Words in Action

09-02-2012

abandon (uh BAN duhn), abandons; abandoned (uh BAN duhn'd); abandoning (verbs) 1. She abandoned (left) her child on the doorstep. 2. Abandon (leave) ship! 3. The scientist abandoned (discontinued) his research for lack of funds. 4. The Gypsies danced with abandon (enthusiasm). Abandon and its past tense form, abandoned, are words of wide significance; indicating the complete giving up or withdrawal from people or things of any kind. It implies a previous association with responsibility for or control of; so, a person may abandon or forsake a house or friends. Abandon comes from the Old French phrase laisser a bandon, "to relinquish to another person's control". abandoned (uh BAN duhn'd) (adjective) 1. The abandoned (deserted) house was torn down. 2. The pleasure-seeker led an abandoned (sinful) life. abase (uh BAYS), abases; abased; abasing (verbs) The Bible says that the person who is proud will be abased (humbled). Abase comes from Late Latin bassus, "low". abashed (uh BASH'd) (adjective) He was abashed (embarrassed) at forgetting his wife's birthday. Bah! was an exclamation of astonishment in Old French. The English word abashed comes from Old French esbahir, "to get a bah out of someone" or "expressing impatient rejection or contempt". abbreviate (uh BREE vee ayt"), abbreviates; abbreviated; abbreviating (verbs) 1. You can abbreviate (cut short) the word "Mister" into "Mr." 2. As time was short, he abbreviated (shortened) his visit. The brev- in "abbreviate comes from the Latin brevis, meaning short, which is also the source of "brief". So, naturally, abbreviate means to make briefer, to make shorter by combining or omitting; including "dozen" as "doz." and "quart" as "qt." abbreviation (uh bree" vee AY shuhn) (s), abbreviations (pl) (nouns) 1. "Mr." is the abbreviation (shortened form) of "Mister". 2. Every Reader's Digest condensed book is an abbreviation of an originally longer work: "Some abbreviation of the speech was necessary because he didn't have enough time to deliver all of it." U.S.A., FBI, Calif., and Dr. are abbreviations, shortened forms of a word or phrase to represent the full term. NATO, NASA, and UNICEF are a type of abbreviation called acronyms, abbreviations that may be pronounced as a word rather than just as a series of letters. So, an abbreviation is pronounced as separate letters (U.S.A., FBI) while an acronym may be pronounced as a word (NATO, NASA).

abdicate (AB di kayt"), abdicates; abdicated; abdicating (verbs) 1. Edward VIII of England abdicated (vacated the throne) to marry a commoner. 2. He abdicated (abandoned) his responsibilities and fled. 3. To give up one's position, office, or power: "Yielding to the pressure of public opinion, the king abdicated his throne." "The outraged citizens forced the king to abdicate the throne." The term abdicate came from Latin ab-, "away" + dicare, "to proclaim". So, when a king abdicates, he "proclaims away" his throne. abduct (ab DUKT), abducts; abducted; abducting (verbs) To kidnap, to take someone away illegally, using force or fraud or any other means, and to keep that person confined against his or her will. "Kidnappers abducted (ran off with) the child." Such conduct is against the law and is severely punishable. abduction (ab DUK shuhn) (s), abductions (pl) (nouns) Taking people, away illegally by using force or any other means, and to keep them confined against their wills: "There has been an increase in the abduction of children in many parts of the world; especially, in certain African countries where significant numbers are forced to become members of rebel armies." aberration (ab" uh RAY shuhn) (s), aberrations (pl) (nouns) 1. The flaw in a lens that doesn't focus properly is called a spherical aberration (irregularity). 2. The new rules were confusing and full of aberrations (abnormalities). 3. His only aberration (peculiarity) was an occasional lapse of memory. 3. A deviation from the norm. "The extreme wide-spread cold weather with snow and ice that we've had this winter is an aberration." abet (uh BET), abets; abetted; abetting (verbs) 1. To approve, to encourage, and to support (an action or a plan of action); to urge and to help with. 2. To assist someone to do something; especially, something illegal: "The criminal was abetted (supported) by his brother." 3. To help someone commit a crime, including planning the crime and helping the person to escape from the police, if it is necessary. The term abet comes from Old French abeter, "to incite, to tease, or to bait another person. Abet comes from the baiting of wild animals or the ancient sport of bear baiting, and the English language has now taken this violent word meaning and applied it to people rather than to animals. This term goes far back to an old Teutonic origin that conjures up a picture of hardy men going to the chase with their packs of hunting dogs. Our English verb bite appeared long ago in a Low German derivative betan, meaning "to cause to bite, to make bite", as, to make dogs bite the bear, and so to send them out to hunt the bear.

Icelandic beita meant "to feed, to make bite", and also "to hunt" with dogs. The French adopted both the sport and the Teutonic name for it, making the Old French verb beter, meaning "to bait" a bear, and abeter, "to excite, to incite", which we have taken into English as abet. No longer applied to the hunt, it now means to encourage or to incite people, usually in an evil enterprise. Compiled from information located in Picturesque Word Origins; G. & C. Merriam Company; Springfield, Massachusetts; 1933; page 3. abettor, abetter (s), abettors, abetters (pl) (nouns) 1. Someone who assists, encourages, instigates, or supports another person with criminal intent in attempting or carrying out a crime; often used in the phrase "aid and abet". 2. Those who encourage, or incite another person on to commit a crime: "He was an abetter wtih the thief in robbing the bank." 3. Etymology: from about 1374 (implied in abetting), from Old French abeter, "to bait, to harass with dogs"; litterally, "to cause to bite" from , "to" + beter "to bait", from a Germanic source, perhaps Low Franconian betan, "incite" or Old Norse beita, "cause to bite". Legally, abet is usually applied to aiding in the commission of a crime. In relation to the charge of "aiding and abetting", the term includes knowledge of the perpetrator's wrongful purpose, and encouragement, promotion or counsel of another person in the commission of the criminal offense. An abettor is legally considered to be an instigator, or "setter on"; someone who promotes or procures a crime to be committed. abeyance (uh BAY uhns) (s), abeyances (pl) (nouns) 1. A situation in which being temporarily set aside; a suspension: "The project will be held in abeyance (suspension) until spring." 2. A condition in which legal ownership of an estate has not been established: "The decision of the judge is still in abeyance as to when the daughter will inherit her father's property." Abeyance in its beginning meant "waiting with gaping (open) mouth". Something "held in abeyance" may cause some anxiety or impatience, but it hardly suggests "open-mouthed expectancy". Yet that was originally the literal meaning of the word abeyance. It came from the Late Latin badare, "to gape". The word passed into the Old French spelling baer, beer, "to gape, to look with open mouth, to expect". From this was derived the old French abeance, literally, "a gaping at", but used metaphorically to express "expectation" or "longing". This has resulted in the English abeyance, a legal term used about rights which were suspended, "held in abeyance", awaiting a proper claimant. Its meaning, however, has broadened in general use to indicate any kind of suspension or temporary suppression." Compiled from information in Picturesque Word Origins; G. & C. Merriam Company; Springfield, Massachusetts; 1933; page 4. abeyant (adjective) 1. A reference to a condition of being temporarily set aside; suspension: "The president of the company temporarily delayed the abeyant plan until more participants showed up." 2. A term that indicates that legal ownership of an estate has not been established: "She was the abeyant recipient of her father's property."

In English, abeyance is a legal term used regarding rights which were suspended, "held in abeyance", awaiting a proper claimant. Its meaning, however, has broadened in general use to indicage any kind of suspension or temporary suppression.

Additional word information

When anything is abeyant it is referring to a state of inaction, that the matter, whatever it was, is dormant, although some action is expected to occur eventually. It was that expectancy that gave us the word, because it came as a law term, from the Norman Conquest, from the Old French abeance "a state of expectancy". The term referred especially to the condition of a property or title while, after the death of the former possessor, often by foul means in those days, his successor could be determined from among various claimants. The Old French word was derived from the verb beer (modern bayer), "to gape, to expect", perhaps because of the gaping expectancy with which the settlement of an estate was awaited either by the rightful heir or by a hopeful usurper, none too certain that his claim would pass scrutiny. Thereby Hangs a Tale, Stories of Curious Word Origins; by Charles Earle Funk; Harper & Row, Publishers; New York; 1950, page 1. abhor (ab HOR), abhors; abhorred; abhorring (verbs) 1. Nature abhors (detests) a vacuum. 2. She abhors (hates) snakes. 3. To loathe or detest: "Anyone devoted to democratic ideals must abhor the idea of making distinctions on the basis of religion or race." "I abhor people who are habitually late for appointments." 4. Abhor comes from Latin abhorrere, meaning "to shrink away" from something with one's hair standing on end while shuddering violently. The Romans used the word primarily for milder forms of detestation (strong dislike or hatred), just as people do now in modern times.

abhorrence (ab HAWR 'ns, ab HAHR'ns) (s), abhorrences (pl) (nouns) 1. Something that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent; a feeling of extreme aversion: "I have an abhorrence of monster movies." 2. A feeling of repugnance or loathing for something: "Such violence is an abhorrence to me." "Why do these films have to show so many abhorrences of beating and slaughtering of people?" abhorrent (adjective) 1. Disgusting, loathsome, or repellent: "It was an abhorrent crime." 2. Feeling repugnance or loathing: "The thought of not being successful was abhorrent to him." The spelling of the word shows that it is related to "horror". It means "feeling horror", when it is used with of: "She was so abhorrent of snakes that she would almost faint if she simply saw one."

When "abhorrent" is used with to, it is expressed as: "Her casual disregard for the truth was abhorrent to his moral values." When the word means "creating horror, detestable", then it is written as: "The sight of blood was particularly abhorrent to her after the accident." abide (uh BIGHD), abides; abided; abiding (verbs) 1. I can't abide (tolerate) loud noise. 2. Abide (stay) with me a while longer. 3. There is a thermoplastic that will abide (withstand) rough use and great heat. 4. I can't abide (stand) her bad moods. abiding (uh BIGHD ing), (adjective) Abraham Lincoln had an abiding (lasting) faith in the Union of the States. ability (uh BIL i tee) (s), abilities (pl) (nouns) A good salesman has the ability (capability, capacity) to sell anything. Ability is a special skill, like speaking several languages, or keeping your mouth shut in one language. Evan Esar abject (AB jekt", ab JEKT) (adjective) 1. The old couple lived in abject (miserable) poverty. 2. The soldier deserted his army unit like an abject (cringing) coward. 3. The absolute worst or most extreme: "The woman and her two children have been trying to survive in her old car for over a month under the most abject conditions; including being without toilet facilities, not having enough food or water, etc., etc." A transition from the literal to the figurative, and from cause to effect, has occurred in the meaning of abject. AB, meaning "off, away", and jacere, meaning "to throw", were combined in Latin to form abjicere, "to throw away", with a past participle abjectus, "thrown away". Directly from this source came the English word abject, which was formerly not only an adjective but also a verb meaning "to cast off, to throw down", and with a figurative application, "to degrade". It is this latter meaning that survives in the Modern English adjective abject which characterizes someone who has been cast off or degraded and who is therefore low in condition or cast down in spirit. Based on information from Picturesque Word Origins; G. & C. Merriam Company; Springfield, Massachusetts; 1933; pages 4 and 5. abjure (ab JOOR), abjures; abjured; abjuring (verbs) 1. Pacifism abjures (rejects) the use of deadly force. 2. Some of the prisoners abjured (repudiated or rejected as true) their heresies and lived. able (AY buhl), abler, ablest (adjectives) 1. Our case was handled by two able (competent) lawyers: "She is one of the ablest lawyers who is qualified to handle this case." 2. The starving man was barely able (fit) to walk. 3. We are not able (have the means) to grant your request. ablution (uh BLOO shuhn) (s), ablutions (pl) (nouns)

1. After ablutions (ceremonial washing) in the river, the holy man continued on his way. 2. He had no time for his morning ablutions (bathing). The term ablution comes from Latin ab-, "away" + luere, "to wash". abnegation (ab" ni GAY shuhn) (s) (noun) 1. The denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief: "There are those who have an abnegation of the existence of God." 2. Self-denial or the renunciation of a person's own interests in favor of the interests of others: "The man's sudden abnegation of a wild life to become a Christian missionary was a great surprise for everyone who knew him." abnegator (s), abnegators (pl) (nouns) Someone who gives up or who relinquishes or renounces something: "In order to diminish his weight, he has become an abnegator of sweets and midnight snacks." abnormal (ab NOR muhl) (adjective) 1. The cat has an abnormal (uncommon) fear of birds. 2. An abnormal (irregular) amount of snow fell in October. Usage note: Abnormal can mean either below or above normal, either better or worse than normal: "Einstein had an abnormal IQ." On the other hand, subnormal always means below or worse than normal. Origin: This word was once spelled anormal and came from the Greek anomalos, meaning irregular. Later the b was added by analogy with the Latin word for irregular, abnormis, based on Latin ab-, "from" + norma, "norm"; hence "away from the norm". abnormality (ab" nor MAL it tee) (s), abnormalities (pl) (nouns) A clubfoot is an abnormality (deformity or malformation) that can often be corrected by surgery. abode (uh BOHD) (s), abodes (pl) (nouns) 1. The hermit's abode (dwelling place) was a cave. 2. Now, there are those in modern times who have their abodes (living quarters) in refurbished caves.

Cave Living? Cool! Welcome to the modernized cave abode.

In sun-baked Spain, locals and vacationers are discovering the allure of an abode in cave homes.

Are you a lover of "One Million Years B.C." and cheap, environmentally friendly homes? Then take heart: cave abiding is making a comeback. Down in southern Spain, Spaniards and foreigners are buying and refurbishing century-old caves and turning them into modern homes. These aren't your dank, caveman-movie grottoes. They're dry and whitewashed clean, and they have windows and all the modern conveniences; including, electricity, running water, telephone, cable, and parking. Most of them maintain an even temperature of 15.5 to 21 degrees Celsius (59.9 to 69.8 degrees Fahrenheit), winter and summer, without sending a single carbon molecule skyward.

People have lived in caves worldwide and throughout history and the Spanish caves are recent and not natural in origin because local people carved most of them out of soft gypsum and limestone hillsides over the past 200 years. Earlier they were homes for poor agricultural workers and they reached their height of popularity in the late 19th century and then they started to be abandoned in the mid-20th century as the workers moved into the cities. Typically the caves range from 45 to 185 square meters (500 to 2,000 square feet), with front rooms built out from a hillside and windowless interior rooms that are more cave like. It used to be that the rich lived in the villages and the poor in the caves, but now it is reversed with the rich being the ones who have made the caves their new abodes.

Compiled from "Cave Living? Cool!" by Edward Lewline; as seen in Key, a supplement produced by The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, and Real Estate Magazine; Fall of 2008; page 38. abolish (uh BOL ish), abolishes; abolished; abolishing (verbs) 1. Prohibition in the United States was abolished (eliminated) in 1933. The terms abolish and abolition are based on Latin abolere, "to destroy, to do away with". 2. To abolish something is to do away with it completely, to put an end to it. The word is used especially in legal circles to indicate the annulment of a law. abolition (ab" uh LISH uhn) (noun) 1. The act of officially ending a law, regulation, or practice: "The senator fought for abolition (elimination) of the income tax." 2. A reference to the abolition of slavery in the United States and the conflict between the abolitionists (those in favor of putting an end to the institution) and those in favor of slavery were factor that led to the Civil War in the United States. abolitionist (ab" uh LISH uh nist) (s), abolitionists (pl) (nouns) The act of officially ending a law, a regulation, or a practice of something: "As an abolitionist, he fought to end the practice of slavery." "There were many abolitionists who wanted to do away with slavery." abominable (uh BOM uh nuh buhl) (adjective) 1. Murder is the most abominable (reprehensible, loathsome) crime. 2. The weather was abominable (miserable, lousy). 3. That the homeless were forced out of the shelter this winter was abominable (horrible, awful). "Abominable" is derived from Latin abominari, "to detest something as an ill omen". From the 14th until the 17th century, the word was spelled abhominable because people thought it came from the Latin phrase ab homine, meaning "away from man", and so, "inhuman, beastly". This misunderstanding permanently affected the meaning of the word. abominate (uh BOM uh nayt"), abominates; abominated; abominating (verbs) 1. To detest thoroughly; to abhor.

"A politician who is revered by his supporters is also abominated by his enemies." 2. To shrink from an evil omen. To the ancient Romans an omen was a sign from the gods; a promise of good or a warning of evil. Naturally, they turned away in fear from and evil omen. To express this aversion, they combined ab, "away" and omen, "a foreboding", into the verb abominari, meaning "to deprecate as ominous, to abhor", with a past participle abominatus, the source of English abominate. The word has largely lost its original connotation of dread and has come to mean "to loathe, to despise." Based on information from Picturesque Word Origins; G. & C. Merriam Company; Springfield, Massachusetts; 1933; page 5. abomination (uh bom" uh NAY shuhn) (s), abominations (pl) (nouns) 1. The dirty streets of this city are an abomination (abhorrence)! 2. My feeling of abomination (loathing) for terrorist killings has never changed. 3. Some people see the sculpture as art while others see it as an abomination (disgusting). aboriginal (ab" uh RIJ uh nuhl) (adjective) The Indians were the aboriginal (native, ancient) people of America. aborigine (ab" uh RIJ uh nee) (s) (noun) The aborigine (original inhabitant) of the country still hunt with spears. The Aborigines were a tribe of ancient Italy from whom the Latins were said to be descended, and their name is traditionally supposed to be based on the phrase ab origine, "from the beginning". The Roman statesman and orator, Cicero, is believed to be the first person to use the word in its present sense. aborigines (ab" uh RIJ uh neez) (pl) (noun) The flora and fauna native to a geographic area. abort (uh BORT), aborts; aborted; aborting (verbs) 1. Cows with Bang's disease, an infectious disease of domestic animals, often abort (miscarry) their calves; that is, an involuntary ending of a pregnancy through the discharge of the fetus or the unborn vertebrate from the womb at too early a stage in its development for it to survive. 2. The astronauts aborted (terminated, ended) the space flight when their engine caught fire. "Abort" comes from abortus, a form of the Latin verb meaning to miscarry or to result in failure. abortion (uh BOR shun) (s), abortions (pl) (nouns) 1. The woman's pregnancy ended in an abortion (premature termination of pregnancy): "The demonstrators were opposed to abortions." 2. The attempt to redesign the aircraft resulted in an abortion (failure, fruitless attempt). abound (uh BOUND), abounds; abounded; abounding (verbs) 1. Everyone can see that his garden is abounding (teeming, flourishing) with roses. 2. Existing in great quantities or numbers; to be prevalent: "The English language abounds (overflows, flourishes) in exact, vigorous, and colorful words to express all shades of meanings." 3. Etymology: rom Latin abundare, "to overflow" from ab-, "from" + undare, "to flow"; from unda, "a wave".

abound in/with (something), abounds in/with; abounded in/with; abounding in/with (verb phrases) To be filled with something or to contain a very large amount of something: "They live in an area which abounds with oil." They were fishing in a stream that abounded in fish." abrasion (uh BRAY shuhn) (s), abrasions (pl) (nouns) 1. The abrasion (scraped spot) on her elbow has been healing. A scraped area on the skin or on a mucous membrane, resulting from injury or irritation 2. After years of abrasion (rubbing, wearing away), the stones are now smooth. The process of wearing down or rubbing away by means of friction. abrasive (uh BRAY siv, uh BRAY ziv) (adjective) 1. He was advised to use sandpaper or some other abrasive (scraping material) to remove the paint. 2. The talk show's abrasive (harsh, irritating) statements insulted many of the radio audience. abrasiveness (s) (noun) A substance that is used for rubbing something to make it smooth, shiny, or clean: "The abrasiveness of the cleaning material made the sculpture clean and shiny." abreast (uh BREST) (adjective) A description of two or more people or things that are next to each other in a line: "The participants marched in the parade four abreast (side by side)." abridge (uh BRIJ), abridges; abridged; abridging (verbs) 1. To reduce the length of; such as, a written text; to condense. 2. To cut short; to curtail; to shorten, especially by employing fewer words: "Within the past few years, publishers have found it necessary to abridge many classics in order to attract a greater reading public." From Latin ad-, "to" or ab-, "away from" + breviare, "to shorten". abrogate (AB ruh gayt), abrogates; abrogated; abrogating (verbs) To cancel; to repeal; to abolish or annul: "The Secretary of State declared that further aggressive action by a certain foreign power would cause us to abrogate the treaty we had made with it." From Latin ab-, "away" + rogare, "to ask, to propose". abrupt (uh BRUPT) (adjective) 1. There was an abrupt (sudden) change in the weather. 2. His abrupt (brusque) answer was obviously made in anger and it hurt her feelings. 3. The car came to an abrupt (unexpected) stop at the barricade. 4. The cliff made an abrupt (steep) descent to the sea. Rumpere, in Latin, means "to break, to burst". With the prefix ab, "off", Latin formed abrumpere, "to break off".

The past participle abruptus resulted in the English word abrupt, "broken off". In Modern English this meaning has been applied figuratively to the manner of a person who speaks or acts suddenly and curtly, or to things that change suddenly; "breaking off" unexpectedly. Rupture is an English word that still retains the literal meaning of "breaking", as do disrupt and interrupt, all derived from the same rumpere. Based on information from Picturesque Word Origins; G. & C. Merriam Company; Springfield, Massachusetts; 1933; pages 5 and 6. absolve (uhb ZOLV, uhb SOLV), absolves; absolved; absolving (verbs) 1. To free from guilt or to pronounce someone clear of guilt or blame: "Because new evidence had been discovered, the defendant was absolved of the criminal charge." 2. To relieve of a requirement or obligation: "He was absolved of having to pay his partner's debts." From Latin ab-, "from" + solvere, "to loosen". abstain (ab STAYN, uhb STAYN), abstains; abstained; abstaining (verbs) To refrain from something by one's own choice or voluntarily: "The final vote on the motion in the House of Representatives had a majority in favor of the bill; however, the rest of the Representatives abstained." From Latin abs-, "from" + tenere, "to hold". academic (ak" uh DEM ik) (adjective) 1. Relating to, or characteristic of a school, especially one of higher learning; such as, college, university, or other institution of learning: "Academic circles have been debating the value of Latin as a high school subject for years." 2. Theoretical rather than practical: "It is amazing how much heat the intercollegiate debate aroused; after all, the importance of the French Revolution is now only an academic question."

The source of the terms academy, academic and related words

On the outskirts of ancient Athens there was a grove sacred to the hero Akademus. In this park the philosopher Plato established his school or college in about 385 B.C. Both the garden and the school were called Akademia after the name of the hero. The English words "academy, academic, academician, academical" and others from that family of words are derived from the name of Plato's school. The term "academy" is now applied to institutions of higher learning, secondary schools, or any place where special subjects, arts, and skills are taught, so we have military academies, riding academies, fencing academies, dancing academies, and even billiard academies. The meaning of the word has also been extended to include societies of learned people who have united to advance learning, literature, the arts, and the sciences; such as, the French Academy, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Compiled from information presented in Enriching Your Vocabulary by Joseph R. Orgel; Oxford Book Company; New York; 1963; page 4. academic (s), academics (pl) (nouns) 1. Someone who is teaching or conducting research at an institution of higher learning: "He is a wellknown academic in the field electronics." 2. Someone with a scholarly background or attitudes: "Her academics inspired students to strive for greater knowledge and experiences in the field of linguistics." accelerate (ak SEL uh rayt"), accelerates; accelerated; accelerating (verbs) To speed up; to cause to occur sooner than expected; to cause to develop or to progress more quickly: "As she stepped on the gas, we could see the car accelerate faster than it should in such weather conditions." "He is sure that cutting taxes will help to accelerate economic growth." From Latin ad-, "to" + celerare, "to hasten"; which came from celer, "quick". acidulous (uh SIJ uh luhs, uh SID yoo luhs) (adjective) Sour; acid in taste or manner; tart; harsh: an acidulous remark. From Latin: acidus, "sour". addle, addles; addled; addling (verbs) 1. To befuddle, to confuse, to rattle, to mix up, to discombobulate: "The problem is that if anyone tries to use logical explanations for some political positions, it just addles the people and makes their understanding more confusing." "While they were walking along the dark street late at night, their brains were addled by fear of what might happen to them." 2. To rot, to decay, to putrefy: "The eggs were addling because they were not refrigerated and were on the shelf too long." 3. Etymology: from a Middle English word from the Old English adela, meaning "liquid filth". Its related to the German adel, meaning "urine, mire" or "puddle". addle-brain (s), addle-brains (pl) (nouns) A dimwit, an idiot, an imbecile, a moron: "Oh, no, I'm an addle-brain. I didn't mean to put salt in the coffee instead of sugar." "There are too many addle-brains who are thinking about running for President of the U.S." addle-brained, addlebrained (adjective) 1. Dull-witted, stupid, and confused: "Someone who is obviously addle-brained is Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner, of New York, who said he had been engaged in several inappropriate electronic relationships with six women over three years, and that he publicly lied about a photo of himself sent over Twitter to a college student in Seattle over a week ago." 2. Crazy, weak, mentally deficient in some way: "Is it possible that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, was addle-brained when the hotelcleaning woman went into his room while he was still naked and he forced her to have oral sex with him?" addled (adjective)

A reference to having a muddled or confused mind; foolish, silly, or illogical: "He asked for a minute to clear his addled brain." affluent (AF loo uhnt, uh FLOO uhnt) (adjective) 1. In a truly affluent (wealthy) society, there's more than enough material needs for everyone. 2. He was described as an affluent (prosperous) person who is generously supplied with money, property, and possessions. 3. There is an affluent (stream) near our home that is ultimately flowing into the Mississippi River. "It's Still Good to be Rich. Uncle Sam wants your money, and the crowd outside the gate wants your head. How to survive the populist revolt against affluence." An article title by Daniel Fisher with Steven Bertoni and Devon Pendleton; in Forbes magazine, "Survivor's Guide for the Affluent" (cover); May 11, 2009; page 66. agog (uh GAHG) (adjective, not used in front of a noun) 1. Excited; eager: "They are agog to see all the sights in Paris." Old French a gogue, joke, joyfulness, merriment". 2. Full of interest or excitement because of some action: "The news about the new lap tops has computer users agog." agrypnotic (ag" rip NAHT ik) (adjective) Anything which prevents sleep, or produces wakefulness; such as, a drug, strong tea, or coffee. Click on this agrypnotic link, if you want to see more words that are related to it. aid and abet, aids and abets; aided and abetted; aiding and abetting (verbs) To help a person, or people, commit a crime. This is considered to be a lawyer redundancy since abet means the same thing as aid, which lends credence to the old rumor that lawyers used to be paid by the word as illustrated by the statements shown below. To help, assist, or to facilitate the commission of a crime, to promote the accomplishment thereof, to help in advancing or bringing it about, or to encourage, counsel, or to incite as to its commission. It comprehends all assistance rendered by words, acts, encouragement, support, or presence, actual or constructive, to render assistance if necessary. Compiled from information provided by Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition; by Henry Campbell Black, M.A.; West Publishing Co.; St. Paul, Minn; 1990, page 68. aiding and abetting (adjective) A reference to helping, assisting, or facilitating the commission of a crime and to promote the accomplishment thereof; as well as, to help in advancing or bringing it about, or encouraging it, counseling, or inciting its commission. Legally, it describes any and all assistance rendered by words, acts, encouragement, support, or presence, actual or constructive, and to render assistance, if necessary; and are obviously derived from a combination of aid and abet:

Aid means "to support, to help, to assist, or to strengthen". Act in cooperation with; to supplement the efforts of another person or other people. Distinguished from abet, aid within the aider and abettor statue means "to help, to assist", or "to strengthen"; while abet means "to counsel, to encourage, to incite, or to assist" in the commission of a criminal act.

Compiled from information located in Black's Law Dictionary, 6th edition; by Henry Campbell Black, M.A.; West Publishing Co.; St. Paul. Minnesota; 1990; page 68. alacritous (adjective) This reference normally refers to someone's peppy behavior; however, it can also describe a certain mood or tempo of a musical composition, indicating how the music should be played: "The concert had several parts of alacritous rhythms." "The young boy's alacritous behavior was his response when his mother told him that he could buy something in the candy store." alacrity (s) (noun) 1. A quick and cheerful readiness to do something: "They prepared for the trip with alacrity." 2. Promptness or eager and speedy readiness to respond to something: "He answered the call for assistance from his supervisor with alacrity." "Despite his advanced age, he moved with alacrity or agility and nimbleness." Alacrity is a very good word to describe the readiness and eagerness of the part of someone who is trying for a new job or a challenge. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to describe oneself as having an alacrity for certain projects during the interview for the job. alarm (s), alarms (pl) (nouns) 1. A device for giving a warning of danger. 2. A security device fitted to property; especially, a house or car, to make a warning sound if a breakin or theft is attempted. 3. A reference to an "alarm clock" or "alarm watch". 4. Fear caused by the perception of or the sudden sense of imminent danger: "Her parents have expressed alarm about her safety."

Historical Development
From the old French summons to battle a l'arme!, "to arms!" it seems a far cry to the modern alarm clock; yet, that is actually the scope of the word's development. A l'arme! was first the call itself and then, in the form alarme, it became the name of this sudden summons. The English alarm, which comes from this origin, first had the same meaning, but gradually broadened to indicate a warning signal of any kind of danger, and then the apparatus for giving this signal; such as, a fire bell. It is interesting to also note that alarm has developed an additional meaning: the fear which results from a warning of danger. Picturesque Word Origins; G. & C. Merriam Company; Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A; 1933; page 13.

alarm, alarms; alarmed; alarming (verbs) To feel a sense of danger or to worry or to frighten someone: "The rapid spread of the disease was alarming many people." alarmed (adjective) A reference to fear and concern about something or someone: "His mother was alarmed to see how sick he was." alarmist (adjective) A description of something which could be dangerous: "He had many alarmist critics." "The alarmist report upset a lot of people." alarmist (s), alarmists (pl) (nouns) Someone who spreads unnecessary fear about something that is not necessarily dangerous: "The politician claims that alarmists have exaggerated the economy's problems." ambidextrous (am bi DEK struhs) (adjective) Able to use both hands equally well; unusually skillful; versatile: an ambidextrous pianist: "He was ambidextrous in that he could pitch the ball equally well with either his left or his right hand." From Latin: ambi-, "both" and dexter, "right". amok, amock, amuck (adverb) 1. In a murderous frenzy as if possessed by a demon. 2. Wildly; without self-contro: "He was running amok as he was shooting at everyone." 3. In a frenzy of violence, or on a killing spree; berserk. 4. In or into a confused or disorganized state or condition; out of control, especially when armed and dangerous. 5. In or into a jumbled or confused state or situation: "No matter how many experts we consulted, all of our travel plans went amuck!" 7. Etymology: from Malay amuk, "attacking furiously". Earlier the word was used as a noun or adjective meaning "a frenzied Malay"; originally from a Portuguese form amouco or amuco. Today anyone who wantonly shoots people is said to have run amuck (run amuck is the usual phrase to use); and so it indicates mental derangement, a madness to do violence or to kill indiscriminately. Antigay or antihomosexual law in Nigeria Homophobia in Nigeria (IHT editorial, March 9, 2007; page 6).

A piece of legislation is quickly making its way through the Nigerian National Assembly. Billed as an anti-gay-marriage act, it is considered by some to be a far-reaching assault on basic rights of association, assembly, and expression. Unless the international community speaks out quickly and forcefully against the bill, it is almost certain to become law. Homosexual acts between consenting adults are already illegal in Nigeria under a penal code that dates back to the colonial period. This new legislation would impose five-year sentences on same-sex couples who have wedding ceremonies, as well as on those who perform such services, and even on all of those who attend such ceremonies.

antivity (s), antivities (pl) (nouns)

1. A newly coined term referring to the activity of ants (?). 2. A misspelling of activity (?). 3. A play on words (?). Can you suggest a legitimate definition for this word which does not exist in any dictionaries that I am aware of? app, application (AP, ap" li KAY shuhn) (s), apps, applications (pl) (nouns) 1. The term app is defined as a shorthand abbreviation of application, meaning a way of using a product or program: "That app doesn't work on this computer." 2. A complete, self-contained application program that performs a specific function directly for the user. This is in contrast to system software; such as, the operating system kernel, server processes, libraries which exists to support application programs and utility programs. archetype (adjective) A reference to an original model of which all other similar persons, objects, or concepts are derived, copied, patterned, or emulated: "She was considered an archetype writer of children's books." archetype (AR ki tighp") (s), archetypes (pl) (nouns) An original pattern or model from which copies are made; a prototype: "The singer was an archetype of great singing despite her less than attractive appearance." From Greek archetypon, from arch, "chief" and typos, "stamp, pattern". The ch in archtype is pronounced as k. So, the proper pronunciation is AR ki tighp". The same k sound is found in archaic, archangel, and archipelago. archetypical, more archetypical, most archetypical (adjectives) Representing or constituting an original type and idealized model after which other similar things are patterned: "He developed an archetypical business that resulted in providing many jobs for those who were willing to learn new skills in computer technology." argot (s) (AR goh, AR guht), argots (pl) (nouns) 1. A specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group: "They were communicating with each other in their own argots." 2. A characteristic language of a particular group; such as, among thieves, criminals, or street gangs: "Before the fight started, the gangs were yelling out their peculiar argots or special slang terms to communicate with their fellow gang members as a kind of code." The teen agers were confusing their teachers by using argot in their written reports." "The British have their argot and the Americans usually have a completely different argot often resulting in a lack of understanding of the argots of the two cultures." 3. The language peculiar to members of a specialized group; especially, in an occupation; jargon: "Sometimes it can be very difficult to understand the various argots of scientists, lawyers, and medical professionals." 4. Etymology: about 1860, from French argot, "the jargon of Paris rogues and thieves"; earlier "the company of beggars"; from Middle French (the French language as written and spoken about 1400 to 1600), "a group of beggars", otherwise, the origin of the term is unknown.

astray (uh STRAY) (adverb) 1. They went astray (off the course, wrong way) in town and arrived late for their appointment. 2. During their investigation, the police were led astray (in the wrong direction) with false information. The term astray is ultimately derived from Latin extra-, "out of bounds" + vagari, "to wander". Other English words; such as, vague and vagrant are also related to Latin vagari. avatar (AV uh tar") (s), avatars (pl) (nouns) 1. While in India, we saw an avatar (human form of a Hindu god) of Vishnu. 2. She is regarded as an avatar (representative of a type of person, idea, or quality) of charity and concern for the poor. 3. In her computer, she chose a penguin as her personal avatar (image representing a particular person) in the chat room. 4. Etymology: from Sanskrit avatra, "descent (of a deity from heaven)", from ava, "down" + tarati, "he crosses". Krishna is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu the Preserver, whom many Hindus worship as God. In computer activities, it is a virtual representation of a person or a person's interactions with others in a virtual environment, conveying a sense of someone's presence (known as telepresence) by providing the location (position and orientation) and identity. Examples include the graphical human figure model, the talking head, and the real-time reproduction of a three-dimesional human image. awe (AW) (s) (noun) 1. The sight of the ancient cathedral filled the visitors with awe (wonder, amazement). 2. Seeing the tornado coming in our direction struck us with awe (terror, panic, dread). awe, awes; awed; awing (verbs) To inspire fear and reverence or to control by inspiring dread: "We were awed (amazed) by the many interesting tours we took during our trip to Europe this summer." awesome (AW suhm) (adjective) 1. The snow storm was an awesome (astonishing, amazing) sight today. Awesome refers to something which is so impressive or overwhelming that it inspires a strong feeling of admiration or fear. "We had an awesome task to complete." "That erupting volcano was an awesome sight during our trip." 2. Many young people use awesome in an informal way to refer to something which is "extremely good, excellent, super, great" or "outstanding". "We thought the movie was totally awesome." "You did an awesome job on that project."

awful (AW fuhl) (adjective) 1. Dreadful, bad, terrible, horrible, ugly: "What awful weather!" "He was guilty of the awful crime of murder." 2. Awe-inspiring, awesome, wondrous; terrifying, dreadful, majestic, disquieting: "The astronauts know the awful expanse of the solar system." Some grammarians think awful still only means "awesome, inspiring awe, wondrous", etc. In current English, awful usually means "bad" or "unpleasant"; for example, such usage as: "This cold makes me feel awful," "That was an awful movie," are correct. Good speakers and writers don't use the adjective awful when they mean the adverb awfully. In expressions as "He's awful brave", or "We had an awful good time" are not considered acceptable. They should be presented as, "He's awfully (very, exceptionally, extremely) brave", "We had an awfully (very, exceptionally, extremely) good time". Neither awful nor awfully should be used too often because there are many other synonyms which can be more precise, fresher, and that can add variety to a person's writing or speaking style. Based on information compiled from Family Word Finder, A new Thesaurus of Synonyms and Antonyms in Dictionary Form; The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.; Pleasantville, New York; 1975; page 73. awfully (AW fuhl ee) (adverb) She told me that it's awfully (very, extremely) cold outside today

babble (BAB uhl) (s), babbles (pl) (nouns) 1. The salesman kept up his babble (jabbering) until we shut the door in his face. 2. The speaker shouted over the babble (murmur) of the crowd. 3. We could hear the babble (gurgle of the brook). babble, babbles; babbled babbling (verbs) 1. The baby babbled (murmured) happily. 2. Don't babble (chatter) on the phone all day. 3. The brook babbled (gurgled) merrily. babe in the woods, babes in the woods (nouns) An innocent or naive person; a helpless person: "When I arrived in New York, I was a babe in the woods. backlash (BAK lash), backlashes (nouns) A reprisal; a consequence from some action: "The congressman's failure to serve the needs of his constituency will result in voter backlash." badger (BAJ uhr), badgers; badgered; badgering (verbs) 1. You can't badger (goad, provoke) me into going to that party! 2. To harass, hound, or to nag: "The lawyer was warned by the judge not to badger the witness." bail out, bails out; bailed out; bailing out (verbs) 1. The process of making it possible for someone to leave jail by paying bail: "She bailed him out of jail." 2. A reference to helping someone solve a problem or to leave a difficult situation: "They always seem to be bailing their son out of trouble." 3. The action of helping a business, an organization, etc. by giving or lending them money: "The U.S. federal government is involved in loaning money to bailout struggling financial, manufacturing organizations, and even state governments." bailout, bail-out, bail out (s), bailouts, bail-outs, bail outs (pl) (noun forms) 1. The act of parachuting from an aircraft; especially, to escape a crash, a fire, etc.: "The bailout of the crew was the only way they could survive." 2. An instance of coming to the rescue; particularly, financially: "The auto industries are looking to the government for a financial bailout." balderdash (BAHL duhr dash") (s) (noun) Trivial nonsense; senseless or pointless talk or writing: "We laugh at such balderdash that comes from these politicians and a certain left-wing talk-show host." An English 17th-century term for a senseless mixing of beverages; such as, milk and ale; or originally a jumbled mix of liquors (milk and beer, beer and wine, etc.), transferred in 1674 to "senseless jumble of words". banal (buh NAL, BAY nuhl, buh NAHL) (adjective) 1. There were no new ideas in his banal (stale, unoriginal) lecture. 2. Dull, especially due to overuse or over familiarity: "The editor rejected the author's work because it was too trite and banal." The term banal comes from an old meaning of ban, "force of vassals called to arms", hence, "common folk".

The ending -al was later added to form an adjective: banal. In medieval France and England, a banal mill was a mill where feudal tenants were legally obliged to have their wheat ground, and the banal oven was where bread was baked; at rates fixed by the landlord. The word almost died out, but was revived in the 18th-century journalese as a synonym for "vulgar" or "commonplace" from its association with the common people. It has been generalized through "open to everyone" to "commonplace, ordinary", then to "trite, petty". banality (buh NAL uh tee), banalities (nouns) 1. Not new or interesting, commonplace, triviality: "The trip offers an escape from the banalities of daily life." 2. The quality of being ordinary or banal: "Her writing style never rose above banality." BANANA Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone. Banana tariffs in European Union (EU) Bananas at center of trade tiff (IHT, March 9, 2007; page 11). The World Trade Organization (WTO) has consistently ruled against how the EU set tariffs for bananas, forcing the 27-country bloc to over haul a system that grants preferential conditions for producers from African and Caribbean countries, mainly former British and French colonies. band (BAND) (s), bands (pl) (nouns) 1. A group, a company, a party, a body, a troop, a crowd, a bunch: "A band of students brought their grievances before the dean." 2. Orchestras, an ensemble, groups: "Two different bands played until midnight." 3. A binding, a ribbon, a sash, a belt, a collar, a girdle: "Her hair was held in place by a velvet band." "Dark bands of clouds were forming on the horizon." band, bands; banded; banding (verbs) To unite, to join, to consolidate, to gather as a group: "If we band together, we can give our complaints greater strength." bane (BAYN) (s), banes (pl) (nouns) Affliction; fatal injury or ruin; anything that ruins or spoils: "Poverty is the bane of many people these days." From Old English bana, "destruction". barge (s), barges (pl) (nouns) A long narrow flat-bottomed boat used for transporting freight on rivers or canals: "The slow-moving barge which was towed by a tugboat, was transporting coal up the river." "The barges were being used to move more fuel down the river." "Most barges on inland waterways are towed, but some river barges are self-propelled." "In use since the dawn of history, barges were common on the Nile in ancient Egypt and some of them were highly decorated and used for carrying royalty." barge, barges; barged; barging (verbs)

1. To transport goods or products in a flat-bottomed boat that is pushed or towed: "In order to cut down on transportation costs, the company barged their products into their primary distribution center." 2. To move or to push in a fast and often rude manner: "The woman barged through the door without even knocking." "He was getting upset because the other woman kept barging in on their conversation." "Coal and ore had been barged down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River where it was taken to a docking area to be unloaded." "The thief started to run away and barged into a woman on the side walk, knocking her down." "The verb form of barge into dates from the 1830's and is primarily an American-English term." barren (BAIR uhn) (adjective) 1. Producing no offspring, childless: "The couple decided to adopt a child when they realized that she was barren." 2. Incapable of producing offspring; sterile: "The farmer was cheated when he bought the barren cow." 3. Lacking vegetation, as barren fields; unproductive, unfruitful, depleted, desolate: "No one could raise crops on this barren land." 4. Unproductive, unfruitful, fruitless, unrewarding, useless, futile; uninteresting, dull, prosaic, uninformative, lackluster, uninspiring, stale: "Its a barren topic, not worth any further discussion." bash (s), bashes (pl) (nouns) 1. Slang for a big or exciting party: "The family threw the daughter a birthday bash." 2. Powerful and hard blows: "She gave him bashes on the head and face with a book because he wouldn't take no for an answer." bash, bashes, bashed, bashing (verb forms) 1. To strike with a heavy, crushing blow: "The gang member bashed the hood of the car with a sledgehammer." "The two cars bashed into each other." 2. To beat or to assault severely: "The police arrested the men who bashed and robbed a man who was walking in his neighborhood last eveing." 3. To criticize another person harshly, accusatorially, and threateningly: "The Big Redhead talk-showhost was bashing Republicans with hate mongering and vulgar talk on his program tonight." bawl (BAWL), bawls; bawled; bawling(verbs) 1. Cry, wail, howl, yowl, squall, weep: "The little boy was so upset that he began to bawl for his mother." 2. Cry, wail, howl, yowl, squall, weep: "The children were misbehaving so badly and the father was so frustrated, that he could only bawl at them to settle down." 3. Cried, wailed, howled, weeped: "The nursery was full of babies who bawled for long periods." 4. Shouted, bellowed, yelled, cried out, howled, clamored: "The captain bawled for the sergeant to come immediately." beard (s), beards (pl) (nouns) 1. Normally a man's facial hair, especially when trimmed into shape; sometimes excluding a mustache. 2. The hair on a man's chin, cheeks, and throat.

3. A hairy or hairlike growth such as that on or near the face of certain mammals. 4. A tuft or group of hairs or bristles on certain plants; such as, barley, wheat, iris, or grasses. 5. Tuft of strong filaments by which; for example, a mussel makes itself stick to a fixed surface; also known as, byssus. beard, beards; bearded; bearding (verbs) 1. To go along a rim, like a beard around a chin: "Houses bearded the top of the rim." 2. To oppose or to confront someone or something confidently or disrespectfully: "The politician was bearded during his political speech at the auditorium." befit, befits; befitted; befitting (verbs) To be suitable to or proper for someone or something: "The graduate student has a mental attitude for serious research as befits a scientist." befitting (adjective) 1. Suitable, fitting, proper, suitable, or appropriate to: "It was a very elegant and royal-type dinner, with a table setting that was befitting a king and a queen." 2. That which is suitable for a particular person or place or condition, etc.: "She wore a befitting gown to the wedding ceremony." beguile, beguiles; beguiled; beguiling (nouns) 1. Being deluded, lead astray, deceived, or tricked: "The young woman was beguiled into thinking that she could become a famous actress." "The salesman was cunning enough to beguile his customers into believing all of the claims that were made regarding the products." 2. To attract or to interest other people: "The singer beguiled the audience with his smooth performance." beguiling (adjective) Charming, captivating, entertaining: "The actors presented beguiling blends of tragedy and humor in their drama." beguilingly (adverb) Related to being charming, pleasing, and amusing: "The actress spoke with a beguilingly smooth and alluring voice." belief (s), beliefs (pl) (nouns) 1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another person: "My belief in her trust is as strong as ever." 2. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something. 3. Something believed or accepted as true; especially, a particular tenet or a body of tenets or teachings that are accepted by a group of people. 4. A statement, principle, or doctrine that a person or group accepts as true; such as, religious beliefs. 5. Etymology: before 1400 belyefe, before 1225, it was bileve and probably before 1200, it is assumed to have been bileave. The Old English geleafa is descended from the same language or form of Old Saxon gilobo, "belief", Old High German giloubo (modern German Glaube), and Gothic galaubeins, "belief" and galaubjan, "to believe". Based on information from The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology by Robert K. Barnhart, Editor; The H.W. Wilson Company; Bronxville, New York; 1988; page 87. believe, believes; believed; believing (verbs)

1. To have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that a person is right in doing so. 2. To have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); to give credence to. 3. To have confidence in the assertions or statements of (a person). 4. To have a conviction that (a person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given action or involved in a given situation. 5. To be persuaded of the truth or existence of something. 6. To have faith in the reliability, honesty, benevolence, etc., of someone or something. See belief for etymological information. believer (s), believers (pl) (nouns) 1. Someone who believes; that is, anyone who is persuaded of the truth or reality of some doctrine, person, or thing: "She's a strong believer in continuing one's education even into later years." 2. People who give credit to the truth of the Scriptures, as a revelation from God; Christians; in a more restricted sense, people who receive Christ as their Savior, and accept the way of salvation as presented in the gospels of the Bible. 3. A person who accepts as true or real: "Are you actually a believer in the story that was written in the news today?" 4. To credit with veracity or truth: "I was doubtful that she could run her own company, but she has made a believer out of me." 5. To expect or to suppose; to think: "She's a believer that they will really arrive today as they promised." belly flop (s), belly flops (pl) (nouns) 1. A dive in which the front of the body hits flat against a surface, especially of water. 2. A shallow dive in which the front of the diver's body hits the water first. belly-flop, belly-flops; belly-flopped; belly-flopping (verbs) A poorly done dive in which the front of the body lands flat on the surface of the water: "She did a belly flop into the swimming pool and then her brother belly-flopped into the pool right after her painful performance." bite the dust, bites the dust; bit the dust; biting the dust (verbs) To die or to stop functioning: "His old car finally bit the dust and he had to buy a new vehicle." "The old horse has bitten the dust and will have to be buried in the field." blah; reduplications are often expressed; such as, blah-blah; blah blah; blah, blah, blah; also, bla, bla, etc. 1. Meaningless chatter; idle gossip; for example, the blah-blah-blah of some talk-show hosts. 2. Talk or writing that is inane or boring. 3. A condition of feeling bored, restless, and listless: "I have the blahs today." The concept of "idle, meaningless talk" is said to be from about 1918, probably echoic; and the adjective, "bland, dull" might have been influenced by French blas, "bored, indifferent". Blah may be used behind a person's back to suggest that he or she talks too much or that such talking is about useless topics with no valid reasons. blanch, blench; blanches, blenches; blanched, blenched; blanching, blenching (verbs) 1. To put food in boiling water for a few seconds in order to loosen the skin or to scald food briefly, as before freezing it or as a preliminary stage in preparing a dish for eating.

2. To suddenly become pale or to turn white: "His face blanched at the mention of her name." or "Their faces blanched in terror." 3. To grow vegetables, especially celery and endive, in dark conditions in order to whiten the stems and to improve their flavor. 4. Etymology: from about 1398, which came from Old French blanchir, "to whiten"; from blanc, "white". Originally "to remove the hull of (almonds, etc.) by soaking". The sense of "to turn white" is from about 1768. blanched (adjective) 1. Anemic looking as from an illness or a strong emotion: "The blanched cheeks of the invalid was shocking to see." "The store clerk's blanched face indicated her shock when the store owner accused of stealing money from the cash box." 2. Plants that have been developed without chlorophyll by being deprived of light: "They are growing blanched celery so the vegetable looks more appealing." blandish, blandishes; blandished; blandishing (verbs) To persuade someone by using flattery or encouragement by being especially nice to someone: "He blandished his colleague to work longer so the project could completed before tomorrow." "No matter how much he blandished his boss, there was no chance of his getting a pay increase." "They blandished the doorman into letting them into the museum before the the normal opening time." blandishment (s), blandishments (pl) (nouns) 1. Flattery that is intended to influence an opinion or to persuade someone to make a decision: "He couldn't resist the blandishments of his wife and so he usually ended up doing what she desired." 2. A flattering inducement or persuasion to get someone to do something: "Most of the time, her sweet blandishments made it possible to get her son to make the right decisions." blank (s), blanks (pl) (nouns) 1. An empty space on a document where information is supposed to be written: "Don't forget to write your signature in the blank." 2. An segment of time that a person can't remember what happened: "She said that her mind is a blank about what happened after she fell down the stairs." 3. A cartridge used in a gun that is filled with powder but which does not contain a bullet: "The actors were firing blanks at each other during the production of the western film." blank, blanker, blankest (adjectives) 1. A reference to being without any writing, marks, or pictures: "The book had several blank pages." 2. Something that has empty spaces which are to be filled in with information: "He saw blank lines on the application that need to be filled in." 3. A reference to something that does not have any recorded sound or information: "His blank tape had no musical recording as he had hoped." blank, blanks; blanked; blanking (verbs) 1. To hide or to cover something: "The officials blanked out parts of the document before it was published for public viewing." 2. To completely cause something to be forgotten: "The accident blanked out any recollection of what happened to her that day." bleat (s), bleats (pl) (nouns)

The sounds made by sheep and goats, or any sounds that are similar: "It was the time of year when the shepherd heard a lot of bleats from the lambs that were recently born." bleat, bleats; bleated; bleating (verbs) 1. To make the sound of or to utter the characteristic cry that sheep or goats make: "The little lambs were bleating as the farmer approached his flock of sheep." 2. To utter a sound similar to this cry; especially, to complain about something in a weak voice or in an annoying way: "I want to go, too, the little girl bleated." "A member of the staff accused the labor union of always bleating about the company's wage scale." "The mother told her father that her son bleats too much. When he asked her what she meant, she explained that her little boy complains, shows discontent and displeasure too often." blend (s), blends (pl) (nouns) Anything that is produced by mixing or combining different things: "He sang blends of traditional and modern songs." "They ate a blend of eggs, cheese, and ham for breakfast." blend, blends; blended; blending (verbs) 1. To gradually become the same as or a part of something else: "He was blending three colors into one." 2. To mix things thoroughy and usually with good results: "She often blended fresh fruit and yogurt together for an afternoon snack." 3. To exist together as a combination: "Portmanteau words come from the blending of two or more words together." blended (adjective) 1. That which is made from two or more kinds of a particular substance: "She wore a new dress made of blended fabrics." 2. Something that is made by mixing substances together: "They drank blended fruit juices." blunder (s), blunders (pl) (nouns) A serious or embarrassing mistake resulting from carelessness or ignorance: "It was a serious blunder to forget the guest of honor's correct name when the introduction was made." "The government officials were accused of making serious administrative blunders." blunder, blunders; blundered; blundering (verbs) 1. To make a serious, or embarrassing, mistake as a result of carelessness or ignorance. 2. To stumble or to move clumsily. 3. To act or to speak in a manner that is clumsy, ignorant, or thoughtless. 4. Etymology: from as far back as 1340, which came from Old Norse (Norwegian language as written and spoken from 100 to 1500) blundra, "to shut one's eyes"; while the oldest English sense was "to stumble around blindly". The meaning of "make a stupid mistake" is first recorded in about 1711. blunderer (s), blunderers (pl) (nouns) 1. Someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence: "He had a reputation for being a blunderer when speaking in front of a group." 2. People who move in awkward or confused ways: "The blunderers stumbled along through the woods until they finally found the trail that took them back to their camp." blur (s), blurs (pl) (nouns) 1. Something which cannot be seen clearly: "The letters and words are just blurs without my glasses."

"When the train was speeding on, everything outside the window became one continual blur." 2. Anything that is difficult to remember: "The whole day has been a blur to me because I don't remember clearly what happened." blur, blurs; blurred; blurring (verbs) 1. Making something unclear or difficult to see or to remember: "The tears in her eyes blurred the words on the page." "Although her novel is based on historical happenings, it blurs the distinctions between fact and fiction." 2. Having become unclear or difficult to see or to remember: "The two experiences have blurred together in his mind and because he was so tired, even his vision started to blur." blurb (s), blurbs (pl) (nouns) 1. In the publishing trade, a blurb is a testimonial to the book that is printed on the dust jacket which is meant as an advertisement for the book: "The author got all his friends to write blurbs for his book." Blurb was coined by the American humorist Gelett Burgess (1866-1951) in 1907. According to his publisher, B.W. Huebsch, Burgess's book, Are You a Bromide?, was published and was selling well. From Burgess's Burgess Unabridged, 1914: Blurb 1. A flamboyant advertisement; an inspired testimonial. 2. Fulsome praise; sounding like a publisher; for example, on the jacket of the latest fiction, we find the blurb: "abounding in agile adjectives and adverbs, attesting that this book is the sensation of the year." 2. Brief advertisements or announcements; especially, laudatory or praising presentations: "She wrote descriptions of praise and compliments in her blurb for the author's book." 3. A written description of praise for a book. blurred (adjective) A reference to or description about something that confuses or is uncertain: "The patient's symptoms included a blurred vision; as well as, a blurred memory." blurriness (noun) 1. The quality of being indistinct and without sharp outlines: "What he saw was a hazy or blurriness of the car coming toward him in the fog." 2. Something that is hazy and indistinct to the sight or the mind: "There was a blurriness or a lack of sharpness in the X-ray image because the patient was moving." blurry, blurrier, blurriest (adjectives) A description of something which is not clear or that is difficult to see: "As long as she didn't have her glasses on, the text was blurry and when she was tired, it was even blurrier." bode (BOHD), bodes; boded; boding (verbs) To foreshadow; to predict or to foretell; to presage by signs or by omens; to portend: "It is believed by some that a red sunset will bode good weather for sailors." "The new evidence will bode ill for the lawyer's case." From Old English bodian, "to announce, to tell."

Bollywood (BAW lee wood) (s) (noun) The movie films or movie film industry of India: "Bollywood is a cinematic blend of two places, Bombay (India) and Hollywood (California)." Bollywood (adjective) A reference to the Indian-motion-film industry: "Bombay (now known as Mumbai), India, is the production center of over 800 Bollywood motion films a year." bot (s), bots (pl) (nouns) A term for robot, a.k.a. autobot, infobott, knowbott, mailbott, shopping bott, or softbot: "A bot is a program that runs on a computer 24/7, automating tasks for the owner, even if the owner is not logged in. Bots are used on the internet in a variety of ways, mostly in Internet Relay Chat; as well as, in search engines." "Also known as automatons, bots are not liked by Internet Relay Chat operators and long-time users because of the system resources they consume." "Engine bots, also called spiders and crawlers, explore the World Wide Web; for example, they get Web pages and follow all of the hyperlinks in each one. Once they have that information, they generate catalogs that can be accessed by search engines." brandish (s), brandishes (pl) (nouns) A menacing or defiant wave or flourish: "The teenagers used several club brandishes when they attacked the homeless man in the park." brandish, brandishes; brandished; brandishing (verbs) To wave or to swing something; especially, a weapon, in a menacing, theatrical, or triumphant way: "Although brandishing usually refers to holding a weapon or tool and looking as if the person is going to use it; its also possible to brandish objects that aren't weapons; for example, if a team wins a sports event, they might be inclined to brandish their trophy in front of their competitors." brandisher (s), brandishers (pl) (nouns) Threatening or defiant flourishes (things waved in dramatic ways); such as, of weapons: "The TV showed that the rioters were brandishers of steel bars and other destructive tools which they used to break car and shop windows." brawl (s), brawls (pl) (nouns) People who are fighting, whether they are using their fists or not; or the word indicates that a war of words in a rough manner has taken place: "After a brawl in college during which he hit another student in the eye, Jones was expelled and charged with aggravated assault." brawl, brawls; brawled, brawling (verb forms) To quarrel or fight noisily, angrily, or disruptively: "The soccer fans were brawling in the streets after the game." brawler (s), brawlers (pl) (nouns) Those who carry on a noisy fight in public: "Police arrested three of the brawlers who were fighting during the baseball game." bridge (s), bridges (pl) (nouns) 1. A structure that connects two points by being built above and across a river, another road, or other obstacle to allow people or vehicles to cross it: "They used a bridge to go from one side of the river to the other side." Also a natural structure resembling a bridge; especially, an arch-like rock formation which spans a ravine.

2. Something which provides a link, a connection, or a means of coming together: "His research serves as a bridge between the past and the present." "They hope to build a bridge between the two cultures with the hope that they will be able to understand each other better." 3. The platform or room on a ship or other vessel from which the captain controls its course; so named because on early steamers it had the form of a span between the paddlewheel boxes: "The captain went to the ship's bridge to make sure the navigating procedures were being followed." 4. A set of one or more false teeth that are attached to adjoining teeth: "The dental bridge can be permanently anchored to natural teeth as a fixed bridge, or set into a metal appliance and temporarily clipped on to natural teeth as a removable bridge." 5. The top bony part of the nose between the eyes: "This bridge of the nose is the area where a pair of eyeglasses that connects the two lenses together is at the front and rests on the nose." 6. A part of a stringed instrument that keeps the strings away from its body: "This bridge is high and curved on a violin but shallow and straight on a guitar." 7. A transitional or connecting section in a musical work: "A musical bridge is the movement between a verse and the chorus or that which connects one section to the next section." 8. A long-handled support for a player's cue in billiards: "The player used his hand as a bridge for the cue during the billiard game." 9. In electrical engineering, a part of an electrical circuit fitted with a device that measures electrical resistance or capacitance. 10. An online telecommunications connection: "They had a telecommunications bridge between the two-local area networks." bridge loan (s), bridge loans (pl) (nouns) Primarily in the U.S., money which a bank loans to a person for a short period of time until he or she receives the money that will be provided from another source; such as, from selling a house, a car, etc. bridge, bridges; bridged; bridging (verbs) 1. To travel on a structure across an obstacle which allows people or vehicles to get across it: "They are bridging their way to the other side of the river to visit friends." 2. To create a means of communication or understanding between people or a means of reconciling their differences: "They hope to bridge the divisions between the political groups." "He wrote a book that attempts to bridge the generation gaps." bristle (s), bristles (pl) (nouns) 1. Short, stiff hair, fiber, etc.: "His face was covered with bristles which he brushed with the bristles of a brush." 2. Short stiff hairs or hairlike structures on animals or plants; or a mass of short stiff hairs growing; especially, on a hog's back or a man's face: "Brushes for acrylic and polymer paints generally have nylon bristles compatible for using with those paints." "The man's wife would not kiss him because the bristles on his face irritated the skin of her mouth and face." bristle (BRIS uhl), bristles; bristled; bristling (verbs) 1. To stand on end become stiff: "The hair on the dog's neck bristled as he barked at something which was moving outside."

"Electricity can make a person's hair bristle and become stiff." 2. To raise the bristles: "The cat bristled when it saw a dog coming toward it." 3. To react in an angry or offended manner: "The author of the book bristled when someone suggested that he plagiarized some of the content." "The actress bristled at the criticism presented in newspaper articles." 4. To be covered or to be thick with bristles: "The path bristled with the thorns of many bushes which caught onto our clothes as we went for our walk." bristly (BRIS lee) (adjective) 1. Consisting of bristles or stiff hairlike structures: "Although pigs look as if they are hairless, they are actually bristly animals." 2. Thick with bristles; such as, hairy-like leaves: "Some bristly plants can cause irritation to the skins of people who have direct contact with them." 3. Showing or tending to show agitation, indignation, or anger: "During the court trial, there was a bristly exchange of words between the lawyers." broach (BROHCH), broaches; broached; broaching (verbs) 1. Although his brother has been dating her for years, he has never broached (mentioned, brought up) or initiated the subject of marriage with her. 2. The committee wanted to broach (bring up) the subject for discussion. 3. We are broaching (proposing, introducing) our plans for celebrating the new year. brook (BROOK), brooks; brooked; brooking (verbs) To put up with; to bear with; to tolerate; to endure: "He was an intolerant dictator who could brook no interference." "The teacher said he would not brook such outrageous conduct in the classroom." The word brook nearly always, is used now with a negative construction; such as, no brooking or not brooked. From Old English brucan, "to use, to enjoy". brunt (BRUNT) (s) (nouns) The main impact, shock or stress of a blow or an attack; the hardest part: "The Marines had to bear the brunt of the attack." "She Bore the brunt of his anger." From Old Norse bruna, "to advance quickly; such as, a fire." bubble (s), bubbles (pl) (nouns) 1. A thin spherical or hemispherical film of a liquid that is filled with air or a gas: "The soap bubbles were floating on top of the water and sometimes they would float in the air." 2. A globule of air or a gas in a liquid such as a soft drink or in a solid such as glass: "When a bottle of a soft drink is shaken, a lot of air bubbles can be seen rising to the surface of the bottle." 3. A gurgling sound made by a boiling or effervescent liquid: "While drinking he could hear a sound produced by bubbles forming and bursting." 4. A dome, usually made of transparent glass or plastic. 5. The circle around the words said by people in a cartoon: "The bubbles seen in cartoons contain the words that are spoken by the characters in the cartoon image or the cartoon strip."

6. A false feeling of confidence or security: "He predicted that the rocketing housing market would be a bubble that would surely burst. 7. A risky or an unreliable business enterprise or speculative plan; especially, one that is fraudulent or unsuccessful: "A lot of people suffered economically when the dot-com bubble burst." "There have been several times when people invested money in something which caused its value to rise to a level which is much higher than its real value until that bubble suddenly dropped or burst." Is the rush for shares in the social-networking site for business professionals an uncomfortable echo of bubbles past? When an investor believes that other people would pay even more than the current high price for a stock, that's how bubbles form. bubble bath (s), bubble baths (pl) (nouns) A bath in which bubbles are made with a special type of soap: "The children loved to take bubble baths." bubble, bubbles; bubbled; bubbling (verbs) 1. To form or to produce round balls of air or gas; usually, inside a liquid: "Water was bubbling or boiling in the kettle." 2. To flow with the quiet sounds of water moving over rocks: "During our walk in the forest, we saw a beautiful bubbling brook." 3. To be very excited and happy: "During the party, on the last day of school, the children were bubbling with excitement." 4. When emotions or feelings exist in a person without being shown to others: "The winner of the prize seemed calm; however, his mother could see that her son was bubbling over with excitement beneath the surface." bubbly, bubblier, bubbliest (adjectives) 1. Full of bubbles: "He was drinking a bubbly soft drink." 2. Very cheerful, happy, and lively: "The little girl was cute, bubbly and smart, too." bunk (s), bunks (pl) (nouns) 1. A built-in platform for a bed, as on a ship. 2. Informal: any bed. 3. A cabin used for sleeping quarters; such as, in a summer camp bunkhouse. 4. A trough for feeding cattle. 5. Etymology: bunk is probably a shortened form of bunker, which is Scotish for "a seat" or "a bench" and is of uncertain origin; possibly from a Scandinavian source; possibly from, Old Swedish, bunke, "boards used to protect the cargo of a ship" or from Scottish English, meaning "chest, box". bunk, bunkum (s) (nouns) Talk or writing dismissed as nonsensical or inaccurate. Bunk is here a shortened form of bunkum, a phonetic spelling of Buncombe, a county in North Carolina. During the extended Missouri statehood debates, on February 25, 1820, N.C. Representative Felix Walker started what promised to be a "long, dull, irrelevant speech", and he resisted calls to cut it short by saying he was bound to say something that could appear in the newspapers in his home district and prove that he was on the job. "I shall not be speaking to the House," he confessed, "but to the people of Buncombe"; however, it soon became a term for "political wind-bagging" and took on the more general meaning of nonsense or claptrap (insincere and foolish talk).

Bunkum has been used in American English as a slang term for "nonsense" since at least 1847 and was popularized by Henry Ford's remark in 1916: "History is more or less bunk." Compiled from information located in Webster's Word Histories; Merriam-Webster Inc., Publishers; Springfield, Massachusetts; 1989; page 73. and Dictionary of Word Origins by John Ayto; Arcade Publishing; New York; 1990; page 86. bunker (s), bunkers (pl) (nouns) 1. An underground shelter; especially, one that is built for troops, with a fortified gun position above ground. 2. A sand-filled hollow on a golf course, built as a hazard. 3. A fuel-storage container on a ship. 4. A large outdoor bin or chest. 5. Etymology: from Scottish, "seat, bench", possibly a variant of banker, "bench" (1677).