CAT Word List PDF

CAT Word List - 1 from TestFunda.
com
Prepared by: KrishnaKanth & Feroz
Daily Wordlist
monogram [ MON-uh'-gram ]
[ noun, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a design consisting of two or more letters of the alphabet combined or interlaced
2. (n.) a single emblematic letter
3. (tr. v.) to mark with a design composed of one or more letters
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The hotel had their monogram stitched on all the linen.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
I'm thinking of marrying him because it will be great for all the monogram towels I own!
BBC, talk - your thoughts, your views, your space, 13 November 2009.
plight [ plahyt ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an unfortunate situation
2. (n.) a situation or predicament
3. (tr. v.) to pledge or to bind by a pledge
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
People donated in cash and kind after hearing of the sorry plight of the victims of the tsunami.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He describes the plight of villagers who lost everything to the floods.
BBC, India floods: 'Misery everywhere', 5 October 2009.
alluvial [ uh'-LOO-vee-uh'l ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a type of mud
2. (adj.) pertaining to the sediment deposited by flowing water
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Farmers of the Indo-Gangetic plain produce bountiful crops because of the fertile alluvial soil.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
One man escaped after falling into a cave as army sharp shooters sprayed the diggers with automatic fire in an
alluvial diamond field, in a tribal area, about 20 miles north east of Mutare, near the Mozambique border.
The Telegraph, Zimbabwe army guns down 12 people searching for diamonds, Peta Thornycroft, 21 November
2008.
placate [ PLEY-keyt ]
MEANING :
1. (tr.v.) to appease
2. (tr. v.) to pacify
3. (n.) a piece of plate armor to protect the torso
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The peasants realised that the only way to placate the despot was to offer him half of their produce.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
President Hamid Karzai said Afghan forces would take responsibility for security from international troops within
five years in an inauguration speech which placated his impatient Western allies.
The Telegraph, Hamid Karzai: Afghan forces to take over from foreign troops in five years, Ben Farmer and Mary
Riddell, 19 November 2009.
incognito [ in-kog-NEE-toh ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) with a disguise or having one's identity hidden
2. (n.) a person who has his identity concealed
3. (n.) the state of being in disguise

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The celebrity said that she travelled incognito to avoid being mobbed by fans.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Prince William is said to wear a moustache and a flat cap when he wants to go incognito.
The Telegraph, Prince Harry wears Rastafarian disguise to go out in public unnoticed, 23 August 2009.
pugilist [ PYOO-juh'-list ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a boxer
2. a person who fights with the fists
3. a professional fist-fighter
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He earned fame and fortune by as a pugilist.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He is thought to be pound for pound, inch-for-inch and punch for punch the best pugilist in the world, a
fighter without a flaw.
The Telegraph, Alexis Arguello, 1 July 2009.
asunder [ uh'-suh'n-DER ]
[ adjective, adverb ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) into separate parts or into pieces
2. (adj.) apart in position or direction
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The hillock was rendered asunder by explosive charges and levelled by bulldozers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Of all the marital vows that came asunder in 2008, none did so quite so loudly and with so much press coverage
as those of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills.
The Telegraph, Breaks-ups of 2008: Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, Madonna, Ronnie Wood, 23 December
2008.
demeanor [ di-MEE-ner ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) conduct or behaviour of a person
2. (n.) manner or style
3. (n.) facial expression or appearance
4. (n.) attitude
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Most of her friends avoided her because of her bossy demeanor.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Knox was criticized in newspapers and tabloids around the world for her demeanor after the killing, which
included photos of her and Sollecito comforting each other as crime scene investigators looked for clues in her
house.
CNN, Amanda Knox's parents hope acquittal is near in murder case, 16 October 2009.
decollete [ dey-kol-TEY ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. a low neckline (of a dress)
2. wearing a strapless dress or one with a low neckline
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The decollete dress that she wore for the parade must have cost the sponsors a tidy sum.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The cowl neck that is the designer's trademark tantalizingly exposed the actress's decollete.
BBC, Sex and the City: Fashion focus, Penny Martin, 12 May 2008.
precedent [ n. PRES-i-duh'nt; adj. pri-SEED-nt ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a legal decision serving as an authoritative pattern for similar cases in the future
2. (n.) a standard example
3. (adj.) anterior or frontal

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The lawyer won the case by quoting a precedent from the supreme court.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In its bid for a do-over, the FAI pointed to precedent set in 2005 when a World Cup qualifier between Uzbekistan
and Bahrain was replayed after the referee was found to have committed a technical error.
CNN, Zidane: Don't 'dwell' on Henry's handball, 22 November 2009.
miscreant [ MIS-kree-uh'nt ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a villain
2. (n.) a depraved person
3. (adj.) villainous or depraved
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The miscreants stoned the shop and made off after breaking the glass showcase.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
They wear their pants below their behinds in solidarity with their friends, brothers, uncles or fathers who aren't
allowed belts while incarcerated, though perhaps the low-hanging pants are a defiant gesture to society at large
for continually presuming them to be miscreant.
CNN, Obama, race and my arrest, Jeffrey Wright, 24 October 2009.
besiege [ bi-SEEJ ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to surround with hostile forces
2. to hem in or harass
3. to cause to be distressed
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The famous rock star was besieged by fans seeking autographs.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
As the defenders of a besieged Bosnian town prepared to retreat, the prisoners of war held captive in the local
jail feared the worst.
CNN, Geneva Conventions 'still relevant but better compliance needed', Simon Hooper, 12 August 2009.
disburse [ dis-BURS ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to pay out cash, as from a fund
2. to expend
3. to spread out or scatter
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
At the end of the day money was disbursed to the labourers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The UK government sees itself as a leading player in international climate diplomacy. In June, Prime Minister
Gordon Brown proposed setting up a fund to raise and disburse $100bn (60bn) annually for climate protection
and adaptation.
BBC, Climate deal is 'in the balance', Richard Black, 8 September 2009.
unfledged [ uhn-flejd ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. not having enough feathers for flight
2. inexperienced or untried
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The troupe of performers consisted of unfledged young dancers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Paul is the Head of Radio Entertainment and is responsible for all in-house comedy and entertainment
programmes on BBC national radio, from established favourites such as Just A Minute to developing the talents
of
unfledged performers and writers.
BBC, Show me the funny, Paul Schlesinger
conformist [ kuh'n-FAWR-mist ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) one who complies or is in agreement with
2. (n.) a person who acts in accordance with certain customs
3. (adj.) characterized by acting in agreement
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was a conformist and did exactly what was expected of him.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
They have accused the festival - which was once regarded as counter-cultural - of becoming conformist in its
apparent wish to acknowledge modern diversity.
BBC, Church festival draws criticism, John McManus, 28 August 2009.
podiatrist [ puh'-DAHY-uh'-trist ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a person qualified to diagnose and treat foot disorders
2. a foot doctor
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was not a podiatrist but was very knowledgeable about treating foot ailments.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Ms Jones, a practising podiatrist, said seven times as much pressure was put on the ball of a foot by someone
wearing high
heels.
The Telegraph, High heels 'should be banned at work', 15 September 2009.
chortle [ CHAWR-tl ]
[ noun, verb ]
MEANING :
1. (v.) to chuckle gleefully
2. (v.) to express one's happiness with a gleeful chuckle
3. (n.) a gleeful chuckle
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The children chortled when they saw the antics of the clown.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
During the rest of the speech, Mr Wilson consulted his BlackBerry on more than one occasion and joined in
repeated Republican
jeers, sarcastic chortles and waving bits of paper that by themselves breached protocol for joint sessions, when
the House of
Representatives and the Senate assemble to listen to the head of state.
The Telegraph, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson breaks protocol by heckling Obama, Alex Spillius, 10
September 2009.
scavenge [ SKAV-inj ]
[ intransitive verb, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to search through and gather from wastage
2. (tr. v.) to expel exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine
3. (tr. v.) to remove impurities from molten metal by chemicals
4. (intr. v.) to search through refuse
5. (intr. v.) to feed on dead or decaying matter
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The children scavenged the city dump for material to use in their science project.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Yasar told Sahintas he scavenges packing paper and cardboard boxes from garbage bins for resale to private
recycling
companies.
CNN, Cab-driving shutterbug chronicles Istanbul's underbelly, Ivan Watson and Yesim Comert, 6 October 2009.
emancipate [ i-MAN-suh'-peyt ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to free from restraint or bondage
2. to be free from parental control
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Many bonded labourers were emancipated because of pressure exerted on manufacturers by the international
community.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
This liberal-minded tsar emancipated the serfs and, for his troubles, was assassinated by a terrorist bomb.
The Telegraph, St Petersburg: A city of history, romance and adventure - Russia Now, Alexander Melikhov, 27
August 2009.
bevy [ BEV-ee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. an assemblage or collection
2. a group
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The advertisement for the pageant stated that a bevy of beauties would walk the ramp.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The bevy of judges then attended the traditional Lord Chancellor's breakfast in the Great Hall in the Houses of
Parliament.
The Telegraph, New Supreme Court opens with media barred, 1 October 2009.
ken [ ken ]
[ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) understanding
2. (n.) mental perception
3. (n.) range of sight
4. (intr. v.) to have knowledge of
5. (tr. v.) to know about or be acquainted with
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
It was beyond the ken of the simple village folks why anyone would want to destroy their crops.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Spinoza sought not to limit God to the attributes which come within the ken of man although he believed man's knowledge of
God and the world to be true so far as it goes.
Informations, Spinoza as educator, Rabenort, William Louis, b. 1870
commune [ v. kuh-MYOON; n. KOM-yoon ]

[ noun, intransitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to converse intimately
2. (intr. v.) to be in rapport with nature
3. (n.) an interchange of ideas
4. (n.) a close-knit group of people who share common interests
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He communed with people from all walks of life making him very popular.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Most communes were disbanded years ago as China's leaders began to turn the country's planned economy into one governed
by
the market.
BBC, Life in one of China's last communes, 29 September 2009.
detonation [ det-n-EY-shuh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. an explosion
2. the act of blowing up or exploding
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Before the detonation of the explosives, the workers had to evacuate the danger zone.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
A council spokesman said the area should re-open as planned following the controlled detonation on Tuesday afternoon.
BBC, Live mine detonated at Daedalus, 3 October 2006.
extraneous [ ik-STREY-nee-uhs ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. not belonging or coming from an external source
2. not essential or unrelated to
3. nonessential or superfluous
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The professor weeded out all extraneous references and examples from the lecture.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
I try to fill the frame with essential elements of the picture and crop out all extraneous matter at the time of taking if possible
or otherwise in the darkroom when preparing the prints.
BBC, Pictures paint a thousand words, 10 March 2004
cede [ seed ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to surrender or yield
2. to grant or transfer to
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The King ceded a small part of his territory to put an end to the onslaught of the invaders.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
If that flawed government falls, the vacuum it leaves would cede power to the Taliban and dangerously de-stabilise Pakistan,
bringing to an end its hunting down of insurgents.
The Telegraph, In Afghanistan hope starts here, down a dirt track on the edge of Taliban country, Mary Riddell, 23 November
2009.
rebate [ n.REE-beyt; v. REE-beyt, ri-BEYT ]

MEANING :
1. (n.) the return or refund of a part
2. (n.) a deduction from the total amount to be paid
3. (tr. v.) to deduct or return some of the payment
4. (tr. v.) to lessen
5. (intr. v.) to allow for a discount
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
To get rid of excess stock the supermarket offered a rebate on all purchases which were over a thousand rupees.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Campaigners said that the axing of the rebate had been bad news for the British economy, because little had been won in
return.
The Telegraph, Tony Blair's decision to cut the EU rebate cost 9.3billion, report shows, Christopher Hope, 9 November 2009.
aperture [ AP-er-cher ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a hole or opening
2. the adjustable opening in an optical instrument
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
When he peered through the aperture, he saw a strange world entirely different from the one in which he lived.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Nasa used such an approach, called coded aperture imaging, for the Swift satellite that was sent aloft to spot gamma ray
sources.
BBC, Sky-high system to aid soldiers, 12 August 2008.
malingerer [ muh'-LING-ger-uh' ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a person who pretends to be sick in order to avoid work
2. one who shirks responsibility by feigning illness
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The malingerer was discharged from the hospital after the matron caught him dipping the thermometer in the hot tea.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
That much was true - but far from being a cowardly, drink-soaked malingerer, Private Hook's posthumous supporters are
insisting, he was a teetotal lay preacher and was given a bonus for good conduct shortly before his heroics.
The Telegraph, Battle to restore 'Zulu' hero Henry Hook's reputation, Jon Swaine, 15 August 2008.
preeminent [ pree-EM-uh'-nuh'nt ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. outstanding or a cut above the others
2. superior to or better than
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He is a preeminent actor and most of the new entrants into the profession try to emulate him.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
One of America's preeminent political power couples made a rare joint appearance Friday, when Bill and Hillary Clinton took
the stage at the former president's Clinton Global Initiative conference.
CNN, Clintons share stage, kiss during global initiative event, Elise Labott, 26 September 2009.
meek [ meek ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. tame or spiritless
2. humility
3. simply imposed upon or submissive
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The trainer subjected the wild ponies to harsh training until they became meek enough for children to ride.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Unlike Sankoh, Sesay was meek and almost subservient.
BBC, Did Sierra Leone get war crimes justice? 6 November 2009.
impasse [ IM-pas ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a situation from which there is no escape
2. a deadlock
3. a standstill or stalemate
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The impasse between labour and management was unlikely to be resolved.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
But he said the United States "holds the key" to breaking the impasse, and could convince Iran to halt its nuclear fuel program
by offering security guarantees or a resumption of diplomatic relations with Tehran.
CNN, Blix: Iran's nuclear work raising Mideast tensions, 12 November 2009
coercion [ koh-UR-shuh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the act of using force to get someone to do something
2. the force used to get cooperation
3. the practice of using force to gain obedience
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The minister used coercion to get the people to withdraw their complaint against his errant son.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Many serve in regions where they grew up, leaving them compromised by existing links to insurgents or open to coercion.
The Telegraph, Killing of five soldiers won't stop 'Afghanisation' of security: Analysis, Ben Farmer, 04 November 2009.
meddlesome [ MED-l -suh'm ]

[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. inclined to interfere
2. given to being intrusive
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The teacher scolded the meddlesome student and warned him to mind his own business.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
We are not the ones being meddlesome and troublesome in Iraq.
CNN, Senators to Bush: Stay out of Iran, 11 January 2007.
affiliation [ uh'-fil-ee-EY-shuh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the act of being adopted as a member
2. the state of being accepted as an associate or subsidiary
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
After resigning the Director openly stated that he had no further affiliation with the company.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church have warned they'll fight a government decision to remove religious affiliation from
national identity cards.
BBC, Greek conflict between modernity and Orthodoxy, 15 May 2000.
clasp [ klasp, klahsp ]

MEANING :
1. (n.) a device used for holding together two or more things or parts of the same thing
2. (n.) a firm grip
3. (n.) a fond embrace
4. (tr. v.) to hold together with a clasp
5. (tr. v.) to hug or hold in a fond embrace
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The executive used a clasp to hold together the pages of notes that he took during the meeting.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The covered clasps, though aesthetically pleasing, made attaching and detaching the strap difficult.
CNN, Review: Kensington notebook roller well worth the cost, 7 June 2007.
parable [ PAR-uh'-buh'l ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a simple story illustrating a moral or religious teaching
2. a short story designed to illustrate or teach some religious principle or moral lesson
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
In the olden days, parables were used to teach the people the difference between right and wrong.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Sport has always been a parable for life.
The Telegraph, The likes of Flavio Briatore need to win too much, Kevin Garside, 17 September 2009.
anomalous [ uh'-NOM-uh'-luh's ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. inconsistent with the rules
2. not fitting into a common classification
3. irregular or inconsistent
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The scientists were unable to fathom the anomalous results since the procedure and conditions remained the same throughout
the series of experiments.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It seems anomalous that civil securities fraud complaints should be subject to earlier dismissal than their far more threatening
criminal counterparts.
CNN, Misinterpretation of fraud statute led WorldCom case dismissal, Brian Lehman, 5 September 2003.
supplicant [ SUHP-li-kuh'nt ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a petitioner or suppliant
2. one who prayers on behalf of another
3. one who intercedes for someone
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He approached the landlord as a supplicant of the peasants.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It was Britain in the person of David Miliband who came across as the supplicant - unwilling to paper over differences but keen
to set relations on a better footing.
BBC, 'Respectful disagreement' in Moscow, Bridget Kendall, 3 November 2009.
promiscuous [ pruh'-MIS-kyoo-uh's ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. characterized by indiscriminate mingling or involving intimate associations
2. indiscriminate or lacking selectivity
3. licentious or wanton
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was warned to be wary of promiscuous women at the party.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Amanda Knox hated her British room mate Meredith Kercher and murdered her in "an unstoppable crescendo of violence" for
suggesting that she was promiscuous and slovenly, an Italian court has been told.
The Telegraph, Amanda Knox killed Meredith Kercher in 'unstoppable crescendo of violence', Nick Squires, 20 November
2009.
tumid [ TOO-mid ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. swollen or seeming to swell or affected by swelling
2. pompous or lofty in style or manner of speech or writing
3. bulging
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
A cold compress was applied to his tumid ankle to ease the pain.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Meanwhile, the food at the Old Coastguard is less convincing, although my boy is happy enough with his tumid squid packed
with chorizo and sprinkled with rocket leaves.
The Telegraph, Are you ready to order? This week: Mousehole, Cornwall, Jan Moir, 26 March 2006.
anoint [ uh'-NOINT ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to apply on a person at a religious ceremony as a sign of consecration
2. to choose by divine guidance
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The new king was anointed by the high priest at the coronation ceremony.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Nonetheless, he quickly announced his intention not to stand for a fourth term, sparking ongoing speculation
about when he would hand over to his annointed successor, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown.
BBC, British History, 29 October 2009.
assent [ uh'-SENT ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) agreement
2. (intr. v.) to agree
3. (intr. v.) to grant
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The chairman of the indigent housing committee gave his assent to the proposal to dissolve the association.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
A bill which has been given royal assent becomes an act of Parliament and is then law.
BBC, Royal assent, 24 October 2008.
bestow [ bi-stoh ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to give as a gift
2. to confer upon
3. to put to use
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The President bestowed a medal of honour upon the soldier for bravery in action.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
This story highlights the good fortune and success that Lakshmi bestows upon those who work hard and seek
help
sincerely.
BBC, Religion and Ethics- Hinduism, 30 October 2009.
callus [ KAL-uh's ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a spot on the skin which is thickened
2. (intr. v.) to form or develop into thickened skin
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was a labourer with rough, callused hands.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
When the skin on your toes gets inflamed, a callus can develop, causing more pressure on the ingrown nail.
CNN, Why your feet hurt, Sally Wadyka, 20 July 2009.
corpus [ KAWR-puhs ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a comprehensive collection of writings
2. the body of a dead human being or animal
3. the capital or principal sum, as opposed to interest
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The latest edition contains the unabridged corpus of Coleridge's poetry.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The Academy Award for Slumdog Millionaire came to Rahman in recognition of his vast corpus of work and for
transporting Bollywood song to other popular cultures of the world.
BBC, What's On / Programme Notes, Bombay Dream.
plenary [ PLEE-nuh'-ree ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) complete or absolute
2. (adj.) attended by all qualified members or fully constituted
3. a meeting at which all members are present
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Many members objected as the vote was not taken at a plenary meeting.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In the course of the day, we had both plenary meetings and bilateral discussions allowing for detailed exchanges on all issues,"
Solana said.
CNN, Obama demands 'unfettered' access to Iran facilities, 2 October 2009.
expository [ ik-SPOZ-i-tawr-ee ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. serving to explain
2. pertaining to a public show or exhibition
3. characteristic of being set forth
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Despite the expository nature of the lecture, only a few students were able to understand.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It was not even certain what basic structure Elgar had in mind for his finale, although I felt that the breadth of the expository
material in the sketches pointed towards a sonata form.
BBC, Anthony Payne on Elgar's Symphony No 3, 13 February 1998.
undulating [ UHN-juh'-ley-ting ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. wavelike or rippling
2. having a wavelike form
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
As he looked around, he realised that there was nothing but undulating sand dunes for miles around him.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The Olympic Park is taking shape and the undulating roof of the Aquatics Center, one of the main venues at the site, is set to
be completed by the end of the year.
CNN, London marks 1,000 days to 2012 Olympics, Melissa Gray, 31 October 2009.
physiological [ fiz-ee-uh'-LOJ-i-kuh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. pertaining to the scientific study of an organism's vital functions
2. consistent with the normal functioning of an organism
3. pertaining to an additive primary colour
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Children generally develop a close relationship with the family pet because of the physiological nature of domestic animals.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
There are proven physiological benefits of interacting with dogs.
CNN, Learning to read? Try talking to a dog, Rachel Rodriguez, 24 October 2009.
adjourn [ uh'-JURN ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to suspend or postpone until a future specified time
2. (intr. v.) to suspend proceedings until another date and time
3. (intr. v.) to shift or move to another place after finishing with the first place
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The president of the club adjourned the meeting for a week.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Mr Registrar Simmonds adjourned the hearing to give the Lancashire outfit more time to settle the debt.
BBC, Accrington given tax adjournment, 28 October 2009.
antler [ ANT-ler ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a horn of an animal of the deer family
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The villagers collect and use the deer antlers which they find in the forest to make carved trinkets.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Male deer of all species grow and shed new antlers each year in this they differ from permanently horned
animals such as antelope these are in the same order as deer and may bear a superficial resemblance.
assert [ uh'-SURT ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to assure or affirm
2. to state with confidence
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The lad asserted his innocence before the community by saying that all poor people are not thieves.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
One draft also asserted that Britain's record towards Jews fleeing the Nazi regime was "positively shameful in
some respects".
The Telegraph, Immigrant crime fear airbrushed from Government report, Tom Whitehead, 27 October 2009.
bicker [ BIK-er ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to take part in a petty argument
2. (intr. v.) to flicker
3. (n.) a petty quarrel
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They bickered over which channel to watch on television.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The United Nations can either be a place where we bicker about outdated grievances or forge common ground, a
place where we focus on what drives us apart or what brings us together, a place where we indulge tyranny or a
source of moral authority.
CNN, Transcript: Obama addresses U.N. General Assembly,
candor [ KAN-der ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the quality of being frank
2. open sincerity
3. honesty or fairness
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Most of the town's folk were impressed by his candor and wanted him to run for Mayor.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
I think that kind of candor clears away some of the debris that has stood in the way of progress, and our hope is
that now we can take advantage of that.
CNN, Israeli PM promises peace speech, 7 June 2009.
cosmic [ KOZ-mik ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. pertaining to or characteristic of the cosmos
2. pertaining to the regions of the Universe outside the Earth
3. vast or infinitely extended
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The plot of the book revolved around the cosmic laws and how the protagonist used those very laws to outwit the
villain and his cronies.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The devotees may well be blissfully unaware of that, keeping their minds firmly fixed on cosmic forces of the
spiritual kind.
CNN, Quick Guide & Transcript: UK teen breaks transatlantic record, Hindus gather at the Ganges, 4 January
2007.
tonsure [ TON-sher ][ noun, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the act of shaving a part of a monk's head
2. (n.) the part of the head that has been shaved
3. (tr. v.) to shave the head
4. (tr. v.) to shave the head as part of a religious ceremony
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
One child told his parents that he wanted a punk style just like a tonsure.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
They would perform with tonsured heads and in monks' habits.
BBC, Uk Station of the year, 10 February 2006.
skulduggery(skullduggery) [ skuh'l-DUHG-uh'-ree ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. dishonest or dishonourable proceedings
2. a deceitful act
3. underhand work
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He is notorious for resorting to skulduggery to get ahead in business.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Skullduggery and jockeying for position associated with the transition of power in China have gone into high gear.
CNN, Factional intrigue hots up in China, Willy Wo-Lap Lam, 11 December 2001.
verisimilar [ ver-uh'-SIM-uh'-ler ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. having the appearance of truth
2. very likely or probable
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His transgression was condoned as he had a verisimilar reason for having broken the rules.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
If you want to see some verisimilar tale about Mata Hari you should refer to two of the previous versions: "Mata Hari" (1931)
starring unforgettable Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro or "Mata Hari" (1964) starring Jeanne Moreau and Jean-Louis
Tringtignant.
Amazon, Viewers Spies on Mata Kristel Abilities! 1 June 2006.
sensitization [ sen-si-tuh-ZEY-shuhn ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the state or process of being susceptible
2. the process of becoming susceptible to a particular stimulus that previously had no effect
3. the condition in which a previously encountered foreign substance initiates an immune reaction
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The sensitization of the patient was accomplished by the use of combination drug therapy.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
We believe that this will also work since breast feeding induces protection against sensitization to allergens which is the first
step before developing clinical symptoms such as dermatitis, rhinitis or asthma.
The Telegraph, Allergens in breast milk help tolerance, Roger Highfield, 27 January 2008.
behemoth [ bi-HEE-muhth ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. anything which is huge and powerful
2. a very large animal
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The Boeing 797 which is purported to be the behemoth of the skies will be able to carry 1000 passengers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Look past these admittedly daunting tasks, and the new BofA boss will preside over a potentially powerful behemoth.
The Telegraph, Bank of America's hot seat could be the best job in banking, Rob Cox, 19 November 2009.
apathy [ AP-uh'-thee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the state of being emotionless
2. an absence of feelings
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The apathy of the public towards the elections was due to the fact that all the candidates in that constituency
had criminal records.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The way teenagers and laid-off adults behave are similar, especially the apathy, confusion, and anger over
feeling like an outcast.
CNN, He's laid off, you're not -- so now what? John DeVore, 1 June 2009.
astral [ AS-truh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. pertaining to or originating from the stars
2. an all pervading super sensible aura that takes the form of a body outside and parallel to the existing one
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The visible fact of the Suns movement against the astral background was used to configure the calendar.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Pope John Paul, a keen astral watcher, will have a bird's eye view of the eclipse as he flies by helicopter from the
Vatican to his summer residence south of Rome.
CNN, Last 20th century eclipse sweeps into clouds, 11 August 1999.
billow [ BIL-oh ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to surge or swell out
2. (tr. v.) to cause to rise
3. (n.) a great wave or surging mass
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Smoke from the bonfire billowed upwards.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
I saw a small billow of smoke, then the fireworks started going off.
BBC, Army fights fireworks blaze, 14 November 2002.
canter [ KAN-ter ]
MEANING :
1.(n.) the smooth easy gait of a running horse
2. (intr. v.) to ride a horse at an easy pace
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The jockeys mounted their horses and cantered around the paddock before heading to the starting gates.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It is because they persist in thinking, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that all people who own horses are
filthy-rich Hooray Henrys who deserve every draconian regulation that hits them as they canter over the
meadows
of their gated estates.
The Telegraph, Labour's 'hoof tax' is riding roughshod over the countryside, Melissa Kite, 22 October 2009.
cringe [ krinj ]
MEANING :
1. (tr.v.) to cower or shrink back
2. (tr.v.) to fawn
3. (n.) an instance of cringing
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The puppy cringed and ran under the bed when the fire cracker exploded.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The US president has a threshold of tolerance for anti-American thugs that would make even Jimmy Carter
cringe.
The Telegraph, Donald Trump should fire Gaddafi, Nile Garginer, 23 September 2009.
verbatim [ ver-BEY-tim ]
[ adjective, adverb ]
MEANING :
1. (adv.) in exactly the same words or word for word
2. (adj.) corresponding to the original text word for word
3. (adj.) skilled at recording with a word for word accuracy
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Only the children who could recite the poem verbatim would receive full marks.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Goeglein said he has reached out to the author, Jeffery Hart, whose 1998 writings in the Dartmouth Review he copied nearly
verbatim.
CNN, White House aide admits plagiarism, resigns, Kathleen Koch, 1 March 2008.
ewe [ yoo ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a mature female sheep
2. the people of Togo and Ghana, in western Africa
3. the language of the EWE people
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Ewes generally give birth to two lambs every season.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The National Assembly faces renewed calls from farmers' leaders to create a Wales-only ewe culling scheme.
BBC, UK: Wales Gwyther rules out Wales-only ewe cull, 22 September 1999.
disputatious [ dis-pyoo'-TEY-shuh's ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. inclined to be argumentative or contentious
2. given to being disagreeable
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Management and labour could not reconcile their differences because of the disputatious union leader.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The Scots are, as the late Willie Ross (Scottish Secretary in the 1970s) once said, a disputatious people.
BBC, McConnell tells of new confidence, 9 October 2004,
din [ din ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a loud noise or clamour
2. (tr. v.) to stun with a very loud noise
3. (intr. v.) to create a loud noise
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
We could not hear each other speak because of the din of the jackhammers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Researchers say that unlike most people, dyslexic children and adults have trouble hearing teachers and reading above the
backroom din of classroom noise.
The Telegraph, Dyslexics find it hard to filter out background noises, Richard Alleyne, 12 November 2009.
cloister [ KLOI-ster ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a place of religious shelter
2. (n.) a covered walk leading onto a courtyard

3. (n.) any quiet or isolated place
4. (tr. v.) to convert into a monastery or convent
5. (tr. v.) to provide a cloister or covered walk
6. (tr. v.) to confine to a convent
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They suspected a lost cloister between the hall and chapel.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The old lecture halls around the central cloister, where many of Spain's Golden Age heroes studied, are open to the public.
CNN, Spain's Salamanca sings, Rick Steves, 23 May 2008.
whimsy [ HWIM-zee, WIM- ]

[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) having fanciful notions
2. (adj.) having a capricious nature
3. (adj.) changeable or impulsive
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The psychiatrist said that there was no cause for worry as all normal children had whimsy tendencies.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Bearing this in mind, you would not expect Sky to entrust their football presentation to someone who might
undermine their great product with whimsy or contentious points of view and they dont.
Telegraph, Des Lynam: Richard Keys unlocks drama of Liverpool v Manchester United on Sky, Des Lynam, 27
October 2009.
feral [ FEER-uh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) wildlike or having gone back to a wild state
2. (adj.) causing death
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The tame circus lion became a feral animal upon its release into the jungle.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
On the television, in video games, and on the news this week, we saw CCTV images of five women attacking a
stranger in Grimsby the sight of people acting like feral animals no longer has the power to shock.
The Telegraph, The everyday, casual violence that assaults our senses, Byrony Gordon, 23 October 2009.
digression [ di-GRESH-uh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the act of turning off the path or straying
2. (n.) a passage that deviates from the central theme
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The candidates were warned that digression from the given topic for the group discussion would result in a loss
of
points.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He's patient, firm but fair and recognizes that digression can impart more valuable learning than any lesson plan.
CNN, Review: 'The Class' has grace to spare, Tom Charity, 30 January 2009.
concerted [ kuh'n-SUR-tid ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) planned or agreed upon
2. (adj.) executed together
3. (adj.) music arranged in parts for voices or instruments
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The concerted efforts made by the company to recover the losses of the previous quarter were successful.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
This kind of concerted action, along with more consumer-led campaigns to support local town centres, could
mean the comeback of the High Street is just around the corner.
BBC, How the recession has changed your High Street, Tom Geoghegan , 22 October 2009.
swathe [ swoth ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to wrap
2. (tr. v.) to envelop

3. (tr. v.) to bandage
4. (n.) a bandage or wrapping cloth
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He swathed his hand with a cloth and plunged it into the embers to recover the antique medallion that had fallen
in the fire.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Television footage showed firemen with rescue dogs searching through a swathe of rubble amid houses
destroyed
by the large blast., BBC, Brazil fireworks blast kills two, 25 September 2009.
avocation [ av-uh'-KEY-shuh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a hobby or something a person does as a pastime in addition to a principal occupation
2. a persons vocation or calling
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Two of his pet avocations were lyric writing and singing.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Mr Gerald Hayes, civil servant and musicologist, when not at his various avocations, is usually to be found either at the
Athenaeum or the Arts Club.
The Telegraph, World War 2: London day-by-day, Sidney Osborne, 7 September 2009.
rake [ reyk ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an agricultural implement with tines like a fork
2. (n.) a dissolute or licentious or profligate person
3. (tr. v.) to gather or move using a rake
4. (intr. v.) to conduct a thorough search
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The farmer used a rake to pile the hay in stacks.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Rake the area to create a fine surface, removing larger stones, roots or other debris.
The Telegraph, Which makes the best lawn: turf or seed? 11 September 2009.
irreconcilable [ i-rek-uhn-sahy-luh-buhl ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) incapable of being made to compromise
2. (adj.) inability to adjust or be in harmony with
3. (n.) someone who is opposed to any form of compromise
4. (n.) conflicting ideas that cannot be brought into harmony
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
For generations these two families have been irreconcilable enemies.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In any group there will be a spread of commitment, a mix of reconcilable and irreconcilable members.
The Telegraph, Afghanistan: Taliban could be bought off as part on new strategy, Duncan Gardham, 16 November 2009.
exempt [ ig-ZEMPT ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to release or free from an obligation to which others are subject
2. to excuse from a duty or obligation
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was exempted from taking part in the sporting event because of his feeble condition.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Just about all of this information is exempt from audit or oversight.
CNN, Ron Paul: Let the dollar prove itself, Ron Paul, 30 October 2009.
incubate [ in-kyuh-beyt ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to hatch
2. (tr. v.) to ponder slowly and protectively, as if hatching
3. (intr. v.) to undergo the process of hatching
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Premature babies have to be given protective care so that they can incubate safely.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The town is situated on the acclivity of a hill extending along the right bank of the river Ovoca, and on the mail coach road
from Dublin to Wexford.
BBC, Day care centres breed 'superbugs', 16 September 2000.
artless [ AHRT-lis ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) lacking art or skill
2. (adj.) natural or not artificial
3. (adj.) without craftiness
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The critic humorously commented that the artist had an artless temperament.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Structure was thrown out of the window, replaced by a shambolic, yet magical, rollercoaster ride of artless
hedonism.
BBC, Bedtime for Gonzo? Andrew Walker, 24 February 2005.
jocund [ JOK-uh'nd ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) cheerful or joyful
2. (adj.) lighthearted in nature
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
We had a jocund evening with everyone taking turns at narrating amusing anecdotes.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In Italian, Giocondo also means light-hearted, as in jocund in English.
BBC, Faces of the week, 29 September 2006.
soothsayer [ SOOTH-sey-er ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a person who declares that he can predict the future
2. (n.) anyone who makes predictions
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The soothsayer thrived due to the gullibility of the villagers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Mother Shipton was a renowned soothsayer who published many predictions for centuries ahead of time.
The Telegraph, Mother Shipton's Cave for sale at 1.8m, 7 September 2009.
dismember [ dis-MEM-ber ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to separate limb from limb
2. (tr. v.) to mutilate by cutting into separate parts
3. (tr. v.) to take apart
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The lawyer said that there was no evidence to indicate that the body was dismembered.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
A man whose dismembered body was found in five countryside locations died of a stab wound to the back, police
said today.
The Telegraph, Dismembered man died of stab wound to the back, Sarah Knapton, 14 April 2009.
lookout [ LOO'K-out ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the act of keeping watch
2. (n.) a person who keeps watch
3. (n.) an object of concern
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The thief was always on the lookout for gullible-looking people whom he would later make his victims.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
And state officials are warning swimmers to be on the lookout for sharks.
CNN, Student News Transcript: 8 September 2009.
consensus [ kuh'n-SEN-suh's ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a general agreement
2. harmony of opinion
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They were unable to reach a consensus even after discussing the matter at length.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
As head of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, Thune runs the weekly strategy session where all Senate Republicans try
to
find consensus on the best way to challenge President Obama and the Democratic majority.
CNN, 'Regular guy' Thune is hot commodity in GOP circles, Dana Bash, 11 November 2009
cozen [ KUHZ-uh'n ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to trick or to mislead by means of fraud
2. (tr. v.) to induce someone to commit an act by coaxing
3. (intr. v.) to act deceitfully
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
No matter how hard he tried he could not cozen the old couple to part with their property.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In candor's stead, we coax, cozen, and imply; we cloak our language in e-mail and conversation so we don't appear too blunt,
too aggressive, too demanding.
CNN, Just say what you want! Ellen Tien, 2 September 2008.
nip [ nip ]
MEANING :
1. (tr.v.) to pinch or bite
2. (tr. v.) to check the growth or development of
3. (intr. v.) to dart
4. (intr. v.) to take a sip or sips of alcoholic liquor
5. (n.) a small quantity of liquor
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
While he was asleep, the rat nipped his toe.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The RBA is recalibrating policy now that the big recession it feared was nipped in the bud by the happy combination of good
luck and good management.
CNN, Australia raises rates from 49-year low, 6 November 2009.
harass [ huh'-RAS, HAR-uh's ]

[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to disturb or bother persistently
2. (tr. v.) to torment or persecute
3. (tr. v.) to exhaust by repeated attacks
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The lawyer told him that he should not harass his wife or the court would issue a restraining order against him.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Police officers, pressurised by diversity training, seem to feel duty bound to come down like a ton of bricks on people who
express disagreement with the behaviour of some gay rights activists, and members of the public are left feeling harassed and
frightened.
The Telegraph, Ministers seem set on eroding yet another safeguard to our liberty, Philip Johnston, 16 November 2009.
acclivity [ uh'-KLIV-i-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a slope that goes upwards
2. an ascent
3. an incline that starts at the lower end and terminates at the higher end
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
As we ascended the acclivity, we were passed by a farmer on his way down.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Day care centres incubate and spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria which cause infections of the respiratory system, say
researchers.
From Ireland, CIVIL PARISHES,
halting [ HAWL-ting ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) stopping
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Since the team was not producing results, the manager wanted to know what was halting their progress.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Saeb Erekat, the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority, told CNN on Saturday that Abbas emphasized to
Clinton that talks have not resumed because the Israeli government has not lived up to what he called its
obligations, which include halting settlement building in the occupied West Bank and in predominantly
Palestinian East Jerusalem.
CNN, Clinton pushes for resumption of talks between Israel, Palestinians, 1 November 2009.
perturb [ PER-turb ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to disturb
2. (tr. v.) to make anxious
3. (tr. v.) to cause to be in a state of confusion
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The captain was not perturbed when his opening batsman was bowled as he was confident of the ability of the
team as a whole.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Howard Archer, chief UK economist at Global Insight, said the news that an increasing number of companies
were
seeking to push through price hikes would "perturb" the Bank of England.
BBC, Firms 'looking to raise prices', 18 January 2007.
boor [ boo'r ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a person who is rude or unmannerly
2. (n.) a peasant or a person lacking refinement
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The matron warned the orphans to be on their best behaviour as nobody wants to adopt a boor.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It elbows its way into life like the party boor who gatecrashes your conversation.
BBC, Phone Phobia, Phil Smith, 6 November 2009.
promontory [ PROM-uh'n-tawr-ee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a high point of land or rock extending into the sea
2. (n.) the part of a plateau overlooking a lowland
3. (n.) a prominent or protruding part
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The people interested in hang gliding used the promontory as a take off point.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The road heading south of Oberwesel takes us to the university town of Heidelberg, with its stone-arched bridges
spanning the Neckar River and the grand, 12th-century Heidelberg Castle perched above the town on a high
promontory.
CNN, Castles, courtly love in Germany's Rhine Valley, Jeff Wise, 16 February 2009.
exposure [ ik-SPOH-zher ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the act of revealing something secret
2. (n.) the state of being laid bare
3. (n.) an appearance in public
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
News of the exposure of the politician's corrupt ways in front of the media spread like wildfire.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Those who counsel trauma victims -- whether they be psychiatrists, social workers or advocates -- can
experience
an emotional toll after intensive exposure to patients' stories of horror.
CNN, Treating trauma victims may cause its own trauma, Elizabeth Landau, 7 November 2009.
arrhythmic [ uh'-RITH-mik ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a disturbance in the rhythm of the heartbeat
2. (adj.) lacking rhythm or regularity
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He had to retire and move to the peaceful countryside because of his arrhythmic heart condition.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In the summer of 2007 he was diagnosed as suffering from an arrhythmic heart condition combined with high blood pressure
and
high cholesterol.
The Telegraph, Sir Nicholas Pumfrey, 1 January 2008.
pilfer [ PIL-fer ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to steal something small or a small quantity of
2. (tr. v.) to filch
3. (tr. v.) to steal or filch
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Every day the restaurant cashier would pilfer some cash from the till.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The quickest theft was at London Bridge railway station in south-east London, one of the busiest in the country, where an
unsecured 130 bicycle was pilfered in just 17 minutes.
The Telegraph, Bicycles will be stolen in under four hours, finds survey of Britain's cycle theft hotspots, Alastair Jamieson, 22
June 2009.
gull [ guhl ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a long-winged, web-toed, aquatic bird
2. (n.) a person who is easily deceived
3. (tr. v.) to deceive or dupe
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The birdwatcher went out onto the rocks to get a better view of the gulls diving for fish.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Their love of gulls is shown in the delightful books for children, written and illustrated by Helena.
The Telegraph, Scilly potter who also turns his hand to birdwatching, Robin Page, 12 November 2009.
bugaboo [ buh'g-uh'-BOO ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. an object of fear, worry or anxiety
2. a persistent problem
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The little girl kept awake long past her bedtime because for her darkness was a bugaboo.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Put bedtime bugaboos -- and your kids -- to rest with these expert solutions.
CNN, What to do if your child can't sleep, 30 March 2009.
concentric [ kuh'n-SEN-trik ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. having a centre which is common
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
What appeared to be a spiral was actually a bunch of concentric circles.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
When all water, food and ammunition had run out, Koenig decided to lead a breakout through the minefields and three
concentric rings of German tanks.
BBC, The only woman in the French Foreign Legion, 24 September 2009.
leonine [ LEE-uh'-nahyn ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) like a lion
2. (adj.) pertaining to or suggestive of a lion
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Their team won the trophy because of the leonine nature of their captain.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
No less leonine now, he is convinced he will one day deliver his country from the stranglehold of a decadent
ruling elite.
The Telegraph, Imran Khan: Playing for the biggest stakes of his life, Elizabeth Grice, 8 December 2008.
pretext [ PREE-tekst ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an excuse
2. (n.) a reason put forward that obscures the true purpose
3. (n.) pretence
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Under the pretext of searching the premises for concealed drugs, the police caused considerable damage to his
property.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The charges against these imprisoned Baha'is are baseless and a pretext for the persecution and harassment of
a
disfavored religious minority, Leo said.
CNN, U.S. panel demands release of Baha'is facing trial in Iran, 10 July 2009.
abode [ uh-BOHD ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) home
2. (n.) the place where one lives
3. (v.) past tense and past participle of abide
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The stately mansion in the heart of the town was her abode.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The three-star abode was passable, though the room's TV carried not one single English channel.
CNN, Part 1: Hong Kong to Pingyao, David Challenger, 7 march 2008.
paleontology [ pal-ee-uh'n-TOL-uh'-jee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the science of life forms existing in previous geologic periods, as represented by their fossils
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The college closed down the palaeontology department as not a single student had opted for this subject.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Fossilized brains are unusual, and this is by far the oldest known example, said John Maisey, curator in the
division of paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
The Telegraph, Oldest fossilised fish brain discovered, 3 March 2009.
mediocre [ mee-dee-OH-ker ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) of moderate quality
2. (adj.) neither good nor bad
3. (adj.) barely adequate
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Although he fared well in the test, the company rejected his application because he had mediocre
communication skills.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Despite the strongest Booker Prize shortlist in years, Michael Prodger has learned from his time on the judging
panel that there is nothing more dispiriting than a mediocre literary novel
The Telegraph, Confessions of Booker Prize judge Michael Prodger, Michael Prodger, 4 October 2009.
pinnacle [ PIN-uh'-kuh'l ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) at the peak or height of
2. (n.) a peak or tall pointed shape
3. (tr. v.) to provide with a peak
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
She felt that she had reached the pinnacle of success when she was awarded the title of Miss Universe.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
At the Pentagon, Obama was introduced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who spoke of the "great pinnacle
of
sacrifice" shown that day.
CNN, Obama on 9/11: 'No words can ease the ache of your hearts', 11 September 2009
comprise [ kuh'm-PRAHYZ ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to consist of
2. (tr. v.) to include
3. (tr. v.) to constitute or form
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
At the orphanage, breakfast comprised of two slices of bread and a cup of tea.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
There is no precise dateline to what comprises an antique, but it is generally assumed that in furniture it refers
to something of about 100 years old or more.

The Telegraph, Antiques Roadshow: are 1970s clothes really antiques? Urmee Khan, Media Correspondent, 14
September 2009.
annex [ v. uh-NEKS, AN-eks; n. AN-eks ]

MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to add to or attach
2. (tr. v.) to incorporate
3. (n.) a building attached to a larger one
4. (n.) an addition to documents like an appendix
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He became the richest landowner in the state after he annexed the properties of many of the smaller farmers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It is also unclear if Israel would allow voting to take place in East Jerusalem, which the Jewish state annexed
after the Six Day War in 1967.
The Telegraph, Threat of Palestinian divide as Mahmoud Abbas calls elections, Adrian Blomfield, 24 October
2009.
inadvertently [ in-uh'd-vur-tnt-lee ]
[ adverb ]
MEANING :
1. (adv.) unwittingly
2. (adv.) unintentionally
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Despite the firmness of his resolution to avoid drinking, his footsteps inadvertently led him to the bar.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
A man on the run, wanted for fraud by US authorities, inadvertently revealed where he was hiding through a
series of extravagant Facebook updates.
BBC, Fraud fugitive in Facebook trap, 14 October 2009.
palatable [ PAL-uh'-tuh'-buh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) edible or of acceptable taste
2. (adj.) acceptable to the mind
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The food served was barely palatable.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
To make the food more palatable, Ms Malhi has been modifying her dishes.
BBC, 'Bland' British food goes Indian, Geeta Pandey, 14 June 2007.
panoramic [ pan-uh'-RAM-ik ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) a birds eye-view
2. (adj.) a scenic view
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They climbed to the top of the hill so that they could enjoy the panoramic view.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The robotic device can be mounted on a standard digital camera to capture hundreds, even thousands, of
photographs which are then assembled into one panoramic image.
BBC, Creating a panoramic experience, Richard Taylor, 17 April 2009.
outmoded [ out-MOH-did ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) no longer fashionable or gone out of fashion
2. (adj.) unsuitable for present standards
3. (tr. v.) to cause to be out of fashion
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
According to the fashion magazines, many of the creations have already become outmoded.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Italians have long held a traditional view of the role of women but Mr Berlusconi, who has been prime minister
three times since the mid-1990s, has been accused of perpetuating outmoded views with his control, either
direct or indirect, of most of the country's television stations.
The Telegraph, Italy behind Kazakhstan in gender equality, Nick Squires, 29 October 2009.
hover [ HOV-er ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to remain floating in air
2. (intr. v.) to keep lingering about
3. (tr. v.) to remain in an uncertain state
4. (n.) the state of being suspended in midair
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The helicopter hovered over the waves while rescuing the survivors of the capsized boat.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
They are moths but they have the ability to hover like hummingbirds.
BBC, Comments: Humming-bird Hawk-moth
cog [ kwag ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a person who plays a minor role in any activity
2. (n.) a cogwheel
3. (tr. v.) to manipulate dice
4. (intr. v.) to cheat at a dice game
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Although he had an officious look about him, everyone knew that he was just a cog in the project.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Williamson, a psychology major, would have been one of DSU's starting pitchers, had an outstanding change-up
and "was looked to be a key cog in our team's run to get back to the national tournament and possibly win it,"
Ternes said.
CNN, Softball players recalled for smiles, skills, Jason Hanna, 5 November 2009.
ordination [ awr-dn-EY-shuhn ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the act of consecration to the ministry
2. (n.) a decreeing
3. (n.) the act of putting in order
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He said that his ordination into the priesthood took place after seven years of theological studies at the
seminary.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The launch issue features Jennifer Mayo, 25, on the cover, who is currently training for ordination at Cranmer
Hall in Durham.
The Telegraph, Church of England campaign to target young priests at General Synod, George Pitcher, 2 July
2008.
prescience [ PREE-shuh'ns ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) foresight
2. (n.) knowledge of events before they take place
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
After the accident, they wondered why nobody had the prescience to take some precautions.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Tragic proof of the prescience of Romero's message arrived the night he took delivery of the film's reel.
CNN, Zombies give life to our economic blues, Paul willis, 7 August 2009.
rhapsody [ RAP-suh'-dee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an instrumental piece of music irregular in form and suggestive of improvisation
2. (n.) a state of ecstasy
3. (n.) a literary creation in a lofty style
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The pianist received a standing ovation from the audience for his rendition of a rhapsody.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He talks about a sustained and violent rhapsody, rather than dwelling close-up on the fear and horror and
cruelty.
The Telegraph, Family book club: something to get your teeth into, Christopher Middleton, 1 May 2009.
chronic [ kron-ik ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) continuing for a long time
2. (adj.) reoccurring very often
3. (adj.) habitual
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The doctor said the child was suffering from chronic bronchitis and that it was not just a simple case of a cough
and cold.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
People with chronic disease often want more information about their illness and the various treatment options
available
BBC, Websites bolster chronically ill, 19 October 2005
adore [ uh'-DAWR ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to be deeply in love with
2. (tr. v.) to like something very much
3. (intr. v.) to worship
4. (intr. v.) to do homage
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He adored the girl next door but did not know how to approach her.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Grace is clearly at ease with her grown up visitors and they obviously, so very obviously, adore her.
BBC, When Gareth Evans met Grace Sellers, Gareth Evans, 30 October 2009.
posthumous [ POS-chuh'-muh's ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) occurring, or continuing after a person's death
2. (adj.) published after the author's death
3. (adj.) born after the father's death
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
After World War II, the Queen of England declared posthumous awards for many of the soldiers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
One example was the information, embarrassing in the light of his posthumous fame and near saintly status, that
in 1880 Van Goghs family tried to have him committed to an asylum in Belgium.
The Telegraph, Vincent van Gogh The Complete Letters: review, Martin Gayford, 4 November 2009.
indeterminate [ in-di-TUR-muh'-nit ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) not definite or uncertain
2. (adj.) undecided or not established
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The real estate agent said that the land had indeterminate value as most of it was reclaimed marshland.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
You may be tempted to eat that piece of salami of indeterminate age sitting in your refrigerator.
CNN, If you had salmonella poisoning, would you know? Elizabeth Landau, 10 July 2008.
symmetry [ SIM-i-tree ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the correspondence in size and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of a plane
2. (n.) beauty as a result of harmonious arrangement
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The artist had sculpted the three sided figure with remarkable symmetry.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
His challenge was to bring in light and create symmetry -- essential to any Baroque work.
CNN, Wine and history in wunderbar Wurzburg, Rick Steves, 18 May 2008.
swelter [ SWEL-ter ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to suffer oppressive heat
2. (tr. v.) to oppress with heat
4. (n.) a condition or state which is oppressively hot
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The sergeant left his men in the desert so that they would swelter in the heat as a test of endurance.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Southern Australian states have sweltered in temperatures well above 40C (104F), causing fires, and disruption
to
power, transport and medical services.
The Telegraph, Night beach patrols as Australia swelters, 30 January 2009.
lancet [ LAN-sit ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a small sharp-pointed surgical instrument for making incisions or pricks
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The doctor used a lancet to prick the patient's finger and drew a drop of blood for testing.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The documented high incidence of needle stick and sharps related injuries has created a need for safety devices
such as safety lancets.
MSEC, Diabetic Supplies & Products,
veto [ VEE-toh ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the power of one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the enactments of another branch
2. (n.) the exercising of the right to overrule the actions of another
3. (tr. v.) to reject a proposal or enactment by right
4. (tr. v.) to refuse permission or prohibit with authority
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The court's veto of the proposed law was severely criticised by the media.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The removal of more of our sovereignty is guaranteed by the ratchet effect of Lisbon, and the loss under it of so
many of our vetos.
Telegraph, When it comes to Europe, David Cameron is howling in the night, Simon Heffer, 10 November 2009.
infinitesimal [ in-fin-i-TES-uh'-muh'l ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) minute or negligible in quantity
2. (adj.) pertaining to or involving extremely small quantities
2. (n.) a negligible quantity
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Though the leakage of the poisonous gas from the canister was infinitesimal, many people in the vicinity died.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
No matter how dreadful the terrorists are, it is infinitesimal compared to the strength of Londoners.
BBC, Met chief warns of another attack, 7 July 2006.
ostracize [ OS-truh'-sahyz ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to exclude from
2. (tr. v.) to banish
3. (tr. v.) to shun or avoid
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was ostracized by the community because he had AIDS.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He denies suggestions that he has been behind moves to ostracize the Duchess of York.
BBC, UK: Prince Philip: I am misunderstood, 16 May 1999.
colossus [ kuh'-LOS-uh's ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) anything gigantic or very powerful
2. (n.) a statue of gigantic size
3. (n.) the legendary bronze statue of Helios which is at Rhodes
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The Statue of Liberty is America's own colossus.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The US military colossus has moved into Afghanistan's most dangerous and turbulent province, moving troops,
aircraft and armoured vehicles in numbers which British commanders could only dream of through their years of
frustrating battle against a determined and deadly enemy.
The Telegraph, American military colossus arrives in a fleet of helicopters which British lack, Ben Farmer, 18
July 2009.
mingle [ MING-guh'l ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to mix
2. (tr. v.) to merge
3. (intr. v.) to become mixed
4. (intr. v.) to join with others
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The police wore normal clothes and mingled with the people in the marketplace in an attempt to trap the drug
dealers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Ignoring threats that anyone chanting anything except "death to America" would be arrested, they mingled among
the loyalists before breaking out in calls of "death to the dictator".
The Telegraph, Iran protests: opposition clashes with security forces, Adrian Blomfield, 4 November 2009.
gruel [ GROO-uh'l ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a thin or watery porridge
2. (n.) severe punishment
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The children at the boarding school were served gruel everyday for breakfast.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Dickens described Oliver's typical workhouse diet as consisting of three meals of "thin" gruel a day, an onion
twice
a week, half a bread roll on a Sunday.
The Telegraph, Oliver Twist 'did not need any more food' claim doctors, Kate Devlin, 17 December 2008.
lexicographer [ lek-si-KOG-ruh'-fer ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1.(n.) a person who compiles or edits a dictionary
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
A dedicated lexicographer had compiled a dictionary containing a million words.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
A common rule of thumb among lexicographers is that a word should be spotted in at least five different sources
over a period of five years.
CNN, They're looking up 'Yankspeak' for the Oxford English Dictionary, William Weir, 5 July 2000.
scrimmage [ SKRIM-ij ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a vigorous struggle
2. (n.) a practice game
3. (n.) a skirmish
4. (intr. v.) to engage in a rough struggle
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Some spectators said that the scrimmage was more like an arena full of battling gladiators.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
There were a few scrimmages in there but it didn't look as though they would score from anything but a set play.
BBC, Crewe 0-0 Watford, 24 September 2005.
verbiage [ VUR-bee-ij ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an excess of words used in speech or writing
2. (n.) The style of expressing oneself in words
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The lecturer always resorted to fanciful verbiage when attempting to explain a point.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
However, the focus on "one of history's most disgusting and depraved monsters" does not stop the play
becoming
"an increasingly tedious torrent of florid verbiage".
BBC, Mixed reviews for Dame Judi play, 19 March 2009.
sedate [ si-DEYT ]
[ adjective, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) calm or composed
2. (adj.) unperturbed by excitement
3. (tr. v.) to administer a sedative to
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He seemed to be quite sedate at the moment though they say that he is a terror when excited.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
She's hospitalized and sedated for days and weeks before her husband (Willem Dafoe), a therapist, insists she
return home.
CNN, Review: Von Trier's 'Antichrist' an atrocity, Tom Charity, 23 October 2009.
tedium [ TEE-dee-uh'm ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the quality of being wearisome
2. (n.) monotony or boredom
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
She said that she enjoyed going out as it served to relieve the tedium of her daily household chores.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The tedium of the school curriculum is a major factor, with a quarter of those interviewed claiming to be
"bored".
The Telegraph, Dr James Le Fanu: young people and depression, Dr James Le Fanu, 28 October 2009.
unfrock [ uhn-FROK ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to take away the ecclesiastical rights or authority
2. (tr. v.) to divest
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They said that nobody could unfrock the parish priest because his character was without reproach.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Special heresy courts could suspend or even unfrock an errant clergy.
BBC, Church debates relaxing wedding rules, 9 July 2004.
amphitheater [ AM-fuh'-thee-uh'-ter ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an oval shaped building having tiers of seats around a central open area or stage
2. (n.) an arena in ancient Rome used for gladiator fights
2. (n.) a stadium
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
An ultra modern amphitheatre was being built for the Olympic Games.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Rome is calling for international sponsors to help fund the restoration of the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre's
crumbling facade
The Telegraph, Rome's Colosseum needs urgent restoration work, Nick Squires, 15 Sepember 2009.
divest [ di-VEST ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to sell off or dispose of
2. (tr. v.) to strip or deprive

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Some of the directors secretly divested their holding in the company when they learnt that the workers planed to
go on strike.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Lloyds will divest 600 branches--4.6 percent of its total--all over the next 4 years in the latest bail-out saga.
The Telegraph, The staggering price of bailing out the banks, 3 November 2009.
gourmet [ goo'r-MEY ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a connoisseur of fine food and drink
2. (adj.) elaborately equipped for the preparation of exotic meals
3. (adj.) pertaining to skilful preparation of fancy foods
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
A gourmet was engaged to approve of the food for the banquet.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The Naschmarkt Old World market has two parallel lanes -- one lined with fun eateries, the other featuring
highend
produce and gourmet goodies.
CNN, Wining and dining in Vienna, Rick Steves, 9 June 2009.
insolvent [ in-SOL-vuh'nt ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) pertaining to bankruptcy
2. (adj.) unable to pay debts
3. (n.) a person who is bankrupt
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The company was declared insolvent as it could not repay its creditors.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He said he showed him bank statements suggesting he had "considerable amounts of money" but he failed to
pay
rent and, in 2006, was declared insolvent.
The Telegraph, Oxford 'guru' accused of torturing French aristocrats, Aislinn Laing, Murray Wardrop and Henry
Samuel, 11 November 2009.
antecede [ an-tuh'-SEED ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to precede
2. (tr. v.) to occur before in order or rank or time
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The teacher explained that it was adolescence which anteceded adulthood and not the other way around.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The a priori methods of respectable philosophy are wholly distinct from the experimental and
hypotheticodeductive
methods of the natural sciences, and the results of philosophy logically antecede the empirical
discoveries of science.
The Oxford University Press, PASSING BY THE NATURALISTIC TURN: ON QUINES CUL-DE-SAC, P.M.S.
Hacker, 25
November 2008.
loft [ lawft, loft ]

MEANING :
1. (n.) an attic or storage area above a room
2. (n.) a gallery or upper level in a hall
3. (tr. v.) to store in a loft
4. (tr. v.) to propel a ball in a high arc
5. (intr. v.) to rise high into the air
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The loft was full of stuff that might come in handy some day.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
A 17-year-old has described how the gun allegedly used to kill Rhys Jones was hidden in the loft of his house.
BBC, Rhys weapon 'was hidden in loft', 23 October 2008.
entail [ v. en-TEYL; n. en-TEYL, EN-teyl ]

MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to impose or require as a necessary accompaniment or consequence
2. (tr. v.) To limit inheritance of (property) to a chosen succession of heirs
3. (n.) a predetermined order of succession
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Success in the examination entails sincere studying.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It is thought that some challenges on the programme will entail pushing a button to stop a clock.
The Telegraph, Ant and Dec sign 20m game show deal, 6 November 2009.
slacken [ SLAK-uh'n ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to make or become looser or less taut
2. (tr. v.) to make or become less active
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
During the recession demand for items like cement and steel slackened.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Mr Rogge emphasised that the Greeks must not slacken their pace.
BBC, Greeks told to keep on running, 2 May 2001.
geriatrics [ jer-ee-A-triks ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) the branch of medicine dealing with the debilities and care of old people2.(adj.) pertaining to old age
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The home for the aged was in need of a doctor who had specialized in geriatrics.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
We also want to thrash out the board's idea of employing a geriatrics consultant which I believe would come from
Swansea.
BBC, Staff crisis shuts hospital ward, 23 October 2003.
homespun [ HOHM-spuhn ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) made at home
2. (adj.) simple or unsophisticated
3. (n.) a plain woven cloth
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
She earned a living by selling homespun shawls in the market.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Given that the fashionable elite will spend thousands of rupees on his homespun saris, and that new collections
leave the shop shelves in minutes flat, it's a trickle-down effect that he thinks may actually work.
BBC, Indian designer champions homespun, Catriona Luke, 15 September 2009.
sear [ seer ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to burn the surface of
2. (tr. v.) to cause to wither
3. (intr. v.) to become withered
4. (n.) the catch or lever in the firing mechanism of a gun which keeps the hammer either half cocked or fully
cocked
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The village medicine man would sear the arm of children with a hot copper strip to protect them from jaundice.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Instead of baking your chicken, we'll sear it or grill it
CNN, The lowdown on airline food, Andrea Bennett, 29 September 2009.
impair [ im-PAIR ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to cause to diminish in strength or value
2. (intr. v.) to become worse
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The doctor said it was cataract that had impaired his vision.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The research, details of which were announced at the British Association's Festival of Science in Sheffield, UK,
indicates that drastic dieting can impair memory and slow reaction times.
BBC, Crash dieting 'makes you thick, 16 September 1999.
squalor [ SKWOL-er ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1.(n.) a dirty or wretched condition
2. (n.) a miserable state
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
People commented on the squalor of the slum but no one did anything to uplift the people living there.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Except that the dirty secret lies not in Home Office archives but in the numbers of asylum seekers children held
in captivity and in the migrant workers living in squalor and penury because the law allows gangmasters to exploit
them.
The Telegraph, Gordon Brown should say the unsayable: immigration has been a boon, Mary Riddell, 9
November
2009.
legislature [ LEJ-is-ley-cher ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an officially elected body of people vested with the responsibility and authority to make laws
2. (n.) the branch of government having the authority to make laws
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
As a member of the legislature, he wielded a lot of influence in the state.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
But the Law Lords dealt exclusively with points of law, and it was to the betterment of justice that they were
also members of the legislature.
The Telegraph, The Supreme Court is an unnecessary attack on the constitution, 1 October 2009.
vagabond [ VAG-uh'-bond ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a person who travels from place to place and has no permanent home
2. a worthless or irresponsible person
3. (adj.) nomadic or wandering without settling anywhere
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
If you want to see the world travel in style, not like a vagabond.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Such bone-headed incompetence was a great pity because Davies' revival has a wonderful vagabond spirit to it.
The Telegraph, Twelfth Night, at Said Business School - review, Dominic Cavendish, 21 July 2009.
dingy [ DIN-jee ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) pertaining to dark or dull atmosphere
2. (adj.) shabby or dirty coloured
3. (adj.) lacking brightness or freshness
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The student could barely afford to pay the rent for the dingy room.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Whether you're into exclusive bars, dingy dives or the dubious pleasures of a sweaty moshpit, Seattle has plenty
to keep you entertained.
CNN, Seattle: Where to be seen, 5 November 2008.
sonnet [ SON-it ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a rhapsody
2. (n.) a poem properly expressive of a single, complete thought of 14 lines

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He has the entire collection of Shakespeare's sonnets.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Writing for children is like the difference between writing a sonnet and writing a gossip column.
CNN, 'Wicked' author Gregory Maguire returns to Oz, Jacque Wilson, 4 November 2008.
coalesce [ koh-uh'-LES ]
[ intransitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to combine to form one unit
2. (intr. v.) to blend or unify
3. (intr. v.) to merge or amalgamate
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Three political parties could coalesce to form the government as none of them were able to achieve a majority
independently.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
These particles may help water droplets to coalesce, and so aid the formation of clouds.
BBC, More doubt on cosmic climate link, Richard Black, 18 April 2008.
demotic [ di-MOT-ik ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) pertaining to the ordinary form of a language
2. (adj.) pertaining to the common people
3. (n.) the language of Greece
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He wrote modern poetry but copied the traditional style of demotic verse.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Any Briton watching would have been reminded of the easy, demotic charm of Tony Blair.
The Telegraph, Barack Obama on Jay Leno risks becoming a bore, Simon Heffer, 20 March 2009.
incidental [ in-si-DEN-tl ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) incurred casually and in addition to a regular
2. (adj.) insignificant or subordinate in nature
3. (n.) minor expense
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The company reimbursed the salesmen for incidental expenses incurred.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Although to our audience, I have been Phil Archer for the majority of my adult life, my Archers salary always
went down on my tax returns as incidental earnings.
BBC, Obituary: Norman Painting, 29 October 2009.
edict [ EE-dikt ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a decree issued by an authority
2. (n.) a command or order by a sovereign
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The kings edict was that peasants were not allowed to hunt deer.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Mr Condino said an edict by Nicholas II dated 1908 stipulated the "effective owner" was the cabinet of the tsar, a
state body.
The Telegraph, French and Russians in battle over ownership of Russian Orthodox cathedral, Henry Samuel, 02
November 2009.
throes [ throh ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a painful spasm or a pang
2. (n.) the agony of or violent convulsion

3. (n.) a sharp attack of emotion
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The wounded policeman was in the throes of death by the time he was rushed to the hospital.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
She was speaking at the end of a visit to the country which is once again in the throes of civil war.
BBC, UN concern over Sri Lanka rights, Roland Buerk, 13 October 2007.
grueling [ GROO-uh'-ling ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) physically and mentally tiring or exhausting
2. (n.) an exhausting experience
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The children reached the top of the hill after a grueling climb.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
She was rushed into surgery and after a grueling 10-hour operation, Kang is now recovering well and will be able
to live a normal life.
The Telegraph, Chinese toddler has dead twin removed from her stomach, 30 October 2009.
faction [ FAK-shuh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a group of persons forming a contentious minority within a larger group
2. (n.) internal conflict
3. (n.) literature with a mix of fact and fiction
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They belonged to the faction that promoted disruptive activities.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The Red Army Faction, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, killed more than 30 people before breaking up
10
years ago.
BBC, Red Army Faction member arrested, 28 August 2009.
tribulation [ trib-yuh'-LEY-shuh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) serious trouble or suffering
2. (n.) distress or hardship
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The tribulations faced by the families of the freedom fighters are often not known.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
No one's immune to the trials and tribulations of life.
CNN, Vick pleads not guilty, 26 July 2007.
fleck [ flek ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a speck
2. (n.) a spot or small patch
3. (tr. v.) to mark with a spot
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
She did a thorough job of cleaning the kitchen and not a fleck of dust was left.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In late spring bluebells fleck the woodland floor with shimmering blue and the white flowers of wild garlic give
the air a pungent smell
BBC, Pwll-y-wrach, 11 November 2009.
acclaim [ uh'-KLEYM ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to applaud or praise joyfully
2. (tr. v.) to declare with joyous approval
3. (intr. v.) to make welcome with shouts of praise

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The book was acclaimed to be a best seller.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
But in Brownland all is going well for the Government, a grateful people acclaim Mr Brown and it is the
Opposition which is in desperate trouble.
The Telegraph, Brownland - a strange country where Gordon Brown is still doing well, Andrew Gimson, 11
November 2009.
purveyor [ per-VEY-er ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a person who provides or supplies
2. (n.) a person who supplies provisions
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was the purveyor of rations to the poor villages.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He had delivered countless grams in the last few weeks; he hated being the purveyor of the bad news they
contained.
The dreaded telegram, William, 03 2009
parquet [ pahr-KEY ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a floor composed of short strips of wood forming a pattern
2. (n.) the entire main floor of a theatre
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He wanted the marble floor in the bedroom to be replaced by parquet.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Nicole Farhi sought to recapture her home's past, exposing the beautiful molding and parquet floors
CNN, London designer's relaxed style extends to her home, 15 December 2000.
ruddy [ RUHD-ee ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. a fresh and healthy red colour
2. rosy
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
All the children at the hill station had a ruddy complexion.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
You'll see teenagers -- already working on ruddy beer-glow cheeks -- roll kegs up the streets and into the pubs
in preparation for another night of music and craic (fun conversation and atmosphere).
CNN, The Dingle Peninsula: Escape to pure Ireland, Rick Steves, 25 March 2009.
shyster [ SHAHY-ster ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a lawyer who uses unethical or unscrupulous methods
2. a person who indulges in petty or questionable practices.
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They did not have enough money to engage a good lawyer and, so, ended up hiring a shyster.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Richard Gere is the definitive shyster, doing what he does best - being smarmy.
BBC, Chicago (2002), Stella Papamichael, 26 December 2002
capacious [ kuh'-PEY-shuh's ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. having great capacity
2. spacious or roomy
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The capacious stadium can seat ten thousand spectators.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Winter weekends are easily capacious enough to hold two fabulous entertainment shows so why force a
hungry public to choose?
The Telegraph, Strictly Come Dancing doesn't have that X factor for me to switch, Becky Pugh, 10 September
2009.
groove [ groov ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a channel or long narrow furrow
2. (n.) the spiral track cut into a phonograph record for the stylus to move along
3. (tr. v.) to make a groove or grooves in
4. (tr. v.) to throw the ball over the middle of the home plate
5. (intr. v.) to react or interact harmoniously
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The carpenter was making grooves in the planks so that they could fit together.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Healthy nails are smooth, without ridges or grooves.
CNN, Nails: How to keep your fingernails healthy and strong, 25 November 2009
cantata [ kuh'n-TAH-tuh' ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a choral composition often using a sacred text, as a lyric drama set to music but not to be acted.
2. a musical composition
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He performed the rites by reciting a religious cantata.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Neville Gabie is the Artist In Residence for the project and has been working to create a choral cantata.
BBC, Cabot Circus news, 18 December 2009.
catcall [ kat-kawl ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a loud raucous shout or rowdy whistle
2. (n.)
3. (tr. v.) to express derision or disapproval by whistling or by loud raucous shouts
5. (intr. v.) to make a loud raucous shout
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Rowdy spectators greeted the scantily clad cheer leaders with catcalls.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Other typically interested officials, perhaps wary of the boos and catcalls that greeted Sen. John Cornyn at a
Tea Party rally in Texas, didn't ask to address the crowd this year.
CNN, Health care reform critics converge on Capitol, Rebecca Sinderbrand, 14 September 2009.
nullify [ NUHL-uh'-fahy ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to render inoperative or void
2. to make futile or ineffective
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Nobody wanted him in their team for the project as he could nullify all their efforts with his contrary
attitude.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In the reply to the British ultimatum it is stated that the British Government nullified all German attempts
at a peaceful settlement, although the effort to bring about reasonable negotiation has persisted to a point
that alarmed public opinion everywhere.
The Telegraph, World War 2: Britain takes up the Nazi Challenge to save liberty itself, 3 September 2009.
abrasive [ uh'-BREY-siv ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. material used for grinding or polishing
2. causing wearing away by grinding
3. overly aggressive
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He brought a shine to the dusty old cabinet by using an abrasive.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Forget about exfoliating, as it's too abrasive for your skin type.
CNN, Take it easy on your skin, 4 December 2008.
catapult [ KAT-uh'-puhlt ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a slingshot
2. a mechanism used in medieval times to propel large stones or spears
3. a machine for launching aircraft at a speed sufficient for flight
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They hunted quail with their catapults.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Officers can arrest a person if they are carrying a catapult around with them in public.
BBC, Arrests over catapult attacks, 10 March 2009.
chaplain [ CHAP-lin ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a member of the clergy attached to a chapel or to a branch of the armed forces
2. a member of the clergy who conducts religious services for an institution, like a hospital or a prison
3. a member of the clergy who conducts religious services for a royal court
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The chaplain knelt down and prayed with the congregation.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Due to open in November, co-ordinating chaplain Reverend Hedges has appealed to members of her diocese
near Norwich to visit and help with their rehabilitation.
The Telegraph, Prison chaplain encourages people to visit lonely sex offenders, 1 October 2009.
nihilist [ NAHY-uh'-list ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. one who rebels against established laws and institutions
2. an anarchist
3. one who advocates that the destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary for future
improvement
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The unruly mob led by the nihilists started destroying the council hall.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In one of the funniest scenes in the film "The Big Lebowski," the hot-headed Vietnam veteran Walter Sobchak,
played by John Goodman, explains to the Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, how much he hates nihilists because
they don't believe in anything, they have no "ethos."
CNN, Commentary: Ted Kennedy was a true believer, Julian E. Zelizer, 27 August 2009.
prolixity [ proh-LIK-si-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a verbose speech or piece of writing
2. tediously long-winded
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He received less marks in his composition paper due to the prolixity of his answers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
But Tommy's contribution does serve to reinforce the message in the forefront of all our minds that constant
vigilance is necessary to eliminate all unnecessary and superfluous examples of prolixity or verbosity.
BBC, Clear as mud: The plot thickens, 17 November 1998.
lewd [ lood ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. indecent
2. obscene or vulgar
3. lecherous
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The principal insisted that a measure of decorum had to be maintained on campus and warned that lewd
behaviour in any form would not be tolerated.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The teenager grabbed her arm and made lewd suggestions.
BBC, Teenager sought over lewd remarks, 17 November 2009.
bravado [ bruh'-VAH-doh ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a false display of bravery
2. a pretentious show of courage
3. defiant behaviour
4. a disposition toward defiant behaviour or false display of bravery.
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The bravado of the striking workers was effective as management conceded to most of their demands.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Suddenly all our bravado deserted us and we decided to turn back.

The Telegraph, Britain at War: It was very dark because of the blackout and suddenly all our bravado
deserted us, 14 Aprol 2009.
defoliate [ v. dee-FOH-lee-eyt; adj. dee-FOH-lee-it, -eyt ]

[ adjective, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to strip or remove the leaves from
2. (tr. v.) to cause the leaves to fall off
3. (intr. v.) to lose leaves
4. (adj.) having naturally lost its leaves
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He said the plants in his garden were defoliated because of caterpillars.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The larvae can defoliate berberis shrubs.
The Telegraph, Tree trouble ahead, Ursula Buchan, 19 March 2009.
oracular [ aw-RAK-yuh'-ler ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. like or pertaining to a person considered to be capable of prophetic opinions
2. spoken as if infallible or as if divinely inspired
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He claimed that his predictions were based on facts and figures and were not of an oracular nature.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He was the uncle to end all uncles, childlike yet oracular and possessed of a ravenous appetite for human
folly.
BBC, Tributes paid to comic Dave Allen, 11 March 2005.
evenhanded [ EE-vuh'n-HAN-did ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. displaying impartiality
2. equitable or fair treatment to all
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Nobody could fault the evenhanded decision of the umpire.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It was Obama at his preternaturally evenhanded best, though at 55 minutes, he had ample time to please
more than one audience.
The Telegraph, Cairo speech: Obama as a one-man United Nations, Alex Spillius, 4 July 2009.
prong [ prawng ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a pointed tine of a fork
2. (n.) a pointed or projecting part of
3. (n.) a branch of a stream
4. (tr. v.) to pierce with the projecting part of an object
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
There used to be a small two prong plug that was mounted on the frame to hold the blades.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Some of the tables are made from discarded wooden salad bowls while detailing on the fireplace was created
using the brass prongs from plugs.
The Telegraph, Man turns his Hampshire council flat into 'a replica Palace of Versailles', Andrew Hough, 19
October 2009.
gangrene [ GANG-green ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. death and decay of body tissue due to insufficient supply of blood caused by bad circulation
2. death or necrosis of soft tissue due to obstructed circulation
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The patient went into shock after the doctor told him that his left foot was infected with gangrene.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Second World War veteran Ted Dracup, 90, needs round-the-clock care after his legs were amputated due to
gangrene two years ago.
The Telegraph, Double amputee told to attend in person to renew disabled badge, 5 November 2009.
ecologist [ i-KOL-uh'-jist ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. One who studies the scientific relationships between organisms and their environments
2. a person who studies relationships between human groups and their physical and social environments
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
People seem to take the estimates of ecologists about global warming rather lightly.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Take away the sea ice and you lose the bears, says Andrew Derocher, an ecologist from the University of
Alberta who specialises in polar bear population research.
The Telegraph, A new home for Britain's last polar bear, 17 December 2009.
prolific [ pruh'-LIF-ik ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. producing abundantly or very fruitful
2. highly productive
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was a prolific author of murder mysteries and many of his books were on the best-seller list.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
When he finally retired, having become the most prolific batsman in the history of the game (67,057 runs if
you count his domestic one-day performances) it was inevitable he would become a coach and national
selector.
The Telegraph, South Africa v England: Alastair Cook shapes up well under Graham Gooch, Simon Hughes, 18
December 2009.
anthropologist [ an-thruh'-POL-uh'-jist ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a person who specializes in the scientific study of the development of humans, like origin, physical, social
and cultural aspects
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The child stated that he would like to be an anthropologist when he grew up.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It was after hearing about that uproar that American anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes, a professor at
the University of California at Berkeley, decided to release the tape of the interview she conducted with Hiss
in 2000, Israel's Channel 2 reported.
CNN, Israel harvested organs without permission, officials say, 21 December 2009.
spruce [ sproos ]
[ noun, adjective, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) any evergreen, coniferous tree or the like or the wood of such a tree
2. (tr. v.) to make neat or smart in appearance
3. (adj.) neat and smart in appearance
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The teacher told the shabbily dressed child to spruce up a bit.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
All three suffered a period of decline in the 20th century, but have since gone to great lengths to spruce up
their main streets, lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings running perpendicular to the Hudson River.
CNN, 3 Northeastern weekend escapes, Peter Jon Lindberg, Heather Smith MacIsaac and Meeghan Truelove,
3 November 2009.
bristling [ BRIS-uh'ling ]
[ verb ]
MEANING :
1. to become erect or stiff like bristles
2. to be aroused
3. to become irritated
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was bristling with rage after the manager of the department store refused to acknowledge his complaint.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In a move that belied the insecurity of Chinas rulers, the general public were ordered to stay at home and
watch the goose-stepping ranks of soldiers and the bristling array of tanks, unmanned drones and ballistic
missiles on their televisions.
The Telegraph, China review of 2009, 15 December 2009.
solemnity [ suh'-LEM-ni-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. gravity or impressiveness
2. a formality that renders an act or document valid
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The fun and frolic of the celebration contrasted with the solemnity of the prayer service.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
For all the solemnity of the setting, and the grandeur of hymns that included Jerusalem and I Vow To Thee,
My Country, WO1 Chants funeral was a personal service.
The Telegraph, Daughter's tears at funeral of Darren Chant, shot dead in Afghanistan, 2 December 2009.
gleam [ gleem ]
[ noun, verb ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a flash of light or a glow
2. (n.) a trace
3 (v.) to appear suddenly like a flash of light
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The thieves saw the gleam of the watchman's torch and hid themselves.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Playing Rebecca Bloomwood, the blissfully clothes-crazy heroine of "Confessions of a Shopaholic," Isla Fisher
walks around with the mad gleam of a true believer.
CNN, Review: 'Shopaholic' is a big winner, Owen Gleiberman, 13 February 2009.
abide [ uh'-BAHYD ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to stay with or continue
2. (tr. v.) to reside or live in
3. (intr. v.) to tolerate or put up with
4. (intr. v.) to accept without question
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
She asked her friend to abide with her as she was in a weak condition after the illness.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
She takes immune-suppressing drugs to prevent organ rejection and abides by doctor's orders.
CNN, Pediatric heart transplant survivor: 'I thank God every day', Madison Park, 22 December 2009.
lateral [ LAT-er-uh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. pertaining to the side
2. a sideways transfer of the ball to a teammate in football
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He said that the lateral fins on his surfboard helped him to maintain his balance.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
We have one diver on each side to fend off lateral approaches, and one behind to cover everyone's back.
BBC, Surviving the oceanic whitetip shark, Ellen Husain, 26 September 2007.
deplore [ di-PLAWR ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to regret deeply or to feel or express deep grief for
2. (tr. v.) to express strong disapproval of
3. (tr. v.) to express sorrow for
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The Prime Minister deplored terrorism as a dastardly act of cowardice.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The G-8 foreign ministers, meeting in Italy, said they "fully respect" the sovereignty of Iran, but "deplore
post-electoral violence, which led to the loss of lives of Iranian civilians".
BBC, G8 'deplores' Iran poll violence, 26 June 2009,
inherent [ in-HEER-uh'nt ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. occurring as a natural part or consequence or existing as an essential character
2. existing in someone as an attribute or quality
3. essential or necessary
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Her inherent distrust of adults was due to having lost her parents when she was just seven years old.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
We'd do much better by leveraging the inherent strengths of our modern democracies and the natural
advantages we have over the terrorists: our adaptability and survivability, our international network of laws
and law enforcement, and the freedoms and liberties that make our society so enviable.
CNN, Is aviation security mostly for show? Bruce Schneier, 29 December 2009.
dinghy [ DING-gee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. any small boat for use as a tender or lifeboat
2. an inflatable life raft
3. a small rowing or sailing boat
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They rowed the dinghy to the centre of the lake to do their fishing.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed
dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County,
Washington.
CNN, Seattle man accused of sinking his own yacht, Mayra Cuevas-Nazario, 22 February 2009.
larder [ LAHR-der ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a place where food is stored
2. a supply of food
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They survived the winter because of the well stocked larder.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The winter has indeed passed but the larder which was stocked up last autumn would, come May, have been
close to empty.
BBC, NOT a Manx tradition, 23 december 2009.
decimate [ DES-uh'-meyt ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to destroy a large proportion of

2. to kill every tenth person of a group
3. to cause great damage or destruction to
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The population on the island was decimated by a contagious disease.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Worldwide nuclear fallout would decimate forests and sea life, and the "roar of a wave" is probably the sound
of the bomb itself.
BBC, Dylan song adopted by climate summit: Your views, 5 December 2009.
garbled [ gahr-buh'l-d ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. distorted to such an extent so as to be misleading
2. scrambled or incomprehensible
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
A garbled statement was all the victim was capable of due to the extreme trauma that he had suffered.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The trouble with Some Sort Of Beautiful was the technique was used to such extreme effect that much of the
play seemed garbled, stilted and confusing.
BBC, Oxford Stage - Some Sort Of Beautiful, 26 February 2005
quietude [ KWAHY-i-tood ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the state of being calm and quiet
2. tranquillity
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The quietude that suddenly descended upon the valley was a premonition that something weird was about to
happen.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
I find in the quietude of still life objects complicity with the endlessly patient processes of carving.
BBC, 'Still Life: Sculptures by Fred Watson', 30 December 2009.
malady [ MAL-uh'-dee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a disease or a disorder or an ailment
2. an unhealthy or undesirable condition
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His was a malady of the mind which did not respond to conventional medication.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Aspiring public office holders ought to have a psychiatric evaluation as no other malady but madness can
aptly describe this flagrantly insatiable appetite for materialism that drives a man to keep amassing the
national wealth of the people which he holds in trust for them.
BBC, African view: Insane with greed, 14 October 2009.
aureole [ AWR-ee-ohl ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the radiance surrounding the figure in the representation of a sacred personage
2. a halo or ring of light
3. corona or a white or coloured circle or set of concentric circles of light around a luminous body
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The apparition was enshrouded in an aureole.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Stars pulsating with aureoles of white, green or blue scroll from left to right across the canvas, balls of light
that move as though on the swell of ocean waves towards the crescent moon in its halo of yellow at the right.
The Telegraph, Van Gogh and the Colours of the Night, review, Richard Dorment, 9 February 2009.
meteoric [ mee-tee-AWR-ik ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. consisting of meteors
2. pertaining to or resembling meteors
3. pertaining to the earth's atmosphere
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
According to the news it was just some meteoric debris and not an alien invasion.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Her powerful influence in the tech world has grown in tandem with the meteoric rise of Google and seen her
achieve countless accolades, such as in 2008, at the age of 33, becoming the youngest woman ever to be
included on Fortune's most powerful women list.
The Telegraph, Marissa Mayer: An omnivorous Google is coming, Emma Barnett, 14 December 2009.
repress [ ri-PRESS ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to keep under control by an act of volition
2. (tr. v.) to suppress or put down by force
3. (tr. v.) to exclude disturbing memories automatically from the conscious mind
4. (intr. v.) to undergo or bring about suppression
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
We could not repress the laughter when his practical joke backfired, making him the victim of his own
twisted humour.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
NAVFOR is "a military operation to help deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the
coast of Somalia,"
CNN, Hijacked ships released off Somalia, 28 December 2009.
longevity [ lon-JEV-i-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a long life
2. the duration of life or the length of a lifetime
3. the duration of service
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His death surprised the community as his family was famous for its longevity.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The tiny European principality of Andorra seems to have discovered the secret of longevity.
BBC, Andorra longevity, 15 October 2008.
crabbed [ KRAB-id ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. grouchy or irritable
2. obscure or difficult to understand or read
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The crabbed old man had a complaint for just about anything and everything.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Those few crabbed souls who resent the cost of maintaining the monarchy have little enough to resent, since
the annual sum amounts to a mere 69p per person.
The Telegraph, The Queen's flight, 6 July 2009.
gargoyle [ GAHR-goil ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a grotesquely carved figure
2. a grotesque ornamental figure or projection
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Tourists were busy clicking photographs of the gargoyles at the Victoria Terminus.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
From high atop gothic cathedrals, gargoyles look down at the living and the dead moving through the
medieval lanes of the city of lights, where jack-o-lanterns can be seen glowing amid the flickering street
lamps.
CNN, France goes batty over Halloween, Jenna Milly,
enumerate [ i-noo-muh-reyt ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to mention one by one
2. to count or find out the number of
3. to call out separately in counting
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
After he enumerated all the main points of the lesson, he found that it was quiet easy to memorize.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
if the governor signs it, it theoreticallly would allow Oklahoma to ignore laws that are not "enumerated and
granted to the federal government by the Constitution," as stated in the Tenth Amendment.
CNN, Stimulus raises state sovereignty issues, Lauren Kornreich, 6 March 2009.
domicile [ DOM-uh'-sahyl ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) home or residence
2. (n.) a person's legal place of residence
3. (tr. v.) to set up in residence
4. (tr. v.) to set up with a temporary place to reside
5. (intr. v.) to dwell or reside
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His domicile was a beautiful estate in the south of France.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
There are rules about discriminating against companies because of their domicile.
BBC, Investment 'scandal' risk warning, Paul Lewis, 3 March 2007.
dilettante [ DIL-i-tahnt, dil-i-TAHNT, dil-i-TAHN-tey ]

[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a person who dabbles superficially in an activity
2. (n.) anyone who takes up an art only for amusement
3. (n.) a connoisseur or a lover of a fine art or science
4. (adj.) amateurish or pertaining to amateurs
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His critics branded him a dilettante as he was unable to commit to a particular genre of writing.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Henry's oldest son was something of a dilettante, with a puffed-up idea of his own abilities and importance.
BBC, The Character and Legacy of Henry II, Dr Mike Ibeji, 5 November 2009.
rampart [ RAM-pahrt ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) an embankment capped with a stone parapet raised as a fortification around a place
2. (adj.) an effective bulwark or defence
3. (tr. v.) to defend with a fortified embankment
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The villagers built ramparts around the village as a defence against invaders.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Intoxicated by the romance of a fairy-tale castle, they ran amok along the ramparts of Fort Qaitbey.
The Telegraph, Alexandria, Egypt: in praise of Alex, Teresa Levonian Cole, 29 November 2009.
implicate [ IM-pli-keyt ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to involve or show to be involved intimately or incriminatingly
2. something that is understood
3. to affect as a consequence or to imply as a necessary circumstance
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They could not implicate him in the robbery because he had an ironclad alibi.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He also claimed to have documents in his possession that could implicate some PSL club officials.
BBC, Match-fixing row hits South Africa, Piers Edwards, 25 November 2009.
abscission [ ab-SIZH-uh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a sudden termination or the act of cutting off
2. the natural separation of a fruit, flowers and leaves from a plant
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The botanist was working on an experiment to delay the abscission in the petals of the rose so that it would
remain fresh for a long time.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Understanding the process of abscission - which applies to petals and fruit as well as leaves - will be of
particular interest to the commercial fruit tree and cut flower industries, which aim to ensure fruit remains
on branches until it is ripe.
The Telegraph, Why leaves fall off trees is discovered, Roger Highfield, 22 September 2008.
dissension [ di-SEN-shuh'n ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a quarrel or a strong disagreement
2. a difference of opinion
3. discord
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Because of the dissension among the members of the team, they lost the match.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The escalating public dissension within the ranks of House Democrats raised new questions about the bill's
prospects.
CNN, House Democrats splinter over health care, 25 July 2009.
cartographer [ kahr-TOG-ruh'-fer ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a person who makes maps
2. a person engaged in the scientific and artistic production and development of maps
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He claimed to be a cartographer by profession yet he was unable to read the road map.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Whether it takes 20 years or five before a new map of Europe can be drawn with any prospect of its being
permanent, the latest evidence of German-Soviet collaboration has further complicated the outlook, both for
salesmen and for cartographers.
The Telegraph, COMMENT World War 2: Yet again Germany and Russia have parcelled out Poland, 29
September 2009.
intrigue [ v. in-TREEG; n. in-TREEG, IN-treeg ]

MEANING :
1. (n.) a scheme or the practice of secret underhand schemes
2. (intr. v.) to plot or engage in secret underhand schemes
3. (tr. v.) to effect by secretly plotting and scheming
4. (tr. v.) to arouse the curiosity of
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He lost his job as he was unprepared for the intrigue of his co-workers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The prelude to this match had more intrigue, plots and subplots than a week in Westminster.
The Telegraph, Birmingham City 1 West Ham United 0: match report, Sandy Macaskill, 13 December 2009.
pugnacity [ puhg-NAS-i-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a tendency to be hostile
2. aggressiveness
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was the quiet and unassuming type, but when cornered by the bully he reacted with pugnacity.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
There was a widespread expectation that after two horrible days for the Government, he would find this his
most embarrassing Prime Minister's Questions yet, but Mr Brown instead seized the chance to show steadiness
and pugnacity under fire.
The Telegraph, Pugnacious Gordon Brown piles into attackers, Andrew Gimson, 22 November 2007.
insubstantial [ in-suh'b-STAN-shuh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. insufficient or lacking in size and quantity
2. weak or flimsy or delicate
3. unreal or lacking form
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They had to organize another charity performance because of the insubstantial amount collected during the
first fundraiser.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The American financiers Endgame Entertainment liked the script and the cast and the director; this, together
with the not insubstantial contribution of the BBC, was enough to enable the film to happen.
The Telegraph, Nick Hornby on An Education, 23 October 2009.
toga [ TOH-guh' ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a loose one-piece outer garment worn by male citizens of Rome in ancient times
2. a ceremonial or professional gown or robe
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He wore a toga to the costume party.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Senators were recognised by a toga with a broad purple stripe, while the equestrian wore a toga with a
narrow purple stripe and a gold finger ring.
BBC, Social Pecking Order in the Roman World, Dr Valerie Hope, 5 November 2009.
gawk [ gawk ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to gape or stare foolishly at
2. (n.) an awkward foolish person
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His poor results prompted his parents to ask if did any studying in college or spent the time gawking at the
pretty girls.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It appears that through his many hours waiting, being gawked at by tourists and quizzed by journalists, he has
developed a certain cynicism.
BBC, Camping out for the Clones, Peter Bowes, 13 May, 2002
explicate [ EK-spli-keyt ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to explain or make clear the meaning of
2. to develop
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
You should have paid attention when the professor explicated the differences between relativity and the
quantum theory.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Dr David Hardman, principal lecturer in learning development at London Metropolitan University, said: "It is
very difficult to conduct true experiments that would explicate a causal relationship between IQ and religious
belief.
The Telegraph, Intelligent people 'less likely to believe in God', Graeme Paton, 11 June 2008.
verdigris [ VUR-di-grees ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a bluish or green sheen which forms on copper, brass or bronze surfaces which are exposed to the
atmosphere over a long period of time
2. a bluish or green powder consisting of basic cupric acetate used as a fungicide and a paint pigment
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His job was to remove the verdigris by polishing the brass buckles and epaulets before the parade.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Verdigris stained statues, of heroes and statesmen, rub shoulders with kings and common, self-made men.
BBC, Where I live: Leeds, 29 September, 2005.
insurmountable [ in-ser-MOUN-tuh'-buh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. insuperable or that which cannot be surpassed or overcome
2. impossible to pass over or conquer
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles by determination and hard work.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Mr Brown told the BBC the barriers were "huge" but "not insurmountable".
BBC, Copenhagen climate deal 'faces problems' - Gordon Brown, 16 December 2009.
drone [ drohn ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a continuous buzzing or humming sound
2. (n.) an unmanned aircraft used for launching aerial attacks and reconnaissance purposes
3. (n.) the male bees which are without stings and do not make honey
4. (tr. v.) to make a continuous sound which is dull and monotonous
5. (tr. v.) to speak in a dull, monotonous tone
6. (intr. v.) to utter in a dull, monotonous tone
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The drone of the machines at the construction site was disturbing the office staff in the neighbouring
building.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Public criticism of the use of drones has been muted since the killing of Baitullah Mehsud, who had ordered
suicide bombings and fedayeen commando attacks throughout Pakistan in which hundreds of civilians were
killed.
The Telegraph, US to escalate drone attacks on Pakistan, Javed Siddiq, 4 December 2009.
brink [ bringk ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the edge of land bordering water or of a steep place like a cliff
2. verge or a critical or crucial point of a situation beyond which either catastrophe or success results
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The two neighbouring countries were on the brink of war because their sovereigns were at loggerheads with
each other.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
But the scene here in Macau was far from festive last year, when the financial crisis put the brakes on tourist
dollars, suspended construction on several casino projects and forced the American gaming conglomerate to
the brink of collapse.
CNN, Las Vegas developer reshapes Macau, Eunice Yoon, 17 December 2009.
caulk(calk) [ kawk ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to make airtight or watertight by filling seams or sealing
2. (intr. v.) to apply a waterproof material to crevices
3. (n.) the material used to seal crevices
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The seam between the window frame and the wall had to be caulked to prevent the rain water from seeping
into the room.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Surround the joint where wood meets concrete with silicone caulk to seal out moisture that could cause the
post to rot.
CNN, Features to transform your backyard, Kathryn Keller, 1 May 2008.
corrugated [ KWAR-uh'-git-ed ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. shaped into alternating ridges and grooves in parallel format
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The entire consignment of watches was packed in a single corrugated cardboard carton.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The original settlers here lived under canvas while they constructed simple corrugated iron shacks, and each
household was given a small plot for growing vegetables.
BBC, Mohandas 'Mahatma' Gandhi, 25 August 2009.
flip [ flip ]

MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to toss in the air imparting a spin
2. (tr. v.) to turn around or turn over with a quick motion
3. (tr. v.) to move with a quick motion
4. (intr. v.) to turn over
5. (intr. v.) to somersault in the air
6. (tr. v.) to browse or leaf or turn the pages
7. (n.) the act of a short swift motion
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His decision to attend the rally was the result of a flip of a coin.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
As well as having to hit the gym again, J-Lo may also have to deal with that other flip side of fame -- the
paparazzi.
CNN, Jennifer Lopez doesn't miss the gym, 17 December 2009.
maraud [ muh'-RAWD ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to roam in search of plunder
2. (tr. v.) to raid for plunder
3. (tr. v.) to pillage
4. (n.) the act of plundering
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The peaceful village was marauded by a band of raiding bandits.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In many parts of South Africa baboons are viewed as an irritating pest - they steal farmers' crops and maraud
over agricultural land.
BBC, World: Africa- Farmers want baboon on the menu, Greg Barrow, 20 May 1999.
tanner [ TAN-er ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a person employed to tan hides
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
As a tanner, he did not earn much but at least he was employed.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
After the hair fibers were loosened, the tanners scraped them off with a knife.
Wikipedia, Tanning, 17 December 2009.
blowhard [ BLOH-hahrd ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a boastful person
2. a braggart
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
When the blowhard had finished his speech, the crowd demanded for verification of his tall claims.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
His sole Labour defender was Sir Stuart Bell, who was misguided enough to claim that he spoke for a
"majority of the House" when he actually spoke only for the clique of Mr Martin's die-hard and blowhard
supporters.
The Telegraph, MPs' expenses: Speaker must go for the sake of Commons, 19 May 2009.
suavity [ SWAH-vi-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the act of being smoothly agreeable and courteous
2. the quality of being smooth and well mannered
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The guests marvelled at the suavity of the Master of Ceremonies who was able to liven up a dull party.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Morrissey has promised "a thundering bill of tight nerves and suavity."
BBC, Morrissey to grace Wireless event, 25 March 2008.
intervene [ in-ter-VEEN ]
[ intransitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to interfere in other peoples affairs
2. to mediate
3. to come between or lie between
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The pastor was called to intervene between the two dissenting families.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Linda Carty, a British citizen on Death Row in Texas, has called on Gordon Brown to intervene in her case and
help save her from lethal injection.
The Telegraph, Briton on Death Row in US appeals to Gordon Brown to intervene, Tom Leonard, 10
September 2009.
retrograde [ RE-truh'-greyd ]
[ adjective, intransitive verb ]
MEANING :
1.(adj.) reverting to an earlier condition
2. (adj.) opposite or in reverse to the usual order
3. (intr. v.) to degenerate or decline or move to an inferior state
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The doctor advised him to give up his retrograde outlook on life and become more future oriented.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
She added that it would be a retrograde step if moves towards greater autonomy for Cornwall now
gathered pace.
The Telegraph, Cornish street signs to be translated, Richard Savill, 12 November 2009.
alimentary [ al-uh'-MEN-tuh'-ree ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. nutritive
2. pertaining to food or nutrition
3. providing nourishment, sustenance or maintenance
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The natives were radiantly healthy due to the alimentary food that was available on the island.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It even mimics the stomach contractions which are used to break up food, and send it on its way along the
alimentary canal.
BBC, Scientists create artificial gut, 10 November 2006.
cupidity [ kyoo-PID-i-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. excessive desire for riches
2. avarice or greed for riches
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
When the banks foreclosed on his loan, he realised that it was his cupidity that landed him in trouble.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The navy's management of the ferry, they say, was loose, the vessel was overloaded with people and freight,
and there was negligence and cupidity.
BBC, Senegal navy head sacked, 15 October 2002.
anathema [ uh'-NATH-uh'-muh' ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. a person or object loathed
2. a curse of divine punishment
3. a person who is damned
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The topic of religion was anathema to the atheist.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The very thought that parents may know best is anathema to this Government, which insists that one system
suits all.
The Telegraph, The man in Whitehall doesn't know best about education, 29 November 2009.
intoxicate [ v. in-TOK-si-keyt; adj. in-TOK-suh'-kit ]

[ adjective, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (tr. v.) to temporarily affect with diminished capacity by means of alcohol or drugs
2. (tr. v.) to exhilarate or enthuse
3. (intr. v.) to cause or produce diminished capacity
4 (adj.) stupefied
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The rich old man was completely intoxicated and had to be carried home.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are among those who create such a genial air in the interrogation room, they
intoxicate the reporter.
BBC, What really goes on in star interviews, Robert Nisbet, 4 April 2003.
discrepancy [ di-SKREP-uh'n-see ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. difference
2. an instance of inconsistency or disagreement
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
There was a huge discrepancy in the profit statement presented by the CFO at the shareholders meeting and
the auditors report.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Underlying this variety of experience was the discrepancy between the limited economic opportunities
available on the land and the attractions of the towns or colonies.
BBC, The Rural Exodus, Mike Winstanley, 5 November 2009.
doctrinaire [ DOK-truh'-NAIR ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1.(n.) an impractical theorist
2. (n.) a person who tries to apply some doctrine or theory without sufficient attention to its practicality
3. (adj.) fanatical or dogmatic
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The doctrinaire project manager was driving the engineers crazy with his impractical plan of action.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Doctrinaire Marxists, of whom there were many in the Labour Party, regarded the nuclear family as a doomed
bourgeois institution.
The Telegraph, At last, a common-sense approach to family values from David Cameron's Conservatives, 9
October 2009.
bowdlerize [ BOHD-luh'-rahyz ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to expurgate by removing passages or parts of passages considered objectionable
2. derived from Thomas Bowdler English editor of an expurgated version of Shakespeare's works; British
spelling: bowdlerise
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The editor of the magazine had the article bowdlerised because of the lurid descriptions that it contained.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Of course it's to do with the church, but it's so bowdlerised, it's such a cliche of the "evil church," that it just
didn't seem relevant really.
BBC, Compass points: Catholic and atheist, 6 December 2007.
collateral [ kuh'-LAT-er-uh'l ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) security pledged for a loan
2. (n.) a descendent from the same stock, but in a different line
3. (adj.) supporting or relating to
4. (adj.) guaranteed by
5. (adj.) accompanying or additional
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He offered his ancestral home as collateral for the bank loan to start a new business.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Some women in Hong Kong are using their designer handbags as collateral for personal loans.
CNN, Handbags as collateral, Anna Coren, 19 November 2009.
irony [ AHY-ruh'-nee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the use of words to convey an opposite meaning
2. an outcome of events that is opposite to what was expected
3. a detached sarcastic technique of speech or writing
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The irony of the situation brought a small smile to his face.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The final irony of this genocide was the manner in which West German courts tried to deal with it after it was
over, especially in the late 1950s and the 1960s.
BBC, Who Were the Guilty? Omer Bartov, 5 November 2005.
brood [ brood ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a group of offspring produced or hatched at one time
2. (n.) the children in a family
3. (tr. v.) to hatch eggs
4. (intr. v.) to hover over or cover
5. (intr. v.) to worry about or to focus on a subject moodily
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The hen was busy scratching away the dirt to feed her brood on the insects beneath the surface.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In a new article posted on VanityFair.com, Kate reveals her brood has been "acting out" lately -- but she is
hopeful it's a phase that will pass as the kids adjust to their life with divorced parents.
CNN, Kate Gosselin: My kids are struggling, 19 October 2009
ovoid [ OH-void ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1.(adj.) having the solid shape of an egg
2. (adj.) egg-like in form
3. (n.) an object that is egg-shaped
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
There were a dozen ovoid jade pieces piled up on a silver tray.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The spire, which resembles the Gherkin building in London, has a semi-transparent ovoid suspended in a
stainless steel mesh frame.
BBC, New landmark for city's skyline, 11 July 2005.

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CAT Word List - 1 from TestFunda.

3. (n.) the state of being in disguise

3. (adj.) anterior or frontal

commune [ v. kuh-MYOON; n. KOM-yoon ]

rebate [ n.REE-beyt; v. REE-beyt, ri-BEYT ]

meddlesome [ MED-l -suh'm ]

clasp [ klasp, klahsp ]

2. (n.) a covered walk leading onto a courtyard

whimsy [ HWIM-zee, WIM- ]

2. (tr. v.) to envelop

harass [ huh'-RAS, HAR-uh's ]

to something of about 100 years old or more.

annex [ v. uh-NEKS, AN-eks; n. AN-eks ]

2. (tr. v.) to strip or deprive

loft [ lawft, loft ]

entail [ v. en-TEYL; n. en-TEYL, EN-teyl ]

2. (n.) a poem properly expressive of a single, complete thought of 14 lines

2. (n.) the agony of or violent convulsion

3. (intr. v.) to make welcome with shouts of praise

Suddenly all our bravado deserted us and we decided to turn back.

defoliate [ v. dee-FOH-lee-eyt; adj. dee-FOH-lee-it, -eyt ]

1. to destroy a large proportion of

dilettante [ DIL-i-tahnt, dil-i-TAHNT, dil-i-TAHN-tey ]

intrigue [ v. in-TREEG; n. in-TREEG, IN-treeg ]

[ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]

intoxicate [ v. in-TOK-si-keyt; adj. in-TOK-suh'-kit ]

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