paroxysm

 

par·ox·ysm  (prk-szm) 

n. 

1. A sudden outburst of emotion or action: a paroxysm of laughter.

2. 

a. A sudden attack, recurrence, or intensification of a disease.

b. A spasm or fit; a convulsion.

 

---

 

[Middle English paroxism, periodic attack of a disease, from Medieval Latin paroxysmus, from Greek paroxusmos, from paroxnein, to stimulate, irritate : para-, intensive pref.; see para-¹ + oxnein, to goad, sharpen (from oxus, sharp; see ak- in Indo-European roots).]

 

---

 

parox·ysmal (-k-szml) adj.

parox·ysmal·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.

 

parox·ysmal (-k-szml) adj.

parox·ysmal·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.

Noun 1. paroxysm – a sudden uncontrollable attack; “a paroxysm of giggling”; “a fit of coughing”; “convulsions of laughter”

convulsion, fit

attack – a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; “an attack of diarrhea”

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

mansard

man·sard (mnsärd)

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.	mansard – a hip roof having two slopes on each side mansard roof curb roof – a roof with two or more slopes on each side of the ridge French roof – a mansard roof with sides that are nearly perpendicular
Adj.	1.	mansard – (of a roof) having two slopes on all sides with the lower slope steeper than the upper; “the story formed by a mansard roof is usually called the garret” hipped – (of a roof) sloping on all sides; “a hipped roof has sloping ends rather than gables”

egregious

e·gre·gious (-grjs, -j-s)

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.

Adj.

1.

egregious – conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible; “a crying shame”; “an egregious lie”; “flagrant violation of human rights”; “a glaring error”; “gross ineptitude”; “gross injustice”; “rank treachery” flagrant, glaring, crying, rank, gross conspicuous – obvious to the eye or mind; “a tower conspicuous at a great distance”; “wore conspicuous neckties”; “made herself conspicuous by her exhibitionistic preening”

coalescing

co·a·lesce (k-ls)

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.

Adj.

1.

coalescing – growing together, fusing; “coalescent tradititions”; “coalescent bones” coalescent united – characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity; “presented a united front”

petulance

pet·u·lant  (pch-lnt) adj. 1. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; peevish. 2. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. [Latin petulns, petulant-, insolent, from petere, to assail; see pet- in Indo-European roots.] petu·lance, petu·lan·cy n. petu·lant·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.

Noun

1.

petulance - an irritable petulant feeling         choler, crossness, fretfulness, fussiness, irritability,peevishness ill humor, ill humour, distemper - an angry and disagreeable mood testiness, tetchiness, touchiness - feeling easily irritated pet - a fit of petulance or sulkiness (especially at what is felt to be a slight)

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

kismet

kis·met (kzmt, -mt)

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.

kismet – (Islam) the will of Allah kismat Mohammedanism, Muhammadanism, Muslimism, Islam, Islamism – the monotheistic religious system of Muslims founded in Arabia in the 7th century and based on the teachings of Muhammad as laid down in the Koran; “Islam is a complete way of life, not a Sunday religion”; “the term Muhammadanism is offensive to Muslims who believe that Allah, not Muhammad, founded their religion” destiny, fate – an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

enigmatic

en·ig·mat·ic (ng-mtk) or en·ig·mat·i·cal (--kl)

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.

Adj.	1.	enigmatic – not clear to the understanding; “I didn’t grasp the meaning of that enigmatic comment until much later”; “prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries” enigmatical, puzzling uncomprehensible, incomprehensible – difficult to understand; “the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible”- A. Einstein
	2.	enigmatic – resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought; “the oracular sayings of Victorian poets”; “so enigmatic that priests might have to clarify it”; “an enigmatic smile” oracular ambiguous – having more than one possible meaning; “ambiguous words”; “frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents were unable to assemble the toy”

leonine

le·o·nine (l-nn)

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.

Adj.

1.

leonine – of or characteristic of or resembling a lion

primordial

pri·mor·di·al (pr-môrd-l)

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.

Adj.

1.

primordial – having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state; “aboriginal forests”; “primal eras before the appearance of life on earth”; “the forest primeval”; “primordial matter”; “primordial forms of life” primaeval, primeval, primal, aboriginal early – at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; “early morning”; “an early warning”; “early diagnosis”; “an early death”; “took early retirement”; “an early spring”; “early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties”