Word of the Day 6.20.08

vi·ti·ate (vsh-t)

tr.v. vi·ti·at·ed, vi·ti·at·ing, vi·ti·ates

1. To reduce the value or impair the quality of.

2. To corrupt morally; debase.

3. To make ineffective; invalidate. See Synonyms at corrupt.

[Latin `vitire, vitit-`, from `vitium`, fault.]

viti·a·ble (vsh--bl) adj.

viti·ation n.

viti·ator n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 20, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.19.08

vil·lein also vil·lain (vln, -n, v-ln)

n.

One of a class of feudal serfs who held the legal status of freemen in their dealings with all people except their lord.

[Middle English `vilein`; see villain.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.18.08

i·ras·ci·ble (-rs-bl, -rs-)

adj.

1. Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered.

2. Characterized by or resulting from anger.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin `rscibilis`, from Latin `rsc`, to be angry, from `ra`, anger; see `eis-` in Indo-European roots.]

i·rasci·bili·ty, i·rasci·ble·ness n.

i·rasci·bly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 18, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.17.08

vi·ra·go (v-räg, -r-, vîr-g)

n. pl. vi·ra·goes or vi·ra·gos

1. A woman regarded as noisy, scolding, or domineering.

2. A large, strong, courageous woman.

[Latin `virg`, from `vir`, man; see `w-ro-` in Indo-European roots.]

vi·ragi·nous (v-rj-ns) adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 17, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.16.08

mawk·ish (môksh)

adj.

1. Excessively and objectionably sentimental. See Synonyms at sentimental.

2. Sickening or insipid in taste.

[From Middle English `mawke`, maggot, variant of `magot`; see maggot.]

mawkish·ly adv.

mawkish·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 16, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.15.08

con·tu·ma·cious (knt-mshs, -ty-)

adj.

Obstinately disobedient or rebellious; insubordinate.

contu·macious·ly adv.

contu·macious·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 15, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.14.08

how·dah also hou·dah (houd)

n.

A seat, usually fitted with a canopy and railing, placed on the back of an elephant or a camel.

[Urdu `haudah`, from Arabic `hawdaj`, litter, sedan chair, from `hadaja`, to shuffle along, totter; see `hdg` in Semitic roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 14, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.12.08

fe·cun·di·ty (f-knd-t)

n.

1. The quality or power of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility.

2. Productive or creative power: fecundity of the mind.

Posted on June 12, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.11.08

pal·in·drome (pln-drm)

n.

1. A word, phrase, verse, or sentence that reads the same backward or forward. For example: A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!

2. A segment of double-stranded DNA in which the nucleotide sequence of one strand reads in reverse order to that of the complementary strand.

[From Greek `palindromos`, running back again, recurring : `palin`, again; see `k^wel-`¹ in Indo-European roots + `dromos`, a running.]

palin·dromic (-drmk, -drmk) adj.

Posted on June 11, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 6.10.08

gain·say (gn-s, gns)

tr.v. gain·said (-sd, -sd), gain·say·ing, gain·says (-sz, -sz)

1. To declare false; deny. See Synonyms at deny.

2. To oppose, especially by contradiction.

[Middle English `gainsayen` : `gain-`, against (from Old English `gegn-`) + `sayen`, to say (from Old English `secgan`; see say).]

gain·sayer n.

Posted on June 10, 2008 by admin

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cockcrow
Definition:	The first light of day.
Synonyms:	aurora, break of day, dawn, daybreak, dayspring, first light, sunrise, sunup, morning

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« May				Jul »
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

vi·ti·ate (vsh-t)

tr.v. vi·ti·at·ed, vi·ti·at·ing, vi·ti·ates

1. To reduce the value or impair the quality of.

2. To corrupt morally; debase.

3. To make ineffective; invalidate. See Synonyms at corrupt.

[Latin vitire, vitit-, from vitium, fault.]

viti·a·ble (vsh--bl) adj.

viti·ation n.

viti·ator n.

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

vil·lein also vil·lain (vln, -n, v-ln)

n.

One of a class of feudal serfs who held the legal status of freemen in their dealings with all people except their lord.

[Middle English vilein; see villain.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

i·ras·ci·ble (-rs-bl, -rs-)

adj.

1. Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered.

2. Characterized by or resulting from anger.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin rscibilis, from Latin rsc, to be angry, from ra, anger; see eis- in Indo-European roots.]

i·rasci·bili·ty, i·rasci·ble·ness n.

i·rasci·bly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

vi·ra·go (v-räg, -r-, vîr-g)

n. pl. vi·ra·goes or vi·ra·gos

1. A woman regarded as noisy, scolding, or domineering.

2. A large, strong, courageous woman.

[Latin virg, from vir, man; see w-ro- in Indo-European roots.]

vi·ragi·nous (v-rj-ns) adj.

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

mawk·ish (môksh)

adj.

1. Excessively and objectionably sentimental. See Synonyms at sentimental.

2. Sickening or insipid in taste.

[From Middle English mawke, maggot, variant of magot; see maggot.]

mawkish·ly adv.

mawkish·ness n.

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

con·tu·ma·cious (knt-mshs, -ty-)

adj.

Obstinately disobedient or rebellious; insubordinate.

contu·macious·ly adv.

contu·macious·ness n.

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

how·dah also hou·dah (houd)

n.

A seat, usually fitted with a canopy and railing, placed on the back of an elephant or a camel.

[Urdu haudah, from Arabic hawdaj, litter, sedan chair, from hadaja, to shuffle along, totter; see hdg in Semitic roots.]

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

fe·cun·di·ty (f-knd-t)

n.

1. The quality or power of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility.

2. Productive or creative power: fecundity of the mind.

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

pal·in·drome (pln-drm)

n.

1. A word, phrase, verse, or sentence that reads the same backward or forward. For example: A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!

2. A segment of double-stranded DNA in which the nucleotide sequence of one strand reads in reverse order to that of the complementary strand.

[From Greek palindromos, running back again, recurring : palin, again; see kwel-1 in Indo-European roots + dromos, a running.]

palin·dromic (-drmk, -drmk) adj.

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

gain·say (gn-s, gns)

tr.v. gain·said (-sd, -sd), gain·say·ing, gain·says (-sz, -sz)

1. To declare false; deny. See Synonyms at deny.

2. To oppose, especially by contradiction.

[Middle English gainsayen : gain-, against (from Old English gegn-) + sayen, to say (from Old English secgan; see say).]

gain·sayer n.

hm()

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Word of the Day

[Latin `vitire, vitit-`, from `vitium`, fault.]

[Middle English `vilein`; see villain.]

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin `rscibilis`, from Latin `rsc`, to be angry, from `ra`, anger; see `eis-` in Indo-European roots.]

[Latin `virg`, from `vir`, man; see `w-ro-` in Indo-European roots.]

[From Middle English `mawke`, maggot, variant of `magot`; see maggot.]

[Urdu `haudah`, from Arabic `hawdaj`, litter, sedan chair, from `hadaja`, to shuffle along, totter; see `hdg` in Semitic roots.]

[From Greek `palindromos`, running back again, recurring : `palin`, again; see `k^wel-`¹ in Indo-European roots + `dromos`, a running.]

[Middle English `gainsayen` : `gain-`, against (from Old English `gegn-`) + `sayen`, to say (from Old English `secgan`; see say).]