Word of the Day 9.30.9

pedantic

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 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Adj.

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

donnish, academic

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 September 30, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.29.9

evince

e·vince (-vns)

tr.v. e·vinced, e·vinc·ing, e·vinc·es

To show or demonstrate clearly; manifest: evince distaste by grimacing.

[Latin `vincere`, to prevail, prove; see evict.]

e·vinci·ble adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Verb

1. evince – give expression to; “She showed her disappointment”

express, show

sneer – express through a scornful smile; “she sneered her contempt”

convey – make known; pass on, of information; “She conveyed the message to me”

connote, imply – express or state indirectly

burst out – give sudden release to an expression; “We burst out laughing”; “‘I hate you,’ she burst out”

paint a picture, suggest, evoke – call to mind; “this remark evoked sadness”

imply – suggest as a logically necessary consequence; in logic

give – manifest or show; “This student gives promise of real creativity”; “The office gave evidence of tampering”

exude – make apparent by one’s mood or behavior; “She exudes great confidence”

give vent, vent, ventilate – give expression or utterance to; “She vented her anger”; “The graduates gave vent to cheers”

give voice, phrase, word, articulate, formulate – put into words or an expression; “He formulated his concerns to the board of trustees”

accent, accentuate, emphasize, stress, punctuate, emphasise – to stress, single out as important; “Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet”

menace – express a threat either by an utterance or a gesture; “he menaced the bank manager with a stick”

beam – express with a beaming face or smile; “he beamed his approval”

smile – express with a smile; “She smiled her thanks”

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

Posted on September 29, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.28.9

apologue

ap·o·logue (p-lôg, -lg)

n.

A moral fable, especially one having animals or inanimate objects as characters.

[French, from Latin `apologus`, from Greek `apologos` : `apo-`, apo- + `logos`, speech; see `leg-` in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Noun

1. apologue – a short moral story (often with animal characters)

allegory, parable, fable

story – a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events; “he writes stories for the magazines”

Aesop’s fables – a collection of fables believed to have been written by the Greek storyteller Aesop

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

Posted on September 28, 2009 by admin

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Word of the DAy 9.27.9

desiccate

des·ic·cate (ds-kt)

v. des·ic·cat·ed, des·ic·cat·ing, des·ic·cates

v.tr.

1. To dry out thoroughly.

2. To preserve (foods) by removing the moisture. See Synonyms at dry.

3. To make dry, dull, or lifeless.

v.intr.

To become dry; dry out.

adj. also (-kt)

Lacking spirit or animation; arid: “There was only the sun-bruised and desiccate feeling in his mind” (J.R. Salamanca).

[Latin `dsiccre, dsicct-` : `d-`, de- + `siccre`, to dry up (from `siccus`, dry).]

desic·cation n.

desic·cative adj.

desic·cator n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Verb	1.	desiccate – preserve by removing all water and liquids from; “carry dehydrated food on your camping trip” dehydrate preserve, keep – prevent (food) from rotting; “preserved meats”; “keep potatoes fresh”
	2.	desiccate – remove water from; “All this exercise and sweating has dehydrated me” dehydrate dry, dry out – remove the moisture from and make dry; “dry clothes”; “dry hair”
	3.	desiccate – lose water or moisture; “In the desert, you get dehydrated very quickly” dry up, exsiccate, dehydrate dry, dry out – remove the moisture from and make dry; “dry clothes”; “dry hair”
Adj.	1.	desiccate – lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless; “a technically perfect but arid performance of the sonata”; “a desiccate romance”; “a prissy and emotionless creature…settles into a mold of desiccated snobbery”-C.J.Rolo arid, desiccated dull – lacking in liveliness or animation; “he was so dull at parties”; “a dull political campaign”; “a large dull impassive man”; “dull days with nothing to do”; “how dull and dreary the world is”; “fell back into one of her dull moods”

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

Posted on September 27, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.26.9

panache

pa·nache (p-nsh, -näsh)

n.

1. Dash; verve.

2. A bunch of feathers or a plume, especially on a helmet.

[French, plume, verve, from Italian `pinnacchio`, plume, from Late Latin `pinnculum`, diminutive of Latin `pinna`, feather, wing; see `pet-` in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Noun

1. panache – distinctive and stylish elegance; “he wooed her with the confident dash of a cavalry officer”

dash, elan, flair, style

elegance – a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste; “she conveys an aura of elegance and gentility”

2. panache – a feathered plume on a helmet

plume – a feather or cluster of feathers worn as an ornament

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

Posted on September 26, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.25.9

laconic

la·con·ic (l-knk)

adj.

Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise. See Synonyms at silent.

[Latin `Lacnicus`, Spartan, from Greek `Laknikos`, from `Lakn`, a Spartan (from the reputation of the Spartans for brevity of speech).]

la·coni·cal·ly adv.

Word History: The study of the classics allows one to understand the history of the term laconic, which comes to us via Latin from Greek Laknikos. The English word is first recorded in 1583 with the sense “of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants.” Laknikos is derived from Lakn, “a Laconian, a person from Lacedaemon,” the name for the region of Greece of which Sparta was the capital. The Spartans, noted for being warlike and disciplined, were also known for the brevity of their speech, and it is this quality that English writers still denote by the use of the adjective laconic, which is first found in this sense in 1589.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Adj.

1. laconic – brief and to the point; effectively cut short; “a crisp retort”; “a response so curt as to be almost rude”; “the laconic reply; `yes’”; “short and terse and easy to understand”

terse, curt, crisp

concise – expressing much in few words; “a concise explanation”

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

Posted on September 25, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.24.9

confabulate

con·fab·u·late (kn-fby-lt)

intr.v. con·fab·u·lat·ed, con·fab·u·lat·ing, con·fab·u·lates

1. To talk casually; chat.

2. Psychology To fill in gaps in one’s memory with fabrications that one believes to be facts.

[Latin `cnfbulr, cnfbult-` : `com-`, com- + `fbulr`, to talk (from `fbula`, conversation; see fable).]

con·fabu·lation n.

con·fabu·lator n.

con·fabu·la·tory (-l-tôr, -tr) adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Verb

1. confabulate – unconsciously replace fact with fantasy in one’s memory

psychiatry, psychological medicine, psychopathology – the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

cook up, fabricate, invent, manufacture, make up – make up something artificial or untrue

2. confabulate – talk socially without exchanging too much information; “the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze”

chew the fat, chit-chat, chitchat, claver, confab, jaw, natter, shoot the breeze, chat, chaffer, gossip, chatter, visit

converse, discourse – carry on a conversation

jawbone, schmoose, schmooze, shmoose, shmooze – talk idly or casually and in a friendly way

3. confabulate – have a conference in order to talk something over; “We conferred about a plan of action”

confer, confab, consult

hash out, talk over, discuss – speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion; “We discussed our household budget”

collogue – confer secretly

Posted on September 24, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.23.9

pettifogger

pet·ti·fog·ger (pt-fgr, -fôgr)

n.

1. A petty, quibbling, unscrupulous lawyer.

2. One who quibbles over trivia.

[Probably petty + obsolete `fogger`, pettifogger.]

petti·fogger·y n.

Noun

1. pettifogger – a person (especially a lawyer or politician) who uses unscrupulous or unethical methods

shyster

offender, wrongdoer – a person who transgresses moral or civil law

2. pettifogger – a disputant who quibbles; someone who raises annoying petty objections

caviler, caviller, quibbler

malcontent – a person who is discontented or disgusted

Posted on September 23, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.22.9

penurious

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.

Adj.

1. penurious – not having enough money to pay for necessities

hard up, impecunious, in straitened circumstances, penniless, pinched

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”

parsimonious

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

Posted on September 22, 2009 by admin

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Word of the Day 9.21.9

virgule

vir·gule (vûrgyl)

n. Printing

A diagonal mark ( / ) used especially to separate alternatives, as in and/or, to represent the word per, as in miles/hour,Old King Cole/Was a merry old soul.

and to indicate the ends of verse lines printed continuously, as in

[French, comma, obelus, from Late Latin `virgula`, accentual mark, from Latin, obelus, diminutive of `virga`, rod.]

Noun

1. virgule – a punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information

separatrix, solidus, slash, diagonal, stroke

punctuation mark, punctuation – the marks used to clarify meaning by indicating separation of words into sentences and clauses and phrases

Posted on September 21, 2009 by admin

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garboil
Definition:	A state of commotion and noise and confusion.
Synonyms:	tumult, uproar

September 2009
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pe·dan·tic // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ play_w2("P0144300") // ]]&gt; (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.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Adj.

1.

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

donnish, academic

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

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

e·vince // < ![CDATA[ play_w2("E0255700") // ]]&gt; (-vns)

tr.v. e·vinced, e·vinc·ing, e·vinc·es

To show or demonstrate clearly; manifest: evince distaste by grimacing.

[Latin vincere, to prevail, prove; see evict.]

e·vinci·ble adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Verb

1.

evince – give expression to; “She showed her disappointment”

express, show

sneer – express through a scornful smile; “she sneered her contempt”

convey – make known; pass on, of information; “She conveyed the message to me”

connote, imply – express or state indirectly

burst out – give sudden release to an expression; “We burst out laughing”; “‘I hate you,’ she burst out”

paint a picture, suggest, evoke – call to mind; “this remark evoked sadness”

imply – suggest as a logically necessary consequence; in logic

give – manifest or show; “This student gives promise of real creativity”; “The office gave evidence of tampering”

exude – make apparent by one’s mood or behavior; “She exudes great confidence”

give vent, vent, ventilate – give expression or utterance to; “She vented her anger”; “The graduates gave vent to cheers”

give voice, phrase, word, articulate, formulate – put into words or an expression; “He formulated his concerns to the board of trustees”

accent, accentuate, emphasize, stress, punctuate, emphasise – to stress, single out as important; “Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet”

menace – express a threat either by an utterance or a gesture; “he menaced the bank manager with a stick”

beam – express with a beaming face or smile; “he beamed his approval”

smile – express with a smile; “She smiled her thanks”

// < ![CDATA[ // <![CDATA[ wn() // ]]&gt;

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

ap·o·logue // < ![CDATA[ play_w2("A0370000") // ]]&gt; (p-lôg, -lg)

n.

A moral fable, especially one having animals or inanimate objects as characters.

[French, from Latin apologus, from Greek apologos : apo-, apo- + logos, speech; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Noun

1.

apologue – a short moral story (often with animal characters)

allegory, parable, fable

story – a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events; “he writes stories for the magazines”

Aesop’s fables – a collection of fables believed to have been written by the Greek storyteller Aesop

// < ![CDATA[ // <![CDATA[ wn() // ]]&gt;

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

des·ic·cate // < ![CDATA[ play_w2("D0159200") // ]]&gt; (ds-kt)

v. des·ic·cat·ed, des·ic·cat·ing, des·ic·cates

v.tr.

1. To dry out thoroughly.

2. To preserve (foods) by removing the moisture. See Synonyms at dry.

3. To make dry, dull, or lifeless.

v.intr.

To become dry; dry out.

adj. also (-kt)

Lacking spirit or animation; arid: “There was only the sun-bruised and desiccate feeling in his mind” (J.R. Salamanca).

[Latin dsiccre, dsicct- : d-, de- + siccre, to dry up (from siccus, dry).]

desic·cation n.

desic·cative adj.

desic·cator n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Verb

1.

desiccate – preserve by removing all water and liquids from; “carry dehydrated food on your camping trip”

preserve, keep – prevent (food) from rotting; “preserved meats”; “keep potatoes fresh”

2.

desiccate – remove water from; “All this exercise and sweating has dehydrated me”

dry, dry out – remove the moisture from and make dry; “dry clothes”; “dry hair”

3.

pe·dan·tic (p-dntk)

e·vince (-vns)

[Latin `vincere`, to prevail, prove; see evict.]

ap·o·logue (p-lôg, -lg)

[French, from Latin `apologus`, from Greek `apologos` : `apo-`, apo- + `logos`, speech; see `leg-` in Indo-European roots.]

des·ic·cate (ds-kt)

[Latin `dsiccre, dsicct-` : `d-`, de- + `siccre`, to dry up (from `siccus`, dry).]

pa·nache (p-nsh, -näsh)

[French, plume, verve, from Italian `pinnacchio`, plume, from Late Latin `pinnculum`, diminutive of Latin `pinna`, feather, wing; see `pet-` in Indo-European roots.]