Word of the Day 8.31.08

pe·nu·ri·ous (p-nr-s, -nyr-)

adj.

1. Unwilling to spend money; stingy.

2. Yielding little; barren: a penurious land.

3. Poverty-stricken; destitute.


[From Medieval Latin pnrisus, from Latin pnria, want.]


pe·nuri·ous·ly adv.

pe·nuri·ous·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.

penurious

Adjective

Formal

1. niggardly with money

2. lacking money or means

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Adj.

1.

penurious – not having enough money to pay for necessities

poor – having little money or few possessions; “deplored the gap between rich and poor countries”; “the proverbial poor artist living in a garret”

2.

penurious – excessively unwilling to spend; “parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses”; “lived in a most penurious manner–denying himself every indulgence”

stingy, ungenerous – unwilling to spend; “she practices economy without being stingy”; “an ungenerous response to the appeal for funds”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on August 31, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 8.30.08

in·vei·gle (n-vgl, -v-)

tr.v. in·vei·gled, in·vei·gling, in·vei·gles

1. To win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk. See Synonyms at lure.

2. To obtain by cajolery: inveigled a free pass to museum.


[Middle English envegle, alteration of Old French aveugler, to blind, from aveugle, blind, from Vulgar Latin *aboculus : Latin ab-, away from; see ab-1 + Latin oculus, eye (probably loan-translation of Gaulish exsops : exs-, from + ops, eye); see okw- in Indo-European roots.]


in·veigle·ment n.

in·veigler 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.

Verb

1.

inveigle – influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering; “He palavered her into going along”

persuade – cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody’s arm; “You can’t persuade me to buy this ugly vase!”

soft-soap – persuade someone through flattery

browbeat, bully, swagger – discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on August 29, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 8.29.08

es·o·ter·ic (s-trk)

adj.

1.

a. Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult. See Synonyms at mysterious.

b. Of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number of people.

2.

a. Confined to a small group: esoteric interests.

b. Not publicly disclosed; confidential.


[Greek esterikos, from ester, comparative of es, within; see en in Indo-European roots.]


eso·teri·cal·ly 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.


esoteric [ee-so-ter-rik]

Adjective

understood by only a small number of people, esp. because they have special knowledge [Greek es?ter?

inner]

esoterically adv

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Adj.

1.

esoteric – confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; “a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories”

private – confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy; “a private place”; “private discussions”; “private lessons”; “a private club”; “a private secretary”; “private property”; “the former President is now a private citizen”; “public figures struggle to maintain a private life”

exoteric – suitable for the general public; “writings of an exoteric nature”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.


esoteric

Collins Essential Thesaurus 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2005, 2006

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Word of the Day 8.28.08

in·cen·di·ar·y (n-snd-r)

adj.

1.

a. Causing or capable of causing fire.

b. Of or containing chemicals that produce intensely hot fire when exploded: an incendiary bomb.

c. Of or involving arson.

2. Tending to inflame; inflammatory: an incendiary speech.

n. pl. in·cen·di·ar·ies

1. An arsonist.

2. An incendiary device.

3. One who creates or stirs up factionalism or sedition; an agitator.


[Middle English, from Latin incendirius, from incendium, fire, from incendere, to set on fire; see incense1.]


in·cendi·a·rism (--rzm) 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.

Noun

1.

incendiaryincendiary – a criminal who illegally sets fire to property

barnburner – someone who burns down a barn

criminal, crook, felon, malefactor, outlaw – someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

2.

incendiaryincendiary – a bomb that is designed to start fires; is most effective against flammable targets (such as fuel)

bomb – an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions

Adj.

1.

incendiary – involving deliberate burning of property; “an incendiary fire”

2.

incendiary – arousing to action or rebellion

provocative – serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy; “a provocative remark”; “a provocative smile”; “provocative Irish tunes which…compel the hearers to dance”- Anthony Trollope

3.

incendiary – capable of catching fire spontaneously or causing fires or burning readily; “an incendiary agent”; “incendiary bombs”

combustible – capable of igniting and burning

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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Word of the Day 8.27.08

lan·guor (lnggr, lngr)

n.

1. Lack of physical or mental energy; listlessness. See Synonyms at lethargy.

2. A dreamy, lazy mood or quality: “It was hot, yet with a sweet languor about it” Theodore Dreiser.

3. Oppressive quiet or stillness.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin, from langure, to be languid; see languish.]


languor·ous adj.

languor·ous·ly adv.

languor·ous·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.

Noun

1.

languor – a relaxed comfortable feeling

easiness, relaxation – a feeling of refreshing tranquility and an absence of tension or worry; “the easiness we feel when sleeping”

2.

languor – a feeling of lack of interest or energy

apathy – an absence of emotion or enthusiasm

3.

languorlanguor – inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy; “the general appearance of sluggishness alarmed his friends”

inertia, inactiveness, inactivity – a disposition to remain inactive or inert; “he had to overcome his inertia and get back to work”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on August 27, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 8.26.08

pe·dan·tic (p-dntk)

adj.

Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules: a pedantic attention to details.


pe·danti·cal·ly adv.

Synonyms: pedantic, academic, bookish, donnish, scholastic

These adjectives mean marked by a narrow, often tiresome focus on or display of learning and especially its trivial aspects: a pedantic writing style; an academic insistence on precision; a bookish vocabulary; donnish refinement of speech; scholastic and excessively subtle reasoning.

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.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Adj.

1.

pedantic – marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects

scholarly – characteristic of scholars or scholarship; “scholarly pursuits”; “a scholarly treatise”; “a scholarly attitude”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on August 26, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 8.25.08

cog·i·tate (kj-tt)

intr. & tr.v. cog·i·tat·ed, cog·i·tat·ing, cog·i·tates

To take careful thought or think carefully about; ponder. See Synonyms at think.


[Latin cgitre, cgitt- : co-, intensive pref.; see co- + agitre, to consider; see agitate.]


cogi·tator 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.


cogitate [koj-it-tate]

Verb

[-tating, -tated] to think deeply about (something) [Latin cogitare]

cogitation n

cogitative adj

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Verb

1.

cogitate – consider carefully and deeply; reflect upon; turn over in one’s mind

meditate, mull, mull over, muse, ponder, chew over, think over, excogitate, reflect, ruminate, speculate, contemplate – reflect deeply on a subject; “I mulled over the events of the afternoon”; “philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years”; “The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate”

2.

cogitate – use or exercise the mind or one’s power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments; “I’ve been thinking all day and getting nowhere”

puzzle over – try to solve

rationalise, rationalize – think rationally; employ logic or reason; “When one wonders why one is doing certain things, one should rationalize”

think – have or formulate in the mind; “think good thoughts”

philosophise, philosophize – reason philosophically

brainstorm – try to solve a problem by thinking intensely about it

meditate, mull, mull over, muse, ponder, chew over, think over, excogitate, reflect, ruminate, speculate, contemplate – reflect deeply on a subject; “I mulled over the events of the afternoon”; “philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years”; “The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate”

reason – think logically; “The children must learn to reason”

conclude, reason, reason out – decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion; “We reasoned that it was cheaper to rent than to buy a house”

pass judgment, evaluate, judge – form a critical opinion of; “I cannot judge some works of modern art”; “How do you evaluate this grant proposal?” “We shouldn’t pass judgment on other people”

meditate, contemplate, study – think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes; “He is meditating in his study”

plan – make plans for something; “He is planning a trip with his family”

associate, colligate, link, relate, tie in, connect, link up – make a logical or causal connection; “I cannot connect these two pieces of evidence in my mind”; “colligate these facts”; “I cannot relate these events at all”

focus, pore, rivet, center, centre, concentrate – direct one’s attention on something; “Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies”

devote, pay, give – dedicate; “give thought to”; “give priority to”; “pay attention to”

think about – have on one’s mind, think about actively; “I’m thinking about my friends abroad”; “She always thinks about her children first”

think – ponder; reflect on, or reason about; “Think the matter through”; “Think how hard life in Russia must be these days”

think – decide by pondering, reasoning, or reflecting; “Can you think what to do next?”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on August 25, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 8.24.08

fa·tu·i·ty (f-t-t, -ty-, f-)

n. pl. fa·tu·i·ties

1. Smug stupidity; utter foolishness.

2. Something that is utterly stupid or silly.


[Latin fatuits, from fatuus, silly, foolish.]

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.


fatuity

Noun

pl -ties

1. foolish thoughtlessness

2. a fatuous remark

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun

1.

fatuityfatuity – a ludicrous folly; “the crowd laughed at the absurdity of the clown’s behavior”

folly, foolishness, unwiseness – the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on August 24, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 8.23.08

smarm·y (smärm)

adj. smarm·i·er, smarm·i·est

1. Hypocritically, complacently, or effusively earnest; unctuous. See Synonyms at unctuous.

2. Sleek.


[From smarm, to smear.]


smarm·i·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.


smarmy

Adjective

[smarmier, smarmiest] unpleasantly flattering or polite

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Adj.

1.

smarmysmarmy – unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech; “buttery praise”; “gave him a fulsome introduction”; “an oily sycophantic press agent”; “oleaginous hypocrisy”; “smarmy self-importance”; “the unctuous Uriah Heep”; “soapy compliments”

insincere – lacking sincerity; “a charming but thoroughly insincere woman”; “their praise was extravagant and insincere”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on August 23, 2008 by admin

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Word of the Day 8.22.08

non·plus (nn-pls)

tr.v. non·plused also non·plussed, non·plus·ing also non·plus·sing, non·plus·es also non·plus·ses

To put at a loss as to what to think, say, or do; bewilder.

n.

A state of perplexity, confusion, or bewilderment.


[From Latin nn pls, no more : nn, not; see non- + pls, more; see pel-1 in Indo-European 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.


nonplussed or US nonplused

Adjective

perplexed [Latin non plus no further]

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

Posted on August 22, 2008 by admin

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