <in German they have a kind of Gothic eloquence that does not survive translation — Winthrop Sargeant> <the eclectic idiosyncracy and studied barbarism of Carlyle's Gothic style — W. H. Gardner> c (1) : of or relating to the middle ages : medieval <his face was calm and beautiful ... above the Gothic splendor of his raiment — Elinor Wylie> <the monkish or Gothic ages ... were therefore despised by the scholar and the philosopher — L. G. Pine> <a whole Gothic world had come to grief ... there was now no armor glittering in the forest glades — Evelyn Waugh> (2) : uncouth , primitive , barbarous , uncivilized <the Gothic obscurities and barbarities of the past — Ernest Barker> <the Gothic and barbarous self-complacency of his contemporaries — P. E. More> (3) : savage , ferocious <tetanus is a disease of Gothic ferocity — Berton Roueché> 2 a (1) : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of architecture developed in northern France and spreading through western Europe from the middle of the 12th century to the early 16th century that is characterized by the converging of weights and strains at isolated points upon slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses with the building becoming essentially a stone skeleton of pillars, props, and ribs upon which rest shells of vaulting, with the enclosing walls made thin or sometimes almost wholly replaced by large windows of colored glass stiffened with metalwork and stone tracery, and with pointed arches and vaulting replacing the round of the Romanesque (2) : of or relating to an architectural style or an example of such style patterned upon or reflecting the strong influence of the medieval Gothic especially in outward form <a Gothic Presbyterian church> < Gothic buildings on an American campus> <the eye singles out the Gothic Woolworth Tower — Ford Times > b : of or relating to an art style flourishing especially in northern Europe from the 12th through the 19th centuries and distinguished by an austere verticality and a tendency toward naturalism c (1) : of or relating to a late 18th and early 19th century style of fiction characterized by the use of medieval settings, a murky atmosphere of horror and gloom, and macabre, mysterious, and violent incidents (2) : of or relating to a literary style or an example of such style characterized by grotesque, macabre, or fantastic incidents or by an atmosphere of irrational violence, desolation, and decay <the foremost current ... practitioner of the gruesomely Gothic weird tale — Fantasy & Science Fiction > <compounded of fantasy surrealism, allegory, and Gothic sensationalism — William Peden> (3) : romantic in style or content as opposed to classical 3 a of handwriting : characterized by angularity and lateral compression — used specifically of a minuscule type of handwriting which developed in the 12th century in France from the Caroline minuscule and which in turn was the prototype of the modern black letter b : of or relating to this type of handwriting <the characteristic Gothic features> 4 gothic : fantastic , unreal , extravagant , baroque <a world of spooks and goblins ... a gothic world — Herbert Read> <allowing them lunch hours of gothic proportions — New Yorker >

shim

1 dialectal, England : a white streak on a horse's face 2 dialectal, England : a fleeting glimpse

hype

1 slang : hypodermic 2 slang : a narcotics addict

android

: a mobile robot usually with a human form

curio

: something arousing interest as being novel, rare, or bizarre : curiosity <the priceless paintings, the tapestries, and the curios that adorn the rooms — A. B. Osborne> <as an unwed woman traveling alone, she was distrusted as a curio — Galbraith Welch>

flora and fauna

Flora is plant life; fauna refers to animals. Flora and Fauna collectively is all plant and animal life. The handiest way to remember is that "flora" sounds like flowers, which are part of the plant world, and fauna sounds like "fawn," and fawns are part of the animal kingdom

feint

archaic : feigned

bode

archaic : messenger , herald

sparse

obsolete : scatter , disperse , distribute

dis

variant spelling of dix

shalom

— used as a Jewish greeting and farewell

prototype

1 a (1) : an original on which a thing is modeled : pattern <romantically identifying the new republic with the ancient prototype — American Guide Series: New York > (2) : one of the ideas or patterns in the divine mind after the likeness of which created things are made — compare archetype , idea 1a b : an individual that exhibits the essential features of a later individual or species : precursor <metal-wheeled chariots, the prototype of the tanks of modern warfare — R. W. Murray> c : an individual quality or complex that exemplifies or serves as a standard of the essential features of a group or type : exemplar <the gangster prototype the movies have shown the world — Polly Adler> <mathematics is the prototype of logical thinking> < prototype kilogram> d (1) also prototype airplane : the first full-scale piloted flying model of a new type of airplane (2) : the first full-scale model of a new type or design of furniture, machinery, or vehicle < prototype chair> < prototype of a new tractor engine> < prototype of a new medium tank> 2 a : an ancestral form b : primary type 3 : an individual that exemplifies an earlier prototype <the modern prototype of Catherine the Great — Thomas Wolfe>

vindictive

1 a (1) : having a bitterly vengeful character : disposed to seek revenge <a vindictive man will look for occasions of resentment — James Martineau> (2) : intended for or involving revenge <punishments ... essentially vindictive in their nature — M. R. Cohen> b : characterized by an intent to cause unpleasantness, damage, or pain : nasty , vicious , spiteful <letters ... with rather vindictive comments upon the people — Martha T. Stephenson> <a priggish and even vindictive poem — Cyril Connolly> 2 : intended for or involving retribution : punitive <a vindictive purpose,—a purpose to punish you for your suspicion — William Cowper>

malice

1 a (1) : intention or desire to harm another usually seriously through doing something unlawful or otherwise unjustified : willfulness in the commission of a wrong : evil intention <ruined her reputation and did it with malice > <rejoiced out of pure malice in seeing others suffer> — compare implied malice , malice aforethought , malice in fact (2) : conscious and deliberate transgression especially of a moral code viewed as established by God accompanied by an evil intention <theologians hold that the gravity of an offense against divine law depends on the degree of malice involved> (3) : revengeful or unfriendly feelings : ill will , enmity <in spite of all he has had to put up with from them, he bears them no malice > b : sportive intention or desire to discomfit others (as by teasing or joking) : playful mischievousness <with smiling malice asked her where she had been> 2 obsolete a : badness ; especially : wickedness b : harmfulness

exuberant

1 a (1) : joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic : extremely or excessively high-spirited and uninhibited <there were plays which he wrote with an exuberant gaiety — Van Wyck Brooks> <her exuberant capacity for pleasure — Paul Roche> : full of life : vivacious <his warm exuberant personality — Douglas Cleverdon> (2) : diffuse and undisciplined < exuberant remarks> : effusively inflated : excessively ornate or otherwise overdone : turgid , profuse , flamboyant <a reporter who overwrote his story with exuberant images and exaggerated figures — F. L. Mott> <heaping exuberant praise on them> b : extreme or excessive in degree, size, or extent : surpassing fixed, usual, or expected limits <a person of exuberant talent> <the nation enjoyed exuberant prosperity> <mountains of exuberant bulk> < exuberant zeal> c : lavish , extravagant , prodigal <that exuberant vista of gilding and crimson velvet — Max Beerbohm> 2 a (1) : extremely luxuriant : produced in extreme or excessive abundance : plentiful < exuberant foliage and vegetation> < exuberant crops> <an exuberant growth of hair> (2) medicine : characterized by excessive proliferation < exuberant warts> b : extremely fertile or creative : richly productive : fecund , fruitful , prolific <gifted with an exuberant imagination>

rigor

1 a (1) : often harsh inflexibility in opinion, temper, or judgment : severity , sternness <the moral rigor ... which prohibits ... such innocent pleasures as ... dancing at the crossroads — H. M. Reynolds> (2) : the quality of being unyielding or inflexible : exactingness without allowance, deviation, or indulgence : strictness <juries are the device by which the rigor of the law is modified — C. E. Wyzanski> (3) : strictness or severity of life : austerity b : an act or instance of strictness, severity, harshness, oppression, or cruelty <the humanist must recognize the normality, the practical necessity of the very rigors he is trying to soften — H. J. Muller> 2 : a chill or chilliness, with contraction of muscle and convulsive shuddering or tremor (as in the chill preceding a fever) 3 : a condition that makes life difficult, challenging, or uncomfortable; especially : extremity of cold <the rigors of a northern winter> <did not intend to let the rigors of a strange land frighten her away — Green Peyton> 4 : strict precision : exactness <built upon systems of postulates by means of theorems developed with logical rigor — Joshua Whatmough> 5 a obsolete : the quality or state of being rigid : rigidity , stiffness b : a state of rigidity in organs, tissues, or cells during which they are incapable of responding to stimuli and which is induced by factors arising in the organism (as accumulation of toxic substances) or impinging on the organism from without (as excessive but not immediately lethal temperature) — see rigor mortis

crescent

1 a (1) : the aspect presented by the moon at any stage between new moon and first quarter and between last quarter and the succeeding new moon (2) : any of the similar aspects of Venus and Mercury when less than half of the illuminated hemisphere is visible b : the shape or figure defined by a convex and a concave edge 2 a : a representation of the crescent moon used as an ornament, emblem, or badge b : a heraldic charge that consists of the figure of the crescent moon with the horns directed upward and is often used as a cadency mark to distinguish a second son and his descendants 3 : an object shaped like a crescent: such as a : roll , bun , cookie b : a raised cordonnet used in needlepoint laces for separating or outlining a portion of the design c : an anatomical structure or section d : the concave in the edge of a roller in a lever escapement to allow passage of the guard pin — called also passing hollow e : pavillon chinois 4 a : an area shaped like a crescent <the industrial crescent along the Gulf coast> b : a semicircular row of houses or the street serving such a row <the bedlam of roads, crescents , drives ... that form the suburbs of Dublin — Irish Digest > 5 : the gametocyte of the falciparum malaria parasite that is shaped like a crescent and constitutes a distinguishing character of malignant tertian malaria

erosion

1 a (1) : the superficial destruction of a surface area of tissue (such as mucous membrane) by inflammation, ulceration, or trauma < erosion of the uterine cervix> <gizzard erosion in chicks> (2) : progressive loss of the hard substance of a tooth b : corrosion 1a 2 a : the general process whereby materials of the earth's crust are worn away and removed by natural agencies including weathering, solution, corrasion, and transportation; specifically : land destruction and simultaneous removal of particles (as of soil) by running water, waves and currents, moving ice, or wind <stream erosion > <glacial erosion > — compare denudation b : surface destruction of a metal or refractory material effected by the abrasive or the corrosive and abrasive action of a moving liquid or gas and often accelerated by solid particles in suspension <range errors due to gun erosion > <severe erosion of the furnace lining caused by the scouring motion of molten slag> c : even disintegration of a paint surface caused by chalking and washing away 3 : an instance or product of erosion <a circular erosion on the skin half an inch in diameter> <a canyon with red tower-shaped erosions > 4 : progressive impairment or destruction as if by eating or wearing away (as of resources, strength, or effectiveness) : depletion , deterioration < erosion of real earnings by inflation> <the great ideals of liberty and equality are preserved against ... the erosion of small encroachments — B. N. Cardozo> — ero·sion·al·ly \i- ˈ rōzh-nəl-ē, - ˈ rō-zhə-n ə l-ē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb <He explained that once the slopes are recontoured to be erosionally stable ... " then it is really just a matter of getting the trees planted " for them to do well. — Adam Rankin, Albuquerque Journal , 31 Oct. 2003>

deposition

1 : the act of deposing or the process of being deposed (as a sovereign from a throne) : deprivation of authority <the forceful deposition of the vice-regent> specifically : the depriving of a clergyperson of an ecclesiastical office or the suspension of a clergyperson from the ministry 2 a : an alleging or a giving of testimony : a testifying especially before a court b : an opinion asserted : a statement made : something alleged : declaration , testimony , allegation ; specifically : testimony taken down in writing under oath or affirmation in reply to interrogatories before a competent officer to replace the viva voce testimony of the witness or to supply necessary information for pretrial procedure — compare affidavit 3 [Latin deposit us + English -ion ] : deposition from the cross 4 : the act or process of depositing or the state of being deposited : such as a obsolete : a putting down or laying aside (as of a burden) b : a giving over or committing for safekeeping < deposition of the valuables into the hands of police> c : a placing or a laying or throwing down often by a natural process <glaciers caused denudation ... more widely than deposition — Samuel Van Valkenberg & Ellsworth Huntington> <pneumoconiosis involves the deposition of foreign particles in the substance of the lungs> d : precipitation <the ... deposition of metals on cotton from salt solutions — R. S. Horsfall & L. G. Lawrie> <sedimentary rocks ... formed by the deposition of solids from the waters — S. F. Mason> 5 : burial : interment (as of a saint's body) in a new place; also : a festival commemorating a burial 6 [ 1 deposit + -ion ] : something deposited : deposit , sediment <excavation revealed more than one type of deposition in the dry river bed>

divestiture

1 : the act of divesting or state of being divested 2 : the compulsory transfer of title or disposal of interests (as stock in a corporation) upon government order

proxy

1 : the act or practice of a person serving (as in voting or marrying) as an authorized agent or substitute for another : the agency, function, or office of a deputy or procurator — used chiefly in the phrase by proxy <vote by proxy > <appear by proxy > <marriage by proxy > 2 a : authority or power to act for another b : a document giving such authorization; specifically : a power of attorney given and signed by a stockholder authorizing a specified person or persons to vote corporate stock <send proxies for the directors' meeting> 3 a : a person authorized to act for another : procurator b : something serving to replace another thing or substance : substitute <books ... were not proxies for experience — Frederick Mayer> 4 : procuration 3 5 New England a : ballot b proxies plural : election

huggermugger

1 : the act or practice of concealment : secrecy <had always had the impression that sex was sin ... here it was treated without any hugger-mugger or snickering — A. W. Long> 2 : a disorderly jumble : confusion , mumbo jumbo <engage in the hugger-mugger of international politics and moneymaking — H. R. Isaacs> <apart from the effect of all this unwholesome hugger-mugger on their minds, there was the greater tragedy that they were being shortchanged educationally — Victor Boesen>

imposture

1 : the act or practice of imposing on or deceiving someone by means of an assumed character or name : the act or conduct of an impostor <careful not to detect cases of malingering ... and thus placed a premium on imposture — G. E. Fussell> 2 : an instance of imposture <admitted under oath that the whole defense of insanity was an imposture and a sham — B. N. Cardozo>

ramification

1 : the act or process of branching; specifically : the mode of arrangement of branches 2 a : a branch or offshoot from a main stock or channel <the ramification of an artery> b : the resulting branched structure <make visible the whole ramification of the dendrite> 3 : something that springs from another in the manner of a branch : outgrowth , subdivision : an extension of a basically simple idea, plan, or problem : a resulting development : consequence <a university whose daily life abounds with events of far-reaching ramifications — T. D. Durrance> <his banking house had ramifications throughout Europe — R. A. Hall, born 1911> <his mind brooded on the ramifications of clans and tartans — W. B. Yeats>

emancipation

1 : the act or process of setting or making free : liberation <the emancipation of slaves> broadly : deliverance from any onerous and controlling power or influence < emancipation of the mind from superstition> 2 : the act or procedure of legally freeing from the paternal power 3 : gradual segregation of an originally homogeneous embryo into fields with different specific potentialities for development

supplication

1 : the act or process of supplicating : humble and earnest entreaty <pained by such tender, such flattering supplication — Jane Austen> 2 a (1) archaic : a formal written petition (2) : supplicat b : a humble and earnest petition : entreaty , solicitation <the last supplication ... I make of you is, that you will believe this of me — Charles Dickens> c : a humble prayer to a deity for mercy, aid, or special blessing <kneeling together on a spit of sand, with their arms raised in supplication — R. L. Stevenson> 3 obsolete : a public religious observance of thanksgiving or religious humiliation in ancient Rome : a day set apart for such an observance

barrage

1 : the act or the result of barring ; specifically : an artificial dam placed in a river or watercourse to increase the depth of water or to divert it into a channel for navigation or irrigation 2 : the application of the forefinger of the left hand across some or all of the strings (as of a guitar) to change their pitch 3 : a space between two masses of mycelium caused by lack of compatibility between them

diminution

1 : the act, process, or an instance of diminishing : decrease <experienced no diminution of his physical powers> 2 archaic : a lowering in estimation : degradation , depreciation 3 : the reduction to smaller note values of the repetition of, imitation of, or answer to a musical subject or phrase — opposed to augmentation 4 a : the defacing of part of a heraldic shield b : difference 5 5 : omission or incompleteness in a record sent up by a lower court in proceedings for review 6 : the tapering or diminishing of a column or some other part of a building; also : the amount of such diminishing

misapprehension

1 : the action of misapprehending <changed certain equivocal passages to prevent further misapprehension of his views — S. P. Chase & J. K. Snyder> 2 : the state of being misapprehended <an attempt to eliminate some of the common misapprehensions and confusions which have traditionally haunted aesthetic thought — Hunter Mead>

convection

1 : the action or process of conveying or transmitting 2 : a mechanically or thermally produced upward or downward movement of a limited part of the atmosphere that is essential to the formation of many clouds (as cumulus clouds) and is used in certain heating systems 3 a : the circulatory motion that occurs in a fluid at a nonuniform temperature owing to the variation of its density and the action of gravity b : the transfer of heat by this automatic circulation of a fluid —compare conduction 5a c : the transfer of electricity in the form of a surface charge on a moving body (as an electrostatic-generator belt)

rhetoric

1 : the art of expressive speech or discourse; specifically a : the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by ancient critics (such as Aristotle and Quintilian) and interpreted by classical scholars for application to discourse in the vernacular b : the art or practice of writing or speaking as means of communication or persuasion often with special concern for literary effect <freshman composition is a course in rhetoric — H. C. Bowersox> <the cultivation of grammar and rhetoric — John Dewey> 2 a : skill in the effective use of speech : eloquence b (1) : artificial elegance of language : discourse without conviction or earnest feeling (2) : inflated language : verbosity , bombast <that passage, sir, is not empty rhetoric — Virginia Woolf> <the enemy of rhetoric and every kind of artifice and virtuosity — Philip Rahv> <the mocking rhetoric upon a tombstone — J. C. Powys> c : style of language <large, and sometimes loose, exalted simplicities of his rhetoric — Times Literary Supplement > 3 a : verbal communication : discourse , speech <the temptation to establish peace by rhetoric — W. W. Van Kirk> <a rhetoric of fantastic slang — Edmund Wilson> b : the verbal content of a composition (such as a poem) or a body of literature <the deep hold that the symbols of free speech and other civil liberties have in American rhetoric — Max Lerner> c : the verbal elements employed in or characteristic of discourse relating to a particular subject or area <made effective use of the rhetoric of liberalism — Sidney Hook> 4 : persuasive or moving power <mastery of expressive musical rhetoric — Carl Parrish & J. F. Ohl> <sweet, silent rhetoric of persuading eyes — Samuel Daniel> 5 : a treatise on rhetoric; especially : a textbook on literary composition <the authors of freshman rhetorics — C. W. Shumaker>

divination

1 : the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by means of augury or by making use of a psychical condition of the diviner in which supernatural powers are assumed to cooperate (as in the case of a spiritualistic medium or a crystal gazer); also : an instance of this practice 2 : unusual insight or intuitive perception <the brilliant divinations of the ancient Greeks in the field of atomic theory>

pecking order

1 : the basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird is permitted to peck another lower in the scale without fear of retaliation and is expected to submit to pecking by one of higher rank and in which separate peck orders usually exist for each sex with all the males normally dominating all the females — compare hook order 2 : a hierarchy of social dominance, prestige, or authority <got to the top of the pecking order in their own town — Margaret Mead> <the peck order in women's clubs, faculty groups, families, or churches — W. C. Allee>

wadi

1 : the bed or valley of a stream in arid regions of southwestern Asia and northern Africa that is usually dry except during the rainy season and that often forms an oasis : gully , ravine , wash 2 : a shallow usually sharply defined depression in a desert region of poorly developed drainage in southwestern Asia and northern Africa

populace

1 : the common people : the rank and file without wealth or position < " the quality " ... had to rub shoulders with the general populace — W. S. Clark> 2 : the total number of people or inhabitants <the populace insists that this is the most beautiful town — Phil Stong>

environs

1 : the enclosing limits or boundaries : compass <some 2483 concerns ... were located within the environs of the various cities — N. R. Heiden> <subsequent administrative developments have further enlarged the environs of these towns — A. D. Rees> 2 a : the suburbs or districts round about a city or other populated place <an adequate system of parks ... for the national capital and its environs — Current Biography > b : any adjoining or surrounding region or space : vicinity , neighborhood <strange biblical duds being worn by the natives in the environs of the pyramids — Erskine Johnson> c : environing things : surroundings <foliage ... serves to give a relief to the tree, to make it stand out from among its environs — Richard Semon>

epilogue

1 : the final part that serves typically to round out or complete the design of a nondramatic literary work : conclusion <only in prefaces, epilogues and topical interjections ... did they achieve ease and force — Boris Ford> — called also afterword — compare foreword , preface 2 a (1) : a speech often in verse addressed to the audience by one or more of the actors at the end of a play <a good play needs no epilogue yet ... good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues — Shakespeare> — compare prologue (2) : the actor speaking such an epilogue <it is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue but it is no more unhandsome than to see the lord the prologue — Shakespeare> b : the final scene of a play whose main action is set within a framework <the epilogue reassembles the characters of the prologue, their experience enriched by the insight that the main body of the plot has given them — F. H. O'Hara & Margueritte Bro> 3 : something felt to resemble an epilogue: such as a : an incident or series of events that completes, rounds out, or gives point to a previous incident or series of events <the story can be regarded either as an epilogue to the history of Roman Britain or as a prologue to the history of Saxon England — F. M. Stenton> b : the concluding section of a musical composition : coda

acme

1 : the highest point or stage (as of growth or development) <reached the acme of its power> : the utmost degree : height , peak , summit <the acme of perfection> 2 archaic : the period of maturity or full growth 3 : a hypothetical period of maximum evolutionary activity intermediate in the phylogenetic history of a stock between an initial emergent phase and a terminal aging phase

alchemy

1 : the medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy whose aims were the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for diseases, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life 2 : a great or magic power of transmutation <no ... dishonest candidate could, by an alchemy of election, be converted into an honest president — A. E. Stevenson †1965> 3 a archaic : a golden-colored alloy b obsolete : a golden-colored trumpet <put to their mouths the sounding alchemy — John Milton>

contingency

1 : the quality or state of being contingent : such as a (1) : the condition that something may or may not occur : the condition of being subject to chance (2) : the happening of anything by chance : fortuitousness b (1) : close connection or relationship especially of a causal nature (2) obsolete : contact , contingence 2 [ contingence + -y ] a : something that is contingent : an event or condition occurring by chance and without intent, viewed as possible or eventually probable, or depending on uncertain occurrences or coincidences <the remarkable position of the queen rendering her death a most important contingency — Henry Hallam> b : a possible future event or condition or an unforeseen occurrence that may necessitate special measures <a reserve fund for contingencies > c : something liable to happen as a chance feature or accompaniment of something else < contingencies of marriage>

redundancy

1 : the quality or state of being redundant : superfluity <dread of economic redundancy that drove terrified mill hands to wreck Arkwright's spinning jenny — Times Literary Supplement > 2 a : a lavish or excessive supply : profusion , overabundance <a redundancy of jewelry and a scarcity of clothing — Alan Moorehead> <a magnificent redundancy of beard — Elinor Wylie> b : a nonessential appendage c : surplusage in a legal pleading 3 a : superfluous repetition or verbosity : prolixity , tautology <the ... florid redundancy of Italian prose — Havelock Ellis> b : an act or instance of needless repetition < redundancies result ... when the writer fails to perceive the scope of a word — Bruce Westly> 4 : the part of a communication that can be eliminated without loss of essential information; specifically : the number arrived at by subtracting from one the ratio of the actual information content of a communication to the maximum information content and expressed as a percentage 5 chiefly British : dismissal from a job especially by layoff 6 : duplication of components (as of a computer system) that allows continued functionality despite the failure of an individual component

ebb

1 : the reflux or flowing back of the tide : return of the tidal wave toward the sea <the boats will go out on the ebb > — opposed to flood 2 : a point or condition of gradual decline from a higher to a lower level (as of activity) or from a better to a worse state — often used in the phrase at the ebb <faith in the possibilities of mankind ... is at the ebb — B. R. Redman> or at a low ebb <Federalism in New York was at a low ebb — L. B. Mason>

patronage

1 : the right of presentation to an ecclesiastical benefice originally carrying with it the obligation to protect the rights of the church within the parish : advowson 2 a : the support or influence of a patron ; especially : a benefactor's provision (as for an artist or institution) <the patronage of science by and through universities is its most proper form — J. R. Oppenheimer> b archaic : defense , protection c obsolete : advocacy 3 : the tutelary care or guardianship of a deity or saint 4 : kindness done with an air of superiority : condescending favor <accept patronage ? ... Never — Marguerite Steen> 5 : the trade of customers <though it was not yet noon, there was a considerable patronage — C. B. Kelland> 6 : the right to appoint to government jobs : control of political appointments <oust his enemies from office and use the patronage to support his policies — H. K. Beale>

primogeniture

1 : the state of being the firstborn of the children of the same parents 2 : an exclusive right of inheritance; specifically : a right belonging under English law to the eldest son or failing lineal descendants the eldest male in the next degree of consanguinity to take all the real estate of which an ancestor died seized and intestate to the exclusion of all female and younger male descendants of equal degree

brood

1 : the young of animals: such as a : the young of birds hatched or cared for at one time <as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings — Luke 13:34 (Authorized Version)> b : the young from the same dam or the offspring of the same mother especially if nearly of the same age : progeny c : the eggs and young of various bees d : progeny produced at a hatch or as a result of a single breeding period <some insects produce a dozen broods a year> <the first brood of black flies always seems to bite hardest> 2 archaic : a brooding or hatching group 3 : a group likened to a brood of young especially in respect to similarity of form or nature <a brood of meteors> , community of origin <the entire brood of chronicle plays — T. S. Eliot> , or shared relation to some other item <the ship that some day will mother her own brood of modern planes — New York Times > <a brood of crystal cups about the bowl> 4 : a brood bitch — compare stud

cleave

1 : to adhere firmly and closely as though evenly and securely glued <the rain continued ... their uniforms cleaved uncomfortably to their bodies — Norman Mailer> <the homespun shirt ... was sodden and clove coldly to her shivering body — Florette Henri> 2 : to adhere firmly, loyally, or unwaveringly <the creed ... embodied doctrines to which the believer must cleave — Frank Thilly> <insisted that his students cleave to the facts> <a man ... shall cleave unto his wife — Genesis 2:24 (Authorized Version)>

stultify

1 : to allege or prove (oneself or another) to be of unsound mind so that the performance of some act may be avoided 2 a : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical <the dullards become more stultified than ever — C. H. Grandgent> <incidents will have occurred tending to stultify conclusions — James Stevenson-Hamilton> <how like the man to stultify himself, to prove all his own theories wrong — Clemence Dane> <the court did not stultify itself by claiming that its ruling fulfilled any logical, legal progression toward racial equality — C. S. Dowdey> b : to impair, invalidate, or reduce to futility or uselessness especially through debasing or repressive influences : frustrate , nullify <the psychiatrist stultifies his role if he allows such misunderstandings to develop — C. P. Printzlien> <demand for fresh leadership ... is running smack into the stultifying seniority system — T. R. Ybarra> <the slavish traditionalism that stultifies most contemporary ecclesiastical art — Time > <centralization ... stultifies their local initiative — Hugh McDiarmid> < stultified by the oppressive atmosphere of her earlier life — Martin Levin>

languish

1 : to become languid : lose strength or animation : be or become dull, feeble, or spiritless : lose force or vividness <conversation languished > fade <plants languish in the drought> 2 : to be or live in a state of lessened or lessening strength or vitality : droop < languishing spirits> : pine with longing < languish for years in prison> : suffer neglect <contract ... has languished in committee ever since — Newsweek > 3 : to assume an expression of weariness or tender grief or emotion appealing for sympathy < languished at him through screwed-up eyes — Edith Wharton>

subjugate

1 : to bring under the yoke of power or dominion : conquer by force and compel to submit as a subject to the government of another <colonial powers subjugating native peoples> 2 a : to force to submit to control and governance : make submissive or subject < subjugate a wild horse> master < subjugated his unruly nephew> b : to bring or hold under strict control or into a subordinate position <had to subjugate his own feeling>

maim

1 : to commit the felony of mayhem upon 2 : to wound seriously : mutilate , disable , disfigure <he was a puritan, maimed by the narrow orthodoxy of his childhood — Douglas Stewart>

wane

1 : to decrease in size or extent : dwindle : such as a : to diminish in phase or intensity — used of the moon and other satellites and inferior planets — opposed to wax b : to become less in brilliance or power : grow dim — used of light or color c : to flow out : ebb — used of water or the tide 2 : to fall especially gradually from power, prosperity, or influence : decay , decline <a waning political party>

decry

1 : to depreciate officially or publicly : reduce the value of especially by public condemnation <the king may at any time decry ... any coin of the kingdom — William Blackstone> 2 : to express strong disapproval of : criticize severely : denounce , disparage <citizens of the more advanced democracies ... decry dictators and all their works — C. L. Jones> <in making his case for pure research ... he was not decrying applied research — Ritchie Calder>

repudiate

1 : to divorce or separate formally from (a woman to whom one is betrothed or married) 2 : to cast off : refuse to have anything to do with : disown , renounce 3 a : to refuse to accept as having rightful authority or obligation : reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force < repudiate a contract> < repudiate a will> b : to refuse approval or belief to : reject as untrue or unjust < repudiate a charge> 4 : to refuse to acknowledge or to pay < repudiate a debt>

empower

1 : to give official authority to : delegate legal power to : commission , authorize < empowered the Supreme Court and the district courts of the U.S. to issue writs of habeas corpus in circumstances involving the exercise of jurisdiction by Federal authorities — C. B. Swisher> <these courts of appeal are also empowered to review and enforce orders of federal administrative bodies — W. S. Sayre> <the department was empowered by the legislature to begin courses in medicine — American Guide Series: Minnesota > 2 : to give faculties or abilities to : enable <the emotion which empowers artists to create significant form — Clive Bell> < empowered by long training, the young priest blotted himself out of his own consciousness and meditated upon the anguish of his Lord — Willa Cather> 3 : to promote the self-actualization or influence of <women's movement has been inspiring and empowering women — Ron Hansen> — em·pow·er·ment \"mənt\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -s

mitigate

1 : to make (something) less severe, violent, cruel, intense, or painful : soften , alleviate <medicines used to mitigate a patient's suffering> <used opium to mitigate the horrors to which condemned criminals were subjected — Science > <disasters can be, if not prevented, at least mitigated — K. S. Davis> temper <in the summer the altitude tempers the heat, and in the winter the latitude mitigates the cold — C. W. DeKiewiet> lessen <a sentence of 20 days solitary confinement may be mitigated to 10 days — Naval Orientation > <tends to increase rather than to mitigate these differences in students — General Education in a Free Society > 2 : to cause (someone) to become more gentle or less hostile : mollify — mit·i·gat·ing adjective < mitigating circumstances/factors> — mit·i·ga·tor \- ˌ gātə(r)\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural mit·i·ga·tors

bemuse

1 : to make confused or muddled <he drinketh strong waters which do bemuse a man — W. S. Gilbert> bewilder <the extraordinary dialect used in this case ... would have bemused the acutest jury — Malcolm Muggeridge> 2 : to cause to dream or muse : induce a state of reverie in <there is another theory that bemuses the pilots in the islands — Corey Ford> 3 : to occupy the attention of (someone) : distract , absorb <These two well-informed and intelligent books argue that while newspapers and television bemuse us with police chases and courtroom dramas, the real conditions that make our society unlivable are surging to explosive force beneath our very feet. — Richard Gid Powers, New York Times Book Review , 6 May 1990> 4 : to cause (someone) to have feelings of wry amusement especially from something that is surprising or perplexing <He was young, sandy-haired, and seemed bemused by the whole scene being acted out before him. — Ian Rankin, Set in Darkness , 2000> <While he found himself bemused by the antics of his beer-swilling American schoolmates, Javier really didn't have time to waste. ... Academics took up so much of his time ... . — Barrett Seaman, Binge , 2005>

transfix

1 : to pierce through with or as if with a pointed weapon or instrument : transpierce , impale <he transfixes the pig with his spear> <the knight must ... transfix with his lance small rings suspended — American Guide Series: Maryland > <uses the hypodermic to puncture but not to transfix the vein> <he transfixed her with a piercing glance> 2 : to affix, fasten, or hold motionless by or as if by piercing especially with an absorbing emotion or interest — often used with to or into <plunged their stout spears into his belly and transfixed him to the earth — A. A. Grace> <was transfixed to the spot with eyes that pierced — Zane Grey> <had seen the pain transfix his friend's face and ... it was white — Owen Wister> <an idea occurred to him and transfixed him into a statue — Alvin Johnson> <poetry ... transfixes its subject in a form which has a life of its own forever — R. P. Blackmur>

disavow

1 : to refuse to own or acknowledge : deny responsibility for, approbation of, or validity of : disclaim , repudiate , disown < disavowed the actions of his subordinates> < disavowed any desire for independence> 2 obsolete : refuse , decline — disavowable adjective <Throughout this book there are fascinating glimpses of what it was like to be part of a unit perpetrating what the Defense Department could always call " disavowable actions. " — Kirkus Reviews , 15 Apr. 1994>

repatriate

1 : to restore or return to one's country of origin, allegiance, or citizenship < repatriated prisoners of war as quickly as they could be processed> 2 : to restore to the country of origin <has at the moment no dollars to remit any profits or repatriate any capital — Time >

decimate

1 : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of < decimate a regiment> 2 a : to take a tenth from : tax to the amount of one-tenth b (1) : to take a tenth part of (ore) by means of a sampling device (2) : to take every tenth one of < decimate carloads> 3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated the population> b : to cause great destruction or harm to <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession> 4 : to rearrange (an alphabet or text) into another sequence by taking every n th item until all are taken (as, if n is 3 ABCDEFG becomes ADGCFBE if the counting applies to the complete original sequence but ADGECFB if the letters previously taken out are skipped in counting)

excruciating

1 : torturing , racking , agonizing 2 : so intense as to cause great pain or anguish <the excruciating spasms of angina> <an excruciating fear> often : very intense : extreme < excruciating pain> <the characters are paired off with an excruciating regard for balance — Douglas Watt> < excruciating delight> — ex·cru·ci·at·ing·ly adverb

awry

1 : turned or twisted toward one side : obliquely , oblique : not straight : askew <a dissipated-looking youth with a gorgeous red necktie all awry — G. K. Chesterton> 2 : out of the right, expected, or hoped-for course : wide of the mark : wrong , amiss <after three years of schooling in New York something went awry in his education — S. H. Adams>

solicitude

1 : uneasiness of mind due to fear (as of evil, future developments, material want) : anxiety , disquietude <having few wants he had little cause for solicitude > <even the more peaceful hours ... had beneath them a perpetual undercurrent of apprehensive solicitude — Havelock Ellis> 2 a : urgently attentive and sometimes excessive care and protectiveness <caring for the sick child with great solicitude > b : an attitude of solicitous concern or attention <inquired after her welfare with marked solicitude > 3 : a cause for or source of solicitude — usually used in plural <worn by the solicitudes of daily life>

agape

1 : wide open : gaping <his mouth was agape in yokel fashion — Stephen Crane> 2 : being in an attitude or state of wonder, expectation, or eager attention <leaving him alone and agape upon his feet — Dorothy Sayers>

abominable

1 : worthy of or causing loathing or hatred : revoltingly unnatural : detestable , loathsome 2 : quite disagreeable or unpleasant < abominable weather> — abom·i·na·bly \ə- ˈ bäm-nə-blē, - ˈ bä-mə-nə-\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

epiphany

1 Epiphany : January 6 observed as a church festival in the Western Church in commemoration of the coming of the Magi or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ — called also Twelfth Day 2 a : an appearance or revelatory manifestation of a divine being or a god <the epiphany of Jesus at the Transfiguration> <the prophetess of the ancient Greeks prophesied on the day of the god's epiphany > b : an incarnation of God or a god in earthly form <the epiphany of God in Christ> <Greek goddesses that had rabbit and pig epiphanies > 3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something <its soul, its whatness leaps to us from the vestment of its appearance ... the object achieves its epiphany — James Joyce> (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as a commonplace event) usually simple and striking <Stephen's brothers and sisters, formerly seen as separate entities ... became the essence of childhood; in the performance of his labor, Joyce progressed from things to epiphanies of things — J. W. Aldridge> (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure b : a literary representation of an epiphany : a symbolically revealing work or part of a work <the epiphany in Oedipus , the final tableau of the blind old man with his incestuous brood ... conveys the moral truth which underlay the action — Francis Fergusson>

nirvana

1 Nirvana a Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism : the state of freedom from karma, extinction of desire, passion, illusion, and the empirical self, and attainment of rest, truth, and unchanging being : salvation — contrasted with samsara b also Nib·ba·na \ni- ˈ bä-nə\ (audio pronunciation) [ nibbana from Pali nibbāna , from Sanskrit nirvāṇa ] Buddhism : the state of enlightenment in which karma is transcended, desire, hatred, delusion, and the empirical self are extinguished, and rest, harmony, and unchanging being are attained c Jainism : the state of omniscient passive peace attained by a soul liberated from matter, the effects of karma, and the course of samsara 2 or Nirvana a : a place or state of rest, harmony, or pleasure : oblivion , paradise <his old roommate of the clipping shack was in an alcoholic nirvana — Herman Wouk> b : a goal hoped for but apparently unattainable : dream <that nirvana of the ... weatherman: a foolproof system of forecasting — Newsweek >

platonic

1 Platonic : of or relating to the philosopher Plato or Platonism; specifically : being in accordance with or in the manner of Plato and his works 2 a or Platonic (1) : constituting or relating to subsistent, transcendent, or eternal ideas (as Platonic forms) < platonic entities> (2) : constituted by such ideas or forms <a platonic heaven> b also Platonic (1) : involving, founded on, or being in harmony with platonic love <a platonic relationship> (2) : experiencing or professing platonic love c also Platonic : of a theoretical, nominal, or academic nature : devoid of substantiality <if the majority has only a platonic belief in it, the law will break down — Walter Lippmann> <purely platonic protestations>

supersede

1 [ transitive ] a : to make obsolete, inferior, or outmoded <the lapse of time has superseded his astronomical system — Benjamin Farrington> b : to take the place of and outmode by superiority : supplant and make inferior by better or more efficiently serving a function <the automobile began to supersede the horse — American Guide Series: Minnesota > <the canal never paid ... because railroads soon superseded it — Samuel Van Valkenburg & Ellsworth Huntington> c : to make void : annul , override <established the principle that the welfare of a child superseded judgments rendered by the courts — Current Biography > d : to make superfluous or unnecessary <this brief account ... is intended to supersede the necessity of a long and minute detail — Jane Austen> 2 [ transitive ] a : to cause to be supplanted in a position or function <in course of time this organization would have to be superseded by another — Shlomo Katz> b : to succeed to the position, office, or function of : take the place of <the department ... superseded the geologic and economic survey — American Guide Series: North Carolina > < supersede another as chairman> 3 [ transitive ] law a : postpone , defer b : to fail to proceed with : discontinue c : to suspend the operation (of a judgment or order) by means of a supersedeas d obsolete : to refrain from : omit , forbear 4 [ transitive ] : to follow after in the course of time <as truth prevails over error ... goodness tends to supersede badness — Samuel Alexander> 5 [ transitive ] : to take precedence over <the movement for adjournment supersedes the bill under discussion> 6 [ intransitive ] : to defer action : forbear < supersede to name the many other difficulties — F. W. Newman> 7 [ transitive ] obsolete : to omit mention of

et al

1 [Latin et alibi ] and elsewhere 2 [Latin et alii (masculine plural), et aliae (feminine plural), or et alia (neuter plural)] and others

catholic

1 [probably from Greek katholikos ] : wide-spread : a obsolete : universally prevalent <a catholic legal system> b obsolete : universally applicable <a catholic remedy> 2 [probably from Greek katholikos ] : general, universal, or inclusive in human affairs: a : affecting people generally : concerning or influencing all or much of humanity b : comprehensive or very broad in sympathies, understanding, appreciation, or interest : not narrow, isolative, provincial, or partisan <a much more catholic appreciation of different styles and points of view than the 18th century allowed — Edmund Wilson> 3 Catholic a : of, relating to, or being the church universal <a truly Catholic , ecumenical church> b : of, relating to, or being the ancient undivided Christian church c : of, relating to, or being a body of Christians belonging to any of various churches claiming historical continuity from the ancient undivided Christian Church 4 Catholic : of, relating to, or constituting one of a number of usually clericalist political parties arising in the late 19th and early 20th centuries principally in continental European countries and characterized by basic principles drawn chiefly from the social and economic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church <European countries with solidly organized Catholic parties are Switzerland, Belgium ... and Austria — C. J. Friedrich> <selection of a Catholic chancellor>

bruit

1 \ ˈ brüt\ (audio pronunciation) archaic a : noise , clamor , din b : report or rumor especially when favorable 2 \ ˈ brü-ē\ (audio pronunciation) [French, from bruit noise, from Middle French] : any of several generally abnormal sounds heard on auscultation <an audible bruit produced by an artery>

Bogey

1 \ ˈ bō-gē, also ˈ b u̇ - or ˈ bü-\ (audio pronunciation) usually capitalized , archaic : devil 1a 2 a \ ˈ bü-gē, ˈ bō-, ˈ bü-\ (audio pronunciation) : goblin b \ ˈ bü-gē, ˈ bō-, ˈ bü-\ (audio pronunciation) : specter , phantom 3 a \ ˈ bō-gē, also ˈ b u̇ - or ˈ bü-\ (audio pronunciation) : an object of dread, fear, or loathing <the bogey of war> b \ ˈ bō-gē, also ˈ b u̇ - or ˈ bü-\ (audio pronunciation) : a source of annoyance, perplexity, or harassment <the necessity of grueling study was a bogey he could not escape> 4 \ ˈ bō-gē\ (audio pronunciation) : an unidentified aircraft; especially : one not positively identified as friendly and so assumed to be hostile <They were at about 10,000 feet when Doug sighted a bogey at 8,000 feet, heading in the opposite direction. — Esther L. Cahoon et al., Naval History , May/June 1999> 5 \ ˈ bō-gē\ (audio pronunciation) golf a chiefly British : the number of strokes for each hole set as normally required by an average player b : one stroke over par on a hole 6 \ ˈ bō-gē\ (audio pronunciation) : a numerical standard of performance set up as a mark to be attained (as in a contest) 7 a \ ˈ bō-gē\ (audio pronunciation) : a quota, budget, or other estimated figure set up by management in preplanning b \ ˈ bō-gē\ (audio pronunciation) : a quota restricting output maintained by informal agreement among employees

quail

1 a (1) : a migratory gallinaceous game bird ( Coturnix coturnix synonym C. communis ) of Europe, Asia, and Africa that is about seven inches long and has the upper parts brown and black marked with buff, the throat black and white, the breast reddish buff, and the belly whitish (2) : any of various other birds of the genus Coturnix chiefly inhabiting eastern Asia, southern Africa, India, or Australia b : any of various small American game birds of the order Galliformes: such as (1) : bobwhite (2) : any of various birds related to the bobwhite — often used in combination <California quail > <mountain quail > <valley quail > — see massena quail c : button quail 2 a obsolete : courtesan b slang : a young woman or girl; specifically : one attending a coeducational institution 3 : hair brown

vagrant

1 a (1) : a person who has no established residence and wanders idly from place to place without lawful or visible means of support (2) : one whose conduct constitutes statutory vagrancy ; especially : one (as an itinerant peddler trading without a license, a common prostitute wandering in the public streets, one begging in a public place, a fortune teller, one exhibiting an obscene picture in a public place, one guilty of indecent exposure, one playing or betting in a public place at or with a gambling table or instrument, and formerly a pimp) whose conduct constitutes vagrancy under British law b : one who leads a wandering life : wanderer <a chronic vagrant from the spirit's home — Edward Sapir> c : an animal wandering outside its normal geographic range <If a mountain lion were verified in Pennsylvania as having found its way naturally from its normal range in the western U.S. or Florida, that big cat would be a vagrant ... — Marcus Schneck, Patriot News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 9 Oct. 2006> especially : a bird found outside its normal geographic range or migration route : accidental <California gulls have turned up as vagrants in other nearby states, including New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania. — Pete Bacinski and Scott Barnes, Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), 15 July 2007> 2 : an insect or other small arthropod that produces no web, nest, gall, or other protective structure but wanders at large where suitable food is to be found

quiddity

1 a (1) : a quibbling subtlety : a trifling point : quibble (2) : an inclination to quibble b : an odd little feature : eccentricity <his own personality, with all its quirks and quiddities — Clifton Fadiman> 2 : the essential nature or ultimate form of something : what makes something to be the type of thing that it is — compare haecceity

plinth

1 a (1) : a square vertically faced member immediately below the circular base of a column in classical architecture —see base illustration (2) : the lowest member of a pedestal b : the lowest member of a base : subbase c : a block upon which the moldings of an architrave or trim are stopped at the bottom 2 a : a square block serving as a base (as for a statue or vase) b : the squared base of something (as a vase or piece of furniture) 3 a or plinth course : a course of stones forming a continuous foundation or base course (as of a rubble wall) b : a baseboard without a molded edge 4 also plint \-nt\ plural -s : a padded couch or low table used for massage or corrective physical exercises

palette

1 a (1) : a thin oval or rectangular board or tablet in which is a thumbhole near one end for being held horizontally when in use and on which a painter lays and mixes pigments (2) : a surface (such as a tabletop or a piece of glass or marble) similarly used b (1) : the set or assortment of colors put on the palette (as for a particular picture) (2) : the set of colors available for display on a computer c (1) : a particular range, quality, or use of color <his palette predominated in muted tones> (2) : a comparable range, quality, or use of available elements especially in another art (such as music) 2 British : a curved wooden implement used in transferring a pantile from the mold to the drying shelf

recognizance

1 a (1) : an obligation of record entered into before a court of record or before a magistrate duly authorized that makes the performance of some act (as appearing in court, keeping the peace, paying a debt) the condition of nonforfeiture and that is witnessed by the record only —compare bond 5a(1) (2) : the sum liable to forfeiture upon such an obligation b : a simple personal obligation or undertaking entered into before a magistrate and having no money penalty attached <on his own recognizance > 2 archaic : recognition 3 archaic : token , pledge

gourmet

: a connoisseur in eating and drinking : epicure — gourmet adjective < gourmet foods/snacks>

indite

transitive verb 1 a : to make up or compose (as a poem or story) < indite four lines of verse> < indite an epistle> b : to give literary or formal expression to c : to put down in writing < indite a message to a friend> 2 obsolete : to dictate or prescribe especially the exact verbal form for (something to be repeated or copied) 3 obsolete : invite intransitive verb : compose , write — in·dit·er \-ītə(r), -ītə-\ noun , plural -s

ravish

transitive verb 1 a : to seize or carry away by violence : snatch by force <this hand shall ravish thy pretended right — John Dryden> b (1) : to remove from one place or state to another (as from earth to heaven); especially : to transport spiritually (2) : to transport with emotion and especially with joy or delight < ravished by Rome's beauty> c (1) obsolete : to carry (a woman) away forcibly or unlawfully : abduct (2) : to commit rape upon (a woman) : violate 2 : plunder , rob , despoil 3 obsolete a : to alter in state, belief, or other quality — used with from or to b : corrupt intransitive verb : to transport one with emotion

syndicate

transitive verb 1 obsolete : censure , judge 2 : to subject to or bring under the control of a syndicate < syndicate a mining enterprise> < syndicate a bond issue> : combine into or manage as a syndicate < syndicate a number of newspapers> 3 a : to sell (as an article or a cartoon) for publication through a syndicate <a syndicated feature in the Sunday supplement> b : to sell (as an article or a cartoon) for publication in many newspapers or periodicals at once <never able to syndicate his column widely — G. S. Perry> 4 : to sell (as a series of television programs) directly to local stations intransitive verb : to unite to form a syndicate — syn·di·ca·tion \ ˌ sin-də- ˈ kā-shən\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -s

inure

transitive verb : accustom : discipline to accept something : habituate < inured to the smell of the stable> <a public ... that is inured to certain ways of seeing and thinking — John Dewey> <being stationed at an arctic base inures a man to cold> intransitive verb : to come into operation : become operative <we are dealing with a relation ... that might virtually inure by usage only — W. E. Gladstone> accrue <the profits inure to the benefit of hospitals for crippled children — D. A. Reed> specifically : to become legally effective <when there is such an identity of interest between the taxpayers that a refund to one will inure to the benefit of the other ... the unsatisfied liability may be recovered — W. T. Plumb>

commiserate

transitive verb : to feel or express sorrow, pain, or compassion for : express pity for : pity < commiserating the state of her poor friend — Jane Austen> intransitive verb : condole , sympathize — used with with <set up an altar in the reception room, commiserated with the war criminals and their visiting relatives — Time >

cat's-paw

1 : a light air that ruffles the surface of the water in irregular patches during a calm 2 [so called from the fable of the monkey that used a cat's paw to draw roasting chestnuts from the fire] : one used by another as a tool : dupe , tool <had no intention of becoming a cat's-paw for either belligerent — F. L. Paxson> 3 : a tool used for removing nails that consists of an iron or steel bar with a claw end curved perpendicularly to the shaft 4 : a hitch in the bight of a rope so made as to form two eyes into which a tackle may be hooked —see knot illustration 5 : cat's-foot

birdie

1 : a little bird — often used as a pet name 2 : a golf score of one stroke less than par on a hole 3 : any of various sounds suggesting the chirp or trill of a bird 4 : shuttlecock 1a <In Asia, badminton is an obsession ... . In one preliminary match in Malaysia, 21,000 people came out to watch the speeding birdie . — Jennifer Boeth, Newsweek , 3 Aug. 1992> <Our arms would ache from days of ... batting the badminton birdie at our lanky boy cousins. — Ann Dowsett Johnston, Maclean ' s , 20 Aug. 2001>

plumb

1 : a little mass or weight of lead or other heavy material (as brass) attached to a line and used to indicate a vertical direction : plummet , plumb bob 2 a : a lead or other weight: such as (1) : a mariner's sounding lead (2) : a fishline sinker (3) : a sinker used to sound a stream or lake (4) : a clock weight b : a missile of lead — out of plumb or off plumb adverb : out of the vertical : out of true

mufti

1 : a professional jurist who interprets Islamic religious law 2 : the chief mufti of a district — called also grand mufti

revisionist

1 : an advocate of revision (as of a court decision or an accepted attitude or point of view) 2 : reviser 3 : an advocate of revisionism

myrtle

1 : any of various plants of the family Myrtaceae; especially : a European shrub ( Myrtus communis ) having ovate or lanceolate evergreen leaves and solitary axillary white or rosy flowers followed by black berries 2 a : periwinkle 1a b : california laurel c : moneywort 3 or myrtle green a : a variable color averaging a moderate green that is yellower and deeper than sea green ( see sea green 1a ) or laurel green ( see laurel green 1 ) b : a dark grayish green to dark bluish green — called also Baltic

quasi

1 : as if : as it were : in a manner : in some sense or degree : seemingly , almost <the legatee was quasi an heir — O. W. Holmes †1935> — usually joined to second element with a hyphen <a quasi -historical narrative> < quasi -universal literacy> <the quasi -diamond-shaped mouthpiece — William Yeomans> <served quasi -officially> 2 \ ¦ kwä-zē\ (audio pronunciation) [Italian, from Latin] : in effect <andante allegro> approximately < largo> — used to qualify a musical direction

mnemonic

1 : assisting or intended to assist memory <some mnemonic device like a string tied around the finger> : of or relating to mnemonics 2 : of or relating to memory < mnemonic skill> — mne·mon·i·cal·ly \-änə ̇ k(ə)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

palatial

1 : of, relating to, or being a palace <a palatial residence> 2 : suitable for or used in a palace < palatial furnishings> 3 : magnificent , luxurious <a palatial yacht> — pa·la·tial·ly adverb — pa·la·tial·ness noun , plural -es

pristine

1 : belonging to the earliest period or state : original , primitive <a pristine form of air conditioning — Lewis Mumford> 2 a : uncorrupted by civilization or the world < pristine innocence> < pristine freshness> b : free from drabness, soil, or decay : fresh and clean <a pristine and fabulously wealthy residential area — Bentz Plagemann> <the snow which is pristine powder — Holiday > <a pristine dawn in spring> — pris·tine·ly adverb

perky

1 : briskly self-assured : cocky <the common barnyard rooster ... every step perky — Atlantic > <a short, perky woman with ... the agile, inquisitive appearance of a monkey — Edwin O'Connor> 2 : jaunty , sprightly , chipper <from perky jeeps to leviathan trailer trucks — American Fabrics > <a perky ... waltz — New Yorker > <always in good health, always perky — Listener > 3 : standing up, away, or out from a garment to which it is attached <caps are ... of velvet with a perky little fence of trimming around the edges — Lois Long>

acquisitive

1 : capable of acquiring 2 : strongly desirous of acquiring and possessing : grasping <in an acquisitive society the form that selfishness predominantly takes is monetary greed — Edgar Johnson> — ac·quis·i·tive·ly adverb <Beijing is acquisitively adding financial clout to its status as the world's manufacturing hub ... — Jim Hoagland, Washington Post , 21 Apr. 2005>

accessible

1 : capable of being used as an entrance : providing access <one ascent accessible from earth — John Milton> 2 a : capable of being reached or easily approached <a town accessible by rail> : easy to meet b : easy to get along with, talk to, or deal with : approachable , communicative <an accessible and genial man> 3 : capable of being influenced or affected : open < accessible to the flattery of this honest praise — Elinor Wylie> 4 : capable of being used, seen, known, or experienced : available <a book accessible to all students> comprehensible <readily accessible to the nonprofessional reader — J. K. Galbraith> — ac·ces·si·bly \ik- ˈ se-sə-blē, ( ˌ )ak-, ək-, ÷ə- ˈ se-\ (audio pronunciation) adverb — ac·ces·si·ble·ness \ik- ˈ se-sə-bəl-nəs, ( ˌ )ak-, ək-, ÷ə- ˈ se-\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -es

solar plexus

1 : celiac plexus 2 : the pit of the stomach; specifically : the part of the abdomen including the stomach that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of a blow to the body wall in front of it <In about three seconds he was going to pull his billy and give Andy the butt end of it right in the solar plexus ... — Stephen King, "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," in Different Seasons , 1983>

surveillance

1 : close watch kept over one or more persons : continuous observation of a person or area (as to detect developments, movements, or activities) <place a suspected person under police surveillance > < surveillance of air traffic by radar> 2 : close and continuous observation for the purpose of direction, supervision, or control <club facilities ... are conducted under close surveillance of the U.S. Forest Service — Jean Lunzer> <place the disputed territory under UN surveillance >

solace

1 : comfort in grief : alleviation of grief or anxiety <seek solace in company> <give solace to a friend> 2 a obsolete : recreation b : an offsetting diversion 3 : something that gives solace : a source of relief or consolation <books were his only solace > 4 archaic : a penalty imposed on a member by a printer's chapel for a breach of the rules

cutlery

1 : edged or cutting tools (as shears, knives, surgical instruments); specifically : implements for use in cutting, serving, and eating food — compare flatware 2 : the business of making or selling cutlery

prevision

1 : foresight , foreknowledge , prescience <over a limited period, which is ... as far as human prevision can go — M. R. Cohen> 2 : prognostication , forecast <taken aback to find in her glance an equal prevision of dislike — Clemence Dane>

fail-safe

1 : incorporating some feature for automatically counteracting the effect of an anticipated possible source of failure 2 : being or relating to a safeguard that prevents continuing on a bombing mission according to a preconceived plan 3 : having no chance of failure : infallibly problem-free <a written guarantee that your back is in A-1, fail-safe condition — Fern Lebo>

bourgeoisie

1 : middle class <a member of the bourgeoisie > < ... he thought that the French bourgeoisie , although a culturally petty class, was probably the last pillar of civilization. — Stephen Holmes, New Republic , 4 Mar. 2002> also plural in construction : members of the middle class <Through active society participation, the bourgeoisie followed one of the only cultural avenues open to them ... — Annals , September 1987> 2 : a social order dominated by bourgeois <Civilized society is one huge bourgeoisie ; no nobleman dares now shock his greengrocer. — George Bernard Shaw>

low-key

1 : of low intensity : restrained , low-keyed 2 photography : having or producing dark tones only with little contrast <a low-key picture> —compare key 10d

rarefied

1 : of, belonging to, or interesting to a select group : esoteric , abstruse <the rarefied realm of first editions — John Mason Brown> < rarefied aristocrats> 2 : very high <former colonels and majors, newly promoted to rarefied rank — Newsweek >

tangential

1 : of, relating to, or of the nature of a tangent : being in the direction of a tangent 2 a : acting along or lying in a tangent b : arranged or having parts arranged like tangents 3 a : deviating widely and sometimes erratically : divergent <the discussion method ... is time-consuming and alarmingly tangential — R. C. Snyder> b : touching lightly or in the most tenuous way : incidental <no place ... for political controversy save in occasional tangential comment — W. R. Benét>

luminary

1 : one that is an inspiration to others : one who has achieved success in his chosen field : leading light <played host to a huge gathering of international luminaries — Edmund Stevens> <staff will ... consist of the luminaries in the field and be doing the most significant research — Alfred Friendly> 2 : an artificial light : illumination <lighting of the big new structure with mercury-vapor luminaries on lofty standards — Motor Transportation in the West > 3 : a body that gives light; especially : one of the heavenly bodies <as luminaries ... the total amount of light they afford during the night is far inferior to that afforded by our single moon — H. P. Wilkins>

sine qua non

1 : the one thing that is absolutely essential <the sine qua non ... is that the star shall appear bright enough to give a measurable spectrum — Herbert Dingle> 2 : something that is considered essential <this book is a sine qua non for Mill scholars — W. D. Templeman>

biosphere

1 : the part of the world in which life can exist including parts of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere 2 : living beings together with their environment — bio·spher·ic \ ˌ bī-ə- ˈ sfir-ik, - ˈ sfer-ik, - ˈ sfe-rik\ (audio pronunciation) adjective <However, by inadvertently relegating the oceans to a secondary role, many of the feedbacks that are crucial to the stability of the biospheric cycles over the medium term are not considered. — Mike Whitfield, Nature , 6 Mar. 1997>

liquidity

1 : the quality or state of being liquid 2 : the quality or state of possessing liquid assets <a bank that has progressively increased its liquidity >

commemorate

1 : to call to remembrance (as by speech, writing, or ceremony) : make mention of—now chiefly in ecclesiastical use 2 : to mark by some ceremony or observation : celebrate , observe < commemorate a holiday> < commemorate an anniversary> 3 : to be a memorial of : preserve the remembrance of <a tablet commemorates his patriotic activities>

spontaneity

1 : the quality or state of being spontaneous <the apparent spontaneity with which a new ... type of art arose — Herbert Read> < spontaneity of his laughter> 2 : the source of spontaneous action or expression : the quality, innate power, or influence that determines the character <the free play of passion and thought, the graces and arts of life, all that springs from the spontaneity of nature — G. L. Dickinson>

chastise

1 : to inflict pain or suffering on for punishment or reformation < chastise children by spanking> 2 a now dialectal : reprove , rebuke , scold b : to censure severely in denunciation or in an attempt to correct or improve : castigate <the world of moral and intellectual weaklings that she felt herself appointed to chastise — Tennessee Williams> 3 archaic : chasten 2

roll over

1 : to refinance a maturing obligation (such as a short-term government security) by offering a new obligation of the same type in exchange 2 : to renegotiate the terms of (a financial agreement) 3 : to place (invested funds) in a new investment of the same kind : reinvest < roll over IRA funds>

emancipate

1 : to release (a child) from the paternal power, making the person released sui juris — used chiefly in ancient Roman and civil law 2 : to set free from the power of another : liberate ; specifically : to free from bondage < emancipated the slaves> 3 : to free from any controlling influence 4 obsolete : to deliver into bondage : enslave

succumb

1 : to yield and cease to resist or contend before a superior strength, overpowering appeal or desire, or inexorable force < succumbed to her drowsiness — Willa Cather> <the free economic system succumbed to the strains of war — C. E. Black & E. C. Helmreich> 2 : to cease to exist : die <disease ravaged the voyagers, more than half of whom succumbed — American Guide Series: North Carolina > <590 businesses succumbed — Dun's Review >

armageddon

1 a : final and conclusive conflict between the forces of good and evil : an apocalyptic battle b : the site or time of Armageddon 2 a : a widespread annihilating war <When the guardians of the arsenals foster the delusion that nuclear weapons are usable and nuclear wars winnable, deterrence heads straight toward Armageddon . — Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Cycles Of American History , 1986> b : a usually vast decisive conflict or confrontation <The primaries are not shaping up as an Armageddon of left against right ... — Sidney Blumenthal, New Republic , 3 Feb. 1992>

pedestrian

1 a : having the characteristics of a drudge or plodder : unimaginative <a dry laborious pedestrian student of facts — Havelock Ellis> b : marked by drabness or dullness : commonplace <in a pedestrian world he held to the old cavalier grace — John Buchan> c of style : lacking sprightliness or inspiration : prosaic <urbane, richly allusive ... almost never pens a pedestrian page — Dixon Wecter> <his sentences and phrases are too often pedestrian , commonplace, and flat — Times Literary Supplement > 2 a : going on foot <a dog will scurry before and behind his pedestrian master — George Santayana> b : performed on foot <a pedestrian journey> < pedestrian races> c : of or relating to walking <complained about the pedestrian distances — Lewis Mumford>

Congruous

1 a : in agreement, harmony, or correspondence <did not choose to wear the tailored clothes that would be congruous with ... her alert, military bearing — Tennessee Williams> <the new psychology was congruous with the conception of man as part of an unseen and infinite spiritual universe — Sherwood Eddy> b : conforming to the circumstances or requirements of a situation : reasonable , suitable , appropriate <the Old Cemetery ..., a fenced-in burying ground on a knoll above the highway is unusually congruous here — American Guide Series: Vermont > <a congruous room to work in — G. B. Shaw> 2 : marked by inner harmony, coherence, or agreement of its parts <a congruous , plausible story, consistent in all its details> <proud of appearing in such incongruous attires—proud of the fact that he always made them look congruous — G. K. Chesterton>

mangy

1 a : infected with or as if with the mange <a mangy dog> b : relating to, characteristic of, or resulting from the mange <a mangy appearance> <a mangy itch> 2 a : having many worn-out or bare spots : seedy , shabby <aging but resolute, with mangy hair — W. A. White> <knelt on the mangy rug — Elizabeth Taylor> <as mangy a lawn as ever anyone paid taxes on — R. M. Yoder> b : having a mean and wretched appearance or quality : squalid <the meanest hotel and the mangiest restaurant — P. E. Deutschman> 3 obsolete : contemptible , miserable — used as a generalized term of disapproval

succinct

1 a : marked by brief and compact expression or by extreme compression and lack of unnecessary words and details <a succinct description> <the displacement of the long-drawn-out epic similes by pithy and succinct comparisons — J. L. Lowes> b : brief to the point of curtness <a very succinct refusal> 2 a archaic : encircled with or as with a girdle b archaic : adorned, wrapped, or bound up by a girdle c : supported by a band of silk around the middle <the succinct pupa of a butterfly> 3 : lacking fullness in cut : close-fitting < succinct little nipped-in suits — Lois Long>

transitory

1 a : marked by the quality of passing away : evanescent , transient <barter the transitory pleasures of the world for the heavenly hope — Nathaniel Hawthorne> <thoughts are illusive, transitory , fleeting, thin shadows of reality — William Zukerman> <objects of sense ... are transitory and ephemeral — Frank Thilby> b : of brief duration : existing momentarily : temporary <the depression of occipital activity may be transitory , lasting only for minutes or seconds — Oscar Sugar> <those who spend a transitory period in the public service — O. G. Stahl> <a transitory and impermanent occurrence like a shriek — Samuel Alexander> <the postage stamp renders only one transitory service, which is wholly exhausted within one financial period — S. W. Rowland & Brian Magee> 2 : transitional

feeble

1 a : markedly lacking in normal strength or endurance : weak , debilitated , infirm <a feeble old man> < feeble in mind and body> b : unequal to strain : yielding , fragile <a shaky buttress providing only feeble support> <a flower with a feeble stem> c : indicating weakness or infirmity <taking only feeble steps> <gave a feeble moan> 2 a : deficient in qualities or resources that indicate or give vigor, authority, force, or efficiency : not strong or effective (as in character, mental ability, tone, or color) <a feeble personality> <a feeble intelligence> < feeble imagery> <a feeble attempt at a novel> b : inadequate , inferior <forced to deal with feeble human nature> <could muster only the feeblest of thoughts on the occasion> <making feeble excuses>

extinct

1 a : no longer burning : put out : extinguished , quenched <he threw his extinct cigarette into the rapid brown water — C. S. Forester> <all hope was extinct > b of a volcano : marked by total cessation of eruptions : no longer active 2 a : no longer living : deceased , dead < extinct relatives and friends> b : that has died out altogether <an extinct nation> : lacking living representatives : lacking survivors <an extinct royal family> < extinct prehistoric animals> : no longer to be found : no longer in existence : vanished <a truly kind person of a type almost extinct > c : that no longer exists in its original form <members of an extinct American Indian people now living on a reservation> 3 a : gone out of use : superseded <like a woman dressed in a fashion long extinct — William Beebe> <an extinct language> < extinct laws and customs> obsolete < extinct verb suffixes> b of a title of nobility : being without a qualified claimant <an extinct dukedom>

thematic

1 a : of or relating to the stem of a word b of a vowel : being the last part of a word stem before an inflectional ending 2 : of or relating to a melodic subject < thematic development> < thematic catalog of a composer's works> 3 : of, relating to, or constituting a topic of discourse or a subject of artistic or cultural expression < thematic analysis of a poem> < thematic approach to the study of a primitive society> — the·mat·i·cal·ly \thi- ˈ ma-ti-k(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

pneumatic

1 a : of, relating to, or using air, wind, or other gas: (1) : moved or worked by air pressure either by a percussive action or by a rotary action < pneumatic chisel> < pneumatic drill> (2) : adapted for holding compressed air : inflated with air < pneumatic tire> b : of or relating to pneumatics 2 : of or relating to the pneuma ; especially : spiritual 3 : marked by or having cavities filled with air < pneumatic system of the pelican — E. A. Armstrong> 4 : having a well proportioned feminine figure; especially : having a full bust

nemesis

1 a : one that inflicts retribution <many a pursued man fell before his nemesis in the streets — Agnes M. Cleaveland> b : one that avenges relentlessly or destroys inevitably c : a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent <the baseball team was defeated by the first-rate pitching of its old nemesis > 2 a : an act or effect of retributive justice <whether in the individual or in the community, overweening self-assertion ... was regarded as justly provoking nemesis — Walter Moberly> <if they jumped their duty, not one survivor would there be to pursue them with the nemesis of outraged humanity — D. C. Peattie> b : an inevitable result <this propensity to self-destruction is the nemesis of irrationality — Lewis Mumford> <the crisis is the recurrent nemesis of democracy — Harvey Wheeler>

guerrilla

1 a : one who carries on or assists in an irregular war or engages in irregular warfare in connection with a regular war; especially : a member of an independent band engaged in predatory excursions in wartime b : a member of a military detachment functioning in the rear of enemy lines especially in guerrilla warfare 2 archaic : irregular war carried on by independent bands

reign

1 a : royal authority : the power or rule of a monarch : sovereignty <crown prince ... assumed active reign from his father — Current Biography > <under the reign of the Stuart kings> b : the dominion, sway, or influence of one resembling or held to resemble a monarch <the reign of the ... Puritan ministers was stern and intolerant — W. L. Sperry> <the full reign of egotism as the ideal behind action — S. L. A. Marshall> <assuring the reign of justice for all — Loyola University Bulletin > 2 archaic : the territory or sphere that is reigned over : empire , kingdom , realm <the pole, Nature's remotest reign — P. B. Shelley> 3 : the period of time during which someone (as a monarch) or something reigns <the 20th year of the queen's reign > <at the beginning of his reign as president of the college> <the reign of Sanskrit ... was longer than that of Greek and Latin — Times Literary Supplement >

predicate

1 a : something that is affirmed or denied of the subject in a proposition in logic <in " paper is white " , whiteness is the predicate > b : a term designating a property or relation : a propositional function of one or more arguments 2 : the part of a sentence or clause that expresses what is said of the subject and that usually consists of a verb with or without objects, complements, or adverbial modifiers 3 : a title asserting something < " mother of God " is a predicate of Mary>

feral

1 a : suggestive of a beast of prey < feral teeth> specifically : characterized by inhuman ferocity <the feral hostility of his fellow officers as they denounced and judged him — Albert Hubbell> b : being, characteristic of, or suggesting an animal in the state of nature <the human and feral inhabitants of the forest> <as feral in her wariness as the fierce ... dogs that stalked the countryside — Ann F. Wolfe> c : lacking a human personality due to being reared in isolation from all or nearly all human contacts : not socialized < feral children who had been adopted by wolves> 2 a : existing in a state of nature : not domesticated or cultivated < feral and semidomestic animals> b : having escaped from domestication and become wild <several species introduced by settlers soon became feral >

exultation

1 a : the act of exulting b : the state of being exultant 2 : very great or triumphant joy : joyous transport <the exultation of victory and the thrill of power — John Buchan>

invocation

1 a : the action or an act of petitioning for help or support : supplication , appeal < invocation to the Muses> specifically often capitalized : a prayer of entreaty that is usually a call for the divine presence and is offered at the beginning of a meeting or service of worship b : a summoning up or calling upon for authority or justification < invocation of economic reasons ... to justify postponement of wage increases — Frank Gorrell> < invocation of a celebrated piece of advice attributed to Talleyrand — Times Literary Supplement > 2 a : an act of conjuring < invocation of an ancestral spirit> b : a formula for conjuring : incantation < invocations ... to bring harm to mother or child — Francis Hackett> 3 a : a judicial call for papers or evidence from another case — used chiefly in admiralty prize procedure b : an act of legal or moral implementation : enforcement < invocation of treaty provisions> — in·vo·ca·tion·al (audio pronunciation) adjective

sagacity

1 a : the quality of being sagacious : quickness or acuteness of sense perceptions : keenness of discernment or penetration with soundness of judgment : ability to see what is relevant and significant <a man of exceptional intelligence and unusual political sagacity — Brian Crozier> b : a sagacious remark or judgment 2 archaic : acuteness of smell

embroil

1 a : to cause (as a person or affairs) to fall into disorder or confusion <political complications which embroiled the whole policy of the great oceanic expeditions — C. P. Fitzgerald> confuse , disorder , distract <her emotions were forever embroiling her intellect — V. L. Parrington> <the city was embroiled in gigantic traffic bottlenecks — New Yorker > b : to throw into physical uproar or disorder <the wind embroiling the sea> 2 : to involve especially in conflict or with a problem, adversaries, or the law < embroiled in ideological arguments> <found himself embroiled with the group investigating the union's finances> <an opinionated and litigious lady who ... was forever embroiled with landlords, travel agencies, and shops — Louis Auchincloss> <often embroiled in federal criminal proceedings> <his drinking often embroils him with the law>

explicate

1 a : to give a detailed account of : expound , disclose <an unfairness ... which this would not be quite the proper place for explicating — Charles Lamb> b : to unfold the meaning or sense of : interpret , clarify <trying to explicate not vocabulary or techniques but the experience out of which these works were written — Perry Miller> 2 obsolete : to lay open : unfold , expand <the rose of Jericho will ... explicate its flowers — Sir Thomas Browne> 3 obsolete : disentangle , extricate <no way to explicate the Kingdom out of those intricacies — Edward Hyde> 4 : to develop what is involved or implied in (as a statement or notion) : analyze logically <this principle has been explicated into three general axioms — Francis Bowen>

delineate

1 a : to indicate by lines drawn in the form or figure of : represent by sketch, design, or diagram : sketch out : portray , picture ; specifically : to represent in drawing and engraving by lines (as with pen, pencil, or graver) b : to represent with accuracy and minute attention to detail 2 : to describe in detail especially with sharpness or vividness <a good many nouns and adjectives have also been expended in delineating Abbott as a theater personality — Gilbert Millstein>

impel

1 a : to urge or drive by force or constraint < impelled out of England ... by religious dissension — Evelyn Wrench> : exert strong moral pressure on or affect with marked moral compulsion in a particular direction < impelled to resist oppressive laws> <felt impelled to tolerate what he intensely disliked> <continued to write, impelled by profit instead of vision and recollection — Saturday Review > b : to create or generate by force or constraint <his symphonies and symphonic poems are impelled by picturesque Celtic folklore — Norman Demuth> 2 : to impart motion to : give a physical impulse to : propel < impelling a wheelbarrow along the street — Nathaniel Hawthorne>

rack

1 a obsolete : shock of meeting : rush , charge b obsolete : a sound as of a collision : crash 2 a : a wind-driven mass of high often broken clouds b obsolete : a driving mist or fog

precis

: a widely distributed genus of chiefly tropical nymphalid butterflies that includes the buckeye of North and South America

gasconade

: boast , boasting , bravado

ecology

1 : a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments especially as manifested by natural cycles and rhythms, community development and structure, interaction between different kinds of organisms, geographic distributions, and population alterations — see autecology , genecology , synecology — compare biogeography , phytosociology 2 : the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment <the ecology of a mountain pine> <assist the peasants ... in improving their ecology and technology — R. A. Hall, born 1911> 3 : human ecology 4 : environment , climate < ... the moral ecology that holds us together as a people. — John I. Goodlad, Washington Post , 27 Apr. 2010> also : an often delicate or intricate system or complex <The article gives the impression that linguists disagree with Mace and Pagel's mathematical approach to the ecology of language diversity. — D. R. Ladd, letter, New Scientist , 27 Jan. 1996>

holocaust

1 : a burnt sacrifice : a sacrificial offering wholly consumed by fire 2 : a complete or thorough sacrifice or destruction especially by fire <burned all his books and paper in a giant holocaust > <thousands of enemy troops consumed in the holocaust — Upton Sinclair> <an atomic global holocaust — J. B. Conant> 3 a often capitalized : the mass slaughter of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II — usually used with the b : a mass slaughter of people; especially : genocide 4 : disaster <turn an ordinary matrimonial civil war into an explosive do-or-die end-of-the-world holocaust — J. A. Ornstein> — ho·lo·caus·tal \ ¦ hō-lə- ¦ k ȯ -st ə l, ¦ hä- also - ¦ kä- or ¦ h ȯ -lə- ¦ k ȯ -\ (audio pronunciation) adjective — ho·lo·caus·tic \ ¦ hō-lə- ¦ k ȯ -stik, ¦ hä- also - ¦ kä- or ¦ h ȯ -lə- ¦ k ȯ -\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

leotard

1 : a close-fitting garment for the torso that sometimes has long sleeves, a high neck, or ankle-length legs and that is worn for practice or performance by dancers, acrobats, and aerialists — often used in plural 2 : tights — often used in plural — le·o·tard·ed \ ˈ lē-ə- ˌ tär-dəd\ (audio pronunciation) adjective < leotarded dancers> <In the cartoon skies over India soar a host of comic book superheros that have little to do with the leotarded titans of the West. — Katy Daigle, Detroit Free Press , 7 Mar. 2011>

ode

1 : a lyric poem usually marked by particular exaltation of feeling and style and typically marked by varying length of line and by complexity of stanza forms 2 a : one of nine scriptural canticles used in the morning office of the Eastern Church on certain days b : one of nine hymns of a canon ( see canon 10 )

minaret

1 : a slender lofty tower attached to a mosque and surrounded by one or more projecting balconies from which the summons to prayer is cried by the muezzin 2 : a structure resembling a minaret <the Town Hall ..., an ornate cream and white building with minarets — American Guide Series: Maine >

minion

1 : an obsequious or servile dependent : creature 3a <the inability of a dictator's minions to tell him the truth — Reinhold Niebuhr> 2 : a piece of light artillery of about 3-inch caliber and 125 paces range used in the 16th and 17th centuries 3 : one highly esteemed and favored : favorite , idol <his great charity to the poor renders him the minion of the people — Jonas Hanway> 4 [French mignonne , feminine of mignon ] : an old size of type of approximately 7-point and between nonpareil and brevier 5 : a subordinate (as an agent, deputy, or follower) of an individual or organization; especially : one having an official status <the masters, not the minions of the state — Russell Davenport> <invasion of their homes by governmental minions — Books of the Month >

protocol

1 : an original draft, minute, or record of a document or transaction; specifically : the original record kept by a notary of documents or transactions from which he certifies copies 2 a : a preliminary memorandum (as of discussions and resolutions arrived at in negotiation) often signed by diplomatic negotiators as a basis for a final convention or treaty b : the records or minutes of a diplomatic conference or congress that show officially the agreements arrived at by the negotiators 3 a : an official account of a proceeding; especially : the notes or records relating to a case, an experiment, or an autopsy b : the plan of a scientific or medical experiment or treatment 4 a : a rigid long-established code prescribing complete deference to superior rank and strict adherence to due order of precedence and precisely correct procedure (as in diplomatic exchange and ceremonies and in the military services) b : a set of conventions governing the treatment and especially the formatting of data in an electronic communications system 5 : protocol statement

impassive

1 : devoid of passion, feeling, or receptivity to impression: a archaic : unsusceptible to pain, suffering, injury, or harm : invulnerable b : unsusceptible to physical feeling : insensible , inanimate <a dial cut in impassive stone — Virginia Woolf> c : unsusceptible to or destitute of emotion : unimpressionable <the violet pallor of death ... enveloped her in an impassive remoteness — Ellen Glasgow> <a large dull impassive man> 2 : giving no sign of feeling or emotion : expressionless <beneath a reserved and impassive surface, a highly nervous and sensitive person — Havelock Ellis> <a cold impassive stare — Charles Dickens> 3 : not moving in any way : motionless <we can load up a piece of amber ... with the greatest possible excess of negative charge, and still it remains absolutely impassive in the presence of a magnet — K. K. Darrow>

concierge

1 archaic : one in charge of a property : a custodian or warden especially of a castle or prison 2 : an attendant at the entrance of a building : doorkeeper ; especially : a resident attendant in a French building who oversees ingress and egress, handles mail, and performs various functions of a janitor or porter <the harassment of a concierge during the tourist season>

modish

: being in the mode : fashionable <a modish hat> <a modish writer> <tend to regard the pursuit of the new as necessarily silly and modish — E. R. Bentley> — mod·ish·ly adverb — mod·ish·ness noun , plural -es

horrendous

: being such as to inspire horror : dreadful , fearful , frightful , horrible <began slapping some horrendous taxes on these huge estates — A. C. Spectorsky> <a ... horrendous blending of Hollywood and history — Charles Lee> — hor·ren·dous·ly adverb

ambi

: both < ambi lateral> < ambi parous>

redux

: brought back — used postpositively

conflate

: brought together : assembled, blended, or consolidated into one < conflate readings of a text>

candelabra

: candelabrum <four silver candelabras holding great waxen torches — Sir Walter Scott> <a solid-brass candelabra >

Pyrrhic victory

: a victory won at excessive cost <would be a Pyrrhic victory sentencing the human race to ignorance, stagnation, and decadence — K. B. Clark>

acronym

: a word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term (as anzac, radar, or snafu )

impassioned

: actuated or characterized by or filled with passion or zeal : showing great warmth of feeling : ardent <an impassioned oration> <the expression of impassioned love of ideal beauty — Richard Garnett †1906>

consternation

: amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion : confused and distressing excitement : grievous exasperation or distraction <to flee in consternation > <the two, father and son, stared at each other in consternation , and neither knew what to do — Pearl Buck>

critique

: an act of criticizing ; especially : a critical examination or estimate of a thing or situation (as a work of art or literature) with a view to determining its nature and limitations or its conformity to standards

stripling

: an adolescent boy or girl : one not yet fully matured into manhood or womanhood

capo

: capotasto

indigenous

: native : a (1) : produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment <the indigenous inhabitants of America> <species of plants that are indigenous to that country> (2) : originating or developing or produced naturally in a particular land or region or environment <an interesting example of indigenous architecture> <a people with a rich indigenous culture> (3) : of, relating to, or designed for native inhabitants <the establishment of indigenous schools> b : inborn , innate , inherent <a type of behavior that is indigenous to human beings> — in·dig·e·nous·ness noun <Thanks to him, local newscasts throughout America are like airports or fast food joints; they lack all traces of indigenousness . — Tom Shales, Washington Post , 5 May 1992>

scrabble

intransitive verb 1 : scrawl , scribble < scrabbled on the doors of the gate — 1 Samuel 21:13 (Authorized Version)> 2 a : to scratch or claw about clumsily or frantically <fell scrabbling in the dirt ... crying " have mercy " — Rudyard Kipling> b : to grope or search hastily or blindly <began to scrabble in her handbag for a handkerchief> 3 a : to struggle for a foothold : scramble , clamber <six mules, by hard scrabbling , managed to pull the car out of the river — F. B. Gipson> b : to struggle by or as if by scraping or scratching < scrabble for a living on a mountain farm> transitive verb 1 : to gather or make hastily by clutching or scraping < scrabbled up a supper out of leftovers> < scrabbled a living as a part-time teacher and mechanic — Time > 2 : to make scratching movements on <hens scrabbling the muddy cobbles — Dylan Thomas> or with <heard the dog scrabbling his nails on the door> 3 : to mark with irregular lines or letters : scribble

palpitate

intransitive verb : to beat rapidly and strongly : throb : bound with emotion or exertion : pulsate violently — used especially of the heart when its pulsation is abnormally rapid transitive verb : to cause to palpitate

beseech

transitive verb 1 : to ask earnestly for : beg , solicit < besought their collaboration in the work of reform> 2 : to address oneself earnestly to : called upon : implore , entreat , supplicate <a Cape captain whose bride beseeched him to write while he was away — R. W. Hatch> intransitive verb : to make supplication : engage in entreaty

bandy

transitive verb 1 : to bat (something, such as a tennis ball) to and fro 2 obsolete : to toss aside (something or someone) : drive or throw away : reject < bandy a suitor> 3 a : to toss from side to side or from one to another in a rough or inappropriate manner <a firearm is no toy to be bandied about> : treat carelessly or highhandedly <so that's the way he bandies me about, I'll teach him — Anne Green> b : exchange < bandy blows> < bandy compliments> especially : to exchange (words) petulantly, heatedly, or argumentatively <the senator never deigned to bandy words with members of the opposition> c : to discuss lightly or banteringly especially among a number of people <the bandying of statistics> : use (as in writing or conversation) in a glib, facile, or offhand manner — often used with about 4 archaic : to band together : unite intransitive verb 1 obsolete : contend , strive — usually used with with 2 archaic : unite

ply

transitive verb 1 a : bend , fold , mold b : to twist together (as two or more single yarns) 2 obsolete : to bend in will or sense : adapt intransitive verb 1 obsolete : to be pliable : bend ; also : twist 2 obsolete : to be pliant : yield , comply

allay

transitive verb 1 obsolete : overthrow , subdue < allay this thy abortive pride — Shakespeare> 2 : to subdue or reduce in intensity or severity : alleviate , relieve , abate <this ration is palatable, very rapidly allays hunger — H. G. Armstrong> <widely used in our community to allay aches — Ben Riker> <sought ... to catch every river breeze to allay the summer heat — Maxwell Mays> 3 : to put at rest (as disquiet, fear, or suspicion) : make quiet : pacify , appease , quell , calm <some answer to allay all his anxieties — Norman Kelman> <the turmoil that had been partly allayed returned — Elizabeth M. Roberts> <competition was embittered rather than allayed — Times Literary Supplement > 4 a : to limit the pleasurable or good effect of : moderate by something unpleasant <the victors' joy was allayed by the death of their prince> b : weaken , diminish , qualify intransitive verb obsolete : to diminish in strength : subside <when the rage allays — Shakespeare>

tarry

transitive verb 1 obsolete : to cause (as a person) to stay or wait : delay , hinder 2 : to wait for or in expectation of <sitting down to tarry their return> intransitive verb 1 a : to delay or be tardy in acting or doing : procrastinate , dawdle <the men tarry about marriage — Jack Lusby> <we could not tarry if we wanted to be there on time> b : to stay or linger in expectation of a person or an event : wait <not tarrying long before the door is opened> 2 a archaic : to remain or continue in a state or condition b : to abide or stay in or at a place : sojourn <no reason to tarry in this town — Elmer Davis> <over the island a horrid stillness tarried — Jean Stafford>

blockade

1 a : a measure of war involving the isolation by a belligerent of a particular area vital to the interests of an enemy through deployment of any part of its armed forces so as to effectively hamper ingress and egress and harass the enemy by cutting off trade, communications, and supplies, being commonly agreed as legal against neutral nations only after due notice has been given and when carried on with such force as required to make passage through the area a real hazard but when so established and maintained permitting the seizure, detention, or sometimes destruction of neutral property found in the area; broadly : any restrictive measure or measures designed to obstruct the commerce and communications of an unfriendly nation whether or not a formal state of war exists b : something that acts in the manner of a blockade to prevent free and normal exchange (as of ideas) <only clear thinking can free us from our emotional blockade and dissipate our prejudices> 2 a : something that constitutes an obstacle to passage; especially : a blocking of a pass or way (as by snow) b : 1 block 3b, 3c c : interruption of normal physiological function (such as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ; also : inhibition of a physiologically active substance (such as a hormone) d : the process of reducing the phagocytic capabilities of the reticuloendothelial system by loading it with harmless material (such as India ink or lampblack) which engages its cells in phagocytosis and prevents them from reacting to new antigenic material — compare blocking antibody 3 chiefly Midland : moonshine 3

caliper

1 a : a measuring instrument having two legs or jaws that can be adjusted to determine thickness, diameter, caliber , and distance between surfaces — usually used in plural and often with pair <a pair of calipers > — see hermaphrodite caliper , inside caliper , micrometer caliper , odd-leg caliper , outside caliper , vernier caliper b : an instrument consisting of a graduated beam and at right angles to it a fixed arm and a movable arm which slides along the beam to measure the diameter of logs and trees c : a watchmaker's tool with adjustable female center points for holding a wheel while it is being trued d : caliper splint e : an assembly designed to press a frictional material (such as a brake pad) against the sides of a rotating wheel or disk in some brake systems 2 : thickness especially of paper, paperboard, or a tree —compare point 16e

vassal

1 a : a person who is under the protection of another as his feudal lord and is vowed to homage and fealty to that other : a feudal tenant : feudatory b Scots law : a tenant entitled to the beneficial enjoyment of land and holding of a lord or other superior owning the legal title thereto conditionally upon the rendering of an annual service or payment — compare feu-duty 2 : one in a position or status felt to resemble that of a feudal vassal to his lord : one who owes or is forced to give allegiance and service to another as a superior <the Baltic states that became vassals of Russia> 3 a : a person in a humble and subordinate or suppliant position : dependent , servant , slave b : one wholly subordinated to some controlling influence <a vassal to his fears> <interest rates became the vassal of central banking and treasury policy — R. I. Robinson>

scarf

1 a : a piece of cloth made in varying widths and lengths and worn for decoration or warmth across the shoulders, around the neck, over the head, or about the waist <a narrow knitted scarf for sports wear and a long lace one for evening wear> b : a square or triangle of cloth for similar uses c : a fur or set of furs for women's wear 2 a : a military or official sash usually indicative of rank b : tippet 3 c : a band of crape worn over the shoulder by mourners at a funeral 3 : a usually oblong decorative cloth covering for the top of a table, sideboard, or bureau

asylum

1 a : a place of refuge and protection (such as a temple, altar, or statue of a god or in later times a Christian church) where criminals and debtors found shelter and from which they could not be forcibly taken without sacrilege : sanctuary b international law : a place exempted by custom or convention from the territorial jurisdiction of a state within which it is so that refugees may not be followed to or taken from it except by the consent of the state enjoying the immunity 2 : a place of retreat and security : shelter <the land of the free and the asylum of the downtrodden — G. W. Pierson> <the ideal world ... is an asylum in which he takes refuge from the troubles of existence — John Dewey> 3 a : the protection or inviolability afforded by an asylum : refuge <the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution — U.N. Declaration of Human Rights > <fled to England, where he requested and has received political asylum — Encounter > <he can, if he wishes, seek asylum from present tumults in a past period of history — Reinhold Niebuhr> b : protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees by a nation or by an embassy or other agency enjoying diplomatic immunity < ... they fled to London where, like thousands of other Iraqi Shia, they applied for political asylum . — Jason Zengerle, New Republic , 23 Dec. 2002> 4 somewhat old-fashioned : an institution providing care and protection to needy individuals (such as the infirm or destitute) and especially the mentally ill <an insane asylym > <an orphan asylum > < ... a fascinating study based on a newly discovered cache of materials about Mary Todd Lincoln, who in 1875 was committed to an asylum by her son. — Gabor S. Boritt, New York Times Book Review , 8 Feb. 1987>

warranty

1 a (1) : the undertaking or obligation of a feudal lord to defend his vassal tenant in the possession of the land held of him as lord, whether originally received by the lord by commendation or not or to give the tenant lands of equal value (2) : a real covenant binding the grantor of an estate of freehold and his heirs to warrant and defend the title and in case of eviction by title paramount to yield other lands of equal value in recompense — see special warranty b : a collateral undertaking that a fact regarding the subject of a contract is or will be as it is expressly or impliedly declared or promised to be and although breach of such an undertaking does not void the contract it does make the warrantor liable for damages c : a statement expressly or impliedly made in an insurance policy by the insured that a fact relating to the subject of insurance or the risk exists or will exist or that some related act has been done or will be done and that must be literally true or fulfilled if the policy is not to become void — distinguished from representation 2 : something that authorizes, sanctions, supports, or justifies : a justificatory mandate or precept : substantiating evidence, proof, or assurance : warrant , authorization <a glib fluency is no warranty of genuine talent — A. T. Weaver> <by what warranty has he assumed such powers> 3 : a usually written guarantee of the integrity of a product and the good faith of the maker given to the purchaser and generally specifying that the maker will for a period of time be responsible for the repair or replacement of defective parts and will sometimes also provide periodic servicing <a one-year warranty on a television set>

contiguous

1 a (1) : touching along boundaries often for considerable distances <Kentucky and Tennessee are contiguous > <a lot contiguous to a road> (2) of angles : adjacent 2 b : next or adjoining with nothing similar intervening <the contiguous bedroom — W. M. Thackeray> <two contiguous benches — Jane Austen> c : nearby , close : not distant <while the dwelling vibrates to the din of the contiguous torrent — William Wordsworth> d : continuous , unbroken , uninterrupted : touching or connected throughout <the houses ... contiguous all along from end to end of the town — Nathaniel Hawthorne> 2 a : immediately preceding or following in time or sequence : without intervening interval or item; also : involving items so occurring or arranged b : near in time or sequence

amethyst

1 a : a clear purple or bluish violet variety of crystallized quartz much used as a jeweler's stone b : a deep purple variety of corundum — called also Oriental amethyst 2 or amethyst violet : a variable color averaging a moderate purple that is redder and duller than heliotrope ( see heliotrope 4a ) or manganese violet, bluer and duller than cobalt violet, and darker and slightly stronger than average lilac ( see lilac 3a )

confluence

1 a : a coming or flocking together, meeting, or gathering at one place : concourse <you see this confluence , this great flood of visitors — Shakespeare> b : large assemblage : crowd 2 a : the flowing together of two or more streams <an island formed by the confluence of two rivers> b : the place of meeting of two streams <Koblenz stands at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle> c : the stream or body formed by the junction of two or more streams : a combined flood 3 : concrescence 2

mystique

1 a : a complex of transcendental or semimystical beliefs and attitudes directed toward or developing around an object (as a person, institution, idea, or pursuit) and enhancing the value or significance of the object by enduing it with an esoteric truth or meaning <the mystique of the leader> <a mystique of mountain climbing> b : an object of a mystique or of the veneration characteristic of a mystique : a mystic symbol 2 : the special esoteric skill or mysterious faculty essential in a calling or activity <a dozen handicrafts each with its own mystique > 3 : a mystical or metaphysical interpretation of reality or a real situation, usually expressed in a creed or credo, often served by a cult, and serving or intended to serve as a guide to action (as of a religious or a political group)

polemic

1 a : a controversial discussion or argument : an aggressive attack on or the refutation of the opinions or principles of another <the premises of our polemic against totalitarianism — J. M. Cameron> <dismiss these books as cold-war polemics — Karl Meyer> <repeating old and weary polemics — Irving Howe> b : the art or practice of disputation or controversy <neither descended to crude polemic — Richard Hoggart> <his active polemic against ... liberals — A. C. McGiffert> — usually used in plural but usually singular in construction <the book ... is a little masterpiece of polemics — Martin Gardner> 2 : one that controverts an opinion, doctrine, or system : an aggressive controversialist : disputant <the sarcasms and invectives of the young polemic — T. B. Macaulay> 3 polemics plural but singular in construction : the branch of Christian theology devoted to the refutation of errors — compare apologetics , irenics

plague

1 a : a disastrous evil or affliction : calamity , scourge <rebel regiments were a plague upon the country, robbing, burning and committing every conceivable outrage — Kenneth Roberts> <the numbers racket and the dope plague thrive — Herman Kogan> — often used interjectionally to express annoyance or impatience <a plague o' both your houses — Shakespeare> < plague take it, what's keeping that boy> b : a destructively numerous influx or multiplication of a noxious animal : infestation < plague of swarming locusts> <tremendous plagues of rats have devastated the rice fields — J. F. Embree & W. L. Thomas> <a plague of leafworms destroyed a large part of the crops — American Guide Series: Texas > 2 a : an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality : pestilence <a plague of cholera> <the great plague diseases ... are rapidly approaching extinction — A. C. Morrison> b : a virulent contagious febrile disease that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia ( Y. pestis synonym Pasteurella pestis ), that occurs in bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic forms, and that is usually transmitted from rats to humans by the bite of infected fleas (as in bubonic plague ) or directly from person to person (as in pneumonic plague ) — called also black death 3 a : a cause of irritation or distress : nuisance , harassment <having ... been her husband's plague because of the violence of her temper — W. B. Yeats> <wild dogs are a ... plague to squatters — Rachel Henning> b : a sudden unwelcome increase or prevalence : outbreak <a plague of broken dishes in the cafeteria — Stuart Chase> <a plague of hot-dog stands and cheap amusements — American Guide Series: New York City > <a plague of burglaries>

Symposium

1 a : a drinking party; especially : one following a banquet and providing music, singing, and conversation b : a banquet or other social gathering at which there is free interchange of ideas 2 a : a meeting at which several speakers deliver short addresses on related topics or on various aspects of the same topic b : a collection of opinions on a subject; especially : one assembled and published by a periodical c : discussion

homage

1 a : a feudal solemn public ceremony by which in return for a fief (as a tenancy of land) a man acknowledges himself the man or vassal of a lord and recognizes the rights and duties inherent in this relationship — compare commendation 4 , fealty 1 , liege b : the relationship between a feudal lord and his man c : an act done or payment made in meeting the obligations of vassalage 2 : a body of persons bound under feudal law by homage; specifically : the body of tenants attending a manorial court or those acting as jury 3 a : a reverential regard : respect , deference <the homage that matter pays to spirit — Clive Bell> especially : respect shown by external action : obeisance <then the homage of ... peers; and again the air was lively with the trumpets and drums — Hector Bolitho> b : flattering attention : tribute <turned to look at the young woman ... and permitted himself the homage of a smile — Guy McCrone> <the present pamphlet is a modest ... homage to one of the leading linguists of our times — André Martinet>

lattice

1 a : a framework or structure of wood or metal made by crossing laths or other thin strips so as to form a network <the lattice of a window> b : a window, door, or gate having a lattice c : a representation or imitation of a lattice d : a lattice used as the sign of an alehouse 2 a : a system of small intersecting diagonal or zigzag bars or angles that rigidly connect two parallel parts of a structural member b : a rectangle cut up into equal small rectangles by parallels to the sides c : a regular geometrical arrangement of points or objects over an area or in space: such as (1) : space lattice (2) : a geometrical arrangement of fissionable material in a nuclear reactor 3 : something resembling a lattice: such as a (1) : narrow strips of pastry laid over a pie in lattice fashion (2) : potato slices perforated in cutting to resemble latticework < lattice potatoes> b : a decorative openwork (as of interwoven strips of leather on a shoe) c : a vestigial sieve plate with indefinite outlines and perforations minute or lacking 4 : a mathematical set that has some elements ordered and that is such that for any two elements there exists a greatest element in the subset of all elements less than or equal to both and a least element in the subset of all elements greater than or equal to both

cameo

1 a : a gem carved in relief; especially : a small piece of sculpture on a stone (such as onyx or sardonyx) or on a shell having layers of different colors, the figure being cut in relief in one layer and another serving as background — compare intaglio b : a small medallion usually simulating stone or shell with a profiled head in relief 2 : a carving or sculpture made in the manner of a cameo 3 : any of several colors varying in hue from purplish red to bluish green, in chroma from low to moderate, and in lightness from medium to very high — see cameo blue , cameo brown , cameo green , cameo pink , cameo yellow 4 : a usually brief literary or filmic piece that brings into delicate or sharp relief the character of a person, place, or event <his cameos and short commentaries on men and manners — R. T. Dunlop> 5 : a brief dramatic role performed by a well-known actor and often limited to a single scene; broadly : a brief appearance <hit four home runs in a late September cameo in the majors> 6 or cameo coin : a coin having mirrorlike fields ( see 1 field 3a ) and frosted raised parts — cameo adjective <a cameo brooch>

brigade

1 a : a large body of troops b : a tactical and administrative unit composed basically of a headquarters and two or more regiments or groups 2 : a group of people organized for special activity: such as a : a supply party in the early American fur trade b : bucket brigade c : fire brigade 3 obsolete : a train of railroad cars

medallion

1 a : a large medal (as for a memorial purpose) <a burnished bronze medallion three inches in diameter has been issued by the ... diamond jubilee committee — Numismatist > b : any of various large ancient Greek or Roman coins <a medallion of Syracuse> 2 : something resembling a large medal: such as a : a tablet or panel in a wall or window bearing a figure shown in relief, a portrait, or an ornament b (1) : a design on a carpet or in lace (2) : a lace ornament in a garment c : a framed usually oval or round design on a stamp or a piece of paper currency showing a portrait or denomination 3 also me·dail·lon \māda ̇ yōⁿ\ (audio pronunciation) : a small, round or oval serving (as of meat or fish) 4 : a perforated design punched in the tip of a shoe

pavilion

1 a : a large often sumptuous tent <amongst them rose the white pavilions of the Turkish irregular cavalry — A. H. Layard> b : something resembling a canopy or tent <tree ferns spread their delicate pavilions — Blanche E. Baughan> 2 a : a part of a building usually having some distinguishing feature and projecting from the rest <rang the bell of the little pavilion and was taken into the tiny hall and then into the small dining room — Gertrude Stein> <the country house ... accented by two-story terminal pavilions at the ends — H. S. Morrison> b : one of several detached or semidetached units into which a building (as a hospital) is sometimes divided <became supervisor of the dependents' pavilion — Current Biography > 3 a : a light sometimes ornamental structure in a garden, park, or place of recreation that is used for entertainment or shelter <picnicked in pavilions — Green Peyton> <the band pavilion ... is the scene of summer concerts — American Guide Series: Minnesota > <there was a pavilion , a dance hall up on the highway — Morley Callaghan> b : a temporary structure erected at an exposition by an individual exhibitor <the national pavilions ... are the actual property of the nations which display their wares in them — David Sylvester> 4 : the lower faceted part of a brilliant between the girdle and the culet — compare bezel —see brilliant illustration 5 a : pinna 2b b : infundibulum f 6 chiefly British : a permanent structure erected for the use of players and often spectators on a cricket ground

derision

1 a : a laughing at what seems ridiculous or contemptible : the use of ridicule, mockery, or scorn to belittle or to show contempt b : a state of being derided <a social life which ... wins its way from derision to acceptance — Samuel Alexander> 2 : an object of derision or scorn : laughingstock

folio

1 a : a leaf especially of a manuscript or book b : a leaf number <a school workbook in which writing is to appear on only one side of the leaf often has folios on the right-hand pages> c : a page number <in books the even folios are on the left-hand pages and the odd folios on the right-hand pages> d : an identifying reference in accounting used in posting to indicate source of entry and account to which entered 2 a : a sheet of paper folded once b : a case or folder for loose papers 3 a : the size or form of a folio book <books in folio > b : a folio book or publication c : a book made from sheets of paper that have been folded once or cut in half to form the pages d : the size of a piece of paper cut two from a sheet; also : paper or a page of this size — abbreviation fo or f — symbol F 4 : a certain number of words taken as a unit or division in a document for purposes of measurement or reference (as in Great Britain and Ireland 72 or 90 and in the U.S. generally 100 by statutory provision) 5 also folio post : a certain size (as 17 × 22 inches) of a sheet of especially writing or ledger paper

bolster

1 a : a long pillow or cushion that is used to support the head of a person lying on a bed and that usually extends across the bed and is placed under the pillows and often under the sheets b : any soft pad, padding, cushion, or support resembling a bolster 2 a : a structural part of a mechanism designed to eliminate friction between moving parts, reduce pressure, deaden noise, or accomplish similar cushioning effects b : any structural part designed to afford support or give a bearing: such as (1) : a transverse bar above the axle of a wagon on which the bed of the wagon rests (2) : a plate often with a hole in the center or T slots on its surface bolted to the top of a punch-press bed (3) : the spindle bearing in the rail of a support or spinning frame and the support for the drafting rolls (4) : the crossbeam forming the bearing piece of the body of a railroad car : the central and principal crossbeam of a railroad-car truck (5) : a short timber or block set horizontally upon a post so as to secure a structural advantage (such as attaining a greater bearing surface for girders, shortening their span, or allowing erection of an upper post between their ends) (6) : the horizontal connection between the volutes of an Ionic capital (7) : one of the small pieces of scantling nailed across the outer curve of the centering for an arch and taking the weight of the arch masonry (8) : a crosspiece connecting the ribs of the centering that supports the voussoirs of an arch 3 : any contrivance that prevents chafing; specifically : a block of wood or a stuffed canvas used on shipboard to reduce or eliminate chafing between ropes or other rigging 4 a : the part of a knife blade that abuts upon the handle b : the metallic end of a pocketknife handle 5 : 2 bunk 2a 6 a : the slight excrescence at the junction of branch and stem or of the leafstalk and its axis b : the cupule of the hazelnut c : the husk of the English walnut

negligee

1 a : a loose gown worn by women in the 18th century b : a woman's long flowing dressing gown usually dressy in style and trimmed (as with lace, ruffles, fur) 2 : carelessly informal or incomplete attire <was lounging about at home in negligee >

hue and cry

1 a : a loud outcry used in the pursuit of felons and joined and taken up by all who heard it in the pursuit b : the pursuit of a felon or a written proclamation for the capture of a felon or the finding of stolen goods 2 : a clamor of pursuit or protest <had visions of sheriffs ... posses and hue and cry — Esther Forbes> <conservative politicians joined in the hue and cry against the school — Hunter Mead> 3 : hubbub <the unloading ... was being conducted with a hue and cry , with raucous bangs and crashes — Jean Stafford>

magazine

1 a : a place where goods or supplies are stored : warehouse <each hamlet ... possesses a magazine inside which families deposit all their provisions — H. T. Norris> <in the compting rooms and fur magazines of the concern — Walter O'Meara> b archaic : a country or district especially rich in natural resources or produce <set down in a perfect magazine of fruit and vegetables, grain and wine — Leitch Ritchie> c archaic : a city viewed as a marketing center <islands ... are now converted into complete magazines for all kinds of European goods — Gentleman's Magazine > 2 a : a place to store ammunition: such as (1) : a building in which ammunition and explosives are kept on a military installation (2) : a compartment of a ship used to store ammunition and explosives b archaic : something resembling a place to store ammunition <stored his magazine of malice with weapons equally sharp — Samuel Johnson> 3 a : the contents stored in a magazine: such as (1) : an accumulation of munitions of war <a large magazine of darts and arrows — Edward Gibbon> (2) : a stock or store of provisions or goods < magazine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheese — Daniel Defoe> b : something resembling the contents of a magazine <truth becomes ... a new weapon in the magazine of power — R. W. Emerson> 4 a (1) : a periodical that usually contains a miscellaneous collection of articles, stories, poems, and pictures and is directed at the general reading public (2) : a periodical containing special material directed at a group having a particular hobby, interest, or profession (as education, photography, or medicine) or at a particular age group (as children, teen-agers) <alumni magazine > — compare little magazine b : a special section of a newspaper usually appearing on Sunday <seek a much wider audience for the paper ... through an enlarged magazine — Bruce Bliven, born 1889> c : a radio or television program presenting usually several short segments on a variety of topics 5 : a supply chamber: such as a : a holder that is incorporated in or attachable to a gun and that contains cartridges to be fed into the gun chamber by the operation of the piece —see clip e b : a lighttight chamber containing plates, sheet film, or rollable film for use in or on a camera or containing both feed and take-up spools for film for use in or on a motion-picture camera or projector c : the chambers to hold circulating matrices in a typesetting machine

corollary

1 a : a proposition that follows upon one just demonstrated and that requires no additional proof b : a deduction, consequence, or additional inference more or less immediate from a proved proposition 2 obsolete a : something appended to a speech or writing : appendix , conclusion b : something beyond what is due : something added or superfluous 3 a : something that naturally follows : a practical consequence : result <the war has ... paved the way for an economic and, as a corollary , a semipolitical internationalism — Edward Sapir> <love was a stormy passion, and jealousy its normal corollary — Ida Treat> b : something that incidentally or naturally attends or accompanies : accompaniment <only after the physical impossibility of the revolutionary goals had been demonstrated did its political corollary find acceptance — H. A. Kissinger> <a corollary to the problem of the number of vessels to be built was that of the types of vessels to be constructed — Daniel Marx>

axiom

1 a : a proposition, principle, rule, or maxim that has found general acceptance or is thought worthy thereof whether by virtue of a claim to intrinsic merit <the axioms of wisdom> or on the basis of an appeal to self-evidence <the axioms of euclidean geometry> b (1) Baconianism : an empirical rule or generalization based on experience (2) Kantianism : an immediately certain synthetic a priori proposition 2 : a self-consistent statement about the primitive terms or undefinable objects that form the basis for discourse : postulate <the statement that there is one and only one straight line passing through two given points is an axiom >

mandarin

1 a : a public official under the Chinese Empire of any of nine superior grades that were filled by individuals from the ranks of lesser officeholders that passed examinations in Chinese literary classics b (1) : a pedantic official (2) : bureaucrat c : a person of position and influence especially in intellectual or literary circles; often : an elder and often traditionalist or reactionary member of such a circle 2 capitalized a : the primarily northern dialect of Chinese used by the court and the official classes under the Empire b : the chief dialect of China that is spoken in about four fifths of the country and has a southern variety centering about Nanking, a western variety centering about Chengtu, and a northern now standard variety centering about Peking 3 : a small grotesque seated image in Chinese costume with the head so fixed as to continue nodding when set in motion 4 also man·da·rine \"\ a or mandarin tree or mandarin orange [French mandarine , from Spanish mandarina , probably from mandarín mandarin, from Portuguese mandarim ; probably from the color of a mandarin's robes] (1) : a small spiny Chinese citrus tree ( Citrus reticulata ) having slender twigs and lanceolate leaves, small white flowers, and yellow to reddish orange loose-skinned fruits (2) : any of several cultivated citrus trees that are selections or hybrids of the Chinese mandarin — see satsuma , tangerine b or mandarin orange (1) : the fruit of a mandarin tree — called also kid-glove orange , tangerine (2) : a yellow or pale orange mandarin — distinguished from tangerine c usually mandarine : a sweet liqueur flavored with the dried peel of mandarin 5 : mandarin porcelain 6 a : mandarin red b : mandarin orange 2

crux

1 a : a puzzling, confusing, or difficult problem : an unsolved question <a scholarly crux about the meaning of a line in Shakespeare> b : a determinative point at issue : a pivotal or essential point requiring resolution or resolving an outcome <the crux of the problem> 2 : a main or central feature (as of an argument or plan) <he discarded all but the essential cruxes of his argument — Carl Van Doren>

whisk

1 a : a quick light brushing or whipping motion : flick , swish <as the tear dripped slowly down ... caught it with a neat little whisk of her tongue — Katherine Mansfield> <could ... hear the whisk and slither of tails — James Schuyler> b : a swift passage <the line's four-times-a-week whisk from London to home (two hours) — Horace Sutton> 2 : something used as or resembling a whip or brush: such as a : a hairlike insect appendage — used especially of the setae of the Ephemeroptera b : a small usually wire kitchen implement used for hand beating of food (as eggs, cream, or potatoes) —compare whip 4b c (1) : a flexible bunch (as of twigs, feathers, or straw) attached to a handle for use as a brush — compare feather duster , fly whisk (2) : whisk broom d : tuft , wisp <wind ... skiffing the whisk of her frock — Bruce Marshall> e : the tail of an angler's fly 3 : a wide ornamental collar of fine fabric and lace usually supported at the back and worn in the early 17th century 4 : a plant part (as a panicle of broomcorn) used in making brushes

alcove

1 a : a recessed part (as a breakfast nook) of a room or a small room opening into a larger one (as in a library) b : a niche or similar arched opening (as in a wall) : a vaulted space (as a small clearing) 2 : a small ornamental building usually with seats (as in a park or garden) : summerhouse — al·coved \ ˈ al- ˌ kōvd\ (audio pronunciation) adjective <Overnighters have a choice of four bedrooms, tops being the Senator's Suite with a king-size brass bed, screened porch, private bath and alcoved children's room with twin beds. — Jean Simmons, Dallas Morning News , 10 July 1994>

reel

1 a : a revolving device used in winding yarn or thread into hanks or skeins and in winding raw silk from cocoons and consisting usually of a light frame with radial arms on a central axle b : any of various revolving devices (as a flanged cylinder) for winding up or paying out something flexible (as rope, wire, strip metal or plastic, hose) <lamps that pull down from overhead tension reels > <a surveyor's reel containing a tape measure> <a garden hose reel on wheels> <an industrial reel for feeding coiled steel stock to a punch press> c (1) : a flanged metal cylinder and crank attached to the butt of a fishing rod for winding up or letting out line (2) chiefly British : a spool or bobbin of wood to hold sewing thread <a cotton reel > (3) : a shaft or drum on which the full-width sheet coming from a papermaking machine is wound (4) : a flanged spool on which image-bearing motion-picture film or signal-bearing tape or wire is wound <a standard reel of 35 mm. film containing 1000 or 2000 feet> d : a reel with its contents : the amount on a reel <steel rope in reels of 1800 feet> : such as (1) : web ; specifically : the part of a web in process of manufacture that has passed the driers of a paper machine (2) : a strip of image-bearing motion picture film (3) : a roll of postage stamps for use in a dispenser 2 a : a rotating conveyer used in dyeing b : a frame carrying the bolting cloth or mesh wire screen used to sift ground grain (as wheat, corn) or to grade and size hulled rice c : the upright revolving wheel in a reel oven consisting of connected pairs of radial arms from which the trays holding the baking pans are suspended d : a revolving set of bars that feed grain stalks through a harvester e : the spiral blading of a lawn mower f : a clothes dryer consisting of lines on a frame of usually radial arms revolving on a vertical pole 3 : a humming noise like that made by a moving reel <a kingfisher ... with his loud clicking reel — John Burroughs> — off the reel adverb 1 : in straight succession : without interruption <can sell 20 percent more cars right off the reel — Time > 2 : without hesitation : as if reeled off : directly <write his impressions off the reel >

sanctum

1 a : a sacred place b : an object of religious regard : something hallowed — often used in plural 2 : a study, office, or place of retreat where one is free from intrusion <an editor's sanctum >

wisp

1 a : a small handful (as of hay or straw) b : something that resembles a wisp: such as (1) : a tenuous strip or fragment <a wisp of chiffon> <roughly-chinked log-cabins ... stood in a wisp of open — S. V. Benét> <strange wisps of psychological jargon — Times Literary Supplement > (2) : a filamentous streak <a wisp of smoke or cloud> < wisps of mist floated like trails of luminous dust — Joseph Conrad> (3) : something frail or fleeting <a delicate little wisp of an old lady — Century Magazine > <a mere wisp of a smile — L. C. Douglas> (4) : will-o'-the-wisp c : a flock of birds (as snipe) 2 chiefly British a : a pad of twisted or plaited hay or straw for grooming the coat of an animal b : a twisted wreath or wad (as of straw or hemp) used as a buffer c : a thick twist of hay or straw used as a torch

morsel

1 a : a small piece or quantity of food : bite <the multitude was kept quiet by the morsels of meat which were flung to it — J. A. Froude> <deftly ladled a spoonful of this and a morsel of that into the ... skillet — Elinor Wylie> <a bitter morsel to swallow> b : a small meal : snack <came home, ate his morsel quickly, and left> 2 : a small quantity of something : a little piece or portion <that morsel of information lay dormant for over a hundred years — C. C. Furnas> <his last remaining morsel of self-respect> <a tiny morsel of land lost in the ocean> 3 a : a tasty dish : tidbit <such exotic morsels as Japanese frog legs, Alaskan king crabs, Indian pompano — Time > <sitting apart munching his own delectable morsels — C. S. Kilby> b : something delectable and pleasing <the girl ... is young and very pretty ... a morsel worth a little lordly condescension — Eric Blom> <his shorter piano pieces include some choice morsels > 4 : a small or negligible person <this ancient morsel — Shakespeare>

sprig

1 a : a small shoot : twig <a sprig of laurel> <a sprig of parsley> <the yard ... completely bare, no weed no sprig of anything — William Faulkner> b : a small division of grass used for propagation 2 a : a small offshoot or side growth (as of a nerve or vein) b (1) : heir , scion <a young sprig of nobility — Peter Forster> (2) : a young person <a young sprig of a book reviewer — Clifton Fadiman> c : a small specimen <a sprig of vivid, unaffected idiom — John Woodburn> 3 a : an ornament (such as a jeweled brooch or a decorative design) resembling a sprig, stemmed flower, or leaf b : a separate piece of lace (such as a flower or foliage motif) usually appliquéd to the ground 4 : any of various pointed objects: such as a : a small headless nail : brad b : glazier's point c : dowel 5 a : pintail 1a b : ruddy duck c Scottish : house sparrow

1 a : a small, sweet, baked good that is made from a dough which is typically denser and richer than cake batter and that is formed by any of various methods: such as (1) : one made by rolling a large piece of dough into a thin, flat shape and cutting it into smaller pieces or shapes before baking — called also cutout cookie , rolled cookie (2) : one made by molding or manipulating a small piece of dough into a ball or other shape before baking — called also molded cookie , shaped cookie (3) : one made from a small, irregular mound of dough that is deposited onto a baking sheet — called also drop cookie (4) : one made by pressing dough into an even layer in a baking pan, baking it, and then cutting it into serving pieces — called also bar cookie , bar (5) : one made by forming dough into a long cylinder or similar shape, refrigerating it until it is firm, and cutting it into slices before baking — called also refrigerator cookie ( old-fashioned ) icebox cookie (6) : one made by forming dough into small, fancy shapes by extruding it from a cookie press — called also pressed cookie , spritz b : no-bake cookie 2 : a moderate brown that is yellower, lighter, and stronger than bay or auburn and lighter, stronger, and slightly redder than chestnut brown 3 : an appliance or strip of material (as of leather or metal) inserted in a shoe over the insole from heel to shank to support the arch 4 a : a little girl : child , sweetheart — used usually as an affectionate term of address b slang : person , guy <tough cookie > <smart cookie > 5 cookies plural , slang : the contents of one's stomach : what one has recently eaten <she got sick and tossed her cookies > 6 cookie : a small file or part of a file that is stored on the computer of a World Wide Web user, that is created and subsequently read by a website server, and that contains personal user information (such as a user identification code, customized preferences, or a record of pages visited)

distaff

1 a : a staff for holding the bunch of flax, tow, or wool from which thread is drawn in spinning by hand or with the spinning wheel b : woman's work, authority, or domain <a man fitter for the distaff than for war> 2 a archaic : woman , female ; especially : a female heir b : the mother's side of a family <tracing their descent by distaff > — compare sword side

scepter

1 a : a staff or baton borne by a sovereign as a ceremonial emblem of authority : a royal mace b : a representation (as in heraldry) of a scepter 2 : royal or imperial authority : sovereignty

pagoda

1 a : a structure in eastern Asia resembling a tower of several stories that is often richly decorated and typically has projecting concavely curved roofs at the division of each story that terminate in sharp points turned upward but sometimes has a simple pyramidal outline and that is erected usually as a temple or memorial or edifice built out of personal piety either in isolation or as an adjunct to other usually sacred architecture b : a small often ornamental structure (as a summerhouse) resembling or suggestive of a pagoda in outline 2 : a gold or sometimes silver coin that was used on the Indian Subcontinent up to the second decade of the 19th century

antecedent

1 a : a substantive word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun, typically by a following pronoun (as John in " I saw John and spoke to him " or that he is ill in " I hear that he is ill and it worries me " ) b : any word or group of words replaced and referred to by a substitute (as at the meeting in " I looked for him at the meeting but he wasn't there " ) 2 logic a (1) : the conditional element in a proposition (as if A in the proposition " if A, then B " ) (2) : either premise in a categorical syllogism b : the condition upon which truth depends 3 : the first term of a mathematical ratio (as a in the ratio a:b ) 4 a : an event, condition, situation, circumstance, or complex preceding and often influencing or conditioning an occurrence or issue — usually used in plural < antecedents and consequences of the war> b an·te·ced·ents plural : the significant events, conditions, principles, traits, or activities of one's earlier life 5 a : a predecessor in a series; especially : one that may serve as a model or stimulus for later developments in the series <a stringed instrument believed to be an antecedent of the banjo> b antecedents plural : ancestors , forefathers , parents <of English and Scotch-Irish antecedents > 6 a : dux 3 b : a musical phrase that is followed by a phrase that complements it —compare consequent 3

epitome

1 a : a summary of a written work : abridgment , abstract <purporting to be a translation from a French original although it is in fact but a meager epitome of it — Mary D. Anderson> b : a brief presentation of a broad topic : compendium <a convenient epitome of much current knowledge and belief — H. S. Bennett> c : a brief statement expressing the essence of something < " five years of fighting and ninety-five of winding up barbed wire " ... was a fair epitome of war's aftermath — Dixon Wecter> 2 : a typical representation or ideal expression : embodiment <his manner of receiving my aunt and myself was an epitome of his urbane and appreciative attitude toward the universe — Siegfried Sassoon> <the British monarchy itself is the epitome of tradition — Richard Joseph> <my community ... considers a man in uniform to be the living epitome of heroism — Lucius Garvin> 3 : brief or miniature form — used especially in the phrase in epitome <the spectator does in epitome and without halt what the artist did slowly and by process of trial and error — F. J. Mather>

dominion

1 a : a supremacy in determining and directing the actions of others or in governing politically, socially, or personally : acknowledged ascendancy over human or nonhuman forces such as assures cogency in commanding or restraining and being obeyed : sovereignty <the federal government's claim of dominion over the resources of the marginal sea> <theorists who suggested that man had dominion over the environment through his intellect — S. F. Mason> b : the exercise of such supremacy or ascendancy : rule <little people striving to free themselves from the dominion of their oppressors> <of the way young people should look, and of the things they should do, under the dominion of the passion — George Meredith> c : preponderant or overriding influence : dominance <the fact is that the free dominion of the mind and of art has never been achieved in capitalist democracy — J. T. Farrell> <neither in their lives nor their work were they able to escape the dream's dominion — Leo Marx> <he possessed, superlatively, that air of dominion by which it is possible to single out the stage favorite — Osbert Sitwell> 2 : something that is subject to sovereignty or control 3 a : the estate or domain of a feudal lord b : a territory or country subject to a ruler or under the control of a particular government <the dominions of a king> c : the special realm of activity or influence of a particular branch of art or knowledge : domain 4 dominions plural : an order of angels — see celestial hierarchy 5 often capitalized : one of the self-governing, autonomous states within the British Commonwealth equal in status with the United Kingdom and with each other <as far as the world of states is concerned, Dominion status is tantamount to statehood — H. M. Clokie> <born in reaction against colonial inferiority, Dominion nationalism was promptly stimulated by the advances in autonomy and in turn furthered these advances — Alexander Brady> 6 : absolute ownership : dominium

mosaic

1 a : a surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored material (as tile, marble, or glass) to form patterns or pictures b : the process of making such a decoration 2 a : a picture or design made in mosaic b : an article decorated in mosaic 3 : something resembling a mosaic <passages that are mosaics of quotations — Malcolm Cowley> <a mosaic of colorful bits from history — College English > <great cities turn out ... to be a mosaic of segregated peoples — R. E. Park> 4 : a mosaic individual : chimera 5 a : leaf mosaic 1 b also mosaic disease : any of several virus diseases of plants characterized especially by more or less diffuse light and dark green or yellow and green mottling or spotting of the foliage and sometimes by pronounced curling, dwarfing, and narrowing of the leaves 6 : a composite photographic map formed by matching a series of overlapping photographs of adjoining areas of the earth's surface taken vertically from the air at a constant height 7 : the photosensitive element in a television camera tube consisting of a layer of many minute photoelectric particles that convert light to an electric charge

veneer

1 a : a thin sheet of wood cut or sawed from a log and adapted for adherence to a smooth surface (as of wood) <cut the log into veneers > : such as (1) : a layer of wood of superior value or excellent grain for overlaying an inferior wood (as in cabinetmaking) usually by gluing (2) : any one of the thin layers that are glued or otherwise bonded together to form plywood b : material (as sheets of wood) for veneering ; sometimes : thin highly glazed colored paperboard for such use 2 : something felt to resemble or functioning in the manner of a veneer of wood especially in forming a superficial layer: such as a : a superficial or meretricious show : gloss b : a protective or ornamental facing (as of brick or stone) for a wall c (1) : a thin but extensive covering of an older geological formation or surface <a veneer of till> (2) : a weathered or otherwise altered surficial part of a rock

convolutions

1 a : a tortuous or sinuous winding, fold or design (as of something rolled or folded upon itself) : coil , whorl , fold , sinuosity <the convolutions of the intestines> b : one of the irregular ridges upon the surface of the brain, especially of the cerebrum, of some animals : gyrus c : twisting , winding : a complication or intricacy of form, design, or structure <as a lover, as a writer, as a soldier, as an aesthete, and as a public official his life was of an almost inconceivable convolution — Times Literary Supplement > 2 : the act or action of convoluting or of following a convoluted course <o'er the sea in convolutions swift, the feathered eddy floats — James Thomson †1748> 3 : a function h ( y ) that for two given functions f and g is given by the integral from a to b of f ( y − x ) g ( x ) dx where in various applications (as in finding the probability density function of the sum of two independent and continuous random variables) the lower limit of integration is taken as − ∞ or 0 and the upper limit is taken as + ∞ or the variable y — called also convolution integral

bard

1 a : a tribal poet-singer (as among the ancient Celts) gifted in composing and reciting verses usually to harp accompaniment in honor of the chief or successive chiefs and their deeds and as a record in verse of tribal history, tradition, genealogy, or religious law b : any similar poet-singer of the period before the use of writing; especially : a composer, singer, or declaimer of epic or heroic verse 2 obsolete : one of a class of wandering musicians or minstrels in early Scotland often treated as vagabonds in Scottish law and opinion 3 a : poet ; especially : a poet who writes impassioned, lyrical, or epic verse <the bard walks in advance, leader of leaders — Walt Whitman> b : a writer of insipid or mediocre verse : versifier <newspaper bards >

incantation

1 a : a use of spells or verbal charms spoken or sung as a part of a ritual of magic b : a ceremonial chanting or reciting of incantations (as for curing disease) c : a use of words to obscure rather than illuminate : obfuscation <their habit of hypnotizing and magnetizing a subject by the incantations of repetitive argument — V. S. Pritchett> 2 a : a formula of words chanted or recited in a magic ritual for their special virtues or particular effects b : words used in the manner of a formula without conscious concern as to their aptness or relevance to a particular situation <the incantations of the propagandists> c : an expression (as of music or poetry) designed to move rather than amuse or convince <uses repetition as it is used in spell and litany, as an incantation to heighten emotion, and perhaps to bypass reason — Times Literary Supplement > 3 : magic , sorcery , enchantment — in·can·ta·tion·al (audio pronunciation) adjective

taper

1 a : a usually slender wax candle b : a long waxed wick used especially as a spill c : any feeble light or source of light 2 a : a tapering form or figure (as a spire) b : gradual diminution of thickness, diameter, or width in an elongated object often expressed in inches per foot, inches per inch, or by numbers <the taper of a tree trunk> <glass tubing with extremely accurate bore or taper — C. J. Phillips> <the taper of a file> c : a gradual decrease 3 : a trowel used by molders in founding 4 : draft 17a,b 5 : a taper wire used especially to splice electric cables

substantive

1 a : a word or part of speech that names or identifies something : a noun or noun equivalent (such as a pronoun, phrase, or absolute adjective) <in " the good die young " good is a substantive > b : a categorematic term 2 : an independent thing or person : a self-existent entity

journeyman

1 a : a worker who has learned a handicraft or trade and is qualified to work at it usually for another by the day — distinguished from apprentice and master b : an experienced usually competent or reliable workman in any field usually as distinguished from one that is brilliant or colorful <a good, reliable journeyman of the theatre — Theatre Arts > <a good journeyman trumpeter — New Yorker > < journeyman work, competent but without much distinction — J. G. Villa> < journeyman ' s work too slick and trite to prove itself — K. P. Kempton> < journeymen rather than first-rate artists — H. E. Clurman> 2 archaic : one hired to work for another : hireling 3 : the first rank earned by members of a Camp Fire Girls Horizon Club — compare artisan

palmy

1 a : abounding in or bearing palms <a palmy strand> b : resembling or derived from a palm <rich palmy suds> <a slender palmy figure> 2 [so called from the traditional use of the palm branch as an emblem of triumph] : outstanding among members of a class by reason of excellence or superiority : constituting an acme : notably flourishing or prosperous <not likely to regain that palmy state> <knew her in her palmier days>

antagonism

1 a : actively expressed opposition, hostility, or antipathy < antagonism between factions> <a yokel's antagonism to city people> b : opposition or contrariety of a conflicting activity, cause, or principle <the antagonism of democracy to dictatorship> : contrariety of conflicting forces or tendencies <alleged antagonism between religion and science> 2 : opposition in physiological action: a : contrariety in the effect of contraction of muscles (as the extensors and flexors of a part) b : interaction of two or more substances such that the action of any one of them on living cells or tissues is modified (as by interference with the uptake or by an opposing physiological reaction) — opposed to synergism 3 : the sum of the mutual interference between dissimilar organisms occupying or attempting to occupy the same ecological niche

savory

1 a : agreeable , pleasant <an exceedingly varied and savory travel book — Newsweek > b : morally attractive : edifying , wholesome <his fallen partner has proved to be none too savory a character — John Paterson> <scandals don't make very savory reading — Green Peyton> 2 a : agreeable to the taste : appetizing <fruit more savory than berries — John Burroughs> b : pleasing in smell : fragrant <a savory wooden tray ... smelling of rich cedarwood and varnish — Elizabeth M. Roberts> c : having a stimulating taste <a savory dish> < savory jelly>

warble

1 a : air , tune , melody ; especially : a joyful song : carol b : a melodious succession of low and pleasing sounds <a canary's warble > c : a musical trill 2 : the action of warbling 3 : the art or manner of singing with trills, runs, or quavers 4 : a tone that is produced electronically usually by an oscillator and is varied in frequency cyclically over a fixed range

fell

1 a : an animal skin with or without the original hair or wool : pelt , hide b : the skin of a human being 2 : the flesh immediately under the skin : a thin tough membrane covering a carcass immediately under the hide and consisting of superficial fascia more or less intermingled with fatty tissue 3 : a body covering of especially thick hair or wool : fleece

umbrage

1 a : an area of comparative darkness : shade <lying ... at the foot of some tree of friendly umbrage — Charlotte Brontë> b : an overshadowing influence or power : shadow <compete in the umbrage of big city printing wages and other costs — J. R. Malone> 2 : the thick shady branches of a tree or bush : foliage <the thrush sings in that umbrage — L. P. Smith> <chimney pots veiled under blossomy umbrage — Thomas Carlyle> 3 archaic : something providing protection : shelter , refuge 4 a : an indistinct indication : vague suggestion : suspicion , hint <the least umbrage of a reflection upon this accident — Roger North> b : a reason for doubt : suspicion <the man toward whom our ... State Department has never felt umbrage , let alone taken exception — H. L. Ickes> 5 : displeasure , resentment , annoyance <persons who feel most umbrage from the overshadowing aristocracy — Sir Walter Scott> — usually used in the phrases give umbrage or take umbrage <would give umbrage to them by not sending an invitation> <never take umbrage unless you can lick the guy — Jackie Gleason> 6 obsolete : an alleged purpose or motive : pretext , pretense <veiling the murder with the umbrage of devotion and justice — Edmund Hickeringill> 7 obsolete : the state of being in disfavor : disesteem

access

1 a : an attack or onset of illness or disease <an access of paralysis the afternoon previous — George Ticknor> b : a fit or spell of intense feeling <he had such an access now — Oliver La Farge> outburst < accesses of pessimism — S. H. Adams> 2 a (1) : permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, communicate with, or pass to and from < access to every room> < access to the president> <a country with access to the sea> (2) : admission to sexual intercourse (3) : a landowner's legal right to pass from his or her land to a highway and to return without being obstructed b : freedom or ability to obtain or make use of <give them access to jobs of confidence or trust — New York Times > : ability or means to participate in, work in, or gain insight into < access to the liberal arts> c : a way by which a thing or place may be approached or reached : passageway <a lock built to give access to the sea> d (1) : the action of going to or reaching : approach , entrance : passage to and from <provide a means of access to the lake> <completed plans for access tracks to the factory> (2) : approach to God through Jesus Christ — used especially in titles of prayers <the Anglican prayer of humble access > 3 : an increase by addition <a sudden access of wealth> 4 obsolete a : an assembling or meeting especially of the British Parliament b : a coming to office or sovereignty

pathos

1 a : an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion < pathos she has, the nearest to tragedy the comedian can come — W. B. Yeats> b : an emotion of sympathetic pity <felt a stab of pathos — Rex Ingamells> 2 : the transient or accidental factor in an event or experience as distinguished from that based on personal character —compare ethos 2a(2)

grapple

1 a : an instrument with iron claws designed to be thrown by a rope and formerly used especially to fasten an enemy ship alongside before boarding b : grapnel 2 2 [ 2 grapple ] a : the act of grappling or the state of being grappled <such scathful grapple did he make with the most noble bottom of our fleet — Shakespeare> b : a hand-to-hand struggle <rose ... fresh from his fall and fiercer grapple joined — John Milton> c : a contest for superiority or victory <a final grapple with ecclesiastical tyranny — Edward Miall> 3 : a bucket similar to a clamshell but having three or more jaws

vested interests

1 a : an interest (as a right or title to an estate) carrying a legal right of present or future enjoyment and of present alienation b : an interest (as in an existing political, economic, or social arrangement) in which the holder has a strong personal commitment as a result sometimes of long association but more often of present or future benefits <those who have a vested interest in the educational status quo — A. E. Bestor> <to continue in existence it must create vested interests in its survival — Paul Johnson> c : a right vested in an employee under a pension plan 2 : one having a vested interest in something; specifically : a group closely associated with and enjoying benefits from an existing economic or political privilege <vacant land ... is bought up by speculators or held by vested interests — A. J. Bruwer> <the free press, so integral to the self-maintenance and growth of free society, was brought into subservience to the vested interests — H. M. Kallen>

defect

1 a : an irregularity in a surface or a structure that spoils the appearance or causes weakness or failure : fault , flaw <carefully examine a piece of timber for defects > shortcoming <a moral defect in his nature> <several defects can be found in this argument> b : an imperfection (such as a vacancy or an unlike atom of a differing element) in a crystal lattice <Light cannot propagate ... unless there are intentionally placed defects in the crystal. — Michael Freemantle, Chemical & Engineering News , 22 Jan. 2001> 2 [Latin defectus ] : want or absence of something necessary for completeness, perfection, or adequacy in form or function : deficiency , weakness — opposed to excess <laziness may be caused by a defect of health> <a defect in his hearing>

intrinsic

1 a : belonging to the inmost constitution or essential nature of a thing : essential or inherent and not merely apparent, relative, or accidental <form was treated as something intrinsic , as the very essence of the thing in virtue of the metaphysical structure of the universe — John Dewey> <recommend this book for its intrinsic interest — Daniel George> < intrinsic merit> <the intrinsic worth of a gem> <a wide gap between intrinsic feelings and the social expressions of them — H. J. Muller> — opposed to extrinsic b : being good in itself or irreducible : being desirable or desired for its own sake and without regard to anything else <when anyone says that values are merely matters of opinion or subjective liking, he is speaking only of intrinsic values — L. W. Beck> 2 a : originating or due to causes or factors within a body, organ, or part < intrinsic asthma> <an intrinsic metabolic disease> b : originating and included wholly within an organ or part — used especially of certain muscles — opposed to extrinsic 3 being or relating to a semiconductor in which the concentration of charge carriers is characteristic of the material itself instead of the content of any impurities it contains <In an intrinsic semiconductor, the conductivity increases with increasing temperature because the number of charge carriers increases with increasing temperature. — Robert E. Reed-Hill, Physical Metallurgy Principles , 1973> 4 obsolete : private , secret — in·trin·si·cal·ly \( ˈ )in- ¦ trin-zi-k(ə-)lē, - ¦ trin(t)-si-\ (audio pronunciation) adverb — in·trin·si·cal·ness \( ˈ )in- ¦ trin-zi-kəl-nəs, - ¦ trin(t)-si-\ (audio pronunciation) noun

distraught

1 a : beset with doubt or mental conflict : deeply troubled : distracted , frantic <he must always be doing something, seeking relief in a factitious gaiety and nervous garrulity ... a man beset and distraught — S. H. Adams> <in his distraught state he allows himself to be hit by a truck — H. M. Jones> < distraught with grief for the dead queen — Edna S. V. Millay> also : thrown into confusion or disorder (as through indecision, dissension, or lack of clear direction) <the affairs of the U.N. itself are tangled and distraught — Reporter > <the postrevolutionary period which was more excited with aspirations, and nearly as distraught with terrors as our present epoch — Times Literary Supplement > b : mentally deranged : crazed <she waited, pacing back and forth, pale and almost distraught — P. I. Wellman> <as if thou wert distraught and mad with terror — Shakespeare> 2 obsolete : torn apart : separated <his greedy throat ... distraught — Edmund Spenser> — dis·traught·ly adverb

gall

1 a : bile ; especially : bile obtained from the gallbladder of an animal (as the ox) for use in the arts and in medicine b : something bitter to endure <the gall of repentance> c : bitterness of spirit : rancor 2 : gallbladder 3 : brazen boldness with impudent assurance and rankling insolence <the small stockholder who ... has the gall to ask questions about the management — D. L. Cohn> 4 : glass gall

blazon

1 a : coat of arms , armorial bearings b : the proper description or representation of heraldic or armorial bearings 2 : description , representation <let me set forth a blazon of her charms> especially : ostentatious display <obtruding the blazon of their accomplishments on all present>

serene

1 a : completely clear, fine, or balmy : suggesting or conducive to calm peacefulness free of storms or unpleasant change < serene weather> < serene skies> < serene will be our days and bright — William Wordsworth> b : shining bright and steady and unobscured <elegant contrasts between ... the serene shining of the planets and our hot feverish lives — L. P. Smith> 2 : marked by or suggestive of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude without suggestions of agitation, trouble, fitful activity, or sudden change <to the end his mind remained serene and undisturbed — W. S. Maugham> <a serene expression upon her face — Samuel Butler †1902> <genuine intellectual certainty is generally serene — Gilbert Murray> <myself sitting all serene in the rest house — Arthur Grimble> <a serene lake> 3 : most high — used as part of a royal style <His Serene Highness>

limpid

1 a : completely free from cloudiness or other obstacles to the passage of light <the water itself is so limpid that you can get no concept of depth by peering down into it — Thomas Barbour> <a limpid stream, through which we see to the very bottom — Lindley Murray> b : clear and simple in style : readily intelligible <absolute simplicity of subject is matched by limpid and artless style — C. S. Kilby> 2 : absolutely serene and untroubled <still shows the benign effects of a limpid childhood — Time > <my conscience limpid — Geoffrey Household>

bicameral

1 a : consisting of two chambers <the bicameral heart of a fish> b : having or made up of two distinct legislative bodies <the Congress is bicameral , consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives> 2 : based on or involving legislative bicameralism <the evident advantages of the bicameral system> — bi·cam·er·al·ly adverb

sleight

1 a : deceitful craftiness : cunning , trickery <every interest did by right, or might, or sleight , get represented — R. W. Emerson> b (1) : mental or manual skill in making or performing : dexterity , deftness <a new sleight in the reading of poetry — R. P. Blackmur> (2) : skill in a particular task : knack (3) archaic : sleight of hand 1 (4) : mental or physical quickness or agility : nimbleness <brilliant intuitions ... and speculative hypotheses derived by sleight of mind from a fairly small number of works of the imagination — R. G. Davis> 2 a : a sly artifice : stratagem , trick , shift <watching closely to discover by what mental artful sleight he would accomplish the miracle — Archibald Rutledge> <a wicked sleight that causes the assailant to put out his own shoulder — Lafcadio Hearn> specifically : sleight of hand 2 b obsolete : a skillfully executed pattern

grotesque

1 a : decorative art (as in sculpture, painting, architecture) characterized by fanciful or fantastic representations of human and animal forms often combined with each other and interwoven with representations of foliage, flowers, fruit, wreaths, or other similar figures into a bizarre hybrid composite that is typically aesthetically satisfying but that may use distortion or exaggeration of the natural or the expected to the point of comic absurdity, ridiculous ugliness, or ludicrous caricature b (1) : a piece of decorative art done in this style (2) : one of the figures or designs in such a piece of decorative art (3) : something suggestive of or resembling such art or the figures or designs of such art <his life was a grotesque , a mixture of sober realities and absurd incongruities> 2 : sans serif

contingent

1 a : dependent on, associated with, or conditioned by something else <the continuance of the latter is wholly contingent on the presence of the former — C. H. Grandgent> <payment that is contingent on/upon fulfillment of certain conditions> b law : dependent for effect on or liable to modification by something that may or may not occur <a contingent estate> <a contingent legacy> 2 : of possible occurrence : likely but not certain to happen <a bogey's alarum of contingent grave results — George Meredith> 3 a : happening by chance : affected by unforeseen causes or conditions : not patently necessary : unpredictable in occurrence or outcome <a contingent event> <floods contingent and unexpected> b : intended for use in exigent circumstances not completely foreseen c : unpredictable in outcome or effect because happening by chance and modified by unseen causes and unforeseen conditions <speaks so scornfully of the contingent and tentative character of scientific knowledge — Sidney Hook> 4 obsolete : in contact : touching 5 logic a : not necessary : not true a priori b of a proposition : capable of being proved true or false only by experience : empirical , factual 6 philosophy : not necessitated : free — used of human volition, action, or existence

melancholy

1 a : depression of spirits : a gloomy mood or condition : dejection <Slight as it was, the shade of melancholy in his manner pained her. — Wilkie Collins, No Name , 1862> <Mitchell sounds utterly alone in her melancholy , turning the sadness into tender art. — Rolling Stone , 11 Dec. 2003> b : a pensive or moody condition : quietly serious thoughtfulness <One white arm and hand drooped over the side of the chair, and her whole pose and figure spoke of an absorbing melancholy . — Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four , 1890> 2 a archaic : a supposed abnormal state held to be due to the presence of an excess of black bile and characterized by sullen irascibility or gloomy mental depression b archaic : black bile c : melancholia 3 obsolete : a condition of sullen ill-temper : anger , irascibility 4 obsolete a : a cause of melancholy b : an attack of melancholy

dichotomy

1 a : division into two parts, classes, or groups and especially into two groups that are mutually exclusive or opposed by contradiction <a dichotomy into the good and the evil> b : division into two : a splitting into two parts or groups : differentiation into two contrasted or sharply opposed groups <the dichotomy between practice and theory> <a dichotomy between written and spoken evidence> 2 astronomy : the phase of the moon or an inferior planet in which just half its disk appears illuminated 3 a : forking , bifurcation ; especially : repeated bifurcation (as of the stem of a plant or a vein of the body) b : a system of branching in which the main axis forks repeatedly into two branches (as in the thallus of the seaweed Dictyota dichotoma and in many liverworts) forming a helicoid axis when the corresponding member of each pair is suppressed or a scorpioid axis when alternate members of adjacent pairs are suppressed — see false dichotomy , sympodium c : branching of an ancestral line into two more or less equal diverging branches 4 : fee splitting by doctors 5 : something with seemingly contradictory qualities <it's a dichotomy , this opulent Ritz-style luxury in a place that fronts on a boat harbor — Jean T. Barrett>

furtive

1 a : done by stealth : secret , surreptitious <a furtive glance told her worlds — Mark Twain> b : expressive of stealth : sneaky , sly <the furtive look of those who know they ought to be doing something else — Alan Ross> 2 a : obtained underhandedly : stolen b : given to stealing : thievish <the farmers were so much plagued by the furtive bird — J. H. Burton>

constricted

1 a : drawn together : narrowed , contracted <a constricted passageway> b botany : contracted or compressed at regular intervals : moniliform <a constricted pod> <a constricted legume> 2 : cramped , inhibited , narrow <a constricted view of life>

facile

1 a : easily accomplished or attained : involving no special difficulty or expenditure of skill or effort : easy <a facile victory> sometimes : specious , superficial <the work is well-organized but the conclusions and interpretations are often unduly facile > b : used or comprehended with ease <the techniques of paper chromatography have provided facile means of separating complex organic mixtures> <the report proved to be surprisingly facile reading> c of feelings, emotions, attitudes : readily experienced or manifest and often lacking sincerity, depth, or real basis <sick of words and phrases and facile emotions and situations and insincerities — Rose Macaulay> <we must possess a peculiarly facile turn of mind when we can virtuously condemn the cruelties perpetrated in other countries, while ... we avert our eyes from the cruelties we ourselves continue to condone — Farley Mowat> 2 a archaic : easily led or prevailed upon : compliant , docile , yielding b Scots law : so easily influenced as to require curatorship or guardianship — used of the mentally weak —compare facility 3b 3 : mild or pleasing in manner or disposition: a archaic : lenient and gentle : not stern, severe, or harsh b obsolete : kind and affable c : exhibiting ease of bearing or manner : assured , poised 4 : free and unrestrained in performing or expressing : ready , resourceful , quick , fluent , expert : not hesitant, barren, slow, or awkward <a man facile in expedients> <the most facile and prolific of humorists — Alfred Kreymborg>

skittish

1 a : excessively lively or frivolous in nature or action : capricious , irresponsible <felt that for a minister the pastime was unduly skittish — Jean Stafford> b : given to marked or rapid fluctuations : variable , unstable <the skittish fads of musical fashion — Winthrop Sargeant> 2 : easily frightened or agitated : given to shying : restive — used chiefly of horses 3 a : coy , bashful , shy b : marked by extreme caution : fearful , wary <old wooden bridges that were a nightmare for skittish drivers — Jack Westeyn> — skit·tish·ly adverb — skit·tish·ness noun , plural -es

replete

1 a : fully or abundantly provided : well supplied <the race itself is replete with thrills, sometimes with spills — American Guide Series: Indiana > < replete with hard and book-learned words, impressively sonorous — R. W. Southern> b : fully or richly charged, imbued, or impregnated <a warmly affectionate book, replete with both human and religious value — Frances Witherspoon> <a life replete with charm — P. E. More> 2 a : filled <a thin limestone bed replete with characteristic echinoids — Science > b : abundantly fed : gorged , surfeited <could not face the thought of being replete in a starving world — A. L. Guérard> c : filled out : fat , stout <richly and healthily replete , though with less of his substance in stature; a frankly fat gentleman — Henry James †1916> 3 : complete , full <the text is too replete to be used in abbreviated survey or cultural courses — Review of Scientific Instruments >

contentious

1 a : given to contention : marked by an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes <a contentious nature> b : engaged in, employed in, or serving to carry on contention < contentious language> < contentious objection> <the most contentious , quarrelsome, disagreeing crew — George Berkeley> 2 : likely to cause contention : apt to arouse argument, conflict, or marked difference of opinion <a contentious argument> <a contentious issue> 3 : relating to or involving the litigation of differences between contending parties

garrulous

1 a : given to conversation : loquacious , talkative < garrulous ... when talking of war or of his own experiences — C. S. Forester> b : characterized by long-winded or diffuse statements : wordy <all day garrulous speeches had echoed from the tribune — Newsweek > c : full of rambling detail : chatty <this delightfully garrulous volume of memoirs — Book-of-the-Month Club News > 2 : suggestive of or having the effect of loquacity <ruins ... garrulous of better days — John Ruskin>

presumptive

1 a : giving grounds for reasonable opinion or belief < presumptive evidence> <an extremely strong presumptive case is made out — J. A. Hobson> b : based on probability or presumption <the presumptive heir> 2 [probably from Late Latin praesumptivus ] archaic : presumptuous 3 : based on inference : apparent , presumed <the presumptive visit cannot be established as certain> 4 embryology a : expected to develop in a particular direction under normal conditions < presumptive region of the blastula> b : being the embryonic precursor of < presumptive neural tissue>

bullion

1 a : gold or silver considered merely as so much metal without regard to any value imparted to it by its form <the bullion contained in a silver dollar> specifically : uncoined gold or silver in the shape of bars, ingots , or comparable masses b : metal in the mass <lead bullion > 2 obsolete : a place where precious metals are tested, minted, or exchanged 3 obsolete : an ornamental metal boss used on harness, jewelry, or other objects 4 a : lace of gold or silver threads used especially formerly in church vestments, robes of state, or other formal costumes b : cord with a core usually of wire or cotton covered with textile or metal threads of gold, silver, or other color and used especially to form braids or twisted fringes (as for military insignia or ornamentation); also : braid or fringe so made 5 : bull's-eye 4a

dire

1 a : exciting horror or terror especially because of the great suffering or loss or devastating ruin actually caused or only threatened <the dire days of bombing raids> <if South America were to seek her imports elsewhere, it would be a dire blow to us — Gustave Weigel> <the dire fate which the Lord had seen fit to visit upon her sinful employers — W. H. Wright> b : inducing mental suffering or depression by reason of concern with a dreaded eventuality or a grievous circumstance : afflictive , painful <palsied by the dire news of the president's death> c : oppressive to the feelings or spirit : dismal , cheerless <the heavy drag of winter is then at its most dire — F. M. Ford> <despite its dire point of view, the book jests and jostles with life — Time > 2 : warning of disaster to come : ominous , sinister <in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease proposals to substitute vaccination for eradication evoked dire forecasts> 3 a : demanding immediate action to fend off disastrous consequences : exigent , urgent <spokesmen talked about the dire need for school buildings, which had been at least equally dire during the previous two years — W. L. Miller> <this was due to dire necessities elsewhere and not to direct intent or indifference — Herbert Feis> b : close to the utmost limit of sufferance : most acute : extreme , desperate <scope is left for instantaneous action, but only in the direst emergency — A. P. Ryan> <while their means were always modest there was no trace of dire poverty — J. T. Ellis> <left his family in dire financial straits>

rife

1 a : existing generally : prevalent <similar magical practices were rife in antiquity — J. G. Frazer> <speculation was rife as to a possible alliance — Americana Annual > <manipulation in the stock was rife — Harold Wincott> <disease and starvation were rife — Collier's Year Book > b : commonly reported : current <rumors of overwhelming evidence to convict him were rife — George Meredith> <legends were rife of its extraordinary wealth — John Buchan> c : frequently heard or used <what's the adage rife in man's mouth — Robert Browning> 2 a : abundant , plentiful , numerous <a considerable poet himself in days when poets were rife — O. S. J. Gogarty> <genius ... is nearly extinct, and talent is unprecedentedly rife — G. D. Painter> <berets are rife here — Lois Long> b : rank , strong <in the deep jungle ... everything was damp and rife and hot — Norman Mailer> <when issues are hotly contested and prejudices are rife — F. L. Mott> 3 : abounding , replete — usually used with with <the district is rife with legends — Richard Joseph> <the science of animal behavior is rife with controversy — Scientific American Reader > 4 dialectal : quick , ready , inclined <could see that Katty's eyes were rife for mischief — Daniel Corkery>

extraneous

1 a : existing or originating outside or beyond : external in origin : coming from the outside < extraneous light in a camera> <protecting the contents of the container from extraneous moisture> <no premiums or other extraneous inducements> b : brought in, introduced, or added from an external source or point of origin <a valley bottom covered with extraneous soil> <relying upon an extraneous income> 2 a : not forming an essential or vital part : not belonging to something as a proper or natural part : not intrinsic : accidental , foreign < extraneous sounds> <they considered art to be extraneous to reality> <a ballet that struck me as extraneous and somewhat out of keeping with the rest of the play — Wolcott Gibbs> < extraneous incidents in a novel> <a building with extraneous ornamentation> b : having little or no relevance : irrelevant : not pertinent <an unexpected and altogether extraneous remark> <an extraneous digression> c : having little or no interdependence or connection : unrelated <a series of extraneous books> < extraneous events> 3 : being a number obtained in solving an equation that is not a solution of the equation < extraneous roots>

penury

1 a : extreme poverty : privation b : absence of resources : scantiness 2 : penuriousness

canny

1 a : foresighted , knowing , wise b : cautious , prudent , wary c : clever , cunning , sly d : frugal , thrifty e : shrewd in worldly affairs : watchful for self-interest : sharp-witted 2 Scottish a : fortunate , lucky b : free from weird qualities or unnatural powers : safe to deal with — used in a negative construction c : wise in supernatural affairs : having occult powers 3 a Scottish : careful , gentle , steady b Scottish : comfortable , cozy , quiet , snug c dialectal, British : agreeable to the eyes or perception : pleasant , worthy — used as a general term of approbation d dialectal, England : considerable especially in extent, number, or amount

secular

1 a : of or relating to the worldly or temporal as distinguished from the spiritual or eternal : not sacred : mundane < secular affairs> < secular occupations> b : not overtly or specifically religious < secular rites> < secular music> < secular drama> c : of or relating to the state as distinguished from the church : civil < secular courts> < secular jurisdiction> <the champion of the secular power — A. J. Toynbee> d : of or relating to the laity as distinguished from the clergy : nonclerical , lay <the secular landowners> < secular benefactors> e : not formally related to or controlled by a religious body <the greater number of secular than denominational schools in the country> f : rationally organized around impersonal and utilitarian values and patterns and receptive to new traits <our modern industrialized secular society> — called also sacred g : of, relating to, or advocating secularism : secularist <the disenchantment of absolute faiths which expresses itself in the secular outlook of modern man — Louis Wirth> — see also secular humanism 2 a : living in the world : not living in a monastery or religious community : not bound by monastic vows or rules <a secular priest> <the secular clergy> — opposed to regular —compare monk 1 b : of or relating to clergy not bound by monastic vows < secular vestments> 3 [Latin saecularis ] a : coming or observed once in an age or a century < secular phenomena> b : existing or continuing through ages or centuries : agelong , centuried , diuturnal < secular oaks> < secular enmities> c : of or relating to a long-enduring process < secular change> <regions of the earth's surface where ... slow secular movements of the crust are still in progress — Endeavour > d : taking place within a century < secular fluctuation> <the secular variation in an astronomical position> e : requiring or taking ages (as for operation or completion) < secular forces> <the improvement of man is secular — John Tyndall> f : of or relating to a long term of indefinite duration <the secular trend of prices> <a secular increase in the quantity of money is required in a growing economy — Milton Friedman> —compare cyclical 2 g : recurring at intervals greater than one year < secular cycles in population pressure>

enumeration

1 a : the act of listing one after the other : detailing <the rebel leader's effective enumeration of popular grievances> : the act of mentioning as an item in a total or series <not so entwined with the government as to warrant enumeration as a separate element of the constitutional system — F. A. Ogg & Harold Zink> b : an itemized list or detailed or seriatim account : catalog <the modern way to learn English ... is to absorb a phrase-by-phrase enumeration of all that might be conceivably said in ordinary talk — J. M. Barzun> <a careful enumeration of the circumstances that led to the tragedy> <the author provides complete enumerations ... of the opinions of Cartesian scholars on disputed questions of interpretation — W. F. Doney> 2 a : the act of counting : numbering <as the faculty of speech developed ... the art of enumeration or counting would begin — J. A. N. Friend> b : a count of something (such as a population) : census <the decennial enumeration is only one of the many censuses it conducts — Current Biography > 3 logic : examination of the instances falling under a universal <total enumeration in perfect induction>

entree

1 a : the act or manner of entering : entrance <makes her entrée into society this spring> <making a graceful entrée into the parlor> b : freedom of access : permission or right to enter <he had entrée into the best society — Ludwig Bemelmans> <commented on the entrée which his son had with the president — J. P. Kennedy, born 1888> c : something that qualifies one for entrance : means of gaining access <the mere ... possession of money is no entrée — Bentz Plagemann> <a thief-girl ... who served as an entrée to underworld circles in that city — D. W. Maurer> 2 a : a dish served between the main courses b : a made dish served before the roast in England c : the principal dish of the meal in the U.S. <this chicken casserole is an excellent entrée > 3 a obsolete : a short musical composition in slow march rhythm, usually in two repeated parts, often accompanying the entry of a procession in an opera or ballet b : the opening movement of an opera or ballet following the overture c : an introductory musical movement of any kind 4 : one of the ballet numbers in a divertissement

simulation

1 a : the act or process of simulating : imitation , pretense <the simulation of tigers by the rainmakers at the grave may be intended to intimidate the dead man — J. G. Frazer> <flung her arms around his neck with an almost perfect simulation of surprise and spontaneity — Louis Auchincloss> b : a sham object : counterfeit <bogus gilt dadoes ... and other simulations — Janet Flanner> 2 : willful deception : collusion , misrepresentation 3 : one that shows a superficial resemblance : analogue <the simulation of a black mask on the face of a raccoon> <a shabby room that still gave a simulation of elegance> 4 a : the imitative representation of the functioning of one system or process by means of the functioning of another <a computer simulation of an industrial process> b : examination of a problem often not subject to direct experimentation by means of a simulator (such as a programmed computer)

leverage

1 a : the action or mechanical effect of a lever <its weight is greatly aggravated by the leverage caused by its projection — Harper's > b : an arrangement or system of levers 2 : effectiveness , power , influence <would have had little bargaining leverage while the blast furnaces were cold — Christian Science Monitor > <serious criticism has failed of leverage — Louis Kronenberger> 3 : the intensified speculative effect of market fluctuations on a company's common stock caused by its outstanding bonds and preferred stock on which the interest rate is fixed <the majority of the large closed-end companies do have senior securities outstanding in varying amounts, and accordingly the companies have varying degrees of leverage — H. V. Prochnow> 4 a : borrowed money or its use to supplement capital or to increase the earning power of a relatively small investment b : the ability of a small investment to produce a large return < leverage is so great with any options strategy that ... this portfolio can double in just a few months — M. G. Ansbacher> c : the advantage gained by using leverage <it gave business healthy leverage : business could do more with less of its own money — Chris Welles> 5 : the ratio of debt to equity <three other critical performance measures: return on assets, leverage , and return on equity — Business Week >

caliber

1 a : the bore diameter of the barrel of a weapon (as a firearm) measured in rifled arms from land to land — compare land diameter b : the diameter of the projectile fired from such a weapon c : the land-to-land diameter of the bore of a piece of ordnance used as a unit of measurement for stating the length of the tube of the piece — now used only of naval and coastal defense guns <a 3″/50 gun is 3″ in bore and 50 calibers or 150″ long> 2 : the diameter of a round or cylindrical body; especially : the internal diameter of a tube or hollow cylinder 3 obsolete : degree of importance or station in society : rank 4 a : degree in personal qualities (as mental capacity or breadth of knowledge) or moral qualities <a man of high intellectual caliber > b : degree of excellence or importance : quality <the caliber of instruction> 5 : the model number given to a watch movement by the factory

antithesis

1 a : the rhetorical opposing or contrasting of ideas by means of grammatically parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences (such as action , not words or they promised freedom and provided slavery ); broadly : a balanced contrast formed by a pair or several pairs of objects or concepts, each member in a pair being the opposite of the other in essence or in particulars <the antithesis of prose and verse> b (1) : the second of the two opposing constituents of an antithesis < antithesis opposed to thesis> (2) : an object or concept that counteracts or contradicts another <that mystic faith in unseen powers which is the antithesis of materialism — Rose Macaulay> : the direct opposite : contrary <his temperament is the very antithesis of mine> 2 : a philosophical proposition opposed to a given thesis a Kantianism : the negative member of one of the antinomies of reason b Hegelianism : the negative moment in the movement of thought that denies the thesis and is in turn transcended in the synthesis

cornice

1 a : the typically molded and projecting horizontal member that crowns an architectural composition; specifically : the uppermost of the three members of a classic entablature —see entablature illustration b : the top course of the wall when treated as a finish or crowning member c : a member in a piece of furniture resembling a cornice 2 : a decorative band of metal or wood used to conceal curtain fixtures —compare valance 1 3 : an overhanging mass of snow, ice, or rock usually on a ridge or at top of a couloir

Grand slam

1 a : the winning of all the tricks of one hand in a card game (as bridge) b : the winning of all or specified tournaments in a sport at one time or in one season 2 : a home run made with the bases loaded

allegory

1 a : the written, oral, or artistic expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human conduct or experience (as in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Spenser's Faerie Queene ) b : an instance of such expression <a poetic allegory > 2 : something resembling or suggestive of an allegory in its effect : symbolic representation : emblem <an organization that stands as an allegory of cooperation>

constitute

1 a : to appoint to an office, function, or dignity <legal authority constitutes all magistrates> < constituted authorities> b : to make (a person or thing) something <he constituted himself their guide> 2 archaic : to set or station in a situation, state, character : place <the fiery star of Mars constituted in the midst of heaven — John Gaule> 3 : to set up : establish : such as a : to put into force (as a law) : enact <such regulations as are constituted by the government> b : found < constitute a social club for immigrants> : formally establish < constitute a provisional government> <in 1833 Ceylon had been constituted a British crown colony — Current Biography > c : to give due or lawful form to (as a proceeding or document) : legally process <an agreement constituted by writing> d : to cause (as a trait) to become fixed : determine 4 : to make up (the element or elements of which a thing, person, or idea is made up) : form , compose <52 cards constitute a pack> <vivacity constitutes her greatest charm>

mar

1 a : to detract from the good condition or perfection or wholeness or beauty of : cause to be injured or damaged or defaced or blemished : spoil , impair <will in no way mar the enjoyment of your stay — Richard Joseph> <is too good a book to be marred by small defects — R. A. Smith> <all these gifts and qualities ... were marred by prodigious faults — Virginia Woolf> <left a smudge that marred the lustrousness of the piano's polished surface> <the scenic beauty of this region is now marred by commercial signs — American Guide Series: Tennessee > b archaic : to inflict serious bodily harm on : severely disfigure : mutilate , mangle c obsolete : to bring to utter destruction : cause to be completely ruined 2 archaic : to get in the way of : hamper , impede , block 3 obsolete : bewilder , perplex

circumscribe

1 a : to draw a line around : encompass with or as if with a line < circumscribe a word on a page> <a voyage that circumscribes the world> b : to surround by or as if by a boundary : bound <that the American nation was not to be circumscribed by narrow isthmuses and gulf streams — Encyclopedia Americana > 2 : to set limits or bounds to: such as a : to constrict the range or activity of < circumscribe a heart patient's activity> <a London physician whose round of practice remained among the poor and was circumscribed by poverty — H. V. Gregory> b : to define, mark off, or demarcate carefully <rulership by the best and wisest under well-considered laws, circumscribed by a written constitution — V. L. Parrington> 3 a : to be drawn around (as a geometrical figure) so as to touch at as many points as possible <a curve circumscribing a polygon> b : to draw (as a line) around something < circumscribe a circle around a triangle> —compare inscribe 4

engulf

1 a : to flow over and enclose : overwhelm <a man engulfed by fear> <the mounting seas threatened to engulf the island> b : to take in (food) by or as if by flowing over and enclosing <the amoeba engulfs particulate matter with its pseudopodia> <snakes engulf their food whole> 2 : to plunge (as oneself) into something < engulfing himself in the political mire> <to be engulfed in the whirling, curving, backing fleet of cars at the station — Eve Langley>

bequeath

1 a : to give or leave by will : give by formal declaration so that the thing given passes into ownership of the recipient after the death of the donor : give by testament — used especially of personalty — compare devise b : to hand down (as to successors or posterity) : transmit <politicosocial myths bequeathed to us by the 19th century — Ignazio Silone> 2 archaic : to consign trusting that the recipient will accept and take care of that which is consigned : entrust , commend 3 obsolete : to assign or make over by formal declaration so as to give the recipient immediate possession : transfer ownership of

begrudge

1 a : to give reluctantly <the government did not begrudge the millions spent on flood control> b : to yield or concede with displeasure <they begrudged every minute taken from their work> 2 a : to look upon or acknowledge with reluctance, hesitation, or disapproval <we shall not begrudge this exquisite soul the pleasure of his sensations — C. I. Glicksberg> b : to be annoyed by or take little pleasure in <he begrudged reading newspapers because it meant taking " time from Tacitus and Horace " — E. W. Parks> 3 : to envy the pleasure or enjoyment of <no one ... has ever begrudged his recreations — J. E. Sayers> — be·grudg·er noun , plural be·grudg·ers <Amis's readers are divided between fans and begrudgers by the simple fact that he is the most expansively gifted prose stylist of his generation. — Richard Bradford, The Spectator , 6 Feb. 2010>

relegate

1 a : to send into exile : banish b : to put out of sight or mind : consign to insignificance or oblivion < relegate this sofa to the trash heap> <details relegated to the footnotes> c : degrade , demote <in the oldest Neolithic settlements ... hunting has been relegated to a secondary role — V. G. Childe> <the living tongues are relegated to a lower plane than Greek and Latin — C. H. Grandgent> 2 : to consign by classifying or appraising <muscular atrophies ... are not properly relegated to the group of neuromuscular disorders — W. A. D. Anderson> <no wrong is done to a great and influential work by relegating it to rhetoric, to philosophy — René Wellek & Austin Warren> 3 : to submit or refer for decision, judgment, or execution <smaller companies can relegate the job of planning to a semiclerical level — E. J. Mann> <much of the work was relegated to special committees>

notional

1 a : having an abstract or speculative character : not based on fact or empirical investigation : theoretical <distinguishes between ... notional assent and apprehension and real assent and apprehension — Times Literary Supplement > <a notional figure of cost is given to them so that they may determine their production costs — Packet Foods > <more notional than empirical> b archaic : given to speculation or holding speculative views 2 : existing in the mind only : visionary , imaginary , unreal <is fictional only, as furnishing ... a repository and notional vehicle for the later transfer of title — McLean v. Keith > 3 a : given to, marked by, or reflecting foolish or fanciful moods or ideas : whimsical , crotchety <subject to all the notional vagaries of childhood — Gerald Beaumont> <ships weren't notional — Richard Hallet> <both reactionary and notional to reject so much of modern history — L. P. Curtis> b dialectal : being of the opinion <I'm notional that there is something queer afoot — S. H. Adams> 4 a : of, relating to, or being a notion or idea <can improve notional comprehension — J. T. Clark> b (1) : carrying a full meaning of its own : having descriptive value in presenting an idea of a thing or quality < has is notional in he has luck , relational in he has gone > (2) : of or representing what exists or occurs in the world of things as distinguished from syntactic categories <sex is a notional , gender a syntactic category> — no·tion·al·i·ty \ ˌ nōshə ˈ nalətē\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -es — no·tion·al·ly \ ˈ nōshən ə lē, -shnəl-, -i\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

tenacious

1 a : having parts or elements strongly adhering to each other : not easily pulled apart : cohesive , tough <her ships provided a slender, but very tenacious , link between East and West — R. W. Southern> <a tenacious metal> b : tending to adhere to another substance : adhesive , sticky , viscous <slippers stuck fast in the tenacious yellow clay and were nearly dragged off my feet — Mary S. Broome> < tenacious sputum> 2 a : holding fast or tending to hold fast : persistent in maintaining or adhering to something valued or habitual (such as an opinion, purpose, or way of life) : very determined <a tenacious advocate of civil rights> < tenacious competitors> <a mind not gifted to discover truth but tenacious to hold it — T. S. Eliot> <here ... men are slow of speech, tenacious of opinion, and averse ... to innovation of any sort — C. B. Nordhoff & J. N. Hall> b : retentive <combined an encyclopedic knowledge with a tenacious memory — C. M. Fuess> — te·na·cious·ly adverb <fought tenaciously > < " Well, I'm going to try my way first, " said Anne, who had a fairly strong will of her own and was apt to cling very tenaciously to her theories. — Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea , 1909 > — te·na·cious·ness noun <As a method actor, she internalizes the problems and attitudes of her role, and hangs on to them with a terrier's tenaciousness [= (more commonly) tenacity ] ... — Michael Ryan, People Weekly , 11 Feb. 1985>

truncated

1 a : having the apex replaced by a plane section and especially by one parallel to the base <volcanic mountains ... bluntly truncated , owing to the whole top of the original cone having been blown away — C. A. Cotton> b : having the edges or corners cut off by a line or plane — compare beveled <transformed into truncated spheres — D. W. Van Krevelen & Johannes Schuyer> 2 a : abbreviated by or as if by lopping : cut short : curtailed < truncated headlands ... are products of wave erosion — C. L. White & G. T. Renner> <the present disc ... includes the whole of the usually truncated orchestral introduction — Edward Sackville-West & Desmond Shawe-Taylor> <words truncated by his impatience — Frances Winwar> b : marred by mutilation : maimed , mangled <a truncated body> <the truncated economy ... must be made to grow new industrial limbs — Time > <such a truncated quotation does not do justice to the ... argument — Nation > c : lacking an expected or normal element (as a syllable) at beginning or end : acephalous , catalectic <a truncated line of verse> 3 : squared off at the end; specifically : truncate

constitutional

1 a : having to do with, inherent in, or affecting the constitution or structure of body or mind < constitutional symptoms> < constitutional strength> b : of benefit to or intended to benefit one's physical or mental makeup <a constitutional stroll> 2 : having to do with, belonging to, or forming the composition or makeup of something : essential <the very constitutional part of a system> 3 : in accordance with or authorized by the constitution of a state or a society < constitutional reforms> < constitutional limitations> < constitutional rights> 4 : regulated by, dependent on, or ruling according to a constitution or constitutional forms limiting arbitrary or absolute power < constitutional monarchy> < constitutional government> < constitutional democracy> 5 : of, relating to, or dealing with a constitution < constitutional crisis> < constitutional theory> or its interpretation, formulation, or amendment < constitutional assembly> < constitutional court> 6 : loyal to or supporting the existing constitution or established form of government <they organized a constitutional faction>

musty

1 a : impaired by damp or mildew : moldy < musty relic> b : tasting of mold < musty wine> c : smelling of damp and decay : fusty <a pathetic air of dilapidation ... and a musty , shut-up smell — George du Maurier> 2 a : trite , dull , stale <the proverb is something musty — Shakespeare> b : antiquated , superannuated < musty statute> <a musty clerk on a high stool>

amenable

1 a : liable to be brought to account or judgment : liable to the legal authority of : answerable , accountable <is it to be contended that the heads of departments are not amenable to the laws — John Marshall> <offenses amenable to the ecclesiastical judicature — Herman Melville> b : liable to a claim or charge <was amenable to the accusation> 2 a : capable of submission (as to a judgment or test) < amenable to the comparatively small-scale form of enquiry — K. E. Read> < amenable data> b : readily brought to yield or submit : responsive , tractable <a personality amenable to our desires — Mary Austin> <an amenable view on matters of mutual concern — Robert Trumbull> c : agreeable or willing <Many agents have thus pushed for a term of license of just a few years. Publishers, however, are not always amenable . — Steven M. Zeitchik, Publishers Weekly , 14 June 1999> — usually + to <She was amenable to the idea of working from home.> <It follows, Europeans say, that Israel should feel more comfortable and secure, and so more amenable to serious negotiations. — John Newhouse, New Yorker , 2 Sept. 1991>

lucre

1 a : monetary gain : profit , reward b : money <set aside some lucre for shopping and souvenirs — Winston Brebner> 2 archaic : the process of gaining : acquisition — used especially in the phrase lucre of gain

dissident

1 a : not agreeing : dissenting : not concurring <psychological theory, like economic theory, is in the hands of several dissident schools — J. S. Gambs> especially : differing often contentiously with an established political or religious system or belief of a country or people < dissident elements within the Thai navy attempted to overthrow Pibul's regime — Current Biography > <the aristocrats and dissident politicians demanded that the army demagogue be removed — D. M. Friedenberg> b : quarrelsome , contentious <what a united, aggressive minority can do to a dissident , lethargic majority — Time > 2 : clashingly unharmonious <an aesthetic jungle of dissident , competing buildings — Lewis Mumford> — dis·si·dent·ly \-əntlē, -li\ adverb

impotent

1 a : not potent : lacking in power, strength, or vigor : deficient in capacity : weak , powerless <he liked to be bad and see them all impotent to correct him — Stuart Cloete> <its impotent ruling classes — Edward Shils> <a relatively impotent preparation of penicillin> <a lame and impotent , and a trite, conclusion — Howard M. Jones> b : unable to copulate : wanting in procreative power; broadly : sterile — usually used of males 2 [Latin impotent-, impotens ] obsolete : incapable of self-restraint : ungovernable , violent

parietal

1 a : of or relating to the walls of a part or cavity < parietal peritoneum> — compare visceral b : of, relating to, or located in the upper posterior part of the head; specifically : relating to either of the pair of bones that form the cranial roof of this part of the skull 2 of a plant part : peripheral in location or orientation; especially : attached to the main wall rather than the axis or a cross wall of an ovary — used of an ovule or a placenta 3 : of or relating to life within college walls or its order and regulation; especially : of or relating to the visitation regulations for members of the opposite sex in dormitories 4 : of, relating to, or appearing on a wall <upon the wall ... some work of parietal art — G. B. Brown>

viaduct

1 : a bridge especially when resting on a series of narrow reinforced concrete or masonry arches, having high supporting towers or piers, and carrying a road or railroad over a valley, river, road, or other low-lying obstruction — compare trestle 2 : a steel bridge made up of short spans carried on high steel towers

fester

1 : a suppurating sore : pustule , abscess 2 : pus from an abscess

tic

1 : a convulsive motion of some muscles especially of the face usually resulting from nervous habit : twitching 2 : obsession , fixation 3 : a frequent usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech

acoustics

1 : a science that deals with the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of sound and of the phenomena of hearing 2 a also acoustic : the aggregate of qualities (as absence of echo or reverberation) of an enclosure (as an auditorium) or other area that affects production, control, transmission, reception, and perception of sound : acoustic properties or peculiarities : acoustic environment <the acoustics of this room are excellent> <in the clear, dead acoustic of such halls every musical fault is audible — Virgil Thomson> b : the science of planning, building, equipping, or using an enclosure or other area with the object of achieving good acoustics

specter

1 : a visible disembodied spirit : apparition , ghost , phantom 2 : a ghostly and usually fear-inspiring vision of the imagination : something that haunts or persistently perturbs the mind : phantasm <the specter of want> 3 a : stick insect b or specter crab : glass crab c : specter shrimp

duplex

1 : having two parts or elements : double , twofold : such as a of a machine tool or other device : having two parts that operate at the same time or in the same way where the simpler form has but one b of paper or paperboard (1) : consisting of two or more plies (2) : having two surfaces that differ in color, texture, or finish c of an electric cable : having two insulated conductors 2 genetics a : having or distinguished by two homologous dominant genes — used chiefly of autotetraploids — compare simplex b : having or characterized by two complementary polynucleotide strands < duplex DNA> 3 : allowing telecommunication in opposite directions simultaneously < duplex system> < duplex telephony> — distinguished from diplex

interlocutor

1 : one who takes part in dialogue or conversation 2 : a man in the middle of the line in a minstrel show who questions the end men and acts as leader 3 [Medieval Latin interlocutorium , from neuter of interlocutorius , adjective] Scots law : a judgment or order of a court whether interlocutory or finally determining the issues

hypocrisy

1 : the act or practice of pretending to be what one is not or to have principles or beliefs that one does not have <the passing stranger who took such a vitriolic joy in exposing their pretensions and their hypocrisy — Van Wyck Brooks> especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion <may admit that our conventional morality often serves as a cover for hypocrisy and selfishness — Lucius Garvin> 2 : an act or instance of hypocrisy <the little hypocrisies which are so frequently the rule rather than the exception in human contacts — Erle Stanley Gardner>

adventurism

1 : the actions or attitudes of an adventurer : disregard of accepted standards of behavior 2 [in part translation of Russian avantyurizm ] : adventurous , dangerous, capricious, or haphazard improvisation or experimentation : ill-considered or rash adoption of expedients in the absence or in defiance of consistent plans or principles <a personal adventurism which is using the whole labor situation as a stamping ground for his own hatreds — New Republic > <a policy of sheer adventurism >

semblance

1 : the appearance of a person or thing : outward show : form 2 : countenance , face , aspect 3 a : phantasmal form : apparition b : one that resembles another : image , likeness 4 : actual or apparent resemblance : similarity 5 : specious appearance : mere show <a somewhat different form of protectorate which has the semblance of a pact between equals — Atlantic > 6 : slightest appearance <without the semblance of an excuse>

extol

1 : to praise highly : glorify , laud , eulogize <they extol the largely nonexistent virtues of bygone eras — Adam Abruzzi> 2 obsolete : to lift up : raise up : elevate

wherewithal

1 archaic : wherewith 1 <take no thought, saying ... wherewithal shall we be clothed — Matthew 6:31 (Authorized Version)> 2 : out of or by means of which <the material wherewithal to have evolved this elegant creature, man — Weston La Barre>

tofu

: a soft food product prepared by treating soybean milk with coagulants (as magnesium chloride or diluted acids) — called also bean curd

prime rate

: an interest rate formally announced by a bank as the lowest normally available at a particular time to its most creditworthy customers

haiku

: an unrhymed Japanese poem of three lines containing 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively, referring in some way to one of the seasons of the year, and constituting a late 19th century development of the hokku; also : a poem written in the haiku form or a modification of it but in a language other than Japanese

ire

: anger , wrath <provocation enough to arouse the ire of a saint>

boorish

: characteristic of or relating to a boor : unrefined and insensitive : rude < boorish remarks> — boor·ish·ly adverb — boor·ish·ness noun , plural -es

consecrate

: consecrated , hallowed

avionics

: the development and production of electrical and electronic devices for use in aviation, especially of electronic control systems for aircraft and airborne weapons; also : the devices and systems so developed < avionics design and procurement>

providence

city in northern Rhode Island that is the state capital and a port at the head of the Providence River (a northern arm of Narragansett Bay) population 178,042

jell

intransitive verb 1 : to reach the consistency of jelly : congeal , set <the grapes jelled readily> 2 : to achieve distinctness : take shape : crystallize , solidify <romantic interludes that somehow fail to jell — Hoffman Birney> <both thought and expression require time to jell — A. T. Weaver> <long after the public's opinion has jelled — J. W. Irwin> transitive verb : to give distinctness to : cause to take form <it was this discovery which did most to jell his thought after it had been fluid during two decades — Hunter Mead>

verbalize

intransitive verb 1 : to speak or write verbosely 2 : to state something in words : make a verbal statement <this wondrous ability of each character to verbalize , to articulate so clearly and precisely his point of view — Arthur Knight> transitive verb 1 : to convert into a verb : verbify <a language in which nouns are freely verbalized > 2 : to express in speech : name or describe in words <doesn't verbalize his cockiness, but he has a kind of negative confidence — A. J. Liebling> <difficult to verbalize these pain experiences — Fredric Wertham>

commingle

intransitive verb : to mingle or mix together <the commingling in him of earthiness and sophistication — Robert Pick> transitive verb 1 : to mix together <savage ridicule, commingled with resentment — Jean Stafford> 2 : to combine (the funds or property of several individuals) into a common fund or stock (as for convenience of investment by a trust company)

adjudicate

transitive verb 1 a : to settle finally (the rights and duties of the parties to a court case) on the merits of issues raised : enter on the records of a court (a final judgment, order, or decree of sentence) b : to decide (as an interlocutory matter) arising prior to a final decision c : to make (a decision) final or interlocutory in the course of quasi-judicial proceedings — compare adjudge 2 : to pass judgment on : settle judicially : judge < adjudicating a dispute> intransitive verb : to come to a judicial decision : act as judge <the court adjudicated upon the case>

fray

transitive verb 1 archaic : frighten , scare , terrify 2 archaic : to frighten away : dispel intransitive verb archaic : brawl , quarrel , fight

calico

1 a obsolete : cotton cloth usually figured imported from India b : any of various cotton stuffs of European make c British : a plain white cotton fabric that is heavier than muslin d : any of various cheap cotton fabrics with figured patterns 2 : any of several plant diseases usually of virus origin characterized by leaf variegation: such as a : the mosaic disease of tobacco; also : a plant affected with this disease b : a virus disease of the potato c : a virus disease of celery 3 : a blotched or spotted animal: such as a : a horse with calico markings : piebald b : black crappie c : a goldfish of any fancy breed having thin transparent scales and a pigmented skin showing spots and blotches d or calico cat : a usually female domestic cat that is predominantly white with red and black patches <That's because for a cat to be a calico or tortoiseshell it must have two X chromosomes, and that means in the vast majority of cases it's going to be female. — Gina Spadafori, San Jose (California) Mercury News , 24 Nov. 1997> <A calico cat is a tortoiseshell with patches of white. — James Richards, Cat Watch , April 1998> 4 slang : girl , woman

florid

1 a obsolete : covered with or abounding in flowers : flowery b : embellished with flowers of rhetoric : excessively ornate : enriched to excess with or as if with figures <a florid literary style> < florid baroque architecture> c : musically ornate and embellished; especially : of or relating to counterpoint ( see counterpoint 1b ) that employs all the contrapuntal techniques traditionally permitted d : showy and gaudy and usually without solid worth or justification 2 a : flushed or tinged with red : ruddy : of a lively reddish color <a florid complexion> b : marked by emotional or sexual fervor <a florid secret life> <a florid sensibility> 3 : marked by health and vigor <a florid old age> : vigorous and flourishing <she was a picture of florid health> 4 of a disease : fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome < florid rickets>

officious

1 a obsolete : eager to serve or help : kind , obliging < officious humility of a heart devoted to the assistance merely of the inquisitive — Laurence Sterne> b obsolete : dutiful c obsolete : official , formal 2 : volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome <a college ... should excise officious administration ... in order to let learning happen — F. N. Davis> <shouting orders and generally making an officious nuisance of himself> 3 : having a connection with official matters or duties merely through the position of the speaker or doer or the nature of the matters or duties : of an informal or unauthorized nature : unofficial < officious conversation between foreign ministers> — opposed to official

molten

1 a obsolete : formed in a mold : cast b : fused or liquefied by heat : melted < molten lead was poured drop by drop from the top of the tower and ... solidified as lead shot — Linguaphone Magazine > <volcanoes pour forth ... molten basalt — R. W. Murray> < molten Parmesan cheese — C. S. Forester> 2 : having warmth or brilliance : heated , glowing <seething ... he set himself to compose a molten political pamphlet — Edgar Johnson> <the molten sunlight of warm skies — T. B. Costain> — mol·ten·ly adverb

bane

1 a obsolete : one that causes death : murderer , slayer b : poison <was there bane in that tea you did tell Tivvy to give Mother — Mary Webb> — see henbane , ratsbane c (1) : death , destruction <drink will be the bane of him> <money, thou bane of bliss, and source of woe — George Herbert> <the cup of deception spiced and tempered to their bane — John Milton> (2) : harm , woe <from deepest bane will he bring her back to highest blessing — George Meredith> 2 a : any pernicious or fatal element, feature, or flaw : curse <the aristocratic tradition embedded in British higher education is its bane — Bertrand Russell> <used cars have been called the bane of the automobile industry — C. W. Phelps> <this rage for novelty is the bane of literature — T. L. Peacock> b : a person who makes another completely miserable <the bane of my existence> : one that perversely or persistently spoils or thwarts <the pitcher was the bane of right-handed batters>

confound

1 archaic : to bring to ruin : destroy a : to inflict defeat on (as an army or adversary) b : to cause to fail : baffle < confound their politics, frustrate their knavish tricks — Henry Carey> 2 a : spoil , corrupt <their native speech was not confounded with a vulgarized spoken Latin — M. W. Baldwin> b obsolete : consume , waste <he did confound the best part of an hour in changing hardiment with great Glendower — Shakespeare> 3 a : to put to shame : discomfit , abash <the influence of ... El Greco ... lay dormant for centuries and rose to confound the critics of later times — Bernard Smith> b : to refute especially by argument or demonstration : overthrow <this new arm of science may corroborate or confound the theories of the universe — David England> 4 : to send to perdition : damn — used as a mild imprecation < confound it> 5 : to throw (a person) into confusion : strike with amazement : stupefy , perplex , confuse <attacks which confounded opponents with bewildering reverses [of direction] — Springfield ( Massachusetts ) Union > 6 : to ignore, overlook, or fail to discern a difference between (two or more things) : mistake (one thing) for another : confuse , mingle <they implored Charles not to confound the innocent with the guilty — T. B. Macaulay> 7 : to cause or to increase disorder in (an existing situation) <ruin upon ruin, rout on rout, confusion worse confounded — John Milton> <to divide Europe as the politicians have done is to invite confusion and to divide the frontier as the Europeans did is to confound the confusion — W. P. Webb>

preclude

1 archaic : to put a barrier before : shut up : hinder , stop , impede , close 2 : to shut out or obviate by anticipation : prevent or hinder by necessary consequence or implication : deter action of, access to, or enjoyment of : make ineffectual <the adoption of one choice often necessarily precludes the use of another — C. I. Glicksberg> <engagements ... preclude the principal from extending this trip — D. L. Gales>

repose

1 archaic : to put away or set down : deposit 2 : to place (as confidence or trust) : set — usually used with in < repose full confidence in their leader — T. B. Macaulay> <the complete trust reposed in him and his policies — Newsweek > 3 : to place for control, management, or use < reposes the judicial power in a supreme court — American Guide Series: Louisiana >

terrain

1 archaic : a geographical location : spot 2 a (1) : a geographical area : region , territory <explosions ... spread a large amount of ash over the surrounding terrain — Report: Smithsonian Institution > (2) : a piece of earth : ground <bump along the terrain right up to the clubhouse — W. B. Furlong> b : the physical features of a tract of land : contour , topography <analysis of terrain in aerial photos in different seasons — Ragnar Thoren> c : a physical environment of various kinds <a terrain of water that covered almost four million square miles — Wirt Williams> d : an area devoted to a specified activity <the entire Union became a racing and breeding terrain — John Hervey> 3 : terrane 1 4 a : a defined range of subject matter : field of knowledge <travel lightly but skillfully over the whole terrain of economics — S. E. Harris> b : a sphere of action : arena <transferred the terrain of theological controversy from the learned tractate to the popular pamphlet — Helen Sullivan>

witticism

1 archaic : a mean, sarcastic, or contemptible gibe : jeer 2 : a witty saying, sentence, or phrase : a clever of amusing expression : a piece of wit

placard

1 archaic : a piece of armor plate (as a breastplate or backplate) <pulled down his visor and clasped it to the placard — Horace Smith> specifically : placcate 1 2 a obsolete : an authorization or permit bearing an official seal b archaic : an official edict or proclamation 3 a : a notice or announcement printed on one side of a sheet for posting in a public place : poster , sign <every travel agent ... has some sort of placard in his window advertising one of the sightseeing tourist itineraries — Richard Joseph> b : a small card or metal plaque <a placard on the door says " no admittance " > <leather belts with plain brass placards or initialed — New Yorker > <a placard on the fuselage lists performance data>

conservatory

1 archaic : a place for the preservation or safekeeping of things 2 : a greenhouse sometimes attached to a dwelling for growing or displaying plants 3 [Italian conservatorio , from conservato (past participle of conservare to keep, preserve, maintain) (from Latin conservatus ) + -orio -ory (from Latin -orium )] : a school of music and sometimes other performing arts — called also conservatoire

usury

1 archaic : a premium or increase paid or stipulated for a loan of money or goods : interest <thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother — Deuteronomy 23:19 (Authorized Version)> 2 : the lending out of money with an interest charge for its use : the taking or practice of taking interest 3 : an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest; specifically : interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money

plaintively

1 archaic : afflicted with grief or sadness : lamenting , pining <the aimless dead plaintive for Earth — Rupert Brooke> 2 : expressive of suffering or woe : sorrowful , melancholy <he sighed, his voice became plaintive — Aldous Huxley> < plaintive songs ... about green hills and pines in the night wind and lonesomeness and dying away from home — R. O. Bowen> <the clarinet sings, in its eerie plaintive tone — Sara R. Watson> — plain·tive·ly \-tə ̇ vlē, -li\ adverb — plain·tive·ness \-tivnə ̇ s, -tēv- also -təv-\ noun , plural -es

escapade

1 archaic : escape from, evasion of, or flight from control or confinement 2 : an adventure or experience involving action that runs counter or set rules of conservative behavior or approved or orthodox conduct : a piece of mischief : a daring act or unusual experience <childish escapades on Halloween> <the escapades of the hero in the wilds of Tibet> <he ... crossed to Greece, where he was initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries, an odd escapade for one of his character — John Buchan>

grandeur

1 archaic : greatness of power or position <exalted to this prodigious grandeur , Alexander was at the time of his death little more than thirty-two years old — George Grote> 2 a : personal greatness characterized chiefly by dignity of character, largeness of spirit, or significant scope of accomplishment <in those rural epics ... the descendants lose the grandeur of those who first settled on the land — Sidney Alexander> <the moral grandeur of the pioneer — C. I. Glicksberg> b : dignity and sublimity (as of style) <that lofty grandeur of the diction of the English Bible — J. L. Lowes> <the sweetness or the grandeur expected of religious music — Time > <the inability of men to sustain the grandeur of their own ideal conceptions — Times Literary Supplement > 3 a : the quality of being majestic, magnificent, splendid, stately, or imposing in an awe-inspiring way especially to the view <a scenic grandeur in the wide view of mountains and valleys> <the grandeur of the wild wintry seas — L. D. Stamp> <the former grandeur of the queer castlelike homes of the Victorian era — American Guide Series: Tennessee > b : an instance of such a quality <the most delightful of southern towns was almost certain to mix a little squalor with its grandeurs — Donald Davidson>

vivacious

1 archaic : having vigorous powers of life : tenacious of life : long-lived <the faith of Christianity is far more vivacious than any mere ravishment of the imagination — Issac Taylor> 2 : lively in temper or conduct : sprightly <in contrast to the dour, lethargic ... orang, the chimpanzee is highly active, vivacious — Weston La Barre> <a strong vivacious strain, a bright noonday song, full of health and assurance — John Burroughs>

down

1 archaic : hill ; often : a hillock of sand thrown up by the wind on or near a shore : dune 2 a : an undulating generally treeless upland with sparse soil — usually used in plural b downs or Downs plural : treeless chalk uplands along the south and southeast coast of England 3 or Down : a sheep of any breed originating in the downs of southern England typically being of good mutton conformation and producing moderately fine wool of medium length — compare southdown

garble

1 archaic : to sort or pick out : select the best parts of : cull 2 : to remove dross or dirt from : refine ; specifically : to sift impurities from (as spices) < garbled Tellicherry pepper ... sells for 1 ⁄ 4 ¢ a pound above the ungarbled — F. P. Tucker> 3 a : to make misleading selections from : deliberately pervert : distort <their disputes on the merits of these arguments have not been edifying, since both sides have been apt to garble the question — Gilbert Ryle> b : to mix up through accident or ignorance : mutilate , disarrange , jumble <statements ... garbled into absurdity when copied into the newspapers — Havelock Ellis> specifically : to introduce textual error into (a message) by inaccurate enciphering, transmitting, or receiving

vagary

1 archaic : journey , excursion , tour <permitted to make a walking vagary throughout all London — W. E. Andrews> 2 archaic : an aimless digression <presently would fall into a wordy vagary — Richard Baxter> 3 a obsolete : a departure from the regular, lawful, or proper course of conduct b : caper , frolic <into strange vagaries fell, as they would dance — John Milton> 4 : a departure from an expected, normal, or logical order or course: a : a capricious, eccentric, or unpredictable action <fearing to entrust his person to the vagaries of some erratic cabdriver — David Walden> b : a change that is hard to predict or explain <dependence of the schooner men upon the vagaries of weather — American Guide Series: Michigan > <made the best of the vagaries of circumstance — Rose Macaulay> <these prospects ... hinge on the vagaries of politics — Fortune > <independent of the vagaries of the international market — Vicki Baum> <passes through a series of vagaries and vicissitudes — John Barkham> c : a whimsical, fanciful, or extravagant idea or notion <his mind seemed ... to be abandoned to vagaries — S. H. Adams>

diffident

1 archaic : lacking trust : doubtful , distrustful 2 : lacking confidence in oneself : distrustful of one's own powers : timid 3 : characterized by modest reserve <one should feel diffident ... when offering to comment on any Hindu myth — Heinrich Zimmer>

abase

1 archaic : lower , depress : cast down < abase the eye> 2 : to lower or reduce in rank, office, prestige, or esteem : humble <whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased — Luke 14:11 (Authorized Version)> degrade

elaborate

1 archaic : produced by labor 2 a : planned or carried out with great care and exactness : worked out in detail : complex <the elaborate register of the inhabitants prevented tax evasion — John Buchan> <he began an elaborate calculation on his fingers — Dorothy Sayers> b : marked by complexity, fullness of detail, or ornateness : intricate , complicated < elaborate wood decorations, mansard roofs, and long porches — Fred Zimmer> c : painstaking , diligent <an elaborate collector of etchings> — elab·o·rate·ly adverb — elab·o·rate·ness noun , plural -es

quibble

1 archaic : pun 2 a (1) : something (as a line of reasoning adopted, an objection made, a distinction drawn, a point advanced) that evades, shifts from, or obscures the real point at issue in some discussion or argument by reason of centering on what is relatively unimportant and often petty or totally irrelevant and that is marked typically by hedging or equivocation <produces more quibbles and qualifications than it does direct answers — S. L. Payne> (2) : a minor objection or piece of criticism arising typically from an exaggerated tendency to find fault <had a few quibbles about the quality of the performance> b : argumentation, protestation, or criticism marked by or consisting of quibbles <in discussing this situation there is no room for quibble — W. H. Camp> <a procedure that is open to quibble >

belie

1 archaic : to tell lies about : defame by lies < belie a person shamefully> 2 obsolete : to deny the authority, presence, or validity of : reject 3 a : to give a false impression of <the rasping and combative voice ... which belied him because he was really friendly and good-humored — J. J. Mallon> b (1) : to stand in contrast to <a hard pair of eyes that belied his unmanly, almost effeminate face — Barnaby Conrad> (2) : to present an appearance that is not in agreement with <the imperturbable gentlemen ... nearly all belie their origins — Bill Wolf> 4 a : to prove false <the event has belied this reasoning — Walter Moberly> b : to run counter to : contradict <at first sight Home Term Court ... appeared to belie all the rosy things I had heard about it — Katherine T. Kinkead> 5 : to cover up : hide , disguise <an air of rural charm ... belies the community's industrial activity — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania >

fastidious

1 archaic : scornful , haughty 2 obsolete : disgusting , disagreeable 3 a : overly difficult to please : overly nice or delicate in matters of taste <grew fastidious with easy living> <highbrow critics who are so esoteric and so fastidious that they can talk only to a small circle of initiates — Granville Hicks> <a man falsely fastidious , finical, effeminate — Matthew Arnold> b : marked by a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude (as in matters of taste) <an extremely stylish and fastidious person> < fastidious about cleanness of the person> < fastidious attention to detail — Robert Evett> <a fastidious aristocrat by birth and habit, he was a fine critic both of art and music — F. J. Mather> : sensitive and particular <the fastidious puritanism of Virgil — John Buchan> < fastidious and well-bred and incurably polite — Elinor Wylie> <amahs and houseboys fastidious in white jackets and black trousers — New Yorker > c : reflecting a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude <an oar took shape with marvelous rapidity—trimmed and smoothed with a neatness almost fastidious — John Burroughs> <Europe's intellectuals, editorial writers, and theologically fastidious churchmen — Newsweek > <his fastidious regard for the court's dignity — John Mason Brown> 4 : having complex nutritional requirements — used of bacteria that grow only in specially fortified artificial culture media

automaton

1 archaic : something that has within itself the principle of its movements 2 a : a mechanism that is relatively self-moving b : a contrivance or figure that appears to imitate the motions of human beings or animals : robot <tiny wooden soldiers that could be wound with a key and that would then march stiffly along—wonderful little automatons > 3 : a machine or a controlling mechanism designed to follow automatically a predetermined sequence of operations or respond to encoded instructions and correct errors or deviations occurring during operation 4 : a creature whose actions are fixed, routine, and mechanical with little or no indication of active intelligence <dull unthinking human automatons >

doctrine

1 archaic : teaching , instruction <He ... said unto them in his doctrine , Hearken — Mark 4:2 (Authorized Version)> 2 a : something that is taught : something that is held, put forth as true, and supported by a teacher, a school, or a sect <the doctrine and lore of the early fathers> b : a principle or position or the body of principles in any branch of knowledge : a principle of faith : tenet , dogma <the doctrine of atoms> <Christian doctrine > c : a principle of law established through past decisions and interpretations <the doctrine of caveat emptor> d : a formulation of the principles on which a government proposes to base its actions or policy in some matter especially in the field of international relations <the Truman doctrine > <the Monroe doctrine > 3 obsolete : learning , knowledge

anomalous

1 archaic : unconformable , dissimilar — used with to 2 : deviating from a general rule, method, or analogy : abnormal , irregular <an anomalous verb> <in nature, the anomalous or lawless systems often are most interesting and instructive — Otto Glasser> <any hereditary peculiarity—as a supernumerary finger, or an anomalous shape of feature — Nathaniel Hawthorne> 3 : not conformable to established or accepted conceptions of fitness or harmonious combination: a : out of keeping with its recognized nature, characteristics, surroundings, or conditions of occurrence <a person on a heath in raiment of modern cut and colors has more or less an anomalous look — Thomas Hardy> <an anomalous figure in the world of politics> <an anomalous remark, coming from him> b : exhibiting or containing incongruous or often contradictory elements <one can explicate, in part, an apparently anomalous situation: structuralism and deconstruction seem in various ways opposed to one another — William V. Spansos et al > <in the anomalous position of being ranked second nationally ... but first in the world — New Yorker >

exorbitant

1 archaic : wandering or deviating from the normal or ordinary course : abnormal , irregular 2 : not within the orbit or scope of the law 3 a : exceeding in intensity, quality, force, power, scope, or size the customary, due, or appropriate limits <required an exorbitant quantity of fuel> excessive b of a price, charge, or rate : grossly exceeding normal, customary, fair, and just limits < exorbitant rent> < exorbitant profits>

scrutiny

1 archaic a : an act or instance of taking a formal vote by roll call or by secret ballot <the people went to a scrutiny and began to give their voices — Philemon Holland> b : an official examination (as by a committee) of the votes or ballots cast in a parliamentary election 2 a : a searching study or inquiry : close inspection : examination , investigation <fine old houses ... stand open to the scrutiny of the tourists — Monsanto Magazine > <survived the cold scrutiny and judicious pruning of the committee — R. S. Churchill> <are ... diplomats to be terrified by the prospect of future public scrutinies staged by politicians — C. L. Sulzberger> b : a searching look <the lynxlike scrutiny of counsel — L. P. Stryker> c : a close watch : surveillance <keeps public officials under constant public scrutiny — American Guide Series: Massachusetts > 3 a : a public examination of catechumens before baptism consisting of catechizings and exorcisms that form a part of the rite of baptism in the Roman Catholic Church b : an inquiry and examination preceding elevation to orders c : an ecclesiastical method of election by secret written ballot (as in a conclave)

vitriolic

1 chemistry : of or relating to vitriol : derived from or resembling vitriol <a vitriolic liquid> 2 : marked by a caustic biting quality : virulent <a vitriolic denunciation>

eerie

1 dialectal, British : affected with fear especially of the supernatural : frightened <when I sleep I dream, when I wake I'm eerie — Robert Burns> 2 : unusual, unexpected, or unnatural to such a degree as to inspire fear : weird , frightening <it is an eerie experience to drive for miles through ghostly ranks of ... cypress woods — American Guide Series: Florida > <an uncomfortable and eerie stillness had settled over the piazza — Alan Moorehead> also : strange , mysterious , uncanny <blue and yellow flames that at night cast an eerie glow over the landscape — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania > <the eeriest mystery in modern court records—a persistent riddle — Life > <the clarinet sings, in its eerie , plaintive tone — Sara R. Watson> 3 Scottish : gloomy , dismal

ream

1 dialectal, chiefly British : cream 2 dialectal, chiefly British : froth or foam on top of a liquid

conclave

1 obsolete : a private chamber : closet 2 a : a private meeting : a closed or secret assembly; especially : a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals secluded continuously in a set of apartments while engaged in choosing a pope b : a meeting especially of a group with shared or specialized interests (as a fraternal society) : conference , convention , gathering 3 a : the body of cardinals especially when considered in respect to their electoral function b : any authoritative group exercising wide discretionary powers <secret party conclaves that pick the candidates behind the scenes>

affectation

1 obsolete : a striving after : aspiration toward 2 obsolete : fondness , affection 3 : the act of taking up or especially displaying a feeling, attitude, opinion, or desire not natural to oneself or not genuinely felt <his love of music was mere affectation > <his affectation of righteous indignation fooled nobody> 4 : manner of speech or behavior not natural to one's actual personality or capabilities : artificiality of behavior especially in display of feelings <was there nothing in beautiful manners but foppery, prudery, starch, and affectation , with false pride overtopping all? — Van Wyck Brooks>

fore

1 obsolete : at an earlier time or period : formerly , previously 2 : in, toward, or adjacent to the front : forward <went fore to check his instruments> <the bolt struck fore of the mast> — see fore and aft

mint

1 obsolete : coin , money 2 a : a place (such as a factory) where coins are made <coinage by private mints was born of necessity — Abraham Kosoff> <the abbot ... owned the one-man mint of that town — John Craig> b : a government agency charged with making coins <the Royal Mint > <Director of the U.S. Mint > ◆ This sense of mint is capitalized when used with the name of a specific mint and either capitalized or lowercased when used by itself. 3 : a place where anything is manufactured or fabricated : a source of invention <a man ... that hath a mint of phrases in his brain — Shakespeare> 4 : a vast sum (as of money) : a great amount or supply <some of the scarce items cost a mint — T. H. Fielding> <you save a mint of money — advertisement > <he had a mint of faith in himself — Rosalind Duforet> 5 [ 3 mint ] : a coin or stamp in mint condition <20th century mints — advertisement >

alloy

1 obsolete : essential quality or character : standard 2 : degree of mixture with base metals : comparative purity (as of gold or silver) : fineness 3 a : a substance composed of two or more metals intimately mixed and united usually by being fused together and dissolving in each other when molten <brass is an alloy of copper and zinc> also : the state of union of the components b : a similar substance with metallic properties, sometimes with limited malleability and conductivity, formed by union of a metal and a nonmetal <steel is an alloy of iron and carbon> c archaic : an inferior metal mixed with a more valuable one <coins made of silver and alloy > 4 a : admixture that lessens value or detracts from quality b : an impairing alien element or part <no happiness is without alloy > <had his alloy , like other people, of ambition and selfishness — Rose Macaulay> 5 : any compound, mixture, or union of different things : amalgam <an ethnic alloy of many peoples>

cataract

1 obsolete : floodgate — used in plural <the rain descended for forty days, the cataracts ... of heaven being opened — John Milton> 2 [Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French cataracte , from Medieval Latin cataracta ; perhaps from its likeness to a portcullis in constituting an obstruction] : a clouding of the lens of the eye or of its capsule varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light 3 [Latin cataracta, catarractes waterfall] a obsolete : waterspout b : waterfall ; especially : a great fall of water over a precipice —compare cascade 1 c : steep rapids in a large river <the cataracts of the Nile> d : an overwhelming downpour or rush : flood < cataracts of rain poured down — C. S. Forester> <his cataract of eloquence — Herman Wouk> — cat·a·ract·al \ ¦ ka-tə- ¦ rak-t ə l\ adjective

husband

1 obsolete : husbandman 1 2 a : a married man < husband and wife should agree on how to budget the family income> b : a man who on the basis of his tribal or societal institutions is considered to be married <under the levirate a man was obliged to become the husband of his brother's widow> 3 a archaic : the manager of another's property : steward b : ship's husband 4 : one that uses thriftily or saves for future use : hoarder <barren husbands of the gold — S. V. Benét> <speaks his whole mind gaily, and is not the cautious husband of a part — W. B. Yeats>

bigot

1 obsolete : hypocrite ; especially : a superstitious religious hypocrite 2 : a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : a person who regards or treats the members of a group (such as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

wistful

1 obsolete : intent 2 a : full of timorous longing or unfulfilled desire : melancholy , yearning <those wistful little ads which the lovelorn ... place in the classified columns — E. B. White> <the wistful gaze of the explorer has turned upward to the clouds — Waldemar Kaempffert> b : inspiring wistfulness : reminiscently evocative <the wistful fragility of all new feeling — Marcia Davenport> <deserted buildings above which wistful flags fly bravely — George Haines> 3 : musingly sad : pensive , mournful <the sensitive and wistful response of a poet to the gentler phase of beauty — American Guide Series: Minnesota > <would fix her eyes on the distance in dreary contemplation, and her mind would follow her eyes, in a vacant and wistful regard — G. D. Brown> — wist·ful·ly \-fəlē, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

prolix

1 obsolete : marked by long duration : protracted <if the chain of consequences be a little prolix — Isaac Watts> 2 a : unduly prolonged or drawn out : diffuse , repetitious , verbose <very prolix , and bursting with subordinate sentences and clauses — Arnold Bennett> <a sprawling book, discursive and prolix — Brendan Gill> < prolix and often loose statements — Gail Kennedy> b : given to verbosity and diffuseness in speaking or writing : long-winded <the author can be awkward, stiff, and prolix — Newsweek > <was prolix with his pen — J. L. Motley> 3 archaic : long or extensive in measurement <with wig prolix , downflowing to his waist — William Cowper>

grit

1 obsolete : milling offals : the coarse parts of meal : chaff 2 grits plural but singular or plural in construction a : coarsely ground hulled grain (as maize, wheat, or rice) <had boiled grits fried with side meat for supper> — compare hominy b : coarsely ground soybean oil cake used as a protein-rich supplement in animal rations and some commercial food products

irresolute

1 obsolete : not resolved or solved : unexplained 2 a : uncertain how to act or proceed <stood irresolute waiting for some inspiration> b : lacking strength of purpose or decisiveness of character : weak and vacillating <a kindly man but very irresolute >

approbation

1 obsolete : proof , attestation , confirmation 2 a : act of approving formally or authoritatively : sanction <without the previous approbation of any public officer — T. B. Macaulay> specifically : official certification that a person is authorized to perform the functions of an ecclesiastic b : an assenting to anything usually with some degree of pleasure or satisfaction : commendation <one of his early books ... received the approbation of scholars — Current Biography > <deportment that wins approbation — George Meredith> <the pleasure of social approbation — Bertrand Russell> 3 obsolete : probation , novitiate , trial

expedite

1 obsolete : quick , speedy , prompt 2 obsolete : free from obstacles, impediments, or difficulties : unhampered , unimpeded 3 a obsolete : ready for action : alert b archaic : ready for use : handy 4 archaic : lightly equipped : unencumbered

appellation

1 obsolete : the act of appealing especially to a higher court or authority 2 archaic : the act of calling by a name 3 : a name or title by which a person, thing, or clan is called and known : designation <he had received the added appellation of Jerry — Charles Dickens> <none of us was well acquainted with the road; indeed, I could see nothing which was fairly entitled to that appellation — George Borrow> 4 [borrowed from French] : a geographical name (as of a viticultural region, village, or vineyard) under which a winegrower is authorized to identify and market wine; also : the area designated by such a name

aversion

1 obsolete : the physical or mental act of averting 2 [Late Latin aversion-, aversio , from Latin] a : a feeling of revulsion and repugnance towards something usually coupled with an intense desire to avoid or turn from it <what had been terror and dislike before, was now absolute aversion — Jane Austen> b : a firmly settled and vehement dislike : antipathy — used usually with to, for , or from <an aversion to crowds and crowd behavior — H. G. Wells> <he had the most unconquerable aversion for Tristram — Laurence Sterne> <a corpulency of the body, accentuated by an unhappy aversion from exercise — Ernest Barker> c : a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus <conditioning of food aversions by drug injection> 3 : a person or thing that is the object of aversion <Mrs. Susan Crosstitch, whom you know to be my utter aversion — Henry Fielding> <a writer whose pet aversion was the use of clichés> 4 : antagonism ( see antagonism 3 ) between colonies of microorganisms

debase

1 obsolete : to lower in esteem by verbal attack : disparage , vilify 2 : to lower in status or esteem < debase himself by physical labor> : put to a low or inferior use <a style debased by many imitators> 3 : to lower the quality or character of : cause to deteriorate <struggle with Hannibal had ... debased the Roman temper — John Buchan> 4 a : to reduce the intrinsic value of (a coin) by increasing the base-metal content b : to reduce the exchange value of (a monetary unit) : depreciate <During the Russian Revolution, the Socialists purposefully resorted to hyperinflation in order to debase the Russian ruble. — Wladyslaw John Cieslewicz, Chronicles of Culture , November 1985>

adjure

1 obsolete : to put on oath : induce by the penalty of a curse 2 : to charge or command solemnly as if under oath or penalty of a curse < adjuring him by his belief in God to tell the truth> 3 : to entreat or advise earnestly : charge <these columns are adjured to have some bearing on literary matters — Saturday Review >

sequel

1 obsolete a : a member of a retinue : follower , retainer — usually used in plural <friends, adherents, and sequels , should be comprehended in the truce — John Speed> b : succession , series <his daughter first; and in sequel , all — Shakespeare> <a sequel of four — Lancelot Andrewes> 2 a : something that follows naturally from an antecedent cause : consequence , result <higher prices as a sequel to rising production costs> b obsolete : a logical inference <so fareth it with the bodies and by sequel with the souls — Thomas Walkington> c : sequela 1 <gangrene is ... a sequel of wounds — Robert Chawner> 3 a : the next in an unfolding series (as of events) : subsequent development <powered flight as the evolutionary sequel to gliding> b : the next installment (as of a speech or narrative) : continuation ; especially : a literary work continuing the course of a narrative begun in a preceding one <the hero performs even more astonishing feats in the sequel > 4 : an allowance of meal or other small perquisite made in thirlage to the servants of the dominant mill for actual or nominal services in grinding — usually used in plural

countenance

1 obsolete a : bearing , demeanor b : behavior , comportment c : bearing or behavior as indicative of goodwill or ill will 2 a : calm expression : facial expression indicating composure <he kept his countenance so well that he had the air of having made a finished speech — G. B. Shaw> also : mental composure <startled and also somewhat out of countenance — Arnold Bennett> b : the expressive appearance of one's face : look , expression <a countenance which expressed both good humor and intelligence — Sir Walter Scott> 3 archaic a : aspect , semblance b (1) : a mere appearance or show (2) : a feigned or assumed appearance : pretense 4 : face , visage ; especially : the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character <good-looking and gentlemanlike, he had a pleasant countenance — Jane Austen> 5 archaic : the appearances that one maintains : standing , dignity 6 a obsolete : credit , esteem b : appearance of favor : bearing or expression appearing or calculated to approve or encourage : sanction : moral support : goodwill <his having had no support or countenance in accepted tradition — F. R. Leavis> <give the hussy no countenance — S. E. Morison & H. S. Commager> c obsolete : confidence arising from favor and encouragement : trust

evangelist

1 usually capitalized : a writer of any of the four Gospels 2 a : a member of the early church who brought a community the first news of the gospel message : a traveling missionary or wandering teacher b : one who converts (as a nation) to Christianity : evangelizer , apostle c : an occasional preacher having no fixed charge : a traveling missionary: such as (1) : a minister of the Disciples of Christ who organizes church societies and sets churches and their officers in order (2) : a minister or layman among various Protestant denominations who goes about from place to place preaching at special services to awaken religious interest : revivalist 3 : patriarch 4 4 : a person characterized by evangelical zeal for and earnest advocacy of any cause <a fervent evangelist for the mutual interests of labor and management — Time >

credentials

: a committee (as at a national party convention) for examining the credentials of delegates and deciding upon contested claims to represent certain groups of the membership

serotonin

: a crystalline phenolic amine HOC 8 H 5 NCH 2 CH 2 NH 2 derived from indole that is a powerful vasoconstrictor, that occurs especially in the blood serum and gastric mucosa of mammals, in small amounts in the brain, and in the secretions of various amphibians and that is formed in animal tissues from tryptophan — called also 5-hydroxytryptamine

applique

: a cutout decoration of a material laid on and fastened to a larger piece of the same or different material: a : a design composed of various fabric shapes stitched, embroidered, or sometimes pasted onto a surface (as of a quilt, skirt, or tablecloth) b : a lace motif made separately and attached to a ground of net or lace c : a shaped piece of wood or metal attached as a decoration to furniture d : something usually of metal applied decoratively (such as a wall sconce)

misgivings

: a feeling of doubt or suspicion : a lack of confidence and trust <in the midst of my anecdote a sudden misgiving chilled me—had I told them about this goat before — L. P. Smith> <those doubts and misgivings which are ever the result of a lack of decision — Theodore Dreiser>

semiotics

: a general philosophical theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed and natural languages and comprises the three branches of syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics — semi·o·ti·cian \ ¦ sē-mē-ə- ¦ ti-shən, ¦ se-mē-, ¦ sē- ˌ mī-\ (audio pronunciation) noun , plural -s

rivet

: a headed pin or bolt of some malleable material (as wrought iron, mild steel, or copper) used for uniting two or more pieces by passing the shank through a hole in each piece and then beating or pressing down the plain end so as to make a second head

class action

: a legal action undertaken by one or more plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and all other persons having an identical interest in the alleged wrong

futon

: a mattress filled usually with cotton that is placed on the floor or in a raised frame for use as a bed, a couch, or a chair

postscript

: a note or series of notes appended to a completed composition (as a letter, article, or book) usually giving an afterthought or additional information <added a postscript to the ... manuscript — R. H. Gabriel> <included in the autobiography as a sort of postscript — Harper's > — abbreviation PS, ps

hypochondriac

: a person who is often or always worried about his or her own health : a person affected by hypochondria or hypochondriasis <Dr. Pillule had been summoned to see a rich old hypochondriac ... and upon his prescribing change of air and travel as remedies, he was retained to accompany the timid patient on a tour of some weeks. — Charlotte Bront{eumlaut}, Villette , 1853> < ... comparing America's addiction to polls to a hypochondriac's obsessive monitoring of his pulse rate. — Erica Goode, U.S. News & World Report , 11 July 1994> <Although a self-avowed hypochondriac , he actually did suffer from a variety of ailments ... — Eugenia Zukerman, New York Times Book Review , 23 Apr. 1989> <Possessed, like any true hypochondriac , of vast knowledge of his own health, he sees life as a race between his sclerotic arteries and his bum heart. — Joseph Epstein, Commentary , April 1990>

prospectus

: a preliminary printed statement describing a business or other enterprise and distributed to prospective buyers, investors, or participants: such as a (1) : a booklet or leaflet describing a forthcoming publication (2) : a book containing samplings and descriptions of the contents of a set of books (as of an encyclopedia) b : a description of a new security issue supplied to prospective purchasers and giving detailed information concerning the company's business and financial standing c British : a school catalog

applet

: a short computer application especially for performing a simple specific task

botanicals

: a substance obtained or derived from a plant: such as a : a plant part or extract used especially in skin and hair care products <Certain botanicals are naturals for bringing out the best in the color and condition of the hair. — Elle , April 1986> b : a medicinal preparation derived from a plant : herbal remedy <The popular botanical ginkgo biloba does not improve memory, nor does it prevent cognitive decline in older people, according to the largest and longest scientific study conducted on the supplement. — Elizabeth Weise, USA Today , 30 Dec. 2009> c : plant material used as a flavoring agent (as in gin) — usually plural <The makeup of gin is basically neutral grain spirits flavored with juniper and other botanicals , and reduced to no less than 80 proof with water. — Emanuel and Madeline Greenberg, New York Times Magazine , 7 Aug. 1983>

infomercial

: a television program that is an extended advertisement often including a discussion or demonstration

rasher

: a thin slice of bacon or ham broiled or fried; also : a portion (as of bacon) consisting of several slices <eggs with a rasher of bacon>

dyslexia

: a variable, often familial learning disability that involves difficulties in acquiring and processing language and that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing — dys·lex·ic \də ˈ sleksik, ( ˈ )di ¦ s-\ (audio pronunciation) adjective <As many as 10 percent of school-age children may be dyslexic —but the condition often goes undiagnosed. — Newsweek , 11 Aug. 1986> <Up to half the children of dyslexic parents have dyslexia, and half the siblings of dyslexic children are affected. — Eve Thorsen, Burlington (Vermont) Free Press , 28 June 2003> — dyslexic noun , plural dyslexics <A few dyslexics may see letters reversed, but more often the problem can't be so easily described. — Eric Haseltine, Discover , April 2000>

decanter

: a vessel used to decant or to receive decanted liquids; specifically : an ornamental glass bottle used especially for serving wine

caftan

: an ankle-length coatlike garment, usually of cotton or silk, often striped, with very long sleeves and a sash fastening, common throughout the Levant

sluggard

: an habitually lazy idle and inactive person <go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways, and be wise — Proverbs 6:6 (Authorized Version)> <forecast a nation of sluggards — Irwin Edman>

honorarium

: an honorary payment or reward usually given as compensation for services on which custom or propriety forbids any fixed business price to be set or for which no payment can be enforced by law <supplementing his income by honoraria from speaking engagements> <the medal carries an honorarium of $500>

prelude

: an introductory performance, action, event, or other matter, preceding and preparing for a principal or a more important matter : a preliminary part : introduction , preface : such as a : a musical section or movement introducing the theme or chief subject (as of a fugue, suite) or serving as an introduction to an opera or oratorio b : an opening voluntary (as in a church service) c : a separate concert piece usually for piano or orchestra and usually based entirely on a short motive

endearing

: arousing affection, tenderness, or admiration < endearing smile> < endearing qualities> — en·dear·ing·ly adverb — en·dear·ing·ness noun , plural -es

ostentatious

: attracting or seeking to attract attention often by gaudiness or obviousness : overly elaborate or conspicuous : characterized by, fond of, or evincing ostentation <an ostentatious display of wealth/knowledge> <She had been crying, but ... made no ostentatious show of sorrow as her brother looked at her ... — George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss , 1860> < ... I was embarrassed by the too ostentatious piety of our family. — R. M. Lovett, All Our Years , 1948> <A century ago, only ostentatious mansions—of Astors and other aristocrats—occupied " Millionaires' Row, " the most gilded stretch of that blue-blooded artery, Fifth Avenue. — Johnnie L. Roberts, Newsweek , 11 Aug. 2008>

veritable

: being actually that which is named : possessing the characteristics applied : not false, unreal, imaginary, or metaphorical <shots taken in a veritable bull ring — John McCarten> <the only guts that are mentioned ... are the veritable entrails of a fish — Mark Schorer> <spiritual heights which may be just as veritable as the streets and gutters — H. O. Taylor> — often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor <whose conversation was a veritable memo pad of given names, connections, ties, appointments — Mary McCarthy> <a veritable mountain of newspaper material — T. D. Clark>

disheveled

: being in loose disorder or disarray : disarranged , ruffled < disheveled hair> also : marked by disarray or disorder : untidy <a disheveled movie that charges futilely about — John McCarten>

biodegradable

: capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (such as microorganisms) <a biodegradable pesticide> < biodegradable packaging> — bio·de·grad·abil·i·ty \ ¦ bī-( ˌ )ō-di- ˌ grā-də- ¦ bi-lə-tē\ (audio pronunciation) noun — biodegradable noun — bio·deg·ra·da·tion \ ¦ bī-( ˌ )ō- ˌ de-grə- ¦ dā-shən\ (audio pronunciation) noun — bio·de·grade \ ¦ bī-( ˌ )ō-di- ¦ grād\ (audio pronunciation) verb

hypocritical

: characterized by hypocrisy : dissembling , false < hypocritical statements> <a hypocritical gesture of modesty and virtue — Robert Graves> also : being a hypocrite <a hypocritical politician> — hyp·o·crit·i·cal·ly adverb

loath

: characterized by unwillingness to do something contrary to one's tastes, likes, sympathies, or ways of thinking <when he suggested a meal, I was nothing loath — H. G. Wells> — usually used predicatively or postpositively with an infinitive <seemed loath to enter, yet drawn by some desire stronger than his reluctance — Willa Cather> <a spirit of camaraderie ... that made us loath to part — Jack Hulbert>

prudent

: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence : such as a : marked by wisdom or judiciousness < prudent rulers> < prudent laws> <the wise in heart shall be called prudent — Proverbs 16:21 (Authorized Version)> <a man ... of notably liberal, prudent , and humane views — Times Literary Supplement > b : shrewd in the management of practical affairs <a prudent politician> <a prudent businessman who never does anything except for a useful end — M. R. Cohen> c : circumspect (as in conduct) : discreet , cautious < prudent hesitation — Derek Patmore> <more prudent to hide than to fight — V. G. Heiser> d : provident , frugal <the prudent use and development of ... resources — D. D. Eisenhower> <had been a prudent and thrifty wife — W. M. Thackeray>

jingoism

: clamorous chauvinism or arrogant nationalism especially marked by a belligerent foreign policy <warfare generates jingoism — Barbara Ward> <belligerent jingoism and narrow isolationism — J. F. Kennedy>

pertinent

: connected or related to the matter under discussion : relevant or applicable <the message of the book is as pertinent today as at the time it was written — Forth > <had some pertinent comments — Cormac Philip> <a pertinent question> < pertinent facts> < pertinent information> <data pertinent to such federal aid — Collier's Year Book > — per·ti·nent·ly adverb < ... he writes most penetratingly and pertinently about the sheer difficulty which many modern writers have experienced with their work ... — Tony Tanner, Times Literary Supplement , 20 Aug. 1976>

abiding

: continuing or persisting in the same state without changing or diminishing : continuing , enduring <the theater has abiding value and importance> : great or lasting <music is his abiding passion> — abid·ing·ly adverb

fleecy

: covered with, made of, or resembling fleece or a fleece < fleecy white clouds> <winter coats are getting fleecier — Lois Long> <stems fleecy with soft hairs>

salad days

: days of youthful inexperience or indiscretion <my salad days when I was green in judgment, cold in blood — Shakespeare> <has long since lived down his salad days — John Gunther>

dilapidated

: decayed, deteriorated, injured, or fallen into partial ruin especially because of neglect or misuse <the old house still had an air of dilapidated grandeur> <a ghost town of dilapidated buildings — American Guide Series: California > <a dilapidated notice that the place was for sale — Bram Stoker>

disquieted

: disturbed , uneasy — dis·qui·et·ed·ly adverb — dis·qui·et·ed·ness noun , plural -es

albeit

: even though : although <destined to pass his fortieth year before fame saluted him— albeit his was a special genius — Fashion Digest >

admonitory

: expressing admonition : warning , reproving <the low, admonitory growl of a fierce old dog — P. B. Kyne> <keep an admonitory eye on the school children — Dorothy Sayers> <the king and queen received admonitory letters from Pope Boniface V — F. M. Stenton>

immemorial

: extending beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition : indefinitely ancient <existing from time immemorial > <a chapel of immemorial age — Andrew Lang> < immemorial elms — Alfred Tennyson> — im·memorially \"\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

hypochondria

: extreme depression of mind or spirits often centered on imaginary physical ailments <her hypochondria , her insecurity, her staunch integrity, and loneliness — Bosley Crowther> <the present philosophical and political hypochondria about moral skepticism — Charles Frankel> specifically : hypochondriasis

gung ho

: extremely or overly zealous or enthusiastic

subservient

: fitted or disposed to subserve : such as a : useful in an inferior capacity : subordinate b : serving to promote some end c : obsequiously submissive : servile , truckling

effluent

: flowing out : emanating , outgoing <the Pigeon river, whose blackened waters are flecked with white foam, effluent from the mill — American Guide Series: North Carolina > < effluent vein> < effluent stream>

ad hoc

: for the particular end or purpose at hand and without reference to wider application or employment <a special member appointed ad hoc according to the problem being considered>

refulgent

: giving out a bright light : richly radiant < refulgent sunset> shining , brilliant <in arms ... of golden panoply, refulgent host — John Milton>

nonchalant

: having a manner or air of easy unconcern or indifference : marked by or reflecting an attitude of nonchalance : unruffled , imperturbable <a hastily assumed air of nonchalant confidence — J. B. Priestley> <faced the crowd with the nonchalant ease of an experienced speaker> <an easy, nonchalant smile> — non·cha·lant·ly adverb <walked nonchalantly into the room> — non·cha·lant·ness noun <the nonchalantness [=nonchalance] of her manner>

minatory

: having a menacing quality : expressive of or conveying a threat <thrusting out a minatory forefinger — Lionel Hale> <the law was minatory and repressive — G. B. Sansom> <their conversation is in the decisive and minatory tone — Earl of Chesterfield>

humdrum

: having a routine or commonplace character : lacking interest, excitement, or sparkle : monotonous , workaday , prosaic <makes rather humdrum use of a good idea — Eric Keown> <the more humdrum aspects of military life, like drill, neatness, and organization — Blair Clark> <the humdrum problem of making ends meet — American Guide Series: Massachusetts >

irrefutable

: impossible to refute : incontrovertible <an irrefutable argument> — ir·refutably \"+\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

irremediable

: impossible to remedy, correct, redress, alter, cure <an irremediable error> < irremediable defects of character> — ir·remediableness \"+\ noun — ir·remediably \"+\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

meticulously

: in a meticulous manner : with meticulousness <behaved meticulously toward the extremely suspicious government — Richard Watts> <the escape was planned meticulously and executed boldly — Edmond Taylor>

ignominiously

: in an ignominious manner

unremittingly

: in an unremitting manner : steadily , uninterruptedly

unalienable

: inalienable — un·alien·ably \ ¦ ən- ¦ al-yə-nə-blē, - ¦ ā-lē-ə-\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

inalienable

: incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred < inalienable human rights> — compare indefeasible — in·alienableness \"+\ noun , plural -es — in·alienably \"+\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

insuperable

: incapable of being surmounted: such as a : incapable of being vanquished : invincible <these insuperable heroes who dared the northern seas> b : impossible to overcome < insuperable difficulties> c : incapable of being passed over : impassable <an insuperable barrier> d : unsurpassable — in·su·per·a·ble·ness \-nə ̇ s\ noun — in·su·per·a·bly \-blē, -bli\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

incoherent

: lacking coherence: such as a : lacking physical coherence or adhesiveness : consisting of discrete elements : loose <a dangerous slope covered with incoherent shale> b : lacking orderly continuity or relevance : incongruous , inconsistent <a turgid incoherent presentation> c : lacking clarity or intelligibility usually by reason of some emotional stress <a voice incoherent with rage> <a man incoherent from sorrow> d : lacking normal coordination : clumsy and fumbling <a halting incoherent gait> e : occurring in mixed series or differing from normal patterns of language — used in cryptology of a key or an alphabet — in·coherently \"+\ adverb — in·coherentness \"+\ noun , plural -es

incongruous

: lacking congruity: such as a : characterized by lack of harmony, consistency, or compatibility with one another < incongruous colors> < incongruous desires> b : characterized by disagreement or lack of conformity with something <conduct incongruous with avowed principles> c : characterized by inconsistency or inharmony of its own parts or qualities <an incongruous story> d : characterized by lack of propriety or suitableness < incongruous manners> — in·congruously \"+\ adverb — in·congruousness \"+\ noun

lingo

: language or speech that is thought of as strange: such as a : a foreign language especially when of purely local or remote usage <became skilled in several tribal lingoes > b : the special vocabulary of a particular field of interest : the jargon, cant, or argot of a particular interest group or class of persons <seaman's lingo > <hospital lingo > c : language or style in utterance that is characteristic of an individual <the shouted invective that is the basis of her lingo >

berserk

: marked by a display of violent erratic behavior indicative of extreme excitement or agitation and suggestive of sudden mental unbalance : frenzied , crazed , mad , wild <attacked the fish with berserk fury — Claude Dredge> <a machinist's mate went berserk with a knife — F. J. Bell> — ber·serk·ly adverb <One of my patients at certain times " saw himself " running through a subway train screaming berserkly . — Theodore Isaac Rubin, The Angry Book , 1998> <A fierce smile pulled her lips back and she pushed berserkly at the door. — Richard Matheson, I Am Legend , 2007>

circumspect

: marked by caution and earnest attention to all significant circumstances and possible consequences of action (as action to be undertaken) and usually by prudence and discretion <a circumspect investor> <a circumspect action> <the wicked are always alert and circumspect — George Meredith>

dauntless

: marked by courageous resolution : incapable of being daunted , intimidated, or subdued <a dauntless captain> <a dauntless spirit>

frenzied

: marked by frenzy : giving evidence of abnormal excitement or emotional disturbance : extremely stirred up : hectic <could hear the prosecutor's frenzied denunciations of the accused — H. W. Carter> <a frenzied look in the eye> : such as a : marked by extreme tense persistent and often disorderly activity <a frenzied buying on the stock exchange> <the last few frenzied moments of rehearsals — American Guide Series: California > <wrote with a frenzied facility — V. S. Pritchett> b : loud and insistent <a frenzied clamor> < frenzied applause> — fren·zied·ly adverb

decorous

: marked by propriety and good taste especially in conduct, manners, or appearance : characterized by conformity to accepted social standards and by unruffled staidness, correctness, or dignity <when off the air are as decorous and restrained as they are volcanic while performing — G. S. Perry> <the decorous symbols of Victorian art — Ellen Glasgow> <a courtier's laugh, decorous , brief, and not too hearty — J. H. Wheelwright>

hypercritical

: meticulously or excessively critical especially of small and trivial matters : overnice in judgment : captious , faultfinding <only the critical or hypercritical grammarian ... discovers anything wrong in it — Otto Jespersen> <constant hypercritical belittling of the efforts of others — Harold Rosen & H. E. Kiene>

unabashed

: not abashed <a tinseled charm and unabashed sentimentality — Jerome Stone> — un·abash·ed·ly \ ¦ ən-ə- ¦ ba-shəd-lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

inimitable

: not capable of being imitated : being beyond imitation : matchless <an inimitable style> : not worthy of imitation — in·im·i·ta·ble·ness \-nə ̇ s\ noun — in·im·i·ta·bly \-blē, -bli\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

unfettered

: not fettered or bound : not restrained or limited : untrammeled , free < unfettered competition> <believe in freedom of opinion and the unfettered pursuit of knowledge — advertisement >

unobtrusive

: not obtrusive : not blatant, immodest, or overly aggressive in manner, action, or appearance <a quiet, unobtrusive life of self-denial — Samuel Butler †1902> — un·ob·tru·sive·ly adverb — un·ob·tru·sive·ness noun

unorthodox

: not orthodox : not in accord with approved, standardized, or conventional doctrine, method, thought, custom, or opinion < unorthodox religious views> <the unorthodox field of parapsychology — A. G. N. Flew> <an unorthodox news-gathering tactic — Newsweek > — un·or·tho·dox·ly adverb

inadmissible

: not proper to be allowed or received : not admissible < inadmissible behavior> — in·admissibly \"+\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

primeval

: of or relating to the earliest ages of the world or human history : ancient , primitive <had lapsed into nearly its primeval state of wilderness — Nathaniel Hawthorne> <a splendid primeval rustic figure — Osbert Lancaster> <the forest primeval > — pri·me·val·ly adverb

geopolitical

: of, relating to, or based on geopolitics <the weakest link ... is his tendency to ignore the geopolitical relationship of Western Europe to the worldwide situation — J. S. Roucek> — geo·politically \" +\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

autistic

: of, relating to, or marked by autism < autistic behavior> < autistic children> — au·tis·ti·cal·ly \( ˈ ) ȯ - ¦ ti-sti-k(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

claimant

: one that asserts a right or title <the claimant to an estate>

cartographer

: one that makes maps

necrologist

: one that writes or compiles a necrology

aspirant

: one who aspires : one who is ambitious of advancement or attainment <any aspirant , whoever he may be, can try his hand at writing — James Britton> < aspirants to medicine and philosophy — Benjamin Farrington>

profiteer

: one who makes what is considered an unreasonable profit especially on the sale of essential goods during times of emergency

overt

: open to view : not concealed : publicly observable : manifest <rules are maintained only by some form of coercion, overt or covert — John Dewey> < overt behavior ... is that which is manifest in motor activity — E. A. Hoebel> <an act of overt hostility — Mabel R. Gillis>

presumptuous

: overstepping due bounds (as of propriety in conduct) : assuming a prerogative, privilege, or permission without warrant : taking liberties : manifesting presumption : overweening <enforced the doctor's orders in a way which seemed to him loud and presumptuous — Glenway Wescott>

altruistically

: relating to or given to altruism : having or showing an unselfish concern for the welfare of others < altruistic acts/behavior> < altruistic motives> <a generous and altruistic person> <One leaves with a sense of hope and the feeling that humanitarian and altruistic urges can occasionally prevail in an industry that for the most part operates on two of humankind's less noble motivations: fear and greed. — David Heuring, American Cinematographer , January 1995> — al·tru·is·ti·cal·ly \ ¦ al-trü- ¦ i-sti-k(ə-)lē, ¦ al-trə- ¦ wi-\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

matrilineal

: relating to, based on, or tracing descent through the maternal line <a matrilineal society> — contrasted with patrilineal — ma·tri·lineally \"+\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

atheistic

: relating to, characterized by, or given to atheism — athe·is·ti·cal·ly \ ¦ ā-thē- ¦ i-sti-k(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb — athe·is·tic·ness noun , plural -es

resilient

: returning freely to a previous position, shape, or condition: such as a : capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture < resilient bodies/materials> b : tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change <a remarkably resilient competitor> <a resilient economy> <One of the things the research shows is that high self-esteem can make people more resilient , make them keep on plugging after initially failing at something. — Frank Stephenson, Muse , February 2005> c : springy <a resilient turf> d archaic : moving swiftly back : recoiling e archaic : looking backward — re·sil·ient·ly adverb

collusion

: secret agreement : secret cooperation for a fraudulent or deceitful purpose <acting in collusion with the enemy> : such as a : a secret agreement between two or more persons to defraud a person of his or her rights often by the forms of law b : agreement between parties considered adversaries at the law (as in a divorce proceeding) c : a secret agreement considered illegal for any reason

shareware

: software with usually limited capability or incomplete documentation which is available for trial use at little or no cost but which can be upgraded upon payment of a fee to the author

especial

: special : a : not general : directed toward a specific end : designed or intended for a part, purpose, or occasion <gave especial greetings to his family> <an especial ceremony for the holiday> <took especial pains to make himself clear to the young readers> b : of special note : exceptional , unusual , notable <gave especial attention to the reactions> c : particular , peculiar <he had an especial aversion to reform — New Republic > <several excellent regional orchestras, each with its own especial character — T. O. Beachcroft> <personal experience with hospital buildings, where I was able to discover that especial physical and psychological reactions by patients provided good pointers for ordinary housing — Current Biography > <the special temptation of our especial way of life — American Guide Series: Vermont > d : close , dear , intimate <he was supposed to be her especial friend — Bruce Marshall> <his own and most especial tree shading his borders — C. G. Glover> e : capable of being specified : specific <he drove with no especial destination in mind> <chose especial targets for attack> <is there any especial piece of furniture that you might care to have — Agatha Christie> — in especial adverb : in particular <the work of the mind and in especial of consciousness — J. H. Muirhead> <it would implicate everybody, the councilors in especial being unable to evade — Francis Hackett> < in especial we shall be able to see whether the individual is training towards cooperation or against it — Alfred Adler>

potable

: suitable, safe, or prepared for drinking <the treatment of water supplies to make them safely potable — A. C. Morrison> — po·ta·ble·ness noun , plural -es

estrangement

: the act of estranging or the condition of being estranged : alienation especially in friendship <the small difference of opinion snowballed into mutual resentment and resulted in final and total estrangement > <the hero, a middle-aged intellectual and student, has passed through successive estrangements from bourgeois life — Time > <resulted in the almost complete estrangement of arts and letters from the sciences — Scientific American Reader >

juxtaposition

: the act or an instance of placing two or more objects in a close spatial or ideal relationship <the proper juxtaposition of rocks, trees — D. C. Buchanan> <the juxtaposition of abstract with concrete, of the homely with the far-fetched — C. D. Lewis> also : the condition of being so placed <forested mountains and the sea were in juxtaposition — A. L. Kroeber> <the resulting juxtaposition of popular epic and village song — G. F. Jones> — jux·ta·po·si·tion·al \ ¦ jək-stə-pə- ¦ zi-shə-n ə l, -shnəl\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

neocolonialism

: the economic and political policies by which a Great Power indirectly maintains or extends its influence over other areas or peoples — neo·co·lo·nial \ ¦ nē-( ˌ )ō-kə- ¦ lōn-yəl, - ¦ lō-nē-əl\ (audio pronunciation) adjective — neo·co·lo·nial·ist \ ¦ nē-( ˌ )ō-kə- ¦ lōn-yə-list, - ¦ lō-nē-ə- ˌ li-\ (audio pronunciation) noun or adjective

beset

1 a : to set at intervals : stud especially with ornaments <leaves whose edges were beset with thorns — J. G. Frazer> <a crown beset with pearls> b : to cover especially with plant growth < beset with tangled vegetation — Xavier Herbert> : fill or strew especially with impediments <the road is beset with dragons and evil magicians — T. B. Costain> 2 : plague , trouble , harass : weigh down : dog , bedevil <subject to none of the pressures that beset American and English papers — F. L. Mott> <distrust of himself had always beset and hampered him — S. H. Adams> 3 a : to set upon : attack repeatedly : assail <this ruffian fowl is suddenly beset by a crow, who with stubborn audacity pecks at him, and, spite of all his bravery, finally persecutes him back to his stronghold — Herman Melville> b : to lay siege to : surround so as to compel surrender : besiege <enemy troops beset the fortress> c : to occupy, take possession of, or overrun in such a way as to prevent free passage : choke off : blockade <a screaming mob beset every road into the town> d (1) : to close or hem in : encompass , surround <a town beset with towering mountains> (2) : to surround (something, such as a task or problem) with immaterial or nonphysical perils or obstacles <his task was beset with many difficulties> (3) : to surround (something, such as a ship) on all sides with ice so that free movement is totally checked — used of ice fields <in danger of being beset by the worst pack we'd ever seen — Glen Jacobsen>

descry

1 a : to spy out or come to see especially with watchful attention and careful observation of the distant, uncertain, or obscure <the grass was high in the meadow, and there was no descrying her — George Eliot> b : to attain to the realization or understanding of : discover <examine the legend in a more critical spirit and descry the reasons for Toscanini's preeminence — Times Literary Supplement > 2 obsolete a : to make known (as one's name) : declare b : betray 3 obsolete : challenge 4 obsolete : decry

expunge

1 a : to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion (as a word, line, or sentence) b : to obliterate (a material record or trace) by any means < expunge the sound of a voice from a tape recording> < expunge a man's fingerprints> c : drop , exclude , discard , omit <that condemnation stood for priests to read ... until the seventeenth century, when it was silently expunged — G. G. Coulton> d : to cause (something intangible) to be effaced <could not expunge those bitter memories from his mind> <the most primitive ways of thinking may not yet be wholly expunged — William James> 2 a : to cause the physical destruction of : annihilate <the nuclear explosives that can expunge in a fraction of a second ... the units of ... civilization — Saturday Review > <the race of man expunging itself by its own hand — Sara H. Hay> b : to treat or cause to be regarded as nonexistent : consign to oblivion : destroy in any manner : eradicate <released her with a warning and ... considered the episode expunged — Josephine Johnson> < expunge the power of labor in politics — Bruce Bliven, born 1889> <official efforts to expunge the popular hero from history>

desecrate

1 a : to violate the sanctity of by diverting from sacred purpose, by contaminating, or by defiling <a visit to some famous shrine, immortalized, but in a sense desecrated , by popular veneration — Edith Wharton> <it would desecrate the Lincoln Memorial to have an obviously false voice speak from the statue there — New York Times Magazine > <the quivering host whose house has been profaned and whose religion desecrated — W. L. Sullivan> b : to divest of sacred character or treat as unhallowed <many cemeteries were desecrated > 2 archaic : to dedicate (someone or something) to false gods : condemn to an evil fate 3 : to treat (an object of veneration, reverent devotion, or admiration) irreverently or contemptuously often in a way to provoke outrage on the part of others <[his] great memory ... has been desecrated. ... — Margery Allingham> <Americans love the scenic outdoors, and they do not want to see it desecrated — R. L. Neuberger> 4 : to make desolate <churned up lawns and drives, and desecrated houses with their broken windows — S. P. B. Mais>

encumber

1 a : to weigh down <a man encumbered with parcels> <shock troops encumbered with mortars and flamethrowers> b : to load to excess : overburden <a summer resort ... encumbered with great clapboard-and-stucco hotels — A. J. Liebling> 2 : to impede or hamper the natural or requisite function or activity of <elaborate ritual encumbering international diplomacy> hinder <a project encumbered by lack of funds> 3 : to load with debts or other legal claims < encumber an estate with mortgages>

shoddy

1 a : wool of better quality and longer staple than mungo reclaimed from unfelted materials, rags, or waste and usually mixed with new wool before reusing b : a fabric often of inferior quality manufactured in whole or in part from reclaimed wool (such as shoddy) 2 a : refuse, inferior, imitation, or pretentiously vulgar articles or matter <cheap shoddy for oak and mahogany — H. J. Massingham> <show up a younger generation of writers as the blunted manufacturers of shoddy they are — Times Literary Supplement > b : a pretentious vulgarity in way of life especially from the exploitation of newly or underhandedly acquired wealth <preserved itself inviolate from respectability and shoddy and the invasions of twentieth-century commonplaceness — Robert Lynd> 3 : reclaimed rubber

matriculate

1 a [ intransitive ] : to become admitted to membership in a body, society, or institution (especially a college or university) and have one's name officially registered after having previously met entrance requirements <At the age of fifteen Thomas went up toCambridge, matriculated at Corpus ChristiCollege, and remained two years. — Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America , 1974> b [ transitive ] : to admit (someone) to membership in a body, society, or institution (especially a college or university) by entering the name in a register : enroll <had been matriculated in the university> 2 [ transitive ] obsolete : adopt , naturalize

pastoral

1 a [Middle English, from Late Latin pastoralis of a pastor (in Cura Pastoralis , title of St. Gregory I's work on pastoral care)] : a book or treatise on the duties of pastors b [ 2 pastoral ] : a letter of a pastor to his charge: such as (1) : a letter addressed by a bishop to his diocese (2) : a letter of the House of Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church to be read in each parish c usually capitalized : pastoral epistle — usually used in plural with the 2 [translation of Latin bucolicum ] a : a literary work (as a poem or play) dealing with the life of shepherds or rural life generally in a usually artificial manner and frequently archaic style, typically drawing a conventional contrast between the innocence and serenity of the simple life and the misery and corruption of city and especially court life, and often using the characters as vehicles for the expression of the author's moral, social, or literary views <jaded and oversophisticated denizens of towns devote themselves to pastorals — J. L. Lowes> — compare idyll b : pastoral poetry or drama as a literary form or style <the best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral — Shakespeare> c : a pastoral or rural picture or scene d : pastorale 3 or pastoral staff [probably from Italian pastorale , from Late Latin pastoralis of a pastor, from Latin, of a shepherd] : crosier

grate

1 a archaic : an enclosing railing often of ornately wrought iron b obsolete : cage , prison 2 : a frame containing parallel or crossed bars forming an open latticework, permitting the passage of light, air, liquid, or sound, and commonly used to prevent unwanted ingress or egress (as of persons to or from a building) or passage (as of solids into a conduit for liquids) <beautifully wrought grates over the lower windows> <dislodging a heavy sewer grate > 3 a : a frame, bed, or basket of iron bars for holding fuel while it is burning b : fireplace c : an open latticed or barred frame for cooking over a fire 4 : a screen or sieve for use with stamp mortars for grading ore

personage

1 a archaic : the physical form or appearance of a person : form, bearing, and stature of one's body b obsolete : a person of specified bodily form or makeup 2 a obsolete : a representation of a human being b : the human figure as an element in design (as for a tapestry) 3 : a person of rank, note, or distinction : an eminent man or woman; especially : one distinguished for presence and personal power <fast becoming a personage > 4 obsolete : one's self, personality , or personal identity : one's character or status as an individual 5 : a dramatic, fictional, or historical character; also : a character as assumed or represented : impersonation 6 : a human individual : a person not meriting specific identification

discomfit

1 a archaic : to defeat in battle : put to rout : overthrow < discomfited the pagans in two great battles> <pictured the ground ... as strewn with the discomfited — Stephen Crane> b : to defeat or rout (an opponent) in any way <in the ensuing debate he utterly discomfited his less agile adversary> < discomfited all her rivals in the race for colonies> : frustrate the plans of : thwart, foil <completely discomfited , the would-be robbers fled the scene> 2 : to cause perplexity or embarrassment to : disconcert , upset <completely discomfited by the unexpected question> abash <hung his head in shame and looked quite discomfited > — discomfiting adjective <a discomfiting resemblance> — discomfitingly adverb <Well, Crumb's family gave him ample acquaintance with suffering; perhaps that's what makes him a master of the discomfitingly funny. — Stanley Kauffman, New Republic , 8 May 1995>

acquit

1 a archaic : to pay off (as a claim or debt) b obsolete : to pay back (something done for or to one) : repay , requite 2 a obsolete : to set free (as by ransoming) b obsolete : to free or rid (oneself) of anything c : to discharge completely (as from an obligation or accusation) <the court acquitted the prisoner> < acquit a man of liability> 3 : to perform (one's part) or conduct (oneself) usually satisfactorily <in their first battle the recruits acquitted themselves like veterans> — ac·quit·tee \ə- ˌ kwi- ˈ tē, - ˈ kwi-tē\ noun , plural ac·quit·tees <A year after the verdict, the Supreme Court said that although insanity acquittees aren't legally responsible, they also aren't guiltless ... — Lincoln Caplan, Hartford (Connecticut) Courant , 8 Feb. 2004> — ac·quit·ter \ə- ˈ kwi-tər\ noun , plural ac·quit·ters <Ultimately, he predicted, the verdict would come down to which juror would become the leader and whether he or she could convince either the militants or the acquitters to come together. — Greg Farrell, USA Today , 6 June 2002>

arcade

1 a obsolete : an arched or vaulted place : an arched opening with its structural parts b : a long arched building or gallery 2 a : an arched or curved passageway or avenue b : a covered passageway along which rows of shops are located c chiefly British : a building that includes many shops <A job fair ... today will introduce locals to the details of the 250 jobs that a new shopping arcade will bring when its doors open this autumn. — The Journal (Newcastle, United Kingdom), 22 July 2009> 3 : a series of arches with the columns or piers that support them, the spandrels above, and other necessary appurtenances, sometimes open and serving as an entrance or to give light, sometimes closed at the back and forming a decorative feature 4 anatomy a : a structure comprising a series of arches b : dental arch 5 : an amusement center having coin-operated games

backlog

1 : a large log of wood forming the back of a campfire or hearthfire 2 : a reserve that promises continuing work and profit <a vast backlog of orders may soon make possible the greatest peacetime industrial activity that we have ever seen — H. S. Truman> 3 : an increasing accumulation of tasks unperformed or materials not processed <eliminate the backlog of uncataloged books> <judges met ... to discuss how to clear the backlog of 15,000 cases — New York Times >

windfall

1 a : something that is blown down by the wind: such as (1) : a tree knocked down by the wind (2) : fruit blown off a tree b : an instance of being blown down by the wind <excessive windfall in the residual stands — W. N. Sparhawk> c : a tract where the trees have been blown down by the wind 2 : an unexpected or sudden gain or advantage <the decline in Atlantic fares may enable me to steal over one day if I get a windfall — H. J. Laski> <detectives questioning neighbors ... soon found themselves with a windfall of leads — E. D. Radin> <all the windfall money received by housing promoters — Alvin Shuster>

stile

1 a : steps or rungs to assist a person over a fence while remaining a barrier to livestock b : turnstile 2 archaic : barrier , obstacle <a lift over the stile at a crisis of some importance to the party — Manchester Examiner >

indelible

1 a : that cannot be removed, washed away, or erased <an indelible stain> <an indelible mark> : that cannot be effaced or obliterated : permanent , lasting <made an indelible impression on his mind> b : unforgettable , memorable <an indelible performance> 2 : that makes marks that cannot easily be removed (as by erasing) <an indelible pencil> specifically : not attacked by strong acids or alkalies and so not easily removed by washing <india ink is indelible > <bought some indelible ink> — in·del·i·bly \( ˈ )in- ¦ de-lə-blē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

onerous

1 a : that involves, imposes, or constitutes much oppressive or irksome work, effort, difficulty, or responsibility : heavily demanding : troublesome , burdensome < onerous duties> <an onerous political system> <an onerous task> b : that involves, imposes, or constitutes a legal burden < onerous property> <an onerous option> 2 : of or relating to something done or given for an equivalent <an onerous grant>

coalition

1 a : the act of coalescing : the union of things separate into a single body or group < coalition of water vapor into raindrops> b : a group or body formed by the coalescing of originally distinct elements : combination <they formed a coalition with the theater owners> 2 in government or politics : a temporary alliance of distinct parties, persons, or states for joint action or to achieve a common purpose <the party could keep control only by coalition with two smaller parties> <the parties of the right formed a coalition against the Communists> <a coalition of free nations>

intercession

1 a : the act of interceding : interposition between parties at variance with a view to reconciliation : mediation b : prayer, petition, or entreaty in favor of another 2 Roman & civil law : assumption of liability for the debt of another either by substitution or by the addition of a new debtor or surety — compare adpromission , cumulative intercession , expromission , fidejussion

protrude

transitive verb 1 archaic : to thrust forward : drive or force along 2 : to thrust out through or as if through a narrow orifice : cause to project or stick out <to protrude one's tongue> intransitive verb : to jut out beyond the surrounding surface or context <tall apartment buildings perch on the top of rocky cliffs or protrude from hillsides — American Guide Series: New York City > <memories protruded into his consciousness>

cul-de-sac

1 anatomy a : a blind diverticulum or pouch (as the cecum); also : the closed end of such a pouch b or cul-de-sac of douglas usually capitalized second D [after James Douglas †1742 Scottish physician and anatomist] : pouch of douglas 2 : a passage or alley with no exit forward : blind alley ; especially : a street that is closed at one end but usually has a circular area for turning around at that end 3 : a point beyond which further advance or progress is or seems to be impossible <worked himself into a cul-de-sac within three or four hundred feet of the top — Andrew Hamilton & Chandler Harris> <his own investigations into the substantiality of matter lead him into a cul-de-sac — Leslie Paul>

avocation

1 archaic : a calling away : diversion , distraction <try, by every method of avocation and amusement, whether you cannot get the better of that dejection — Thomas Gray> 2 : a subordinate occupation pursued in addition to one's regular work especially for enjoyment : hobby <a lawyer by profession but painting has been his avocation for years> — opposed to vocation 3 : regular or customary work or employment : vocation

laconic

1 usually capitalized , archaic : of or relating to Laconia or the Laconians : spartan 2 a : speaking or writing with Spartan brevity : curt , terse , undemonstrative <an antiseptic romance between Jones and a laconic young widow — Martin Levin> <his work as a TV commentator fizzled because he is an austerely laconic man in public — Kenny Moore> b : spoken, written, or expressed briefly or sententiously : pithy <the tone of the commentary laconic and masculine — Times Literary Supplement > <a laconic derby-hatted interlude that stops the show — Henry Hewes>

lassitude

1 : a condition of weariness or debility : fatigue <when the walk is over, lassitude recommends rest — William Cowper> <chronic lassitude typically accompanies this disease> 2 : a condition of listlessness or indifference : languor <surrendered to an overpowering lassitude , an extreme desire simply to sit and dream — Alan Moorehead> <succumbed to the lassitude that pervades most of our prisons — Frank O'Leary> <sunk in an indifference and lassitude — John Galsworthy>

pestilence

1 : a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating; specifically : bubonic plague 2 : something that is destructive or pernicious <I'll pour this pestilence into his ear — Shakespeare>

girth

1 : a band or strap that encircles the body of a horse or other animal to fasten a saddle, pack, blanket, or other article upon its back 2 a : a measure round the body of something : circumference <the girth of a tree trunk> <the girth of a ship> especially : the measure round a human body (as at the waist or belly) <for the man of more than average girth — Agnes M. Miall> b : size , dimensions <the river was twice its usual girth > <when one looks at the girth of standard works — Times Literary Supplement > 3 : a horizontal longitudinal brace; especially : such a brace in square-set mine timbering 4 : either of two thongs of leather or bands of webbing attached to the rounce of a hand printing press to move the carriage back and forth

stratum

1 : a bed or layer artificially made : a coat of some material spread uniformly over a surface or upon another coat : layer <the chaff, packed into a whole bay of the barn, was in strata — Adrian Bell> 2 a : a tabular mass or thin sheet of sedimentary rock or earth of one kind formed by natural causes and made up usually of a series of layers lying between beds of other kinds —see fault illustration b : bed c : a region of the sea or atmosphere that is analogous to a stratum of the earth <winds tend to drive the surface water away ... to be replaced by cold water upwelling from deeper strata — R. E. Coker> d : a layer of tissue; especially : one of several superimposed membranes that go to make up an organ e : a layer in which archaeological material (such as artifacts, skeletons and dwelling remains) is found on excavation f : a vertical layer of vegetation (as of herbs, shrubs, or trees) in a plant community 3 a : a part of a historical or sociological series representing a period or a stage of development <the technique of skin dressing ... belongs to an older stratum of Plains culture than the buffalo-skin tipi — Edward Sapir> b : a socioeconomic level of society comprised of persons of the same or similar status especially with regard to education or culture — compare class <wide strata of the intellectuals, professionals, and bureaucrats were penetrated ideologically — James Burnham> <the upper administrative strata of a typical large factory — E. H. Jacobson & S. E. Seashore> 4 : one of a series of layers, levels, or gradations in an ordered system <filtered down to him through different strata of thought — V. L. Parrington> <the whole subject of colds is overlaid by stratum upon stratum of folklore, superstition, and pseudoscience — C. H. Andrewes> <the more controversial mental strata lying between scientific, philosophical, and theological thought — Times Literary Supplement > <the fairy-tale stratum of experience — F. R. Leavis> 5 : one of the divisions into which a population is divided in statistical stratification <the counties of the United States may be grouped into 30 or more strata in terms of their population density — L. W. Doob> 6 : a group of linguistic phenomena characterized by the possession of common features (as of age or origin)

plethora

1 : a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a florid complexion 2 : an often undesirable or hampering superfluity : excess , profusion <a plethora of ... attractions to look at — Janet Flanner> <to plow through a plethora of references — Dwight MacDonald> <the plethora of distracting activities — Virgil Thomson> 3 : a defect of wood resulting from excessive and uneven growth of the tissues

sheath

1 : a case for the blade of a sword, hunting knife, or other instrument to which it fits closely — compare scabbard 2 : an investing cover or case of a plant or animal body or body part: such as a (1) : the tubular fold of skin into which the penis of many mammals is retracted (2) : the connective tissue of an organ or part that binds together its component elements and hold it in place (3) : the lorica of a protozoan or rotifer b (1) : the lower part of a leaf (as of a grass) that more or less completely surrounds the stem (2) : an ensheathing spathe (3) : ocrea 3 : any of various covering or supporting structures that are applied like or felt to resemble the sheath of a blade: such as a dialectal, British : a covering for holding and supporting a needle while knitting b : sheathing 2 c : a bar connecting the beam and sole in front in an old-time plow d : a thin metal plate having its edges bent over to hold a sheet of photographic film or a plate during exposure e : condom f : a woman's close-fitting dress having narrow straight unbroken lines and usually worn without a belt g : a portion of an electric discharge through a gas in which the positive and negative ion densities differ so much as to result in an appreciable space charge — compare plasma

fetter

1 : a chain or shackle for the feet : bond <a cow dragging her fetter chain and picket> — used chiefly in the plural <the fetters of the galley slave> 2 : something that confines or restrains : restraint <would like to have world trade free of political fetters > 3 : a long link in an ornamental chain

asperity

1 : a characteristic making for hardship : rigor , severity <the path of beauty is not soft and smooth, but full of harshness and asperity — Havelock Ellis> 2 a (1) : roughness of surface (as of a leaf) : unevenness (2) as·per·i·ties plural : rough places : excrescences <ultramicroscopic asperities ... upon the solid surface — J. W. McBain> b obsolete : roughness to the taste : sourness , tartness c : roughness or harshness of sound : raucousness <the elderly ladies in his audience had been shocked by the asperities of the new style in music — Aaron Copland> 3 : a characteristic making for bitterness : roughness of manner or of temper <he repented of his asperity , however, when he saw Shiloh droop his head and wither visibly into sadness — Elinor Wylie> <it caused him a passing asperity to observe her lay places for three — A. J. Cronin> severity <the portrait ... on the wall, whose painted eyes, it seemed, were now inhumanly surveying them ... with some little asperity — Walter de la Mare> tartness <a little asperity was in her voice — George Meredith>

sanction

1 : a formal decree; especially : an ecclesiastical decree 2 a obsolete : a solemn agreement : oath b : something that makes an oath binding <the solemnity of the administration of the oath with its august sanctions — L. P. Stryker> 3 : the detriment, loss of reward, or other coercive intervention that is annexed to a violation of a law as a means of enforcing the law and may consist in the direct infliction of injury or inconvenience (as in the punishments of crime) or in mere coercion, restitution, or undoing of what was wrongly accomplished (as in the judgments of civil actions) or may take the form of a reward which is withheld for failure to comply with the law 4 : solemn or ceremonious ratification or acceptance <must be divine sanction for all human laws — V. L. Parrington> 5 : a consideration, principle, or influence (as the findings of conscience or the principle of the golden rule or the goal of perfection) that impels to moral action or determines the moral judgment as valid <the sanction that a religion can add to social ethics — Alfred Cobban> <poetry is one of the sanctions of life — S. F. Morse> 6 a : explicit permission or recognition by one in authority that gives validity to the act of another person or body <functioning under the sanction of the state — W. A. Robinson> <so firmly established as not to need the sanction of formal statute — F. B. Simkins> <received his father's sanction and authority — George Meredith> b : encouragement or approbation given usually by an authoritative person, by custom, or by tradition <not as yet received the sanction of tradition — J. L. Lowes> <allows them to become accessories to any crime that has social sanction — Anthony West> 7 : something that authorizes, confirms, or countenances <their chief sanction was his personal prestige — John Buchan> 8 : a coercive measure adopted usually by several nations in concert for forcing a nation violating international law to desist or yield to adjudication especially by withholding loans or limiting trade relations or by military force or blockade 9 : a mechanism of social control that punishes deviancy from or rewards conformance to the normative standards of behavior existing in a society <in some societies shame and ridicule may operate as the principal sanction > <lives in a world ... with inescapable pressures in the form of sanctions — T. D. McCown> 10 : a restrictive measure used to punish a specific action or to prevent some future activity <establishing sanctions against the violators of labor legislation — Current Biography >

sanctions

citadel

1 : a fortress that commands a city both for control and defense; broadly : a strong fortress : stronghold 2 archaic : the protected central structure in heavily armored ships of war that contains the engines, boilers, magazines and in and upon which the broadside battery is mounted 3 : a mission hall of the Salvation Army

accolade

1 : a gesture of greeting; especially : a ceremonial embrace and kiss on both cheeks <seized me by the hand and, drawing me toward him, gave me the accolade — Frederick O'Brien> 2 a : a ceremony to mark the conferring of knighthood consisting of an embrace, a kiss, or a tap on each shoulder with the flat of a sword b : a ceremony marking the recognition of special merit, distinction, or achievement 3 a : a mark of acknowledgment <effectively cut short his chances of promotion and the ultimate accolade which might have been his — James Leasor> b : award <the Iffland Ring, the highest accolade of the German theater — Americana Annual > c : a bestowal of praise <receive the accolade of the newspapers> 4 : a molding in the shape of an ogee arch above a door or window 5 : a brace or a line used in music to join two or more staffs carrying simultaneous instrumental or voice parts

excursion

1 : a going out or forth as from a place of confinement: such as a : a military expedition : raid , sortie — obsolete except in the phrase alarums and excursions b in Elizabethan stage directions : a movement of soldiers across the stage c : a journey chiefly for recreation : a usually brief pleasure trip; often : a trip (as by rail or steamship) at special reduced rates <the railway ran Sunday excursions to the city> d : a trip made with the positive intention of returning to the starting point : round trip : a trip that is not planned to involve prolonged or definite separation from one's usual or normal place or way of life <his summer excursions to the Colorado Rockies> <made several excursions into the Amazon valley> 2 : the persons participating in or going together on an excursion 3 : departure from a direct or proper course : deviation from a definite path; usually : a wandering from a subject : digression <his excursions into abstruse theory> 4 obsolete : a projection or extension (as of a building) 5 archaic : a sally or outburst (as of wit or feeling) especially when overstepping accepted or customary bounds 6 : a movement outward and back or from a mean position or axis 7 a : a single vibratory motion (as of a diaphragm or membrane); sometimes : the distance traversed in such a movement : amplitude b : one complete movement of inspiratory expansion and expiratory contraction of the lungs and their membranes

syndrome

1 : a group of symptoms or signs typical of a disease, disturbance, condition, or lesion in animals or plants <shoulder-arm syndrome > < syndrome of genetic abnormalities> <starvation syndrome > <schizophrenia ... is a syndrome related to a variety of etiological factors — Leopold Bellak & Elizabeth Wilson> 2 : a set of concurrent things : concurrence <a word possesses a syndrome of meanings — English Journal > — syn·drom·ic \( ˈ )sin ¦ drōmik, -räm-, -mēk\ adjective

ogre

1 : a hideous giant represented in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings : monster <he was going to strike her in terror, thinking her an ogre from his dreams, when she spoke — Liam O'Flaherty> 2 : a dreaded person or object : someone or something very difficult to cope with <the ogre of nonuniformity of laws comes up again and again — Motor Transportation in the West >

tactical

1 : of or relating to military tactics (as of air, sea, or ground forces): such as a : involving actions or means (as equipment or plans) that are distinguished from those of strategy by being of less importance to the outcome of a war or of less magnitude or by taking place or going into effect at a shorter distance from a base of operations b of an air force (1) : designed for use in the battle area including air-to-air and air-to-surface action (2) : of or relating to air attack on the enemy in the battle line in support of friendly ground forces c : of or relating to combat functions or units as distinguished from those concerned with support or administration d : of or relating to the activities concerned with military drill as distinguished from the technical activities on a training base 2 a : of or relating to tactics generally : designed to achieve a given purpose <made a tactical error> <regard such negotiations as tactical maneuvers — R. H. S. Crossman> : such as (1) : of or relating to the planning or execution of small-scale actions as part of a larger purpose <the big gains ... count, not the little tactical advances — Nation's Business > <played excellent tactical tennis> (2) : made or carried out with only a limited or immediate end in view : designed to gain a temporary advantage : short-range , opportunistic < tactical decisions> <think ... they are merely forming a tactical alliance — Edmond Taylor> < tactical , makeshift policies — Joel Carmichael> (3) : designed as a necessary or prudent temporary adjustment to unfavorable conditions : expedient <has only made a tactical withdrawal, not given up — Claire Sterling> b : marked by skill in tactics : adroit in planning or maneuvering to accomplish a purpose : politic <a tactical statesman> <their tactical treatment of American politics — D. W. Brogan> 3 : of or relating to tactics, tagmemes, or taxemes in linguistics

vile

1 : of small worth or account <the sea, wherein he counts not one inch of vile dominion — Robert Browning> : of inferior quality or state : common <Savior ... shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body — Philippians 3:21 (Authorized Version)> mean <wrapped in a vile disguise — P. B. Shelley> 2 a : morally despicable or abhorrent <instills vile suspicions into her confiding soul — Karl Polanyi> <the vilest specimens of human nature are to be found among demagogues — T. B. Macaulay> b : physically repulsive (as from filth or corruption) : foul <the plagues that came from the vile unsanitary quarters of the industrial city — Lewis Mumford> 3 : tending to degrade a person : humiliating , ignominious <a slave, in the vilest of all positions — F. W. Farrar> 4 a : disgustingly bad or inferior : highly objectionable <in a vile temper> contemptible <the vile habit of thinking that the latest is always the best — M. R. Cohen> <a vile climate> < vile handwriting> <writes vile verse> b : great , extreme — used intensively with nouns denoting a bad quality or state <protecting her against the vilest evil Europe has yet produced — Beverley Nichols>

fungible

1 : of such a kind or nature that one specimen or part may be used in place of another specimen or equal part in the satisfaction of an obligation — used of things that can be counted, weighed, or measured and are consumed or alienated by use (as food, coal, oil, lumber) < fungible goods enjoyed under the usufruct of property> 2 : capable of mutual substitution : interchangeable <The setting is Ireland in the 1950's, but, a cynical reader might reflect, this sort of fiction is so common that the characters will be completely fungible . Utterly predictable, they have been in a hundred novels. — Susan Isaacs, New York Times Book Review , 30 Dec. 1990> 3 : readily changeable to adapt to new situations : flexible <Managers typically use more than a hundred different lineups over the course of the season. Batting orders are so fungible that few players last long in one spot. — Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated , 4 Apr. 2005>

tempestuous

1 : of, involving, or resembling a tempest : windy , wild < tempestuous weather> < tempestuous seas> <a wild, tempestuous evening, when the wind screamed and rattled against the windows — A. Conan Doyle> 2 : marked by violent disturbance : turbulent , stormy <an actress of tempestuous disposition> <a tempestuous debate> < tempestuous ovations> <their tempestuous life together — Al Hine> <the rapidity of his tempestuous thoughts — Liam O'Flaherty>

postmodern

1 : of, relating to, or being any of several movements (as in art, architecture, or literature) that are reactions against the philosophy and practices of modern movements and that are typically marked by revival of traditional elements and techniques 2 : quintessentially modern : au courant — post·mod·ern·ism \ ˌ pōs(t)- ˈ mä-dər- ˌ ni-zəm\ (audio pronunciation) noun — post·mod·ern·ist \ ˌ pōs(t)- ˈ mä-dər-nist\ (audio pronunciation) noun or adjective — post·mo·der·ni·ty \ ˌ pōs(t)-mə- ˈ dər-nə-tē, -mä- also - ˈ der-\ (audio pronunciation) noun

peripheral

1 : of, relating to, or forming a periphery : originating in a periphery : marginal <rotary boiler ... was run at various speeds up to a peripheral speed of 830 ft./sec. — G. G. Smith> < peripheral parking space> < peripheral wars> <rather peripheral criticisms of a fine book — Paul Pickrel> <security programs which are peripheral to the main business of democratic living — Sidney Hook> <her parents separated when she was three, and her remote, intellectual father ... is but a peripheral figure in the book — Megan O'Grady> 2 : located away from a center or central portion : external ; especially : located at or near the surface of the body < peripheral nerve endings> 3 : of, relating to, or involving the surface of the body < peripheral vascular disorders> 4 : of or relating to the peripheral field < peripheral acuity> < peripheral vision> 5 : auxiliary , supplementary < peripheral equipment> also : of or relating to computer peripherals

supposition

1 a : something (such as a hypothesis, conjecture, theory, or surmise) that is supposed <on the supposition that ... language so largely contributes to making us men — A. A. Hill> <an entirely gratuitous supposition on my part — W. F. De Morgan> b : the act or process of supposing and especially of assuming something tentatively, hypothetically, or for the sake of argument <not the old psychology of supposition , but the new psychology of practical investigation — George Sampson> c obsolete : the state of being uncertain and subject to surmise <he is sufficient, yet his means are in supposition — Shakespeare> 2 : fraudulent substitution or alteration; specifically : forgery 3 : one of the various connotations that a term may have in different passages

herald

1 a : an official at a tournament of arms whose duties consisting originally of making announcements came to include keeping the scores, interpreting the rules, and marshaling the combatants b : an officer whose original duties of a tournament official came to include also the marshaling of other chivalric ceremonials, the making of official announcements, and the carrying of messages to or from rulers or commanders especially in war with the status of ambassador c : such an officer of a monarch or government also having the responsibility for devising, granting, registering, and confirming armorial bearings, this responsibility coming to constitute the officer's chief function as earlier functions became obsolete : officer of arms d : a member of the second of three grades of officers of arms ranking above a pursuivant and below a king of arms 2 a : an official crier or messenger having duties similar in one or more respects to those of the herald of medieval and modern Europe <Mercury was the gods' herald > b : one (as a soldier) who signals with a trumpet <more chieftains came, with heralds who blew on trumpets that were twelve feet long — Hector Bolitho> c : avant-courier 3 a : one that precedes or foreshadows : harbinger , forerunner <flights of ravens ... are the sure heralds of the approach of the deer — Farley Mowat> <revolutions ... were the heralds of social changes — R. W. Livingstone> b (1) : one that conveys news or proclaims : announcer <hark the herald angels sing — George Whitefield> <it was the lark, the herald of the morn — Shakespeare> (2) : one that supports or advocates : spokesman <conspicuous herald of this enfranchising movement — C. A. Dinsmore> 4 : a specialist in heraldry : heraldist 5 : a European noctuid moth ( Scoliopteryx libatrix ) 6 : the identifying symbol or monogram of a railroad usually displayed on its freight cars

shenanigans

1 a : an often devious trick used especially to divert attention for an underhand purpose : deception , stratagem , fast one < ... a scamp who had pinched pennies out of the teacups of the poor by various shenanigans ... — William Allen White, The Autobiography of William Allen White , 1946> b : any act that is high-spirited, daring, or mischievous : prank , escapade <boys up to some shenanigan or other> 2 a : tricky or questionable practices or conduct <The febrile prosperity of the late 1920's, founded on shenanigan and as unstable as water ... — Yale Review , Spring 1944> <the simplest business transaction today is enveloped in such a mantle of idiotic shenanigan — American Mercury > — usually plural <financial shenanigans > < ... businessmen troubled by ... unfair shenanigans by a competitor ... — Murray Teigh Bloom, Nation's Business , June 1953> b : any high-spirited, daring, or mischievous activity : goings-on , high jinks , monkey business — usually plural <youthful shenanigans > < ... I got off the base as soon as the usual parade shenanigans were over. — Saul Bellow, The Adventures of Augie March , 1949> <The raiders, after an hour or two of highly diverting shenanigans in and around the bay, during which they drew the wildest kind of inaccurate fire, retired. — Walter Karig, Battle Report, The Atlantic War , 1946>

lineaments

1 a : an outline, feature, or contour of a body or figure and especially of a face — usually used in plural b : the distinguishing or characteristic feature of something immaterial — usually used in plural <the lineaments of Christian life> 2 archaic : a small amount : rudiment , trace 3 : a topographic feature; especially : one that is rectilinear — lin·ea·men·tal (audio pronunciation) adjective

hawk

1 a : any of numerous diurnal birds of prey belonging to the suborder Falcones of the order Falconiformes: (1) : any of the smaller members of this group (such as falcons, buzzards, harriers, kites, caracaras, and ospreys) as distinguished from the notably large eagles and Old World vultures (2) : any of various typical members of the family Accipitridae (such as the New World Cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks and the Old World sparrow hawks) : accipiter — see goshawk — compare owl b : any of various birds that suggest hawks in appearance or behavior — used chiefly in combination — see nighthawk 2 : someone (such as a swindler) who preys on other people 3 : a small board or metal sheet with a handle on the underside used to hold mortar 4 : one who takes a militant attitude (as in a dispute) and advocates immediate vigorous action; especially : a supporter of a war or warlike policy —compare dove 4

crimson

1 a : any of several deep or vivid reds or purplish reds of rather indefinite range b : a pigment or dye that colors crimson 2 : something crimson <a coat of fine-woven crimson >

discordant

1 a : being at variance : disagreeing <views discordant with present-day ideas> : being at variance with each other : inharmonius , antagonistic <the various dissevered and discordant elements of feudal society — W. J. Shepard> : not conforming with : incongruous <the discordant element in the picture was his face, which belied his garb — John Buchan> b : marked by lack of inner harmony or agreement of its parts <a poetry that ... is not only confused and discordant but negative in its emphasis — C. I. Glicksberg> c : marked by inner discord <a discordant family> quarrelsome <a discordant , savage people> 2 : relating to a discord : dissonant < discordant tones> harsh , jarring : making inharmonious sounds <a discordant crowd ... shouting and laughing — Hugh Walpole> 3 : lacking conformity or parallelism of bedding or structure — used of geologic strata 4 of twins : dissimilar in respect to one or more particular characters — compare concordant — dis·cor·dant·ly adverb — dis·cor·dant·ness noun , plural -es

supernal

1 a : being or coming from above : that is or emanates from on high : of or from heaven — opposed to infernal <could not help but interpret the plague as a visitation from heaven, a supernal punishment for the sins of men — E. S. LeComte> <some supernal reality that had its being ... outside the cosmos — John Dewey> b : of a heavenly or spiritual character <the beauty and the supernal happiness of a soft and quiet death — Lytton Strachey> specifically : ethereal <a supernal melody> 2 a : located in or belonging to the sky or celestial regions : of or from the firmament <subterranean and supernal deluges — Thomas Carlyle> b : situated at or near the top — su·per·nal·ly \- ə lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

endemic

1 a : belonging or native to a particular people or country : not introduced or naturalized <the many shades of radicalism endemic in Spain — Harper's > b : characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment <problems endemic to translation> <the self-indulgence endemic in the film industry> 2 : restricted to or native to a particular area or region : indigenous — used of kinds of organisms <the islands have a number of interesting endemic species> — compare exotic 3 : peculiar to a locality or region — used of a disease that is constantly present to a greater or less extent in a particular place — distinguished from epidemic , sporadic

ambulatory

1 a : of or relating to walking < ambulatory exercise> b : capable of, adapted to, or occurring while walking <an ambulatory animal> <an ambulatory confession> 2 a : moving from place to place : itinerant , peripatetic <an ambulatory teacher> b : having no fixed headquarters <an ambulatory business> 3 : not yet fixed legally or settled past alteration : alterable <a will is ambulatory until the testator's death> 4 medical a : able to walk about : not bedridden <the ambulatory clinic patient> <All patients were ambulatory before hip fracture. — Karim Anton Calis and Frank Pucino, New England Journal of Medicine , 1 Nov. 2007> b : performed on or involving a patient who is able to walk about < ... they practice a strict triage, pouring all their energies into the promising ambulatory cases while finding it increasingly draining to think about the bedridden ones. — Phillip Lopate, New York Times Book Review , 24 May 1987> <Some patients report that ambulatory oxygen therapy helps relieve exercise-related breathlessness. — Dennis E. Niewoehner, New England Journal of Medicine , 15 Apr. 2010> c : performed on or provided to an outpatient < ambulatory care> < Ambulatory surgical procedures have proliferated in recent years as a result of increases in the cost of inpatient health services. — Mark A. Warner et al., Journal of the American Medical Association , 22 Sept. 1993> also : relating to or intended for outpatient care <an ambulatory setting> <It fuels rapid growth of free-standing ambulatory surgery centers set up separate from hospitals to install new eye lenses during cataract surgery, slice off bunions, pin ears ... and perform other alterations that once kept patients in a hospital bed at least overnight. — Charles Petit, San Francisco Chronicle , 10 Oct. 1990> d : performed on or worn by a patient during the course of normal daily activities (such as working and sleeping) <Rather than treat all patients on the basis of office blood pressure readings, some clinicians ... maintain that certain patients should first be fitted with ambulatory blood pressure monitors that automatically record their blood pressure every 15 minutes or so throughout the day and night. — Jane E. Brody, New York Times , 28 Nov. 1995> <It specializes in the Holter monitor, a device that provides 24-hour ambulatory monitoring of heart rhythms with computer analysis. — Mary Lou Loper, Los Angeles Times , 19 Jan. 1987> also : obtained by ambulatory monitoring <24-hour ambulatory blood pressure> — am·bu·la·to·ri·ly \ ˌ am-byə-lə- ˈ t ȯ r-ə-lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb <a patient treated ambulatorily >

stellar

1 a : of, relating to, or derived from the stars : astral <an object of stellar size> < stellar light> < stellar spectrum> b : composed of stars < stellar ornamentation> 2 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a theatrical, operatic, or film star <building or acquiring stellar names — W. J. Fadiman> 3 a : chief , leading , principal <given a stellar role> b : outstanding , preeminent , first-rate <a stellar production>

sucker

1 a : one that sucks especially a breast or udder : suckling ; specifically : an unweaned domestic animal b : a device for creating or regulating suction (such as a piston or valve in a pump) c (1) : a plaything consisting of a soft leather disk suspended from a string that when wet clings to a surface of an object and lifts it (2) : a pipe or tube through which something is drawn by suction (3) : one of several cup-shaped vacuum-operated rubber devices to pick up and carry material in bookbinding; specifically : one that feeds material in a folding or gathering machine d (1) : an organ in various animals for adhering or holding consisting in its simplest form of a soft pad or disk often somewhat concave that when closely applied to an object adheres as a result of atmospheric pressure : a sucking disk (2) : a mouth (as of a leech) adapted for sucking or adhering or both (3) : a tube foot of an echinoderm ending in a sucking disk 2 : a person who lives by extortion or parasitism 3 a : a shoot originating from the roots or lower part of the stem of a plant and usually developing rapidly often at the expense of the plant; also : an accessory propagative shoot <a sucker of pineapple> b : haustorium 4 a : any of numerous freshwater fishes of the family Catostomidae that are closely related to the carps but are distinguished from them by the structure of the mouth which usually has thick soft lips and of the lower pharyngeal bones, that live and feed near the bottom, that in the case of larger forms ascend small streams and brooks to spawn, that have inferior flesh frequently eaten in regions where they are abundant, and that except for two Asiatic species are confined to North America — see buffalo fish , hog sucker , redhorse b : any of various marine or freshwater true fishes (such as the lumpfish, remora, or clingfish) with a sucking organ or mouth like that of a sucker — often used with a qualifying adjective c : hagfish d : lamprey 5 : lollipop 1b 6 a (1) : a person easily cheated or deceived; specifically : a mark for a gambler or confidence man (2) : a person irresistibly attracted by a specific type of object <I've always been a sucker for animal acts — Al Hine> b : greenhorn c : a customer or frequenter of a circus, carnival, gambling establishment, or racetrack or a nonprofessional investor in securities d : illinoisan — used as a nickname 7 — used as a generalized term of reference <see if you can get that sucker working again>

riffraff

1 a : persons of the lowest or most disreputable class <beachcombers, adventurers, rough traders, and general riffraff — Ellen La Motte> broadly : any group of persons looked upon as common, disreputable, or very unconventional <all the riffraff for miles around have been using my garden as if it were their own — P. G. Wodehouse> <painters, authors, and other vagrant riffraff who frequented the premises — Norman Douglas> b : the lowest or most disreputable element of the populace : rabble , mob , canaille <the riffraff might sack the town — Harper's > c : one of the riffraff : a disreputable person <will not have some riffraff ... trailing about with us — Elizabeth Janeway> 2 : refuse , rubbish , trash <waistcoats of dirty damask, legs of velvet breeches—in a word, all the cast-off riffraff of centuries — W. W. Story> <had once actually said that pigeons were mere riffraff — Sean O'Faolain>

cognate

1 a : related by blood : kindred by birth < cognate families> <a family cognate with another> <a boy cognate to several royal families> b : related on the mother's side — used in some legal systems 2 a of a language : related by descent from the same recorded or assumed ancestral language <Spanish and French are cognate languages> — often used with with , sometimes with to <English is cognate to German> b of a word or morpheme : related by descent from the same root or affixal element in a recorded or assumed ancestral language <English eat and German essen are cognate > <Latin -us and Old Norse -r are cognate > or by the processes of derivation or composition within a single language <English boyish and boyhood are cognate > — often used with with , sometimes with to <English foot is cognate with Greek pous > c of a word : related in a manner that involves borrowing rather than descent from or as well as descent from an ancestral language <English tobacco and French tabac are cognate > — often used with with , sometimes with to <German panzer is cognate with English paunch > d of a substantive : related usually in derivation but sometimes only in meaning to the verb of which it is the object (as song in " she sang the song " ; race in " he ran the race " ) < cognate object> < cognate accusative> 3 : related, akin, or similar especially in having the same or common or similar nature, elements, qualities, or origin <illustrated books and cognate reference materials — Current Biography > <you know exactly how a man looks and behaves and, with cognate clarity, something of what he feels and thinks — Thomas Dozier> <action engendered in regard to drugs may spill over into the cognate problem of the alcoholic — New Republic > 4 a : closely related logically through certain specifiable factors; especially , of propositions : having the same subject or predicate b : belonging to volcanic fragments in solidified lava which are part of the same extrusion c : homorganic — cog·nate·ly adverb

onus

1 a : something (as a task, duty, responsibility) that involves considerable difficulty or annoyance or necessitates rather strenuous effort or results in notable strain or fatigue : burden <the job of caring for his dependents was a real onus > <believe it to be the onus on every man to add ... to the sum total of human knowledge — Douglas Carruthers> b : something distasteful or objectionable and difficult to bear: such as (1) : a disagreeable necessity of doing something <free of all onus of retort or comment — Richard Blaker> (2) : blame <tried to shift the onus for causing the war onto the other country> <adroitly transfer the onus from the accused to the accusers — Eugene Lyons> (3) : stigma <excusing himself ahead of time so that the onus would be less if his failure was realized — Norman Mailer> 2 or onus pro·ban·di \-prō ˈ ban ˌ dī, -ndē\ : burden of proof <put forth a theory that left the onus squarely on him>

asterisk

1 a : the character * used in writing or printing as the first in series of the reference marks, to indicate the omission of letters or words, in linguistic works to mark hypothetical forms belonging to a reconstructed ancestral language, and in various arbitrary uses — called also star b : the character * thought of as being appended to something (such as an athletic accomplishment included in a record book) typically in order to indicate that there is a limiting fact or consideration which makes that thing less important or impressive than it would otherwise be <But the men's triumph came with an asterisk : The Soviets, three-time gold medalists, had boycotted the Games. — Brad Young, Sports Illustrated , 4 Sept. 2000> <That no-confidence vote from the police guild ... comes with a big asterisk : About 80 members didn't cast ballots at all. — Daniel Walters, Pacific Northwest Islander , 28 Apr. 2010> c : someone or something considered too minor for prominent mention : footnote <He would probably be an asterisk today if he hadn ' t stepped out from the pack and opposed the war. — Joe Klein, Time , 12 Jan. 2004> <At fifty-four, he had followed war from the hills of Italy to the islands of the Pacific to the mountains of Korea, and countless other places already becoming asterisks in the history books. — William Prochnau, Once Upon a Distant War , 1995> 2 also as·te·ris·kos \ ˌ ä-stə- ˈ rē- ˌ sk ȯ s\ -s , Eastern Church : a star-shaped liturgical utensil used to cover the eucharistic elements lying in a paten and to guard them from contact with the first veil — as·ter·isk·less adjective <Making the run at Maris' record are Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa. In two words, who cares? The Babe will always be the asteriskless home-run champ to me. — Orlando Sentinel , 17 July 1998>

fleece

1 a : the coat of wool that covers a sheep or similar animal <the fleece of the vicuna is very soft> b : the wool obtained from a sheep at one shearing <a fleece of over 16 pounds> c : a heraldic representation of the fleece of a ram depicted complete with head and feet as if stuffed and suspended by a belt about its middle 2 : any of various coverings resembling a fleece especially in soft or woolly quality <a heavy fleece of snow> <a cloud fleece half covered the sky> : such as a : a covering of vegetation b : a head of hair c : a soft bulky knitted or woven fabric that has a deep pile or long nap and that is made usually of wool or synthetic fibers and used chiefly for clothing 3 : meat taken from either side of the hump of the buffalo 4 obsolete a : booty from the fleecing of a victim b : the act of fleecing a victim 5 : a web of cotton or wool fiber during the carding process

quintessence

1 a : the fifth or last and highest substance in ancient and medieval philosophy above fire, air, water, and earth that permeates all nature and is the constituent matter of the celestial bodies : ether 1b b old chemistry : an alcoholic tincture obtained by extraction 2 : the essence of an especially immaterial thing in its purest and most concentrated form : the most perfect or rarest distillation or extract <the quintessence of music is, after all, melody — Winthrop Sargeant> <gets his articles down to digests and his digests down to quintessences in single paragraphs or sentences — F. L. Mott> 3 : the most typical example or representative : the consummate instance (as of a quality or class) <the quintessence of pride> <the quintessence of all the heroines of fiction — Saturday Review >

symbiosis

1 a : the living together in more or less intimate association or even close union of two dissimilar organisms (as in parasitism, mutualism, or commensalism) — compare helotism b : the intimate living together of two dissimilar organisms in any of various mutually beneficial relationships; often : mutualism 2 : mutual cooperation between persons and groups in a society especially when ecological interdependence is involved

biotechnology

1 a : the manipulation (as through genetic engineering ) of living organisms or their components to produce useful usually commercial products (such as pest resistant crops, new bacterial strains, or novel pharmaceuticals) <It is one of the first drugs produced through advances in biotechnology . — Neil R. Powe et al., Journal of the American Medical Association , 16 Sept. 1992> b : any of various applications of biological science used in such manipulation <Most of the attention paid to agricultural biotechnology has focused on genetically engineered plants, foods, and biopesticides for major agricultural crops. — Ann M. Thayer, Chemical & Engineering News , 27 July 1992> <The catch is that not all new biotechnologies offer clear-cut cost savings to producers. — Stephen Budiansky, U.S. News & World Report , 3 May 1993> 2 : ergonomics

pastorate

1 a : the office, state, jurisdiction, or tenure of office of a pastor b : a body of pastors 2 : parsonage

egotism

1 a : the practice of speaking or writing of oneself especially in excess : boastfulness ; specifically : the frequent use of the words I, my , and me <banish the egotism out of your conversation — Earl of Chesterfield> b : a sense of self-importance : self-centeredness , selfishness 2 : a sense of superiority often accompanied by contempt toward others : pride <this egotism , this arrogance, this complete indifference to what the rest of the world thinks of him — James Stern> 3 [by alteration] : egoism 1a

buoyancy

1 a : the property of floating on the surface of a liquid or in a fluid : the tendency of a body to float or to rise when submerged in a fluid being dependent upon the excess of the specific gravity of the fluid over that of the body b : the property of a fluid by which it exerts an upward force on a body placed in it c : the upward force exerted on a body submerged in a fluid; specifically : the upward force exerted on a lighter-than-air craft due to the air which it displaces 2 a : resilience of spirit : the ability to emerge from or to elude depression : lightheartedness , sprightliness : the ability to recover quickly from discouragement b : generating or resulting in such lightheartedness or recovery <a novel of great buoyancy and optimism> 3 : lightness , springiness <walking with amazing buoyancy considering his increasing age> 4 : the property of maintaining a satisfactorily high level (as of prices or economic activity) <the future of the fund depends on the buoyancy of national wealth — Meet New Zealand > <the buoyancy of bank deposits — Economist >

propriety

1 a obsolete : peculiar, proper , or true nature, character, or condition <the baseness of thy fear that makes thee strangle thy propriety — Shakespeare> b obsolete : special nature : peculiarity 2 a obsolete : private ownership : proprietorship b obsolete : privately owned possessions : property 3 a obsolete : a special characteristic of a language : idiom b obsolete : precise literal or strict sense 4 : the quality or state of being proper or fitting : suitability , fitness , appropriateness <not so easy to see the propriety in an image which divests a snake of " winter weeds " — T. S. Eliot> < propriety and necessity of preventing interference with the course of justice by premature statement, argument, or intimidation — O. W. Holmes †1935> 5 a : the standard of what is socially acceptable in conduct, behavior, speech : decorum <passionately, deeply devoted to propriety ... one of the most formal high U.S. officers in Europe — Time > <many of the topics denied by propriety to the newspaper's columns are considered suitable in a barbershop atmosphere — G. S. Perry> often : prudent regard for or fear of offending against conventional rules of behavior especially as between the sexes <a long-ago love affair and the dead Welsh girl who was too innocent-hearted for his propriety — Time > <in her re-creation of the Victorian age she antedates ... the victory of bourgeois propriety over the more raffish and glaring manners of the Regency — R. E. Roberts> b proprieties plural : the customs and manners of polite society : conventionally correct behavior — used with the <they talked the stupid, polite conversation that occurs between strangers; and then, the proprieties satisfied, ... drifted back into the realm of music — Louis Bromfield> <feels compelled to observe the established proprieties of textbook writing — J. C. Cooley>

ground

1 a obsolete : the lowest part : the surface that limits the downward extent of something : bottom , foundation b : the bottom of the sea or a body of water : solid bottom — now used chiefly in nautical phrases <had to anchor about a mile off shore and the holding ground was not good — A. F. Ellis> <the boat struck ground > — compare aground c grounds plural (1) : sediment at the bottom of a liquor or liquid (2) : ground coffee beans after brewing d obsolete : the pit of a theater 2 a : the foundation or basis on which knowledge, belief, or conviction rests : a premise, reason, or collection of data upon which something (as a legal action or an argument) is made to rely for cogency or validity <the reference to natural law as a ground for the authority of civil law — Glenn Negley> <opposing divorce on religious grounds > b : a sufficient and determining condition : a logical condition, physical cause, or metaphysical basis — used especially of what is regarded as more fundamental than a merely natural cause <the first principle or ground of the universe — Frank Thilly> 3 a : the area surrounding and delimiting a figure or design : background b : the basic surface for figures in relief c : the surface upon which a picture or decoration is painted (as a preliminary coating laid on a canvas) d : the surface appearance of a fabric distinguished by a weave, color, texture; specifically : the plain or background portion of a patterned fabric e : a stiff yet yielding substance (as wood or a pitch bed) on which a design is beaten into relief in repoussé work f : the pieces of net or the brides that support or hold together the patterns in lace; also : the net that serves as a foundation (as for appliqué) g : an acid-resistant liquid or paste that is made from varying proportions of wax, gum, and resin and that is used in etching to carry the design and to protect areas of the plate where no biting action is intended — see hard ground , lift ground , soft ground h : a plain tinted coat which is applied to a wallpaper and over which a pattern is then printed i : wood or metal strips placed around all openings and along the top of the wall base to serve as guides in finishing the plaster 4 a : a plainsong or other traditional tune used as the bass of a polyphonic musical composition b : ground bass c : a composition making use of a ground 5 : the surface on which people stand, move, and dwell and on which objects naturally rest: such as a : the surface of the earth <deep under the ground > <a branch 60 feet above the ground > <uneven ground > <high ground > : the earth as contrasted with the air < ground troops> < ground attack> or the water <glad to feel firm ground again after the rough voyage> b obsolete : country , land c now dialectal : a parcel of land enclosed for tillage or pasture : field d : an area appropriated to or used for a particular purpose <picnic ground > <parade ground > <camping ground > e grounds plural : the gardens, lawn, and planted areas immediately surrounding and belonging to a house or other building <hospital grounds > f : an area to be won or defended in or as if in battle <yielding ground step by step> <shifting the ground of his attack> g : a topic or field of study or discourse : subject <touch on forbidden ground > <cover a great deal of ground in an hour's lecture> h (1) : a cricket field (2) : the part of the field beginning at the popping crease and extending backward past the stumps <a batsman may be stumped or run out only when he is out of his ground > (3) or ground staff : the professional players employed by a cricket club i chiefly British : floor <kneeling on the ground beside the couch he leaned over her — Aldous Huxley> <her gown swept the ground > 6 a : soil , earth <till the ground — Genesis 2:5 (Authorized Version)> b : a special soil <produce of each ground > c : rock or formation through which mine workings are driven <soft, wet, or loose ground > 7 a : a metal object buried in the earth to make electrical connection with it (as in a telephone or radio circuit) b : a large conducting body (as the chassis of a car or radio, the fuselage of a plane, or the earth itself) used as a common return for an electric circuit and as an arbitrary zero of potential c : electric connection with the earth or other ground 8 : a football offense utilizing primarily running plays — from the ground up 1 : entirely anew or afresh <if one could begin from the ground up in each generation — Thomas Munro> 2 : from top to bottom : thoroughly <learning the business from the ground up > — into the ground adverb : beyond what is necessary or tolerable : to exhaustion : to death <patiently labored an issue into the ground — Newsweek > <caution is no doubt a virtue but don't run it into the ground > <ran the other horses into the ground in the first half mile> — off the ground adverb : in or as if in flight <the story ... dramatically never gets off the ground — New Republic > : off to a good start : under way <difficult for his second-party movement to get off the ground — Time > — on the ground adverb : at the scene of action : on the spot <already on the ground , energetically organizing — S. H. Adams> — take the ground : to run aground <choose a boat that is able to take the ground easily — Peter Heaton> — to ground adverb : into a burrow : into hiding <the fox went to ground under a rocky escarpment — James Reynolds> <gone to ground in his country estate to avoid awkward questions> <till I have run the author to ground and exposed the whole shameful affair — John Buchan> — to the ground adverb : entirely , completely , utterly <this life here suits me to the ground — Rose Macaulay>

calibrate

1 a obsolete : to ascertain the caliber of (as a thermometer tube) b : to determine or mark the capacity or the graduations of or to rectify the graduations of (as a graduated measuring instrument) c : to standardize (as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from standard especially so as to ascertain the proper correction factors 2 : to determine by actual firing the corrections in range or elevation settings required to make (a piece of artillery) fire uniformly with a standard or reference piece 3 : to adjust precisely for a particular function <each airport's systems are calibrated at least every five months — J. N. Wilford> 4 : to measure precisely; especially : to measure against a standard

disparage

1 a obsolete : to lower or degrade especially by marriage to one socially inferior b : to lower in esteem or reputation : diminish the respect for <the Labor party, in turn, is being carried further to the left ... in an effort to disparage the Tory party — New Republic > c : discourage , dishearten 2 a obsolete : to discredit or bring reproach upon by comparing with something inferior : lower in rank by actions or words b : to speak slightingly of : run down : depreciate

unkempt

1 a of hair : not combed b : deficient in order or neatness of person : disheveled 2 : not trimly finished or ordered : lacking in formal neatness and order : rough <native vistas and unkempt rambling paths>

cyclopean

1 a often capitalized : relating to the Cyclopes : like or like that of a Cyclops b : fit for a Cyclops : vast and rough : massive , huge 2 : of or relating to a style of stone construction marked typically by the use of large irregular blocks without mortar 3 a : having or relating to a single median eye or a medially united pair of eyes b : of or relating to cyclopia

ballistics

1 a usually singular in construction : the science of the motion of powder-propelled projectiles in flight — compare exterior ballistics , interior ballistics b sometimes singular in construction : the characteristics of flight of a projectile c usually singular in construction : the study of the processes within a firearm as it is fired <But even more sophisticated tests conducted by ballistics experts in 1961 affirmed the original conclusion that the questioned bullet had been fired from Sacco's .32-caliber Colt automatic. — David Fisher, Hard Evidence , 1995> <Each chapter is devoted to a specific type of criminal science, such as ballistics , explosives, toxicology, and odotontology ... — Science News , 7 Nov. 1998> 2 usually singular in construction : the cardiac movements involved in the forcing of blood into the arteries and the bodily recoil movements that maintain adjustment within the body

jodhpurs

1 also jodhpur breeches : pants for horseback riding cut full through the hips, close-fitting from knee to ankle, and usually having a strap under the foot — usually used in plural 2 or jodhpur boot also jodhpur shoe : a short riding boot; especially : an ankle-high boot fastened with a strap that is buckled at the side — compare chukka

tariff

1 also ta·rif·fa \tə- ˈ ri-fə, - ˈ rē-fə\ (audio pronunciation) archaic : an arithmetic or multiplication table 2 : a schedule, system, or scheme of duties imposed by a government on imported or exported goods for the production of revenue, for the artificial fostering of home industries, or as a means of coercing foreign governments to grant reciprocity privileges — compare free trade , protection 4 3 : a listing or scale of rates or charges for a business or a public utility: such as a : a published schedule of rates, ratings, or charges with associated rules, regulations, routes, and information issued by carriers or their agents and filed with a public regulatory agency b : a schedule of rates or charges of a hotel, motel, or lodging house <rooms and meals at tariffs well below comparable accommodations elsewhere — Lucius Beebe> c : a schedule of postal rates or charges <the flat rate principles on which the postal tariff is based — A. J. Bruwer> 4 : the duty or rate of duty imposed in a tariff <the tariff on wool> <a tariff of two cents a pound> 5 : a charge or fee set as the cost of goods or service : price <creating a market in shells ... and modifying the tariff according to the supply — Arnold Bennett> <excellent workmanship at not too high a tariff — Fashion Digest > <the stiff tariff of 15 bucks that the fraternity was charging — Martin Dibner> <keep the tickets on a par with the tariff in the unofficial stands — Horace Sutton>

quaint

1 obsolete a : marked as cunning, scheming, crafty, artful, or wily <the quaint smooth rogue — Thomas Otway> b : characterized by knowledge, skill, or learning; especially : skilled in the use of language <how quaint an orator — Shakespeare> 2 a : characterized by cleverness or ingenuity : skillfully wrought or artfully contrived <the arming of each joint, in every piece how neat and quaint — Michael Drayton> < quaint with many a device in India ink — Herman Melville> <set in the close-grained wood were quaint devices — Amy Lowell> b : marked by beauty or elegance of appearance : handsome <a body so fantastic, trim, and quaint in its deportment and attire — William Cowper> <the quaint , powerful simplicity which sculptors sometimes had — Nathaniel Hawthorne> c : marked by ingenuity or refinement of language <a new thought or conceit dressed up in smooth quaint language — Richard Steele> 3 a (1) : unusual or different in character or appearance : odd , strange <came forth a quaint and fearful sight — Sir Walter Scott> <my stroll was marked ... by only one quaint happening — William Beebe> (2) : so unusual or different as to be bizarre, eccentric, or incongruous <the head terminating in the quaint duck bill which gives the animal its vernacular name — Bill Beatty> <this horse ... with so many quaint points and characteristics — Johnston Forbes-Robertson> b : uncommon, old-fashioned, or unfamiliar but often agreeable or attractive in character, appearance, or action : picturesque <a vaulted roof supporting a quaint chimney, much admired — Aubrey Drury> <dresses with a quaint old-fashioned elegance — Current Biography > <a quaint pronunciation of English words that delighted her listeners — C. B. Nordhoff & J. N. Hall> <to make our present knowledge seem incomplete and quaint — Alan Gregg> c : affectedly or artificially unfamiliar, old-fashioned, or picturesque <a tendency to be a little too quaint — Jerome Stone> <they appeal to tourists as quaint — C. K. Kluckhohn> <the summer folk ... left the land to the quaint natives — W. G. O'Donnell> 4 obsolete : overly discriminating or needlessly meticulous : fastidious <being too quaint and finical in his expression — Roger L'Estrange> 5 : highly incongruous, inappropriate, or illogical : naive , unreasonable — usually used ironically <out of a quaint sense of honesty — Paul Engle> <the quaint notion that a speaker should be heard as well as understood — H. F. & Katharine Pringle> < quaint notion that it is a writer's business to write — J. K. Hutchens>

gloat

1 obsolete a : to look or gaze at something indirectly or furtively b : to look or gaze at something admiringly or affectionately 2 : to look at, gaze at, or think about something with great self-satisfaction or intense often passionate gratification or gleefully triumphant joy <a miser gloating over his gold> <always ready to gloat over a new victory> : linger over or dwell upon something with extreme often evil delight : revel <a vision of demons gloating over the tortures of the damned> < gloating over every detail of the murder> : exult over something with intense often malicious pleasure < gloated at his discomfiture> <used to make wax images of the vital organs of a hated person, and hold them over a fire, gloating to see them drip — Emma Hawkridge> — gloat·er noun , plural gloat·ers < Gloaters mock the other person with malignant scorn and smiling satisfaction. — Richard Lazarus, in The Nature of Emotion , 1994>

redress

1 obsolete a : to make vertical again < redress a leaning wall — Earl of Shaftesbury †1713> b : to put back into good condition physically or spiritually : repair <rise God ... this wicked earth redress — John Milton> 2 a (1) : to set (a wrong) right : remedy <looked to charity, not to legislation, to redress social wrongs — W. R. Inge> (2) : to make up for : compensate <what they lacked in apparatus they redressed in understanding — C. F. Mullett> b : to remove the cause of (a grievance or complaint) <had not the slightest intention of listening to the grievances of the colonies with a desire to redress them — H. E. Scudder> <committee has redressed these medievalisms and submitted its draft bill — Harvey Breit> c : to exact reparation for : avenge <must such wrongs either be ignored or redressed in hot blood — R. H. Jackson> 3 archaic a : to requite (a person) for a wrong or loss b : heal 4 a : to eliminate the faults of : impart renewed stability to : rectify <divided about how to redress the economy — New Statesman & Nation > b : to neutralize the effect of : counteract , offset <another broadcast may redress whatever imbalances the first creates — Gilbert Seldes> c : to return (an airplane) to normal flying position : flatten out

farce

1 obsolete a : to stuff (as poultry) with forcemeat or other stuffing b : to stuff (as oneself) with food : gorge c : to make full : cram , stuff 2 a obsolete : to fatten or enlarge by or as if by cramming b : to enlarge, amplify, or expand (as a literary work) by interpolation or addition often of witty material or quotations; especially : farse

renaissance

1 or Renaissance a : enthusiastic and vigorous activity along literary, artistic, and cultural lines distinguished by a revival of interest in the past, by an increasing pursuit of learning, and by an imaginative response to broader horizons generally <conceptions of the nature of the Renaissance — W. K. Ferguson> <the transcendental movement that marked the full flowering of the New England renaissance — V. L. Parrington> b : the period of such a revival <the Renaissance of the eighth and ninth centuries — Kemp Malone> <that second Renaissance , the Victorian Age — Edwin Benson> <the period conventionally known as the Renaissance — David Daiches> 2 Renaissance : the neoclassic style of art prevailing during the Renaissance period 3 : a return of youthful vigor, freshness, zest, or productivity : a renewal of life or interest in some aspect of it : rebirth <a postwar renaissance — Granville Hicks> <grand opera ... is currently enjoying a renaissance — Joseph Wechsberg> <the biggest tennis renaissance ever known in this country — Holiday >

gibbet

1 or gibbet tree a : an upright post with a projecting arm for hanging the bodies of executed criminals in chains or irons b : gallows 2 : the projecting arm of a crane : jib

paterfamilias

1 plural pa·tres·fa·mil·i·as \-a ‧ ( ˌ )trēzf-; -ä ‧ ˌ trāsf-, -a ̇ ‧ ˌ -\ (audio pronunciation) , Roman law a : the head of a household b : someone who is his own master — compare patria potestas , sui juris 2 : the father of a family : the male head of a household <was rapidly moving into the role of paterfamilias , for his own children numbered four — Jean Holloway>

sphinx

1 plural sphinx·es \-iŋ(k)sə ̇ z\ or sphin·ges \-in ˌ jēz\ (audio pronunciation) a : an enigmatic monster in ancient Greek mythology having typically a lion's body, wings, and the head and bust of a woman; also : a monster resembling a Grecian sphinx in appearance or character b : a person who resembles the sphinx of ancient Greece especially in enigmatic or inscrutable character or in speaking enigmatically 2 plural sphinxes or sphinges : an ancient Egyptian image in the form of a recumbent lion having a man's head, a ram's head, or a hawk's head 3 [New Latin, from Latin Sphinx ] a Sphinx : the type genus of the family Sphingidae that was formerly coextensive with the family but now includes only a few hawk moths b or sphinx moth plural sphinx moths also sphinxes or sphinges : any moth of the family Sphingidae : hawk moth ◆ The larvae of the sphinx moth often assume a defensive position in which the front end is raised in a manner suggestive of the Egyptian sphinx. 4 plural sphinxes or sphinges : a grayish yellowish brown that is darker than deer and slightly darker than acorn — called also mustang 5 plural sphinxes or sphinges [Latin, an ape, perhaps chimpanzee, from Greek, an ape, from Sphinx ] : sphinx baboon

triple-witching hour

In Stock market - the last trading hour on third Friday of March, June, September and December. An event that occurs when the contracts for stock index futures, stock index options and stock options all expire on the same day. This is sometimes referred to as "freaky Friday". On those same days single-stock futures also expire, so that the final hour is sometimes referred to as the quadruple-witching hour.

wag

intransitive verb 1 : to be in action or motion : move , stir <see ... how the world wags — Shakespeare> 2 : to move to and fro or up and down especially repeatedly and with a quick or jerky motion : oscillate , switch , waggle , wave , wigwag 3 : to keep moving in chatter or gossip <his tongue wags incessantly> <beards wagged throughout the scientific world — Webb Garrison> <heads wagged for a time — Louis Bromfield> <his lips were still wagging — Time > 4 a archaic : to move from a place : pack off : depart < wag to town> b archaic : to wander from place to place : travel c slang : to play truant from school <the school we both attended—when not wagging it — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin > 5 a : to move with a wagging or wobbling motion : waddle <a dog wagging down the street> b of an animal : to wag the tail <a pack of dogs—they fawned, they wagged , they growled — Helen Howe> transitive verb 1 a archaic : move , stir , budge b dialectal : to carry or haul with difficulty : lug < wag groceries home in a cart> <a small child ... compelled to wag her baby brother around with her — Theodore Garrison> 2 a : to swing to and fro or up and down especially repeatedly and with a quick or jerky motion : shake , switch , wave <ducks ... nonchalantly wagging their tails — Edmund Wilson> <formation leaders have telegraphed their dive attacks by wagging their wings before coming in — Keith Ayling> <naval vessels ... would be wagging and hoisting flags and blinking lights at one another — Gavin Douglas> specifically : to nod (the head) or shake (a finger) at (as in assent or mild reproof) <don't wag your finger at me> b : to move (as the head) animatedly in conversation <a scandalous event that set the villagers to wagging their tongues> <a theory for philosophers to wag their heads over — Henry Bordeaux> 3 : to strongly influence or exert control over (a related thing) out of proportion to size or true importance <the tail wags the dog> <instances ... in which the choirs are wagging the church — Maurice Thompson>

justify

transitive verb 1 a (1) : to prove or show to be just, desirable, warranted, or useful : vindicate <science justifies itself when it contributes to the desire to know — Scientific American Reader > < justified to herself his every fault — Ruth Park> <most cats must justify themselves by catching mice — Charlton Laird> < justify the ways of God to man — John Milton> <undertaking to justify a single scale of rates for the entire country — Collier's Year Book > <the welcome he received justified his visit — A. R. Forde> (2) obsolete : to confirm, maintain, or acknowledge as true, lawful, or legitimate b : to prove or show to be valid, sound, or conforming to fact or reason : furnish grounds or evidence for : confirm , support , verify <their immediate jubilant reaction has been abundantly justified by the sales — Peter Forster> <attempts to justify his definition of cartography — Geographical Journal > <insinuation of personal interest as a determining factor seems to me not justified by the facts shown — O. W. Holmes †1935> < justified my fondest hopes — D. G. Gerahty> c (1) : to show to have had a sufficient legal reason (as that the libel charged is true or that the trespass charged was by license of the possessor) for (an act made the subject of a charge or accusation) (2) : to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property 2 a archaic : to execute justice upon : administer justice to b archaic : to pronounce free from guilt or blame : absolve c : to judge, regard, or treat as righteous, worthy of salvation, or as freed from the future penalty of sin <God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to him — Will Herberg> 3 a : to make level and square the body of (a typefounder's strike) b : to set to fit the measure or space closely (as a line of type, matrices, photocomposition, typewriting) or so that all full lines are of equal length and flush right and left (as typewritten matter) c : to cause to align evenly at the bottom (as letters of different size) d : to adjust to fit and lock up securely (set letterpress matter) intransitive verb 1 a : to show a sufficient lawful reason (as that the plaintiff consented to an act alleged to be a trespass) for an act done or not done b : to qualify as bail or surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property <the surety justified on the bail bond> 2 : to accept and receive as just or righteous those who respond in faith to God <believing with all their being that God justified through faith — John Dillenberger & Claude Welch> 3 printing a : to be capable of or susceptible of justification b : to become justified

contrive

transitive verb 1 a : devise , plan , plot < contrive means of meeting> b : to fabricate as a work of art or ingenuity : design , invent <from stone, wood, shell, and bone the Indians contrived ... household utensils — American Guide Series: Tennessee > 2 now dialectal : to find out : understand 3 obsolete : to form, shape, lay out, or adapt by contrivance <the whole shire contrived into 33 hundreds — John Speed> 4 : to bring about by stratagem or with difficulty : effect , manage — often followed by the infinitive <he contrived to win the cooperation ... of Voltaire, Buffon — Times Literary Supplement > intransitive verb : to make devices : form plans, schemes, or designs : plan , scheme , plot <if we were perfectly satisfied with the present we should cease to contrive , to labor, and to save for the future — T. B. Macaulay>

assimilate

transitive verb 1 a : to appropriate and transform or incorporate into the substance of the assimilator : take in and appropriate as nourishment : absorb into the system <the body assimilates digested food into its protoplasm> b : to take in and absorb as one's own : receive into the mind and consider and thoroughly comprehend <the wide range of influences ... which he assimilated in his years of apprenticeship — Herbert Read> <an amazing amount of scientific information which he had assimilated — V. G. Heiser> 2 a : to make similar or alike : cause to resemble — usually used with to or with < assimilate our law in this respect to the law of Scotland — John Bright> <stains, and vegetation, which assimilate the architecture with the work of nature — John Ruskin> b : to alter by the process of assimilation <the prefix im- is an assimilated form of in- > c : to absorb into the cultural tradition of a population or group <the community assimilated persons of many nationalities> 3 : to represent as similar or alike : compare , liken < assimilated the career of a conqueror to that of a simple robber — W. E. H. Lecky> — usually used with following to or with 4 archaic : to bring into conformity : adapt intransitive verb 1 a : to become of the same substance : become absorbed or incorporated into the system <some foods assimilate more readily than others> b : to become absorbed <cannot assimilate with the Church of England — J. H. Newman> 2 a : to be or become similar or alike : resemble — usually used with following to or with < assimilates with the character of English scenery> b : to become altered by the process of assimilation <the sound m often assimilates before a following n > c : to become culturally assimilated : undergo cultural assimilation 3 archaic : to become adapted : conform

homogenize

transitive verb 1 a : to blend (diverse elements) into a smooth mixture <after these two main ingredients ... have been thoroughly homogenized — D. A. Dearle> b : to blend as if by homogenizing : make homogeneous <trying to legislate decency or homogenize social relations by law — Malcolm Moos> c : to anneal (an alloy) for a long time at a high temperature to make more nearly uniform in chemical composition throughout 2 a : to reduce to particles of uniform size evenly distributed < homogenize peanut butter> <a fragment of cocoon ... was cut into small pieces and homogenized into tiny fragments in water — Science > specifically : to grind (tobacco leaves) into a pulp and compress into a sheet for use as binder b : to reduce the particles of (a liquid) to uniform size and distribute them evenly < homogenize paint> — compare emulsify c : to break up the fat globules and other solids of (milk or cream) by means of a homogenizer intransitive verb : to attain a uniform state or consistency through reduction or blending <heat causes the product to homogenize >

feign

transitive verb 1 a : to cause (oneself) to appear < feign himself to be sick> < feigned herself above such paltry activities> b : to give a sham appearance of : simulate falsely < feign sickness> < feign a limp merely to arouse sympathy> <one of the birds which feigns death when taken in the hand—lying limply with closed eyes — E. A. Armstrong> pretend < feigned to be asleep> : give a false impression <everybody had feigned ... that his wife was as other wives — Arnold Bennett> c obsolete : conceal especially by disguising : dissemble 2 a : to fashion by inventing (as a story or accusation) or by forging (as a document) b : to assert or relate as if true : allege < feign that he was not feeling well so that he could leave the party early> c archaic : to give fictional or fabled representation to : relate in fiction or fable d archaic : to give an imitation of (as a voice or manner) : counterfeit 3 a archaic : to give a mental existence to or conjure up (something unreal) : imagine b obsolete : to believe erroneously intransitive verb 1 obsolete : to give false information : lie 2 : dissemble , pretend <he told the truth because he was no good at feigning > 3 : to create or invent fictional representations <the feigning novelist — W. V. O'Connor>

etch

transitive verb 1 a : to produce (something, such as a design) usually on a metal or glass surface by covering it with an acid-resistant ground through which a design is scratched with a pointed instrument and submitting the surface to an acid bath or other mordant <panels of glass etched to simulate clouds — American Guide Series: Minnesota > b : to treat (something, such as a copper or zinc plate) in a similar manner to produce a relief printing image by photoengraving — compare halftone c : to treat (a lithographic printing surface) with dilute nitric or other acid in order to fix the design and make the exposed parts more repellent to grease 2 : to corrode the surface of (something, such as a metal) usually with acid for the purpose of microscopic examination of structural details 3 a : to draw the main features of (something, such as a face) : outline <a little leaned by the years, and the features a little more sharply etched — C. I. Lewis> <nor has the relationship between crime and politics been more clearly etched than in Chicago — Seth Agnew> b : to set forth in a clear-cut manner : delineate <the most sharply etched character in the book — Times Literary Supplement > 4 : to produce (a feature of the landscape) by erosion : erode , chisel <barrier of towering peaks and deeply etched canyons — R. A. Billington> <streams etched out new valleys — American Guide Series: New Jersey > 5 : to impress usually on the mind or in the memory : imprint <the place, the people, are etched in our minds to stay — New York Herald Tribune Book Review > <lasting impressions on the American mind, etched deeply into a national consciousness — J. D. Hart> intransitive verb 1 : to practice the art of etching : make etchings <has been etching busily the past month> 2 : to be susceptible of etching with acid <magnesium is said to etch faster than copper or zinc>

sever

transitive verb 1 a : to put asunder : part <had been severed from the case because of illness — Paul Harris> <should sever himself from them completely — Samuel Butler †1902> b : to disjoin or disunite from one another <will ... take an opportunity of severing these young men — Sir Walter Scott> <fighting a war that the parts of the nation might not be severed > 2 : to keep separate or apart by intervening <a world severed from ... downtown by a gap so wide — Louis Auchincloss> <the confluence of the ... rivers which virtually severs it from the rest of the capital territory — H. W. H. King> 3 : to discriminate between or set off from : distinguish < sever theology from philosophy — H. O. Taylor> 4 a : to divide or break up into parts <army ... was severed by inroads — Sir Winston Churchill> b (1) : to cut in two : sunder , cleave <came to a stop with the severed body about halfway under the locomotive — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News > < severing the cable and releasing the flaming, heavily constructed car — American Guide Series: Minnesota > < severed their last remaining ties to the Old World — Oscar Handlin> < sever connections> < sever diplomatic relations> (2) : to separate (from a whole) with suddenness or force <the guillotine severs the head from the body> c : to scatter into parts : disperse <as wild geese that ... sever themselves and madly sweep the sky — Shakespeare> 5 : to disunite, disconnect, or divide into independent parts, rights, liabilities, or provisions (such as an estate in joint tenancy or a contract or statute) intransitive verb 1 : to go apart or asunder : to become parted or separated <if from me thou sever not — John Milton> <in all their lives not to sever > 2 : to become divided or separated into parts <the army must sever in three parts — Edward Hall> 3 : to act independently or separately in a court of law <claimed the right of severing in their challenge — T. B. Macaulay>

transcend

transitive verb 1 a : to rise above or go beyond the limits of : exceed <servants whose loyalty and devotion transcend national and cultural boundaries — C. J. Friedrich> <instinctive courtesy which transcends mere good manners — Richard Joseph> <to possess by self-mastery the sources of love and hate is to transcend good and evil — Havelock Ellis> b : to extend above or beyond (as the universe) < transcend material existence> <the Christian message transcends all temporal civilizations — Maria Sulzbach> 2 : to outstrip or outdo in some attribute, quality, or power : surpass <some of the electrons ... transcend this speed and take their leave — K. K. Darrow> <her compass transcended that of her companions in the band — Thomas Hardy> <whose hatred, he says, transcends that of all other races — Times Literary Supplement > <one who has infinitely transcended him in reputation — Richard Garnett †1906> 3 obsolete : to cross or climb over : mount 4 : to cause to rise or go upward : elevate , raise <man being transcended toward the universal as worker and citizen — H. M. Parshley> intransitive verb 1 obsolete : to travel upward or onward : ascend 2 : excel , surpass <it is the function of genius to transcend >

clutch

transitive verb 1 a : to seize, grip, or hold with the hand or claws usually strongly, tightly, or suddenly <sleeps ... with his musket ... clutched tightly — S. V. Benét> < clutched his arm fiercely> b : to hold or try to retain control or possession of : seize < clutch power> 2 obsolete : to close tightly : clench < clutching hands> intransitive verb 1 : to seek to hold or retain possession < clutched at her son's devotion — Andrea Parke> : take immediate advantage or make immediate use (as of an idea or an opportunity) — often used with at < clutch at remedies that her calmer self would have put by — H. O. Taylor> 2 : grasp , hold <roots that clutch deeply into the earth> 3 : to operate a clutch ( see 3 clutch 3 ) 4 : to perform poorly or fail in a critical situation < clutched on the final exam>

expound

transitive verb 1 a : to set forth : state , present , teach < expounds his conviction that the economic outlook is brightening> < expounding a philosophy from which she shrank — William McFee> < expounding to the literate but uninformed some of the mysteries of economics — Quincy Howe> <it's the personality of the teacher that counts, far more than the topic he expounds — R. B. Merriman> < expounded with distinguished precision the difference between an extinct and an extirpated bird — Edmund Wilson> b : to defend with argument : advocate <welcomed ... the suggestions of a union with the Church of England, which some ... clergymen in the two churches expounded because of an alleged similarity in spirit and ritual — R. C. Wood> 2 : to make clear the meaning of : comment on : interpret , explain , construe , gloss < expounded to his monks ... the religious significance of ... the Song of Songs — G. C. Sellery> <spent much of his time expounding the conflict between Christianity and Communism — Current Biography > <used to take me riding before breakfast and expound my shortcomings — John Buchan> < expound a law> intransitive verb 1 : to make a statement : present a view : discourse , comment — often used with on <when executives expound on the subject their views coincide remarkably — W. H. Whyte> < expound on the many good reasons for getting to know Great Britain — Richard Joseph> <sportsmen will expound for hours on their observations — G. J. Knudsen> 2 : to make explanatory comments : explain <you speak of the time assigned ... I ... would like you to expound — O. W. Holmes †1935>

precipitate

transitive verb 1 a : to throw violently (as upon an object of attack) : hurl <in dismay he precipitates himself once more upon his task — Eric Blom> b : to throw down <the Congo precipitates itself between the mountains, forming some thirty-two separate rapids and cataracts — Tom Marvel> < precipitated himself into skepticism — Kingsley Price> 2 a : to cause to move or act very rapidly : urge or press on with eager haste or violence <the completion of the railroad ... precipitated the extinction of water-borne commerce — American Guide Series: Maine > b : to cause to happen or come to a crisis suddenly, unexpectedly, or too soon : bring on quickly or abruptly <that the sudden withdrawal of alcohol from a chronic alcoholic may precipitate a delirium — Encylopedia Americana > <the power of dissolving Congress and precipitating a national election — A. N. Holcombe> 3 a (1) : to cause to separate as a precipitate <water precipitates camphor from its alcoholic solution> (2) : to cause (vapor) to condense and fall or deposit <an ice-filled glass precipitates moisture from the air> b : to give distinct or substantial form to : body forth <ward membership ... may easily precipitate itself into many visible forms of behavior — Edward Sapir> intransitive verb 1 a : to fall headlong b : to descend steeply c : to fall or come suddenly into some condition (as ruin) <Fascism precipitated toward its agony — Cecil Sprigge> 2 : to move or act precipitately 3 : to become separate or distinct : take material or observable form <this desire or tendency precipitates into observable motion whenever counteracting causes are removed — Arthur Pap> : such as a : to separate from a solution as a precipitate b : to condense from a vapor and fall as rain or snow

shrouded

transitive verb 1 a archaic : to cover (as a person) for protection : shelter < shroud these weaklings from blows — Nathaniel Fairfax> b obsolete : to conceal (as a person) in a secret or hidden place 2 a : to cut off from view : screen <trees shrouded in a heavy mist> b : to veil under another appearance (as by obscuring or disguising) < shrouded in cipher> <uncertainty ... shrouds the identity of the early peoples — American Guide Series: Indiana > 3 : to cover with a shroud; especially : to enclose in a winding sheet : dress for burial 4 : to cover (sides of beef) with muslin 5 : trim , lop <climb up ... and shroud off the lower boughs — Thomas Hardy> intransitive verb archaic : to take or seek shelter <wilt thou shroud in haunted cell — William Collins †1759>

endeavor

transitive verb 1 a formal : to attempt (something, such as the fulfillment of an obligation) by exertion of effort : to seriously or continually try (to do something) < ... she walked up and down the room, endeavouring to compose herself ... — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice , 1813> < ... is quite concerned, however, with what is sometimes called the paradox of happiness: the harder you endeavor to catch it, the more elusive it proves. — Jim Holt, New York Times Book Review , 12 Feb. 2006> b obsolete : to exert (oneself) strenuously 2 archaic : to strive to achieve or reach 3 obsolete : to make an attack against intransitive verb 1 formal : to work with set purpose to achieve something : to make an effort < " I have endeavoured , " said the old man. " I have endeavoured — " And then he stopped, either hindered by some excess of emotion, or unable to find the words which were necessary for the expression of his meaning. " Let us endeavour once again,—both of us. " — Anthony Trollope, The Small House at Allington , 1864> 2 obsolete : to exert oneself : strive

couch

transitive verb 1 a obsolete : to set over : overlay , inlay b : to embroider by laying an outlining thread along the surface and fastening it with small stitches at regular intervals 2 a : to compose, settle, or recline for sleep or rest <at the end of the day's journey the camels needed no urging to be couched — John Skölle> — used of an animal usually reflexively or passively <a lion couching himself by the tree> b : to compose for sleep : cause to lie down : bed — used of a person usually reflexively or passively < couched on the ground> c : to place, locate, or settle especially in a position suggesting security, protection, or repose : place in a particular setting or background < couched in the magnificence of gorgeous and elaborate costumes — Faubion Bowers> 3 archaic : to lay or deposit in a bed or layer (as in building or gardening) : bed 4 : to place or hold in a position level and pointed forward ready or as if ready for use <advancing with spears couched > < couching his lance, he seated himself firmly in his saddle — W. S. Maugham> 5 : express : a : to place or compose in a specified kind of language : word , phrase <prayer, couched in the idiom of the Bible — Edna Ferber> b : to include or imply obscurely or so as to make comprehension difficult <all this and more ... lies naturally couched under this allegory — Roger L'Estrange> 6 archaic : to place in hiding or ambush : set in hiding or lurking — usually used reflexively or in the passive 7 : to treat (a cataract or a person having a cataract) by an operation intended to restore partial vision by displacing the lens of the eye into the vitreous 8 : to bring down : lower , depress , contract <some of the quills couched , some still erect> 9 a : to press (a wet sheet of new handmade paper still on the mold) onto a felt b : to press (a sheet of paper stock) on the wire of a cylinder machine and transfer onto a felt for further pressing and drying c : to press water from (a sheet) on a couch roll of a fourdrinier machine or extract it by a suction couch preparatory to transferring to a felt intransitive verb 1 : to lie down for or as if for sleep or rest a of a person : to recline on or as if on a bed; sometimes : to couple in sexual intercourse <a goddess couching with a mortal — Andrew Lang> b of an animal : to lie down, recline, or kneel for or as if for rest <boars couching > <the odd way a camel couches > c : to lie or be situated <the deep that couches beneath — Deuteronomy 33:13 (Revised Standard Version)> 2 : to bend down low: a : to kneel, stoop, or bow especially in obeisance, subserviency, or submission b : to lie or lurk in concealment or ambush < couching in the wood to waylay the traveler> 3 of leaves : to lie in a heap or mass while decomposition or fermentation proceeds

deem

transitive verb 1 a obsolete : to sit in judgment upon : decide <at the one side six judges were disposed to view and deem the deeds of arms that day — Edmund Spenser> b archaic : administer <the deemster was a hard judge and deemed the laws in rigor — Hall Caine> 2 : to come to view, judge, or classify after some reflection : hold , think <essentially he deemed himself a liberal — Robert Grant †1940> <this criticism I deem to be without foundation — H. W. Dodds> <it is deemed advisable to refrain from making definite statements until clinical ... proof is available — H. G. Armstrong> 3 archaic : expect , hope <a creature ... whom she deemed to render happy — Lord Byron> intransitive verb 1 : to form or have an opinion : believe , suppose — used with of 2 : to become aware : be cognizant — used with of <something unearthly which they deem not of — Lord Byron>

delve

transitive verb 1 archaic : to make (something, such as a ditch or hole) by digging : excavate 2 a now chiefly dialectal British : spade < delve a garden> b : to dig into : explore by or as if by digging < delving the garnered lore of centuries> intransitive verb 1 a : to dig or labor with or as if with a spade; often : to labor as a drudge b : to seek laboriously (as in books or records) for information 2 of a slope or sloping way : to make a sudden descent : dip

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