English Learning Online: Vocabulary: Word of The Day 6 November 2012

English Learning Online: Vocabulary: Word of The Day 6 November 2012

For this post, in Vocabulary section, I would like to continue sharing with you latest words of the day as following...

hew \hyoo\, verb:

1. To uphold, follow closely, or conform (usually followed by to): to hew to the tenets of one's political party.
2. To strike with cutting blows; cut: He hewed more vigorously each time.
3. To strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
4. To make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows: to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble.

guff \guhff\, noun:

1. Empty or foolish talk; nonsense.
2. Insolent talk.

orectic \aw-REK-tik\, adjective:

Of or pertaining to desire; appetitive.

vicinage \VIS-uh-nij\, noun:

1. The region near or about a place; vicinity.
2. A particular neighborhood or district, or the people belonging to it.
3. Proximity.

pillory \PIL-uh-ree\, verb:

1. To expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse.
2. To set in the pillory.


natty \NAT-ee\, adjective:

Neatly or trimly smart in dress or appearance; spruce: a natty white uniform.


pelagic \puh-LAJ-ik\, adjective:

1. Of or pertaining to the open seas or oceans.
2. Living or growing at or near the surface of the ocean, far from land, as certain organisms.

fallow \FAL-oh\, adjective:

1. Not in use; inactive: My creative energies have lain fallow this year.
2. (Of land) plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated.

noun:
1. Land that has undergone plowing and harrowing and has been left unseeded for one or more growing seasons.

verb:
1. To make (land) fallow for agricultural purposes.

aseptic \uh-SEP-tik\, adjective:

1. Free from the living germs of disease, fermentation, or putrefaction.

noun:
1. A product, as milk or fruit juice, that is marketed in an aseptic package or container.
2. Aseptics, (used with a singular verb) a system of packaging sterilized products in airtight containers so that freshness is preserved for several months.

concatenate \kon-KAT-n-eyt\, verb:

1. To link together; unite in a series or chain.

adjective:
1. Linked together, as in a chain.

belletristic \bel-li-TRIS-tik\, adjective:

Related to literature regarded as a fine art, especially as having a purely aesthetic function.

1. A wasting away.
2. Pulmonary tuberculosis; consumption.

nomothetic \nom-uh-THET-ik\, adjective:

1. Giving or establishing laws; legislative.
2. Founded upon or derived from law.
3. Psychology. Pertaining to or involving the study or formulation of general or universal laws (opposed to idiographic).

lodestar \LOHD-stahr\, noun:

1. Something that serves as a guide or on which the attention is fixed.
2. A star that shows the way.
3. Polaris.

simper \SIM-per\, verb:

1. To smile in a silly, self-conscious way.
2. To say with a simper.

noun:
1. A silly, self-conscious smile.

velleity \vuh-LEE-i-tee\, noun:

1. Volition in its weakest form.
2. A mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.

hieratic \hahy-uh-RAT-ik\, adjective:

1. Highly restrained or severe in emotional import: Some of the more hieratic sculptures leave the viewer curiously unmoved.
2. Also, hi·er·at·i·cal. of or pertaining to priests or the priesthood; sacerdotal; priestly.
3. Noting or pertaining to a form of ancient Egyptian writing consisting of abridged forms of hieroglyphics, used by the priests in their records.
4. Noting or pertaining to certain styles in art in which the representations or methods are fixed by or as if by religious tradition.

noun:
1. Ancient Egyptian hieratic writing.

concertina \kon-ser-TEE-nuh\, verb:

1. To fold, crush together, or collapse in the manner of a concertina: The car concertinaed when it hit the truck.
2. To cause to fold or collapse in the manner of a concertina.

noun:
1. A musical instrument resembling an accordion but having buttonlike keys, hexagonal bellows and ends, and a more limited range.
2. Concertina wire.


bole \bohl\, noun:

the stem or trunk of a tree.

antic \an-tik\, adjective:

1. Ludicrous; funny.
2. Fantastic; odd; grotesque: an antic disposition.

noun:
1. Usually, antics. A. A playful trick or prank; caper. B. A grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture.
2. Archaic. A. An actor in a grotesque or ridiculous presentation. B. A buffoon; clown.
3. Obsolete. A. A grotesque theatrical presentation; ridiculous interlude. B. A grotesque or fantastic sculptured figure, as a gargoyle.

fabulist \FAB-yuh-list\, noun:

1. A liar.
2. A person who invents or relates fables.

compère \KOM-pair\, noun:

1. A host, master of ceremonies, or the like, especially of a stage revue or television program.

verb:
1. To act as compère for: to compère the new game show.

bathetic \buh-THET-ik\, adjective:

Displaying or characterized by insincere emotions: the bathetic emotionalism of soap operas.

truncate \TRUHNG-keyt\, verb:

1. To shorten by cutting off a part; cut short: Truncate detailed explanations.
2. Mathematics, Computers. To shorten (a number) by dropping a digit or digits: The numbers 1.4142 and 1.4987 can both be truncated to 1.4.

adjective:
1. Truncated.
2. Biology. A. Square or broad at the end, as if cut off transversely. B. Lacking the apex, as certain spiral shells.

crucible \KROO-suh-buhl\, noun:

1. A severe, searching test or trial.
2. A container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures.
3. Metallurgy. A hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which the metal collects.

gull \guhl\, verb:

1. To deceive, trick, or cheat.

noun:
1. A person who is easily deceived or cheated; dupe.

demulcent \dih-MUHL-suhnt\, adjective:

1. Soothing or mollifying, as a medicinal substance.

noun:
1. A demulcent substance or agent, often mucilaginous, as for soothing or protecting an irritated mucous membrane.

vigorish \VIG-er-ish\, noun:

1. Interest paid to a moneylender, especially a usurer.
2. A charge paid on a bet, as to a bookie.

ramose \REY-mohs\, adjective:

1. Having many branches.
2. Branching.

ataraxia \at-uh-RAK-see-uh\, noun:

A state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranquility.

cacology \ka-KOL-uh-jee\, noun:

Defectively produced speech; socially unacceptable diction.

piceous \PIS-ee-uhs\, adjective:

1. Inflammable; combustible.
2. Of, pertaining to, or resembling pitch.
3. Zoology. Black or nearly black as pitch.


rollick \ROL-ik\, verb:

To move or act in a carefree, frolicsome manner; behave in a free, hearty, gay, or jovial way.

spleenful \SPLEEN-fuhl\, adjective:

1. Ill-humored; irritable or peevish; spiteful; splenetic.
2. Full of or displaying spleen.


manifold \MAN-uh-fohld\, adjective:

1. Of many kinds; numerous and varied: manifold duties.
2. Having numerous different parts, elements, features, forms, etc.: a manifold program for social reform.

noun:
1. Something having many different parts or features.
2. A copy or facsimile, as of something written, such as is made by manifolding

verb:
1. To make copies of, as with carbon paper.


primrose \PRIM-rohz\, noun:

1. Pale yellow.
2. Any plant of the genus Primula, as P. vulgaris (English primrose), of Europe, having yellow flowers, or P. sinensis (Chinese primrose), of China, having flowers in a variety of colors. Compare primrose family.
3. Evening primrose.

celadon \SEL-uh-don\, noun:

1. A pale gray-green.
2. Any of several Chinese porcelains having a translucent, pale green glaze.
3. Any porcelain imitating these.

adjective:
1. Having the color celadon.

heliotrope \HEE-lee-uh-trohp\, noun:

1. A light tint of purple; reddish lavender.
2. Any hairy plant belonging to the genus Heliotropium, of the borage family, as H. arborescens, cultivated for its small, fragrant purple flowers.
3. Any of various other plants, as the valerian or the winter heliotrope.
4. Any plant that turns toward the sun.
5. Surveying. An arrangement of mirrors for reflecting sunlight from a distant point to an observation station.
6. Bloodstone.

ecru \EK-roo\, adjective:

1. Very light brown in color, as raw silk, unbleached linen, etc.

noun:
1. An ecru color.

quail \kweyl\, verb:

To lose heart or courage in difficulty or danger; shrink with fear.

coetaneous \koh-i-TEY-nee-uhs\, adjective:

Of the same age or duration.

Tartuffery \tahr-TOOF-uh-ree\, noun:

Behavior or character of a Tartuffe, especially hypocritical piety.

diapason \dahy-uh-PEY-zuhn\, noun:

1. A full, rich outpouring of melodious sound.
2. The compass of a voice or instrument.
3. A fixed standard of pitch.
4. Either of two principal timbres or stops of a pipe organ, one of full, majestic tone (open diapason) and the other of strong, flutelike tone (stopped diapason).
5. Any of several other organ stops.
6. A tuning fork.

bollix \BOL-iks\, verb:

1. To do (something) badly; bungle (often followed by up): His interference bollixed up the whole deal.

noun:
1. A confused bungle.

hustings \HUHS-tingz\, noun:

1. The political campaign trail.
2. (Before 1872) the temporary platform on which candidates for the British Parliament stood when nominated and from which they addressed the electors.
3. Any place from which political campaign speeches are made.
4. Also called hustings court. A local court in certain parts of Virginia.

strepitous \STREP-i-tuhs\, adjective:

boisterous; noisy.

pharisaic \far-uh-SEY-ik\, adjective:

1. Practicing or advocating strict observance of external forms and ceremonies of religion or conduct without regard to the spirit; self-righteous; hypocritical.
2. Of or pertaining to the Pharisees.

hematic \hi-MAT-ik\, adjective:

1. Of or pertaining to blood; hemic.
2. Acting on the blood, as a medicine.

noun:
1. Hematinic.

sententious \sen-TEN-shuhs\, adjective:

1. Abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book.
2. Given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.
3. Given to or using pithy sayings or maxims: a sententious poet.
4. Of the nature of a maxim; pithy.

privity \PRIV-i-tee\, noun:

1. Participation in the knowledge of something private or secret, especially as implying concurrence or consent.
2. Private or secret knowledge.
3. Law. The relation between privies.
4. Obsolete. Privacy.

austral \AW-struhl\, adjective:

1. Southern.
2. (Initial capital letter) Australian.

palter \PAWL-ter\, verb:

1. To talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery.
2. To bargain with; haggle.
3. To act carelessly; trifle.

fiducial \fi-DOO-shuhl\, adjective:

1. Based on or having trust: fiducial dependence upon God.
2. Accepted as a fixed basis of reference or comparison: a fiducial point; a fiducial temperature.

catholicon \kuh-THOL-i-kuhn\, noun:

A universal remedy; panacea.

utile \YOO-til\, adjective:

Useful.

thetic \THET-ik\, adjective:

Positive; dogmatic.

hamartia \hah-mahr-TEE-uh\, noun:

Tragic flaw.

agita \AJ-i-tuh\, noun:

1. Agitation; anxiety.
2. Heartburn; indigestion.

true \troo\, verb:

1. To make true; shape, adjust, place, etc., exactly or accurately: to true the wheels of a bicycle after striking a pothole.
2. (Especially in carpentry) to make even, symmetrical, level, etc. (often followed by up): to true up the sides of a door.

hirtellous \hur-TEL-uhs\, verb:

Minutely hirsute.

tardigrade \TAHR-di-greyd\, adjective:

1. Slow in pace or movement.
2. Belonging or pertaining to the phylum Tardigrada.

noun:
1. Also called bear animalcule, water bear. Any microscopic, chiefly herbivorous invertebrate of the phylum Tardigrada, living in water, on mosses, lichens, etc.

apophasis \uh-POF-uh-sis\, noun:

Denial of one's intention to speak of a subject that is at the same time named or insinuated, as “I shall not mention Caesar's avarice, nor his cunning, nor his morality.”

catachresis \kat-uh-KREE-sis\, noun:

Misuse or strained use of words, as in a mixed metaphor, occurring either in error or for rhetorical effect.

anacoluthon \an-uh-kuh-LOO-thon\, noun:

1. A construction involving a break in grammatical sequence, as It makes me so—I just get angry.
2. An instance of anacoluthia.

litotes \LAHY-tuh-teez\, noun:

Understatement, especially that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not bad at all.”

mucro \MYOO-kroh\, noun:

A short point projecting abruptly, as at the end of a leaf.

versicolor \VUR-si-kuhl-er\, adjective:

1. Changeable in color: versicolor skies.
2. Of various colors; parti-colored: a versicolor flower arrangement.

crasis \KREY-sis\, noun:

Composition; constitution; makeup.

draggle \DRAG-uhl\, verb:

1. To soil by dragging over damp ground or in mud.
2. To trail on the ground; be or become draggled.
3. To follow slowly; straggle.

zeugma \ZOOG-muh\, noun:

The use of a word to modify or govern two or more words when it is appropriate to only one of them or is appropriate to each but in a different way, as in to wage war and peace or On his fishing trip, he caught three trout and a cold.

fulgurant \FUHL-gyer-uhnt\, adjective:

Flashing like lightning.

ombudsman \OM-buhdz-muhn\, noun:

A government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies.

veloce \ve-LAW-che\, adjective:

Played at a fast tempo.

assoil \uh-SOIL\, verb:

1. To absolve; acquit; pardon.
2. To atone for.

recusant \REK-yuh-zuhnt\, noun:

1. A person who refuses to submit, comply, etc.
2. English History. A person, especially a Roman Catholic, who refused to attend the services of the Church of England.

acephalous \ey-SEF-uh-luhs\, adjective:

1. Without a leader or ruler.
2. Also, acephalic Zoology. headless; lacking a distinct head.

recusant \REK-yuh-zuhnt\, noun:

1. A person who refuses to submit, comply, etc.
2. English History. A person, especially a Roman Catholic, who refused to attend the services of the Church of England.

parturient \pahr-TOOR-ee-uhnt\, adjective:

1. Bearing or about to bear young; travailing.
2. Pertaining to parturition.
3. Bringing forth or about to produce something, as an idea.

delate \dih-LEYT\, verb:

1. Chiefly Scot. To inform against; denounce or accuse.
2. Archaic. To relate; report: to delate an offense.

uncanny \uhn-KAN-ee\, adjective:

1. Having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary: uncanny accuracy; an uncanny knack of foreseeing trouble.
2. Mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange: Uncanny sounds filled the house.

eidolon \ahy-DOH-luhn\, noun:

1. A phantom; apparition.
2. An ideal.

cantrip \KAHN-trip\, noun:

1. Chiefly Scot. A magic spell; trick by sorcery.
2. Chiefly British. Artful shamming meant to deceive.

teratoid \TER-uh-toid\, adjective:

Resembling a monster.

supernormal \soo-per-NAWR-muhl\, adjective:

1. In excess of the normal or average: supernormal faculties; supernormal production.
2. Lying beyond normal or natural powers of comprehension: supernormal intimations.

loup-garou \loo-ga-ROO\, noun:

A werewolf; lycanthrope.

lily-livered \LIL-ee-LIV-erd\, noun:

Weak or lacking in courage; cowardly; pusillanimous.

siesta \see-ES-tuh\, noun:

A midday or afternoon rest or nap.

splendiferous \splen-DIF-er-uhs\, adjective:

Magnificent; fine.

canonize \KAN-uh-nahyz\, verb:

1. To glorify and honor.
2. Ecclesiastical. to place in the canon of saints.
3. To consider or treat as sacrosanct or holy.

beatitude \bee-AT-i-tood\, noun:

1. Supreme blessedness; exalted happiness.
2. Any of the declarations of blessedness pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

climacteric \klahy-mak-TER-ik\, noun:

1. A critical period.
2. Physiology: a period of decrease of reproductive capacity in men and women, culminating, in women, in the menopause.
3. A year in which important changes in health, fortune, etc., are held by some theories to occur, as one's sixty-third year
4. The period of maximum respiration in a fruit, during which it becomes fully ripened.

For Example:

- siesta

Eg: Everyday, I always have siesta after my lunch time.

- utile

Eg: This is very utile tool for this project.

- guff

Eg: It's a guff discussion. Let prepare for the next discussion again later next day.